Updated November 19, 2023

If you want to learn Japanese, finding a good program is hard...

Which is surprising when there are almost 130 million people who speak Japanese in Japan and aboard. Not to mention Japanese culture has made inroads across the globe. 

Many language education companies take their best Spanish and French program and more or less copy and paste Japanese phrases into it. Then they slap a "best way to learn Japanese fast" sticker on and sell it to new learners. 

Converting a Spanish course into a French or Italian course wouldn't be that hard. It's easier learning a language closely related to your native one....in a way you have already have a head start But the truth is that, in linguistic terms, Japanese is its own language when compared to English. 

Differences in grammar, no shared vocabulary with English, and a complex writing system all mean that if you're going to make a program for learning Japanese you really have to go the extra mile. 

In this post:

First we'll discuss the four features of the language that a good Japanese course should cover: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and writing.

Then we'll dive into our top list of programs to help you get started learning Japanese.

What is the best method to learn Japanese?

The best way to learn Japanese is to learn it holistically. Here's a quick list of the 3 important aspects of the language you'll need to learn to do that.  

1) Good explanation of grammar

Japanese grammar is markedly different from English grammar. Some of the difficulties English speakers encounter with Japanese grammar include: a different word order (subject, verb, object, etc), implied words that are omitted, the absence of auxiliary verbs, verb tenses, and more.

The best courses strike a balance between exposing a learner to new material, and not exposing them to so much new gramma they lose their way while learning Japanese.

A solid understanding of grammar is a step by step process, and course material should reflect that.

It recognizes the levels of honorific language

One often overlook aspect of Japanese grammar is its honorific language.

The Japanese language has many levels of formality that affect which word forms you use and when. Words may change based on your relationship with the person you're talking to, or the context of the situation you're in.

While you can't pick up all the cultural nuances of the language directly from a program, a good one will at least introduce you to the different forms and give you a general idea of how to use them when speaking in Japan.

Some Japanese programs completely ignore the levels of formality and only teach you the most formal level of the language.

2) Vocabulary

When you learn Japanese and start combining an understanding of grammar with a wider vocabulary your speaking abilities really start to take off. The best Japanese course will expose you to new vocabulary in the context of phrases, texts, or even conversations.

When you use the classic textbook approach to build your vocabulary, you’re simply memorizing the translations of Japanese words. It can be hard to recall new words during a conversation, not to mention route memorization in and of itself can get pretty dull.

If you learn Japanese words in the greater context of phrases and conversations you'll understand their meaning without necessarily having to translate them. 

It also provides a broader picture of how the word(s) function in the language and make them easier to remember when you need them. 

3) Pronunciation

Why pronunciation is important

To learn a language fluently you can't overlook pronunciation. Pronunciation is one of the fundamental building blocks of learning Japanese.

When you can correctly speak Japanese sounds it will be much easier for you to 1) understand Japanese people and 2) remember new phrases. All too often students make the mistake of only memorizing sentences from textbooks or flashcards. 

Thus to them, words are written symbols that they have to translate from English in their mind before they speak.

Knowing new words phonetically (while also learning them from text), helps you cut down on the translating students do in their head. This way a Japanese word isn’t just a written symbol, but also an audible (and thus memorable) sound. 

This is why veteran language learners often recommend that you learn Japanese pronunciation at the start of your studies. 

Best way to learn pronunciation

In any language good pronunciation starts with breaking down speech into individual syllables/sounds. In Japanese this is most easily done by learning hiragana (after all hiragana are designed to be read as individual syllables!).

The majority of your pronunciation work will be with hiragana, but even after you’re comfortable with the script you will have to practice imitating native speakers in order to master a Japanese accent. 

4) It teaches written Japanese

The Japanese writing system is very complex, in fact it's one of the most complex writing systems in the world. Written Japanese combines two character systems: one that represents words (kanji) and one that represents syllables (kana). 

Kana is broken into to two forms hiragana and katakana. Both essentially work as a Japanese phonetic alphabet with katakana being used for foreign loan words and hiragana used for native words.

Theoretically you could spell out any word or phrase exclusively in kana lettering. The only problems is that Japanese is written with no spaces in between words. That's where the kanji come in...

Written Japanese uses a combination of kanji and kana to express meaning. Learning kana isn't too bad. To the native English speakers it's just an odd looking alphabet. 

The trouble comes in trying to learn kanji. Because they are logographic (they represent words or phrases), the only sure fire way to remember them is memorization.

Most language learning programs gloss over kanji completely, which puts new Japanese learners at a serious disadvantage when they get closer to an intermediate level of Japanese. Just imagine traveling to Japan and not be able to read!

