Want to learn Japanese hiragana? In this blog, we share our own PDF learning Hiragana practice sheets and links to some popular apps for learning Japanese. Just started learning Japanese? Head to our main article about the Japanese writing system for a more comprehensive guide!

Apps for Learning Hiragana

If you are just getting started with learning Hiragana, you may think that it is easier to learn with an App.

Apps are convenient and easy to take with you to practice using while you are out and about. However, we also suggest that you take some time to physically write the characters, as it will cement them in your brain.

That being said, we recommend several apps for being fun and easy to use.

Learn Hiragana & Katakana with Dr. Moku

Dr. Moku’s Hiragana and Katakana Mnemonics are 2 separate apps. One for Hiragana and one for Katakana. In each app, they associate all the kana with pictures, making it easy for you to remember them.

It also uses mnemonic hacks (tying each character to a visual story-based meaning) rather than just rote memorization.

Mindsnacks – Limited Free Version

Mindsnacks has a visually appealing interface, and the limited free version allows you to practice learning Hiragana and Katakana characters.

It is the closest thing to a learning video game that we have found.

Hiragana Learning Chart – Writing Practice PDFs

If you are looking for a more analog way to practice and learn hiragana – we have included a sample of a few of the practice homework sheets from our Japanese Crash Course below:

Open the image in a new tab by clicking on it- you can print it!

How to use the homework sheets:

Use the hiragana chart here to locate the correct symbol. (Right-click to save as – or left-click to open)

Draw a line to the corresponding character and connect them.

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Looking for something more advanced? Check out our JLPT Kanji Workbook PDFs!

Hiragana FAQ

Hiragana, katakana, and kanji make up the Japanese writing system. When you start learning Japanese, figuring out how to read and write can feel overwhelming; after all, Japanese is completely different from the Roman alphabet! You then learn that there are three different writing systems used all at once. How is that even possible? Not to worry – these systems are simpler than you might expect! Each one has unique, defining characteristics and uses; once you learn more about these, reading and writing Japanese will be a breeze!

We’ve covered smaller articles for each Japanese writing system. Don’t forget to check out our downloadable hiragana chart and quiz for a more detailed guide and resource recommendation.

Origins of the Japanese Alphabet

Do you know about the history and the origin of hiragana and katakana? Originally, the Japanese ancestors did not have a writing system. Around the fifth century, they started using kanji, ideograms that were adopted from China and Korea. They only used the phonetic reading of the kanji, regardless of their meaning. At that time, the ideograms were called manyogana (万葉仮名).

However, kanji’s characters are composed of many strokes. They take longer to write, as you have noticed by now! Due to their difficulty, those ideograms were slowly simplified into kana alphabets, namely hiragana and katakana. They are called syllabograms, as each character corresponds to one sound in the Japanese language. According to historians, the change was initiated by Buddhist priests who thought kanji could not accurately represent the Japanese language and that a phonetic alphabet would be better.

Examples of Change

On the left is the manyogana, and on the right are simplified hiragana and katakana forms.

• 安 →あ 阿 → ア (a)
• 以 →い 伊 → イ(i)
• 宇 →う、ウ(u)
• 衣 →え 江 → エ(e)
• 於 →お、オ(o)

This change is thought to have occurred between the eighth and ninth centuries.  Hiragana can be considered a simplified calligraphy form of the kanji’s strokes. On the other hand, katakana is taken from a single element of a kanji. In some cases, the Hiragana and Katakana are created from different ideograms.

Some hiragana and Katakana express the same sound and have similar shapes, such as り and リ. However, some can be dissimilar, such as あ and ア. Hiragana is said to be cursive, while katakana is more angular. Do take note that one sound can have more than one hiragana. In 1900, the two kana scripts, hiragana and katakana, were codified. This led to the clear establishment of rules for the Japanese system in 1946.

Japanese Writing System #1: Hiragana

Whenever you just start out learning Japanese, hiragana is usually the first writing system you learn. Hiragana is technically a syllabary or a way of writing where symbols represent whole syllables (such as “ba” and “to”) instead of individual sounds (such as “b” or “t”)⁵. This is because all Japanese words are made up of these small syllables, so there’s no need to write out individual sounds!

In Japanese, there are 46 basic syllables:

• The basic vowels: a, i, u, e, o.
• The k-line: ka, ki, ku, ke, ko.
• The s-line: sa, shi, su, se, so. (Notice that the “si” sound is instead replaced by “shi.”)
• The t-line: ta, chi, tsu, te, to. (Notice that the “ti” and “tu” sounds are instead pronounced closer to “chi” and “tsu.”)
• The n-line: na, ni, nu, ne, no.
• The h-line: ha, hi, fu, he, ho. (Notice that the “hu” sound is actually said as “fu.”)
• The m-line: ma, mi, mu, me, mo.
• The y-line: ya, yu, yo.
• The r-line: ra, ri, ru, re, ro.
• Wa, o/wo, and n. (These sounds are unique, so they are generally placed together. The “o/wo” symbol can be pronounced either way and “n” is considered a whole syllable in Japanese.)

There are also 23 additional syllables in Japanese; these are formed with additional marks that we’ll cover in a minute.

• The g-line: ga, gi, gu, ge, go.
• the z-line: za, ji, zu, ze, zo. (Notice that “ji” is used instead of “zi.”)
• The d-line: da, ji, zu, de, do. (“ji” and “zu” are pronounced the same way as in the z-line but have different uses.)
• The b-line: ba, be, bu, be, bo.
• the p-line: pa, pi, pu, pe, po.

