Valiant Japanese Language School — Local services in Tokyo

Update May 2024:

Unfortunately, I have made the very difficult decision to stop taking lessons at this small school. My teacher(her last name begins with a “T”) was a beautiful person and competent teacher. I will miss her greatly.

Here is the reason for my decision:

Like another person who left a 1 star review due to the male teacher in charge/manager’s bad attitude I have to concur. My teacher is great: competent, friendly, and respectful.

However, after visiting this school for six years, I received an automated email without any signature warning me that if I don’t renew my package, I couldn’t continue lessons. “Harsh”since I have always been reminded in person by either the manager or my teacher that I need to renew.

I questioned the manager why I received such a strongly worded email and his response was “don’t take it personally.” I agree with the other review, his attitude is extremely poor.

Furthermore and more importantly, he has informed me that he has hired a company in India to send automated emails when students are running low on lessons. This is extremely distressing to hear since I am extremely concerned due to my email and other student email addresses being shared with a 3RD party group in India without our consent, never mind how impersonal it is to do and unnecessary since it is a small school.

P.S. To the manager: “Don’t take my review personally.” ——————————————————————

September 2023:

It seems to have quieted down lately. Fingers crossed that it continues that way. It is a small house so some noise is to be expected.

Update June 2023:

*I have been going to Valiant for years, however, for the past several months, the atmosphere is changing(no fault towards my teacher). I take private lessons on the first floor for approximately ¥5,000 yen per lesson and only if you purchase 15 lessons in advance.

Frequently, I am interrupted by loud footsteps by staff going up and down the staircase, the loud closing/opening of the bathroom door across the hall from my study room. Today, they were making so much noise moving furniture on the second floor and someone dropped a heavy item right outside the door creating a BOOM sound which startled both my teacher and I.*

I take my lessons during the week days so it is other staff members making large noises. It would be unfortunate for me to discontinue with my teacher. We have such a great rapport. But I have to consider that being in an environment conducive to studying is kept. It is so unprofessional lately.*

My teacher is great, very kind and professional. She is accommodating to new requests to use language books of your own if you’d like. Our lessons are instructive yet lighthearted, a lot of...

I had both private and group lessons at Valiant. In 1.5 years I reached intermediate level (currently studying for the JLPT N3 level), starting with one private lesson per week for the first nine months, and then added an extra weekly group lesson.

I followed the Minna no Nihongo method. Many other books were also used during the lessons (for practicing either conversation, kanji, reading texts, preparing for JLPT exams, etc.). I thought this was a great way to learn Japanese.

For me Japanese is a nice-to-have since I do not really need it at work, but I am happy that I can now roughly understand most conversations and television programmes for example and that I can manage things at a restaurant, hotel, etc.. If I would have put in some more effort at home - and would have taken more lessons per week - I would have been even...

All teachers are experienced teachers and instruct students with passions. In the class, teachers sometimes use fluent and simple English to clearly clarify the meaning of Japanese words and sentences, won't just teach classes all by Japanese which new foreign students who just coming to Japan can't understand at all. Valiant's teachers use adaptable and simple English as a bridge to let students "jump into" Japanese without fear. But they also didn't use too much English to interfere students thinking and answering questions by Japanese. In the Ropongi, there is a so good language school. It's small, but it is so good for...