{"id":107738,"date":"2024-05-15T03:50:36","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T07:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/best-online-japanese-course\/"},"modified":"2025-03-10T19:58:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T23:58:59","slug":"best-online-japanese-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/best-online-japanese-course\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Online Japanese Courses: 16 Options for 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In my quest to learn Japanese online, I&#8217;ve noticed that courses for learning Japanese are bountiful these days<strong>.<\/strong> And many of them are either sensibly priced or completely free.<\/p>\n<p>These cater to a huge variety of learning methods and goals\u2014there are courses to work on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/learn-spoken-japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japanese speaking skills<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/japanese-reading-practice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reading skills<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/japanese\/blog\/learn-japanese-listening-practice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">listening skills<\/a> and more.<\/p>\n<p>In this post, I&#8217;ve rounded up the 16 best online Japanese courses for different learning styles.<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Japanese Courses for All Levels<\/h2>\n<h3><strong>1. Best for Well-Rounded Lessons: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yesjapan.com\/YJ6\/courses\/1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japanese From Zero!<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yesjapan.com\/YJ6\/courses\/1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42340 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/japanese-from-zero-logo.jpeg\" alt=\"japanese from zero logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Summary:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Video lessons with a fun, approachable speaker<\/li>\n<li>Can be paired with high-quality books\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Vocabulary and kanji introduced slowly\u00a0 \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> 5 courses with more than 60 lessons\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Price:\u00a0<\/b>Monthly or yearly subscription<\/p>\n<p>Japanese From Zero! was created by a Japanese learner named George Trombley who became fluent in Japanese and went on to be an interpreter for companies like Microsoft and IBM.<\/p>\n<p>The first three lessons for each course are available completely for free if you sign up on his website. You can access courses too in either their <strong>online or textbook formats<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s definitely worth checking out the YouTube channel, especially since George has an <strong>entertaining personality<\/strong> too. Many of the playlists are already arranged logically for learners.<\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Best for Authentic Native Content: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>FluentU<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n<div style=\"float: right;\" id=\"fluen-3274954804\"><a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"a2t-link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"FluentU New iOS App Icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x.png\" alt=\"FluentU New iOS App Icon\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x.png 512w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x-65x65.png 65w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><strong>Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Immersive lessons with Japanese media clips<\/li>\n<li>Professionally translated interactive subtitles<\/li>\n<li>Uses spaced repetition for flashcards and quizzes\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length: <\/strong>More than 1,500 videos\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Pricing: <\/b>Monthly or yearly subscription\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>FluentU allows you to learn Japanese through authentic content.<\/strong> As you watch movie trailers, anime clips, funny commercials and toe-tapping music videos, you can interact with the subtitles. Hover over a word to see a quick meaning, or click on it for an in-depth definition, example videos with audio, an image and other FluentU videos where you can hear the word in use.<\/p>\n<p>Videos are organized by topic, type and skill level, so you can<strong> hand-pick videos at the low or high intermediate level<\/strong> that you\u2019ll find engaging or relevant.<\/p>\n<p>FluentU has a number of other features that make it possible to learn from authentic content at the intermediate level: you can add words to your flashcard decks, use adaptive exercises help you memorize new words for good, toggle kanji, furigana, romaji and English subtitles on or off and read full transcripts of any video.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Best for Kanji: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanikani.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WaniKani<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-3.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-22833 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-3.jpg\" alt=\"learn japanese online\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Summary:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Makes learning kanji and vocab much easier\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Uses mnemonics and spaced repetition<\/li>\n<li>Similar to Anki, which is free but less convenient\u00a0 \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> 60 levels covering most of the J\u014dy\u014d kanji<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing:<\/strong> Monthly, annual or lifetime subscription<\/p>\n<p>Created by famed Japanese-culture website\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tofugu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tofugu<\/a>, WaniKani\u00a0strives to teach Japanese learners\u00a0<strong>2,000 kanji and 6,000 vocabulary words<\/strong>\u00a0in a little more than a year.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically targeting beginners, WaniKani uses SRS and employs a slightly rigid learning structure, starting with elementary-level kanji, radicals and vocabulary.