Want to learn Japanese while sitting at home? Here’s the best Japanese online course for you to quickly master the Japanese language. Check it out!
Embark on a linguistic journey with the best Japanese online courses, designed to immerse you in both language and culture from the comfort of your home.
Our top picks offer interactive, flexible learning experiences that cater to all levels, unlocking the doors to fluency with every engaging lesson.
Which is the best Japanese online course?
After checking out several Japanese online courses, I found that Rocket Japanese is the best Japanese online course. Here's why:
Rocket Japanese is a comprehensive and well-structured course spanning beginner to advanced levels. Rocket Japanese does a great job balancing grammar, vocabulary, practical conversation skills, and cultural insights. Their interactive lessons and voice recognition technology further enhance its effectiveness.
Best Japanese Online Course -- Quick Summary
| Best Japanese Online Course | View |
| Busuu’s Japanese Course | View Course |
| Rosetta Stone | View Course |
| Japanesepod101 | View Course |
| Rocket Japanese | View Course |
| Marugoto Japanese Course | View Course |
| Duolingo | View Course |
| Japanese Ammo | View Course |
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Top Japanese Online Course
Genki Japanese
Genki Japanese is a popular textbook-based Japanese course that is also available online. It is a well-structured and easy-to-follow course that covers all aspects of the Japanese language, from grammar and vocabulary to kanji and kana. Genki Japanese is a good choice for both beginners and intermediate learners.
The Genki Japanese online course is not available for purchase directly from the copyright holders. However, there are a number of third-party websites that offer online access to the Genki Japanese textbook. The price of the online course varies depending on the website and the subscription plan you choose.
For example, one website offers a monthly subscription to the Genki Japanese online course for $19.99 per month. Another website offers a yearly subscription for $149.99 per year.
Some websites also offer a free trial of the Genki Japanese online course. This is a good way to try out the course before you commit to a subscription.
Pros:
- Well-structured
- Easy to follow
- Affordable
Cons:
- Can be slow-paced
- Not as interactive as other courses
WaniKani
WaniKani is a Japanese kanji learning app that uses mnemonics to help you remember characters. It is a very effective way to learn kanji, but it can be time-consuming. WaniKani is not a comprehensive Japanese course, but it is a good supplement to other courses.
The WaniKani Japanese online course is not free. There is a free trial, but it only gives you access to the first few levels of the course. To access the full course, you need to subscribe to a premium membership.
The premium membership gives you access to all of the lessons in the course, as well as a number of other features, such as:
- Personalized review schedules
- Access to the WaniKani community forum
- Offline access to the course
The premium membership is relatively affordable, and it is a great option for students who are serious about learning Japanese kanji.
Here is a table comparing the features of the free and premium versions of WaniKani:
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Number of levels | Limited | Unlimited |
| Personalized review schedules | No | Yes |
| Access to the WaniKani community forum | No | Yes |
| Offline access | No | Yes |
Pros:
- Very effective way to learn kanji
- Fun and engaging
Cons:
- Can be time-consuming
- Not as comprehensive as other courses
Nihongo Master
Nihongo Master is a self-paced online Japanese course with video lessons, grammar explanations, and practice exercises. It is a well-produced course with clear explanations, but it is not as interactive as other courses. Nihongo Master is a good choice for beginners and intermediate learners.
The Nihongo Master Japanese online course has three subscription plans:
- Monthly plan: $9.99 per month
- Biannual plan: $49.99 every six months
- Annual plan: $79.99 per year
All three plans give you access to all of the lessons in the course, as well as a number of other features, such as:
- Video lessons
- Grammar explanations
- Practice exercises
- Access to the Nihongo Master community forum
The Nihongo Master Japanese online course is a good option for students of all levels, from beginners to advanced learners. It is a self-paced course, so you can learn at your own speed.
Pros:
- Well-produced videos
- Clear explanations
- Affordable
Cons:
- Not as interactive as other courses
- Can be slow-paced
Busuu’s Japanese Course
This is one of the most popular and the best Japanese online courses available out there that I have used and benefited from. This online course has over 100 million users and there has been a lot of scientific research on the platform.
The research has proved that spending only 22.5 hours on Busuu’s was equal to one entire semester of language studies in college.
This fact completely blew me away and I knew I had to try it out for myself. And believe me, learning Japanese using this app has been way better than all the other alternative methods that I had in front of me.
It also helps me save a lot of time and money. If you are looking for an excellent online Japanese class then I suggest that you go for this one.
It will truly help you master both written and spoken Japanese in as little time as possible. I love Busuu because the pronunciations are pretty apt which made me sound like a local.
