Mutsumi
Sensei
む つ み 先 生
it's about heart."
こんにちは！I am Mutsumi-sensei, a Japanese language and culture educator based in London. Through my lessons, I share the beauty of everyday Japanese expressions, traditions,
and the warmth behind 「ありがとう」 and 「お疲れさま」.
My teaching philosophy blends clarity, empathy, and creativity — helping students connect language with real emotion and cultural depth. Whether we're exploring grammar, idioms, or seasonal customs, my goal is simple: to make learning Japanese feel alive, joyful, and meaningful.
Hello! Welcome to
Mutsumaki Japanese
I offer online Japanese lessons for learners of all levels, from complete beginners to advanced students — children, university students, and adults — for holiday learning, exam preparation, and long-term study.
A key strength of my teaching is a strong focus on pronunciation and pitch accent. I help students understand and produce natural Japanese sounds, rhythm, and intonation — aspects that are often difficult to master without guidance from a native speaker.
All lessons are conducted online via Zoom. I adapt each lesson to your level, goals, and pace, encouraging active participation in every session.
My lessons are suitable for learners of all ages and levels who want clear explanations, natural pronunciation, and enjoyable progress in Japanese.
Teaching Experience & Expertise
Decades of teaching Japanese across the UK and worldwide — from young learners to adult professionals
Expert in pitch accent training — a rare and highly valued skill among UK-based Japanese teachers
Specialist exam preparation for UK secondary school students, GCSE Speaking Exam experience, plus JLPT all levels (N1–N5)
Corporate training for professionals in various industries including tech, law, and healthcare
Born and raised in Japan · Taught Japanese language & literature at junior high school level in Japan
Professional Zoom setup · flexible scheduling · all ages and levels welcome
"Learning Japanese should be practical, enjoyable, and focused on real communication. The ultimate goal is to speak naturally and confidently."
My approach: I teach the way native speakers actually use Japanese in everyday life — rhythm, intonation, cultural context, and the small details that make your Japanese sound natural. Every student is unique, and I adapt every lesson to your goals, your pace, and your learning style.
What My Students Say
Student reviews
Reviews from my students.
“I have been a student of Mutsumi-san for over 5 years and would recommend her to both complete beginners and more experienced students. Mutsumi-san is a friendly, enthusiastic and professional teacher who tailors lessons to her student’s personal interests and learning goals. For example, I love horror stories so Mutsumi-san includes lots of these in our lessons! Lessons include study of both language and Japanese culture, and are always engaging and fun. Thanks to Mutsumi-san I have gone from no Japanese knowledge to being confident enough to have real conversations with Japanese people during my trips to Japan and passing the JLPT. I definitely recommend Mutsumi-san as a wonderful tutor and look forward to continuing my own Japanese journey with her.”
“I have been learning with Mutsumi-sensei for the past four years. She has been integral to my development and has consistently pushed me to improve. She has a strong understanding of pedagogy and provides a variety of exercises that make each lesson engaging. Most importantly, Mutsumi-sensei genuinely enjoys teaching, and I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone interested in learning Japanese.”
“Mutsumi has taught my son Japanese for the past seven years and we only have the sincerest admiration for her as a teacher and mentor. She has inspired my son to continue to focus on his studies, making the learning experience challenging and enjoyable, whilst providing a real insight into the wonders of Japanese culture. Thank you Mutsumi for being with him on his journey!”
“Mutsumi-sensei is an excellent Japanese teacher! Professional and always preparing lessons in advance, her patience creates a good learning environment. She is also flexible with lesson times, which makes learning easy to fit into a busy work schedule. I started our lessons as a beginner, and have definitely felt and seen improvements in my skills, particularly when visiting Japan for the second time. As such, I highly recommend her to anyone, at any level, wanting to learn/improve their Japanese!”
“Mutsumi genuinely cares about each student. Not just pushing content but showing how it applies in daily use and how it fits in with Japanese culture. Each of us encouraged to use our experiences to expand our conversational and descriptive language. Help with pronunciation and conjugations is always available even for those of us with poor memories. I love my lessons and look forward to them, it is a wonderful hobby that is made accessible and enjoyable by the teacher, Mutsumi. I couldn’t ask for a better teacher.”
“I first did a group class with Mutsumi-sensei through a language school, and when I looked for a private tutor I was really glad I found her details! I don’t always have a lot of time for extra study outside of my lesson time but I can tell that I am gradually improving little by little. Lessons are relaxed and fun but tailored to my level so I feel challenged but not overwhelmed, and she has an incredible knowledge of different resources for learning and practising. I always look forward to my weekly Japanese lesson with Mutsumi-sensei.”
▼ Show more reviews (+3)
“Mutsumi’s classes are fun, informative and well explained. As a teacher, she takes great time to explain difficult concepts of the Japanese language whilst keeping it fun and exciting. Group exercises help us reinforce what we learn and any homework is answered with corrections and explanations. Aspects not teachable on paper such as pitch, tone and intonation are explored. Example like paper, hair and God all having the same syllables but spoken differently and written in kanji differently, despite the hiragana being the same. All in all, Mutsumi is an excellent teacher and you will have lots of fun whilst learning in her class.”
“Very kind, patient, and encouraging. Always helpful.”
“best teacher of all time.” — Dec 2025
“Amazing in every possible way.” — Jan 2026
From my student survey
A selection of answers to “What improvements or benefits have you experienced from studying with me?” from an anonymous survey of my students in September 2025 (15 responses).
“I love that we talk a lot, it helps me not to panic when I hear spoken Japanese. … どうもありがとう先生！”
“I couldn’t have asked for a better tutor. Mutsumi Sensei is the best. … I was only able to speak good Japanese in my recent Japan trips because of your support. … I am glad I came to you back in 2018 and it’s been a blessing.”
“I’ve become slightly better with spoken Japanese. Having a teacher who has studied Japanese is very helpful when it comes to explaining some of the more nuanced grammar points.”
“I like the use of music in your teaching, especially when it’s for memorising special forms/expressions and tonal shifts.”
▼ Show more survey comments (+4)
“Mutsumi-sensei always explains things clearly and can adapt classroom material depending on the student’s needs. Her lessons use many different types of materials which keeps learning interesting and fun. I have become more confident in speaking Japanese and I have also learned much more about Japanese culture because of Mutsumi-sensei’s teaching and support.”
“Pronunciation. Reminding to use particles and not just say verbs and nouns. … Allowing me to ask for clarification, sometimes through analogies so it helps me understand better. And Sensei just being incredibly kind and patient really helps me not become discouraged.”
“I like that Mutsumi-Sensei makes you speak on the spot which can often feel awkward but it’s the best way to push yourself to speaking more naturally.”
“Even though my speaking isn’t great, I feel like I am more confident trying to speak and not worrying so much about making mistakes. I am making progress with learning kanji even if it’s very slow!”
“…” shows where part of a longer answer was left out. Nothing else has been changed, apart from correcting obvious spelling slips.
Ready to Start Your Japanese Journey?
さあ、はじめよう！
Free 15-minute consultation · Online via Zoom · All levels welcome
From complete beginner to advanced · Ages 3 to adult