<\/p>\n<p>It also supplies<strong>\u00a0entertaining mnemonic devices<\/strong>\u00a0to help you recall the meanings and readings of kanji.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Best for Practical Japanese: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocketlanguages.com\/japanese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rocket Japanese<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42629 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/rocket-japanese-app.jpg\" alt=\"rocket japanese logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Summary: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Audio lessons based on conversations<\/li>\n<li>Includes cultural and writing lessons<\/li>\n<li>Speech recognition sometimes inaccurate \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:\u00a0<\/strong>Three courses for around 450 hours\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pricing:<\/strong> One-time payment or six-month subscription\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you want to focus on conversational phrases, Rocket Japanese gives you thousands of hours worth of lessons that go from beginner to advanced.<\/p>\n<p>The courses are built around <strong>audio lessons that last from 15 to 40 minutes<\/strong>. As your level gets higher, the audio gets longer too. You\u2019ll listen to two native Japanese speakers having conversations related to everyday situations, like going to a job interview or seeing a doctor.<\/p>\n<p>Since there\u2019s a <strong>speech recognition<\/strong> feature, you\u2019ll also be asked to say several phrases out loud.<\/p>\n<p>On top of this, it has lessons on grammar, culture and writing.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Best Textbook Companion: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@ToKiniAndy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ToKini Andy<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42630 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/tokini-andy-logo.jpeg\" alt=\"tokini andy logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>YouTube channel with helpful and in-depth explanations<\/li>\n<li>Videos based on popular textbooks<\/li>\n<li>Good for listening and speaking practice<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> Videos ranging from 10 minutes to 2 hours<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price: <\/strong>YouTube videos are free, with monthly or yearly membership for additional materials\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>ToKini Andy\u2019s YouTube channel is practically legendary in the Japanese learning world because of <strong>how clearly he explains Japanese concepts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Andy is an N1-level Japanese learner who has lived in Japan for a while. His Japanese wife, Yuki, handles the translations and Japanese audio.<\/p>\n<p>From the YouTube channel alone, you can already view several playlists of videos for free, covering N5 to N2.<\/p>\n<p>There are also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tokiniandy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full-on courses<\/a> if you subscribe to the website. These include <strong>companion courses for the popular textbook series<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Genki-Vol-1-Textbook-3e-ed\/dp\/4789017303\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cGenki\u201d<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/QUARTET-Intermediate-Japanese-Language-Expression\/dp\/B08X9ZY7HR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cQuartet,\u201d<\/a> where Andy goes through each chapter and adds his own exercises, tests and practice material.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Best for Understanding Grammar: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCkdmU8hGK4Fg3LghTVtKltQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cure Dolly<\/a> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42631 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/cure-dolly-logo.jpeg\" alt=\"cure dolly logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Popular YouTube channel\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Focuses on teaching Japanese naturally\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Presentation can be strange\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> Top playlists have 30 and 90 videos\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price:<\/strong> Free<\/p>\n<p>Cure Dolly is an unconventional resource that\u2019s well-loved by a lot of Japanese learners! It makes you look at <strong>Japanese grammar<\/strong> the way that a native speaker would instead of trying to understand it through English.<\/p>\n<p>She has a video playlist called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zSixvEmb0HU&amp;list=PLg9uYxuZf8x9KjPQykE6c_fv4DXg8pfX0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cJapanese Grammar Structure: What the Textbooks Don&#8217;t Teach,\u201d<\/a> which consists of 16 videos that go over tricky topics like Japanese particles and the potential forms of Japanese verbs.<\/p>\n<p>The visuals and voice might feel a little strange at first, but the content of the videos is great! For a similar approach, there\u2019s also Jay Rubin\u2019s book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Making-Sense-Japanese-What-Textbooks\/dp\/156836492X?fluentu=tag-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cMaking Sense of Japanese.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>7. Best for Live Classes: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/course\/online-japanese-lessons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><b>Coto Academy<\/b><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-10.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-22841 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-10.png\" alt=\"learn japanese online\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><b><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Summary:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Group or one-on-one classes on Zoom<\/li>\n<li>Emphasis on speaking\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Vetted teachers and materials\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> Around one to two hours per class\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Pricing:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Monthly subscription or one-time package\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Based on an in-person learning academy in Tokyo, Coto Academy offers online courses that users can take anywhere in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">After checking your Japanese level for free, you&#8217;ll then be able to select the best course option for you. Depending on how you learn best, you can take lessons <strong>either<\/strong><\/span><strong> privately or in a group<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There&#8217;s no need to worry about getting materials\u2014Coto will send you everything you need.