Janai Japanese

日本語を教える日本人の備忘録。

Notes, explanations, and shortcuts
from a Japanese teacher.

Courses

🏃‍♂️ One clear path to Japanese.

Jump Start
Expand

Videos

🎧 Watch alongside the core path.

Chat — Guided
Gohan — Raw

Practice Dojo

🥋 Focused practice when needed.

Chotto matte ne.

Backyard

🪴 Questions, play, community, events. Drop by anytime.

Podcast Archive

What is Janai Japanese?

After 6 years of teaching Japanese and more than 7,000 lessons, I started to notice certain patterns:
which order makes learning easier, what actually helps (and what doesn’t), and where learners tend to get stuck.

I didn’t want to keep that to myself, so I put it together here — a place to learn Japanese for speaking, at your own pace, without getting lost.

Janai Japanese is a quiet guidepost. You can come back here whenever you’re not sure what to do next with your Japanese.

From zero to the beginner or intermediate stage, use it lightly and move forward.

How we learn

  1. Small steps, part of daily life.

    日常に取り入れて、一歩ずつ。

  2. Input first. We learn by copying.

    全てはインプットから。言葉はまねて育つ。

  3. Belong before you understand.

    わからなくても、すでに一員。

Learn Japanese

Full access to all content with a Janai Japanese membership.

(Founding price — yours as long as you stay)

Janai Japanese Member
$18.90
Every month
$189.00
Every year


✓ Unlimited access to all resources
✓ Access to all future content included
✓ Cancel anytime

*By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

What’s included

  • 📚 Unlimited Access to All Content


    ✓ Jump Start Course
    ✓ Expand Course
    ✓ Videos Chat
    ✓ All future updates

  • 🔧 Learning Tools


    ✓ Progress tracking
    ✓ Interactive vocabulary pop-ups
    ✓ Audio playback

  • ☀️ Peace of Mind


    ✓ 14-day money-back guarantee for annual subscriptions
    ✓ Cancel anytime

Mana

Creator of Janai Japanese

Teaching Japanese online since 2020.
Taught 7,000+ lessons to 700+ learners around the world.

With both a learner’s perspective and teaching experience, I’m here to help you build real, usable Japanese.

My Background

  • Grew up in near Kobe

  • Certified Japanese teacher, former office worker

  • Spent a year in Mexico

  • Learning English, Spanish, French, and Chinese

  • Hobbies: traveling, cooking, walks, piano, tennis

  • Big fan of tacos

About Janai School

Janai School is a small studio exploring language and food to see the world differently.

Learn More