Tucked away in Tucson’s growing international community, the Tucson Japanese School has become a weekend haven for families hoping to preserve their language and culture.

Founded in 2015 by Hitomi Maruyama McKnight and business partner Minami Espinosa, the school began as a small playgroup for preschoolers and has since grown into a full Japanese language and cultural education program serving children and adults across Southern Arizona.

From language classes and science experiments to cooking lessons and conversation cafés, the school continues to bring Japanese culture to life for the next generation.

Phoenix has a large Japanese school, but its distance made it difficult for many Tucson families to make the Saturday trip. Recognizing the need for a closer, more accessible option, McKnight teamed up with Espinosa to open their own school to better serve the city’s Japanese community.

The school’s original purpose was to support Japanese families by maintaining and expanding their language skills in an environment similar to the schools in their home country.

When they first started, it was a small playgroup for young children and their parents to join before preschool.

“They (would) go until preschool age, and when they get out from there, they (would) go to the normal American school,” McKnight told Tucson Spotlight. “They (were) losing the Japanese, so we want them to keep (learning).”

Realizing that the demand was greater than than they initially realized, McKnight and Espinosa began offering Japanese as a foreign language classes in 2018, targeting children without any Japanese heritage or background.

In January 2020, the school launched its language exchange program, Nihongo Cafe, for adults looking to learn Japanese and practice their conversational skills. When the pandemic hit, the Nihongo Cafe moved online, allowing participants to practice with the help of native speakers in the Japanese city of Anjō.

The school offers two learning tracks: Japanese as Heritage Language, for people who have a connection to Japanese through their family or culture but grew up in a non-Japanese speaking environment, and Japanese as a Second Language.

All classes are offered on Saturdays at the International School of Tucson, following the same schedule as the regular school year: fall classes run from August through December, and spring courses take place from January through May. Class sizes range from four to 15 students, with enrollment hovering around 50 students.

The school recently expanded its course offerings to include a parent-child class for children up to 4 years old. During the class, parents read Japanese picture books, sing, listen to music and and craft with their kids, while learning about traditional Japanese culture and customs.

By attending the class together, parents can spark their children's interest in Japanese and promote language learning at home. The program's goal is to provide an environment where children can communicate in Japanese with teachers and friends.

Parents can also volunteer in their children’s classes or wait in the Nihongo Café, where they can practice conversation while enjoying tea and snacks.

To keep students engaged during Saturday lessons, teachers incorporate STEM and cooking lessons into the curriculum — all taught in Japanese.

“The STEM activities are really fun for them,” McKnight said. “Since the kids (have to) come to school on Saturday mornings, I thought it should be fun.”

STEM and cooking classes are offered twice a month, teaching students science experiments or how to make sushi and curry rice.

“They can learn Japanese and Japanese culture through cooking and experiments, which teaches terminology or specific vocabulary they wouldn’t learn just speaking at home,” McKnight said.

Looking to expand their reach in the community, the school joined forces last year with the Pima County Library to begin offering English-Japanese Bilingual story time at Kirk-Bear Canyon Library on the third Thursday of the month.

The Tucson Japanese School is actively recruiting new students and raising community awareness through public classes and events, including cultural workshops, performances and speaker series.

As the school continues to expand its offerings and community partnerships, it’s also working to strengthen connections beyond the classroom.

The school is hosting its 11th annual Sports Day on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 9 a.m. The event will include several sporting events, followed by a picnic lunch.

Organizers are seeking volunteers, especially students enrolled in Japanese classes at the University of Arizona and Pima Community College, to help oversee the event.

Ruby Maldonado is a Pima Community College student and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at rhmaldonado99@gmail.com.

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