Take a look at these fantastic websites that you can use to help you learn Japanese. Each of these is perfect for different needs and preferences, so be sure to try out a few different ones to find the perfect options.
From individual courses to learning the specifics, there are websites to suit every need. Let’s dive into some unmissable top sites to check out for learning Japanese.
Websites With Courses
1. CosCom Japanese – Great for Courses for the Basics
CosCom covers the Japanese writing system as well as grammar and vocabulary. While the basic materials are accessible for free online, there are add-ons and lessons that can be purchased for one-time fees for additional use.
2. EdX – Great for Structured Courses
These fantastic university-style courses offer extensive information on a variety of crucial lessons for the Japanese language. Lessons are vetted by professionals in the field, and there are both free course audits and paid options to get certificates.
3. Wasabi’s Online Japanese Grammar Reference – Great for Grammar Courses
You will need to pay for lessons here, but you can use the grammar reference for free. Here, you can expect to learn detailed information about particular grammar points in Japanese, and eventually, even go through all the major concepts in the language.
4. Yuko Sensei – Great for JLPT
Access free videos and information regarding JLPT on YouTube, or purchase additional courses on the website. Here, you will learn everything you need to know to pass your JLPT from fantastic teachers.
5. Loecsen Japanese – Great for Audio Courses
Not only is this site great for anyone who loves flashcards, but it’s fantastic for anyone who prefers audio learning, too.
With a focus on beginner Japanese and completely free, you can take the courses at your own pace and learn everything you need to know about the basics.
6. Japan Society NYC – Great for Travelers
These classroom-esque lessons are completely free and cover all the basics of Japanese for beginners. You can imagine you are sitting in a university lecture and learning what every tourist needs to know before they hop on a plane.
7. The Japanese Page – Great for Culture
The Japanese page focuses on life in Japan, including living and working in the country, as well as the culture. There is plenty of free information to use, and you can learn to type Japanese words, and even get katakana and hiragana lessons.
8. Marugoto – Great for Flexibility
This online platform is free and has a range of well-structured courses that you can use to learn everything you need. You can discover your own study preferences while learning via textbooks and studies.
The site allows you to track everything and even offers users self-study courses.
9. Coto Academy – Great for a Paid Option
There are different lesson packages to choose from at Coto Academy, but each has high-quality course content.
The lessons and materials are carefully vetted so that you only get the best, and you can learn in private, or group settings to suit your needs and preferences.
Learning Specifics
10. Kanshudo – Great for Learning Specific Skills
You can learn about kanji, vocabulary, and grammar for free for the first 20 lessons before having to pay for a single thing. The lessons are well-structured and easy to follow, and you can set your own challenges to make sure you stay on track at all times.
11. Memrise – Great for Japanese Vocabulary
Learn Japanese vocabulary quickly with Memrise either for free or with a subscription. This website uses spaced repetition technology and multimedia in games like flashcards to help you learn quickly and easily.
12. Japanese-Lesson.com– Great for Learning Romanji
Get free Japanese lessons online, where you can quickly get a hand with using Romaji. There are 10 lessons completely free that are suitable for beginners, each one focusing on different and useful words and phrases to help you become a pro.
13. WaniKani – Great for Mnemonics
Perfect for beginners, everything on this site is free up to level 4, and the site uses spaced repetition and mnemonics to help you learn vocabulary and kanji. Once you pass level 4, you will need to pay a monthly subscription for further learning.
14. NHK World’s Online Japanese Lessons – Great for Modern Learners
With free lessons, quizzes, and videos made by native Japanese speakers, this website is a fantastic resource for every skill level. Common words and phrases are covered, and lessons are downloadable to make them accessible to all.
Websites To Suit Different Learners
15. FluentU – Great for Immersive Learners
This website offers users a monthly subscription with video lessons and a variety of materials. The website offers interactive subtitles as well as quizzes, flashcards, and media clips for learners to use and enjoy.
16. Rosetta Stone – Great for Intuitive Learners
This website offers a paid subscription for users to learn intuitively. This is one of the best (and oldest) language-learning platforms on the internet, and is an incredible tool for learning hundreds of languages, not just Japanese!
17. NihongoShark – Great for Short Attention Spans
You will get a fantastic free trial with all pricing plans, and lessons are taught in entertaining lecture formats. Here, a wide variety of language topics are covered, making the lessons perfect for both beginners and advanced students.
18. Italki – Great for Anyone Who Wants a Japanese teacher
This website will allow students and Native teachers to be connected in order to learn better.
There are lots of great options to choose from depending on your goals, and everything is priced per hour. However, you can expect prices to be very affordable and accessible to everyone!
19. Nihongo-Pro.com – Great for Tutor Support
Here, you can get discounts for purchasing more lessons, or simply enjoy single lessons at reasonable rates. The one-to-one tutor support offers learners all the help they could need to quickly become pros at the language.
20. Linguti – Great for Online Quizzes
Make the most of this free and adorable website to learn listening, reading, and writing skills.
You will also learn what you need to know about grammar and vocabulary, and enjoy quizzes to get you where you need to be – you can even retake them as many times as you need!
21. Anki – Great for Flashcards
You can easily learn about Japanese by creating flashcards for free! This site will test your knowledge of Japanese words, and help you learn kanji and all the vocabulary you could need for a trip to Japan.
Websites Different Levels
22. Japanese From Zero! – Great for Beginner Levels
This website is fantastic for beginners and offers all the foundational knowledge crucial for you to further yourself. There is material available for free on YouTube, and courses can be purchased via the website for a small fee.
23. Matcha – Great for Intermediate Learners
Matcha gives you plenty of information about Japan’s culture, trends, and travel.
Articles on this site are a great resource for learning Japanese if you aren’t afraid to do a lot of work, and posts allow you to practice and read katakana, furigana, hiragana, and kanji to become a pro.
24. Rocket Japanese Platinum – Great for Expert Level Learning
This is an online and app-based learning platform for anyone who is serious about Japanese. Lessons are comprehensive and extensive and cover reading, writing, listening, and grammar, as well as other useful skills.
25. Japanese Ammo – Great for In-Depth Learning
Japanese Ammo goes into great depth about all things Japan-related, including the language. She covers all the finer details that are easy to miss and explains the ins and outs of Japanese grammar in an easy-to-understand and pleasant way.
26. JapanesePod101 – Great for its Range of Learning Materials
Here, you can find high-quality audio and video lessons on topics like JLPT, grammar, vocabulary, and much more. There are free, basic, premium, and premium plus options to choose from, with different pricing information.
27. Tofugu – Great for Serious Learners
Everything is neatly laid out at your feet on this website, making the content easy to understand and process. There are guides on everything you could possibly need to take your Japanese skills to the expert level.
Other Options For Learning Japanese Online
There are some great options to test out if you don’t like learning Japanese via websites! Don’t settle for something that might not work for you. Other options for learning languages might include the following:
- Textbooks
- YouTube
- Mobile apps
- Games
- In-person
- Watch foreign movies and series
It should be noted that the best way to learn a new language is to use a number of options alongside each other.
Learn from websites, videos, textbooks, apps, and other methods. It can be easy to only learn Japanese (and any other language) in one form (written, spoken, etc.).
However, in order to become fluent and capable, you should be able to write, speak, and understand the language in its various forms. So, making sure that you use different methods will ensure that you develop the capability to do all these things.
Final Thoughts
If you want to learn Japanese, there are plenty of great resources to try out. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, there are websites that will offer what you need and help you take the next step in your journey.
Pick the website that suits you best, and start learning!
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