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Coto Academy also offers<\/span> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/course\/jlpt-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">JLPT prep courses<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and<\/span> <strong>business Japanese<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong> courses<\/strong>, making Coto a fantastic resource for those looking to advance professionally with their Japanese.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>8. Best for University Courses: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edx.org\/learn\/japanese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>edX<\/b><\/a><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-22830 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-2.jpg\" alt=\"learn japanese online\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/b><b> <\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Summary:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">University-type courses taught by experts<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Includes courses about Japanese culture\u00a0 <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No personalized feedback if auditing <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> Depends per course, but usually 3 to 5 hours of study time per week\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Price:\u00a0<\/b>Free for auditing, with optional payment for getting a certificate\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Started by Harvard and MIT, edX offers high-quality courses on a wide variety of topics\u2014including Japanese\u2014from <strong>universities all over the world<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">edX&#8217;s Japanese courses are presented courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edx.org\/learn\/japanese\/waseda-university-steps-in-japanese-for-beginners1-part1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Waseda University<\/a> in Japan. There are two levels of <strong>in-depth beginner courses<\/strong> taught in English by enthusiastic professors. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every course is free to audit, though you get more materials and quizzes with a paid certificate course.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Among their offerings are courses that teach proper <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edx.org\/course\/japanese-pronunciation-for-communication\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Japanese pronunciation<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">as<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0well as how to use <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/shadowing-japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">techniques like shadowing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to improve pronunciation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>9. Best for Diverse Courses: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.udemy.com\/topic\/japanese-language\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Udemy<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42632 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/udemy-logo.png\" alt=\"udemy logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"84\" \/><\/h3>\n<p><b>Summary:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Online courses with diverse teaching styles\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Easy to get discounts\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Quality can vary\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> Depends on the course\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price:<\/strong> Ranges from around $20 to $200, but sales happen often\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Another online learning platform with tons of <strong>affordable courses<\/strong> is Udemy. From beginner-level foundations to tourist Japanese, there\u2019s truly something for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One course provider I\u2019d recommend would be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.udemy.com\/user\/online-japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Attain Online Japanese Language School<\/a>, which has more than 70 courses across all levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Courses usually consist of <strong>video lectures<\/strong>, which come with extra study and review materials for you to download.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a tip for Udemy: wait for when courses go on sale since prices can go down to 10$ then!<\/p>\n<h2>Japanese Courses for Beginners<\/h2>\n<h3>10. Best Audio Course: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-japanese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pimsleur Japanese<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42633 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pimsleur-logo.jpeg\" alt=\"pimsleur logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Summary:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Classic audio course\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Emphasis on speaking and pronunciation<\/li>\n<li>Gets you started with common phrases<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> 150 daily lessons at 30 minutes each<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price:<\/strong> Pay per level or for the whole package<\/p>\n<p>You can accomplish a lot with Pimsleur as a beginner because it forces you to start listening and speaking right away.<\/p>\n<p>Pimsleur is an <strong>audio-based course<\/strong> that consists of <strong>30-minute lessons<\/strong> you\u2019re meant to listen to every day. All of these have speaking prompts that drill you on pronunciation, and you can even listen to them hands-free.<\/p>\n<p>A lot of the vocabulary gets repeated so these naturally stick as you go through the course.