24 Jun Minako Hama
Kia ora! Konnichiwa! My name is Minako Hama and I live in Tokyo, Japan. My interest in learning Māori language and culture began in 2017 when I first visited Aotearoa. I was amazed with the spirituality and culture of the Māori people and found many similarities between Māori and Japanese cultures. I was fortunate to participate in Rāpata’s te reo Māori classes during the recent Covid-19 lockdown and join his classes with his whānau, through Zoom, from Japan.
I learnt karakia – Māori prayers, waiata – songs, cultural explanations and Te Reo Māori. I enjoyed the social interaction with other Māori in the classes and found the pronunciation of Māori similar to Japanese.
I enjoyed Rāpata’s teaching. His style is interactive, fun, engaging and informative. He is an excellent teacher and language coach. The Reo Ora programme helped me develop a deep spiritual connection to the Māori culture and language. It also helped gain more confidence in saying Māori words and phrases.
I highly recommend Reo Ora to all peoples and cultures of the world who are interested in learning the Māori language and culture.