Kizuna Speaking Cohort: Founding Cohort
Stop freezing. Start speaking Japanese.
A 10-week live group sprint with Kizuna coaches. Two speaking sessions a week, no more than 12 people in a group, 24 seats in all, and a real conversation as the finish line.
- Starts
- Mon, Nov 30, 2026
- Length
- 10 weeks
- Group size
- 12 people max
- Founding price
- $997 until Monday Nov 9, 23:59 US Pacific (Tue Nov 10, 16:59 JST)
24 seats in total. Get one 30-minute 1:1 session with your cohort coach (join by Oct 23, 23:59 JST; a paid $500 seat hold counts).
The founding cohort. Kizuna (絆) means bond.
You know more Japanese than you can say.
You can read a menu, follow some of a show, and recognise the grammar when you see it. Then someone speaks to you and the sentence you had ready is gone.
That gap is not about knowing more. It is about saying things out loud, in front of real people, with someone who corrects you and a group that keeps you showing up. That is the whole design of this cohort.
This is for you if
- You freeze or go blank when you have to speak Japanese.
- You want a clear 10-week plan and a deadline, not another app.
- You can commit to two live sessions and a short assignment every week.
- You want a coach to hear you and correct you.
What the 10 weeks is built to give you
Four things decide whether a course changes how you speak. We built the cohort around all four.
The outcomeWhat you walk away able to do
Hold a 10-minute unscripted conversation in Japanese by week 10. Your exact goal is set at placement, so it fits your level and is something you can name before you start.
Confidence it will workWhy this should work for you
Live coaching from Kizuna coaches, small groups so you speak every session, a weekly assignment that keeps you going between sessions, and a repeat-cohort guarantee if you do the work and do not reach the goal.
SpeedHow soon you see change
You speak in your first session. Ten weeks, fixed dates, one finish line. A 1:1 check-in with your coach every two weeks shows you what is improving.
Low effort and frictionWhat we take off your plate
Sessions are scheduled for you. Prompt packs are ready to use for the weekly drills. Replays cover a missed session. No new app to learn.
Everything included
Founding price $997 until Monday Nov 9, 23:59 US Pacific (Tue Nov 10, 16:59 JST). List price after that: $1,197.
- Two live 75-minute group speaking sessions every week, led by a Kizuna coach (Kotono, Nico or Jake), with Gus as a guest
- A 20-minute 1:1 check-in with your coach every two weeks
- Placement and a speaking goal set for your level
- A weekly speaking assignment with AI conversation drills (ready-made prompt packs you run in your own ChatGPT or Claude account)
- Skool community access for practice partners, questions and session replays
- The Kizuna Repeat-Cohort Guarantee, with conditions below
- Insider bonus: one 30-minute 1:1 session with your cohort coach (join by Oct 23, 23:59 JST; a paid $500 seat hold counts)
Your week, and your 10 weeks
Week 1 starts Monday, November 30, 2026. Week 10 starts Monday, February 1, 2027.
- Two live group sessions75 minutes each, in a group of no more than 12, led by a Kizuna coach. You speak in every one.
- One speaking assignmentA short task each week, with an AI conversation drill. You submit it before the next session.
- 1:1 check-in, every two weeks20 minutes with your coach to review what you said, what to fix and what to aim at next.
- Community and replaysSkool for questions and practice partners. Replays for any session you miss.
Start speaking
Placement, your goal, and a base of phrases you can say without translating in your head.
Longer turns
Answer follow-up questions, tell short stories, and keep going when the conversation turns somewhere you did not plan.
Unscripted
Open practice with less support, then your week-10 conversation at the goal set at placement.
Live sessions scheduled to fit Asia, Europe and Americas time zones; times confirmed at onboarding. Any holiday-week changes are confirmed before November 30.
Choose how you want to join
Founding price ends Monday Nov 9, 23:59 US Pacific (Tue Nov 10, 16:59 JST), or when all 24 seats are taken. After that: $1,197.