Best way to learn Japanese (Our Top Picks)

1) Learn holistically with Rocket Japanese

Rocket Japanese is an online Japanese course built around recorded audio in the form of dialogues. The dialogues have English explanations help you learn the language in "chunks" or phrases versus individual words (this is great for learning to speak Japanese conversationally). 

Vocabulary and grammar

Rocket Japanese offers two lesson tracks: one which focuses on grammar, and the other on vocabulary.

Students work through the two lesson tracks at the same time, so they can build out their grammar knowledge and vocabulary evenly.

The vocabulary lessons are called audio lessons, and use Japanese dialogues

Each lesson teaches the vocabulary used in the dialogue, so you can see how the vocabulary works in context.

The grammar centric lessons are called language & culture lessons, and break down the Japanese grammar behind a given text or phrases. These lessons also touch on various aspects of Japanese culture. 

You can create flashcards of words from each lesson and study them using Rocket languages' spaced repetition flashcard system. 

Pronunciation and speaking

Rocket Japanese is a good resource on pronunciation, as each audio lesson allows you to listen to the given dialogue as a whole, word by word, or even syllable by syllable.

This provides you with a great way to imitate Japanese speakers, develop your ear for the language, and overall improve your pronunciation. 

Each lesson also provides users with audio playback for the conversation at different speeds so learners can practice their listening comprehension. Playback is also available for individual phrases so you can focus on initiating and hearing the correct pronunciation.

Rocket Japanese emphasizes more formal Japanese but does make a distinction between the various levels of politeness. 

Written characters

What really makes the program standout is that Rocket Japanese also has a hefty literacy component. Level 1 covers kana. Levels 2 and 3 focus on learning kanji. This includes videos on how to actually write the characters. 

The emphasis on the writing system is the main reason Rocket Languages is our first pick. Most Japanese courses simply don't offer any help with writing or reading. The course's focus on conversational vocabulary will also help anyone wishing to speak Japanese.

2) Listen to podcasts with Japanesepod101 

Japanesepod101 is really closer to an app than a program. It's built around audio lessons just like Rocket Japanese.

The main difference is that Rocket Japanese is more structured and provides more resources for reading and writing overall.

Japanesepod101 is also a lot cheaper than Rocket Japanese.

Japanesepod101 is one of the most popular Japanese learning resources out there.

This is because at its price point it provides a ton of value. There are over 1,000 lessons on the site to help anyone from beginner to advanced learn Japanese. 

Japanesepod101 provides well structured lessons around difficulty level and subject

Japanesepod101's podcast style lessons

The lessons are set up as podcast episodes and usually feature two hosts and a prerecorded conversation between real life native Japanese speakers.

The hosts do an excellent job of keeping the content engaging and they also explain grammar points and vocabulary pretty well too. They even shed light on Japanese culture and traditions. 

The site features transcripts for each lessons in kanji, romaji, hiragana, and English. There is also a flashcard system for cementing your kanji knowledge. 

Japanesepod101 teaches how to read Japanese and write it

Japanesepod101 provides entire lesson packs on how to read kana.

There’s well over 100 lessons available on learning kanji, and even a 25 lesson tract which is focused completely on how to write kanji. 

When paired with the podcast transcripts these lessons are a great resource for learning how to read and write in Japanese. 

3) Read and listen to Japanese with Pimsleur 

Pimsleur's conversational approach

Pimsleur is a completely audio based approach to learning a foreign language, and is a great resource for anyone interested in speaking Japanese.

Each 30 minute audio lesson is built around a question-recall-response method that forces you to think and speak Japanese as if you were actually having a real conversation or practicing at a language exchange.

Pimsleur is designed so that you use a language and learn it at the same time.

The courses are highly structured, provide great practice, and will leave you with a working knowledge of the spoken language.

Pimsleur's focus on pronunciation and speaking

Pimsleur lessons focus a lot on pronunciation.

While the app always teaches phrases in the context of a conversation, new sounds are introduced to the learner by syllable so that he or she can practice mimicking the native speaker. 

No other audio course I know of deals as thoroughly with pronunciation as Pimsleur does. It helps accelerate your learning and prepares you for real world conversations in Japan.

Pimsleur's reading lessons

The app also has reading lessons, which start off by teaching you to read hiragana phonetically.

At first no translation of the words is given (along with recorded audio of a native speaker reading the given word), this is so your brain can focus on the sounds produced by the letters.

Gradually you will start reading for meaning, and you will start to see vocabulary from the audio lessons you’ve already completed.

After hiragana, katakana and kanji are also introduced. 

