JapanesePod101 Review – Is It Worth It?

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Learning Japanese is both fun and frustrating. It’s fun to learn new words and grammar, but it’s frustrating when you get “stuck.” Sometimes you can’t understand Japanese concepts, or worse yet, you feel like you are not improving at all.   I have been studying Japanese for over 13 years, and I felt “stuck” many, many times. Over the years, I have tried a lot of different programs, courses, and books to learn Japanese. 

I have been using Japanesepod101 since 2011, and it became one of the best resources I have used to improve my Japanese. It helped me get past a lot of those times where I felt stuck.

In this Japanesepod101 review, I’ll take you into the member’s area so you’ll know exactly what to expect if you sign up. I’ll provide as much detail as possible to help you decide if it’s the right fit for you or not.  

*Updated: August 17th, 2023

What is Japanesepod101?

If you have ever searched for the best way to learn Japanese online, there’s a good chance you have come across Japanesepod101. The Japanesepod101 website offers a massive collection of audio, video, and written lessons for all levels (3,800 as of this writing). Whether you’re a complete beginner or an advanced Japanese student, you have a ton of material to study.  

Their audio lessons are the heart of their teaching method, and they do an amazing job at teaching Japanese grammar lessons and words.  

They also have a lot of video lessons on their site. Many of these videos teach you things you can’t find in most books. 

Things like Japanese gestures, slang words, and answers to common questions that Japanese learners have. All of their material is organized into 6 different categories:  

• Absolute Beginner
• Beginners
• Intermediate
• Upper-Intermediate
• Advanced
• Bonus Material

The best thing about the Japanesepod101 website is that you can access many of their lessons for free (no credit card needed).  

If you sign up for a free account, you’ll be able to access the first 3 lessons of every pathway (unit). You’ll also have access to the 2-4 new lessons that are added each week for 3 weeks (after that, they become archived, and you’ll need a paid membership to access them).  

I have been using their materials for years now, and while it’s not perfect, I think it is still the best resource to learn Japanese out there. So, let’s go right into the premium member’s area to see how they teach you Japanese.

Japanesepod101 Audio Lessons

The heart of JapanesePod101 is their audio lessons. These lessons are usually10-20 minutes long, so it’s easy to finish one or more per day without feeling overwhelmed.

Each lesson usually focuses on a specific grammar point or topic. Most importantly, you are taught how to APPLY what you learn and use it in everyday situations.

There are lesson notes that go over the grammar/lesson in more detail, along with the audio files.

Both the audio lesson and notes can be downloaded.  

Format of the Audio Lessons

Most audio lessons started with a dialogue in Japanese. For example, there might be an employee talking to his boss about his work.

The teachers then break down the dialogue and explain it in detail. They teach you the vocabulary words and useful phrases used in the conversation. This is followed by an explanation of the target grammar in the dialogue.  

The teaching at Japanesepod101 is top-notch. There is usually a native Japanese speaker (or two) and a native English speaker on the audio tracks. This means you hear native Japanese being spoken that will have a natural translation from the native English speaker. Most of the dialogues are interesting and make learning Japanese quite fun. 

The best part of the lessons is that they teach you things that many books don’t. They teach you real-world Japanese and how to use it naturally. This gives you the confidence to use what you learn IMMEDIATELY.

The native Japanese speakers give very insightful advice on speaking natural Japanese. They also talk about Japanese culture, phrases used in daily life, expressions, and provide insights about Japan.  

However, there is one thing I don’t like about the audio lessons.

The grammar explanation is very clear and easy to understand, but it can be a little short at times. After teaching you the target grammar, they refer you to the lesson notes for a more detailed explanation. 

The explanation in the lesson notes is excellent. It’s easy to understand and has enough details for you to learn the grammar. However, I think it would be nice if they talked about these details in the audio tracks as well.

A Tour of the Paid Membership Area: Audio Lessons

Over the past few years, the look and features of the Japanesepod website have been improving. The new layout of their lessons makes learning the material much easier.  

The lessons load quickly, and everything you need to learn the material is conveniently located on the same page.

When you press play to start the audio, it will open up a player on the bottom of your browser (I use Google Chrome). On that same page, there is a written transcript of the Japanese dialogue, so you can easily follow along.

If you scroll down, you’ll find the list of vocabulary words used in the dialogue (with audio). With a click of your mouse, you have the option to hear each vocabulary word being said by a native speaker at normal speed or slightly slowed down.

I found this to be helpful when I was learning new words. You can also add any of these vocabulary words to the flashcard system on their website and even take a quiz to test yourself. You can also choose to display the vocabulary with or without the English, romaji, and kana.

You also have the option to record yourself to practice your pronunciation.

