The Complete Roadmap for Learning to Read Manga in Japanese

Below is a guide I’ve put together to help you go from zero to learning to read Japanese manga, including how long each step should take. If you’re a total beginner, start at Step 1. If you’re already on your way, go to the step that makes sense for you.

What Does This Guide Cover?

This guide is optimized to get you the knowledge you need to start reading manga in Japanese as soon as possible. That’s it!

To do this, I’ll cover:

1. how to start reading the Japanese syllabaries hiragana and katakana
2. how to obtain fundamental grammar so you can start putting sentences together
3. how to learn kanji in a sustainable way that will actually help you read, and
4. how to rapidly acquire a core vocabulary to make reading manga approachable

As you might have guessed, these are the four steps covered in the guide. To learn the approach I advocate for each step, click the buttons at the top of this page.

What Does This Guide NOT Cover?

This guide is focused on helping you comprehend written Japanese, as that’s all you need to start reading manga.

This means this guide will NOT be covering:

1. how to master pitch accents when speaking so you sound like a native
2. how to communicate with survival Japanese on your upcoming trip to Japan
3. how to write kanji out by hand so your handwriting is legible, or
4. how to start understanding spoken Japanese when spoken at native speed

These are all fine goals to have, but they are just beyond the scope of this guide. If you’re interested in my take on these or other aspects of learning Japanese or language learning in general, sign up for the Ashiba newsletter.

Who Is This Guide For?

This guide is for busy and self-motivated people with an interest in reading manga in the original Japanese.

Busy: This guide provides a learning approach that will work no matter how little time you think you have. If you value your time, this guide is for you.

Self-Motivated: This guide will teach you the way to get the knowledge you need to start reading manga in Japanese. But acquiring this knowledge requires a commitment from your end to study almost daily for multiple months. If you don’t need a classroom environment to get the motivation to learn, this guide is for you.

What Happens Once I Complete All The Steps?

Once you complete the roadmap, you will have what it takes to start reading manga. That doesn’t mean reading manga in Japanese will be easy, especially starting out. But you will have what you need to succeed!

I will be updating this site to teach you how to transition to reading manga in Japanese. If you want to be notified when these updates take place, sign up for the Ashiba newsletter.

How Long Will It Take?

I estimate the time it takes to go from Step 1 through Step 4 in bands, depending on how much time you have. Note that some steps can be done in parallel, notably Steps 3 and 4:

Step 1 – Learning the Kana
estimated time: 2 – 4 weeks
prerequisite: none

Step 2 – Learning Basic Grammar
estimated time: 6 – 12 months
prerequisite: Step 1

Step 3 – Learning the Kanji
estimated time: 6 – 12 months
prerequisite: Step 1

Step 4 – Learning Common Words
estimated time: 6 – 12 months
prerequisite: Step 1 and at least completion of Genki 1 in Step 2
recommended: completion of all of Step 2

If you want to go as fast as possible, you can start Step 2 and Step 3 directly after completing Step 1, then start Step 4 once you have completed Genki I in Step 2.
You will be reading manga in Japanese in less than one year at this rate.

If you want to go at my recommended pace, then go through Step 1 and Step 2 at the rate that makes sense with your schedule. For most working adults, that means taking one year to complete Step 1 and Step 2. I then recommend working Step 3 and Step 4 simultaneously.
You will be reading manga in Japanese in about two years at this rate.

If you want to go as sustainably as possible, take each step in order, take the slowest pace, and do not move on to the next step until you complete the prior step.
You will be reading manga in Japanese in about three years at this rate.