Pimsleur lets you access all 5 levels of their courses for $14.95 a month.

They also offer a 1 week free trial of their courses so you can test them out before you pay.

4) Learn basic Japanese with Duolingo

Duolingo is usually one of the first courses we recommend for foreign language learning. It's effective and fun to use.  But there are some things to note about their Japanese course

There's some kanji used in Duolingo, but mostly you will be using hiragana.

Because of the complexity of the Japanese language a successful completion of the course should put you at around an A2.

Most Duolingo courses get you to around a B1 in a foreign language. 

Katakana also makes an appearance but is sort casually mixed into the lessons with hiragana.

One Problem with Duolingo

One of the bigger problems Duolingo’s Japanese course has, is that it often doesn't differentiate between hiragana, katakana, and kanji; nor does it help learners understand how each script fits into the Japanese writing system as a whole. 

Initially you will learn Japanese fast enough, but after the basics, things can get a little confusing.

Finer points of grammar and sentence structures are never explained, and users can walk away from lessons unclear on how exactly a certain phrase or sentence functions grammatically. 

With weaknesses aside, Duolingo is an easily accessible app that follows a freemium model.

Duolingo as a potential review tool

It definitely shouldn’t be your standalone course, and probably shouldn’t be the only way you practice the language.

That being said it makes a fun review tool and can expose users to foundational vocabulary and grammar. 

Still, the company has gone through great lengths to do the language justice. The app is free so it's definitely worth trying out!

5) Watch Japanese TV and Movies with Fluentu

Fluentu is a site/app created to help you learn a language through native videos. With FluentU you can use in site flashcards, captions, and games to learn vocabulary in context while watching TV shows, movies, commercials, Japanese music, and more.

It's a great way to practice listening and to learn vocabulary, all while exposing yourself to culture.  

Fluentu isn't structured enough to be used as a stand alone course (that's the main reason it's number 5 on our list). It's best used as a supplement alongside a course as a part of your study routine. 

Using FluentU to learn vocabulary 

FluentU’s real strength is vocabulary acquisition, and it's a fun tool for anyone studying Japanese.

Still the app is unique and is a great way to practice what you know and learn vocabulary along the way.

6) Leap into learning with LingoDeer

Lingodeer looks and feels a bit like Duolingo, with short, fun lessons and lots of easy rewards. It has an edge over Duolingo when it comes to learning Japanese, though, because this program is designed especially to teach Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. 

This means it does not have the common problem of the cookie-cutter model that works well for a European Language but not so well for Japanese.

Grammar and honorifics

The lessons in LingoDeer focus on activities, like matching games or fill-in-the-blank. But if you select the option for “learning tips,” you will actually find quite a lot of information about grammar and honorifics. These pair with each lesson and review segment. In fact, you may find it helpful to start with the learning tip and then move on to the fun activities.

Lingodeer itself claims to offer all the grammar and sentence structure you need to reach CEFR  level B1, which is roughly where most beginner textbooks or app-based courses reach.

Reading and writing

Lingodeer has a special segment to teach you how to write 100 kanji characters. As you may recall, this is a bit rare, because many programs focus just on hiragana and don’t teach the logographic kanji system at all!

This is called the “Character Drill” within Lingodeer, and it teaches you the construction of each character.

Pronunciation

Lingodeer offers really good sound effects and recordings by native speakers in the sample audio you listen to during the lessons. It also features speech recognition software to let you test out your pronunciation. This tool does not work perfectly, but it will encourage you to practice speaking out loud.

7) Busuu

Busuu provides a learning plan built around the CEFR levels, helpful for anyone studying for a language proficiency exam or just someone who really wants to track fluency progress.

The program works better for European languages than it does for Asian languages, unfortunately, but it can still offer a structured introduction to Japanese for a beginner.

Grammar
One of the good things about Busuu is that it lets you take a placement test to begin at your own knowledge point in terms of grammar and vocabulary. It also uses a slow progression that builds on each previous lesson to help you develop your skills in a logical way.
Pronunciation
One advantage Busuu offers is that it has a lively and active social forum built into its program. This gives you a chance to engage with other language learners, find potential conversation partners, or just ask questions about grammar or something linguistic you don’t understand.

Busuu also uses good audio recordings. This is important because pausing and repeating a word or phrase will help you develop your own pronunciation skills.
Not enough writing
Busuu does offer some attempt at teaching kanji, but the lessons seem sporadic and not always accurate. This seems to hold true for other Asian languages like Chinese as well. Perhaps over time, the app will develop to better represent non-European languages!

