The Japanese Learning Tools We Actually Recommend
Study tips
Learning Japanese gets a lot easier with the right tools. Here are the ones we actually reach for — dictionaries, reading helpers, apps, and sites that make the language click. Most of them are free.
Look things up in seconds
Jisho — the dictionary most learners keep open in a tab. Search by English, kanji, or reading, or even draw a character you can't read. Free.
10ten Japanese Reader — a browser extension that shows a word's reading and meaning the moment you hover over it, turning any Japanese page into something you can actually read. Free.
Build kanji and vocabulary
WaniKani — a spaced-repetition system that teaches kanji and vocabulary in a smart order (radicals → kanji → real words) so they genuinely stick. Free to start, then paid.
Learn from real Japanese
Language Reactor — adds dual subtitles and instant look-ups to Netflix and YouTube, so your favorite shows become study material. Free, with a paid upgrade.
NHK News Web Easy — real Japanese news rewritten in simpler language, with furigana over the kanji and audio to listen along. Free.
Practice with real people
HelloTalk — a language-exchange app where you chat with native speakers and get gentle corrections, and help them with your language in return. Free, with paid extras.
Free structured lessons
Tsunagaru Hirogaru (つなひろ) — a free site from Japan's Ministry of Education for everyday, living-in-Japan Japanese: practical scenes like shopping, city hall, and the doctor, taught through video in English and many other languages. Free.
…and grammar & vocabulary, explained simply
Cozy Kotobar — that's us. Every JLPT grammar point and the key words for each level, explained in plain English with honest nuance and natural examples. Browse by level from N5 to N1. Free.
No single tool does everything — the trick is to combine a good dictionary, one immersion tool, and a little daily practice. Pick two or three, keep them close, and let them grow with you.
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