01
What it is
A small-group English training course held in Aomori, Japan. It is run in Japanese, for Japanese speakers who already use English — or expect to — in their work.
The room is small on purpose. Nobody sits and listens for seventy-five minutes; everyone speaks. Understanding the lesson is not the goal. Using the language on the spot is.
- WhenSaturdays — 14:00–15:15 and 15:30–16:45Two sessions of 75 minutes. You can book one or both. Next session: September 12 (Sat).
- WhereHeart Spot (Corpo Fukui, Hamada-Toyoda 368), Aomori City, Japan
- SeatsFour per session, in the roomOnline participation varies by session — please ask.
- Fee¥3,300 per session, tax includedBoth sessions on the same day: ¥6,600. Paid in cash at the venue on the day.
- BookingSession by sessionNo ongoing commitment. Ask for the current schedule.
Your first session is a trial and level check. You take part in the actual training, and while you do, we work out where your English is now and what you need it for — then decide together where to start.
02
Keep going without the word
Suisoku Eikaiwa — Mikami's own name for the method
A word you don't know turns up. You work out the meaning from what is around it, and you keep the conversation moving.
At work there is no time to look a word up. The habit that matters is not stopping — taking the sense from the context and carrying on. That is what the sessions train.
The material is built around the situations people actually face. Past sessions have covered explaining a physical skill to non-Japanese members of a gym, and the day-to-day exchanges of a working port.
03
Who it is for
At present the course is for people who can already hold a conversation in English. There is no beginners' class at the moment; one is under consideration.
Placement is not decided by a test score alone. Purpose, speaking ability, and practical use are all taken into account. If you are unsure, come to a first session and talk it over.
04
Not business English alone
- Business English — email, meetings, networking, negotiation
- Presentation & pitch — presenting, pitching, speaking, handling questions
- Communication — saying it, hearing it, asking, reading intent
- Interpretation — consecutive interpreting, note-taking, summarizing, moving between the two languages
- Real-world English — travel for work, international exchange, everyday dealings
05
Seventy-five minutes
- 01Whole-group training
- 02Training by level
- 03Practice and role play
- 04Review, and work for next time
The cycle is the same one used elsewhere in the Academy: try it, find what does not work, ask why, learn the method, try again — and end up with a form of your own.
06
Shinjun Mikami
Not "someone who can speak English," but someone who has taught it, holds the certification, and has worked in it.
- TESOL certified
- Taught English at California College of Communications
- Business and negotiation in English while based in Silicon Valley
- Negotiation and interpreting in legal settings, including court
- Taught at US universities including UC Davis and the University of San Francisco
- Interpreting for international bodies and visiting dignitaries
Teaching English, and teaching how to work in it.
07
Booking
Use the contact form. Tell us which session you want (14:00 or 15:30) and what you need the English for.
One form covers everything the Academy runs. You can ask about Brush Praxis in the same message.