You have moved to Kumamoto and want to speak more Japanese at the shop, the clinic or work. This guide compares the Japanese classes you can join in Kumamoto City, in Kikuyo Town and on Zoom. Most of them are run by the Kumamoto International Foundation (熊本市国際交流振興事業団, KIF), which is based at the Kumamoto City International Center. Kikuyo Town also runs its own course.
In short
- For low-cost practice with volunteers, KIF runs clubs in several wards of Kumamoto City. Most are free; a few, including the club at the International Center, cost ¥100 per session.
- For grammar in a class of about 10 people with a Japanese teacher, look at KIF’s paid courses, Japanese for Daily Life 1 to 3 (¥10,000 or ¥20,000 per course).
- For evening practice from home, KIF’s Online Japanese Chatroom meets on Zoom on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month.
- KIF’s calendar page asks new learners to come to the International Center to register, so start there or contact KIF first.
- In Kikuyo Town, you can join KIF’s Musashigaoka class or the town’s own beginner and intermediate course, which met on Saturdays in spring 2026.
Checked with official pages on October 5, 2026.
1. Which class fits you?
Depends on the organizer
| Class | Style or level | Fee | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurashi no Nihongo Club | With volunteers, any topic | ¥100 per session | Tue, Wed, Sun; 2nd and 4th Sat | International Center, Chuo Ward |
| Kengun | One-to-one, bring your book | Free | Tue 10:00–11:30 | YOTTEKANNE, Higashi Ward |
| Higashi Ward | Daily-life talk, no textbook | Free | 1st and 3rd Sun 10:00–11:30 | Tobu Community Center |
| Minami Ward | With volunteers, any topic | Free | Every Sun 13:30–15:00 | Nanbu Community Center |
| Nishi Ward | Daily-life talk | Free | 2nd and 4th Sat 13:30–15:00 | Seibu Community Center |
| Kita Ward | With volunteers, any topic | ¥100 per session for now | Thu 10:00–11:30 | Nirenoki Community Center for now |
| Shimizu | With volunteers, any topic | Free | 1st and 3rd Sun 10:00–11:30 | Shimizu Community Center |
| Online Chatroom | Listening and speaking only | Free | 2nd and 4th Sat 19:00–20:30 | Zoom |
| Japanese for Daily Life | Course 1 A1, 2 A2, 3 B1 | ¥10,000 (1, 2), ¥20,000 (3) | Mon, Thu, Fri for 3–5 months | International Center, Chuo Ward |
| Musashigaoka | With volunteers, any topic | ¥100 per session | Tue 10:00–11:30 | Seibu Center, Kikuyo Town |
| Kikuyo Town course | Beginner or intermediate | ¥2,200 for 11 sessions (spring) | Spring and autumn terms | Kikuyo Town Central Community Center |
KIF’s 2026 flyer sorts its classes by what you want. The clubs at the International Center, Musashigaoka, Kengun, Minami Ward, Kita Ward and Shimizu are for studying one-on-one or in a group, from conversation practice to a textbook. Higashi Ward, Nishi Ward and the online chatroom focus on topics such as work, shopping, hospitals and daily life. Japanese for Daily Life is for people who want to start from the beginning and learn grammar.
The volunteer clubs have no fixed levels. KIF says the learners who come have different nationalities, Japanese levels and backgrounds. The Key facts at the end of this page give more detail for each class.
2. KIF’s volunteer clubs in Kumamoto City
Kumamoto International Foundation
In these clubs you study with volunteers from the local area. KIF says the aim is not “teaching Japanese” but exchanging with each other in Japanese, so the clubs are also a way to meet neighbours.
2.1 Kurashi no Nihongo Club at the International Center (くらしのにほんごくらぶ)
This is KIF’s main club, on the 2nd floor of the Kumamoto City International Center (熊本市国際交流会館). You study with volunteers in pairs or small groups, and you can also work through a textbook. It costs ¥100 per session.
It has the most class times of any club. It meets on Tuesday 10:00–12:00, on Wednesday 10:00–12:00, 14:00–16:00 and 18:30–20:00, on Sunday 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00, and on the 2nd and 4th Saturday 14:00–16:00. Wednesday 18:30–20:00 is the only evening time among KIF’s in-person clubs. The International Center is closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month. In the October 2026 calendar, there is no club on Tuesday, October 13 (a closing day) or Sunday, October 18.
A KIF video (in Japanese) interviewing a learner from Taiwan about this club.
