Mineko Arai
Born in Shizuoka, Japan.
' Enrich your life.'

Hi, I’m Mineko Arai!
I’ve been teaching Japanese for about 20 years. I was a lecturer at top UK universities like the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, the University of Sheffield, and King's College.
I was also employed by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to prepare diplomats for postings to the British embassy in Tokyo.
I'm now the director of the Arai Academy of Japanese Studies. The academy has provided corporate training to the British Museum, as well as executives and business leaders at companies like Deloitte, Sony, Dentsu and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank.
I was also voted #1 online tutor at Vidalingua.
I have an MA in applied Japanese linguistics from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and an MBA in Education Management from King's College.
Master Speaking Japanese Online Course
Most textbooks and courses lock you in to stock examples and phrases, which are unusable, and sound stiff and unnatural. I noticed that many students who came to me had been studying Japanese by themselves for a long time but couldn’t speak it confidently. Many were stressed because they’d studied other languages successfully but their regular study methods weren’t working for Japanese. So many people were almost at the point of giving up.
I created the Master Speaking Japanese course because I know from my own experience that self-study still works, even for Japanese. You just need to study the right way.
If you choose the right materials with the right methods, becoming a confident Japanese speaker is definitely achievable. You can get your confidence back!
My students report an average of 3.7x faster progress speed and a 400% increase in confidence. They enjoy interacting with Japanese people, and their lives are enriched. I use the same methods and materials in the Master Speaking Japanese course.
Once you start to gain confidence and motivation, it’ll be impossible to lose it again. You’ll achieve so much with this course - even in just 4 weeks - that if you follow the Master Speaking Japanese methods, you’ll keep what you learn with you forever.
This course is also a great opportunity for complete beginners to start learning Japanese the right way!
Of course, it's important for a course to match your learning goals.
If your goal is to speak Japanese with confidence, this course is for you. It gives crystal clear explanations of grammar points, and it helps you to create sentences and phrases that are actually useful to you - not just stock sentences about strangers. It also gives you the culture and mindset behind Japanese phrases, so you’ll be able to use them smoothly and confidently.
There’s a big emphasis on output (speaking), so you’ll be 100% ready for real conversations when the time comes. You’ll also be able to check your answers against model conversations to make sure your expressions and pronunciation are correct.
The Master Speaking Japanese course uses the same language acquisition methods I teach my private students. This knowledge was limited to my private students but now it’s available to everyone.
These methods and great results are usually only available in private lessons, which can be expensive. However, a monthly subscription to the Master Speaking Japanese course is only a fraction of the cost of a single private lesson. It empowers you to say exactly what you want naturally and fluently from the very beginning!
Private Lessons
I offer private lessons for students who have specific or urgent needs. I create customised courses that accelerate learning timelines and maximise results.
For example, I’ve provided corporate training to British diplomats for postings to Japan, as well as for business leaders who needed to prepare for Japanese client meetings. I’ve also helped a student who needed to make a speech in front of 3,000 Japanese employees!
I’ve taught advanced Japanese to fluent speakers who work in a Japanese office environment, and who needed to better understand Japanese business etiquette and cultural mindset in order to succeed at work.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a complete beginner or whether you’ve been learning Japanese for a long time - if you want (or need) to quickly improve your Japanese, private lessons would be the best option for you.
Building strong bonds, trust and connections with Japanese people - whether in a business or a private context - involves having a solid understanding of the Japanese mindset. Having strong language skills is not enough.
Understanding the Japanese mind and how to touch the Japanese heart are core elements of my private lessons. I’ll teach you how to behave in different contexts, which phrases are important to use, and why. I suggest approaches that would work best for your situation and goals. I’ll create a custom course adjusted to your needs, goals, and current level.
If you want to try a private lesson with me, you can try a taster lesson now!
Connect with me on social media!
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I also share my knowledge of language acquisition and give Japanese tips on my social media channels. Follow me on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram!
I’m looking forward to connecting with you!
Testimonials
"I studied with Arai sensei since Oct 2016, the lessons are always well-prepared, Arai-sensei puts a lot of emphasis on communication skills in real-life scenarios. Sensei is also very good at illustrating the subtle nuances in different grammar points which are not otherwise obvious. Teaching materials are drawn from a wide variety of sources instead of a single textbook. At the same time through Arai-sensei I also gained a lot of exposure to the different aspects of Japanese culture, which reinforces my Japanese study. I would not hesitate to recommend sensei to anyone who is interested in studying Japanese."
Beginner level, VY, financial services