Local Japanese Classes, and Free Japanese-Language Materials With Ukrainian Support

There are broadly three places for someone who has started living in Japan to learn Japanese: a local Japanese-language class, a Japanese language school you pay tuition to attend, and online materials. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan’s (ISA) Guidebook on Living and Working (Japanese edition, 8th edition) likewise names these three.

What follows introduces how to find each of these, and free materials that come with Ukrainian-language explanations, in turn. The information given was confirmed on each organization’s official page in September 2026. Because a class’s location and days can change, check with its organizer before attending.

Local Japanese Classes

According to the Guidebook on Living and Working, local governments, international exchange associations, and NPOs run Japanese-language classes. They are held in places such as community centers, schools, churches, and volunteer centers. Many are taught by volunteers, with classes held once or twice a week for about 1 to 2 hours each. Some classes are free, and even paid ones are cheaper than a Japanese language school, the Guidebook explains.

Organizers differ by area. A good starting point for finding one is the “List of Departments in Charge of Japanese-Language Education” (日本語教育担当部署一覧) published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). A version as of April 1, 2026 is available, listing, for prefectures, government-ordinance-designated cities, core cities, and others, the department in charge of Japanese-language education, contact information, and the URL of the page with information on local Japanese classes. Both Japanese and English PDF versions are available.

ISA’s “About Studying Japanese” page for people who evacuated from Ukraine also directs readers to find a nearby class using this list. The same page states that, when visiting a city, town, or village office, you should bring your residence card or passport along with your certificate proving you are a Ukrainian evacuee.

The Guidebook on Living and Working lists the following as points worth checking when choosing a class.

• The organizer, location, and how to contact them
• Languages supported (whether explanations can be given in Ukrainian, Russian, or English)
• Days and times, duration, and number of sessions
• Conditions for joining and cost
• Class format (group or one-on-one), class size, level, and who teaches
• Whether parking or childcare is available

That last item, childcare, can make a big difference for someone with a young child. Asking about it when you inquire can save trouble later.

Responsibility for Japanese-Language Education Moved From the Agency for Cultural Affairs to MEXT in April 2024

One thing worth knowing when researching this topic: according to MEXT, the national government office responsible for Japanese-language education moved from the Agency for Cultural Affairs to MEXT starting in April 2024. Around the same time, the systems for nationally certified Japanese language schools (認定日本語教育機関, certified Japanese-language education institutions) and registered Japanese-language teachers also began.

Because of this, older guidance sometimes still shows an Agency for Cultural Affairs address (bunka.go.jp). For example, the learning site “Tsunahiro,” introduced below, is now published at a MEXT address (tsunagarujp.mext.go.jp). If an old address does not open, search again from MEXT’s “Japanese-Language Education” page.

Free Materials Available in Ukrainian

For people with no class nearby, or who cannot attend because of work or childcare, the national government and public bodies publish free materials. The following come with Ukrainian-language explanations.

• Tsunagaru Hirogaru Nihongo de no Kurashi (“Tsunahiro”) (つながるひろがる にほんごでのくらし（つなひろ）, “Connecting, Expanding: Living in Japanese”) — MEXT’s Japanese-learning website. It is aimed at people who have just started living in Japan and are learning Japanese for the first time, teaching everyday situations such as greetings, shopping, banking, trains, government offices, disaster preparedness, and childcare through video. According to MEXT’s page, it supports 18 languages including Ukrainian (and Japanese).
• Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan, Introductory Level — A textbook from the Japan Foundation (JF). Designed to teach the Japanese needed for daily life in Japan, it can be downloaded free from the website, with audio available too. As of September 2026, the Ukrainian-language edition exists for the “Introductory” (入門) level (CEFR A1); the following “Elementary 1” and “Elementary 2” levels (A2) and “Pre-Intermediate” level (A2–B1) do not appear in a Ukrainian edition on the site’s list of language editions.
• NHK WORLD-JAPAN, “Easy Japanese” — A video course supervised by the Japan Foundation, with a Ukrainian-language version. The Ukrainian-language page lists 48 lessons, viewable free of charge.

For people who want to know their own level of Japanese, MEXT has created the “Japanese Language Education Reference Framework” (日本語教育の参照枠), which shows Japanese ability in 6 levels (A1–C2). There is also a self-assessment tool based on it, “Nihongo Check!” (にほんごチェック！), but neither Ukrainian nor Russian is among the 14 languages (including Japanese) the Guidebook on Living and Working lists as supported.

A Course for People Looking for Work

For people eligible to work in Japan and looking for a job, the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), a general incorporated foundation, runs “Japanese for Work” training as a program commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). This course teaches the Japanese used in job hunting and in the workplace, along with Japanese workplace customs, and runs 100 training hours per course. It has levels 1 through 3, with both in-person and online options.

Applications are made at Hello Work. According to JICE’s page, you bring one photo and your residence card or passport, take a level-check test, and then the training begins. ISA’s page states that this training’s textbook has English and Russian versions. Whether you can take it depends on your status of residence, so check with Hello Work.

For People Recognized as Persons Eligible for Complementary Protection

A person recognized by ISA as a person eligible for complementary protection, and their family, can take the Refugee Assistance Headquarters’ (RHQ) “Settlement Support Program.” This is a course of 572 class hours of Japanese-language education plus 120 class hours of life-skills guidance, 692 class hours in total (1 class hour is 45 minutes).

According to guidance RHQ has posted in Ukrainian (dated July 27, 2026), there are two courses.

• Daytime course — Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. There are two terms: April to September, and October to March of the following year.
• Evening course — Monday through Friday, 6:30 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. A single 1-year term, from April to March of the following year.

Classes may also be held online using a tablet. As the contact point for applications, the guidance lists the RHQ Support Center at 0120-068-655. Depending on conditions, participants may receive a living allowance and other support during the program.

One thing to watch for is that eligibility is limited to “those who have received the recognition, and their family.” Some people who evacuated from Ukraine are living in Japan under a different status of residence rather than the recognition as a person eligible for complementary protection. Check whether you are eligible at RHQ’s consultation counter for persons eligible for complementary protection (0120-400-250, weekdays 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m., available in Ukrainian and Russian).

If You Attend a Japanese Language School

For people who want to study seriously toward further education or employment, there are Japanese language schools you pay tuition to attend. They offer courses organized by purpose and level, and some let you choose between group and individual lessons. Since 2024, information on Japanese language schools certified by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (certified Japanese-language education institutions) has been available in multiple languages on MEXT’s “Japanese-Language Education Institution Certification Act Portal.” Tuition and admission conditions differ by school, so contact each school directly.

If you are not sure who to ask, contact points are compiled in the article Where to Ask First When You Start Living in Japan.