Japanese employers and language schools care about JLPT — N5 and N4 prove you can study, N3 unlocks part-time hospitality jobs, N2 unlocks office work, and N1 opens almost everything. Here's a sustainable path that doesn't burn you out.
Month 1–2: N5 foundations
Learn all of hiragana + katakana in week 1 (yes, both — anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something). Use a free app like Tofugu's kana mnemonics.
Then start Minna no Nihongo I or Genki I. Pace: 1 chapter per week. Mix in Anki for vocabulary (15 minutes a day, 25 new cards/day).
Month 3–4: N5 polish + start N4
Finish Minna I / Genki I. Sit a free BSSAJ N5 mock test from bssaj.org/mock-test — score 80%+ before moving on. Start Minna II / Genki II.
Month 5–7: N4
This is the longest stretch. Add So-Matome N4 (each book covers grammar, kanji, vocabulary in 6 weeks). Watch Japanese content with JA subtitles — anime, Terrace House, NHK Easy News.
Month 8–10: N3 grammar push
The grammar jump from N4 to N3 is real. Use Shin Kanzen Master Grammar N3. Read graded readers (level 2–3). Sit BSSAJ N3 mock tests every 2 weeks and review every wrong answer the same day.
Month 11–12: N3 exam prep
2 full mock tests per week. Time yourself strictly. Focus on weak areas. The official JLPT is in July and December — register 3 months in advance via JEES.
Daily routine that works
- 30 min new grammar from your textbook
- 15 min Anki vocabulary
- 15 min listening (podcast, NHK Easy, anime)
- 15 min reading (graded reader or NHK News Web Easy)
Total: 75 min / day, 6 days a week. That's the difference between people who pass and people who don't — consistent daily practice beats weekend marathon study.