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.
• If you’d like to register for Japanese 501 now, and haven’t taken Japanese 404, you can register for both as a bundle and have access to the video recordings from Japanese 404 at half price. Then you can begin your Japanese studies while you wait for the Japanese 501 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 404/Japanese 501 bundle.
• 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 Tuesday 7 Oct 2025, 7:00-8:30pm
• Our 2025 Term 4 Advance Japanese 501 course meets Tuesdays 7:00-8:30 pm (New Zealand time) beginning on Tuesday 7 October 2025 and continues for 8 consecutive weekly sessions, with the last class held on Tuesday 25 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 into our live class sessions, check the local Time Zone equivalents 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 6 Oct 2025, 8:00-9:30pm
US Pacific: begins Mon 6 Oct 2025, 11:00pm-12:30am
US Eastern: begins Tue 7 Oct 2025, 2:00-3:30am
London, UK: begins Tue 7 Oct 2025, 7:00-8:30am
Paris, France: begins Tue 7 Oct 2025, 8:00-9:30am
New Delhi, India: begins Tue 7 Oct 2025, 11:30am-1:00pm
Bangkok: begins Tue 7 Oct 2025, 1:00-2:30pm
Singapore/Hong Kong: begins Tue 7 Oct 2025, 2:00-3:30pm
Tokyo, Japan: begins Tue 7 Oct 2025, 3:00-4:30pm
Sydney, Australia: begins Tue 7 Oct 2025, 5:00-6:30pm
Advance Japanese 501 for JLPT
• This is Part 1 of an on-going Advanced Japanese course taught specifically designed for students studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Our language and culture courses focus on teaching and learning, and we do not expect you to study outside of class nor do we assign homework (unless you'd like some!). Come and spend 8 class hours per Term (eight 1-hour weekly classes) preparing for the JLPT, and have some fun too! All of our language classes are designed for busy people.
• Advanced Japanese is specifically designed for learners wishing to prepare for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) offered by the Ministry of Education. The JLPT, is a standardised criterion-referenced test to evaluate and certify Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers, covering language knowledge, reading ability, and listening ability. It currently has 5 Levels.
• Those who already understand and speak some Japanese, but who do not know how to read and write, may also choose to enrol in the Japanese 404 course. EarthDiverse offers Course Bundles where you can enrol in the 501 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 Advanced Japanese to continue to help student prepare for the JLPT. These classes will continue in the same time slot for the duration of the full course (unless otherwise 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 (updated 16 Feb 2024)
Japanese writing practice sheet
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.
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 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 tax may be applied as per local tax regulations.
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 additional course 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! If you’re Zooming from home feel free to get yourself a cuppa and join your instructor and classmates!
• 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 enrollment 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 on the course webpage.
• 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 a digital whiteboard 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 and Intermediate Japanese 101-404, or equivalent.
• Please contact us (using the “Contact” link below) if you have some basic understanding and wish to join this course.
• This course is open to all learners aged 10 years and above.
