November 18, 2025
Tobira
Learn Japanese & Chinese online with Tobira
Native coach. 30-minute real-life drills. Zero commute.
Feel the charm of American culture—through conversations that actually work.
Practice the exact situations you’ll face for moving abroad, business, study, or travel.
Fukuoka in-person available (Tenjin/Hakata).
What is Tobira
Tobira is the online language-learning project run by Chuseiwa, Inc.
Chuseiwa is a cross-border education & culture company with bases in Fukuoka (Japan), Qingdao (China), and Vancouver (Canada).
Our philosophy: “Start from the task at hand.”
We co-create scripts with learners for the scenes you’ll use tomorrow—focusing on the exact words and steps that get things done. We prioritize clarity, communication ability, and nuance (politeness, phone etiquette, tone) over vocabulary size, reducing misunderstandings. We specialize in pronunciation of non-native sounds to maximize understandability.
Programs
information only
English for Everyday Life (in America)
Banking, clinic visits, housing, government office, school/parent comms, customer service calls. Car rental, shopping, restaurants.
English Exam Prep (IELTS/ TOEFL)
Vocab/grammar/listening/reading + mock tests & reviews.
Delivery: Online by default (30-minute sprints). Fukuoka in-person (60 minutes) optional.
Japanese Exam Prep (JLPT N5–N1)
Vocab/grammar/listening/reading + mock tests & reviews.
Chinese for Everyday Life / Business
Real tasks in China: mobile plan, payments, rentals, admin, workplace talk.
Chinese Exam Prep (HSK)
Level-based syllabus with targeted drills.
Delivery: Online by default (30-minute sprints). Fukuoka in-person (60 minutes) optional.
Tobira's blog
NEWS
Teachers
Li
Chinese Teacher
Hello! By making use of my study-abroad experience in the United Kingdom, I specialize in teaching Chinese in a way that is easy for English speakers to understand. In my lessons, I focus not only on grammar and pronunciation, but also on plenty of role-plays and conversation practice based on real-life situations, so that you can develop truly “usable Chinese.”
I also play the erhu, a traditional Chinese string instrument. Through traditional Chinese music and the sound of the erhu, I aim to create lessons where you can enjoy not only the Chinese language, but Chinese culture itself. If you love music and culture, or if you’d like to learn Chinese through English, I’d be very happy to learn together with you.
Tang
Chinese Teacher
Nice to meet you. I have been involved in language education for eight years, teaching a wide range of learners from children to working professionals. In addition to grammar and pronunciation, I enjoy introducing “expressions you can use immediately” in real conversations, as well as cultural differences between China and Japan in an engaging way.
Lessons are customized to each learner’s level and goals, covering needs such as proficiency test preparation, study-abroad readiness, business conversation, and everyday communication. Whether you are a complete beginner or returning to study after a long break, let’s create a supportive learning environment together where no question is left unanswered and you can learn with confidence.
Certification:
ICA (International Chinese Language Teacher Professional Certification) — Advanced Level
A.S.
Japanese Teacher
Ph.D. in Linguistics from Kyushu University (National University of Japan). Has participated multiple times in large-scale international academic conferences between China and Japan, and possesses unique insights and methods in Japanese language education. Holds HSK Level 6 certification, with highly fluent Chinese, enabling smooth communication even with absolute beginners in Japanese. Gentle in personality, meticulous, approachable, and patient with students. Highly praised by learners seeking authentic pronunciation and natural expressions, truly helping students acquire “accent-free Japanese.”
Ariel
English Teacher
Hello, my name is Ariel Rosenthal. I’m from San Diego, California, USA, and I currently live in Fukuoka, Japan. I have been living in Japan for over three years now and I love Kyushu! My hobbies include cooking, cycling, listening to music, and creative writing.
I studied basic Japanese as a hobby before joining the US Air Force and studying Mandarin Chinese at the Defense Language Institute. After that, I moved to Taipei, where I lived for a year teaching English. I then returned to my hometown to attend the University of California, San Diego, when I was able to study abroad at Doshisha University in Kyoto. Once I graduated, I moved to Japan as soon as I was able, and I’ve been here ever since!
Tang
Chinese language course
Career： He has 8 years of experience in Chinese and Japanese language education.Teaching at language schools, company language training・ and online lessons.
Qualifications: ICA（国際漢語教師職業資格）上級
Features：Easy-to-understand explanation and polite support are very popular.We offer classes that beginners can learn with peace of mind.
Message：It's nice to meet you.I have been involved in language education for 8 years and have taught a wide range of learners from children to adults.In addition to grammar and pronunciation, we will happily tell the difference between "expressions that can be used immediately" in actual conversation and culture during the day.
