Remember, it’s never 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 to register before the first class session is below, so stop hesitating and get to it!
as in-person classes, live-streamed Zoom sessions and video recordings
• Term 1 (Feb-Apr) and Term 3 (Jul-Sep) each year, pending sufficient enrolment.
• This course is offered as an in-person course in Hamilton, New Zealand, live-streamed via Zoom if you live elsewhere, and as video recordings of the live sessions if you cannot attend the regularly scheduled class.
Begins Tue 22 July 2025, 4:15-5:45pm
• Our 2025 Term 3 Japanese 201, Part 1 course meets on Tuesdays from 4:15-5:45pm beginning on Tuesday 22 Jul 2025 (New Zealand time) and continues for eight consecutive weekly sessions. The last class of the Term is held on Tuesday 9 Sep 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.
• 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 Mon 21 Jul 2025, 6:15-7:45pm
US Pacific: begins Mon 21 Jul 2025, 9:15-10:45pm
US Eastern: begins Tue 22 Jul 2025, 12:15-1:45am
London, UK: begins Tue 22 Jul 2025, 5:15-6:45am
Paris, France: begins Tue 22 Jul 2025, 6:15-7:45am
New Delhi, India: begins Tue 22 Jul 2025, 9:45-11:15am
Bangkok: begins Tue 22 Jul 2025, 11:15am-12:45pm
Singapore: begins Tue 22 Jul 2025, 12:15-1:45pm
Tokyo, Japan: begins Tue 22 Jul 2025, 1:15-12:45pm
Sydney, Australia: begins Tue 22 Jul 2025, 2:15-3:45pm
Part 1
• This is Part 1 of a eight-part Introductory course taught over 8 successive school terms (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 Intermediate Japanese 201, Part 1 course carries on from Japanese 104 with a continued focus on learning hiragana and katakana scripts, writing and reading practice. Includes basic introductory grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and conversation.
• Subsequent Term courses continue with Intermediate Japanese 201-304, and Advanced Japanese 401-604 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 otherwise agreed upon with the instructor).
Week by week new material will be posted throughout the duration of the course. Video recordings of each weekly session will be posted here 1-2 days after each class.
EarthDiverse Course Information
EarthDiverse Zoom instructions
Japanese writing practice sheet
Genki-Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese - Chpt 1 pp 1-57 PDF
Genki-An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Chpt 2 pp 58-83
Genki-Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese - Chpt 3 pp 84-102
Genki-Chpt 4
This is a hybrid class with both in-person sessions in our classrooms and streamed live 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.ck
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
• In addition to our in-person classes in Hamilton, our courses offer distance learning options for those unable to attend classes in-person. Live-streamed Hamilton classes are available via free Zoom software for those living outside the Waikato. 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 in New Zealand dollars and includes GST. • Unwaged includes students, seniors, retirees and unemployed. • Prices remain the same regardless of your chosen method for accessing this course.
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.
• 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!
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 studies!
• Japanese 101-104, or equivalent.
• This course is open to all learners aged 10 years and above.
