Japanese is one language that requires us native English speakers put a lot of effort into. Here are some of the Japanese resources I have used and still do use that will be helpful for you. These can be used at various levels; some for beginners, and some for advanced.
In addition to these Japanese resources, you can check out articles on my website.
Learning to read and write
JapanesePod 101 – Specifically this video for hiragana
JapanesePod 101 – Specifically this video for katakana
Kanji Ninja (漢字忍者)
This is an app on the Japanese app store (iOS / Android), designed for kids, for which you need to make a Japanese app store account.
小学生の手書き漢字学習:ひとコマ漢字
An app on the Japanese app store (iOS / Android) made for Japanese children to practice Kanji. Good for review, not good for seeing these Kanji the first time.
Japanese Kanji & Kana: A Complete Guide to the Japanese Writing System
ISBN 978-4-8053-1116-5
My personal source of Kanji, containing all readings, stroke order, and a few examples that you already know the other components of
Wikipedia
This page on Wikipedia shows every Kanji you need to know. You could theoretically use this as your main list and find the readings and meaning elsewhere
Skritter
Learning Kanji all thought out for you: introduces stroke order, meaning, creates a curriculum. It’s also available on iOS and Android.
Wanikani
A website that introduces Kanji to you slowly and understandably, spacing out reviews with a spaced repetition system (SRS)
Grammar & Fundamentals
tofugu.com
Most important grammar points very deeply explained for English speakers. No furigana or romaji.
Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese
Most important grammar points plus advanced grammar explained well for English speakers. Includes furigana.
maggiesensei.com
Useful supplemental grammars, including fairly advanced grammar. Includes romaji.
Genki 1
ISBN 978-4-7890-1440-3
The textbook I used in university to learn Japanese from A1. Has basic explanations that work for the general population (though it can be a little weak for those who love abstract theoretical grammar words like me). Has a good curriculum that introduces good vocab and grammar matching your level.
Genki 2
ISBN 978-4-7890-1443-4
The second part of the textbook I used in university. A continuation of the grammar in Genki 1, but it’s entirely possible that you can start here if you are A2.
An integrated approach to Intermediate Japanese
ISBN 978-4-7890-1307-9
Another textbook I used in Japanese class at university, specifically 3rd year. Better for people like me, who like abstract theoretical grammatical explanations. Very dense with information. Fantastic for B1 or possibly B2 learners.
uTalk
(Disclosure: You can get this deal because of my affiliate status)
Get 30% off any purchase from uTalk. This is a good source of basic vocab. If you don’t want to find the critical vocab on your own through trial and error, uTalk can just give you all the vocab for a certain topic with memorization exercises, games, etc.
Glossika
(Disclosure: You can get this deal because of my affiliate status)
Get a 7-day free trial with my link. This is a AI generated language learning platform that can introduce you to sentences that expose you to grammar and vocab.
Sources of Input
Read Real Japanese – Short Stories by Contemporary Writers
ISBN 978-1-56836-617-3
Annotated Japanese stories. Native-level stories with annotations for most complicated sentences. Fantastic for B1 or B2.
Todai Reader / Easy Japanese
A website and iOS or Android app. Native-level Japanese news with great tools for learners like (optional) furigana and text-to-speech readings of the articles
NHK Plus
Free on-demand streaming service (Netflix clone) from Japan’s public broadcaster. Great for native-level listening content. There is also an iOS and Android app.
Warning: you must be in Japan or use a VPN to use this content. Also, you need a good enough Japanese level to sign up for the site, where it will ask you things like address (no confirmation necessary, just input a random address in Tokyo) and to go into settings to confirm you are not a bot regularly.
Surfshark VPN
(Disclosure: You can get this deal because of my affiliate status)
Get 82% off a Surfshark plan plus 2 months free with my link. Very useful for accessing Japanese resources and content on streaming platforms. Particularly, NHK Plus requires you to be in Japan to see their content.
TBS
One of the major Japanese broadcasters. Their website has videos, news, and livestreams.
TV Asahi Network
One of the major Japanese broadcasters. Their website has videos, news, and livestreams.
Nippon Television
One of the major Japanese broadcasters. Their website has videos, news, and livestreams.
Easy Japanese Conversation: NHK World-Japan
A podcast (with video versions on the Japanese public broadcaster website) featuring simple Japanese conversations to practice listening for A1/A2 levels. Also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts.
Easy Japanese Grammar: NHK World-Japan
A podcast (with video versions on the Japanese public broadcaster website) featuring Japanese grammar lessons to practice listening and improve grammar for A1/A2 levels. Also available on Apple Podcasts.
Japanese Learning Tools
jisho.org
A very good basic dictionary that I use. Simple and allows you to search for the right word. Personally, I use this for Japanese to English translations and the next two for English to Japanese translations.
Reverso
Great for many languages. Checks the internet for uses of your search in real context so that you can know you’re using it correctly. Also available on iOS and Android.
Yomiwa
Dictionary app with lots of good features. What drew me to this app was the picture to text function where you can take a picture of any Japanese text and convert it to text, helping immensely for searching unknown Kanji. Available on iOS or Android.
Pitch Accent Dictionary
A very useful tool to look up the pitch accent of almost any word and any conjugation of any verb.
italki
(Disclosure: You can get this deal because of my affiliate status)
Get $10 in italki credits after spending $20. italki is a fantastic platform to find Japanese tutors based on your needs. You can find a professional teacher with a strict curriculum, a casual teacher with whom you can have comfortable conversations, or a non-native teacher that can explain the fundamentals in your native language.