Best for: Free beginner course with audio
NHK World's free Easy Japanese course: short audio lessons built around a story, each teaching one key phrase, with text, grammar notes and quizzes.
Erin's Challenge: free video series from the Japan Foundation following a student in Japan, with lessons on everyday phrases and culture.
Gamified language app with a Japanese course built on short daily lessons. Free with ads; the paid plan removes ads and adds extra practice features.
GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese, published by The Japan Times. Two textbooks (Genki I and II) with matching workbooks take beginners through grammar, conversation, reading, writing and kanji. The official site has free extra resources and audio.