Busuu's Japanese course is not entirely free. There is a free version of the course, but it only gives you access to a limited number of lessons. To access the full course, you need to subscribe to a premium membership.
The premium membership gives you access to all of the lessons in the course, as well as a number of other features, such as:
- Personalized feedback from native Japanese speakers
- Interactive exercises and games to help you practice your Japanese skills
- Offline access to the course, so you can learn on the go
The premium membership is relatively affordable, and it is a great option for students who are serious about learning Japanese.
Here is a table comparing the features of the free and premium versions of Busuu's Japanese course:
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Number of lessons | Limited | Unlimited |
| Feedback from native speakers | No | Yes |
| Interactive exercises and games | Limited | Unlimited |
| Offline access | No | Yes |
Ratings:
- Easy to learn: 10/10
- Content: 9/10
- Accuracy: 9.5/10
Rosetta Stone
If you are a beginner, this is the most beginner-friendly online platform that you can get. This is an app that is being used by millions of individuals as well as organizations across the world.
I would personally recommend Rosetta Stone to anybody who is in the beginner or intermediate level of learning Japanese.
If you are patient, this online course will truly help you a lot. The course follows a very methodical approach in its teaching and it may take a bit of time to learn.
These well-designed courses contain short lessons of about 5 to 10 minutes. It focuses on all the various aspects of language learning including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. However, the course starts very slow and you will not be acquainted with conversational phrases early on.
You will learn the most useful vocabulary using this course and will help you lay a very solid foundation and base from which you can build on it. If you are an advanced learner, I would not recommend this online course for you. It is also a little on the pricier side.
This online Japanese course has really improved my grammar which I was initially poor at. I think it's worth talking this online Japanese course.
The Rosetta Stone Japanese online course has three subscription plans:
- 3-month plan: $35.97
- 6-month plan: $95.88
- Lifetime plan: $179
All three plans give you access to all of the lessons in the course, as well as a number of other features, such as:
- Interactive lessons
- Speech recognition technology
- Audio and video recordings
- Access to the Rosetta Stone community forum
The Rosetta Stone Japanese online course is a good option for students of all levels, from beginners to advanced learners. It is a comprehensive course that covers all aspects of the Japanese language, from grammar and vocabulary to kanji and kana.
Ratings:
- Easy to learn: 9/10
- Content: 9.5/10
- Accuracy: 9.5/10
Japanesepod101
Japanesepod101 is another cost-efficient and easy-to-use online course for learning Japanese. It is quite innovative and has been time-tested and proven. This online course has literally helped thousands of people across the planet learn the language in its full depths.
The way that the lessons in this online course are planned makes it a great option for all experience levels, right from the beginner level to the advanced level. Everyone who is interested in learning Japanese will definitely benefit a lot from this course.
The lessons are well structured and are also quite easy to understand. Apart from the basic reading, writing, speaking, and listening, the course also focuses on practicing Japanese pronunciation which is extremely important if you want to be fluent in the language.
I love how versatile these online courses are and all the available features make them extremely flexible. I found this course to be really interesting but it requires a subscription. You can also tailor your learning experience and so I would highly recommend this online course for you if you are serious about learning the language.
The JapanesePod101 online course is not entirely free. There is a free version of the course, but it only gives you access to a limited number of lessons. To access the full course, you need to subscribe to a premium membership.
The premium membership gives you access to all of the lessons in the course, as well as a number of other features, such as:
- Personalized feedback from native Japanese speakers
- Interactive exercises and games to help you practice your Japanese skills
- Offline access to the course, so you can learn on the go
The premium membership is relatively affordable, and it is a great option for students who are serious about learning Japanese.
Here is a table comparing the features of the free and premium versions of JapanesePod101:
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Number of lessons | Limited | Unlimited |
| Feedback from native speakers | No | Yes |
| Interactive exercises and games | Limited | Unlimited |
| Offline access | No | Yes |
Ratings:
- Easy to learn: 9/10
- Content: 8.5/10
- Accuracy: 9/10
Rocket Japanese
This is again another one of my favorite online courses that are quite recognized in the field of online language learning.
The teachers here are extremely skillful and make sure that they connect with you on a very different level to ensure that you completely understand the concept and gain full knowledge.
The content is extremely useful and available for every skill level. Thanks to this flexibility, you can jump to any skill level.
The course is also quite balanced and it really focuses on memorization. Despite being repetitive at times, this is a highly effective course.
Along with grammar and vocabulary, the course also focuses on the cultural and social aspects of the Japanese language.
I love the extra features that come with this course including, voice recognition software, flashcards, and offline access.
No, the Rocket Japanese online course is not free. There is a free trial that gives you access to the first three lessons of the course, but to access the full course, you need to purchase a subscription.