8) Tofugu

While not a learning course per se, Tofugu can provide a wonderful supplement to your core Japanese learning program because it dives deep into teaching characters and grammar. This website offers a grammar hub, a database of Japanese learning resources including recommended books for learning Kanji, and a podcast.

Grammar Hub

The Grammar Hub lets you select what topic you want to explore, such as the Japanese verb Conjugation. From there, you can select from a list of links taking you to more specific information, like Godan vs Ichidan verbs.

Each link takes you to an informative but easy-to-understand blog article about that topic. You will find lots of charts and examples using hiragana and kanji to help you understand the concepts, too! The intuitive online format makes the website easier to use than a traditional textbook, but it honestly provides equally in-depth grammar explanations.

Vocabulary

Tofugu does not really serve as a vocabulary-learning tool. It focuses more on learning characters and understanding grammar. It also has some emphasis on Japanese culture, especially through the podcast.

Pronunciation via Podcast

You can choose to listen to Tofugu podcast episodes on Spotify, Soundcloud, or Apple Podcasts. The podcast is extensive and covers complex grammar issues like how to use particles, fun topics like different kinds of stories in Japanese culture, travel tips, and much more!

One thing to note is that these are not structured audio lessons like you would find in JapanesePod101. They are a supplemental, interesting resource for a Japanese learner, but they will not take you through the basics of learning Japanese one step at a time.

However, they will give you a peek into Japanese culture and grammar which can help your learning process a lot. Plus, the sample Japanese dialogues and phrases will help you develop your ear for Japanese pronunciation.

8) Japanese Uncovered

If you dread the thought of sitting through a class, reading a textbook, or completing one more boring matching exercise in a language app, you may need to take a more innovative approach to learning Japanese. In that case, you may want to consider learning Japanese through the lens of a story.

Storylearning’s Japanese Uncovered online course is based on the concept that humans communicate using narratives. This means that using a story can help you understand a new language more easily.

The online course consists of 20 chapters. Each chapter includes a segment of an ongoing story, and multiple lessons on grammar, culture, speaking practice, and more that build on the elements of the story.

This online course does have a really high price tag compared to many other programs, which is one reason it is ranked lower on the list. But it is quite comprehensive and can take you from beginner to intermediate Japanese if you complete all the lessons ad activities.

Great grammar focus
Storylearning includes a lesson on grammar in every chapter of the 100-hour course. The lessons usually include a video presentation from a professional Japanese tutor, followed by activities and review options for you to practice what you learned.

The grammar focuses on something you will have noticed in the chapter of the ongoing story that you just heard and read too!

Honorifics
One of the ways you know this course was designed specifically to teach Japanese, rather than as a cookie-cutter copy of another language, is that it includes lessons on honorifics in every chapter. You will find this super thorough and helpful!

Lots of literacy focus
Every chapter in the program includes a lesson on literacy. Early on, the literacy lessons used Romaji, which is a Romanized way of writing Japanese. Then you move into hiragana and even some kanji by the end of the course. Since this is not an app, there is no cool feature where you can try writing characters on the screen, but you will learn the basics at least.

Poor pronunciation
The big weakness of Japanese Uncovered is that it does not give you a lot of pronunciation guidance. Because it is an online course and not an app, you don’t get any fancy speech recognition software. The “speaking activities” in each chapter are just text encouraging you to say words and phrases out loud.

7) A not so honorable mention: Rosetta Stone

You may have noticed that our list didn't include the most popular brand name in language learning. This is because the Rosetta Stone Japanese course falls terribly short of being effective. We don't recommend it for anyone who wants to learn Japanese fast.

Rosetta Stone Japanese method is not the best way to learn Japanese

The method of the course was pretty much lifted from their Spanish course and doesn't really cover much of the complexities and common difficulties of the Japanese language. There's virtually no information on Kanji, and there are no explanations whatsoever to help you learn grammar. 

This is because Rosetta Stone uses a no translation method, meaning that their courses offer no translation or explanations in English. Their courses are entirely in the target language (thus their Spanish course is entirely in Spanish, Japanese in Japanese, etc.). 

Such a method can work well for languages which are similar to English, but with Japanese being so distant from English in just about all aspects, the Rosetta Stone method does little to help users learn Japanese. 

The course can work if you want to learn basic phrases, but its shortcomings and somewhat high price tag prevent it from being in our list. 

What does Japanesepod101 offer?

