A list of recommended textbooks, online resources, and Japanese iPhone/ Android applications!
Popular Textbooks
Minna no Nihongo starts the Japanese learner off right away using kana, so it can be challenging for beginners. Used by many Japanese language schools and private tutors in the area.
Genki is a popular textbook series that introduces the language through Romanized Japanese.
Japanese for Busy People is available in both a Kana Version and Romanized Version.
Online Resources
TextFugu is an online textbook for learning Japanese. It’s priced at $20 USD a month or $120 for a lifetime.
Japanese LinguaLift is another online course. There is a free trial, but regular access costs $145 USD for 6 months.
Nihongodict is a free online Japanese <-> English dictionary.
Jisho.org is another free online Japanese<-> English dictionary.
The Japanese Grammar Guide is a free, massive guide to Japanese grammar.
Japanese Verb Conjugator is free and useful for grammar beginners, as verb endings are often ignored in online dictionaries.
Kanji Damage – A free, humorous guide to remembering Kanji.
Reddit – The popular website has a special section for Japanese Learning. It usually ranges from intermediate to advanced but occasionally has useful help for beginners, and they’re usually willing to answer questions.
Japanese iPhone/Android Applications
Dictionaries
A great online dictionary for looking up phrases, idioms, and even full sentences in both Japanese and English. Also has an app. The only downside is that web access is necessary to use the app.
Study Tools
A Spaced Repetition System (SRS) software program for the computer that allows you to create, edit, and import flash cards for studying. There is also an app. The iPhone mobile version is somewhat pricey, but there are a lot of pre-made card decks available for download.
WaniKani (free trial, otherwise one-time payment with discounts available)
A SRS website which teaches you radicals, kanji, readings, and meaning of thousands of Japanese words. It can be pricey when bought at full-price, but AJET sometimes offers 50% discounts for WaniKani! There is an official iPhone app but Android users will need to access the software through the website on mobile. There are third-party Android apps which can link with your WaniKani account, if you’d prefer. Also has community courses.
Memrise (Payment optional)
Another SRS website which also has a free app. You can complete official or community-created courses, and even create your own flashcard deck! Some courses also come with audio recordings for each item so you can test your listening skills, too. Available for many languages and other topics. To access the community courses you must select them from the website, not the app. The information will then be transferred to the app. You can also download courses to learn offline.
Mnemododo (Android, ¥345)
Mnemosyne is another free SRS program for the computer, for which Mnemodo is the mobile version. This app allows you to take your Mnemosyne cards on the go, although you cannot edit the cards on your phone. Like Anki, many Mnemosyne-compatible card decks already exist for Japanese language studies.
Kanji Flip (iPhone, ¥500)
Japanese Flip (iPhone, ¥500)
These two apps are similar to SRS programs in that they track which cards (kanji or vocabulary words) you need to work on more, and which you already know well. Studying is broken down by JLPT level, so both apps may be useful to a wide range of students.