Use Your Japanese in a Real Café! Sakura’s 5th Gathering Event at Cafe Malro
Learning Japanese in the classroom is important — but using it in a real-life situation is where the language truly comes alive.
For our 5th Sakura Japanese Workshop Gathering Event, we’re leaving the classroom and heading to Cafe Malro, a popular Japanese-owned café in The Hague.
This special event will take place on Sunday, 8 November, from 16:00 to 17:30. The café will be reserved for Sakura students, giving everyone a relaxed and friendly environment in which to practise Japanese while enjoying Japanese food and culture.
Please note: This event is exclusively for current students of Sakura Japanese Workshop.
From the Classroom to a Real Japanese Café
Have you ever learned how to order food in Japanese, but never actually had the opportunity to use it?
This event is designed to change that.
Rather than practising only through role-play in the classroom, participants will experience a real café setting and use Japanese to communicate with the café staff.
You’ll practise greetings and useful expressions for entering a café, read a Japanese-style menu, order your food and drink in Japanese, and complete the payment process using Japanese play money.
Don't worry if your Japanese is still at beginner level. The purpose is not to speak perfectly, but to experience the satisfaction of successfully using the Japanese you have learned in a real situation.
Order Your Food in Japanese
Each participant will receive two varieties of onigiri and one drink from Cafe Malro.
But there is one small challenge: you’ll order them in Japanese!
We’ll help you practise the expressions you need, including how to greet café staff, ask for what you would like, understand simple questions, and interact politely.
You’ll also practise numbers and prices by paying with Japanese play money, giving you a practical opportunity to use Japanese numbers in context.
It’s a small taste of what it might feel like to walk into a café in Japan and order for yourself.
Discover Matcha and Make Your Own
The second part of the event will introduce another important part of Japanese food culture: matcha.
The owner of Cafe Malro will personally demonstrate how to prepare matcha and guide participants through the process.
You’ll learn about the history of matcha and the etiquette surrounding its preparation and enjoyment, with explanations provided in English.
After the demonstration, it will be your turn.
You’ll whisk your own bowl of matcha using a simple method that you can repeat at home — and, of course, enjoy the matcha you’ve prepared yourself.
What’s Included?
Two varieties of onigiri from Cafe Malro
One drink
Practical Japanese for a café setting, including greetings and useful expressions
Practice ordering food and drinks in Japanese
Japanese payment practice using play money
Guidance on how to interact politely with café staff in Japanese
An introduction to matcha history and etiquette in English
A matcha-making demonstration by the café owner
A hands-on matcha-making experience, including your own bowl of matcha to enjoy
Learn Japanese by Using Japanese
At Sakura Japanese Workshop, we believe that learning a language should go beyond textbooks and classroom exercises.
Our Gathering Events give students opportunities to use Japanese, meet other learners and experience Japanese culture in real-life settings.
This time, instead of imagining that you are in a Japanese café, you’ll actually be sitting in one — reading, ordering, paying and communicating in Japanese.
Whether you are an absolute beginner or have been studying Japanese for some time, the goal is simple:
Use the Japanese you know, learn something new, and enjoy the experience.
Event Details
Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026 Time: 16:00–17:30 Venue: Cafe Malro, The Hague Capacity: Limited to 10 participants For: Current Sakura Japanese Workshop students only
We look forward to enjoying an afternoon of Japanese language, onigiri and matcha together!
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