Kumamoto City International Center, 2F, 4-18 Hanabatacho, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City. Google Maps. KIF Japanese classes: 096-359-2121.
2.2 Kengun Nihongo Club (健軍にほんごくらぶ)
Each learner sits with a volunteer, one to one. KIF asks you to bring the book you want to study. The club is free and meets every Tuesday, 10:00–11:30, at YOTTEKANNE (よって館ね) on the Kengun shopping street.
YOTTEKANNE, 1-14-1 Wakaba, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City. Google Maps.
2.3 Higashi Ward Nihongo Club (東区にほんごくらぶ)
This is a conversation class. The group talks about things close to everyday life, and the class also holds cultural activities and exchange events. It does not use a textbook. It is free and meets on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, 10:00–11:30, at Tobu Community Center (東部公民館).
Tobu Community Center, 1-1 Nishikigaoka, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City. Google Maps.
2.4 Minami Ward Nihongo Club (南区にほんごくらぶ)
You learn the Japanese you need for daily life by talking with volunteers and local Japanese residents. The club is free and has met every Sunday, 13:30–15:00, at Nanbu Community Center (南部公民館) since April 2026. The club’s own page, last updated in 2023, still shows only two Sundays a month, so check KIF’s monthly calendar. In the October 2026 calendar, the class on October 18 starts at 11:00.
Nanbu Community Center, 6-7-35 Minamitakae, Minami-ku, Kumamoto City. Google Maps.
2.5 Nishi Ward, Kita Ward and Shimizu
KIF’s 2026 flyer and monthly calendar show three more community classes. The Nishi Ward class (西区) is free and meets on the 2nd and 4th Saturday, 13:30–15:00, at Seibu Community Center (西部公民館).
The Kita Ward class (北区) meets every Thursday, 10:00–11:30. Its usual place is KDS Kumamoto Driving School (熊本ドライビングスクール). KIF’s class list says it is held at Nirenoki Community Center (楡木地域コミュニティセンター) for now, at ¥100 per session. The 2026 flyer still shows the driving school and “free”, so ask KIF before you go.
The Shimizu class (清水) is free and meets on the 1st and 3rd Sunday, 10:00–11:30, at Shimizu Community Center (清水公民館). KIF’s pages do not give the addresses of these three places; ask KIF when you register.
3. Online Japanese Chatroom on Zoom (オンライン日本語おしゃべり会)
Kumamoto International Foundation
Each session has a theme. You listen to people talk about it in Japanese, then give your own opinion, so you practise both listening and speaking. The people you talk with are Japanese residents of Kumamoto who are studying how to teach Japanese. KIF’s flyer says you cannot study grammar or prepare for the JLPT here.
It is free and meets on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, 19:00–20:30, according to KIF’s class list and October 2026 calendar. An older flyer for the chatroom gives 18:30–20:00, so check the time with KIF. KIF does not explain online how to get the Zoom details; ask when you contact them.
4. Japanese for Daily Life: paid courses with a teacher (せいかつにほんご)
Kumamoto International Foundation
These are structured courses on the 2nd floor of the International Center. A Japanese teacher leads a class of about 10 people. You learn grammar step by step, from hiragana and katakana to the Japanese you need in daily life.
- Course 1 (A1, starter): for people who want to learn from the beginning. About 3 months, ¥10,000.
- Course 2 (A2, elementary): about 3 months, ¥10,000.
- Course 3 (B1, pre-intermediate): about 5 months, ¥20,000.
All three meet on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. In KIF’s October 2026 calendar, Course 1 meets 13:15–15:45 and Courses 2 and 3 meet 9:30–12:00. The current Course 1 began on September 3, 2026, and the October calendar shows Course 2 until October 9 and Course 3 from October 15. KIF does not post the next start dates online, so ask KIF when the next course at your level begins. The flyer does not say whether the textbook is included in the fee.
KIF’s October 2026 calendar also shows JLPT classes (N1 to N4) on Saturdays and Sundays from October 11. KIF’s class pages do not describe them, so ask KIF about the place, the fee and how to join.
A KIF video of a Course 1 learner giving the end-of-course speech in Japanese.
5. Japanese classes in Kikuyo Town
Kikuyo Town and KIF
There are two options in Kikuyo Town. KIF’s Musashigaoka class (武蔵ヶ丘) meets every Tuesday, 10:00–11:30, at the Seibu Community Center in Kikuyo Town (菊陽町西部町民センター). It works like the other KIF clubs and costs ¥100 per session.
