Los Angeles’ Popular Japanese School “FUJI SCHOOL”: A Warm Global Community That Resonates Beyond Language Barriers

  • 2026/09/06 11:09
INTERNATIONAL

FUJI SCHOOL is the oldest Japanese language school in Los Angeles, where celebrities based in LA—such as Ariana Grande—have studied Japanese.

Connecting Americans and Japanese Culture

The school plays a key role in linking Americans with Japanese culture: it has showcased the appeal of the Japanese language at Anime Expo, which has attracted over 400,000 attendees, and regularly takes students to Nisei Week, a festival for Japanese Americans.

 

At Nisei Week’s bon odori, FUJI SCHOOL teachers and students dance together.

 

Classroom observations (for example, with teacher NAO Ohtsuka) show lessons that use the same textbooks as Japanese language schools in Japan, but with varied topics to keep American students engaged.

Motivation and Teaching Environment

The biggest difference from Japanese language schools in Japan is that most students are not studying for university entrance or employment. Instead, they learn Japanese as a hobby: to speak with Japanese friends they’ve made, to read anime and manga in the original Japanese, or simply because they have a “pure” interest in the language and culture.

Because of these motivations, teachers are challenged to be especially creative and responsive in how they design lessons.

Unique Cultural Classes

Calligrapher KUNI Yoshida’s class is particularly unique. Many of her students have a deep interest in Japanese culture; during my observation, one student was a music specialist.

  • KUNI-sensei is frequently invited to events as a calligraphy artist, acting as an ambassador of Japanese culture and sharing the beauty of shodō with American audiences.

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Japanese: One of the Hardest Languages for English Speakers—Yet Surging in Popularity in Los Angeles

U.S. government assessments rank Japanese as one of the most difficult languages for English speakers to master, citing its vast vocabulary and the subtlety of honorifics as major hurdles. Even so, a Japanese language school in downtown Los Angeles is drawing overwhelming support from local Americans: FUJI SCHOOL, which opened in 2012.

A Diverse Community Driven by “Love for Japan”

In just seven years since opening, 1,460 students have enrolled. Most learners are in their 20s to 40s, with diverse backgrounds: some grew up influenced by anime and games; others were drawn to the warmth of Japanese people through stays at U.S. bases in Okinawa or homestay experiences; still others practice “solo karaoke” to sing Japanese city pop, which is popular in the U.S. All are fueled by varied forms of “love for Japan.” Some famous figures—such as singer Ariana Grande—reportedly began Japanese lessons after visiting Japan.

A Distinctive Educational Philosophy: “Lessons as Performance”

The school’s appeal lies in its rigorous, original educational approach. Principal Ayumi Furuya leads a teaching team that shares a strong professional ethos: “Lessons are performance.” They make no compromises in preparing each class. Content is customized into practical materials aligned with each student’s work and daily life.

  • At Anime Expo, around 300 people attended a lesson. Using popular anime such as Spirited Away and One-Punch Man as materials, instructors taught a method for translating distinctive “anime speech styles” into natural, everyday conversational Japanese—drawing a major response.

To raise instructional quality, the school has built a system for teachers to learn from one another. A hallmark is its open-door style: classes are conducted with classroom doors open so teachers can quickly adopt effective techniques they observe and integrate them into their own lessons.

Kanji Calligraphy: Experiencing Japanese Aesthetics

Alongside language courses, the school’s kanji calligraphy class is especially popular. It is taught by KUNI, a calligraphy multimedia artist active across multiple fields.

  • Influenced by her grandfather, a master calligrapher, KUNI began handling a brush in childhood. She has helped organize exhibitions at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and is energetically active in Los Angeles as well, including New Year programs at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center and wall-art projects.

In lessons, students not only acquire brush techniques but also study the original meanings of the kanji they write. During school events, opportunities are provided to display and present completed works. In addition to weekly Wednesday group lessons, private lessons are offered, earning high praise from students seeking an authentic encounter with Japanese culture.

More Than a Language School: A Warm Community

FUJI SCHOOL functions not only as a place to acquire language skills but also as a community that warmly connects students and teachers. Seasonal events such as Christmas parties are held regularly.

  • “I want to make Japanese-language teaching a glittering profession that everyone admires,” Furuya says, speaking passionately about the future.

Transcending the frame of language alone, FUJI SCHOOL’s challenge—to connect Japan and the world with smiles—will continue to shine in the streets of Los Angeles.