JLPT Study Plan: Zero to N3 (or N2) in 12 Months — Realistic Schedule (2026)
Quick Answer Realistic 12-month targets from zero: N4 comfortably, N3 with consistent daily study (60–90 min/day), N2 only if you can put in 3+ hours daily or have kanji background. The hour benchmarks: N5 ≈ 350–460h, N4 ≈ 550–780h, N3 ≈ 900–1,300h, N2 ≈ 1,600–2,200h for non-kanji-background learners. Plan backwards from the December (or July) test date. Every January, thousands of people in Japan write the same resolution: this year I actually learn Japanese. By March, the textbook is under a pile of mail. It’s not laziness — it’s that “learn Japanese” isn’t a plan, and without a target date and weekly numbers, motivation quietly starves. ...