Writing Hiragana

So, now that we’ve covered the basic sounds, let’s see how these syllables are written down in hiragana:

Hiragana is generally round in shape, with lots of curves and bends. This characteristic is a key way to tell what symbols are hiragana! You can also combine a consonant with a / ya / yu / yo / sound by attaching a small 「や」、「ゆ」、or 「よ」 to the / i / vowel character of each consonant.

Now, let’s take a look at those 23 additional sounds:

• the g-line: が(ga), ぎ(gi), ぐ(gu), げ(ge), ご(go).
• the z-line: ざ(za), じ(ji), ず(zu), ぜ(ze), ぞ(zo).
• the d-line: だ(da), ぢ(ji), づ(zu), で(de), ど(do). 
• the b-line: ば(ba), べ(be), ぶ(bu), べ(be), ぼ(bo).
• the p-line: ぱ(pa), ぴ(pi), ぷ(pu), ぺ(pe), ぽ(po).

Did you notice something about the above sounds? The hiragana for the g-line is identical to the k-line, and the same goes for the z-line and s-line, the t-line and the d-line, the h-line and the b- and p-lines! The only difference is the addition of diacritical marks; these marks go to the upper right of the hiragana and can be either two short diagonal marks (called a dakuten) or a small circle (called the handakuten). This is pretty nice, as you don’t have to memorize even more symbols!

There are also contracted sounds in Japanese. These sounds are basically combinations of sounds ending in “-i” and the y-line and are considered one syllable as well^. All you have to do for these is add a small y-line hiragana after the main hiragana! (Notice that not all of these syllables keep the “y” sound.)

• the k-line: きゃ(kya), きゅ(kyu), きょ(kyo)
• the s-line: しゃ(sha), しゅ(shu), しょ (sho)
• the t-line: ちゃ(cha), ちゅ(chu), ちょ(cho)
• the n-line: にゃ(nya), にゅ(nyu), にょ(nyo)
• the h-line: ひゃ(hya), ひゅ(hyu), ひょ(hyo)
• the m-line: みゃ(mya), みゅ(my) みょ(myo)
• the r-line: りゃ(rya), りゅ(ryu), りょ(ryo)
• the g-line: ぎゃ(gya), ぎゅ(gyu), ぎょ(gyo)
• the z-line: じゃ(ja), じゅ(ju), じょ(jo)
• the b-line: びゃ(bya), びゅ(byu), びょ(byo)
• the p-line: ぴゃ(pya), ぴゅ(pyu), ぴょ(pyo)

So, that is the basics of how hiragana is written. However, there are also double consonants and long vowels, which are written with variations in hiragana (and katakana). We recommend checking out our full-length article about double consonants and long vowels to learn more about those!

How to Use Hiragana

Hiragana can be used for many things; it’s like the all-rounder of writing Japanese, and it represents all the syllables of the Japanese language! Hiragana is used when writing verb endings, particles, grammar words (such as conjunctions), and many native Japanese words, as well as for words that do not have a corresponding kanji character. Hiragana is also used in furigana; this is when hiragana is written in a small font above kanji for those who don’t know the kanji’s reading.

Long Vowels and Double Consonants in Hiragana

In Japanese hiragana, double consonants are represented by adding a small “tsu” character (っ) before the consonant that is doubled. For example, the word “katta” (勝った), meaning “won”, would be written as かった, with a small “tsu” between the two “t” characters.

Long vowels in hiragana are done by extending a consonant or vowel with another vowel, depending on the vowel in accordance with the following chart.

For example, the word “ookii” (大きい), meaning “big”, would be written as おおきい.

Example

Let’s start off with a simple sentence – “My pet’s name is Bob.” (What a funny name for a pet!) In Hiragana, this looks like this:

わたしの ぺっと の なまえ は  ぼぶ です。
Watashi no petto no namae wa bobu desu.

So, we can write a whole Japanese sentence just using hiragana! This is how most people (including native speakers) start off reading and writing Japanese. Of course, as you learn about katakana and kanji, some of these words will be replaced.  However, you will see that the particles (の [no] and は [wa]) and the native verb です(desu) will remain the same, as these are some of the things that specifically use hiragana!  

Now that you’ve learned the basics, it’s time for practice! Head on over to our list of practice sheets, apps, and quizzes to make sure you’ve got a solid understanding of hiragana!

Tips for Writing in Japanese

1. There are no spaces in the Japanese writing system

Japanese is written with no spaces, so a combination of hiragana, kanji, and katakana helps distinguish words within a sentence. As you improve your Japanese writing and reading skills, you’ll start to feel that reading kanji is often easier than reading a sentence that consists solely of hiragana.

2. Be careful of hiragana characters that sound and look similar

Pay more attention when pronouncing “tsu” and “su”. Beginner-level students also have a hard time discerning ro (ろ), re (れ), ru (る) — and nu (ぬ) and me (め) because they look similar.

3. Correct stroke order and direction are important

Writing hiragana with the correct stroke order and direction will help you intuitively know how to write new characters, and it has a big effect on how readable it ends up looking.

Japanese Writing System #2: Katakana

After hiragana, it’s a good idea to learn katakana next; katakana works the exact same way that hiragana does, just using different characters; some katakana symbols even look similar to their hiragana counterparts!  In fact, hiragana and katakana are often collectively referred to as kana, since they are so similar!

