Level 0: How This Course Works

The metro map, the six lines, the gates and 30 minutes a day.

Video: Learn Japanese in 30 Minutes a Day (Free Course) | Japanese N5 Speedrun #0 · 8 min. Coming soon on YouTube.

What you’ll learn

The metro map

37 stations from absolute zero to basic Japanese (the JLPT N5 level). Your train leaves from E-00: right here.

Six lines, E to S

Each rank is a line: Onigiri (E) read Japanese · Sushi (D) first sentences · Matcha (C) verbs and places · Ramen (B) describe, want, compare · Sakura (A) plain forms · Fuji (S) connect, review, final challenge.

Five transfer gates

Levels 7, 13, 19, 24 and 31 are transfer stations with a guardian. 20 questions; get 14 right and you change to the next line.

The Dragon Gate

Level 36 is the terminal: the final challenge at the Dragon Gate. The name comes from a real word, 登竜門 (tōryūmon): the gateway to success.

30 minutes a day

15 minutes of video + 15 of homework: cards, mini test, three sentences in the comments. Better than 3 hours on Sunday.

Cards that know you

Your cards come back right before you’d forget them. Be honest with the buttons: Again is not a failure.

The trap

Don’t lie to the cards

Press Easy only when the answer came instantly. If you press Easy and fail the same card tomorrow… Mikan will know.

Easy: I knew it instantly, zero effort.
Again: I forgot. Totally fine: the card comes back soon.

Mini test

5 questions. Get 4 right and the level’s mini test box ticks itself.

Homework for the comments

Tell us in the comments: why do you want to learn Japanese? Three sentences — in English for now.

Example: I love anime. I want to visit Kyoto. I want to read manga without translations.