Top 10 Instagram Accounts to Learn Japanese (PLUS 2 Bonus Entries)

Learn Japanese on Instagram // 10 Killer Accounts

Did you know you can actually learn Japanese on Instagram?!

After viewing these super Insta accounts, you’ll see exactly how that is true.

The web is full of excellent learning resources these days.

Learning languages has never been easier. Maybe accessible is a better word!!

Instagram is becoming home to thousands of studygram accounts and thousands of budding teachers who make their name on Instagram (and also Tiktok).

With so many out there you might wonder who the best ones are.

That’s where we come in! We live languages (LTL stands for LIVE the LANGUAGE after all) and we are lucky enough to be able to spend hours scouting out our favourite teachers and accounts.

Today we give you 10 amazing accounts to learn Japanese on Instagram, plus a couple of BONUS accounts to finish with!

Learn Japanese on Instagram #1 | @nihongo_layla

Learn Japanese on Instagram #2 | @japanesetanner

Learn Japanese on Instagram #3 | @kayojapaneselesson

Learn Japanese on Instagram #4 | @studyin.japanese

Learn Japanese on Instagram #5 | @learn_japanese_with_tanaka_san

Learn Japanese on Instagram #6 | @japanese_basic_study

Learn Japanese on Instagram #7 | @nihongodekita

Learn Japanese on Instagram #8 | @risakojasmine

Learn Japanese on Instagram #9 | @miku_real_japanese

Learn Japanese on Instagram #10 | @sakijapaneselessons

BONUS ENTRY #1 | @theasianenthusiast

BONUS ENTRY #2 | @ltl_japanese

Learn Japanese on Instagram | FAQ’s

Learn Japanese on Instagram | @nihongo_layla

FOLLOW | @nihongo_layla

We’ve already waxed lyrical about Layla so there’s no need for us to go repeating ourselves but we will give you a quick insight into her account.

Layla is just about everywhere on the Japanese hashtag searches. Her smiley, welcoming persona fits Instagram perfectly and her content is expertly put together.

Whereas textbooks teach us one thing… Layla tells us how natives in Japan really speak.

She only started her account in November 2020 and already boasts huge numbers.

Clearly many followers agree with us!

Layla even has time to create further content for her ever growing Youtube channel also.

She’s a must-follow on the Gram!

To see our full review on Layla’s account, and why we think she’s #1, check this out…

Best Instagram Account to Learn Japanese?🏆Our Winner Is…

Best Instagram Account to Learn Japanese is… This isn’t a paid promotion, this is our team debating the best resource on Instagram to learn Japanese.

Learn Japanese on Instagram | @japanesetanner

FOLLOW | @japanesetanner

Tanner is a Japanese American who caught our eye with his eye-catching profile page.

Striking colour combinations always works and it helps when the captions are equally click-worthy.

Tanner’s account would file more under the humour category, but there’s still ample opportunities to learn, as well as laugh along with his profile.

He teaches useful things like:

• How to find a language partner
• Cultural differences between Japan and the West
• Things NOT to do when learning Japanese

As he lives in America his English is absolutely spot on.

Tanner also often likes to go live so you’ve got ample opportunities to ask him questions and interact with his channel.

Overall the channel has a very “tiktok” feel to it, with lots of quick, snappy videos that’ll have you laughing… but hey, it’s always important to enjoy learning so we loved Tanner’s channel for this very reason alone!

Is it the best learning channel for Japanese, no. Is it worth a follow? Most definitely yes!

Learn Japanese on Instagram | @kayojapaneselesson

FOLLOW | @kayojapaneselesson

Kayo, like Layla, is from Kyoto, and also like Layla, boasts very large follower numbers on her channel.

You’ll see from Kayo’s posts she gets stuck right into learning with flashcards and captions.

She covers innately useful topics and has a habit of picking the ones she knows will cause foreigners problems.

FOR EXAMPLE – I am a beginner student in Japanese myself and I’ve found certain Hiragana and Katakana to prove incredibly confusing (see the image above)

Kayo covers these with useful graphics and explanations. For example ン and ソ or シ and ツ.

She specialises in Japanese Calligraphy so it’s no wonder she has plenty of wisdom to impart.

A must-follow especially for beginners.

Learn Japanese on Instagram | @studyin.japanese

FOLLOW | @studyin.japanese

Unfortunately, this super account was the victim of an Instagram hacking and at 60,000 followers strong, they surrendered their excellent account.