Writing Katakana  

Now, let’s take a look at those 23 additional sounds:

• the g-line: ガ(ga), ギ(gi), グ(gu), ゲ(ge), ゴ(go).
• the z-line: ザ(za), ジ(ji), ズ(zu), ゼ(ze), ゾ(zo).
• the d-line: ダ(da), ヂ(ji), ヅ(zu), デ(de), ド(do). 
• the b-line: バ(ba), ビ(bi), ブ(bu), べ(be), ボ(bo).
• the p-line: パ(pa), ピ(pi), プ(pu), ぺ(pe), ポ(po).

The contracted sounds are also formed in the same way as in hiragana. However, katakana has additional combinations with small vowel letters to transcribe foreign sounds that did not originally exist in Japanese. These are generally easy to pronounce, as you simply combine the consonant of the main katakana symbol with the vowel of the smaller one.

Examples of this include the フェ (fe) in カフェ (kafe), the ティ (ti) in パーティー (paatii), and the ウィ (wi) in ハロウィーン (harowiin)!

You can see that katakana is simpler and has more straight lines than hiragana; this is one major way to tell them apart!

If you want to learn more about katakana, check out our article below and get a free, downloadable PDF of our chart!

Read More: What is Katakana? Free Katakana Chart and Learning Guide

How and When to Use Katakana

Another way to tell them apart is by their usage. Katakana is used for foreign loanwords or words from different languages. ハンバーガー (hanbaagaa, hamburger) and アルバイト (arubaito, part-time job) are examples of Japanese words taken from English and German, respectively. Many non-Japanese names are spelled using katakana as well!

Katakana is also often used for onomatopoeic words, which are words that imitate sounds, such as “pikapika” (sparkling), “gacha” (clacking sound), or “wanwan” (dog’s bark).

Katakana can also be used to emphasize words, similar to how words might be italicized or bolded in English. You can usually see this more in signs or advertisements, like メガネ, megane (glasses) or ラーメン (raamen, glasses).

Long Vowels and Double Consonants in Katakana

Long vowels in katakana are so much simpler than hiragana. All long vowel sounds are denoted by a simple dash: ー.

For example, the word “アート” (aato), meaning “art”, has a long “a” sound represented by the horizontal line over the “a” character.

Double consonants in Katakana are represented using a small “tsu” character (ッ) just like in Hiragana. For example, the word “バッグ” (baggu), meaning “bag”, has a double “g” sound represented by the small “tsu” character.

Example of Katakana

Remember the pet with the funny name? Let’s take another look at that sentence, this time adding in katakana – try to guess where the katakana will be!

わたしのペットのなまえは ボブ です。
Watashi no petto no namae wa bobu desu.

Did you guess petto and bobu? Both of these words are English loanwords and names, so they would be written in katakana. Including katakana when writing Japanese is also a great way to make the words easier to distinguish from each other; writing in all hiragana could make it hard to tell words apart, since Japanese doesn’t normally use spaces!

Difference between Hiragana and Katakana

Why are there 2 syllabic Japanese scripts? In the event that the difference is stylistic, you will learn that hiragana is used to write native Japanese words. Those words will have no kanji representation, and the ideogram will be too ancient or too difficult to write. This kana script is also the one used to write grammatical elements such as particles: を (wo)、に (ni)、へ (he;e)、が (ga)、は (ha).

On the contrary, the Japanese use katakana to write words of foreign origin and foreign names. If you like to read manga in Japanese, you will certainly notice that katakana is also used to represent onomatopoeia and emphasis.

Have you heard of the word “furigana”? Furigana are hiragana and katakana characters written in small forms above kanji in order to show the pronunciation. Furigana is used in kids’ books and Japanese language textbooks for learners, in order to teach the reading of unknown kanji.

Japanese Writing System #3: Kanji                                                               

Kanji is usually the last system to be learned, even for native Japanese speakers! Kanji are Chinese characters and were Japan’s first writing system. They were first introduced to Japan over 1,500 years ago; hiragana and katakana actually evolved from these symbols!

Kanji are complex characters that represent words or ideas, and they form the backbone of the Japanese writing system. In fact, it is estimated that there are over 50,000 kanji characters, although only a fraction of those are commonly used.

Reading Kanji

Kanji is different from hiragana and katakana in that there are multiple ways to pronounce a single character. This is because there is a Chinese way to read a character (called the on-yomi) and a Japanese way (the kun-yomi). The on-yomi was the original way, but when kanji started to be used to write native Japanese words, new pronunciations were added¹. So, if you see a character pronounced one way in one word but differently in another, this is why!

Writing Kanji

Radicals

All kanji are made up of one or more radicals. A radical is simply a small symbol that, either by itself or when combined with other symbols, makes up a complete kanji character. Take, for instance, the radical 一. By itself, this is the complete kanji for ichi (one). But, it can be added with the radical亅to form the kanji 丁! There are 214 total radicals used in 13 different positions when forming kanji, though some radicals and positions are used more frequently than others. If you think of all kanji as being made up of these smaller radicals, then they will be easier to learn!

There are roughly four main types of kanji, based on how and why the radicals are arranged¹:

1. Pictograms

These kanji originally came from pictures, simply drawing the object itself to represent it in writing¹. It’s like writing “😊” to represent “smiley face” – just like emojis today! Take a look at 山 (yama, mountain) for example; doesn’t the character 山 remind you of how a mountain looks, with a pointy peak at the top?