I customize each lesson to match your level and goals, and can support various needs such as exam preparation, study-abroad preparation, business communication, and everyday conversation. Whether you’re a complete beginner or returning to your studies after a break, let’s create a learning environment together where you feel safe to ask questions and never have to leave your “I don’t understand” unresolved.
Ariel
English conversation
Career： 4 years of English conversation education.Teaching in online lessons.
Message：Hello, my name is Ariel Rosenthal. I’m from San Diego, California, USA, and I currently live in Fukuoka, Japan. I have been living in Japan for over three years now and I love Kyushu! My hobbies include cooking, cycling, listening to music, and creative writing.
I studied basic Japanese as a hobby before joining the US Air Force and studying Mandarin Chinese at the Defense Language Institute. After that,
I moved to Taipei, where I lived for a year teaching English. I then returned to my hometown to attend the University of California, San Diego, when I was able to study abroad at Doshisha University in Kyoto.
Once I graduated, I moved to Japan as soon as I was able, and I’ve been here ever since!
Chen
Chinese language course
Career：15 years of language education.She teaches at private universities, language schools, and online lessons.
Features：In the class, we incorporate Chinese history, thought, literature, etc., and try to deepen the "culture behind the language" lesson.If you are interested in Chinese culture, please come and interact with us.
Message：It's a great way to get the most out of your life.While valuing the connection between "sound" and "meaning" in Chinese, we teach according to the pace of each learner.In particular, I am good at explaining Chinese traditional culture and philosophy (Confucianism, Taoism, etc.) in an easy・to-understand manner while comparing it with Japan.If you want to deepen your understanding of China's society and way of thinking, let's learn together.
Li
In charge of Chinese conversation
Career： 4 years of teaching Chinese.Teaching in online lessons.
Features：Taking advantage of my experience studying in the UK, I am good at teaching Chinese in an easy-to-understand way for English speakers.
Message：hello!Not only grammar and pronunciation, but also many role-playing and conversation exercises that assume actual communication situations, and acquire "usable Chinese"It is a lesson that can be followed by a lesson that can be followed by a lesson that can be followed by a lesson that can be followed by a lesson that can be followed by a lesson.In addition, the specialty is Erhu (Niko).Through traditional Chinese music and the sound of the erhu, we aim to create a class where you can enjoy not only Chinese but also Chinese culture itself.If you like music and culture, or if you want to learn Chinese in English, let's learn together.
Tang
Chinese language course
Career
Ariel
English conversation
Once I graduated, I moved to Japan as soon as I was able, and I’ve been here ever since!
Chen
Chinese language course
It's a great way to get the most out of your life.While valuing the connection between "sound" and "meaning" in Chinese, we teach according to the pace of each learner.In particular, I am good at explaining Chinese traditional culture and philosophy (Confucianism, Taoism, etc.) in an easy・to-understand manner while comparing it with Japan.If you want to deepen your understanding of China's society and way of thinking, let's learn together.
Li
In charge of Chinese conversation
hello!Not only grammar and pronunciation, but also many role-playing and conversation exercises that assume actual communication situations, and acquire "usable Chinese"It is a lesson that can be followed by a lesson that can be followed by a lesson that can be followed by a lesson that can be followed by a lesson that can be followed by a lesson.In addition, the specialty is Erhu (Niko).Through traditional Chinese music and the sound of the erhu, we aim to create a class where you can enjoy not only Chinese but also Chinese culture itself.If you like music and culture, or if you want to learn Chinese in English, let's learn together.
Voice of the students
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About tuition
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Enter your title
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¥
1399
Monthly
-
List Item #1
-
List Item #2
-
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Popular
Enter your title
Enter your description
¥
1399
Monthly
-
List Item #1
-
List Item #2
-
List Item #3
Test text
Popular
FAQ
Q1. Can I focus only on practical life situations (no exam prep)?
A. Yes! You can take scene-based training only. You can also request lessons on specific topics such as professional skills/jargon and slang!
Q2. Where do in-person lessons take place in Fukuoka?
A. Around Tenjin/Hakata public spaces or on-site at your company.
Q3. How do you give feedback?
A.Each session includes recorded feedback with clearer rephrasings and politeness/phone-etiquette tips.
Q4. What payment methods are available?
A. Bank Transfer/ PayPal / PayPay (Japan). We can issue invoices/receipts.
Q5. Do you also teach Chinese?
A. Yes—Chinese for life or business and HSK prep are available.
Q6. What is your reschedule/cancellation policy?
A. Free changes ≥ 24 hours before class; later changes count as one session.
Contact
- Email: tobirals@hotmail.com
- Hours: 11:00–22:00 (JST)
- Phone (Japan): +81-090- 2963- 2923
- Phone (China):+86-15853205588
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Operated by: Chuseiwa, Inc. | Fukuoka
Address: 8-12-817 Gionmachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City