From your first character to your next curiosity. Explore Japanese language, life and culture — 4,174 lessons in all.
If you are new, take these in order. Each one assumes only what came before it.
Follow your curiosity. Search a topic, choose your level, and find a course that fits.
Your first steps in Japanese. Build a foundation from scratch, with no previous knowledge needed.
From the shinkansen ticket machine to a one-car diesel line through mountain fog — plan it right.
Learn to arrange branches, flowers and empty space the way Japanese masters do — no Japanese needed.
Follow one episode from a scribbled storyboard to a broadcast slot — and learn who actually does what.
From choosing your first blade to slicing sashimi — no Japanese required.
Hear the instruments, understand the contexts, and follow the revivals — no Japanese needed.
Learn why characters look the way they do, and stop forgetting them
Read the signs, say the right words, and know what to do when the ground moves.
Skip the sumo clichés — learn the sports Japanese people actually argue about, and the words to join in.
From the Diet's wooden desks to your city hall counter — how decisions get made, and the words to follow them.
Read the room, hand over your card the right way, and survive the nomikai — in Japanese.
Read the timetable, buy the right ticket, and know why everyone is running for the green car.
From Shinto shrines to yokai alleyways — learn the tales that explain Japan.
How a country with few resources became a science powerhouse — and what it feels like inside the lab
From a mossy tea bowl to a Muji shelf — learn to see why Japanese objects feel the way they do.
The rules, the rituals, and the real reason Japan's hot springs feel so good.
What happens when a contract, a cop, or a court enters your ordinary day in Japan.
Learn the ingredients, techniques and seasonal logic behind Japan's most beautiful confections — no Japanese required.
Write and speak the Japanese your boss, client, and 取引先 (torihikisaki — business partner) actually expect.
From the golden cans in every konbini to tiny breweries you have never heard of — what Japan drinks and why.
Learn to see what a Japanese garden is saying — even if you never leave your armchair.
Hear what you've been hearing all along — court music, shamisen, taiko, and the scales underneath.
Meet the creators, tricksters, ghosts and creatures that still shape Japan's stories, streets and screens.
How Japan rebuilt itself in a single generation — and what it cost.
Kami, shrines, festivals, and the amulets that still shape modern Japan
Learn the bucket, the towels, the tattoos rule and the water — before you ever step into one.
Postal codes, block numbers, and the 〒 that finally makes sense — then fill out the form without asking.
Learn how a saw, a plane and a chisel build furniture that holds without a single screw.
Why a train ticket, a rice cracker, and a shop sign all feel like they belong together.
The Japanese you need when the apartment, the police, or the paperwork pushes back.
From rirekisho to the silent pause in the interview — what actually happens, and how to be ready.
Read a Japanese label, taste with confidence, and buy well — whether you fly to Tokyo or shop down the street.
Learn the words, gear, weather, and hut manners that turn a Japanese trail into a real hike.
Read the timetable, pick the right seat, and plan a trip the way locals actually do.
Why a floor of straw mats and a paper door still shape how Japan lives and builds
Forge a knife, fit a joint, and learn to keep both sharp for decades — no Japanese needed.
How Japan rebuilt itself in 30 years — and who paid the price
Read the room, the bath and the bill — from the tatami mat to the tattoo question.
Torii gates, kami, festival drums and the two bows you should not skip
Learn to hear the silence in a panel, then read what the bubble is actually saying.
What Japanese people actually type at 1 a.m. — and where to say やばい (yabai — oh no/whoa) and where not to.
Contracts, kerosene, rubbish days and the neighbour next door — the paperwork and small talk nobody teaches you.
Learn to see, choose, use, and care for Japanese ceramics — whether you fly to Japan or never leave home.
How a country of rice farmers and samurai became a steel-and-railway power in fifty years.
Read the labels, catch the markdowns, and eat like you've lived there for years.
Stones, moss, borrowed mountains, and the quiet rules that make a garden feel calm.
Read a timetable, plan a route across the country, and understand why a one-car diesel still matters.
Find the songs, the tiny venues, and the words that get you inside — from your headphones to a 500-yen counter seat.
What your Japanese employer can change, what they can't, and what you can actually negotiate.
From samurai to Sony — how a closed island nation became the world's second-largest economy.
Understand earthquakes, volcanoes and typhoons — and know exactly what to do when one arrives.
Learn how a 7,000-yen knife is made, why it cuts, and how to choose and sharpen your own.