2. Simple Ideograms

These kanji originally used lines and dots to “represent numbers or abstract concepts.¹” So, instead of drawing an object, you would try to visually represent the idea you wanted to convey. Take “up” and “down” for instance; drawing a dot above a line could represent “up” while a dot below a line would signify “down.” This is where 上 (ue, up) and 下 (shita, down) came from¹!

3. Compound Ideograms

Basically, these are kanji formed by combining two or more simpler kanji¹. The kanji used in 休む (yasumu, to rest), for example, is a combination of 人 (hito, person [often written as ⺅ when used as a radical]) and 木 (ki, tree)¹. A lot of the time, the two simpler kanji are chosen because of their connection to the resulting character. For 休, a person leaning against a tree would be resting – which is why 人 and 木 were chosen to form this character!  

4. Phonetic-ideographic Characters

These kanji are usually found when a character’s original on-yomi sounded like a native Japanese word, but the kanji associated with the sound didn’t represent the word’s meaning. So, to remedy this, those in the past added an additional kanji to clarify the meaning. In other words, these kanji are formed by combining one kanji that has the word’s pronunciation and another kanji that represents the word’s meaning. One example of this is the character for sei (clean). Water is generally associated with cleaning, so the kanji for water 水 (mizu, often written as ⺡) is added to the kanji 青 (sei, blue) to get 清 sei (clean).

As you can see, kanji are definitely more complex than hiragana or katakana, but don’t worry – there are plenty of simple kanji too! Plus, knowing the radicals and kanji types will help to make learning and remembering kanji easier. Knowing the stroke order, or the steps in which each character is written, can help make memorization easier too; check out this site to look up any kanji and see its stroke order (and other helpful information)!

Uses

Kanji is used for nouns, verb stems, and adjectives. So, kanji are used for most major words that you will encounter in everyday Japanese! While hiragana and katakana are crucial, you also can’t rely on just those when reading and writing; you have to learn kanji as well!

Example

Let’s take one last look at Bob, this time reading the sentence as it would be written in everyday Japanese:

私のペットの名前はボブです。
Watashi no petto no namae wa bobu desu.

Well, using kanji certainly makes the Japanese sentence shorter! In this case, the pronoun watashi (I) and the noun namae (name) use kanji. If there was a different verb in this sentence (like “look” or “ate”), then there would most likely be kanji there as well. Finally, using these new symbols makes the sentence even easier to read, as they are visually quite different than hiragana or katakana!

While all of this might seem overwhelming at first, it’s nothing you can’t handle with a little practice! Simply writing the kanji out is a great way to see how the radicals work together and to memorize their combinations; but, if you’re looking for something a little bit more high-tech, there are also some kanji apps we recommend you can use to practice as well!

Conclusion

Well, we certainly covered a lot of ground today! Let’s review everything to make sure you remember what we learned.

Japanese has three types of writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana is curvy, represents small syllables, and is used for grammatical information, particles, and native Japanese words! Katakana is straight, also represents small syllables, and is used for loanwords from other languages. Kanji are complex characters made up of radicals, represent a concept, a sound, or a mixture of the two, and are used for nouns, verb stems, and adjectives.

And those are the main points! Not so bad, right? You are now ready to start reading and writing Japanese like a pro! If you feel like you need more help, though, feel free to reach out to us or join one of our many Japanese language classes here!

FAQ

Whether you’re just beginning your Japanese studies or already at an advanced level, chances are you will still encounter unfamiliar words that leave you reaching for a dictionary. Whether it’s through an app or a traditional paper dictionary, having the right tool can make all the difference.

As interest in the Japanese language continues to grow, despite its reputation as one of the most challenging languages to learn so does the number of available Japanese dictionaries. But with so many options out there, how do you choose the right one? In this article, we will be reviewing the most popular Japanese dictionaries across categories, from paper dictionaries to smartphone apps.

What Makes a Good Japanese Dictionary? 

A good Japanese-to-English dictionary is a must-have tool for all learners of the language. These dictionaries helps us learn Japanese faster and more efficiently. It must have 100% accuracy and be up-to-date, meaning that it must be updated every few years. Looking at the learner level the dictionary is at is also very important, as a beginner isn’t going to be using or learning the same words as someone getting ready to take the JLPT N1.

And lastly, having key features in the dictionary to help users retain more of what they are reading will be useful. This could include having some basic grammar worksheet usage. So, depending on what you are looking for, these key distinctions will help you in deciding which dictionary it is that you may need and can get the most use out of.

Looking for apps to learn Japanese? Check out these 30 apps for Japanese learning!

Best Japanese Paper Dictionaries

Traditional paper dictionaries have been used by people for many years. Because they are printed, they are a reliable source of the most accurate and detailed explanations for words and sentences. Here are our recommended paper dictionaries for Japanese learners.

1. Kodansha’s Communicative English-Japanese Dictionary

Widely referenced as the most comprehensive English-Japanese dictionary available. It has an all-inclusive word bank of 22,000 words with the support of 190,000 sample questions. It includes Japanese translations for common words, technical terms, and even slang. Additionally, phrasal verbs, specific expressions, idioms, and related grammar points are also included. Most importantly, there is furigana to ensure users the ease of reading.

Buy Kodansha’s Communicative English-Japanese Dictionary
In conclusion, this is a well-rounded paper dictionary suitable for all levels of Japanese learners.

Buy Kodansha’s Communicative English-Japanese Dictionary on Amazon.

