Learn hiragana and katakana first, then read short graded stories every day and review the words and kanji you look up. These guides follow that path: how hard Japanese is and how long it takes, the writing system, your first 100 words, a 15-minute daily routine, a 30-day reading plan, and how the JLPT relates to CEFR levels.
- Japanese taught
- Standard Japanese
- Covers
- Complete beginner to B2
- Romaji
- Hepburn with macrons, in examples only
- Sources
- FSI, the JLPT, the Japan Foundation, Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs and vocabulary research, cited on each guide
- Contos data
- Word and kanji counts measured from the Contos Japanese library
- A 30-day Japanese reading planA day-by-day month of Japanese reading built on real A1 and A2 story series, with a weekly reread day, a free-chapters version and a check on day 30.
- Your first 100 Japanese wordsThe 100 words that turn up most in real beginner Japanese stories, with kanji, kana, romaji and meaning, and exactly how we counted them.
- How long does it take to learn Japanese?Honest Japanese timelines for English speakers: FSI's 88-week figure, what it means at an hour a day, why kanji take time, and a reading-first plan.
- How many Japanese words (and kanji) do you need?How many Japanese words and kanji you need for each level: why there is no official list, the 2,136 jōyō kanji, and the kanji real beginner stories use.
- Is Japanese hard to learn for English speakers?Why Japanese is hard for English speakers (scripts, kanji, particles, politeness), what is easier than it looks, and what real beginner stories show.
- Japanese CEFR levels explained: A1 to B2What A1, A2, B1 and B2 mean in Japanese, how the JLPT's N5–N1 relate to the CEFR (only for reference, and not one to one), and one scene at all four levels.
- Japanese reading practice: a 15-minute daily routineA 15-minute Japanese reading routine you can keep every day: what to do minute by minute, how much text fits at each level, and how to tell it's working.
- Japanese vs Korean: which should you learn?Japanese or Korean? How the two compare for English speakers on difficulty, scripts, grammar and shared words, with data from real beginner stories in both.
- The Japanese writing system for beginnersHow hiragana, katakana and kanji share one sentence, why the particle は is read wa, what the 2,136 jōyō kanji are, and how much of each beginner stories use.
- How to learn Japanese by readingA practical way to learn Japanese by reading: what to read at each level, how to handle kanji you don't know, and why one series beats many short texts.
Where should a Japanese beginner start?
With the scripts, then the reading habit. This order works for most learners:
- Know what you are taking on. Is Japanese hard? and how long it takes are honest about the time involved. Still choosing? Japanese vs Korean.
- Learn the scripts. The Japanese writing system explains how hiragana, katakana and kanji share one sentence. Learn the two kana before anything else.
- First words. Your first 100 Japanese words, counted from real beginner stories, with kanji, kana and romaji.
- Read every day. How to learn Japanese by reading covers kanji you don't know yet; the 15-minute routine and the 30-day reading plan turn it into a habit.
- Measure progress. Japanese CEFR levels maps A1 to B2 against the JLPT's N5 to N1, and how many words and kanji you need sets targets.
What can you read once you know the kana?
Simple stories, with a tap for each kanji you have not met yet. This is the first line of the A1 version of さくら荘の秘密, the Contos flagship series:
古い シェアハウス に ユイ が 来ました。Furui sheahausu ni Yui ga kimashita.
Contos puts a space between words, as here, so beginners can see where each word ends. There is no romaji or furigana in the app, which is why the kana come first in the reading order above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to learn Japanese as a beginner?
Learn hiragana and katakana in the first few weeks, then start reading simple stories straight away and learn kanji as you meet them in context. Review the words you look up as flashcards. Add listening and speaking practice alongside; reading alone will not teach you to hold a conversation.
How long does it take to learn Japanese?
A long time for English speakers. The US Foreign Service Institute puts Japanese in its hardest category, at 88 weeks of full-time training. Reading simple stories comes far sooner than that; how long it takes breaks the figures down.
Should I learn kanji from lists or from reading?
Mostly from reading. A kanji you meet in a word, in a sentence, is easier to remember than one from a list of 2,136. Beginner stories use far fewer; how many words and kanji you need counts them.
How does the JLPT relate to CEFR levels?
Only loosely. The JLPT has its own five levels, N5 to N1, and now prints a CEFR level on score reports for reference. The Japanese CEFR levels guide explains how they line up and why they are not one to one.