The Rocket Japanese course is a comprehensive online course that covers all aspects of the Japanese language, from grammar and vocabulary to kanji and kana. It is a good option for students of all levels, from beginners to advanced learners.
The Rocket Japanese course is not the cheapest online Japanese course available, but it is one of the most popular and well-regarded. It has a good reputation for being effective and easy to use.
Marugoto Japanese Course
This is again a very good online course for beginners. It is extremely well suited if you're just starting out and would like to study the language in a structured and formal manner. This course also provides you with an online certificate at the end of your course.
It also has the option of allowing you to chat about your experience while learning Japanese. This is an extremely great initiative according to me because you can interact with several students from across the planet and share your experiences with each other.
The course also runs at your pace so you do not have to hurry and miss out on anything important and crucial. The course makes use of pictures and lots of listening practice that makes it easy to use and also quite fun.
There are two options that you can choose from. The first option lets you focus on listening and speaking to help cope up with your everyday situations. The second option has the same lessons but here you will also learn how to read and write in Japanese.
The courses are available in different languages so you can choose anything that you are comfortable with. I absolutely enjoyed going through the lessons. It was all extremely well put together and the materials were well-structured. I would definitely recommend this course to any beginner.
Duolingo
Duolingo needs no introduction. This is probably one of the most used and most well-known apps in the world today. This app is good for learning any language including Japanese. The reason why I love Duolingo is that it lets you learn Japanese at your own pace in little bite-size pieces.
Duolingo is great for a beginner to learn the basic vocabulary words. The app cannot teach you the entire language but it's a very good way to build a solid foundation. You can improve your grammar and syntax using this app. I also love how user-friendly the lessons and contents are.
Japanese Ammo
I love Japanese Ammo because it helps you learn the Japanese language with the help of extremely detailed videos. Japanese Ammo is run by a language enthusiast who is known as Misa. The videos are aimed at people who are in the beginner or intermediate levels. In the videos, you will be taught Japanese grammar in a very detailed manner.
She makes sure that she explains all the confusing points perfectly. She also makes sure that she focuses on pronunciation. Her explanations are extremely clear and easy to understand and just by watching her videos, you will understand why every Japanese expression is used the way it is.
The playlists that she has developed are perfect for absolute beginners as well as tourists or if you are trying to brush up on your Japanese language.
Who are online Japanese courses for?
Online Japanese courses are suitable for people of all ages and levels of experience. Whether you are a complete beginner or an advanced learner, there is an online Japanese course that is right for you.
Benefits of Taking an Online Japanese Course:
There are plenty of reasons to learn Japanese online! Here are just a few:
- Affordability: Online courses are generally more affordable than in-person classes.
- Convenience: You can learn at your own pace and according to your own schedule.
- Variety: There is a wide range of courses available, so you can find one that suits your needs and level.
- Many online courses offer supplemental materials, such as audio files or PDFs, which can be extremely helpful in language learning.
- You can often find native Japanese speakers to practice with online, which is invaluable for increasing your proficiency.
Overall, I think taking an online Japanese course is definitely worth it! It's a great way to boost your language skills.
Best Online Course to Learn Japanese: FAQs
What is the best way to learn Japanese online for free?
The best way to learn Japanese online for free is to use a combination of resources. Here are a few tips:
- Find a good Japanese grammar textbook or online course. This will give you a solid foundation in the basic grammar of the language.
- Supplement your studies with Japanese learning apps and websites. There are many great free resources available online, such as Duolingo, Genki, and WaniKani.
- Watch Japanese movies and TV shows with subtitles. This is a great way to immerse yourself in the language and culture.
- Listen to Japanese music. This is another great way to immerse yourself in the language and culture.
- Find a language partner. This is a great way to practice speaking and listening to Japanese. You can find language partners online or through local Japanese language schools and community centers.
How good is Busuu Japanese course?
Busuu is a good course for people who want to learn the basics of the Japanese language. The course is interactive and helps you learn new vocabulary and grammar structures. Additionally, the course offers speaking and writing exercises to help improve your language skills.
Is Busuu better than Rosetta Stone?
Both Busuu and Rosetta Stone offer quality language learning programs, so it really comes down to what works best for you. One thing to consider is that Busuu offers a lot of free content, while Rosetta Stone requires a subscription. This could be a deciding factor for some people. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide which program works better for you. Try out both programs and see which one feels more comfortable and helps you learn more effectively.
The best learning courses for you!
These were some of the online courses that I have personally tried and tested. These online courses are extremely good and will help you level up your knowledge of the Japanese language. You can try out these courses based on your skill level and reap the maximum benefits. Try these out and let me know what you think of them.