2.Oxford Beginner’s Japanese Dictionary (Multilingual Edition)

This highly rated dictionary was designed to help English-speaking learners have a comprehensive and straightforward introduction to Japanese. It covers vocabulary needed within the first year of study, has notes on grammar, and overall helps guide readers on the culture of Japan. They provide clear examples to show how the language will be used in varying contexts, and is overall well-organized. One of its key features, too, is that the dictionary is split into two sections: The first, where words are organized alphabetically in Japanese, then the second part is organized alphabetically in English.

Buy Oxford’s Beginner Japanese Dictionary on Amazon.

3. Kodansha’s Furigana Dictionary

If you are an absolute beginner and would like a dictionary that matches your beginner level, we recommend you use this. It is a basic English-Japanese and Japanese-English dictionary with 30,000 applicable basic Japanese words.
As its name suggests, there is always furigana on top of every kanji in the dictionary to assist the user as they read.
Despite having a smaller word bank, the explanations for each term are precise and comprehensive. For example, words are explained with thousands of examples of sentences. Differences in the usage of similar words are clarified in the dictionary. In conclusion, this is the first Japanese dictionary for beginners.

Buy Kodansha’s Furigana Dictionary on Amazon.

Electronic Japanese Dictionaries

If you feel that it is too troublesome flipping through thousands of pages on a paper dictionary, you may consider getting an electronic one.
Electronic Japanese dictionaries are portable, fast and with useful features such as kanji writing recognition and integrated audio. Some may also have multiple dictionaries stored. This allows you to avoid the trouble of carrying a heavy book around.

Electronic dictionaries have one big weakness – most Japanese electronic dictionaries are built for Japanese English learners. Therefore, the user interface is in Japanese most of the time. If you are a beginner in Japanese, we do not recommend you to get one.

The price of an electronic dictionary depends on its features and the number of dictionaries stored. While older models with basic functions cost less than 40 US dollars, some newer models have more features and bigger word banks are priced up to $500.

Because of the convenient translation websites and apps today, it is almost pointless to spend money on simple electronic dictionaries. As such, we advise you to purchase a newer model with better features. Specific models we recommend is Casio’s ED 9800 Series. It is the comprehensive English-Japanese dictionary series with the latest features. The latest model has the largest word bank supported by 20 English-Japanese dictionaries and 11 Japanese-Japanese dictionaries. Some online dictionaries have audiobooks attached to them, so users are able to double-check what they are saying sounds the same (or similar) to native speakers.

Best Online Japanese Dictionaries and Apps

If you are looking for an easy solution that is also free, we recommend you use an online dictionary and ap dictionary. Online dictionaries and apps only require your phone or laptop and an internet connection (some are even available totally offline). They are extremely convenient, easily accessible, and suitable for most people.
Here are our recommended online dictionaries and apps.

1. Weblio

Weblio is the largest Japanese dictionary website with about 11,370,000 words recorded. You can simply search for the English explanation of a Japanese word or vice versa. Detailed explanations from different dictionaries will be listed with example sentences, phrases, and related words. However, because of the Japanese UI, this website is only recommended to upper beginners and above.

Check out Weblio.

2. Jisho.org

This is a powerful English-Japanese online dictionary with a simple user interface and easy-to-use functions. Advanced search options allow you to search for Japanese translations, Kanji, example sentences, and names.
You can also look for words by their radicals, drawings, and even voice input in both Japanese and English. And what is really great for Japanese learners is that you can identify words based on their JLPT level. The Kanji from the words will also be listed on the right with their pronunciations and meanings. This online dictionary is extremely suitable for self-learners.

Check out Jisho.org.

3. Japanese Dictionary Takoboto (Android)

Rated the highest on Google Play, this is one of the best free offline Japanese dictionaries for Android. You can search for words using romaji, kana, kanji or alphabets. Additionally, you can also search for the translation of complete sentences – just like jisho.org, you can search for kanji by their radicals. Other useful features, such as flashcards and custom word lists, make it even more convenient for use by learners.  If you are using an Android device, we highly recommend this app.

Check out Takaboto on Android.

4. Imiwa? (iOS)

A wordplay on the Japanese phrase “What’s the meaning?”, Imiwa is a popular free offline multilingual Japanese dictionary for iPhone. Like the one introduced above, this app also has a strong search engine that allows you to search by meaning, romaji, kanji or alphabet. Of course, you can also search for a Kanji by radicals or by drawing it out. Animated stroke order diagrams, pronunciations, and definitions of the kanji are shown in many languages.
For revision, you can review the words in your search history and create your vocabulary lists. Many users rate this dictionary highly and recommend it online.

Check out Imiwa on iOS.

5. Japanese(iOS/Android)

“Japanese” is a comprehensive offline Japanese dictionary for both Android and iPhone. It compiles every useful feature you can find in other Japanese dictionary apps. There are over 175,000 entries and 58,000 example sentences in this app, covering every word you would see. Moreover, it is more than just a dictionary. For users sitting for the JLPT or the Kanji Kentei, it has ready-built study lists for each level to properly prepare.

Check out Japanese in iOS.

6. ALC

ALC is a well-established name in Japan’s language-learning world, known for its dependable and comprehensive resources. Its flagship online dictionary, Eijirou (英辞郎), is especially popular among professionals, including translators, thanks to its extensive database of example sentences, collocations, idiomatic phrases, and technical terms that are often missing from other dictionaries.

This dictionary helps learners understand specialized vocabulary and how people use it in different contexts.

Check out ALC.