<\/p>\n<p>You can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/c\/pimsleur-app\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download the app<\/a> too for related games and exercises.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/pimsleur-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in-depth review of Pimsleur<\/a> if you want to know more!\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>11. Best for Gamified Exercises: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.duolingo.com\/course\/ja\/en\/Learn-Japanese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Duolingo<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-42634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/duolingo-logo.png\" alt=\"duolingo logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Summary:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fun, all-in-one lessons\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Motivates you to keep learning<\/li>\n<li>Lacks kanji and grammar explanations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:\u00a0<\/strong>700+ lessons at 2 to 4 minutes each<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price:\u00a0<\/strong>Free, with monthly subscription for extra features\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you need motivation to start studying Japanese, Duolingo is one of the best apps that you can try because it makes language learning feel <strong>like a game<\/strong>. It\u2019s also free!<\/p>\n<p>Duolingo offers short, snappy lessons that <strong>only take a few minutes<\/strong> each to complete. These come with diverse exercises and use spaced repetition to make sure you remember the vocabulary.<\/p>\n<p>As you go through the lessons, you earn points and get rewarded for streaks.<\/p>\n<p>Once you finish all of the Japanese modules, you\u2019ll be at around an N4 level.<\/p>\n<p>Click here for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/does-duolingo-work-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full review of Duolingo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><b>12. Best for Tutor Support: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marugoto-online.jp\/info\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Marugoto<\/b><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-5.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-22840 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-5.jpg\" alt=\"learn japanese online\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><b><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Summary:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Structured self-study lessons<\/li>\n<li>Option to get tutor support<\/li>\n<li>Based on popular textbooks\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> Around 18 lessons per course\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Price:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Free<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marugoto is a<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marugoto.org\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">textbook series<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as well as a website that provides structured courses for beginners. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Developed by the Japan Foundation<\/strong> and based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marugoto offers self-study courses provided<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/minato-jf.jp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">through the Minato website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are two options that you can choose from based on your study style: &#8220;Katsudoo&#8221; for casual studies and &#8220;Rikai&#8221; for more serious studies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Both <strong>self-study and tutor-supported options <\/strong>are available online. Many <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">of the most popular courses use English as a base language, but a number of lessons are also available in<strong> other languages<\/strong> like Spanish, French, Thai and Mandarin Chinese.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>13. Best for Quick Dialogues: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhk.or.jp\/lesson\/english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>NHK World<\/b><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-6.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-22835 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><b><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Summary:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lessons made by native Japanese speakers<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Based on very short dialogues\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Comes with videos and quizzes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> 48 lessons\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Price:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Free<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">NHK&#8217;s online Japanese course was created by native Japanese speakers for learners of the Japanese language.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since you&#8217;re getting Japanese lessons straight from the source, this means that you&#8217;re learning real and relevant <strong>everyday Japanese words and phrases<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This site offers realistic scenarios, quizzes and videos, which is similar to<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/languages\/japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">BBC&#8217;s Japanese learning course<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Free, downloadable lessons are also available to use for later review.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">All the content is presented with fun, colorful illustrations and tons of personality, making the learning process very enjoyable!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The lessons include a charming &#8220;My Haru-san&#8221; tracker to hold you accountable for studying every day and a number of other fun features.