Introduction to Japanese

Introduction to Japanese is a live online course built for students who have always wanted to learn Japanese but don't know where to start — no prior experience required. From day one, students begin cracking the code of two entirely new writing systems, hiragana and katakana, while building real listening and speaking skills in parallel. Lessons move through practical, everyday topics — counting, shopping, asking for directions, talking about family and weather — so students are always learning language they can actually use. By the end of the course, students won't just recognize Japanese; they'll be able to form their own sentences and questions from scratch. Whether the motivation is travel, anime, culture, or a future career, this course gives students a genuine, confident foundation in one of the world's most fascinating languages.

Hiragana and Katakana Learn to read and write hiragana and katakana, the two phonetic scripts (syllabaries) at the heart of written Japanese, while training your ear and voice for spoken Japanese.

Greetings and Introductions Greet people, introduce yourself, and share personal information using the polite expressions beginners learn first.

Numbers, Dates, and Times Count in Japanese and use numbers for everyday needs like shopping and telling time.

Shopping Handle everyday shopping interactions, from asking about items to understanding prices, with the right vocabulary and phrasing.

Getting Around Ask for directions and talk about local geography so you can find your way in familiar, everyday situations.

Everyday Conversation Talk about your family and the weather, and form your own sentences and questions from scratch.