7. Nihongo

If you’re learning Japanese and use a phone or iPad, Nihongo is one of the best dictionary apps you can get your hands on. The app was developed by Japanese learner Chris Vasselli and is designed for students and fellow learners.

What makes Nihongo stand out is its seamless mix of dictionary and study tools. It automatically creates flashcards from words you look up, lets you add photos to help with memory, and shows whether a word is common, uncommon, or rare. 

There are also some clever features that make learning smoother. The app includes a Safari extension that adds furigana to kanji on websites, a handwriting tool for when you don’t know a Kanji’s reading, and a “Clippings” feature that lets you save real Japanese text and study it later. You can even trace words you’ve saved back to the original content they came from. 

Check out Nihongo.

8. Kotobank

Kotobank is a Japanese-language online encyclopedia that lets you search across a wide range of dictionaries, encyclopedias, and databases.

It’s a go-to tool when you want quick, reliable definitions or need to better understand the deeper meaning of a Japanese term. The definitions often provide more nuance and cultural context than you’d get from a simple translation. 

Check out Kotobank.

9. Linguee

Linguee is a free online dictionary that supports multiple language pairs, including Japanese, German, Spanish, and more, translated from English. It’s easy to use and doesn’t require an account or login, which makes it a convenient tool for quick lookups.

What really sets Linguee apart is its vast number of example sentences. In addition to basic, tool-generated examples, it pulls real-world sentences from external sources like multilingual websites. These examples provide richer context and help you see words or phrase in natural writing. While not every translation is perfect due to the lack of manual review, this dictionary is still an excellent resource for learners. 

Check out Linguee.

10. Tagaini Jisho

Tagaini Jisho is a free Japanese-English dictionary app available for both Mac and Windows. While the interface may look dated, the platform offers a wide range of features that are useful for serious learners. You can filter vocabulary by JLPT level, parts of speech, or kanji elements, making it great for targeted study. It even includes Kanji stroke order animations to help with writing practice.

Other standout features include the ability to add custom tags and notes to entries, create flashcards, and even print out study booklets using foldable templates. These print-friendly sheets are perfect if you prefer offline learning or want something to carry around in your pocket.

Check out Tagaini Jisho.

11. Shirabe Jisho (iOS)  

“Shirabe Jisho” is owned by the same users who made Jisho.org, so now having a mobile interface that can be used in both Japanese-English or English-Japanese makes it all the better in our books. Its reliability stands out for users as well, with it having 4.9 stars out of 5 with over 7,500 ratings. 

Check out Shirabe Jisho.

Ready to Learn Japanese? Join Coto Academy!

There are many ways to go about learning Japanese, let alone many options for dictionaries. Take time for yourself and think about what will work best for you and your learning needs before you purchase your next dictionary. What are some features that you think will help you better comprehend Japanese? You could maybe trial a few to see what works best for you before totally submitting to one! 

If you’re looking for in-person practice or one-on-one help from a native speaker, Coto Academy may be what you need! With in-person classes or private online courses, Coto has a variety of options based on your needs to help you learn Japanese culture and language with ease!

If you are interested in studying Japanese in Tokyo, find out more about our school by filling out the form below. Courses can be found here.

FAQ

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Let’s face it: Japanese YouTube channels redefine what it means to go above and beyond for online entertainment.

Content creators in Japan wear a lot of faces — both literally and figuratively. They’re propelled by outlandish challenges, mukbangs and squeamish close-ups of fish cutting. We’re talking about consuming ten packs of fire noodles in one seating and cracking open sea cucumbers and poisonous starfish.

But behind the questionably thick veil of Japanese Youtubers, a lot of Japanese Youtube channels have dedicated themselves to helping their international audience learn the Japanese language and culture, proving that YouTube can be an educational platform, too.

So where do you go when you’re looking to climb out of the rabbit hole of freaky Japanese content — and into something more, say, digestible?

Of all the many gathered in the digital creative landscape, we’ve collected 50 of our top Japanese YouTube channels you should subscribe to. A lot of them provide free online Japanese learning resources.

Regardless of whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced, there are Japanese YouTube channels waiting for you.

We’re breaking them down into three categories: Teachers, vloggers and Japanese culture content creators.

Don’t know where to start? Check out Coto’s YouTube account or Coto’s blog section for more helpful Japanese tips and learning materials.

Japanese Youtube Channels: Japanese Teachers

JapanesePod101.com

Recommended for beginners, JapanesePod101 is a channel that covers topics ranging from grammar to vocabulary to reading and many more! It is a verified Japanese Youtube channel with over 2.3 million subscribers. They would host daily YouTube live streams for Japanese listening, speaking and writing. 

Kendra’s Language School

This channel has listening practices. Not only that, the videos give you practice and they have romaji and Japanese words on the screen. It would be easy to follow. Their videos cater to both English and Chinese learners.

Nihonhonomori

This channel has listening practices. Not only that, the videos give you practice and they have romaji and Japanese words on the screen. It would be easy to follow. Their videos cater to both English and Chinese learners.

Minori Education

Minori is perfect for beginners learning N5 and N4 who want to take a challenge. All of their videos are in Japanese to hone your listening skills, but you can always turn on their multilingual subtitles if the lesson goes a bit too hard. The YouTube channel uploads almost daily, and all of the Japanese tutorials are designed for students to map smooth progress. They break down vocabularies, grammar structures and questions. You will also have a practice session at the end.

