Remember, it’s never too early or too late to register for a class, even after it’s begun. You can always catch up with any sessions you may have missed by watching the video recordings of previous sessions. The time remaining before the first class session is below, so register now, stop hesitating and get to it!
as in-person classes, live-streamed Zoom sessions, and video recordings.
• Term 2 (Apr-Jun ) and Term 4 (Oct-Nov) each year, pending sufficient enrolment.
• This course is offered as an in-person course in our Hamilton, New Zealand classrooms, live-streamed via Zoom if you live elsewhere, and as video recordings of the live sessions if you cannot attend the regularly scheduled class.
• If you’d like to register for Japanese 104 now, and haven’t taken Japanese 103, you can register for both as a bundle and have access to the video recordings from Japanese 103 at half price. Then you can begin your Japanese studies while you wait for the Japanese 104 class to begin. If you are interested in this option, please drop us an email by clicking on the Contact link at the bottom of this page, and let us know that you're interested in the Japanese 103/Japanese 104 bundle.
Begins Thu 9 Oct 2025, 6:30-8:00pm
• Our 2025 Term 4 Japanese 104, Part 4 course meets Thursdays from 6:30-8:00pm beginning on Thursday 9 October 2025 (New Zealand time) and continues for eight weekly sessions. Please be aware that our instructor will be in Japan for a couple of weeks in the middle of the Term and we will make these classes up towards the end of the Term. The last class of the Term is held on Thursday 27 November 2025.
• Please note that if all students and the instructor can agree on a more suitable mutually acceptable day and time, you are welcome to do so during the first class session, provided classroom space is available at that time.
• If you live outside of New Zealand and wish to Zoom in to our live class sessions, check the nearest local Time Zone equivalent below:
for live-streaming Zoom Sessions from New Zealand. If your Time Zone doesn't suit our live-streamed class, you can also access our courses by watching the live-recorded sessions that are posted to the course webpage each week, usually within 1-2 days.
Honolulu, Hawai’i: begins Wed 8 Oct 2025, 7:30-9:00pm
US Pacific: begins Wed 8 Oct 2025, 10:30pm-12:00am
US Eastern: begins Thu 9 Oct 2025, 1:30-3:00am
London, UK: begins Thu 9 Oct 2025, 6:30-8:00am
Paris, France: begins Thu 9 Oct 2025, 7:30-9:00am
New Delhi, India: begins Thu 9 Oct 2025, 11:00am -12:30pm
Bangkok: begins Thu 9 Oct 2025, 12:30-2:00pm
Singapore: begins Thu 9 Oct 2025, 1:30-3:00pm
Tokyo, Japan: begins Thu 9 Oct 2025, 2:30-4:00pm
Sydney, Australia: begins Thu 9 Oct 2025, 4:30-6:00pm
Japanese 104: Introductory Japanese, Part 4
• This is Part 4 of an eight-part Introductory course taught during 8 successive school terms over 2 years (take as few or as many as you’d like!) specifically designed for beginning Japanese learners who have not previously studied Japanese before. All of our language programmes focus on acquiring reading and conversational skills, and learning about local culture. Our courses are designed for busy people: we do not expect you to study outside of class, nor do we assign homework (unless you’d like some!). Come and spend 12 class hours per Term (eight 1.5 hour weekly classes) studying Japanese and learning about Japanese culture, and have some fun too!
• Our Introductory Japanese 104, Part 4 course continues its focus on learning hiragana and katakana scripts, writing and reading practice, and includes continued introductory grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and conversation.
• Those who already understand and speak some Japanese, but who does not know how to read and write, may also choose to enrol in the Japanese 104 course. EarthDiverse offers Course Bundles where you can enrol in the 104 course now, and sign up to watch last Term's live-recorded class videos at a 50% discount. Email us if you're interested!
• Subsequent Term courses continue with Introductory Japanese (i.e. our Japanese 201 - 204 courses) and continue to include additional reading and comprehension practice, intermediate grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and conversation and will continue in the same time slot for the duration of the full course (unless a new day and time is agreed upon with the instructor).
New material is posted weekly throughout the duration of the course. Video recordings and PDFs from each session are posted here approximately 1-2 days after each class.
