日本語を学ぶ

Learn Japanese.
Start here.

Lessons built for English speakers going from zero to conversational. Covers the writing system, grammar, vocabulary, and kanji, all mapped to JLPT levels.

Start with Hiragana, it's free See all lessons

No account. No signup. Open on any device.

1 Hiragana 2 Katakana 3 Kanji 4 Grammar 5 Speaking
See how it works

One character.
One story.

Every character in every lesson comes with a visual memory story. You are not memorising shapes. You are remembering pictures.

Here is a real example from the Hiragana lesson.

See all 46 characters →
あ
a as in "father"
Hiragana N5

Memory story

A person doing a yoga pose, arms stretched wide open, mouth wide open — "Ahh!" The curve is their bent arm. The vertical stroke is their spine.

あ 「a」 Free lesson
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3 lessons are ready

Each one is free and needs no account.

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Hiragana

ひらがな

46 characters, each with a visual mnemonic that makes it stick.

Content
46 characters
Level
N5
Time
~1 week
Open lesson →
Open

Katakana

カタカナ

46 characters used for loanwords and foreign names.

Content
46 characters
Level
N5
Time
~1 week
Open lesson →
Open

Kanji

漢字

All JLPT kanji from N5 to N1, with readings, meanings, and examples.

Content
N5 to N1
Level
All levels
Time
Long term
Open lesson →
Your path

How Japanese Compass is structured

Each track builds on the last. Start at step one and work forward.

  1. Hiragana ひらがな Open now
    46 characters N5 ~1 week

    46 characters, each with a visual mnemonic that makes it stick.

    Open Hiragana →
  2. Katakana カタカナ Open now
    46 characters N5 ~1 week

    46 characters used for loanwords and foreign names.

    Builds on Hiragana

    Open Katakana →
  3. Kanji 漢字 Open now
    N5 to N1 All levels Long term

    All JLPT kanji from N5 to N1, with readings, meanings, and examples.

    Builds on Katakana

    Open Kanji →
  4. Grammar N5 文法 N5 Coming
    ~30 patterns N5 6–8 weeks

    Core sentence patterns for JLPT N5, explained from scratch.

    Lesson in production
  5. Vocabulary N5 語彙 N5 Coming
    800 words N5 8–10 weeks

    800 words required for N5, grouped by topic.

    Lesson in production
  6. Speaking 会話 Coming
    Drills + dialogues N5–N4 Ongoing

    Shadowing drills and conversation patterns for daily use.

    Lesson in production
About

What this is

Japanese Compass started as a daily Japanese lesson page on Instagram. This website is where those lessons live in a more permanent and usable form.

Every lesson maps to a JLPT level, so there is always a clear path forward. Explanations are written specifically for English speakers, which means no assumed knowledge of other languages or writing systems.

  • JLPT-mapped N5 to N4, with N3 planned
  • Written for English speakers No assumed prior knowledge
  • Free core lessons No account or payment to start

Daily lessons on Instagram

New vocabulary, grammar, and sentence examples posted every day at @japanesecompass.

Follow @japanesecompass →
N

Follows JLPT N5 and N4

Content is organised around official JLPT levels, so you always know where a lesson fits in your overall progress.

See curriculum →

One Japanese lesson, every day.

Vocabulary, grammar, and real-life examples posted daily at @japanesecompass. Free. No algorithm to fight.

Follow on Instagram →

七転び八起き

nana korobi ya oki

"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

The most important thing in language learning is not being perfect. It is starting.

No better time than now

Start with Hiragana.

46 characters. One mnemonic each. Most learners finish in a week. It is the foundation everything else builds on.

Open the free Hiragana lesson

No account. No payment. Works on any device.