Learn to see — and try — the three crafts that shaped how Japan makes things.
A geographical tour from steaming peaks to pine-lined shores — no Japanese required.
Hear what you have been hearing — the instruments, voices, and history behind Japanese music.
How a bombed-out country became the world's gadget lab — and what it means for you.
From the 40-second bout to the 9th-inning cheer—how Japan plays, watches, and argues about sport.
Read the books that shaped modern Japan — no Japanese required.
How a nation's fears, joys, and ghosts became the movies the whole world watches.
Why the ground steams, the mountains smoke, and macaques bathe — the science under Japan's landscapes.
From Hokkaido crab to Okinawan pig's ear — what each corner of Japan actually eats, and why.
Meet the creatures behind the shrine, the river and the bedroom — no Japanese needed.
How a bombed-out country became the world's workshop — and what it's building next.
Shinto, Buddhism, and the everyday rituals that shape a year in Japan
Read the timetable, hear the chime, and know exactly where to stand when the doors open.
Courts, contracts, cops, and the rights that protect you in Japan — no Japanese required.
No Japanese needed. Understand the machine that decides everything — from your visa to your train fare.
From 古池や to your own three lines — kigo, kireji, and the small poem that changes how you see.
From a 1923 Kyoto lab to the bottle in your hand — learn the story, the styles, and the words.
Twelve short stories, one century, and the Japanese that holds them together.
Understand the quiet spiritual machinery behind torii gates, festivals and New Year crowds — even if you never board a plane.
What to say, sign, and do when Japan's rules meet your real life — as a visitor or a resident.
What happens between a manga panel and the episode you stream tonight
Courts, cops, contracts, and the constitution — what actually happens, and what it means for you.
Order takoyaki, yakisoba, and taiyaki like a regular — even if you never leave your kitchen.
Hear Japan differently — the instruments, the voices, and the songs that crossed the world.
Why the same family prays at a shrine, a temple, and a tiny stone by the road.
Read the room, say the right thing, and hand over your card without a wobble.
How a closed country became an economic superpower in 150 years — and why it still matters.
From Sapporo miso ramen to Naha goya champuru — learn the food, the words, and the why.
How Japan built the world's most punctual, most beloved railway — and how to ride it like you live there.
Learn to grind ink, hold the brush, and write kanji that breathe — no experience needed.
From yokai in old villages to the cursed video in your living room — learn the stories Japan actually tells.
Read a Japanese street, temple, or living room like a designer — no Japanese required.
You stopped fighting fires. Now you run the calendar, the files, and the courtroom clock.
A travel-ready course on island language, food, history and etiquette — no Japanese required.
Read your own contract, count your own overtime, and know what happens if you quit.
The east bank, the quiet west, the islands, and the rivers that shaped it all — no Japanese required.
Read the city like a local — from Shibuya's scramble to Yanaka's quiet backstreets.
From incense smoke to graveyard visits — understand what you see, why it matters, and how to take part.
Go past the highlights into Kurokawa, Ibusuki, Yakushima, Nagasaki and three craft towns.
Shinto, Buddhism, and regional folklore behind the charms you already know.
One real school day, from the shoe cubbies to the cleaning rag — told in plain English.
A travel course through Japan's volcanic south, where the ground breathes and the pottery has a 400-year reputation.
Why your neighbor won't give you a comb, and why you're not supposed to cut your nails at night
From cherry-blossom mochi to a Tokyo department store basement — learn the sweets, the seasons, and the words to enjoy them anywhere.
Defend a weak renewal, survive a denial, and handle enforcement without panic.
The mimetics that don't show up in textbooks — regional, literary, and advertising Japanese.
From the ticket gate to the 300 km/h window seat — how Japan's railways actually work.
Understand your status, avoid overstays, and handle renewals with confidence — no Japanese required.
From a fermented dye vat to the stitches on your jacket — learn the cloth that Japan wore for centuries.
From ぺらぺら to しとしと — learn the mimetic words that make Japanese vivid, funny, and precise.
Pitch, rhythm, and the two English sounds Japanese never makes — no kanji required.
From a single visit to months of treatment — the words you need when health stops being a one-off.
Bow, rinse, clap, and walk away knowing exactly what you just did — and why.
Order with confidence, dodge hidden fish stock, and eat brilliantly from Tokyo to your own kitchen.
How a century of civil war forged one country — and three men who finished it.