NihonGoal

There’s an ongoing debate among the Japanese learning community about textbooks: Minna no Nihongo, or Genki? Helmed by Rose, you pick the prior, then NihonGoal is the perfect YouTube channel to walk you through the book. They break down the study into three series: vocabulary, grammar and Kanji. Rose isn’t a native Japanese speaker, though, so if you are focusing on speaking and Japanese pronunciation, head somewhere else.

Tokini Andy

Andy’s presence is unmatched. Combining playful monologues and great presentation skills, Tokini Andy becomes a channel to help Japanese learners nail Japanese conversational fluency — all while having fun. The textbooks he uses are also the Genki books, and his videos are aptly slow and practical. You’ll get sample sentences, extra tips for Japanese grammar and useful vocabulary. He also has his own Patreon.

Dogen

If you hear him blindfolded, you might assume he’s a Japanese — or at the very least, a hafu — but Dogen is one of the few talented international Youtuber who just so happens to nail that spot-on Japanese native-level accent. His YouTube channel primarily consists of comedic skits and quirky storytelling about very relatable Japanese antics that foreigners will understand if they live in Japan long enough. You can head to his Patreon for more thorough (and serious) Japanese phonetic lessons. 

Japanese Ammo with Misa

Japanese Ammo with Misa is flexible for both beginners and advanced learners. She gives lessons on Japanese grammar and vocabulary. There are also videos for useful Japanese phrases as well as topics on Japanese culture. The channel has many playlists that can help you enhance your Japanese learning.

Miku Real Japanese

Miku’s videos are a fun and effective way of learning Japanese. Her playlist has grammar and listening to videos for practice for beginner to intermediate learners. Not only that, you can practice your speaking skill, as well as she has a playlist called “speak with me”. She also does videos on learning Japanese with Terrace House as it would be interesting and fun to take it out of the classroom. You’ll also have access to extra videos if you sign up for her Patreon.

Learning Kanji

This is one of our recommended Japanese Youtube channels that’s perfect if you are considering taking the JLPT exam. The person goes through questions about how to answer and tips on how to answer them. He explains vocabulary to suit everyone’s needs. His videos have a variety of question papers from JLPT, kanji, grammar, hiragana, and katakana. As for JLPT, he has N5 to N2 practice papers which he goes through it. He also does a video on the MEXT scholarship exam.

BondLingo

Learn Japanese Online with BondLingo upload videos about the Japanese language and cultures. Not only are there online lessons, but there are apps on mobile as well. Their playlist consists of the JLPT practice exam – grammar, N5 to N2 but also pronunciation videos as well! They also have live streams for Japanese study sessions, and it’s always good to join the room to make your learning journey less lonely.

Learn Japanese

This Japanese Youtuber gives free videos for JLPT preparations ranging from all levels. His lessons are pretty laidback and chill, and he even has some content dedicated to learning Japanese from anime. He has a dedicated playlist called the Writing Systems for introductions to all aspects of the Japanese writing system: hiragana, katakana and kanji.

Learn Japanese From Zero!

Learn Japanese From Zero is an informative channel that posts videos every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Every video goes through a respective lesson on the channel’s textbook, and materials are only available online. This makes it easy for anyone to learn Japanese and take notes. He also has his own Japanese textbook. 

Yuko Sensei

Yuko Sensei has been teaching Japanese at the university level for 20 years, so to say that she is a Japanese language expert would be a safe bet. Her videos discard any boring PowerPoint, and instead focuses on interactive color-coded animations to help you understand Japanese grammar, vocabulary, and scripts. For those learners who cannot attend classes or do not know where to start learning, this channel is good for online learning courses. She also offers free trial courses.

PuniPuniJapan

PuniPuniJapan’s videos are well-illustrated and narrated with clear explanations. It is more recommended for beginners who started learning Japanese. They cover topics such as katakana, grammar, vocabulary and more. Besides that, PuniPuniJapan also uploads videos about Japanese culture.

Tae Kim

The channel provides step by step learning. They have different episodes and on the episodes, they teach learners different topics such as negative state, adjectives and sentence ending. This channel has a lot of different variables when it comes to learning Japanese. Their video areas are very classroom-based and it is very easy to follow.

ライト Japanese Library 

ライト Japanese Library features Light, who is a foreigner who speaks Japanese, English, and Afrikaans. On his channel, he has videos teaching Japanese as well as some daily vlogs with his daughter. He also gives many different tips for living in Japan.

WORDPIE

This channel is good to learn Japanese because their videos are in songs. Their videos are appealing and it is easy to follow as they have Japanese words plus English words are well. Not only that, their videos are all about Japanese vocabularies.

Kanji – Link

It is very easy to learn Japanese grammar and kanji on this channel. Their videos have an animation of a teacher teaching. Their video content is also very easy to understand. Their kanji videos are step by step and it teaches you basic kanji and how to write it.

Organic Japanese with Cure Dolly

This channel is very good at making simplifying Japanese and making it easier to understand. Their videos are taught by an “android sensei”. Their explanations are very good and their content is original and engaging. Her methods of teaching Japanese are a little unorthodox, but very effective. Unfortunately, the owner of the channel has passed away, but the channel remains up and is still a very good resource.  

FunNihongo

This channel is good to learn basic Japanese because they make learning videos into songs so it would be easier to learn. The videos are interesting as well. They only have 1 playlist of videos such as day of the week song or the hiragana song. This channel is good for both adults and children.

