Words From My Students
“I took my first Japanese lesson at Tobaru House at fourteen years old. Tobaru house provided me with my first real experiences with Japanese culture experiences that changed my initial fascination with Japan into a deep love and connection with Japanese culture that ultimately led to my career. Yuko became a very dear friend to me; someone I would consider my family. I remember lessons where Yuko and I would walk through her neighborhood while she showed me real life examples for the words she taught me, pointing at pumpkins at Fred Meyer to teach me 大きいand 小さい (large and small). This association has never left my memory. Yuko also taught me about traditional Japanese culture through first-hand experiences, like making traditional mochi to celebrate the New Year and learning about girl’s day and the hinadan together.
“Yuko’s cheerful encouragement gave me a sense of achievement after every lesson and helped me believe that I was truly capable of learning Japanese. In the years that followed with Yuko’s endless encouragement, kindness and support, I was able to go from zero to being fluent in Japanese. I have studied abroad in Japan twice and currently teach English in the Japanese countryside on the JET Programme. I couldn’t have achieved this without Yuko and Tobaru house, who gave me the encouragement to unlock my full potential.” Ruby
“We are thrilled to have found Yuko to tutor our son in Japanese. She is everything you want in an educator for your child: she is fun, patient, informed and responsible. She makes learning fun and effective. Our son looks forward to his time with her and is benefiting tremendously from their lessons. Five stars all the way!!!!!” Elizabeth
“We love everything about Yuko! She is amazing with our daughter who is not always the easiest to work with. Our daughter also cannot stop talking about her which is such a great feeling.” Nicole
“I practiced Japanese with Yuko in the run up to a series of job interviews with Japanese firms. While I had studied the language in the past, I was very much out of practice when I started working with Yuko. In a couple short months, she helped me get my Japanese back up to a level high enough to get me through my interviews, and to land a great job. Yuko is patient, takes pains to tailor her lessons to the student’s needs, is very good at explaining things in a clear manner, and is more than willing to put in a lot of work if necessary. I strongly recommend studying with her to anyone looking to improve their Japanese, no matter their current level.” Mathieu
“Yuko was a godsend for me getting back into Japanese after a long hiatus. She was able not only to help me with logistical things (help with homework, correct use of grammar, quiz preparation), but she has also made my conversational Japanese better than ever. I would highly recommend her!” Michael
“I’ve studied weekly with Yuko for over a year now. Initially hiragana and katakana was difficult, but Yuko was very patient and encouraging in tackling the basics of Japanese. More importantly, however, was the rapport that we quickly formed that lead to the ability to converse easily. While our lessons focused on some language acquisition and writing practice, just as fun was the way in which we learned: cooking in the kitchen, watching shows and movies, or learning about Japanese culture. Not only is Sensei Yuko a capable teacher, but the methods and ease in which she creates lessons makes learning Japanese enjoyable.” Chris
The Best!!
“Yuko is a pleasure to learn from, you learn a great deal and have fun doing it! I find myself laughing throughout the lesson, which makes for a very comfortable environment.” Anthony
Knowledgeable and sweet tutor
“I love Yuko! She is so sweet and patient with me learning Japanese and helped alot for my upcoming test! I would recommend her if you would like to learn more about the Japanese culture as well as conversational words!” Daniar
“Really Reliable!”
“She was really great at helping me understand the things I needed to know and was very patient and kind about it.” Aaron
“Yuko Sensei brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to give you glimpse into Japanese Culture. Always giving specific individualized instruction to improve your knowledge of Japan both cultural and language skills.” Mike
“Yuko is the best Japanese teacher! I’m so glad to have her teaching me Japanese! She taught me many things that I cannot learn from my school! Like Japanese culture and some useful daily words. I am really passionate in japan and its culture! I can’t wait for every Friday now!!” Senri
The best tutor ever for intelligent learning of both a language and culture!!
“She will be the BEST tutor you will ever find, hands down. She encompasses the language and culture in a way that is both charming and captivating. We have only seen her twice and feel like she has been a gift to us. No need to look elsewhere!!!” Eddie