From a 38.5°C fever at 2 a.m. to a dental cleaning — how to find, talk to, and pay a doctor in…
Strollers on subway stairs, konbini dinners, and the phrases that save the day.
Stones, moss, borrowed scenery — learn to look at a garden the way it was designed to be seen.
Stop memorising grammar rules. Learn the shape that turns every verb into permission, requests, sequences, and habits.
Understand なんでやねん, order like an Osakan, and never freeze when the TV switches to Kansai-ben.
What to say, what to bring, what to never say — for the guest, the partner, and the curious.
From a 7-Eleven egg sandwich to a ryokan's grilled fish — what Japan actually eats before 9am.
From Showa grooves to today's streaming hits — the music, the words, and how Japan counts a No.1.
Spies, sieges, and night raids — what the documents actually say, and why the myth won't die.
From visa paperwork to your first apartment — everything you need to know before you land.
From city pavement to volcano summit — the real logistics, gear, and moments of a Japanese hike.
The casual Japanese your textbook skipped — for real chats, texts, and late-night calls.
Why あげる, くれる, and もらう make you freeze — and how to pick the right one in three seconds.
Learn the discipline of Japanese flower arrangement — one branch, one flower, one direction at a time.
How one country shaped how the world plays — and what its games say about Japanese life.
The handful of moves that make you easy to be around — in Tokyo or on a video call
Seven-Eleven, onigiri, and the 3 a.m. register — how Japan's convenience stores work, and why you'll miss them.
From your first job listing to your first day at the office — no Japanese required to start, real phrases included.
A 250-year peace built the Japan you recognize today — walk its streets, meet its people, and see what it left behind.
Volcanoes, cedar forests, ferry timetables, and the Japan you only reach by boat.
See Japan without draining your bank account — practical, funny, and real.
Master the keigo, email patterns, and meeting language that real Japanese offices actually run on.
Move from single strokes to flowing 行書, soft kana, and a finished work you can sign and seal.
Learn to write Japanese characters with real ink, real paper, and a steady hand — even if you never leave your desk.
Stop conjugating adjectives by feel. Learn the rules that actually govern them.
Learn to hand over a gift, receive a favour, and never get the two directions backwards again.
Learn to read a Japanese whisky label, order with confidence, and understand the bar rituals behind every pour.
Everything you need to land a teaching job in Japan, survive the first month, and actually enjoy the classroom.
A reader's road map through Japan's comics — no Japanese required, no shame in starting with the big ones.
From black ships to bullet-train thinking — the 50-year gamble that reinvented a country.
Read the alerts, ride the storm, and know exactly what to do when the ground moves.
Water chemistry, onsen towns, rotenburo, and the unspoken rules that turn a tourist into a regular.
You already read some Japanese. This is the bridge from N3 back down to a clean N4 pass — and forward again.
Everything a first-timer needs before the sliding door opens — rules, tattoos, towels, and the one thing nobody tells you.
Stop sounding out each character. Start reading whole words, menus, signs and messages at a glance.
From snow shrines to summer fireworks — what actually happens, and how to join in without feeling lost.
Read any Japanese building — temple, teahouse, or Tokyo tower — with eyes that know what they're seeing.
From 受験 to 成人式 — the real costs, rules, and rituals that shape a Japanese teenager's path to independence.
No Japanese needed — just curiosity about why grown adults cry over a handshake and a glowstick.
Sixteen lessons, one working kitchen, and food you'll actually make on a Tuesday night.
From first prenatal checkup to your child's first solo train ride — what actually happens, and why.
A thousand years ago in Kyoto, words could make or break you. Learn how.
Stop guessing whether 山 is san or yama. Learn the system that tells you which reading to use.
Judo, kendo, karate, aikido, kyudo — eight arts, one clear purpose each, and how to tell them apart.
Big, small, hot, cold — plus the ます/です engine and the particles that hold every sentence together.
Skip the golden pavilion queue. Learn the Kyoto locals actually live in — with zero Japanese required.
Politeness that gets you through a front desk, a phone call, and a group chat
The words you'll hear in a Tokyo konbini, a Ghibli film, and your group chat — ranked by how often they show…
Learn to see, hold, and buy Japanese pottery — from a 400-yen rice bowl to a National Treasure.
Step through the genkan and learn how Japanese homes really work — from shoes to soaking tubs.
From 12 yen a cel to a global industry — the history, money, and craft behind the shows you love
From conveyor-belt counters to Ginza counters — know exactly what to say, what to skip, and why.
