Resources to learn Japanese
Memorizing Vocabulary in Japanese
Mosalingua Premium (Web & Mobile)
Our all-in-one multiplatform solution for learning the most useful words and phrases, immersing yourself in a language, and practicing with numerous Japanese resources (e.g. videos, audiobooks, books, articles). Provides access via web and iOS/Android app.
Online dictionaries
- Jisho Japanese Dictionary: A powerful English-Japanese dictionary, for words, expressions, and kanji.
- Rikaikun (Chrome): A dictionary extension for the Chrome browser. Just place your mouse over any word to see its definition.
Listening Comprehension in Japanese
Online courses in Japanese
Japanese Uncovered
A comprehensive method for learning Japanese with an engaging story. Created by polyglot and linguist Olly Richards, Japanese Uncovered lets you learn the basics of Japanese, with a focus on listening comprehension and vocabulary.
Videos
- Erin’s Challenge: A complete video course in Japanese, published by NHK, the TV channel we mentioned before. Comprehensive, fun, and suitable for beginners.
- NHK For School: A series of videos made for Japanese schools, so it’s perfect for beginners.
YouTube channels
- MosaLingua’s YouTube Channel: Come check out our YouTube channel for tons of videos with tips and tricks to improve your language learning skills, including Japanese. Don’t forget to turn on your notifications (click on the bell icon) to stay up to date on new videos!
- JapanSocietyNYC: A YouTube channel with lessons on a variety of topics (writing, grammar, vocabulary).
- JapanesePod101 YouTube Channel: A comprehensive YouTube channel with videos for pronunciation, writing, reading, plus common phrases and expressions.
Podcasts
- TBS Radio Podcasting 954: An important and well-known Japanese radio station produces this podcast.
- JapanesePod101 Podcasts: From the same makers as the YouTube channel above, with tons of content for learning Japanese (registration required).
TV channels and radio stations
- NHK World: Watch a live feed of Japan’s NHK public broadcasting station.
- i-radio: A popular Japanese radio station, accessible online.
Speaking and Pronunciation in Japanese
Conversation partners & language exchange programs
- Tandem: Find lots of Japanese speakers who are interested in forming language tandems—partner up and chat with someone who wants to learn your native language in exchange for teaching you Japanese.
- iTalki: Book affordable paid lessons with a tutor. Over 15,000 teachers are registered on the app and website, and you can even book a trial session to make sure you click with the tutor before you commit to a full Japanese lesson.
Guides and tools for conversation and pronunciation
Forvo Japanese
Forvo is a “pronunciation dictionary” that lets you listen to the pronunciation of almost any word in a given language, including Japanese. The recordings come from users on the website, so you can get a feel for different regional accents.
Reading and Writing in Japanese
Newspapers and other media
- Yomiuri Shimbun: Founded in 1874, Yomiuri Shimbun is one of the most widely read newspapers in the world. It speaks to a more conservative audience.
- Asahi Shimbun: The second largest newspaper in Japan is more left-leaning than many of its counterparts.
- Mainichi Shimbun: The oldest Japanese newspaper, founded in 1872, with centrist reporting.
- Nikkei/Nihon Keizai Shimbun: The most widely circulated economic newspaper in Japan, and a liberal publication. It’s comparable to the Wall Street Journal or the Financial Times.
- Sankei Shimbun: The last of the 5 biggest Japanese newspapers. Very conservative, with an eye for business and economics.
- The Japan Times: The largest Japanese newspaper for English speakers. Useful for staying aware of current events in Japan while you work your way up to Japanese newspapers!
- AERA: The Asahi Shimbun Extra Report and Analysis is known for its feature stories and covers a wide variety of topics.
Writing resources
- Kanji Koohii: A site for learning kanji, based on the Heisig method.
- Guide to Japanese: This website brings together numerous resources in English for learning Japanese, especially Japanese grammar. The content is collected and produced by Tae Kim, an influential blogger in the Japanese language learning sphere.
Other resources to learn Japanese
- MosaTraining: How to Learn Any Language: This course was designed to give you the tools, techniques, and best resources for learning Japanese (or any other language!). Learn the secret techniques used by polyglots, practice the most effective learning methods, and stock your proverbial toolbox with every resource you could possibly need to learn Japanese quickly and have fun doing it.
- MosaLingua Blog: You can find all of our blog posts about Japanese here, including a series of articles on learning the Japanese alphabets.
- NHK World – Easy Japanese: A language course created by NHK, the public Japanese television and radio broadcasting company. Each lesson is based on a conversation or dialogue and accompanied by notes about grammar.
- Minna no Nihongo: Minna no Nihongo is one of the most popular series of Japanese language learning books.
- JA Sensai Mobile App (Android): A whole Japanese language course based on the Japan Activator website, right in your pocket! There’s a free version with additional features available for about $15.
We hope these free online resources for learning Japanese will be of great help to you.
We’re constantly searching for the best Japanese learning resources and updating this page, so be sure to come back from time to time.
Finally, if there are any great Japanese tools or resources we didn’t mention but that deserve to be on the list, click here to let us know about them.