Best Resources for Learning Japanese in 2025 (For Foreigners in Japan)
Living in Japan gives you a massive advantage for learning Japanese — immersion is the best teacher. Here’s what actually works, from complete beginner to conversational. Start Here: Learn Hiragana and Katakana First Before anything else, learn the two phonetic alphabets: Hiragana (ひらがな) — 46 characters, used for Japanese words Katakana (カタカナ) — 46 characters, used for foreign words Both can be learned in 1–2 weeks with daily practice. Once you can read these, everything opens up — menus, signs, apps. ...