Ann Arbor Bilingual (Ann Arbor, MI) - A private company offering classes and tutoring for Japanese and English learners (ESL & JSL), children from adult. Visit: AA Bilingual
Akanebashi Foundation (Livonia, MI) - An emerging nonprofit that offers after school Japanese enrichment for 7th & 8th graders in Livonia, Michigan, at Holmes Middle School. Visit: Akanebashi
Japanese School of Detroit (Novi, MI) - A private Saturday-only school (Pre-12) where all instruction is in Japanese. Primarily for children of Japanese ex-pats, Japanese permanent residents, and "heritage learners" (students with exposure to Japanese through family relationships). Visit: JSD (Japanese) or JSD (English).
Momo Sensei (Ann Arbor, MI) - Offers Japanese songs and stories (live and online) for young children (ages 0-6). Visit: Momo Sensei
Michigan Japanese Heritage Center (Novi, MI) - Offers fee-based Japanese language classes in an online & hybrid format, for heritage learners (preK-12). (Visit: MJHC)
Ladybug Daycare (Novi, MI) - A private preschool where only Japanese is spoken, for children 2 and half or older. Primarily targets ex-pat Japanese families, but also good for heritage Japanese learners or others seeking a headstart in developing Japanese-English bilingualism in their children. Visit: Ladybug (Note: Website is in Japanese. For assistance for non-Japanese speakers, please contact Hinoki Foundation.)
Little Birds Montessori (Novi, MI) - A private preschool where Japanese is the primary language, for children 2 to 5 years old. Primarily serves ex-pat Japanese families, but also welcomes those interested in student-centered Montessori-style learning and development of Japanese-English bilingualism. Visit: Little Birds (Note: Website is in Japanese. For assistance for non-Japanese speakers, please contact Hinoki Foundation.)
Koby Learning Center (Novi, MI) - A private company providing evening and weekend Japanese classes for children (pre-12) and adults, for both non-native speakers and heritage-language learners (students with exposure to Japanese through family relationships). Private tutoring is available. Visit: Koby Learning Center
HimawariPreschool (Livonia, MI) - A private preschool where Japanese is the primary language. Most patrons are families with at least one native Japanese speaker, but others enroll for the immersive environment, to promote bilingualism in their children from an early age. Visit: Himawari Preschool
Niji-Iro Elementary School (Livonia, MI) - A K-6 partial-immersion public elementary school founded by the Livonia Public School District in 2014. Offers mixed-language (Japanese-English) instruction across all academic subjects. Visit: Niji-Iro Elementary
FLICS (Detroit, MI) - A K-8 partial-immersion public elementary and middle school founded by the Detroit Public Schools in 2009. Offers Japanese as one of four language options, to academically qualified students. (FLICS: Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies) Visit: FLICS or its Japanese Club
Hinoki International School (Farmington Hills, MI) - A K-5 dual-immersion charter school created with a Federal Charter School Program grant in 2010. Hinoki International offered mixed-language (Japanese-English) instruction across all academic subjects, until closing in 2015. Visit: Hinoki International School (Note: Now closed)
Kids Explore Japan/Global Kids (Metro Detroit, MI) - Offers Japanese language classes, extra-curricular and online clubs & activities for grades K-12. Visit: Kids Explore Japan
JFLA Keisho Nihongo Program (Los Angeles, CA) - One-stop resource for heritage learners of Japanese in the U.S. Visit here (English) or here (Japanese).
Kumon (Novi, MI) - A private tutoring company that offers academic tutoring, including Kokugo (Japanese Language Arts) that targets native or heritage speakers of Japan. Visit: Kumon
Michigan Virtual (All Michigan) - Offers online courses at generally no cost for students enrolled in Michigan public schools, for grades 6-12. Visit: Michigan Virtual
Ohara Language (Ann Arbor, MI) - A private company offering individual or group Japanese-language lessons for adults, teens, and upper-elementary students. Instructor is a former University of Michigan Japanese language program coordinator. Visit: Ohara
Ringo Connect (Livonia, MI) - A non-profit organization that promotes English-Japanese bilingualism and multiculturalism, through cultural exchange and educational outreach. Offers free 1-on-1 language help sessions and hosts a cultural-exchange podcast. Visit: Ringo Connect
Suzuki, Myers & Associates (Novi, MI) - A private company offering ESL (English as Second Language) & JSL (Japanese as Second Language) tutoring and small-group classes. Visit: Suzuki-Myers
Takenoko Tutoring (Ypsilanti, MI) - A private company offering Japanese or English language instruction for elementary to middle-school students, taught by Japanese-English bilingual teachers. Hourly rates. Visit: Takenoko.