EarthDiverse Course Information
EarthDiverse Zoom instructions
Japanese writing practice sheet PDF
Genki - An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese, Chpt 1, pp. 1-57 PDF
Genki - An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese, Chpt 2, pp. 58-83 PDF
Genki - Numbers, Part 1, p48 PDF
Genki - Numbers, Part 2, pp 68-69 PDF
This is a hybrid class with both in-person sessions and live-streamed via Zoom.
This course has distance-learning options for those unable to attend the live class sessions in Hamilton. Students have three options for attending our courses once they have registered:
Attend in-person classes in our Hamilton classrooms at the regularly scheduled day and time.
Attend our live on-line classroom sessions via Zoom at the regular scheduled day and time.
Watch the live-recorded class sessions at your leisure, at a time, day and place more suited to your schedule.
Live Zoom sessions and video-recordings
• Our courses offer distance learning options: Live-streamed Hamilton classes are available via free Zoom software for those living anywhere in the world with a decent internet connection. Live-streaming allows you to participate fully in your own learning, ask questions of the instructor and participate fully in the same way as if you were in the physical classroom.
• Those unable to attend the scheduled date and time of the actual class sessions, or those who need to miss a class or two due to previous engagements or unexpected illness, can watch any or all of the live-recorded video sessions on their computers, laptops, tablets or mobile devices and study at their own pace and in their own time.
• Detailed instructions on how to access our distance learning components will be sent after completing your registration. There are no additional fees for this service. However, distance learners will need access to a desktop or laptop computer with a good quality web-camera (tablet devices and mobile phones can also access our live-streamed classes), a built-in microphone (most modern laptops have built-in microphones) or a headset with a microphone. You will also need to download and install the free Zoom software on your computer or device. Those accessing the video recordings will be able to do so with a simple web browser on any device.
• All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST.
• Unwaged includes students, seniors, retirees and unemployed.
• Prices remain the same regardless of your chosen method for accessing this course.
• Please note that If you live in the US or Canada, an additional local tax may be applied.
Waged
Unwaged
Those who cannot make the class meeting day and time via live Zoom sessions may consider accessing this course through the weekly recorded video sessions. Class videos are usually posted within 1-2 days of each live class session and are available for your own personal learning on a day and time of your choosing.
• This course has no assignments, quizzes, tests or exams.
• You will not need to purchase any reading materials.
• All classes encourage questions and group discussion.
• PDFs of class presentations and video recordings of each session are posted 1-2 days after each session for the duration of the course. You are most welcome to come, sit back, relax, take part in and enjoy the discussions!
• If you’re attending in-person, course fees include tea/coffee/snack at each session. Help yourself!
• There are no refunds for missed classes. If you miss a class, you can watch the video recording!
• Please note that if no one shows up for a particular class, either in person or via Zoom, we will make every attempt to postpone the class and make it up at the end of the Term. However, this may not always be possible. Teachers are not required to teach a class if no students show up, but the teacher has the discretion to record a video with no students present if s/he is unable to postpone a class. Please email or text your teachers if you are unable to attend any specific class session.
• Guests of registered participants are welcome to attend a single session without registering.
• If, however, this course is cancelled due to insufficient enrolments please note that your registration fee will either be refunded in full or you may select to receive a course credit. Your choice!
• Certificates of Completion for any particular Term Course or Series are available for Professional Development purposes upon request at the end of each Term or Series.
All materials are included in the course fees. These are developed by our instructors and distributed as PDF files as the course progresses.
• Course materials are provided to all registered students as digital materials made available to you on the course webpage for download (accessible after registration). There is no need to purchase any additional textbooks for this course, although you may choose to do so to supplement your learning.
• You will only require a pen or pencil, a notebook for taking your own class notes, and a loose-leaf binder.
• Any notes that our instructor writes on our class digital notepad are posted to the class webpage on your dashboard as a PDF file so that you can print these out at home and add them to your own notebook.
A keen desire to continue your Japanese learning!
• Introductory Japanese 101-102, or equivalent.
• This course is open to all learners aged 10 years and above.
