How to Start Learning Japanese Online: Tools and Websites to Use

Start by deciding what you want Japanese for—daily conversation, JLPT preparation, or reading and writing—then pick one tool per skill (kana, kanji, grammar, listening, speaking) instead of collecting many. Use an aggregator like NIHONGO eな to discover and filter free online tools, and set a small daily or weekly routine you can actually track. The main early mistakes are bookmarking resources without practicing and skipping kana to memorize words directly.

Match tools to your goal first

Your goal determines which skills deserve the most time.

If you are unsure, start with kana plus listening. Those two unlock almost everything else.

Choose resources by skill

• Kana (hiragana, katakana): Use a drill tool with stroke order and audio. Goal: read both sets without romaji within a few weeks.
• Kanji: Use a spaced-repetition tool or a graded kanji list tied to your level. Learn readings inside words, not in isolation.
• Grammar: Follow one structured source (a course or textbook companion) rather than jumping between explanations.
• Listening: Use short audio with transcripts so you can check what you missed.
• Speaking: Use shadowing (repeat after audio) or a language-exchange partner. Record yourself to compare.

Use a portal to find and filter tools

NIHONGO eな (nihongo-e-na.com) is a portal that introduces websites and online tools for studying Japanese. Treat it as a discovery layer:

1. Enter with a specific need, such as "listening practice" or "kanji drill."
2. Read the short description to check the level and skill it targets.
3. Pick one tool, use it for a week, then decide whether to keep it.

The portal itself is a directory, not a course. Its value is narrowing the field so you spend time practicing instead of searching.

Build a routine you can track

A simple weekly plan:

• Daily (15–30 min): kana or kanji review, plus one listening clip.
• 3× per week: grammar study with practice sentences.
• 1–2× per week: speaking or shadowing session.
• Weekly: review what you missed and adjust the next week.

Track completion, not hours. A checked-off daily review is a better signal than a vague sense of "studying a lot."

Common starting mistakes

• Collecting dozens of bookmarks and using none consistently.
• Skipping kana and trying to memorize words through romaji.
• Switching grammar sources every few days, so nothing sticks.
• Only reading about Japanese instead of producing or listening to it.

How to verify it is working

After 4–6 weeks you should be able to read kana without romaji, recognize a small set of kanji in context, and understand short, slow audio on familiar topics. If not, cut the number of tools and increase repetition on the weakest skill.