We began in 2000 as a group of volunteer Japanese language teachers with a goal to help international residents have a smoother transition to living in Japan.
We wanted to teach Japanese for daily life that you wouldn’t learn from studying a textbook.
Since then, we've grown rapidly and opened three more school locations. In 2009, we published our first Japanese learning textbook
Nihongo Fun and Easy.
But our mission stays the same: to help our students by teaching them “real” Japanese. It is our hope that with their new Japanese abilities, our students can lead barrier-free lives in Japan.
You can learn more about the Coto Story at our
Corporate Website.
Fast Facts About Coto
- Started in 2000, out of a 2 bedroom rental apartment with volunteer teachers. Have grown to 4 Japanese language school locations.
- Coto Japanese Academy - Iidabashi - Established 2000, rebranded as Coto in 2014
- Coto Japanese Club - Azabu-Juban, Established February 2018
- Coto Japanase Academy - Yokohama, Established 2020
- Coto Japanese Academy - Shibuya, Opening August 2023!
- Practical Japanese lessons with a focus on speaking practice.
- Small Group and Private Japanese lessons for a variety of levels and skills.
Our Mission
We want to help international residents fulfill their life dreams in Japan. We want to make living in Japan an enjoyable and fun experience where they can live freely as their true selves and be uninhibited by the language barrier.
In order to fulfill this we try to make sure that our staff, teachers, and our students all work together to try to make the learning experience fun and fulfilling so that they can keep the motivation that they need to continue progressing in their Japanese.
If you are looking for a Japanese language school that truly cares about your progress and your life in Japan - we are that school.
Eng 
日本語 
