THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING JAPANESE
On this page, you'll find our list of the best resources for learning Japanese, organized into different categories. Browse through them and click on a title or image to try one out and start learning Japanese today. Happy learning!
Memorizing Vocabulary
Techniques and apps for learning words and phrases
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 is one of the most popular series of language learning books for Japanese.
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.
A powerful English-Japanese dictionary, for words, expressions, and kanji.
A dictionary extension for the Chrome browser. Just place your mouse over any word to see its definition.
Listening Comprehension
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.
A complete video course in Japanese, published by NHK, the TV channel we mentioned before. Comprehensive, fun, and suitable for beginners.
A series of videos made for Japanese schools, so it's perfect for beginners.
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!
A YouTube channel with lessons on a variety of topics (writing, grammar, vocabulary).
A comprehensive YouTube channel with videos for pronunciation, writing, reading, plus common phrases and expressions.
An important and well-known Japanese radio station produces this podcast.
From the same makers as the YouTube channel above, with tons of content for learning Japanese (registration required).
Watch a live feed of Japan's NHK public broadcasting station.
A popular Japanese radio station, accessible online.
Speaking and Pronunciation
Chatting with a language partner online might be the most entertaining and overall best way to learn Japanese. Work on various skills, from speaking and pronunciation to vocab and listening, and even culture and confidence. We tested the most popular language exchange websites and created a guide to help you decide which one is best for you.
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.
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 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.
Founded in 1874, Yomiuri Shimbun is one of the most widely read newspapers in the world. It speaks to a more conservative audience.
The second largest newspaper in Japan is more left-leaning than many of its counterparts.
The oldest Japanese newspaper, founded in 1872, with centrist reporting.
The most widely circulated economic newspaper in Japan, and a liberal publication. It's comparable to the Wall Street Journal or the Financial Times.
The last of the 5 biggest Japanese newspapers. Very conservative, with an eye for business and economics.
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!
The Asahi Shimbun Extra Report and Analysis is known for its feature stories and covers a wide variety of topics.
A site for learning kanji, based on the Heisig method.
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 Japanese Guides and Resources
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.
We hope these free online resources for learning Japanese will be a big help to you. We’re constantly searching for the best resources to help you improve your Japanese skills and updating this page, so be sure to come back from time to time. And 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.