Podcast lessons

It's hard to write a Japanesepod101 review and not mention its flagship feature: the Japanese audio lesson podcasts. All the way back in 2005, Japanesepod101 started out as a simple podcast to help listeners learn Japanese online. Since then it has grown into the ultimate one stop shop for learning the Japanese language. The simple podcast has grown into over 1,200 lessons. Japanesepod101 sorts their podcast lessons into five levels: absolute beginner, beginner, intermediate, upper intermediate, and advanced (these levels are called learning paths). There is also a fifth category of bonus lessons in addition to the difficulty levels. The learning paths are set up sequentially, but you are free to jump from one level to the next if you want. Within each difficulty level you will find a large collection of podcast seasons. Each season is essentially a mini course. Each season focuses on a specific learning goal. For instance in the absolute beginner level there's a 20 lesson season on conversational phrases. There's also a season which provides a intro to Japanese writing, and another which gives an intro to reading. There are seasons which teach a solid foundation in Japanese grammar and vocabulary. There's even one that covers body language and hand gestures within Japanese culture. All this and more in just the first level of podcast lessons.

Anatomy of a Japanesepod101 podcast lesson

A podcast lesson on Japanesepod101 can be anywhere from five minutes to around 20 minutes long. Each lesson features an audio track of a conversation between two native speakers.

Each lesson also has a host (often there's two hosts). The hosts introduce the lessons, provides important info about the grammar and vocabulary in the conversation, and shares cultural insights. The hosts are great at keeping things fun and engaging. They also works your personsal teachers, making the conversation in the audio track easy to understand.

While the audio track is the backbone of each lesson, there are also a lot of important secondary features. Each lesson has full transcriptions in English, kanji, romaji, and hiragana. There are also individual recordings of each phrase from the lesson dialogue.

You can play back each phrase by itself, and even record yourself repeating the phrase and compare it to the original (this is great for accent reduction). You can also add any of the phrases from the lesson to your flashcard deck (another feature on Japanesepod101), so that you can review them later. There's even a quiz option which will test your knowledge on the vocabulary and kanji used in the lesson.

Features

Lifelike situations

The designers of Japanesepod101 try to keep the conversations and material grounded in real world situations. Often they center on a given scenario like chatting with a friend over lunch or running into someone at the supermarket. The whole point is to teach you Japanese that you can use in real life. You won't find any of the dull and useless word lists that many more traditional learning methods use.

Lessons are engaging and interesting

As I mentioned before another great thing about the podcast are its hosts. They are personable and do a pretty good job of keeping you engaged as a listener (as almost any Japanesepod101 review will tell you).

Before and after the lesson’s conversation they often segue way into personal stories, interesting facts, or jokes (some jokes are better than others). This helps humanize the podcast and make it fun. There some language learning audio courses out there what make you feel like you're listing to a robot, Japanesepod101 isn’t one of those.

Bonus features

PDFs galore

Japanesepod101 offers a ton of downloadable PDF files. Each pdf file is a mini lesson and worksheet that helps you learn Japanese vocabulary. Each pdf file focuses on a specific topic like occupations, romance, Japanese verbs, and more.

Resources for writing Japanese

Anyone serious about learning Japanese knows that the Japanese language has one of the most difficult writing systems in the world. The folks at Japanesepod101 know this too. That's why they created an array of free lessons and resource dedicated to written Japanese. There's free ebook for learning kana, and another for learning kanji (they include worksheets to practice with!). There are also free charts for learning katakana and hiragana. There's also a huge collection of video lessons on how to write and read both kanji and kana.

Grammar and kanji banks

There is a grammar bank on Japanesepod101 which provides you with quick examples and explanations of grammar rules. They are basically mini grammar lessons. The website and app also feature a kanji bank and a kanji dictionary.

Conjugation charts

If you've dabbled in language learning before, then you've probably heard of a grammar concept called verb conjugation (if you haven't head of it yet don't worry). Japanese verbs change according to who or what is performing an action. These conjugation charts will give you an easy to understand list of all of a verb's forms, as well as audio so you can remember them and learn to pronounce them correctly too.

Pronunciation guide

There's also a free pronunciation guide on Japanesepod101. This guide is a mix of video lessons and downloadable worksheets which give you everything you need to train your tongue to pronounce Japanese. The guide covers individual sounds, and pays close attention to sounds that are different from ones found in English.

Tools and Resources

Along with their podcast Japanesepod101 gives you access to a fair amount of tools and resources. They include hiragana and katakana practice, kanji dictionary, pronunciation guide, word lists, and verb conjugation tables. 

There are also three tools more exclusive to Japanesepod101 that are also notable: their flashcards, slow playback feature, and lesson transcriptions. (I do want to point out that these features are only available to premium and premium plus members).  

