If you’re a complete beginner and don’t know where to start…
This is the easiest first step I’ve found.
JapanesePod101 are currently giving away their Absolute Beginner “Survival Japanese” course completely free!
🇯🇵 No catch.
🇯🇵 No payment details required.
✅ Just free access for 3 months.
And seriously, it’s actually very good!
What you get (free!)
- 50+ short audio lessons
- Real-life conversations – ordering food, hotels, taxis, small talk
- Clear word-by-word explanations
- Lesson notes to read along
- Built-in study tools
- A free Japanese alphabet PDF worksheet
Each lesson is just 3–15 minutes long.
You press play.
You hear a conversation.
They break it down slowly.
By the end, you can actually say something useful.
No overwhelm or heavy grammar.
Just real, practical Japanese!
Why I recommend it
If you’ve been around Team Japanese for a while, you know I’m picky.
I’ve tested a lot of resources.
What I like about this course:
- It gets you speaking immediately
- It doesn’t assume prior knowledge
- It feels structured – you’re guided lesson by lesson
- It’s realistic Japanese, not textbook robot phrases
It’s especially good if:
- You’re brand new
- You’re learning for travel
- You want momentum before committing to anything paid
A small heads-up
They originally said they were going to take this free pathway offline.
Instead, they’ve extended it “for a little while longer.”
I don’t know how long it will stay available.
So if you’re reading this and it’s still live – I would grab it now.
It costs nothing.
You get 3 months of access.
And it’s a solid way to finally start.