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Welcome to SAYAS

At SAYAS Japanese School, we’re on a mission to teach Japanese language and culture, and empower women in the process. Japanese culture is admired worldwide, and while I’m proud of the beautiful aspects of Japan, it’s also important to acknowledge the challenges we face—especially when it comes to gender inequality in the workforce. 

With your support, we can create a platform that ensures that students of all genders have the opportunity to reach their language goals with expert guidance and a personal touch. At the same time, we aim to offer women, who may otherwise be excluded from traditional work opportunities, the chance to gain financial independence. 

A Message from Saya: My Story

Hi, I’m Saya, the founder of SAYAS Japanese School. For the past three years, I’ve been teaching Japanese online and sharing my love for the Japanese language on social media. Now, with over 400k followers, I want to use this platform for something deeply important to me: women’s empowerment.

I come from Japan, a country known for its technology and beautiful culture, but also a place where many women face gender inequality and societal pressures. I’ve experienced these struggles firsthand, and they’ve inspired me to do something about it. That’s why I created SAYAS—a space where women can come together, share their knowledge, and build careers. Financial independence is a crucial step toward empowerment, allowing women to pursue their passions, support their families, and gain confidence in their abilities.

Challenging the narrative: Why I created SAYAS

“But Japan is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, surely women have plenty of professional and financial opportunities?”

While Japan boasts a high GDP, the wealth and job opportunities are largely controlled by men. In fact, Japan has one of the highest gender pay gaps among developed nations (we rank 118th out of 146 countries), with many women pushed into low-paying, part-time, or contract jobs that offer little job security.

Companies often hesitate to hire or promote women who may take maternity leave in the future, and those who leave to raise children find it nearly impossible to re-enter the workforce at the same level.

There’s even a term for maternity harassment: matahara. It’s a widespread issue where women are demoted or pressured to resign after announcing a pregnancy.

To make matters worse, sexual harassment is not a criminal offense in Japan. It’s considered workplace misconduct, and many employers fail to address it properly when it’s reported. 

Unfortunately, things aren’t changing quickly. Japan ranks among the lowest in the world for female political representation. This means that policies that support gender equality, like better parental leave or workplace protections, are slow to pass because decision-making remains dominated by men.

Until decision makers begin taking real steps towards change, I want to use my platform to support Japanese women who’ve been left out of traditional workforces—like stay-at-home mothers or women re-entering the job market. I aim to provide them with a safe place to gain the skills they need to achieve financial independence.

*For sources and more information on the state of gender and social equality in Japan, please check the links below. 

What We Offer: Personalized, supported learning

At SAYAS Japanese School, we know that every student learns in their own way and at their own pace. While our mission focuses on women’s empowerment, our classes are open to anyone eager to explore Japanese language and culture. Here’s what sets us apart:

• Your choice of expert tutors

Our tutors specialize in different aspects of Japanese—whether it’s grammar, conversation, JLPT prep, or business Japanese. Each teacher has a personal profile so students can read through and choose whoever they feel suits them best. Students can change teachers at any point and classes will always be tailored to suit your personal level, goals and needs.

• Learning paths built around you

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all lesson plans. Instead, we’ll create a personalized curriculum that adapts to your goals. Learning is a two-way street, and we provide plenty of opportunity to give feedback to teachers so we can refine our methods to suit you. With ongoing feedback and support, you’ll always stay on track. Plus, our online community is here to connect you with fellow learners and answer your questions.

• Women Supporting Women

Every tutor at SAYAS is a woman, and we’re committed to creating opportunities for female educators to share their expertise and grow their careers. Beyond teaching, we support women in web design, content creation, and other fields—ensuring fair pay and a supportive work-place.

How Your Donation Helps: 

What We've Done So Far

• Managed social media marketing and content creation (videos, podcasts).
• Hired and trained tutors, helping them develop class plans according to their field of specialization.
• We’re in the process of building an engaged audience to prepare for our pre-launch in March.

Where We Are Now (Pre-Launch – Mid-March)

What I'm handling solo due to budget constraints:

• Recruiting and training teachers on how to develop structured curriculums.
• Supporting new teachers with training sessions, lesson observations and practice classes. 
• Running social media ads to attract students.

Expenses I’m currently covering:

• Booking & payment system (monthly recurring costs).
• Basic website design (one-time cost).

What We’re Fundraising For

Building a better platform (One time cost + monthly maintenance): SAYAS Japanese School is launching on a basic platform, but with your support, we can upgrade to a more advanced system after fundraising, offering:

• A seamless all-in-one system for booking, payments, teacher Zoom accounts, automated class links, and a student-tutor community.
• A community feature for learners to connect, ask questions, and submit homework for feedback.
• Continuous bug fixes, updates, and new features based on student and teacher needs.
• Bringing in a graphic designer to enhance the platform’s usability and create engaging content.

Expanding our reach (Monthly costs)

• Hiring a digital marketing expert to attract students..
• Ongoing social media and branding improvements.

Enhancing the learning experience

• Weekly teacher training webinars to improve lesson delivery and address student feedback.
• Additional teaching resources and professional development to support tutors in their specialised fields.

Creating Smarter Learning Tools

• Vocabulary Retention System unique to SAYAS: Teachers track new words, students practice them, and the system generates quizzes for review.
• AI-Powered Conversation Exercises: Custom-generated discussion topics, role-play scenarios, and comprehension questions to expand vocabulary and fluency.

Overcoming Challenges: 

Building SAYAS has its challenges, but we’re determined to make it happen. Our biggest hurdle right now is securing enough funding to scale our platform. We will begin teaching with our pre-launch in March, but fundraising remains the key factor in moving forward. We’re also focused on growing our student base, and we’re launching pre-enrollment in March to get a better sense of numbers and gauge demand. 

Other Ways You Can Help

Even if you can’t donate right now, there are still ways you can support SAYAS:

• Follow Us on Social Media: Stay connected, share our posts, and spread the word about SAYAS Japanese.
• Check Out Our YouTube Channel: Engage with our free content and share it with your friends and family.
• Sign Up for Classes: When we’re ready, join us and start your own language-learning journey with our amazing tutors!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sayas_japanese_school/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sayasjapaneselesson

*Here you can find more information on the state of Japan’s gender inequality in the workforce and in government 

Global Gender Gap Index across multiple dimensions (English source): https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gen...

Women in government (Japanese source): https://www.gender.go.jp/kaigi/senmon/keikaku_k...

Women in leadership positions (Japanese source):　https://www.gender.go.jp/kaigi/renkei/pamphlet/...

Gender wage gap (Japanese source):　　　https://www.gender.go.jp/research/weekly_data/0...