Whether you're moving to Osaka or just renting a kei car in Hokkaido, learn the rules before the road teaches you.
Climb it, draw it, fear it, or just see it from the train — one lesson at a time.
From Jōmon pots to bullet trains — the story of Japan, one concrete thing at a time.
Stop reading 待 as 持 and 未 as 末. Learn the one stroke that changes everything.
Yanagiba, deba, usuba — and the sharpening skills that make them sing.
1,200 kilometres, 88 temples, one white vest — how a 9th-century route still changes people today
Why the Japanese you hear on the street doesn't match the textbook — and how to keep up
Steam, tattoos, wooden buckets and why you wash before you soak.
The two particles that trip up every learner — untangled with scenes, not rules.
Learn what the knife is, how to choose it, and how to use it — even if you never leave your kitchen.
Learn the unspoken rules, order like a local, and pay without panic.
From opening a bank account to filing your taxes—navigate Japan's financial system with confidence.
From yokai to J-horror: understand the culture behind the chills.
Master the kanji that unlock daily life, one story at a time.
From first basho to champion calls — know what's happening in the dohyo.
From nightclubs paved with cash to a nation that stopped growing — one story.
Master the grammar of control and consequence — from being scolded to making your friend laugh.
Read the katakana that surrounds you in Japan—and at home—starting today.
Master Osaka's food, streets, and spirit — no Japanese needed.
From Hatsune Miku to Hololive: the online culture that took over the world.
Feel Japan's changing seasons through its festivals, food, and everyday rhythms.
Step into the theater with confidence: know the stories, the sounds, and the cues.
From bowing to business cards: thrive in a Japanese office, whether you're visiting or relocating.
From the Tokyo Dome to a sandlot in Osaka—learn the game, the culture, and the Japanese that brings it alive.
From Hokkaido's dairy to Okinawa's bitter melon, taste Japan one region at a time.
Scorched earth in 1945. The world's second-largest economy by 1968. How?
Read prices, dates, and clocks like a local — no calculator, no panic.
From lavender summers to powder winters — a year-round traveler's guide.
From Hokusai's wave to Van Gogh's stars — see how Japan's woodblock prints remade art.
From first panel to last volume, crack the codes that make manga readable.
Master the art of counting anything — from paper to people — and never guess again.
Beyond the movies: discipline, death, and daily life of Japan's warrior class.
Meet the creatures that shape Japan's wild places, art, and everyday life.
From zazen to Zen in daily life — a practical guide for beginners.
Navigate the real rules, costs, and culture of starting a business in Japan—without the guesswork.
Steep yourself in the world of sencha, matcha, and the way of tea.
From samurai classics to modern masterpieces, discover the films that shaped Japan and the world.
Stop guessing which conditional to use. Master the four ways to say 'if' and 'when' with real-life scenes.
Match your trip to the season, the festivals, and the weather — without the guesswork.
Unlock the logic of two-kanji words and read more without a dictionary.
From first wrap to perfect obi knot — wear it with confidence, respect, and style.
From N4 to real sentences — calm, clear, and actually useful.
From humble fibers to luminous sheets—make, use, and love washi.
From first sip to confident order — no jargon, no judgment, just good sake.
From guarantors to garbage rooms — every step of renting, decoded.
Journey through every Ghibli film and the Japan that shaped them.
Pass the test, but also speak, read, and understand real Japanese with confidence.
From Sendai's morning fish market to Aomori's Nebuta floats – see Japan's wildest region with new eyes.
From first pink bud to falling petal — understand Japan's most loved season.
From 'where is it?' to 'why is that?' – ask like you mean it, understand what comes back.
Discover the cultures and peoples beyond the mainstream story of Japan.
Learn to write kanji correctly and beautifully, one stroke at a time.
Move from 'today' to 'yesterday' — and tell your story in Japanese.
Bridge the gap from N4 to N2 with N3 grammar, vocabulary, and reading strategies you'll use in real life.
Stop memorizing shapes. Start seeing the story inside every kanji.
From Hokkaido to Kyushu — taste the map of Japan and order with confidence.
Try a broader search or remove a filter to explore more courses.
Short, written as a series you can follow from day one. No enrolment, no commitment.
FreeEighteen games covering kana, kanji, grammar, counters and writing.
FreePlain explanations of the concepts you meet by name — keigo, wabi-sabi, JLPT.