15 Websites to Learn Japanese Lessons Online (Free and Paid)

Udemy has almost 670 different lessons that people from all over the world can use to learn Japanese. While most of these will focus on teaching you how to speak and understand Japanese words, a few of them will also show you how to write in it.

Most of these courses have been given by people that are fluent Japanese and English speakers themselves. Some will provide you with multiple videos, each focusing on a different pace.

They will give you pronunciation lessons that will help improve the way you sound when you speak Japanese, as each word you pronounce will sound like it has been spoken by a native speaker.

One specific lesson on Udemy will provide you with a 100 different videos, each covering a different topic, which will improve your fluency step by step, while also testing you every now and then so that you can see how much you have learnt so far.

There are a few hundred more courses like this on the website, each taking a different approach.

Skillshare is an online platform for people that want to learn to use thousands of different classes to learn what they wish to, while offering any qualified teacher the chance to provide said students with those classes.

So as you would expect, there are multiple different lessons for anyone that wants to get familiar with Japanese so that they can speak it more fluently, while also having different things related to japan such as cooking courses to make Japanese foods and spices.

There are a couple of lessons that can be helpful for students that are studying or wish to study in japan, as these lessons teach you all you’ll need to in order to communicate with the local people for things related to food or travel.

Most of these beginners’ courses will of course include things like pronunciation and grammar, however some will also work on your pronunciation, while also teaching you about cultural points.

There are also some classes for people that wish to work on learning the Japanese alphabet for writing purposes.

Takelessons has a very wide variety of different teachers available to teach you in their own unique way.

These teachers are people from across the world that have either studied in japan or grew up there, while the rest are of course people from japan that are also able to fluently communicate in English so that you can comfortably follow what they are saying as they teach you.

You can rest assured that each of these tutors is qualified, since the website runs a background check on their tutors while also testing them to see whether or not they are qualified to teach you how to learn Japanese.

Every other teacher has their own unique style of mentoring you when it comes down to it. You’ll see this for yourself when you browse through the diverse teachers available for bookings on Takelessons, as each of them will truly feel like they have their own ways of teaching you.

While some will take a frank and personal approach, others will take a more straightforward one.

Reed is a website that offers both teachers and students to grow in their respective fields, and is one of the oldest lesson related websites that is based in the United Kingdom.

Featuring opportunities for tutors and pupils alike, anyone can find something to help them grow on this website. There are almost a hundred different courses available for selection for anyone that wants to learn the Japanese language.

From beginner speakers to those that are now very good at it, there are lessons for Japanese speakers of all levels to grow to the point where they are fluent at the language.

What’s helpful about most of these lessons is the fact that they let you learn on your own pace, meaning that you won’t be graded or be forced to learn at a faster rate so that you can be done with it quickly.

Instead, the website grants you infinite access to a course once you’ve purchased it so that you can learn how to read, write or speak Japanese whenever you want.

If you’ve been interested in learning a different language for a while now, you may have heard about Busuu.

They are a large platform that focuses entirely on teaching people any language of their choice from the 12 different languages that they teach.

They feature multiple different topics in their Japanese courses, from food to travel, you can learn about specific things in the Japanese language.

There are over 60 different units that cover the previously mentioned topics. A good thing about their courses is that you can learn at any rate you choose, as they let you choose even as little as ten minutes a day to focus on growing your vocabulary as a Japanese speaker.

They provide students with AI powered pronunciations of all Japanese words, so that learning these words can be easier for them, while all the dialogues that you’ll be learning have been selected by experts to ensure you can start speaking fluently sooner as opposed to later. Their lessons are simple and amusing to learn with.

Japanese online is, as you can probably guess for yourself, a website online that teaches its visitors about japan, along with its culture and language.

The website doesn’t feature hundreds of different lessons for you to choose from, instead they allow you to freely use the contents of the website if you are subscribed to their monthly or annual package.

They have a course designed by Japanese experts, made for the convenience of both beginner and advanced speakers of the language.

They have different categories on store for everyone, for example if you are a student studying abroad in Japan, you can comfortably learn about basic things related to travel and recourses so that you can be guided by any of the local residents.

There are also similar categories for tourists that can discuss the matter of tourist attractions and ask questions regarding directions from the locals.

For people that wish to learn Japanese entirely, whether just speaking it or learning how to write it too, beginners and advanced speakers can learn the language alike.

Japonin is short for the combination of three words, Japanese online institution, which should be enough for you to figure out what it’s about.

Having been around since 2006, Japonin feature different courses for beginner, intermediate and advanced speakers of the language so that they can learn it to the point where they are completely fluent.

Even after this, there are classes for fluent players who wish to test themselves out and want to improve the way they speak.

While providing people of all levels of knowledge when it comes to the Japanese language with lessons, they also provide them with extra activities such as weekly quizzes to see how far they have come and weekly blogs and videos.

They have a variety of different teachers that you can select from based on your skill level. Each of them will communicate with you on a regular basis and teach you the language.

You can also combine multiple different types of courses to learn something of your choice, such as combining grammar and conversation lessons.

The platforms name, Marugoto, has been based on the course book of the same name which is fully titled as Marugoto: Japanese Language and Culture, which was developed by the japan foundation as a book which is to be used by students for the purpose of learning the Japanese language.

