Message from Director／教室長からのメッセージ
Hello. I'm Sumire, the director of Nihongo Studio ORIGAMI. In January 2024, we established this Japanese language studio with the concept of "Empowering Foreigners Living in Japan".
For many years, while working and raising children in Chiba, I encountered many foreigners who were facing difficulties. There were children with delayed language development, children who struggled with exams due to Japanese language barriers, talented individuals who lacked opportunities beyond interpretation, and those who found it challenging to advance in their careers due to difficulty understanding Japanese customs and workplace dynamics.
In Japan, a lot of information is often disseminated only in Japanese, and various systems and customs are designed, often unconsciously, with the assumption that they are for Japanese people who were born and raised in Japan and speak Japanese. Therefore, I imagine that it must be very difficult for foreigners to live and build their lives in Japan over the long term. Additionally, many Japanese, including myself, are often unaware that Japan is in a state where it is closed to foreigners in such a way, and they do not fully comprehend what needs to be changed.
As the number of foreign residents in Japan continues to grow, our studio actively disseminates not only Japanese language education but also information useful for daily life in Japan, along with insights into Japanese culture, societal norms, and structures. We aim to foster mutual understanding and communication, and collectively contribute to shaping the future of Japanese society.
Warm regards,
Sumire Y.N.
Studio Director
Nihongo Studio ORIGAMI
こんにちは。日本語教室おりがみ教室長のSumireと申します。
2024年1月に、「日本で住む外国人の皆さんをエンパワーする」をコンセプトに、この日本語教室を開設いたしました。
長年、千葉で仕事と子育てをしてきましたが、そこで出会った外国人はみなさん大変苦労をされていました。言葉の発達が遅いお子さん、日本語がハンデとなって受験で苦労するお子さん、優秀なのに通訳以外の仕事のチャンスに恵まれない人、日本人の表裏や空気が読めずになかなか昇進ができない人など。
日本では、様々な情報が日本語だけで発信されていることが多く、いろいろな制度や慣習も日本で生まれ育ち日本語を話す日本人を前提に作られているため、外国人が日本で生活し長期にわたって人生を築いていくのはとても大変なのではないかと想像します。そして、私自身を含め日本人は、日本がそのように外国人にとって閉ざされた状態であることに気づいておらず、どこをどのように変えないといけないのかさえ、よく理解していないことが多いのではないかと思います。
日本に住む外国人の方々が今後ますます増えていく中、当教室では、日本語や日本語学習に関する情報はもちろんのこと、日本や地域で生活する上で役立つ情報や、日本の国民性や社会の仕組みを理解するための情報などを、できるだけ言語化して外国人・日本人を問わず積極的に発信していきます。そのような相互理解やコミュニケーションを通して、これからの日本社会をみんなで考え、一緒に築いていければと考えています。
日本語教室おりがみ
教室長 すみれ Y.N.
Director's Profile／教室長のプロフィール
Japanese language teacher
Master of Science, Certified psychologist
Completion of 420 hours of Japanese language teacher training course
Passing score on the Japanese Language Teaching Competency Test
Completion of the Agency for Cultural Affairs' "Japanese Language Education Training for Children"
Online Japanese class instructor at the Chiba International Center
Dispatched as a support staff to an elementary school in Chiba City
Supporting children in a local Japanese language class in Chiba City
TOEIC score of 850 or above
Eiken (English Proficiency Test) pre-1st grade
Passing the Class I Information Technology Engineer Examination
20 years of experience in child-rearing in Chiba.
20 years of international business experience in the business planning department of a major corporation.
5 years of experience tutoring junior and senior high school students for exams.
Proficient in a wide range of fields including international affairs, politics, economics, society, humanities, and science.
Hobbies: Reading, investment.