Athens High School (Troy, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Athens High School
Cass Technical High School (Detroit, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Cass Tech
Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts (CASA) (Royal Oak, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: CASA
Clarkston High School (Clarkston, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Clarkston High
Clarkston Junior High School (Clarkston, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Clarkston Junior High
Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences (Detroit, MI) - DAAS is a K-8 school that offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: DAAS
Detroit Country Day School (Beverly Hills, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Country Day
Dewitt High School (Dewitt, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Dewitt High
Dewitt Middle School (Dewitt, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Dewitt Middle School
Dundee High School (Dundee, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Dundee High
Everett High School (Lansing, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Everett High
Garden City High School (Garden City, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Garden City
Imlay City Community Schools (Imlay, MI) - Offers Japanese culture & language class for 8th grade. Visit: Imlay City
International Baccalaureate High School (Farmington, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: IB High
Lakeview High School (Battle Creek, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Lakeview High
Monroe High School/Other Monroe County High Schools (Monroe, MI) – Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit Monroe
North Farmington High School (Farmington, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: North Farmington
Novi High School (Novi, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Novi High
Novi Middle School (Novi, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Novi Middle School
Port Huron High School (Port Huron, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Port Huron
Port Huron Northern High School (Port Huron, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Port Huron Northern
Renaissance High School (Detroit, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Renaissance High
River Rouge STEM Middle Academy (River Rouge, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language (Grades 6-8). Visit: River Rouge
Sexton High School (Lansing, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Sexton
South Lyon East High School (South Lyon, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: South Lyon East
Steppingstone School (Farmington Hills, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Steppingstone
Troy High School (Troy, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit:
Troy High
Utica Academy for International Studies (Utica, MI) - Offers classes in Japanese as a foreign language. Visit: Utica Academy
School Location Map - A map of Michigan and Ohio schools and colleges with Japanese programs, as of 2011, prepared by Consulate General of Japan in Detroit. Visit: School Map
Japanese-Language Proficiency Test - Information on the official test for assessing Japanese-language skills. Visit: JLPT
Japanese Application Opportunities
Using & Strengthening Language Skills
Japanese Conversation Meetup (Sterling Heights Area) - Group of Japanese-language enthusiasts - native speakers and non-native learners - who gather for social interaction and Japanese practice. Visit: Metro Detroit Japanese Language & Cultural Events Meetup
Japanese Conversation Meetup (Ann Arbor Area) - Group of Japanese-language enthusiasts - native speakers and learners - who gather for social interaction and Japanese practice. Visit: Meetup Ann Arbor
Japanese Conversation Meetup (Other Areas) - Visit Meetup.com and use the search word "Japanese" to find fans of Japanese language and culture in your area. Visit: Meetup
Michigan Japanese Quiz Bowl - Team-based Japanese language contest held every spring for learners of Japanese as a foreign language, grades 9 ~ 12 (some years there is also a middle-school division). Visit: MJQB
Consulate General of Japan in Detroit Michigan Japanese Language Speech Contest - Annual speech contest for high-school and college learners of Japanese as a foreign language, held around March (details announced in December). Visit: Consulate General of Japan
Hinoki Cup - A bilingual quiz game for 3rd- to 9th-graders, held around March. Open to both native and non-native learners of Japanese and English. Participants of all ability levels can contribute to team success. Visit: Hinoki Cup
Michigan-Shiga High School Exchange (MSHSE) - Opportunity for Michigan high-school students to visit their sister-state Shiga, Japan, in a structured program. Visit: MSHSE
Michigan Seal of Biliteracy - The Michigan Seal of Biliteracy recognizes high school graduates who exhibit language proficiency in English and at least one additional world language. Application information in English can be found here. A brochure in Japanese can be found here.
Kellogg Community College (Battle Creek, MI) - Visit: Kellogg Community
Lansing Community College (Lansing, MI) - Offers both traditional classes and online courses in Japanese. Visit: LCC
Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) - Visit: MSU
Mott Community College (Flint, MI) - Visit: Mott Community
Oakland Community College (Bloomfield Hills, MI) - Visit: Oakland Community
Oakland University (Rochester, MI) - Visit: Oakland
Saginaw Valley State University (University Center, MI) - Visit: SVSU
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) - Visit: U of M
Washtenaw Community College (Ann Arbor, MI) - Visit: WCC
Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI) - Visit: WMU
Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) - Visit: Wayne State
School Location Map: A map of Michigan and Ohio schools and colleges with Japanese programs, as of 2011. prepared by Consulate General of Japan in Detroit. Visit: School Map
Japanese-Language Proficiency Test - Information on the official test for assessing Japanese-language skills. Visit: JLPT
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