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>14. Best for Travelers: <\/b><b><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL4071737C12790477\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Japan Society NYC<\/b><\/a><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42635 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/japan-society-nyc-logo.png\" alt=\"japan society nyc logo\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/h3>\n<p><b>Summary: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">YouTube videos with a classroom-like setting<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Focus on beginner and travel Japanese<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Clear grammar explanations\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> 24 videos at around 3 to 10 minutes each\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Price: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Free<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Japan Society of New York City offers 24 completely free video lessons on YouTube, covering essential Japanese. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While no writing of hiragana, katakana or kanji is taught, this course is perfect for those looking for a travel-style <strong>Japanese course for tourists<\/strong>. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Each lesson <strong>is taught like a university lecture<\/strong> with explanations and grammar tips.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you&#8217;re interested in the cultural aspects of Japan and its language, the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/JapanSocietyNYC\/videos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Japan Society&#8217;s main YouTube channel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> covers many modern issues important to Japanese people.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>15. Best for Learning with Romaji: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/japanese-lesson.com\/conversation\/basic_japanese\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><b>Japanese-Lesson.com<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Japanese-Lesson.com_.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-145184 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Japanese-Lesson.com_-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Japanese-Lesson.com_-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Japanese-Lesson.com_-65x65.png 65w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Japanese-Lesson.com_-120x120.png 120w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Japanese-Lesson.com_.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><b>Summary:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Online lessons on essential Japanese words<\/li>\n<li>Uses romaji\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Has drill exercises\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> 10 lessons at 45 to 90 minutes each\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Pricing; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Free<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Japanese-Lesson.com offers 10 completely free lessons that cover <strong>essential Japanese words and phrases<\/strong> for complete beginners. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Each lesson focuses on phrases and words associated with a certain lesson topic and includes audio files for key terms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lessons also include grammatical and cultural explanations under the &#8220;Tips&#8221; section, and there are three different <strong>drill exercises<\/strong> to help solidify your knowledge in each lesson.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>16. Best for Beginner Grammar: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.loecsen.com\/en\/learn-japanese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Loecsen Japanese<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-13.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-22966 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/learn-japanese-online-13.png\" alt=\"learn japanese online\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Summary: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Flashcard-based lessons with audio<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Features useful topics\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Focus on getting you speaking right away\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Length:<\/strong> 17 lessons over less than 2 months<\/p>\n<p><b>Price: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Free<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Loecsen offers language courses that learners can follow at their own pace. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the Japanese course, there are 17 completely free lessons (called &#8220;themes&#8221;). These are interactive flashcard-based lessons complete with vocabulary lists and quizzes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lessons revolve around topics such as colors, the beach and taking a taxi. First, learners review the words in each lesson along with <strong>audio recordings and helpful visuals<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Then you complete the quizzes that include various activities to help you learn the words and phrases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The &#8220;Read Aloud&#8221; function allows you to<strong> hear Japanese readings of content anywhere on the web<\/strong>. Simply copy and paste a text and get an automated audio recording and translation of it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How to Choose Online Japanese Courses<\/h2>\n<p>With so many online Japanese courses out there, it can take some trial and error to choose what works for you. For the Japanese courses above, we took all of these into consideration:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Level<\/strong> \u2014 Since courses sometimes don\u2019t mention which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jlpt.jp\/e\/about\/levelsummary.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">JLPT level<\/a> they correspond to, it\u2019s always worth trying out some of the material first before committing to a course!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Skills Taught<\/strong> \u2014\u00a0Some courses target all of the main language skills, while others have a more specific focus, such as conversational Japanese, character recognition or grammar.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Results and User Reviews<\/strong> \u00ad\u2014 For the courses here, we\u2019ve either tried them out ourselves or they\u2019ve consistently received favorable reviews, with concrete results.