About Minna Nihongo
Last updated: September 26, 2026
Minna Nihongo (minnanihongo.com) is a free online Japanese-learning website for self-learners preparing for JLPT N5 through N1. We publish structured courses, interactive quizzes, timed mock tests, a lesson library, daily easy Japanese news, kanji lookup with stroke-order animation, a placement test, peer speaking practice, and long-form study guides.
Our goal is practical, consistent study — not empty templates or a brochure site. Every published lesson, study guide, and mock-test description is readable without an account; a free optional login adds progress tracking, streaks, enrollments, quiz scoring, and speaking match.
Who we are
Minna Nihongo is built and operated by a small team of Japanese-language learners and software developers based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We started as self-learners who needed reliable practice materials online, then turned those tools into a public site so other learners could use them too.
Day-to-day work is led by the Minna Nihongo Editorial Team: we plan curricula against JLPT skill bands, write and review study guides, maintain lesson and quiz content, and fix product issues reported by learners. For privacy or support questions, email vjsoft.contact@gmail.com or use our Contact page. Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
What you can study
Published courses cover vocabulary, grammar, kanji, reading, and listening from beginner through advanced bands. Each lesson page includes explanations, example sentences, and practice — not placeholder cards. Quizzes give instant scoring and explanations; full-length JLPT and NAT mock tests mirror exam section structure with timers.
New learners can start with the free placement test, browse courses and the lesson library, practise on quizzes, or open timed JLPT mock tests. The study-guide blog publishes roadmaps, exam strategy, and how-to articles written for this site.
Editorial standards
We treat study guides and curriculum pages as original educational content. Before publishing a guide we check: (1) a clear learner question and direct answer near the top, (2) concrete study steps or examples, (3) internal links to matching practice pages (courses, quizzes, mocks, placement), and (4) a review pass for accuracy and tone.
Lesson and quiz items are curated for JLPT-aligned goals and updated when we find errors or learner feedback. Where a course title names a well-known textbook series, that name identifies the study sequence learners are following — see Independence below for our relationship with those publishers.
Content quality on the blog is tracked internally (keep / rewrite / noindex tiers) so thin or outdated pages can be improved or de-emphasized rather than left to confuse learners or crawlers.
Cornerstone study guides
If you are new here, start with these long-form guides — they explain how we recommend studying, not just what buttons to click:
- The Complete Japanese Learning Roadmap for Absolute Beginners — A full-path overview from zero Japanese to a sustainable JLPT study habit — skills order, tools, and how to avoid common beginner traps.
- JLPT N5 Study Roadmap for Absolute Beginners — A practical N5 plan: what to study each week, how much vocabulary and kanji to aim for, and how to check progress with quizzes and mock tests.
Browse more on the Japanese learning blog.
Independence and transparency
Minna Nihongo is an independent educational project. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by 3A Corporation, the Minna no Nihongo textbook series, the Japan Foundation, or other exam/textbook brands. Product and exam names are used for descriptive identification only.
To keep the site free, some public pages may show advertisements from Google AdSense and Adsterra. Ads are disclosed on our Privacy Policy. We do not sell learner personal data.
Contact
Questions, corrections, or partnership inquiries: Contact page or vjsoft.contact@gmail.com. We usually reply within 2–3 business days. Thank you for learning with us — 一緒に日本語を学びましょう!