Kikuyo Town Central Community Center (菊陽町中央公民館) runs its own Japanese class (にほんごきょうしつ). It is for foreign nationals who live or work in Kikuyo Town, and their families. You learn in a group. There is a beginner class (“Useful! Japanese”) from 10:00 to 12:00 for up to 8 people and an intermediate class (“Brush Up! Japanese”) from 13:00 to 15:00 for up to 10 people. The spring 2026 course met on Saturdays, with 11 sessions for ¥2,200, plus textbooks.
The town’s course plan shows the autumn 2026 course starting with an orientation on Saturday, September 5. The town has not posted its fee or whether you can still join, so ask the center. The town says it advertises courses 1–2 months before they start, in the town newsletter, on its website and at the center.
Kikuyo Town Central Community Center, Kikuyo Town. Google Maps. Phone: 096-232-2116.
6. How do I sign up?
Depends on the organizer
6.1 KIF classes, the chatroom and the paid courses
- Choose a class and check KIF’s monthly calendar. KIF posts a calendar each month that shows which classes meet on which day.
- Contact KIF or go to the International Center. The class pages ask people who want to join to get in touch by phone or email. The calendar page asks new learners to come to the International Center and register. If you are not sure which applies, ask first.
- Go to your class. For the Kengun club, take the book you want to study.
The website does not say whether you can register or ask questions in English. The class pages are written in simple Japanese with readings, and KIF has an English flyer.
6.2 The Kikuyo Town course
- Wait for the next course to be announced. Check the town website or ask the center.
- Apply at Kikuyo Town Central Community Center with your residence card (在留カード, zairyu kado). The town has an English application form. The center accepts applications at its counter on weekdays and Saturdays, 8:30–17:00. During the main application period, the town also takes applications through an online form in Japanese.
- Pay the fee on the first day. The town says fees are not refunded unless the center cancels, for example because of a disaster or an election.
Kikuyo Town says people who live or work in the town, and people taking a course for the first time, come first. If there are more applicants than places, it draws lots. It sends course notices by SMS from 096-232-2111.
7. What language are the classes in?
Depends on the organizer
KIF’s clubs and the online chatroom are in Japanese. KIF asks its volunteers to work basically in Japanese, and its pages do not mention help in English. KIF does not say which language the Japanese for Daily Life teacher explains in. Kikuyo Town does not say which language its class uses. Ask before you apply if this matters to you.
8. What else can I join?
Kumamoto International Foundation
Parents raising children can join Hotto Salon (ほっとサロン), KIF’s Japanese exchange group for parents. It meets on the 4th Thursday of each month, 10:00–11:30, at the International Center for ¥100, and you can bring your baby. KIF asks you to apply in advance.
The International Cafe (インターナショナルカフェ) is not a Japanese class. It is a series of cafe-style talks about other countries and cultures, and the language depends on the cafe. KIF’s page for volunteers says its Japanese clubs work in Japanese, and suggests the International Cafe for people who want to talk in other languages.
KIF also keeps a list of Japanese classes elsewhere in Kumamoto Prefecture and a list of Japanese language schools. Both are linked from its class page.
Common questions
Can I study grammar or prepare for the JLPT in the online chatroom?
No. KIF’s flyer for the chatroom says it is for listening and speaking practice, and that you cannot study grammar or the JLPT there. For grammar, look at Japanese for Daily Life.
Can I bring my baby?
KIF says you can join Hotto Salon, its group for parents, together with your baby. For the other classes, ask KIF.
Is the International Center open every day?
No. It is closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month (the next Tuesday if the Monday is a public holiday) and from December 29 to January 3.
What do I need to apply for the Kikuyo Town course?
Your residence card. Fill in the town’s course application form, which is available in English, and take it to Kikuyo Town Central Community Center.
Next steps
Sources (checked October 5, 2026)
- Kumamoto International Foundation: KIF Japanese class information (updated September 2, 2026), class flyer 2026 (English PDF), class flyer 2026 (Japanese PDF), Online Japanese Chatroom flyer (PDF)
- KIF monthly calendars: October 2026 and PDF, September 2026, April 2026
- KIF class pages: International Center, Kengun, Higashi Ward, Minami Ward, Japanese-support volunteers, Japanese classes in Kumamoto Prefecture
- Kumamoto City International Center (closing days)
- Kikuyo Town: courses for fiscal 2026, course guide, Lifelong Learning Division and Central Community Center (PDF), from application to the first day (PDF), application form in English and Chinese (PDF)
