Mastering Japanese while holding down full-time employment might be tricky — especially if you live far from the gaijin-friendly environs of Tokyo where language schools exist at almost every corner. Deep in Saitama, for example, sometimes the only opportunity to get some language training in person is with the local municipal government that promotes classes organized by volunteers. These lessons are good as a kick-off point when you are new to the country and need something to start with, but as time passes you start to find that it’s just not enough — the lessons are held only once a week and the timing is not very flexible.