Tsurunen Marutei

Graduated in 1969
Home country: Finland
Member of the House of Councilors (Democrat)

Learning the Japanese language will open a new door to the Japanese society.
It was 40 years ago that I studied at Naganuma School. At first I was a little hesitant about the teaching style where Japanese teachers teach the Japanese language with the Japanese language. However, I think that this style helped me to quickly learn the basic and daily conversation of Japanese.
When I got out of the school, I found a world where almost all people were Japanese.
At that time, only a few foreigners were seen in Tokyo and many Japanese people were not accustomed to communicating with people from abroad. I often experienced the situation where, when I entered a shop, clerks quickly stepped away from me to the back of the shop.
In some cases I had an experience that, when I tried to speak to someone, he rejected me by saying "No English."
My two-year study at The Naganuma School provided me with the opportunity to open the door to the Japanese society. Through classes taught by the teachers, I was able to learn not only the Japanese language but also the customs, manners and social etiquettes that should be observed in the Japanese society. One of my learning methods I did at home was to watch TV until late at night, which was very useful to improve my listening skills. At the same time, TV programs allowed me to know about the problems Japan was facing, and the living habits of Japanese people.
I was often asked a question: "how long did it take you to master the Japanese language?"
My answer is always the same: "I still haven’t mastered it completely."
However, if you have basic skills in Japanese, you can "jump into" the Japanese society. You can deepen your knowledge about Japanese society while working and living in everyday life, and can find that everyday is a new discovery. Therefore, so to speak, the Parliament in which I sit here is also a school for me to further understand Japan.
I recommend you to first to acquire basic Japanese skills by attending The Naganuma School.
Then try to talk to some Japanese people in downtown using Japanese you just learned.
Do not be afraid of a mistake. The Japanese society itself is your Japanese language class and a school for you to understand the society. Finally, I would like to send cheers to you all at The Naganuma School from the Parliament.

Michael J. Korver

Graduated in 1975
Home country: the United States of America
Professor, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University

I was a student at The Naganuma School 35 years ago. In the intervening years I have gone on to graduate from university and graduate school, became licensed as an attorney-at-law and have worked in Japan and with Japanese companies on various international matters. Speaking, reading and writing Japanese is an integral part of my career. In addition, I have lived in Tokyo for many years with my family so Japanese is part of my daily and social life as well. The rigorous training I received in the Japanese language from The Naganuma School a quarter century ago has served as a strong base for my language ability. I will be ever grateful to the school for its excellent curriculum and dedicated teachers. The Naganuma School has long served the expatriate community in Japan with its long tradition of offering professional language education. In fact, my father also attended the school many years before I did. Because of this tradition, The Naganuma School remains a cut above other language schools in Japan. As was my father before me, I am currently on the Board of Trustees of The Naganuma School and, as such, am able to observe the many improvements made at the school in the years since I attended. Although the location is the same, I am envious that students today can make use of the wonderful facilities and improved curriculum that were not available when I attended. For anyone interested in learning about the language and culture of Japan, I strongly recommend The Naganuma School.

Daniel Hahn

Graduated in 2006
Home country: Germany
Environmental Department, Canon Europe

We think it was a good experience that I learned at Naganuma School. Though I was busy every day, my skills in the Japanese language were improved quickly. I could learn not only the Japanese language, but also learn about the Japanese culture through trips. In Japan, I used Japanese I learned at the school and had a pleasant time there. After returning to Europe, I applied and was hired by Canon Europe. I think my Japanese language skills were highly advantageous in my application.

Simon Lavender

Graduated in 2007
Home country: Britain
Vice Consul, British Embassy

When I first got to Naganuma, I have to admit I had some reservations. Could I adjust back to a classroom environment, having not been a 'proper' student for ten years or so? Would they teach me the things I needed to know for my job? Would I fit behind the tiny desks in the classrooms... mostly, yes, and with some effort turned out to be the answers.

It took me a while, but I slowly got to grips with the classes and the way absolutely everything is done in Japanese (including talking to fellow students, who come from all over the world, so Japanese tends to be the only common language). Initially it was a struggle, especially when it came to things like understanding an explanation about a particularly complicated piece of grammar, but it soon began to feel normal, perhaps even seeping into my subconscious - how else could I find myself walking down the street unwittingly talking to my American and Swedish classmates in Japanese, even though English would have been a lot easier.