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Price<\/strong> \u2014 Many online Japanese courses are free, and subscribing is optional. Paid courses might give you more benefits, though, like personalized feedback or better structure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Platforms<\/strong> \u2014 It\u2019s worth considering whether you prefer courses that you can easily access through a website, or you\u2019d rather download mobile apps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The courses I&#8217;ve listed are either free or offer free trials, so you can go through the list above and explore which courses suit you the best.<\/p>\n<p>For more advanced courses, here&#8217;s a useful guide:\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"ZBkParKdTn\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/advanced-japanese-lessons-online\/\">5 Best Advanced Japanese Lessons Online [Plus Tips for Building Fluency]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;5 Best Advanced Japanese Lessons Online [Plus Tips for Building Fluency]&#8221; &#8212; FluentU\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/advanced-japanese-lessons-online\/embed\/#?secret=zguu7RXNKA#?secret=ZBkParKdTn\" data-secret=\"ZBkParKdTn\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Why Study with Online Japanese Courses?<\/h2>\n<p>Online Japanese courses are the most convenient way to learn the language.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To begin with,\u00a0<strong>think of the savings<\/strong>! So many online courses are either low cost, or even completely free, which totally beats the $50-per-hour classes or $100 textbook.<\/p>\n<p>On top of that, for those of you with busy lifestyles or who understand your own learning style, an online course will let you\u00a0<strong>move through things at your own pace<\/strong>. Your studies will be designed specifically around your goals, your needs and your schedule.<\/p>\n<p>The best part of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/authentic-japanese-resources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">online learning resources<\/a>\u00a0is the\u00a0<strong>portability<\/strong>. These courses can be used or viewed on your phone or tablet.<\/p>\n<p>I have an hour-long morning commute\u2014these types of resources transform it from boring transit time to super valuable learning time.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Be sure to check out other ways to study such as<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/easy-japanese-novels-books\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Japanese books<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, how to<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/japanese\/blog\/learn-japanese-in-the-car\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">learn Japanese in your car<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/japanese\/blog\/watch-japanese-tv-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">learning by watching TV<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No matter how much time you spend studying online, having fun while you learn will keep you motivated to keep going!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\n\tIf you're like me and enjoy learning Japanese through movies and other media, you should check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>FluentU<\/strong><\/a>. With FluentU, you can turn any subtitled content on YouTube or Netflix into an engaging language lesson. \r\n<\/p>\r\n\t<p>\r\n\t\tI also love that FluentU has a <strong>huge library of videos picked specifically for Japanese learners<\/strong>. No more searching for good content\u2014it's all in one place!\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1990\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japnaese-5.png\" alt=\"learn-japanese-with-videos\"  width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\n\tOne of my favorite features is the <strong>interactive captions<\/strong>. You can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and examples, which makes it so much easier to understand and remember.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1996 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-Japanese-video-interactive-subtitles.jpg\" alt=\"learn-japanese-vocab-with-fluentu\" width=\"600\" height=\"390\" \/><\/a> \r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nAnd if you're worried about forgetting new words, FluentU has you covered. You'll complete <strong>fun exercises to reinforce vocabulary<\/strong> and be reminded when it\u2019s time to review, so you actually retain what you\u2019ve learned.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1996 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-Japanese-vocab-quiz.jpg\" alt=\"practice-japanese-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"600\" height=\"390\" \/><\/a> \r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nYou can use FluentU on your computer or tablet, or download the app from the App Store or Google Play. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In my quest to learn Japanese online, I&#8217;ve noticed that courses for learning Japanese are bountiful these days. And many of them are either sensibly priced or completely free. These&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":368,"featured_media":252491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"The Best Online Japanese Courses: 16 Options for 2025 | FluentU Japanese Blog","description":"For the best online Japanese courses, check out this guide, which includes Japanese from Zero, WaniKani and Pimsleur. Many of these come with helpful videos and exercises, whether you want to focus on speaking, vocabulary or kanji, and they cover all levels."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[563,554,545,546],"tags":[],"coauthors":[619,904],"class_list":["post-107738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-courses-and-programs-resources-japanese","category-how-to-learn-japanese","category-japanese","category-resources-japanese"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/368"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107738"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":253077,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107738\/revisions\/253077"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107738"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=107738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}