Did they give up? Of course not – they’re back for more.

They still produce excellent content and there’s no question they’ll be back up to the tens of thousands in no time!

@studyin.japanese features a number of friends who come together to teach Japanese in a very casual, relaxed and humorous format.

One of the main characters of this account is Yena, who is actually Korean and has lived and studied in Japan for a number of years. Along with Japanese native Nori and others, she creates fun and entertaining content that can be enjoyed by Japanese learners of all levels.

As with many learn Japanese on Instagram accounts, they veer away from textbook style learning and teach you content spoken on the streets and with friends. The good stuff we all really want to learn!

Yena also runs a Youtube channel as well and has a good 6,000 subscribers. Here’s an example of one of her videos, with her Japanese native speaking friend Micchan.

Learn Japanese on Instagram | @learn_japanese_with_tanaka_san

FOLLOW | @learn_japanese_with_tanaka_san

One thing that instantly caught my eye with this account was the Bio…

“A tiny sushi teaches you easy Japanese.” – I liked that a lot!

Whilst many accounts like to show faces and provide video, Tanaka uses these adorable illustrations to help get her point across.

Topics are wide and varied which can include:

• Teaching methods for remembering Kanji
• Learning about Japanese holidays
• Proverbs
• Onomatopoeia

…and a whole lot more!

Tanaka’s Linktree shows how active and dedicated she is with her very own merchandise for sale alongside a Youtube channel where her little characters come to life.

A really well branded and presented channel that’s definitely worth keeping your eyes on.

Learn Japanese on Instagram | @japanese_basic_study_

FOLLOW | @japanese_basic_study

Speaking of beautifully illustrated accounts…

Instagram accounts don’t get more colourful than this!

Whereas @learn_japanese_with_tanaka_san offers a “less is more” approach with lots of white space, @japanese_basic_study_, run by Chikako and Penta is incredibly vibrant and full of colour.

Chikako also runs a Manga Instagram account which tells us exactly where her skills lie. Her ability with pen and paper is exemplary and an ideal resource for learning Japanese on Instagram.

Posts come in little storyboards and whilst there is no audio, which might be a nice addition in future, they are a pleasure to follow and a great way to learn.

Chikako even has a website where you can get to know her work more.

We really liked her quote “Because learning Japanese is easy if you’re having fun doing it” which is planted right in the middle of the homepage. We agree wholeheartedly!

If you’re an artsy individual – this account might well be a favourite for you.

Learn Japanese on Instagram | @nihongodekita

FOLLOW | @nihongodekita

If you like to follow the accounts with the biggest numbers of followers to verify their quality, then Sayaka’s account is one of the biggest out there.

With well over 200,000 followers, this account is the largest in terms of followers on our list.

Sometimes, that doesn’t always transfer to engagement, but in Sayaka’s case it most certainly does.

She’s as active as any Japanese Instagram account, and is regularly in touch with her followers, providing fresh content and feedback.

Her posts get thousands of views and likes and is clearly one of the most well respected Japanese IG accounts there is.

What’s even more impressive, she recently set up a Japanese learning community on Vibely here.

This is a subscription service where you gain access to a multitude of resources which you can see here.

A huge thumbs up for the work Sayaka puts in, without doubt, a must follow for Japanese learners.

Learn Japanese on Instagram | @risakojasmine

FOLLOW | @risakojasmine

Risako is another teacher on Instagram with an entrepreneurial mind.

So much so in fact, she opened her own school in London!

Her schools account is significantly smaller in size, but it’s her teacher account we want to draw your attention to.

Like a number of other accounts we’ve listed. Risako likes getting on camera and speaking, giving us students the perfect chance to mimic their spoken behaviour.

What she does quite smartly in the videos is speaks, and then gives us a second to repeat after her.

With the format of IG videos you cannot pause them which means sometimes you have to re-watch over and over. Here we have an immediate chance to imitate Risako.

Once again, we also have a Youtube account to follow as well, with well over 3,000 subscribers and counting. Her channel includes plenty of interesting content including this one…

Learn Japanese on Instagram | @miku_real_japanese

FOLLOW | @miku_real_japanese

Another Japanese account, and another forward thinking superstar it seems!

Miku, not only runs an Instagram account with 50,000+ followers but even created her own product from scratch – Miku Real Japanese Masterclass.