Despite what felt like very laboured progress, things miraculously started to make sense. I think it must be because of the system rather than my linguistic abilities, but I began to feel almost confident. And I can only conclude that The Naganuma method works, because at the end of it all I managed to pass my exams. While I didn't take the traditional proficiency tests, I was well prepared for my own exam, where the focus was much more on speaking. And it seems to have stuck, which I can't say for any of the languages I learnt at secondary (high) school.

Away from the studying, and when it all got too much, Shibuya and the rest of Tokyo and all its entertainment options were right on the doorstep.  Plenty of opportunities to practice my Japanese!

Lai Van Cuong

Graduated in 2008
Home country: Vietnam
Student, Tokyo Institute of Technology

It has been already one year since I entered university. I am now accustomed to the campus life here, but I still remember my days at the language school. It was one of the most essential steps in my life. I have a lot of wonderful memories. When I first came to Japan, I was worried about what my life was going to be like because I did not have my parents and friends here. But once I entered the Tokyo School of the Japanese Language, my fears disappeared. It was because there were friendly and caring teachers who helped me with many things. I thought they were really like my second mothers.
A school is a place that allows us not only to study but also to have a good time. Life could sometimes feel lonely coming back home tired from my part-time job, but I enjoyed my time at school studying and talking with my teacher and friends. My teachers always supported me by giving valuable suggestions and advice. Those were the source of my energy for getting on with things. If it were not for the support and encouragement of teachers, I could not have overcome the many difficulties I encountered. I am truly grateful for the people and friends at the school.
As mentioned above, my life at the school gave me not only mental stability, but the opportunity to learn the Japanese language more effectively than at any other schools. The school has excellent courses and good teachers with long teaching experience who monitor each student's progress carefully. You might worry that you might forget subjects like English and won’t be able to take the exams to the Japanese university but you need not be concerned if you are learning at the Tokyo School of the Japanese Language. The school provides courses for those subjects including English, mathematics, physics and chemistry.
Furthermore, your teacher will tell you how to fill in application forms for the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students and the Japanese Language Proficiency Tests, as well as check the filled-in forms for correctness. Some students may wonder how and where they can find information, which university they are going to, and what they should study at a university. In such cases, if you consult with the teachers , they will help you right away..A field study, conducted once or twice a semester, helps students at the school to experience Japanese culture and technologies. I think the Tokyo School of the Japanese Language School offers the most attractive learning environment that is unparalleled by any other Japanese language schools. The fact that I have improved my Japanese language ability and have successfully entered the university is due largely to the education of the school and its teachers, and only partly to my own effort. I will never forget this school.

Han Yue

Graduated in 2008
Home country: China
Student, Tokyo University

I still remember my first day at this Japanese language school. We each introduced ourselves and wrote a simple Japanese composition during the first class. At that time, I was asked why I selected Japan as a place of study abroad. I could not express myself very well because my Japanese skills were not very good. When my first "thrilling" class ended, the teacher came and said to me with a pleasant smile, ''May I speak to you for a minute?" He knew about my desire to go to university and my concerns about it, and told me he would give me the support I needed. I talked about my current worries and future concerns almost every day. My teacher gave me objective advice based on my proficiency and the levels of Japanese university exams. Nothing scares people more than ignorance. The teacher's analysis was very accurate, which was more encouraging to me than if he had just said to me, "Don't worry". Still now, I recall the things my teacher told me to encourage myself whenever I feel worried or indecisive.
Of course, school is not a place for studying only. It was very pleasant for me to spend time with my class mates at the school. The classroom was friendly and lively, and filled with various topics of conversation. While chatting and communicating with other students, I could understand how they saw the world they lived in, though only partially. My memories of eating together, having karaoke nights together, making a field trip with my friends will stay with me forever. One of them includes when we gave a toast to our friend who participated in a Japanese speech contest hosted by the school and won the second prize. We were good friends and at the same time rivals. We competed, but when I was down, they encouraged me and I was able to make progress. I thought I was very fortunate to have friends who shared my joy when I had passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 1. I still believe that I was able to step forward because I had friends who had the same goals as mine.
Though the one year I spent at the school was short, those days I spent with teachers and classmates have become valuable memories I will always treasure. The frustration I felt when I made a grammatical mistake, the delight I felt when I successfully improved my conversational skills, the sense of tension I felt when I was waiting for exam results, and the pleasant sensation I felt when I passed an examination are all my treasures. I would like to thank my teachers, classmates and friends at the school for the support and encouragement they gave me, and at the same time I also would like to tell them I am OK and doing well. I really want to appreciate all of them.