Ms. Yoko Hara
Hara-sensei holds her B.A. in French from Tamagawa University in Tokyo. She is also a graduate from the Rudolf Steiner College in California Waldorf Teacher Training Program. She studied at the Pana Lingua Institute of Japanese Language in Tokyo before coming to the US. She has also studied German at the Goethe Institut in Tokyo. She has taught Japanese for all age groups--young children, teens and adults in Marin County--for the past 5 years, using games, crafts and arts to facilitate learning.

Ms. Nobue Maeda
Maeda-sensei holds her BA in English literature from Fuji Women’s University in Sapporo. She attained the certificate of Japanese Teacher Training from English Circles in Sapporo. Prior to moving to San Francisco in 2006, she taught Japanese for almost ten years at Vancouver Community College and Richmond School District in Vancouver, Canada.

Ms. Mitsuko Nelson
Nelson-sensei received a Master of Science in Mass Communications from San Jose State University. She has been a Japan Society instructor for eight years. Nelson-sensei also has experience in technical translation and cross-cultural training seminars for corporations.

Mr. Katsuhiro Otsuka
Otsuka-sensei came to the Japan Society in 2001 with 15 years of experience teaching Japanese in both the United States and Japan. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rakuno University and certificates in ESL, Travel & Tourism, and Landscape Design from North American universities. He is also involved in chanoyu.

Ms. Seiko Yoneyama Sanchez
Sanchez-sensei earned her BA in Japanese and MA in East Asian Language and Cultures, with a concentration in Japanese from UCLA in 2000 and 2003, respectively. After obtaining her MA, she taught Japanese language at a junior college in Southern California. She also has experience in privately tutoring Japanese language to children. She joined the Japan Society teaching staff in Fall 2008.

Ms. Naho Shioguchi
Shioguchi-sensei holds her BA in English Literature from Kobe College in Kobe. She attained the certificate of Japanese Teacher Training from Alpha Language Institute in Osaka. Prior to moving to San Francisco in 2008, she taught Japanese at the same school. She joined the Japan Society of Northern California as part of the teaching staff in summer 2008.

Ms. Tokuko Takeshita
Takeshita-sensei holds an MA in Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language and a BA in Japanese from San Francisco State University, as well as a BA in Education from Yamanishi University. She has many years’ experience teaching both adults and children Japanese at SFSU, Clarendon Alternative School, and others, and first taught with the Japan Society several years ago.

Ms. Chika Takeuchi
Takeuchi-sensei has dual Bachelor's degrees in Law and Commerce from University of Chuo in Japan. She later obtained a Master of Arts in Japanese Studies from University of Sydney. She taught at several universities, government, private educational institutions and companies, such as Uni. of N.S.W., Uni. of Technology Sydney, and Qantas Airline. She has a certificate in Teaching Japanese as Foreign Language from Tokyo Intercult School. She has 24 years of experience in teaching Japanese language, culture and elementary ESL.

Ms. Kumiko Yamada
Yamada-sansei received her BA in French Literature at Keio University in Tokyo. She earned the certificate of Japanese Language Teaching Competency authorized by the Japanese Minister of Education, Science and Culture, and started teaching. She received an MBA from Oregon State University, where she also had the opportunity to work as a teacher's assistant for Japanese language classes. She has been a Japan Society instructor since Fall 2007.

Ms. Kazuko Yasutake
Yasutake-sensei is currently attending San Francisco State University to obtain her MA in Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language. She completed her undergraduate study in computer science at San Jose State University and received a BA in Japanese literature in Japan. She holds a Japanese teaching credential for both junior high and high school level students. She has 13 years of experience in corporate translation and technical writing as a software engineer.

Ms. Keiko Yukawa
Yukawa-sensei is an MA candidate at San Francisco State University in Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language. She received her BA in Education from Osaka Kyoiku University and has teaching experience in Japan, Australia and America.