This was ChatGPT’s response (lightly edited, comments added) to a late night prompt:
I want to start learning Japanese. Right now. What should I do?
If you want to start right now, do this—in order. Don’t overthink it.
Step 1 (15–30 min): Learn the sounds + hiragana
Ed: I believe the intent here was to spend 15-30 minutes introducing yourself to the basic sounds of Japanese, and to then begin the process of learning to read hiragana, with perfect recall over time. You should be able to achieve perfect recall in a week or less.
Japanese pronunciation is regular; get it right first.
- Watch a 5–10 min pronunciation video (any basic intro is fine).
- Start hiragana immediately.
Use one of these (pick one):
- Tofugu Hiragana Guide – fast, accurate, no fluff
- Duolingo – acceptable only for kana at the start
👉 Goal today: recognize all hiragana, not perfect recall.
Step 2 (20 min): Your first real grammar
Skip “phrases” and memes. Learn structure early.
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Read Tae Kim’s Guide, sections:
- The Writing System (skim katakana)
- Basic Grammar (particles は / が, copula です)
Resource:
- Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese
👉 This teaches how Japanese actually works, not tourist Japanese.
Step 3 (10–15 min): Start spaced repetition (non-negotiable)
If you don’t do this, you will quit in 2–3 weeks.
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Install Anki
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Add:
- Hiragana deck
- Very small vocab deck (10–15 words)
👉 Never “cram”. Daily, boring, effective.
Step 4 (Optional today, mandatory this week): Katakana
Ed: It seems a stretch to start learning to read katakana in the same week that you are learning hiragana. No doubt some people can do it but I suggest wrapping up hiragana first, and then do a week’s worth of recall exercises before you try tackling katakana.
Katakana is easier once hiragana is familiar.
- Same approach, same tools.
- Brands, loanwords, names—very high ROI.
Step 5 (As soon as possible): Structured beginner path
Pick one and commit.
- Genki I – if you like textbooks and exercises
- NHK World – Easy Japanese – excellent audio-first beginner material
Do not stack five courses. One path, daily progress.
Daily minimum (30 minutes)
- 10 min Anki
- 10 min kana / vocab
- 10 min grammar or listening
Consistency beats intensity.