About the Team

Teaching Fellow - They/them

Education & Certifications

  • B.A. Spanish and Cognitive Linguistic Sciences, Wellesley College (2025)

Teacher Lottie

Teacher Lottie is an experienced outdoor educator, tutor, leader, and learner from sunny California. They are a recent graduate of Wellesley College and is very excited to share their perspective on curiosity, exploration, and creative expression with young learners!

Teacher Lottie has spent the past four years instructing and counseling young campers at a rural summer camp and facilitating wellness, self awareness, and inclusion-based curricular education within Residential Life at Wellesley College. They love to write, weave, craft, and dance and believe that every child is a scientist, artist, and maker.

Education & Certifications

  • M.Ed.Tech, Boise State University (2016)
  • B.A. Biological Sciences, Wellesley College (2010)
  • California Multi-Subject Certification (2014)
  • Massachusetts Teaching Certification (K-6) (2010)

Lee Hanae Ung

Founder & Lead Teacher - she/her

Born in Los Angeles, California, Ms. Lee has been working in education for over a decade and living in Japan since 2012. After working in private & public schools in the United States and Japan, she decided to open a learning center designed to support Japanese and international learners in Kobe, Japan.

Ms. Lee brings her unique, professional experiences as a California & Massachusetts certified classroom teacher, science researcher and education specialist to Learning Lab Kobe with the hope of making innovative education accessible to the English-speaking communities in Kobe.

Education & Certifications

  • B.S. English Studies — Language Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman (2011)
  • Certificate — Fundamentals of Graphic Design, California Institute of the Arts (2016)
  • Certificate — Introduction to Typography, California Institute of the Arts (2016)
  • TESOL Certificate — Tesol Asia (2020)
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Katrina Yutani

Lead Teacher - she/her

Ms. Kat is an experienced English and IELTS teacher with a bachelor's degree in English Studies from the University of the Philippines and has been working as an educator since 2011. A self-taught artist and published writer, she believes creativity is both innate and learned, and that with the proper mindset, instruction, and guidance, every student can become a good writer and artist. 

Since 2013, Ms. Kat has been drawing, calligraphing, designing, and sharing her work online under the moniker The Paper Cat. She has worked as a freelance artist and has also taught calligraphy and watercolor workshops. Her calligraphy and illustrations have been used on invitations, greeting cards, posters, and stationery.

Education & Certifications

  • M.A. Philosophy, Université de Lille/Universidade de Lisboa (2024)
  • B.A. Philosophy (Minors in Cognitive Science and Music), Carleton College (2022)
  • I.B. Diploma, Canadian Academy (2018)
 

Kou Okada

Teacher - he/him

Mr. Kou is an educator and lifelong learner eager to share the joys of learning and to inspire curiosity about the world in his students. Before joining LLKobe, Mr. Kou taught Literature and Aesthetics at l’École Japonaise du Nord—Pas-de-Calais in France and has conducted Logic tutorials for undergraduate philosophy students. He also served as an admissions reader for a selective liberal arts college in the U.S.

Mr. Kou is also a jazz guitarist and composer, always striving to find the right notes—though his neighbors might argue he’s yet to find them.

Education

  • BCom Accounting, University of British Columbia (1987)

Mark Robinson

Office Administrator - he/him

Mr. Mark was born in Canada and graduated from the University of British Columbia. He moved to Tokyo in 1988 to teach English conversation at Sundai College. In 1991 he moved to Kobe to be the Head English Teacher at a new school Sundai opened that year on Rokko Island. From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Mark was the Administrator of Community House and Information Centre. He then worked for Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel for six years. In 2007 he joined IKEA where he held many positions including, Project Controller and Project Operations Manager in Japan and the United States. 

Mr. Mark enjoys spending time with his family, whether that be relaxing at home, skiing in the winter, or camping in the summer. His biggest adventure to date was when he and his family spent 6 weeks traveling across the United States in an RV. He has 3 sons, two of which are in College in Canada. In his spare time he enjoys biking around town. He loves dogs and is looking to rescue another one soon. He is a certified dog trainer and is pleased to help others train their dogs.