Common Questions

The same format (a 12-week cohort, one lesson a day), but one level up. Core takes you from zero to a polite-form foundation (about JLPT N5); Plus moves from there toward casual speech and a wider range of verbs (about N4). Details are on the Janai Plus page.

Core starts from zero. Its first lesson assumes nothing. Plus picks up from a polite-form foundation (roughly JLPT N5), so it's the better fit if Core's patterns already look familiar.

No. Finishing Core is the natural way in, but if you got your foundation elsewhere and you're comfortable with polite-form basics (roughly JLPT N5), you're welcome. You can't be enrolled in both cohorts at the same time.

The start date is always shown on the Janai Core and Janai Pluspages. If enrollment isn't open yet, join the waitlist there and you'll be the first to know.

No. Each cohort has a set start date, so there's no joining partway through. If the timing doesn't work, join the waitlist on the Core or Plus page and you'll hear first when the next one opens.

Log in early and you'll see what you can do right now: the first open lessons, hiragana practice, and the community. The full curriculum unlocks on your cohort's start date.

One lesson a day plus a quick daily review, about 15 minutes, five days a week. That's the core; the videos and drills are there when you want to go deeper, at whatever pace suits you. Some lessons will take you a little longer, and that's normal, not falling behind.

All explanations are in English, and every Japanese sentence comes with furigana, romaji, and an English translation. The Slow Japanese videos give you real spoken Japanese to train your ear.

No. Nothing required runs at a set time. The lessons, checkpoints, and community notebook are all asynchronous, so it works across time zones and around your week. If a live event does come up, you'll find it in the Live section of your dashboard.

Nothing bad happens. The lessons wait for you, each one takes about 15 minutes, and you keep full access for 30 days after the cohort ends. Ma, bochi bochi ikoka.

You keep full access free for 30 days. After that you can continue as an alumni for $9/month (or $90/year). The curriculum continues past the cohort, so there's plenty ahead.

Yes. You can cancel yourself from your plan page, in full, up to 24 hours before your cohort starts. Within 24 hours of the start (0:00 Japan time on day one), the purchase is non-refundable.

Nothing is deleted. Your completed lessons, flashcards, and practice input stay attached to your account, and everything is exactly where you left it if you come back later.

Any level. Work through the curriculum together, clear up whatever's confusing, or just practice conversation. It adapts to your pace, your level, and how you like to learn.

Yes. They run independently and pair well with a cohort. The cohort gives you structure; the weekly session gives you Mana's full attention.

Over Zoom, from the Join button on your dashboard, or from the button on your 1-on-1 notes screen.

Missed sessions don't carry over and aren't refunded. Your slot simply runs weekly. If you know a week doesn't work in advance, you can change your weekly slot for the following weeks.

She adds that week onto the end of your package, so a session she cancels is never one you lose. Your paid time simply extends by a week.

Yes, from your plan page, subject to availability. Changes take effect the following Monday (Japan time). The current week's session stays as scheduled.

Sessions run at a fixed time in Japan Standard Time, which has no daylight saving. If your region observes DST, your local session time shifts by an hour when your clocks change. The booking page shows both times.

Nothing auto-charges. Your sessions and access run to your end date, then pause until you extend. Extending keeps your slot, and you can choose any length again. If you just want to keep the materials, you can continue as an alumni ($9/month or $90/year) for curriculum access.

Full refund up to 24 hours before your first session. Just message us from the contact page and we'll take care of it. After that a package is non-refundable, since it holds a standing weekly slot.

From your plan page, any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the period you've paid for, and you keep access until then.

Your plan page links to the secure Stripe billing portal, which shows your renewal date, invoices, and payment method.

It renews automatically on the renewal date shown on your plan page, in Japan time. To stop the next charge, cancel before that date — cancelling any time the day before (Japan time) is safely ahead of it. You keep access to the end of the period you've already paid for.

Not for you. If we ever change a subscription price, existing subscribers keep the price they signed up at. A change only applies to new subscriptions. (If you cancel and subscribe again later, the current price applies.)

All our emails come from support@janaischool.com. If one doesn't arrive, check your spam or promotions folder and mark it "not spam" so the rest come through. That's where they most often hide.

Yourself, any time: open the account menu in the top-right corner, then Manage account > Security > Delete account. Before deleting, cancel any active subscription yourself from your plan page. Your progress and personal data are then permanently deleted.