Insider bonus: join by Oct 23, 23:59 JST and get one 30-minute 1:1 session with your cohort coach. A paid $500 seat hold counts.
Pay in full
One payment. Your seat is confirmed at checkout.
Deposit plus balance
Pay $297 now. The $750 balance is invoiced and due by Friday, November 27, 2026.
3 payments
Pay $365 now. The second and third payments of $365 are invoiced 30 and 60 days later.
Hold my seat
Not ready yet? A $500 seat hold is credited to your price if you complete enrolment within 14 days. Refundable on request within 14 days.
Later payments are sent as invoices by Kizuna. They are not charged automatically. The deposit and 3-payment options cost slightly more in total than paying in full.
The Kizuna Repeat-Cohort Guarantee
Do the work and you will not pay twice. If you still cannot hold the week-10 conversation, you join the next cohort free.
- You attend at least 80% of the live sessions.
- You submit your weekly speaking assignments.
- The goal is the one set at placement. We agree it with you before week 1.
- What you get: a free seat in the next cohort.
This is a repeat seat in a future cohort. It is not a cash refund and not a promise of fluency.
What Kizuna students say
Reviews from Kizuna learners, as shown on kizunatraining.com. This is our first cohort, so these are not cohort results.
“I’ve been able to conduct interviews, hold meetings, and speak completely using business Japanese…”
“I’m actually able to read AND speak in Japanese after 3 months…”
“I passed the N1 in 3 months from N2…”
Who leads your group
Each of the two groups is led by one Kizuna coach: Kotono, Nico or Jake. Gus joins as a guest.
- KotonoKizuna coach
- NicoKizuna coach
- JakeKizuna coach
Questions
What level do I need?
Placement happens before week 1, and your week-10 goal is set from your starting level. If you are not sure whether your level fits, message us before you buy and we will tell you honestly.
When are the live sessions?
There are two 75-minute sessions every week. Live sessions are scheduled to fit Asia, Europe and Americas time zones; times are confirmed at onboarding. Replays are available if you miss one.
Who teaches the sessions?
Each group is led by one Kizuna coach: Kotono, Nico or Jake. They run the live sessions and your 1:1 check-ins, and Gus joins as a guest.
What are the AI conversation drills?
Each week you get a prompt pack. You run it in your own ChatGPT or Claude account to practise a conversation, then bring what you learned to your assignment and your coach. You need your own account for one of them.
What is the insider bonus?
Get one 30-minute 1:1 session with your cohort coach (join by Oct 23, 23:59 JST; a paid $500 seat hold counts). It is in addition to the 1:1 check-ins every two weeks.
How does the guarantee work?
Attend at least 80% of the live sessions and submit your weekly speaking assignments. If you then cannot hold the week-10 conversation at the goal set at placement, you join the next cohort free. It is a repeat seat, not a cash refund.
How do the payment options work?
Pay in full is one payment at checkout. The deposit option takes $297 at checkout and we invoice the $750 balance, due by Friday, November 27, 2026. The 3-payment option takes $365 at checkout and we invoice the second and third payments 30 and 60 days later. Invoices are sent by us, not charged automatically.
Can I get a refund?
The $500 seat hold is refundable on request within 14 days. For any other question about a payment, contact us before you buy and we will answer it in writing.
How many seats are there?
Two groups of 12, so 24 seats. That is the number of people our coaches can teach well. The founding price of $997 ends on Monday Nov 9, 23:59 US Pacific (Tue Nov 10, 16:59 JST), or when the seats are gone.
Still deciding? Message the Kizuna team and we will help you decide.
Ten weeks from now, you could be talking.
The founding cohort starts Monday, November 30. Founding price $997 until Monday Nov 9, 23:59 US Pacific (Tue Nov 10, 16:59 JST), or until the 24 seats are gone. Get one 30-minute 1:1 session with your cohort coach (join by Oct 23, 23:59 JST; a paid $500 seat hold counts).
The guarantee applies to everyone who meets its conditions.