わさび Japanese Teacher Vtuber

わさび or Wasabi is a Japanese Vtuber teacher that makes videos that are great for Beginner and Intermediate learners. She makes grammar and listening videos as well as a lot of YouTube shorts that go over vocab words. She is a much smaller creator, and is able to respond to a lot of questions in her comments.

Nami Ohara

Nami Ohara is another tJapanese grammar, vocabulary, and listening. Also, there are many videos on Japanese culture. Another feature of this channel is that there are many listening quizzes and tests for you to practice your listening skills. Not only that, they have many videos on learning Japanese through songs.

Masa Sensei

This channel is great for beginners in learning Japanese. Masa Sensei, the creator of this channel, makes weekly videos on Japanese grammar. In every video, she explains what grammar means and how to apply it. She also gives clear illustrations and examples in her videos.

三本塾 -Sambon Juku- 

This channel is very good for Intermediate and Advanced learners.  Sambon Juku has multiple playlists for everything from Phrases to Hiragana. He also has series going over N3, N2 and N1. He has very clear explanations and example sentences. His videos are narrated in Japanese, but he also has English subtitles if needed.

myjapanese

myjapanese is a channel covering levels from beginner to advanced. The topics covered are hiragana, kanji, JLPT, and business Japanese. There are many informative videos and are all well narrated and explained in English. The channel posts a new video every week.

Easy Peasy Japanesey

Watching anime and Japanese TV programs is a great vehicle to accelerate your Japanese skill. Easy Peasy Japanesey disects scenes from iconic anime like Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer and breaks down the Japanese vocabularies and grammar structure involved. It’s a great, seemingly effortless away to learn Japanese — just don’t binge watch them all at once if you’re an anime fan who’s avoiding gut-wrenching, tear-inducing spoilers. 

Yumi Ura

Yumi Ura is a channel that is especially good for Japanese students preparing to take the JLPT N2 and N3 level tests. All the videos in this channel are on topics for the N2 and N3-level tests. Their videos allow viewers to practice their listening skills as it is everything is explained Japanese.

Japanization

Japanization is good for learning basic Japanese. Started by a native Japanese, he makes lesson videos on Japanese grammar and vocabulary, as well as on different aspects of Japanese culture. He explains well in English in every video too. Thus, making it easy for non-Japanese listeners to follow.

Clayton MacKnight

Registering for a JLPT exam can be unnerving, let alone preparing for it. Enter Clayton MacKnight, your perfect virtual study buddy. He’s currently residing in Osaka and has recently passed N2. His channel that features a variety of videos to help those taking JLPT. Expect all things Japanese covered in his channels, from grammar and kanji to study guides to Japanese culture. It’s also great to get a learning support from a foreigner. The videos have graphic illustrations to them more engaging. .

Michiyo Wojnovich

Michiyo Wojnovich is a good channel for those learning Japanese with Genki textbooks. All the videos on the channel cover topics from the Genki textbooks. The teacher, Michiyo, narrates and explains each topic in every video in English.

31. Japonin

6 thousand subscribers

Japonin is a channel that can help learners to improve and enhance their Japanese reading skills. There are many videos that feature a text with clear narration. There are also various cultural topics such as ‘imported words’ and ‘origami’ for learners to enhance their Japanese culture knowledge.

Plain Japanese

Plain Japanese’s online lessons are being taught by a native Japanese teacher. Their videos are well-illustrated and explained, covering many different topics on the Japanese language such as grammar and kanji. There are also other informative videos such as ‘Japanese Greetings’ and ‘Counting Numbers in Japanese’.

Top Japanese Youtube Channels: Vloggers

Nihongo Mantappu 

You can leave it up to Jerome Polin to give you a full angle of what it’s like to live in Japan as a university student. As a MEXT scholarship awardee, Jerome is enrolled at Waseda University. His videos started from a humble ground: to help potential Japanese international students learn Japanese and kickstart their life here. It didn’t take long for his channel to skyrocket. After several vlogs, collaborations and fun challenges with his university friends, Jerome quickly grew to be the biggest star in Japan’s creator platform. Now, he has more than 7.5 million subscribers, and the numbers aren’t slowing down. 

Rachel and Jun

This channel is good for learning Japanese because they do vlogs about their daily lives. The channel, started by a Japanese husband and an American wife, who are both living in Japan. Rachel would speak in English while her husband would speak in Japanese. Sometimes both would speak each other’s languages. Their videos have Japanese subtitles so it would be easy to follow and learn about new words. Their videos are very interesting and sometimes funny too. They do not post on their main channel anymore, but still regularly upload on ‘Rachel & Jun’s Adventures!‘

Abroad in Japan

Abroad in Japan does vlogs which talk about how his interreaction experience with the Japanese culture and people here. Some of his interesting vlogs are “how to lose weight in Japan” and “Japanese thoughts on London magic man”

Life Where I’m From

Life Where I’m From has a series of Japanese documentaries and life in Japan starring their children. They give interesting and educational insight into their everyday. They also show how is life in Japan through a series of vlogs. 

39. Bilingirl Chika

A Japanese Youtube celebrity with over 1.4 million subscribers. Her channel has videos in both English and Japanese. Having moved to America at a young age, she has many things to learn about Japan and shares about them on her channel. She also shared many vlogs on her daily life.

Tokyo Lens

The name of this Youtuber is pretty self-explanatory. Tokyo Lens offers an interesting, otherwise unseen, angle to Japan. From exploring Japan’s smallest apartment to visiting Japan’s most active volcano, his videos provide a unique take on living in Japan. 

Tokyo Creative

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