Learn Japanese through the culture that shapes it
A digital Japanese course built by a teacher, not a word list. Lessons of a few minutes, speaking that gets checked, writing with your finger, and a piece of Japan in every lesson.
- First lessons of every path free
- No credit card
- 5 to 8 minutes a lesson
Words make sense when you know where they come from
Most apps teach Japanese as vocabulary to memorize. Here every lesson also explains when people say it, to whom, and why, so you learn to speak the way Japanese people actually do.
Speak, and get a score
Say the word out loud and speech recognition checks your pronunciation. 13 conversations with characters: order ramen, pass immigration, check in at a hotel.
Write with your finger
Hiragana, katakana and kanji in the correct stroke order, with an accuracy score for every character. Just like the square above.
Culture in every lesson
31 articles on etiquette, seasons and festivals, food and everyday life, plus a culture tip inside the lessons themselves.
Try one question, just like in a lesson
This is what practice looks like: a short question, an instant answer and a clear explanation. The lessons also have listening, speaking out loud and writing with your finger.
How do you say “thank you” in Japanese?
Pick an answer. The sound is written under each word.
Almost. こんにちは means “hello”, the daytime greeting. Try again.
Correct! In Japan a right answer is marked with a red circle, まる (maru), not a check mark.
Continue to the first lessonNot quite. さようなら means “goodbye”. Try again.
What a lesson looks like
Every lesson is short and follows the same order, so you always know the next step.
Meet it
A new word or letter, read aloud in Japanese, with romaji and an example sentence.
Understand why
A short explanation and a culture tip: when you say it, and to whom.
Practice
Choosing, matching, listening, speaking out loud and writing, the way you like to learn.
Review on time
Spaced review brings each word back just before you would forget it.
Speaking from the first lesson
The course has 13 conversations with characters. The character says a line, you answer out loud, and speech recognition checks your pronunciation. Here is the ramen shop conversation from the travel path.
いらっしゃいませ！何名様ですか。
irasshaimase! nanmei-sama desu ka.
Welcome! How many people?
一人です。
hitori desu.
Just one.
カウンター席でもよろしいですか。
kauntā-seki demo yoroshii desu ka.
Is the counter all right?
はい、大丈夫です。
hai, daijōbu desu.
Yes, that’s fine.
ご注文はお決まりですか。
go-chūmon wa o-kimari desu ka.
Are you ready to order?
醤油ラーメンをください。
shōyu rāmen o kudasai.
Shoyu ramen, please.
麺の硬さはどうしますか。
men no katasa wa dō shimasu ka.
How would you like your noodles?
普通でお願いします。
futsū de onegai shimasu.
Regular, please.
Six paths, by level or by goal
Pick a main path and add or switch anytime. Your progress is kept in every path.
- 33 lessons
Beginners
From zero: the writing systems, greetings, numbers and your first sentences.
- 14 lessons
Intermediate
Polite and casual speech, asking and describing, and your first kanji.
- 11 lessons
Advanced
Keigo, indirect meaning, advanced patterns and real paragraphs with kanji.
- 15 lessons
Japanese for travel
Restaurants, trains, hotels, shopping and signs, practiced in spoken conversations.
- 13 lessons
Japanese for anime fans
Honorifics, everyday speech, sound words and the culture you see on screen.
- 12 lessons
Business Japanese
Business cards, titles, meetings, email and business dinners.
- 25+
- years teaching Japanese language and culture
- 6
- years Maya lived in Japan and studied at a university in Tokyo
A real teacher behind the course
You learn a language through the people who speak it. That is why every lesson carries some culture.
Maya Yona has taught Japanese language and culture for more than 25 years, in private and group lessons. She leads the course’s teaching content: what to learn and in what order, and the cultural context that turns words into a language.
Start free, continue with a subscription
No need to decide now. Start with the free lessons and join when it feels right.
Free
$0
Start right away with a Google account
- The first unit of all six paths
- The first 3 hiragana lessons
- Writing practice for the first 10 letters
- 6 culture articles and one conversation
Yearly
$149
per year, about $12.42 a month
- All 98 lessons in all six paths
- All 13 spoken conversations
- All 31 culture articles
- Writing practice for every letter and kanji
- Phone, tablet and computer, one account
Monthly
$14.99
per month, cancel anytime
- Everything in the yearly plan
- Renews every month
- Cancel with one click in your account
Payment is secure and handled by SUMIT; we never store your card details. You get a receipt by email.
Want to look first? Here is everything that is free, and what the price includes.
Questions people ask before they start
I’m starting from zero. Where do I begin?
With the beginners path. The first lesson explains the three Japanese writing systems, and from there you learn hiragana a few letters at a time, each with its sound, an example word and finger-writing practice. The first lessons are free.
How long is a lesson?
Most lessons take 5 to 8 minutes. One lesson a day over a coffee is enough to move forward, and spaced review brings back exactly the words you find hard.
What is free, and what comes with a subscription?
Free: the first unit of all six paths, 3 hiragana lessons, writing practice for the first 10 letters, 6 culture articles and one conversation. A subscription opens all 98 lessons, 13 conversations and 31 articles: $14.99 a month or $149 a year.
Do I need to sign in?
Yes, once, with a Google account. Your progress is saved to your account and follows you between phone and computer, so it is never lost when you switch devices.
Is there an app?
The course runs in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install. You can add it to your phone’s home screen and open it like an app.
Is the course good for a trip to Japan?
There is a whole path for travelers: restaurants, trains, hotels, shopping, signs and emergencies, with spoken conversations such as ordering at a ramen shop and checking in at a hotel. You can start it with no prior Japanese.