Sakura Communication Institute — SaCI for short — is a Melbourne-based Japanese language school teaching students all over the world. Private & group lessons, JLPT prep, VCE/IB tutoring. Face-to-face or online.
We’re the Sakura Communication Institute — but you can call us SaCI for short! In Japanese this means happiness and luck — it’s pronounced sa-chi and written as 幸.
Based in Melbourne, we provide Japanese language courses to students all over the world. From total beginners to JLPT candidates and VCE/IB students — we’ll meet you at your level.
Unsure which lesson is right for you? Or already know some Japanese but unsure of your level?
Start with an initial consultation and level assessment and we’ll find the lesson style that suits you best. Reach out →
Fully flexible — we build a learning plan that suits you. Business Japanese, travel Japanese, focus on listening & speaking — you choose. Beginners’ textbook: みんなの日本語Ⅰ（赤本）.
Small groups of 3–6 students. Big fun, interactive, friendly & cosy — everyone works together to reach the goal. Curriculum: みんなの日本語Ⅰ ➜ Ⅱ（赤本・青本）.
Private tutoring focused on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. We map your strengths and weak points, then concentrate on the weak areas to raise your overall score.
We teach from the textbook students are studying at school and aim to raise scores in school exams — working out trends, countermeasures, and study suited to each school.
Choose face-to-face in Melbourne, or online from anywhere in the world.
Price shown is per person · semi-private = 2 students
Price shown is per person
★ After 17:00 — additional charge of 10% on all lesson types except semi-private.
Yuri Sensei is an amazing teacher who I owe a lot to — both in the development of my Japanese and in passing the JLPT N3. She’s always able to provide helpful explanations for parts I don’t understand, and gives me good advice about what to work on next. I’m probably a bit of a crazy student — Yuri Sensei is very flexible and kind about it.
I like the structure of the lessons since I get to learn new concepts and also practice listening and speaking Japanese. I recommend continuing to study beyond the lessons and consume content like tv shows or podcasts in Japanese.
SaCI is flexible and able to tailor teaching patterns to the students preferences to make sure that every student has a good time learning in the best environment for them.
The pace is easy to adapt to and nuances of grammar are always explained in detail with practical/fun examples. Conducting the lesson in Japanese is also very good practice for speaking skills and making conversations naturally.
SaCI provides casual and energetic Japanese lessons that don’t feel like you’re in a regular classroom. I’d recommend SaCI to anyone who’s tried studying Japanese but bounced because it felt too academic.
Yuri先生 is always high energy, engaging and very patient with understanding and explaining anything you may ask about Japanese. Her preparation and provided materials always show a high level of care and quality.
SaCI Japanese class study is very organised and well designed. I have been studying half year with them and I am learning a lot from their program. Highly recommend!
I’m Yuri, from Chiba, Japan, and I grew up in Malaysia. I’ve been in Melbourne for 9 years, and I’ve been working as a Japanese teacher for almost 5 years.
I have so much passion for teaching Japanese and making it fun. Japan is a wonderful country of “omotenashi”, and I would love to teach you its manners and culture.
I’m licensed for primary and special schools, and I’m able to teach adults as well as children.
Hobbies and interests: coffee (I’m a trained barista), cooking, movies, handcraft, nail art, walking, travel and fashion.
I want to try: glamping, an Australian city trip and tufting.
I can’t wait to see you at SaCI!
I’m from Fukuoka Prefecture, and I currently live in Malaysia. I’ve taught Japanese to students from many different countries, both online and in person.
In my lessons, I value making learning fun, easy to understand, and helping you build the confidence to speak. Let’s learn not just Japanese, but also Japanese culture and daily life together!
I’m really looking forward to meeting you all!
I was born and raised in Japan, in Saitama Prefecture. In 2023, I spent a year in Canada on a working holiday, where I met friends from all kinds of different backgrounds — and that experience made me appreciate the charm of Japan all over again.
I’m still fairly new as a Japanese language teacher, but I’m really looking forward to meeting students who want to learn Japanese or who are interested in Japan. I’m currently living in a city called York, in the UK.
My hobbies are traveling and hiking. If you have any countries or regions you’d recommend, I’d love to hear about them during our lessons!