The main goal of the book is to teach Japanese to students while putting an emphasis on learning how to communicate in the language.

The course on the website has been made for adults that wish to learn Japanese, but haven’t been able to do so yet as they were pre-occupied with other things, such as their jobs or family.

The course features guidance for people of 6 different levels, ranging from A1 to C2, A1 being someone that is a complete beginner at the language, while C2 being someone that is a proficient user of said language.

One great thing about these courses is that they are available to be studied in a variety of different languages, making it more convenient for everyone.

Wasabi japan are a platform that intend of providing you the best personal tutor suited for yourself so that you can learn Japanese from them on a regular basis, growing your vocabulary of the language considerably.

They have curriculums designed by expert Japanese teachers that have been made with the intention of bringing you from someone that barely knows any Japanese at all, to the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages, CEFR for short.

You can set an aim for yourself based on whether you want to visit japan for a while, go there for a long time to study, or to go to japan to live. Based on your aim, you will be provide with a tutor that will help you reach said aim.

The platform also provides its students with free materials that they can use to study on their own, including things like grammar exercises and quizzes that you can use to improve your Japanese whenever you have free time.

Coto Academy are an online school of sorts that let people from all over the world communicate with their teachers on Skype to learn about the Japanese language and how to speak it.

They have actual schools too, which are situated across Japan. They have been around since 2000, helping people from abroad that are living in Japan and are struggling with the language and providing them with a fun and easy way to learn Japanese using their simple yet effective curriculum.

After quite some time, in more recent years they created a way for people all over the world to learn the language as well. They have qualified teachers that are fluent in the English language and will have no trouble communicating with you.

Unless you are living in japan and wish to take lessons at their schools, you can ask them to provide you with a tutor online who will teach you and communicate with you via Skype. They also teach how to write in Japanese and Japanese culture.

These easy Japanese grammar lessons are something much different than most of the other lessons that you’ll see on the internet.

Instead of being a simple course that will teach you how to speak Japanese, these lessons were designed a Japanese public broadcaster and are in an audio drama style.

Through the audio drama, listeners will follow the journey of Anna, a person who came to japan in order to learn. Students will follow her journey and learn the language as she does.

There are 48 different chapters or lessons and each focuses on a variety of different things. There are 7 main topics in total, including things like asking people for directions or permissions, speaking with others at the University etc. that can fully prepare you if you intend to go study in japan.

The audio drama is fun with a good and simple story and has some characters that make the story more fun and relaxing. The take on giving lessons is unique and one that children can enjoy as well.

Mondly wish to provide people that do not have a lot of time in their hands to learn Japanese on their hands with a simple and fun alternative to learning it in schools and studios which can be both quite costly while also being very time consuming.

They offer users with some great Japanese courses that can get them interested in learning the language. One of the best parts about this is that it isn’t risky at all since their courses are mainly free of cost.

Their courses can introduce beginners to Japanese while also being able to help proficient speakers of the language improve their fluency even further beyond.

The app lets you learn Japanese on a daily basis while requiring only 5 minutes of your time every day.

The app adapts to your level, providing you with more of a challenge as you start improving so that you can become fluent at the language in as little time as possible, making you prepared for real-life situations in japan.

This is another Skype based Japanese learning experience. Providing users with a convenient means to learn Japanese on a regular basis if they don’t have any tutors that can teach them the language or don’t have the time to go to one.

They have different courses for different situations, for example there are entire courses made especially for dealing with business situations, or for holding a detailed conversation with another person.

They have a variety of different tutors that can teach you Japanese at a pace that works well for you, so that you don’t feel like you are being rushed into learning the language and end up losing interest in learning further.

All you need to take these lessons is either a computer or a smart phone that has skype installed in it along with a webcam and microphone.

You can choose from the list of tutors that are most suited to your level when it comes to speaking Japanese, whether you’re great or a complete newbie at the language.

JapanesePod101 are one of the most famous platforms when it comes to learning Japanese. They have been mentioned in countless magazines and are a popular outlet around the world.

They provide their students with a variety of different things that helps them learn how to speak the language while also helping them with writing in Japanese if the student wishes to.

They have provided over a billion lessons to people around the world and have almost 3000 different audio courses that you can access on their website.

Most of their hosts are both simple and straight forward, while also being supportive and energetic so that you don’t lose your interest if you keep making mistakes.

They provide detailed notes in the form of PDF filed which you can use to test yourself out or recap on the lessons which you have taken so far. This allows you to study anywhere you want.

They also have live discussions that Japanese learners from all over the world can use to communicate and discuss with one another.

A website that is literally a search engine made for finding courses online, Class Central combines the different courses that you can find online and hands them to you in one compact website.

It includes lessons that are found on websites across the internet, gathering all their lessons for your convenience.

There are multiple different classes available, while some cover things such as the history and culture of japan along with its language, other covers things such as writing and understanding the language for what it is.

There are also some very student friendly courses that will teach them about what studying abroad in japan is like, and what they should or shouldn’t be expecting.

There are also studies available on the website that have been made at the University of Tokyo or at the Keio University etc.

These studies talk about what the culture of japan has been like based on rare and ancient books while some of them also discuss with learners regarding the growth of the language as a whole.