Her account bio states “I’m Miku and my mission is to connect Japan with the world. I want to teach you how to speak real Japanese we actually use!”

This is a lovely quote and exactly what we believe in here at LTL also. Connecting cultures, connecting languages and connecting people!

Whilst her account doesn’t boast the catchy/branded thumbnails of some of the others, the content remains strong and engaging.

She uses her channel to teach things like:

• Differences between formal and informal Japanese
• New phrases
• Slang

What’s quite cool about Miku’s account is that she is certainly not scared to play various characters which involves getting dressed up and attaching the odd wig or facial hair 😂

Top marks for effort!

Learn Japanese on Instagram | @sakijapaneselessons

FOLLOW | @sakijapaneselessons

You’re now becoming spoilt for choice! Saki is another certified Japanese teacher who interacts and posts regularly on her Japanese Instagram account.

As with many of our other entries she also juggles her time maintaining an entertaining and informative Youtube channel.

Here is one of the videos that show the style of video she posts.

Her explanations are incredibly clear and as with many of the other teachers on the Gram, she spends a lot of time teaching stuff you wouldn’t find in the textbook.

You are fast seeing this to be a theme with Japanese teachers on Instagram.

This is particularly useful in Japanese given the fact there is a formal, and informal way to learn many sentences.

Whilst it’s important to know both, when you speak day-to-day a lot of your textbook phrases aren’t used – which is why learning Japanese on Instagram is so useful!

Saki boasts impressive numbers on Instagram, with almost 100,000 followers at the time of writing, alongside thousands of on Tiktok as well!

She’s busy, but it’s all to our benefit as Japanese language students!

BONUS #1 | @theasianenthusiast

FOLLOW | @theasianenthusiast

Now this isn’t a learning account per-say but there was no way we were completing this article without a mention for @theasianenthusiast AKA Happi!

Happi’s name (and also her alias) could not be more fitting!

This is someone who absolutely lives and breathes Asian culture (with a huge smile) and my words doesn’t she show it!

Happi speaks not only Japanese, but Korean and Mandarin too – and trust us, she speaks them damn well!

You’ll see in the image above she colour codes her Japanese, Korean and Chinese posts so you can follow your language of preference. We recommend watching them all though!

Her channel is a wonderfully entertaining insight into her life and times where she utilises the 3 aforementioned languages at every given chance.

She is most certainly not shy, and absolutely loves facing a challenge!

Rather than us say anymore, check out her Instagram, and also her Youtube here. This video is a good start… You won’t regret it!

And… to top it all off, Happi EVEN has the time to write articles for us, which we’re so happy about, given her vast knowledge of life in Asia.

One of our favourites is her comparison of learning Chinese vs Japanese vs Korean and which is REALLY the hardest.

Find out which she picks here…

Japanese vs Korean vs Chinese | Which Is Really The Hardest?

Thinking about learning an East Asian language and don’t know which one to go for? Japanese vs Korean vs Chinese – it’s a tough choice right?!

BONUS #2 | @ltl_japanese

FOLLOW | @ltl_japanese

We wouldn’t be much of a school if we didn’t have our own Japanese Insta account would we?!

Whilst our account is admittedly new and lacks the numbers of our friends above, we are a school and we know what students want to see.

We love posting all kinds of content which include:

• Infographics
• Slang
• Useful phrases
• Guides to the Japanese alphabets

… and a whole lot more!

We’ve spent some time speaking to some of the accounts above and we’ll be running plenty of collaborations and IG Lives with some of them! Not only that, but we’ve got some amazing ideas for future content as well, so watch this space.

So, there we have it. A load of Japanese Instagram accounts you need to follow now!

What do you think? Do you believe it’s possible to learn Japanese on Instagram? Did we miss out your favourite account?

Drop us a comment below and we’ll reply to each and every one of you!

Happy studying!

BONUS – Are you studying Chinese too, and love following your favourite Instagram accounts? Check out our top 12 accounts for learning Chinese on Instagram here.

Learn Japanese on Instagram | FAQ’s

Want More From LTL?

WANT TO LEARN JAPANESE? Check out our online Japanese courses here.

We offer a 7-day free trial to all new students where you can study 24/7.

What about studying Japanese in Japan instead? We’ve got your back. Our Japanese courses in Tokyo can either be taken in small groups of no more than 5 students or individually for a more tailored experience.

We even offer incredible homestay experiences in Tokyo as well.

Come and be a part of this amazing community.