Flashcards

Japanesepod101’s flashcards work a lot like Anki or Memrise in that they use a Spaced Repetition System when you review them. The benefit of using Japanesepod101’s in site system is that it’s quick and easy to build decks from the lessons. If you've ever used Anki you know that building your own flashcard decks can take hours. Japanesepod101 saves you the trouble.

All you need to do is select a word and add it to your cards and Japanesepod101 will create a card with script and audio. This takes a lot of the pain of making your own flashcards.

Slow playback and self record features

There are plenty of Japanese audio courses out there, but not very many let you playback words at a slower speed. In each podcast episode you can pick any word and listen back to it at a reduced or normal speed.

This can be a godsend if you’re trying learn correct pronunciation or if you have trouble understanding native speakers. It allows you to pick out difficult sounds. You can even record yourself repeating the recorded tracks from the course. This means you can easily compare your pronunciation and phrasing to that of a native speaker.

Lesson notes

You can find full episode transcripts on the site which is a great way to review afterward or get a feel for the Japanese writing system. Transcripts are available in kanji, English, romaji, and hiragana. 

Is Japanesepod101 any good for learning Japanese?

Learners of all levels will find value in Japanesepod101. However the bulk of the podcasts are for beginner and intermediate students.

The thing I love most about Japanesepod101 is that even though it's primarily an audio based course, there is no aspect of the Japanese language that isn't covered. Naturally Japanesepod101 is a great way to practice your listening comprehension skills. It's is also a great tool if you are still learning grammar and vocabulary. The lessons are set up so that you learn new words and concepts in the context of a scripted but natural conversation. This makes new vocabulary more memorable, and also gives you a better sense of how and when to use new words.

Japanesepod101 is also a great option for learning on the go. All website content is available via their mobile app which you can use at no additional cost. Their app is available on Iphone, Ipad, and Android devices. There's nothing on the website version, that you won't find on the mobile one.

How much does Japanesepod101 cost?

Subscription levels

Japanesepod101 is available in 3 different monthly subscription options: basic premium, premium and premium plus. Just as with other monthly subscription sites, the more months you pay for upfront the more money you save per month.

The basic premium plan includes the entire podcast library plus some other less significant features like lesson notes and checklists. The lesson notes are one of the most helpful features in my opinion. The lowest pricing plan per month for basic is $4 per month.

The premium plan offers you everything from the basic level along with the full range of tools and features on the site. Pricing plans start at $10 per month.

Next comes the premium plus option which has all the content from the prior two levels with the addition of personal advice and instruction from a teacher. This level is the most costly with plan as low as $22.88 per month.

Which subscription should I buy?

From a pure value standpoint the basic plan is a great deal. In the end the podcast episodes themselves are enough to improve your Japanese. If you prefer the lesson transcripts and other added content then the premium is also a reasonable purchase.

It’s really the premium plus that stands out as a the most costly option. The actual value of the involvement of a teacher is questionable, especially at the high price point. For the same price you could purchase a basic plan AND book 2 private video lessons with teachers on Italki. In my opinion the lesson quality of an Italki class is better than the feedback from Japanesepod101's teachers. But to each his own. Perhaps for you the premium plus plan will be worth it.

Free lifetime account

Not every Japanesepod101 review mentions the free lifetime account option, so we thought we'd point it out here. It's one of the best free options for learning Japanese available.

Is Japanesepod101 really free?

Yes. The Japanesepod101 account really is free, and with it you'll be a member for life. All you to need to signup for it, is give your email address. You don't need to submit any sort of payment information, so there's no sneaky monthly subscription to worry about.

With a free account you won't have access to the bulk of Japanesepod101's audio lessons. Also some of the bonus features won't be available either. Even so there's still a lot of value in a free Japanesepod101 account.

What you get as a free lifetime account member

• Free weekly audio and video lessons.
• Access to the first three audio lessons in each podcast series (across the different learning paths that's over 100 free lessons)
• Pronunciation guide
• Writing lessons
• Downloadable kanji and kana ebooks
• Access to the full library of pdf downloads

Japanesepod101's limitations

A Japanesepod101 review would be lacking if it didn't point out some of the short comings of the site and app.

No speaking needed

Japanesepod101 is an audio based approach to learning Japanese. As a result you don’t actually need to speak Japanese to use it. You can record yourself on the app and the site, and play back your recoding to compare it to the original, but this more pronunciation practice than speaking practice. As awesome as Japanesepod101 is, remember that you will have combine the site with some actual speaking practice. It's best to take what you learn from the lessons and practice with a friend or language exchange partner.

Lesson structure

Japanesepod101 was designed a the ultimate way to learn Japanese online. With Japanesepod101 users can walk down the metaphorical aisle and pick and choose what they want to learn that day. While a lot of learners like the freedom that comes with this kind of learning platform, others don't.

