Japanese learning resources

The Japan Foundation’s materials organize Japanese around everyday communication tasks, with English explanations, worksheets, and audio.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)
• Experiences and connected meaning (INDEPENDENT USE)

How to use it

Choose one lesson, listen before reading, and try its communication task aloud.

Complementary practice

Add short reading, vocabulary review, and feedback from a conversation partner.

Access

Textbook PDFs, audio, and supporting materials are available free on the official site.

Limitations

Designed around life in Japan; some situations may be less relevant to your own goals.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

Work through online activities associated with Irodori, then revisit vocabulary and grammar practice between lessons.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)

How to use it

Follow a single course in order and rehearse the day’s situation without the screen.

Complementary practice

Use a partner or tutor for spontaneous speaking.

Access

The official FAQ states that registration and courses are free; an account enables course participation.

Limitations

Automated practice cannot give all the feedback a teacher can provide on your own speech.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

The Japan Foundation’s companion website supports communication activities and introduces Japanese grammar, writing, and pronunciation.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)

How to use it

Pick a situation you can already partly understand, then say your own version of the conversation.

Complementary practice

Pair its activities with one structured learning path.

Access

The Starter companion activities are publicly accessible; the separate printed coursebooks are commercial products.

Limitations

A companion website is not the same as attending a supported course.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

Find courses by language and level, including self-study options and scheduled courses with tutor support.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)
• Experiences and connected meaning (INDEPENDENT USE)
• Longer conversations and texts (EXPANDING YOUR RANGE)

How to use it

Read the course outline and teaching-language requirement before enrolling.

Complementary practice

Keep a daily listening and recall routine between course activities.

Access

Registration is free. The FAQ lists both free and paid courses; eligibility, fees, and application periods depend on each course.

Limitations

A suitable tutor-supported course may not be open at the time you look.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

Watch short scenes from a student’s life, with lesson themes such as requests, ordering, comparisons, and experiences.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)
• Experiences and connected meaning (INDEPENDENT USE)

How to use it

Watch once for the situation, check the dialogue, then repeat a useful line with the speaker.

Complementary practice

Transfer a phrase into a conversation relevant to your own life.

Access

The Japan Foundation describes the contents library as a free learning site.

Limitations

Teenage settings and dramatized dialogue do not cover every adult situation.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

Use NHK’s beginner conversation lessons to hear useful phrases in an illustrated situation and return to the accompanying explanations.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)

How to use it

Replay one short scene and pause before the response to answer aloud.

Complementary practice

Add kana reading and an opportunity to respond spontaneously.

Access

The Japan Foundation’s official listing identifies free audio and PDF downloads.

Limitations

The direct NHK page could not be retrieved during this review; the programme and access description were verified through its Japan Foundation listing.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Japan Foundation’s programme listing checked November 5, 2026. Direct NHK retrieval was unavailable; no current lesson count or app availability is claimed.

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies provides pronunciation and dialogue modules, including explanations of morae, sound length, and accent.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)
• Experiences and connected meaning (INDEPENDENT USE)

How to use it

Study one sound contrast, repeat its examples, then use the sound in a short dialogue.

Complementary practice

Ask a teacher or partner to check a short recording.

Access

The university’s Japanese modules are publicly accessible without a subscription.

Limitations

The interface is older, and self-imitation does not provide personalized pronunciation correction.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

This university research tool offers word and verb-suffix searches, recordings for conjugated words, and text-oriented prosody tools.

Suggested stages

• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)
• Experiences and connected meaning (INDEPENDENT USE)
• Longer conversations and texts (EXPANDING YOUR RANGE)

How to use it

Look up a verb you know and compare the sound of two forms before repeating them in a phrase.

Complementary practice

Keep listening to connected speech and seek feedback on comprehensibility.

Access

The online tools are publicly accessible. Audio coverage differs by word type; the project notes that noun recordings are not provided.

Limitations

Predicted sentence contours are aids, not a guarantee of a single correct natural pronunciation.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

Choose free Japanese reading material by the site’s own reading levels, with pictures and audio options on some titles.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)
• Experiences and connected meaning (INDEPENDENT USE)
• Longer conversations and texts (EXPANDING YOUR RANGE)

How to use it

Start with an easy illustrated title and read for the story without stopping for every unknown word.

Complementary practice

Discuss or summarize a story after reading it.

Access

The listed free books can be read online and downloaded as PDFs; the broader catalogue also contains commercial books.

Limitations

Tadoku reading levels describe its materials and are not this site’s proficiency scale.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

Search a kanji study tool with stroke animations and information designed for learners of written Japanese.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)
• Experiences and connected meaning (INDEPENDENT USE)

How to use it

Look up kanji from a word you have met, inspect its structure, and write the complete word with its reading.

Complementary practice

Keep sentence reading and word-level vocabulary practice alongside character study.

Access

The project describes its web application as a free study tool.

Limitations

Knowing an isolated kanji does not tell you every reading it has in compounds.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

Create cards with text, pictures, and audio, then use scheduled retrieval practice to revisit material over time.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)
• Experiences and connected meaning (INDEPENDENT USE)
• Longer conversations and texts (EXPANDING YOUR RANGE)

How to use it

Add a small number of words from your course, including a kana reading and a sentence you understand.

Complementary practice

Use Japanese in meaningful listening, reading, and conversations.

Access

Desktop Anki, AnkiWeb synchronization, and AnkiDroid are free; official AnkiMobile for iOS is a paid app.

Limitations

Shared decks vary in accuracy and licensing; large queues can distract from reading and speaking.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

Use mnemonics and spaced reviews for a structured path through kanji and associated vocabulary.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)
• Routines, requests, and useful words (EVERYDAY USE)
• Experiences and connected meaning (INDEPENDENT USE)

How to use it

Try the free levels, keep review load manageable, and notice the words again in short readings.

Complementary practice

Add a course, graded reading, and regular conversation.

Access

Levels 1–3 are free; continuing from level 4 requires a paid plan. Check the provider’s current subscription terms.

Limitations

Its focus is reading-related knowledge; it is not a complete speaking or grammar course.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.

The Japan Foundation’s kana apps pair memory hints with sound and practice activities, including English-language versions.

Suggested stages

• Kana and first conversations (FOUNDATIONS)

How to use it

Study a small row of kana, then read those characters in real words rather than only recognizing the pictures.

Complementary practice

Use kana in the course dialogues and a short daily reading task.

Access

The Foundation presents the kana learning apps as learning resources; check your device’s linked app listing for current availability.

Limitations

Device availability can change; mnemonics are a first step, not a substitute for fluent word reading.

Language and script

Standard Japanese; regional or stylistic variation may occur in examples.

Review notes

Provider pages checked on November 5, 2026. Feature descriptions are provider information, not independent evidence of learning outcomes.