Kenya Irie

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Managing Director

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Join date: Jun 12, 2025

About

Kenya Irie is the owner and lead Japanese teacher at Sakura Japanese Workshop. A Globis MBA graduate and seasoned professional with a background in marketing and cross-cultural communication, Kenya has lived and worked in Auckland, Copenhagen, and Tokyo. This global experience shapes his unique teaching approach, combining practical language skills with rich cultural context.

Kenya believes Japanese lessons should be clear, enjoyable, and adapted to each learner’s goals and pace. Drawing on his marketing expertise, he designs structured yet flexible lessons that keep students motivated and confident.

His warm, supportive teaching style helps learners feel at ease to speak, ask questions, and grow. As both a teacher and owner, Kenya is committed to building a welcoming space where students can connect with Japanese language and culture, bridging communities around the world.

Posts (6)

Jun 8, 2026 ∙ 3 min

Japanese Sentences End with a Surprise

Imagine you're listening to a Japanese colleague explain a decision. They speak for thirty seconds. You catch some words. You think you understand where it's going. Then the last word arrives — and it's the verb. The action. The entire point of the sentence. And it changes everything you thought you'd understood. This isn't a translation problem. It's a structural one. Japanese sentences are built differently from English — and once you understand how, the language starts to make a very...

Jun 8, 2026 ∙ 3 min

Why "Yes" in Japanese Doesn't Mean Yes

You're in a meeting with a Japanese colleague. You present your proposal. They nod. They say "はい" (hai) after every point you make. The meeting ends on what feels like a positive note. Then nothing happens. No follow-up. No decision. No next step. This isn't a communication failure. It's a language misunderstanding — and it's one of the most common ones that professionals working with Japan encounter. What "はい" actually means In English, "yes" signals agreement. When someone says yes, they're...

Mar 23, 2026 ∙ 2 min

Bringing Japanese to Life: Our Community Event in The Hague

Last Saturday, March 21st, we stepped out of the classroom and into a cozy cafe in The Hague for our Sakura Community Event. It was a wonderful afternoon where the Japanese language truly came to life, and we are still buzzing from the energy everyone brought to the table! Student Gathering Event | Sakura Japanese Workshop From Classroom Lessons to Real-World Memories Our goal for this event was simple: to transform Japanese from a "subject" into a "living language." While textbooks and...