While podcast seasons are sorted under a difficult level (which are called lesson paths), there's no guided path through the Japanese lessons. You the user must decide which seasons you listen to, and which you skip. If you're looking for a step by step or systematic way to learn Japanese, then Japanesepod101 might not be your cup of tea.

Podcast seasons themselves aren't really sorted in any order. Under each of the lesson paths you’ll find a list of lesson seasons. But the season numbers don’t indicate the order in which you should listen to each season. They only represent the order the seasons were made it.

For example you don’t necessarily have to work through season 2 at the beginner level after Season 1 or before season 3. “Season 2” just means it was made after seasons and before the following season. 

This can be especially confusing for beginners who aren't sure where to start. Luckily Alan from nihongonobaka.com has worked through most of the lessons and put together a guide on which lessons you should listen to first and which you should avoid. You can check it out there.

No community

Japanesepod101 is a fairly popular site. It’d be awesome to see any kind of feature that would connect learners. Even just a discussion board would be nice. Though I think they do have a forum, it would be great for them to add a way for users to practice with each other. Of do what Duolingo does and allow you to compare your progress with a friend.

You can ask the Japanesepod101 teachers questions in a public mini forum under each lesson.

Best way to use Japanesepod101 to learn Japanese

We wrote this Japanesepod101 review because it's is easily one of the most popular Japanese learning tools on the web. There's a good reason people have used the course: it’s a phenomenal resource! As great as it is though it won’t be enough on its own to get you fluent.

Like any other language learning tool it’s simply just that...a tool. Use it to add to your regular studies. It’s a great way to learn grammar, vocabulary, and listen to the language as it's spoken. Just make sure you go the necessary mile and practice speaking with real Japanese speakers. 

Using the site for listening & pronunciation

When you’re first learning a new language, normal native speech can feel like you're listening to a pile of mush. It can be hard to hear and recognize the words you know (not to mention the ones you don’t).

Japanesepod101 is a valuable resource for breaking down native speech into smaller chunks to help you learn pronunciation. 

Using the site’s play back features you listen to the audio at a slower speed. When you do this concentrate on each syllable you hear versus each word. Take each syllable one by one and do your best to imitate what you hear.

As we already mentioned, you can also record yourself and play it back to compare your accent with the native speaker’s. Once you get a handle on each syllable try to connect them together, using the same intonation you hear the native speaker use. 

Once you feel comfortable, try role playing the conversation. You can use the audio or the lesson notes to ask and answer questions, as if you were one of the speakers in the dialogue.

This process will help your accent and listening skills grow leaps and bounds. It will also help you remember the phrases from each lesson, and how and when to use them in conversation.

Squeeze more language practice into your day

Because of Japanesepod101’s mobile app you can practice pretty anywhere and at anytime throughout the day. Use the site to make the most of of your time.

Even with a busy schedule there’s a lot of moments throughout the day where we’re waiting in line, getting somewhere, or simply have time to kill. Use these times to work through an episode or two of Japanesepod101. 10 minutes here, five there. Before you know it, it all adds up. You could add an extra couple hours per week to your language practice.

Take advantages of the flashcards

Spaced repetition are a powerful tool for language learning. Japanesepod101 makes it easy to add word directly from a lesson to your flash deck. Even just spending ten or fifteen minutes a day reviewing flashcards will help you remember and retain what you learn in the lessons. Flashcards are also a great way to memorize kanji. In fact the only sure fire way to learn how to read Japanese, is to memorize kanji. Most veteran Japanese learners recommend using Anki to create your own kanji flashcards. Anki is an awesome and powerful flashcard system, but it's also not the most user-friendly sometimes. Japanesepod101 lets you create a kanji flashcard with the click of a mouse. It doesn't get more convenient than that!

Use all of resources for written Japanese

Japanesepod101 has a lot of lessons and content dedicated to learning kanji and kana. Use all of them. Learning how to read will be the hardest part of learning Japanese. So it's a good idea to make full use of every resource available. There are video lessons which teach you how to write kanji characters by hand. They take you step by step through the correct stroke order. While writing Japanese by hand isn't absolutely necessary to reach fluency, it does make kanji more memorable. Don't be afraid to experiment and have fun with the writing lessons too.

The ultimate review tool

Even intermediate and advanced learners can get complacent. Not matter how long you've taken Japanese lessons your new language isn't your native one, and it's a use it or lose situation when it comes to proficiency. Unless you're a native Japanese speaker, you never get to a place where you don't need to review the basics.

