As we’ve said before, Japanese isn’t actually as hard to learn as it’s often made out to be. Unlike English, for example, Japanese follows its own grammatical rules far more rigidly, pronunciation is easy because there is only one variant of each vowel sound to choose from (none of this tomayto/tomahto business), and it’s possible to create entire, perfectly meaningful and valid sentences without uttering a single pronoun or bothering to conjugate a verb.
Nevertheless, the language will not magically seep into you through a desire to speak it alone — you still need to encounter and study it as often as possible. With that in mind, we’d like to present to you the six and a half resources that no dedicated student of the Japanese language should ever be without. Oh, and the good news is some of them are completely free.

Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Evangelion original anime studio Gainax is now completely dissolved, Eva’s creator mourns ruined friendships
Tiny house by Muji finally goes on sale in Japan
“Bear” voted Japan’s Kanji of the Year for 2025 in extremely close race
This hot springs town in Japan sets fire across a mountain every winter in a beautiful tradition
7-Eleven Japan has a hack for creating insanely delicious potato chip rice meals
Giant Chiikawa statues appear in one of Tokyo’s most confusing train stations【Photos】
Kyoto samurai house wants to share its history of seppuku, torture and gold coins with visitors
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
Japan’s first hotel with a human washing machine is now ready for you to come and bathe in it
Studio Ghibli adds new Kiki’s Delivery Service music box to its anime merchandise shop in Japan
Studio Ghibli mixes with sporty street styles of New Era to put No Face on your head in cap series
Japanese company selling bear-proof automatic doors
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
A guide to visiting Sagamiko Illumination, one of the three biggest light-ups in Kanto
Giant new nine-floor arcade opens in Tokyo, wants to welcome new and old games fans alike
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
This hot springs town in Japan sets fire across a mountain every winter in a beautiful tradition
7-Eleven Japan has a hack for creating insanely delicious potato chip rice meals
Giant Chiikawa statues appear in one of Tokyo’s most confusing train stations【Photos】
Kyoto samurai house wants to share its history of seppuku, torture and gold coins with visitors
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Mt. Fuji looks more like a suibokuga painting than real life in this amazing photo
Japanese group to hold fashion show of colostomy bags and other stoma equipment in Paris
American tourists give us their opinion on the new Icee slushie drinks in Japan
Totoro ocarinas on sale from Ghibli Museum online shop, and no two are exactly alike【Video】
We visit the full-scale Evangelion statue in Kyoto and particularly delight in the food tie-ins
12 beautiful Japanese train stations by the sea
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to the best Turkish rice restaurant in Nagasaki!
New Tokyo restaurant charges higher prices to foreign tourists than Japanese locals
Japan’s AI schoolgirl has fallen into a suicidal depression in latest blog post