Best Apps for Learning Japanese (Intermediate/Advanced) / 中級〜上級者向け日本語学習アプリのおすすめ

English: Learning Japanese to an advanced level is challenging and usually requires a combination of tools and methods. Fortunately, many apps can help intermediate and advanced learners continue to progress—whether through structured lessons, fun gamified practice, or real conversations with native speakers. Below, we compare some of the best apps for intermediate-to-advanced Japanese learners, covering various learning approaches (from formal courses to game-like drills to conversation platforms). Both free and paid options are included, with a detailed look at each app’s pros and cons. We assign each app a star rating based on effectiveness, usability, price, and engagement. (Note: Most Japanese apps are aimed at beginners, but there are a few solid options for intermediate to advanced levels (Best Intermediate Japanese Apps: Our Top 6 Picks) )

日本語: 日本語を上級レベルまで習得するのは難しく、通常は複数の学習方法やツールを組み合わせる必要があります。幸いなことに、中級・上級者の学習を後押ししてくれるアプリが数多く存在しており、体系的なレッスン、ゲーム感覚の練習、ネイティブとの実践的な会話など様々なアプローチで学習を支援してくれます。本稿では、中級〜上級の日本語学習者に特に役立つ優秀なアプリを取り上げ、それぞれの特徴(構成立てられたコース、ゲーム型学習、会話プラットフォームなど)を比較します。無料で使えるものから有料のものまで含め、各アプリの長所と短所を詳しく解説します。また、効果、使いやすさ、価格、継続しやすさといった要素に基づき、各アプリに星評価を付けました。注記: 初心者向けのアプリが多い中で、中級以上に対応した信頼できる選択肢は限られています (Best Intermediate Japanese Apps: Our Top 6 Picks)

Structured Course Apps (体系的コース型のアプリ)

These apps offer a structured curriculum with sequential lessons, which is great for learners who want guided content with clear explanations. They typically introduce grammar points, vocabulary, and exercises in a progressive manner. Many have free basic content but offer more features via subscription.

これらのアプリは、明確な説明と順序立ったレッスンからなる「体系的なカリキュラム」を提供します。文法事項や語彙を段階的に導入し、練習問題を通じて定着させるスタイルで、ガイド付きの学習を望む学習者に最適です。基本的な内容は無料で利用できるものが多いですが、追加機能や全レッスンの利用にはサブスクリプション(有料版)が必要な場合もあります。

LingoDeer (リンゴディア)

English: LingoDeer is an app originally designed for Asian languages, including Japanese, and it provides comprehensive course-style lessons. It covers beginner through intermediate material with a strong focus on grammar explanations and native audio. The lessons are structured and cumulative, helping you learn hiragana/katakana, vocabulary, grammar, and sentences in a logical progression. Users often praise LingoDeer’s clear grammar notes and thorough instruction, which can give a deeper understanding compared to some other apps. The interface is friendly and slightly gamified (with a cute deer theme), making it engaging but still very much course-like rather than a full game. However, LingoDeer’s content only goes up to an intermediate level (around JLPT N4~N3), so truly advanced topics (e.g., very advanced grammar or professional vocabulary) are not covered. It’s best used to build a strong foundation up to intermediate. Also, while some content is free, full access requires a paid subscription (after a free trial or a few initial lessons). Overall, it’s a great app to solidify grammar and core skills for intermediate learners, but you may need to supplement it with other resources as you move to advanced levels (24 Best Apps for Learning Japanese: For Every Level & Budget)

Rating (評価): ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)

日本語: LingoDeer(リンゴディア) は日本語を含むアジア言語向けに開発されたアプリで、コース形式の包括的なレッスンを提供します。初級〜中級レベルの教材をカバーしており、文法の説明が丁寧でネイティブ音声も収録されています。ひらがな・カタカナから語彙、文法、例文へと論理的に積み上げ式で学べる構成になっており、他のアプリよりも深く文法を理解できると評判です。インターフェースは親しみやすく、かわいいシカのテーマなどややゲーム的な要素もあって楽しく学習できますが、基本的にはゲームというより「コース教材」といった趣です。一方で、LingoDeerの内容範囲は中級(日本語能力試験N4〜N3程度)までなので、真の上級レベル(高度な文法や専門的な語彙など)はカバーされていません。中級程度までの基礎力固めに最適なアプリであり、上級に進む際には他の教材で補う必要があるでしょう (24 Best Apps for Learning Japanese: For Every Level & Budget) また、一部の初歩的なレッスンは無料で試せますが、全てのコンテンツにアクセスするには有料のサブスクリプション登録が必要です。総じて、文法やコアスキルを中級レベルまでしっかり固めるのに優れたアプリですが、上級者には他のリソースとの併用が求められます (24 Best Apps for Learning Japanese: For Every Level & Budget)

評価: ★★★★☆ (5点満点中4点)

Busuu (ブズー)

English: Busuu is a popular language learning app that offers structured mini-lessons and a community component. For Japanese, Busuu provides a series of short lessons that introduce vocabulary and basic grammar, which is great for quick study sessions. Each lesson builds directly on the previous one, creating a clear learning path (24 Best Apps for Learning Japanese: For Every Level & Budget) Busuu is particularly engaging for beginner and intermediate learners, helping you cram useful words and phrases before a trip or as a refresher (24 Best Apps for Learning Japanese: For Every Level & Budget) One standout feature of Busuu is its community feedback system: if you subscribe to Busuu Premium, you can submit practice exercises (like writing or recorded speech) and get corrections and feedback from native Japanese speakers, and in return you can correct learners of your own native language (24 Best Apps for Learning Japanese: For Every Level & Budget) This peer review feature gives Busuu a conversational and practical edge, as you receive input on how people really use the language (24 Best Apps for Learning Japanese: For Every Level & Budget)

Busuu’s interface is clean and the lessons include quizzes and dialogue exercises. It feels less like a game and more like bite-sized class lessons, so while it’s not as “fun” as some gamified apps, it is efficient and straightforward. A downside is that Busuu’s Japanese course, while strong for lower levels, only goes up to a certain intermediate level – truly advanced topics or specialized language may not be covered. Also, the free version of Busuu gives access to only a limited amount of content; to unlock all lessons and get the full benefit (including the feedback feature), a paid subscription is required. In summary, Busuu is an excellent structured course for solidifying beginning through intermediate Japanese with the bonus of native feedback, but it won’t carry you entirely through advanced proficiency on its own.