Japanese Courses

Learn Japanese with free online courses

Take online courses to learn more about Japanese language, people, and culture. Study basic Japanese vocabulary and practice basic conversation skills with Waseda University's Steps in Japanese for Beginners. Learn more about Japanese people and history with UTokyo's Visualizing Postwar Tokyo or MITx's Visualizing Japan. 

Why learn the Japanese language?

Japanese speakers have greatly influenced the world. Japan is a notable business leader. Tokyo, especially, is a world leader in industry, education, and food. Japanese culture has also helped shape modern entertainment with media such as manga and anime.

Are you looking to expand your language skills as a hobby? Do you need to learn Japanese for business? Or do you simply want to travel to Japan? Whatever the case, learning Japanese can be incredibly rewarding.

Learn Japanese for beginners course overview

Japanese uses several writing systems. The most famous writing systems are Kana—Katakana and Hiragana—and Kanji. The written language has been influenced by Chinese, but Japanese grammar, phonetic pronunciation, and Kanji characters are all very different from Chinese. 

edX offers online language education and courses for Japanese language learning beginners. For example, WasedaX offers a beginner level course for Japanese pronunciation and communication. The beginner course helps you improve your basic verbal communication skills and sound more like a native speaker.

WasedaX's Steps in Japanese for Beginners also gives a great introduction to the language as a whole. The program teaches basic vocab words (Japanese phrases), conversational skills, grammar (Japanese verbs and sentence structures), and more. 

As you self-study Japanese language and culture, you may find it helpful to use mnemonic devices like flashcards to help you learn and master new words. You might also want to enhance your learning experience with shows or podcasts to get familiar with everyday Japanese—it's okay if you need English subtitles at first! 

Japanese lessons, courses, and certifications

edX's online courses can help you learn more about Japanese culture and achieve an intermediate level language proficiency. After you finish a Japanese language course, you can choose to earn a verified certificate as proof of your accomplishments and skill. In the end, you will be familiar with the Japanese writing system, learn many new words, and feel more comfortable with everyday conversations and business deals in Japanese.

Make Japanese part of your life

Language learners help bring the world closer together. Online Japanese courses can help you build your career and improve your life. It's okay to be intimidated! Learning a new language is always challenging. But Japanese is a wonderful language to learn for work or fun, and edX can help with high-quality language courses.

Take an online Japanese class today! Learn at your own pace from native Japanese speakers and experienced Japanese teachers using edX's online learning platform.