By kameronlai Last updated: December 20, 2022

7 Essential Japanese E-learning Sites to Bookmark Today

You can learn Japanese without ever picking up a pencil, leaving your house or even your bed.

When it comes to e-learning Japanese, all you need is an internet connection and your favorite device.

You can master vocabulary, grammar and even speaking skills as long as you’ve got the right virtual resources.

In this post, we’ll show you seven excellent e-learning sites where you can do anything from reading digital textbooks to completing a university-level course.

Why Learn Japanese with Online Courses?
E-learning Japanese: 7 Recommended Resources for Every Level

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Why Learn Japanese with Online Courses?

What better classroom to begin your Japanese journey than a virtual one?

To begin with, think of the savings! So many online courses are either low cost, or even completely free, which totally beats the $50-per-hour classes or $100 textbook.

On top of that, for those of you with busy lifestyles or who understand your own learning style, an online course will let you move through things at your own pace. Your studies will be designed specifically around your goals, your needs and your schedule.

The best part of online learning resources is the portability. All of the courses covered in this post provide tools that can be used or viewed on your phone or tablet.

I have an hour-long morning commute—these types of resources transform it from boring transit time to super valuable learning time. If you’re anything like me, these convenient online textbooks and courses just scream “study me!”

E-learning Japanese: 7 Recommended Resources for Every Level

TextFugu

TextFugu is an easy to use and easier to understand online tutorial that’s priced at only $20 a month.

It explains Japanese language concepts in clear writing with many examples and practice questions in case you’re confused. As it runs through grammar patterns up to an end-of-beginner level, I recommend TextFugu if you’re a fast learner. You can make the most of the subscription price and unsubscribe after finishing the course.

If you’re not sure whether TextFugu is right for you, Season 1 is free, so you can try it out, then buy membership once you finish the first season. All seasons are structured in a similar way, so there won’t be any surprises coming out of subscribing.

TextFugu also has a number of supplemental learning materials available to you. It teaches vocabulary alongside grammar and kanji, organizing them into easily accessible pre-made digital flashcard decks for you to download.

FluentU

FluentU combines the convenience and effectiveness of e-learning with the immersive learning experience of authentic Japanese content.

Lessons are in the form of Japanese media clips, such as movie trailers, scenes from dramas, variety show snippets and so forth. These quick videos have clickable interactive subtitles that give you definitions, example sentences and audio guides for every word. And once you finish a video, you can take a quiz to test your comprehension of the content and overall language skills.

For vocabulary retention and pronunciation practice, the program comes with customizable SRS flashcards as well as pre-made flashcard decks for targeted study. These themed decks range from travel phrases to Japanese Language Proficiency Test practice.

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there are engaging video lessons for every level.

Udemy's Online Japanese Courses

If you like the focused, structured nature of traditional language courses, but still want to get fluent without getting out of your pajamas, Udemy is the site for you.

This online learning platform provides a wide range of affordable virtual Japanese courses. From beginner-level foundations to tourist Japanese, there’s truly something for everyone. Just type “Japanese” in the search bar and you’ll see all the diverse options.

The courses are organized into themed video lectures, which typically come with additional study and review materials for you to download. You can also check out how many students have already completed the course and what their opinions of it were.

It’s very much like shopping for knowledge. Prices range from $15 to $150, depending on which course you purchase. At first $150 may seem like a big cost, but those courses typically provide dozens of lectures (not to mention how much more you’d spend for an in-person university course).

Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese

Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese provides a huge range of grammar lessons, from absolute beginner concepts to more advanced structures. Not only that, but it’s completely free, making it a cult favorite.

Tae Kim offers two useful digital Japanese guides. The first is called Japanese Grammar Guide and is designed to be completely in-depth in order to fill any knowledge gaps and thoroughly explain concepts other courses may have glossed over. Don’t let the amount of content discourage you, though! Use this resource to target your weaknesses or answer specific questions.

During each lesson in both guides, a range of vocabulary is defined for you, along with a list at the start. This is perfect to add to a flashcard app (like Anki or Memrise) to aid your memorization.

Tae Kim’s Complete Guide to Japanese, by contrast, skips the lengthy explanations, instead opting for concise lessons to teach the fundamentals. It’s a great e-learning choice for complete beginners.

JapanesePod101

JapanesePod101 is a unique language learning resource. Their lessons come in the form of podcasts, in which an experienced educator teaches vocabulary and grammar patterns. They also have endless resources to aid your learning, including PDFs listing detailed notes from the lessons.

The best thing about audio based learning is that it’s very convenient to take with you wherever you go, so you can fit some learning anywhere in your busy schedule. Even people with motion sickness (like me) can use the audio lessons to learn during their daily commute.

The team behind JapanesePod101 is extremely prolific, so you’ll never run out of useful learning material!

JapanesePod101 runs on subscription, but there are many different pricing options and subscription levels so you can find the course that best suits you.

Nihongo-Pro

Nihongo-Pro runs one-on-one style lessons online with native-level, experienced Japanese teachers, so this is perfect for those of you who want to learn the most natural ways of speaking.

Nihongo-Pro makes it easy by matching you with a teacher based on your learning goals, proficiency level and schedule. For an idea of who you’ll be working with, you can check out the teacher profiles in advance here. This platform’s virtual classroom comes with more features than plain old video chat; you’ll get lesson materials and audio playback tools built right in.

Another thing that separates Nihongo-Pro from other sites is that you can use your own textbooks with them, instead of following a set lesson plan.

Nihongo-Pro is priced at $25 per 50-minute lesson.

Wasabi

Wasabi is another online Japanese tutoring platform that offers three main types of courses, one for travel, one for daily interaction and one for business.

Unlike most other sites, there’s less of a focus on JLPT. Wasabi’s primary goal is teaching fluent expression in different situations.

Even so, their levels correspond with a JLPT level, so you can always choose to move into it.

Wasabi has very well priced lessons, as well as tons of self-study materials to work on at no extra cost. Prices start at about $60 for four classes and $100 for eight classes.

Between Wasabi and Nihongo-Pro, I personally recommend Nihongo-Pro if you have a specific goal in mind, such as the JLPT. However, if you just want to get better at Japanese without the looming dread of exams, Wasabi has the perfect environment for that.

Have you decided which course to start on yet? Good luck on your Japanese journey!