About us
At Iroha Sha, our instructors come from diverse cultural backgrounds and share a common love for teaching and cultural exchange.
Many have experience as language teachers, as educators in their home countries, or are active contributors to their local communities.
Together, they create welcoming spaces where children and families can enjoy learning through hands-on cultural and language experiences.
Instructors & Collaborators
Ayumi Yoshida
Founder & Director
I have always loved Japan and the depth and richness of its culture, and I am excited to share these experiences with the Kirkland community through language and cultural education.
I am a certified educator from Japan with seven years of experience as an elementary school teacher. I also hold teaching licenses in elementary education as well as Japanese language education for junior and senior high school students.
Since moving to the United States in 2018, I have been teaching Japanese to children in a warm and supportive environment where they feel comfortable, confident, and motivated to learn. I believe that language learning should be joyful, meaningful, and engaging—especially for young learners.
As the founder of Iroha Sha, I develop the Blooming Japanese curriculum and create original teaching materials, games, and activities designed to make learning interactive and enjoyable. Each lesson combines language learning with Japanese culture through songs, stories, seasonal traditions, and hands-on experiences that help children build confidence step by step.
In addition to language education, I enjoy sharing traditional Japanese culture through tea ceremony, kimono dressing, and other cultural experiences that inspire curiosity and appreciation for Japan.
I look forward to learning, experiencing, and growing together with you.
Testimonials Voices from Our Learning Community
Ayumi Sensei is a wonderful teacher! Both of my daughters adore her and love attending her class! I appreciate how thoughtful and encouraging she is to all of her students. She leads her classes with patience and kindness which is so important when learning a new language. I can't sing Ayumi Sensei's praises enough and highly recommend her as both a teacher and a tutor!
Amanda V
Our daughter has been taking Japanese lessons with Ayumi for over a year and we are so happy with the progress she has made. She has really advanced in her writing and reading skills, even starting on her second alphabet. We are especially happy about her speaking skills--Ayumi makes sure that speaking in the class is in Japanese as much as possible. The classes are also planned in a way that makes them fun for the kids (not just sitting at a desk working on sheets by themselves) and really shares Japanese culture--my daughter is especially interested in everything food-related! We are so happy we found Ayumi's classes!
D. Hanson
My daughter absolutely loves her Japanese class with Sensei Ayumi! The classes are engaging and fun! Sensei Ayumi provides reasonable homework for my daughter to practice what she learned in class that week. I highly recommend this language class to students of all ages!
Robin MacDonald
Learning Japanese’s with Ayumi has been an amazing experience. She is kind , knowledgeable and makes every lesson engaging and easy to follow. Her supportive teaching style helped me build confidence and genuinely enjoy learning the language. I couldn’t recommend her more highly.
SM
Our son has been working with Ayumi Sensei for several years and he absolutely loves her group classes. Ayumi does an excellent job of teaching language (written, read, and spoken) as well as Japanese culture, so the curriculum is incredibly well rounded. Ayumi Sensei is a fun, enthusiastic teacher who also will challenge your child academically. Our son loves showing us what he is learning and finds the group setting engaging because he and his classmates get a lot of time to actively practice their language skills with each other while also having a ton of fun!
Abbie
あゆみ先生は、お茶や着付け、書道など、日本の伝統文化に幅広く精通されている魅力的な先生です！ 何気ない会話の中にも日本文化の学びや気付きが散りばめられていて、楽しくお話しする中で自然と知識を吸収できます。日本文化への熱意と、人との繋がりを大切にする温かいお人柄が溢れていて、本当に心地よい時間でした。 日本でも敷居が高く感じられる文化を、カークランドのアットホームな空間で体験できるのは、ここならではの魅力です。新しい体験をしてみたい方はもちろん、日本文化をより深く知りたい方にも心からおすすめしたいです！
Ayumi is an inspiring teacher with extensive knowledge of Japanese traditional arts, including tea ceremony, kimono dressing, and calligraphy.
Even in casual conversation, she naturally shares fascinating insights into Japanese culture, making it easy to learn while simply enjoying time together. Her passion for Japanese culture and her genuine care for building meaningful connections create such a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
What makes this experience especially unique is the opportunity to explore traditions that can sometimes feel intimidating—even in Japan—in a cozy, home-like setting here in Kirkland. I wholeheartedly recommend IrohaSha to anyone looking to try something new or deepen their appreciation of Japanese culture.
YO
Community Recognition
In 2025, Ayumi Yoshida was nominated for the Peter Kirk Elementary Outstanding Educator Award in recognition of her dedication to students, families, and the school community.
Parents and colleagues have described her teaching as warm, engaging, and community-focused. They appreciate the welcoming learning environment she creates and her passion for sharing Japanese language and culture with children and families.
