Ohanasi Kagawa: Creating a Place Where Even Japanese Beginners Can Enjoy Connecting with Japanese People[Message from Founder Aki – Blog #3]

Hello everyone,

This is Aki, the founder of Ohanasi Kagawa!

Once again, I’d like to honestly and openly share my thoughts about Ohanasi Kagawa.

Today’s theme is:
“I want to create a place where even Japanese beginners can easily participate and enjoy connecting with Japanese people!”

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For the past five years of running Ohanasi Kagawa, one question has always been on my mind:

How can we make Ohanasi Kagawa a place where even complete beginners feel comfortable joining?

For beginners, speaking Japanese with native speakers can feel incredibly intimidating.

I understand that feeling deeply—because I’ve been there myself.

When I decided to quit my job and enroll in a university in the U.S., my English level was so low that I didn’t even fully understand basic middle school grammar (laughs).

The first thing I did to improve my English was to change my environment.

At the time, I was living in Fukuoka, and I moved into a share house where I could live with people from overseas and immerse myself in English.

And honestly…
my English was extremely poor back then.

So what happens when someone at that level suddenly starts living with international people?

Of course—I became a shut-in (laughs).

I shared a room with a Swedish roommate (who is now my best friend), and since we could communicate in Japanese, we became close.
But I avoided talking to the other international residents as much as possible.

Outside my room, people were happily chatting in English in the lounge.
But I didn’t have the courage to join them, so I stayed in my room doing online English lessons instead.

Even after enrolling in a university in the U.S., I was afraid of speaking with native English speakers.
I would avoid paths where I might run into them, and even just passing by them made me nervous.

That’s why I truly understand how beginners feel.

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So I’ve always asked myself:

What can I do for people who feel the same fear I once felt?

Based on my own experience of overcoming that fear, I strongly believe there are three key factors that help beginners start speaking.

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1. Having Japanese Partners Who Are Interested in English and International Exchange

To be honest, it’s very difficult for beginners to build relationships with Japanese people who are not interested in English or international communication.

Think about it—if someone approached you who couldn’t speak English well and had no interest in your culture, you might not feel motivated to engage.

That’s why it’s extremely important that Japanese participants are interested in English speakers.

At the same time, beginners can offer value first.

They can:

• Teach English
• Be a conversation partner in English

By giving first, it becomes much easier to build relationships.

And in return, Japanese partners may support them when it’s time to practice Japanese.

So the key is:
How can you support others first, and create a relationship where you are also supported?

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2. Developing the Mindset: “It’s Okay to Make Mistakes”

One of the biggest turning points for me was adopting this mindset:

“It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay if it’s not perfect—as long as it’s understood.”

Many beginners worry:
“What if I make mistakes?”
“What if I can’t say it well?”

Of course, if your goal is to become a professional interpreter or use Japanese in your career, accuracy matters.

But for most people, the goal is simply:
“I want to enjoy talking with Japanese people,”
or
“I want to enjoy traveling in Japan.”

In that case, perfect Japanese is not necessary at all.

Even if you speak in broken sentences or just words, if your message gets across, that’s enough.

When your focus shifts from
“speaking correctly”
to
“expressing your thoughts,”
you’ll start to feel that you can communicate—even with gestures and simple words.

These small successes build confidence.

At Ohanasi Kagawa, we want to create a culture where people can say:

• “It’s okay to fail”
• “It’s okay to make mistakes”
• “It’s okay not to be perfect”

And where people support and respect each other through that process.

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3. Increasing Opportunities to Actually Use Japanese in Daily Life

Many beginners believe:

• “If I learn enough grammar, I’ll be able to speak.”
• “I just need to memorize more vocabulary.”
• “Watching Japanese shows will make me fluent.”

Yes—I used to think the same way.

Even while studying abroad in the U.S., I spent most of my time in the library, at Starbucks, or at home—reading books, watching videos, and memorizing words.

Even though I was surrounded by opportunities to speak English, I avoided them.

As a result:
“I can read fast.”
“I know many difficult words.”
But when it came time to speak—I couldn’t say anything.

I lived like that for about a year and a half.

Everything changed when I started speaking regularly with people online during COVID, after launching Ohanasi Kagawa.

The more I spoke, the less fear I felt.
Speaking English became part of my daily life.

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In the end, what matters most is:

How much you can create a real need to use the language.

But outside of Japan, it’s often difficult to find opportunities to speak Japanese regularly.

I struggled with that myself.

That’s exactly why Ohanasi Kagawa exists.

At Ohanasi Kagawa, you can regularly connect with Japanese people online and make speaking Japanese part of your daily life.

We provide the environment.
All that’s left is whether you choose to use it.

We want to create more opportunities where people from Japan and around the world can safely and comfortably communicate on a daily basis.

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Because I once had a deep fear of speaking English—and overcame it—I believe I can offer something meaningful to beginners.

At Ohanasi Kagawa, we want to be your supporter, no matter where you are on your journey.

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Thank you so much for reading.

If you’re interested in Ohanasi Kagawa’s language exchange events or our language partner service Ohanasi Kagawa VIP, please check the links below:

• Event Reservation Page: https://web.app-ohanasikagawa.com/
• Language Partner Service (VIP): https://ohanasikagawa.com/ohanasikagawa.vip