If you scroll further down the page, you’ll also find the lesson notes, which provides a detailed explanation of the grammar with example sentences. You’ll also find the lesson transcript and a list of kanji for you to study.

Having all of these materials in one place makes it very easy to study and learn from. Each lesson provides you with listening, speaking, reading, and kanji practice.  

Japanesepod101 Free Sample Lesson

The best way to see if Japanesepod101 is right for you is to check it out for yourself. Here’s access to a free lesson (no sign-up necessary) so you can see it for yourself:  Say Hello in Japanese No Matter What the Time of Day

Japanesepod101 App

Their Innovative Language app makes it a breeze to access their audio and video lessons on mobile devices. The app starts up quickly and runs very smoothly. I used it when I was on the train or had to wait in line somewhere.

Japanesepod101 Video Lessons

The video lessons are excellent too. Some of them are even better than the audio lessons. I feel that most of the videos support the material you learn in the audio lessons.

There are Q&A videos like the “Difference between morau and kureru” or “Is house uchi or ie?”

There are also videos to teach you new words (restaurant verbs, tongue-twisters, slang verbs, etc.), reading comprehension, and written Japanese (hiragana, katakana, and kanji). 

My favorite is the “Ask Risa” series. In those videos, Risa answers questions like “How Do You Get a Japanese Girlfriend?” or “Can You Learn Japanese From Anime?”

The video lessons also have the same study options as the audio files (vocabulary words, line-by-line transcription (for premium members), quiz, etc.). The videos can also be downloaded to your computer.  

What Can You Learn from Japanesepod101

The main focus of the lessons is to teach you how to speak Japanese. You’ll learn how to speak polite Japanese for formal situations, as well as casual Japanese for hanging out with friends. There are also talks on business Japanese, Japanese slang words, and even tips on learning Japanese.

In addition to this, there are resources for the JLPT, guides to learn how to write Japanese (katakana, hiragana, and kanji), vocabulary lists covering many different topics (including the 100 and 2,000 most common words in Japanese.  

There is also a forum to ask questions, but it doesn’t seem that active these days. However, if you have a question about a lesson, each audio and video lesson has a “comments” section. You can ask your question there. The Japanesepod staff has answered virtually all the questions I have seen! That really impressed me. It’s like having your own private tutor.  

Reading & Listening Practice

Reading is a great way for intermediate and advanced students of Japanese to improve their skills. There are lessons dedicated to reading, listening comprehension, and even learning Japanese through songs on Japanesepod101.com. They also covered specific topics like Japanese words to use on social media, holiday words, questions and answers, and much more.

The listening comprehension section is good, but I love their reading practice. The reading practice has an audio track to accompany the line-by-line text, as well as tons of other options to help you learn. You can change the display of the text to kanji, hiragana, romaji, or English.

There are audio files for each line of text, which makes it convenient to practice. There is also an option to record your voice to check your pronunciation. All of these options provide an outstanding way to improve your reading.

JLPT Material

While Japanesepod101does have resources to study for the JLPT, I feel that the material they teach is not specific enough to pass the JLPT. 

There are 3 resources to study for the JLPT on the Japanesepod website:

1. JLPT Kanji (JLPT Levels N5 – N1)

The kanji lessons are pretty good. There is a short but informative video for each kanji lesson. In the video, you’ll learn each kanji’s reading and common word(s) using that character. Any new vocabulary/kanji in the lesson can be saved to a flashcard deck or your word bank for future studying.

2. JLPT Multiple-Choice Assessment Quizzes (JLPT Levels N5 – N2 Only)

The multiple-choice assessment quizzes are very short. While it can be useful, I feel that it’s missing a lot of information you would need to pass the JLPT.

3. JLPT Master Course (Levels N5 – N2 Only)

These “courses” are just organized lists of their audio lessons, combined with the multiple-choice assessment quizzes mentioned above.

Having all of the audio files organized according to the JLPT level makes studying the material very convenient. All the grammar you need to know for each level of the JLPT (N5- N2 only) is right there at your fingertips.

However, in my honest opinion, I feel that the JLPT material on their website isn’t enough to pass the test.

For levels N4 – N2, I would recommend that you purchase JLPT study guides and ONLY use the Japanesepod101 as a supplement.

For the N1 level, you will 100% need to use other resources to help you pass the test.

Since the JLPT N1 uses older grammar patterns that are more common in writing than in conversation, you won’t find some of these grammar patterns on the Japanesepod101 website.

This is because Japanesepod101 focuses more on useful Japanese you’ll hear and use in everyday situations. The last time I checked, 19 grammar patterns were being taught on Japanesepod101 for the JLPT N1 level.

I recommend the Sou Matome and Kanzen Master books. I have also used both these books for the N2 and N1.

Also, check out my “How to Pass the JLPT N2 on Your First Try” guide. While this post talks about the JLP