One thing I like about Japanesepod101 is that the lessons on Japanesepod101.com are perfect for review. The audio lessons and lesson notes will reveal any gaps you might in your language learning, a specific grammar point or vocabulary word.

Alternatives to Japanesepod101.com

Rocket Japanese

Rocket Japanese in a comprehensive Japanese course that will take you from absolute beginner to intermediate level in Japanese. Rocket Japanese shares a lot of similarities with Japanesepod101. Like Japanesepod101, Rocket Japanese is built around high quality audio lessons with real Japanese conversations. Rocket Japanese is also accessible through their website or their mobile app.

The biggest difference between Rocket Japanese and Japanesepod101, is that Rocket Japanese offers a systematic step by step teaching style for learning Japanese; where Japanesepod101 leaves people to sort of bounce around their content and learn on their own.

Rocket Japanese also splits up it's course into two lesson types: one which focuses on conversational phrases, and one which focuses on grammar. You take the two lesson tracks in tandem. The goal of this teaching method is to get you speaking with conversational lessons, but also providing you with a balanced understanding of grammar as well.

Rocket Japanese lessons aren't available through a monthly subscription, instead you pay once upfront for the whole course.

Pimsleur 

Pimsleur is a Japanese online audio course and app with one goal: to get you thinking and speaking in Japanese. Their audio lessons teach you phrases word by word and syllable by syllable so that the user can master pronunciation and listening comprehension. After that you're prompted to answer and ask questions in Japanese without using English. This approach trains your brain to start thinking in Japanese, versus having translate everything in your head from English.

The Pimsleur experience is similar to the kind of language practice you get, when you talk with native Japanese speakers. Pimsleur also includes a reading section where you learn kana and some kanji.

Duolingo

Duolingo is a freemium language learning platform, that has become the most popular app for learning Japanese. While Duolingo works great for a language like Spanish or French, it has tougher time with languages that have little in common with English. Japanese students often complain that Duolingo glances over grammar without explaining the many nuances, leaving you to guess for yourself what a particular translation means. Also the app struggles to teach kanji. Many questions are so easy to guess right that the kanji you do learn, doesn't stick.

Still Duolingo isn't a bad way improve your language skills by learning basic words and phrases, and fundamental grammar. The app is mostly free to use (with adds). There is a premium plan which removes adds and gives users unlimited access.

Conclusion

Japanesepod101 isn’t a perfect app, or an all inclusive Japanese learning course. But if you use it right, it can be a powerful tool in your Japanese learning arsenal. The complaint I have about is its lack of lesson structure, but this can be overcome by either working through the guide at nihongonobaka.com, or by previewing each season an episode at a time to see which you like the best. Also some users will like the lack of structure and prefer to take a more independent approach to learning.

The site is probably the most valuable at the basic level subscription, but the premium level is also worth checking out to. The site overs a free 1 week trial of its premium features. All you need is an email (no credit card required) to take a look and see if it's the best way for you to lean Japanese or not.. If you're serious about learning Japanese then it's worth it.  That concludes this Japanesepod101 review

They're more affordable than in-person tutors

So what are the best sites for learning Japanese?

Italki

It's the biggest site offering online classes

It offers lessons with professional teachers AND informal tutors

Differences between teachers and tutors on Italki

Wide selection

Available as an app

Community features (free)

No free trial

Verbling

Preply

Is Rosetta Stone Japanese right for you?

A bit about Rosetta Stone's courses

Originally Rosetta Stone was almost certainly designed to teach native English speakers Spanish as a foreign language. The course was developed with Spanish grammar in mind and was built to help new learners become familiar with and understand Spanish verb conjugations, word gender, and other unique features of the language. 

Rosetta Stone Spanish usually works reasonably well for new learners. While we can't say for sure, we're pretty sure that Rosetta Stone used their course (designed for Spanish) as a template for all their other language courses. 

This isn't a huge problem when you're dealing with languages close to English and Spanish (French, Italian, Swedish, Dutch, etc), but it becomes a big deal if you're trying to learn a language far removed from the Western European language families. 

Japanese is about as far from the English language as you can get. There is little to no commonality between the two languages in terms of grammar, syntax, or vocabulary.  So a language course that worked well for teaching Spanish but doesn't make room for the vast differences between Japanese and English, is likely to create some challenges for language learners. 

3 Problems with Rosetta Stone Japanese

1) Rosetta Stone doesn't teach kanji well

2) Rosetta Stone Japanese ignores honorific language

3) Rosetta Stone doesn't explain grammar

Is Rosetta Stone Japanese all bad?

What other people are saying about Rosetta Stone Japanese

Alternatives to Rosetta Stone Japanese

Conclusion