日本語、頂上まで。
A true path to fluency. One structured course from your first hiragana to JLPT N1, built to be used with the anime, podcasts, and music you already love. Hard on purpose, never impossible.
A road, not a buffet
道 means road. Every unit follows the same handful of steps, and passing one unit unlocks the next, so you always know exactly what to do today and everything you meet was taught before.
Each unit opens with its vocabulary, ten kanji with mnemonics, and a dialogue that uses only what you have been taught. No lookups, no romaji.
Front-load the vocabulary into Anki and let spaced repetition carry it. When the words are automatic, the grammar suddenly reads easy.
From N4 on, every unit sends you into real Japanese with a clear mission, then gets your mouth moving with speaking drills.
A JLPT-format quiz closes every unit. Score 80% and the next one unlocks. Nothing here is timed, and you can retake anything.
Built the way you wish you had started
Most apps gamify a streak. Michi teaches a language, with the opinionated choices that actually make it stick.
Every sentence is machine-checked so no word or kanji ever appears before its lesson. You never need a dictionary mid-unit.
No romaji, ever. A short kana course gets you reading first, then furigana and tap-to-hear carry you the rest of the way.
Vocabulary lives in your own Anki. If you ever leave, the words you built go with you. That is the whole point.
Maria learns alongside you through every dialogue. Grammar sticks to people and places far better than it sticks to rules.
Each level ends in a JLPT-format mock exam, sectioned and scored like the real thing, built only from what you have learned.
Curated podcasts, YouTubers, reading, and speaking apps, with weekly missions that turn native Japanese into study you enjoy.
The bridge between textbook and immersion
Two camps rarely meet. Michi is built so they can learn side by side, each getting what they usually miss.
You have the structure and the grammar discipline. What Michi adds is the part textbooks skip: real immersion assignments, speaking drills, and native material you can actually enjoy, so the grammar leaves the page and becomes something you can hear and say.
You have the input and the motivation. What Michi adds is the spine: a checked order of grammar and vocabulary so nothing has gaps, kanji with mnemonics, and a clear sense of what you are ready for next, so your hours of listening finally have a map.
The note-taking nudge, the Anki checkpoint, the immersion missions: they are all there to get both kinds of learner speaking the same language, literally and figuratively.
Five levels. One line.
Each JLPT level is a set of sequenced units ending in a mock exam. Finish a level, or test out of it, and the next one opens. N5 and N4 are live today.
The honest answers
Do I need to know any Japanese to start?
No. Michi starts with a short kana course that gets you reading hiragana and katakana, then Unit 1 begins from absolute zero. If you already know some, a placement test drops you at the right unit.
Why no romaji?
Because romaji quietly stops real reading from ever forming. You learn to read Japanese by reading Japanese. New kanji always show their reading, and you can tap any word to hear it, so it is hard, not impossible.
Do I have to use Anki?
It is strongly recommended and the vocabulary checkpoint is built around it, but not forced. Every unit exports a deck, and once your cards mature the grammar gets much easier. A manual checkbox is there if you study another way.
Is this for textbook learners or self-study immersion learners?
Both, on purpose. Michi gives self-study learners the structure they usually lack, and gives textbook learners the immersion and output they usually skip. It is designed to be the bridge between the two.
Is it free?
The kana course and the first three units are free, and the whole thing is open for testing right now. Your progress saves in your browser, and an optional free account syncs it across devices.
The kana course and the first three units are free. No account needed, your progress saves in your browser.