TheJapanShop.com (thejapanshop.com) has a 5.0 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 61 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Education & Training and its reputation is excellent. Praise is nearly unanimous, with 100% rating it 4 stars or higher. Last updated 2026-08-10.
What people say
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Nicholas Robinson · 1 review · Experienced 2026-08-03 ·
★★★★★
Above and beyond
JapanShop (and MakotoPlus) are so good that if they didn't exist someone would have to invent them. Fortunately for Japanese learners everywhere, someone already did. Great products and customer service that goes above and beyond. One of the few companies in the world I would (if possible) give a 6 star review.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-08-03
Thank you, Nicholas! That's super kind of you to say. We really appreciate it and are thrilled you enjoy what we enjoy doing (making content)!
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Erik · 18 reviews · Experienced 2026-08-01 ·
★★★★★
Great way to learn Japanese.
Great way to learn Japanese.
Clay & Yumi offer a wide range of documents and video's to learn Japanese. Very kind and understanding (as Japanese is rather difficult to learn).
Fast replies and I took a lifetime subscription and am very happy with it. Loads of Japanese to go through (wish I had more time in a day).
Big recommendation if you want to learn Japanese (and are English speaking).
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-08-02
Thank you, Erik! That's super kind of you. We appreciate you very much and if you have suggestions for content you'd like to see on Makoto+, just let me know.
Clay
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Kev T · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-01 ·
★★★★★
New Makoto app provides refreshing access to library of Japanese learning resources.
The recent refresh of almost all of the massive teaching catalogue, and changing the pedagogical method have in my case at least led to improvement in rate of success and retention of Japanese language skills and knowledge. Rolling out the new mobile app over some months has allowed staged updates to content and learning options and user confidence as a result. The Makoto app also has new short, sharp, cultural exercises every month that users can simply learn or drill down in detail to pronunciation, Kanji character or word levels. This adds a level of fun and challenge to each element.
Beyond this, the app has several other layers to content including all the legacy magazines and separately purchased learning packs.
I personally still prefer the Laptop wide screen to explore these materials so that I get a better view to practice reading skills and larger furigani pronunciation guides for the Kanji. There’s a lot of other app features I’ve yet to explore such a flashcards, and Kanji study guide. Access to the authors to give personal feedback and simple troubleshooting is a welcome and easy feature of the whole library of materials.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-31
Thank you! Glad you like the app, but I'm like you, I often prefer bigger screens. Still, it's easier to pull out the phone for a quick study session pretty much anywhere. We'll keep improving both the web and the app. Now that we have the core functionality and data done, the fun stuff can be added. :)
Thank you!
Clay
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Elena · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-07-31 ·
★★★★★
Amazing service
Amazing service. Even after years I've bought something, I receive updated materials of a bundle
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-31
Thank you! Yes, a long time ago, I decided the digital bundles had to have free lifetime updates if only to cover my embarrassing mistakes! :) Glad you've been with us through the years. If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out.
Clay
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Brian Obee · 14 reviews · Experienced 2025-11-30 ·
★★★★★
Great couple always helpful
Great couple always helpful. I have found all the product that i have purchased to be both interesting and help in my decision to learn Japanese. thank you Clay and Yumi. best regards Brian
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-30
Thank you, Brian! I'm thrilled to hear the material is helping. If you have any questions or suggestions, you know how to reach us!
Clay
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Jame · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-29 ·
★★★★★
My Review of The Japan Shop and System
I have ordered several things from The JapanesePage, The Japan Shop, MakotoPlus, and recently, Makoto Press, all family owned and operated by Clay & Yumi Boutwell.
Every one of those are extremely excellent materials and very generous quantity for learning Japanese.
I like the way this couple run their business, very generous even for free members which is the exact opposite that is usually encountered.
The customer service from this couple is off the charts, I have never encountered such a down-to-earth company before that goes to the lengths these people go to to take care of their customers.
It most assuredly rates 10 stars out of 5. You won't be sorry for checking them out.
And I forgot to mention I was a free member for awhile, but I saw a massive potential for learning from them since Yumi is native-born-and-raised pure Japanese and makes sure that everything is perfect. So I wound up purchasing a Shogun membership, and have not regretted it.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-29
Jame, thank you! Reviews like this are what keeps us going! Yumi will be especially happy to see her quality-checking got a shout-out. Thanks for trusting us with your Japanese studies.
Clay & Yumi
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Philippe Mius d'Entremont · 1 review · Experienced 2026-05-12 ·
★★★★★
Good prices and very good products!!
Good prices and very good products!!! Very satisfied.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-30
Awesome! Thank you so much and I'm thrilled to hear you are satisfied. Let me know if you have any suggestions or questions.
Clay
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Greg · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-16 ·
★★★★★
Great Products to Learn Japanese
Great products for learning to speak, read, and listen to Japanese, as well as good prices and prompt service. Highly recommended.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-28
Thank you so much! If there's ever something you'd like to see us cover, just say the word.
Clay
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Tabea K · 1 review · Experienced 2026-03-23 ·
★★★★★
All around amazing!
Great communication, great materials for studying Japanese. I cannot recommend enough! Especially in connection with the subscription service Makoto+ (though that is of course not necessary for the purchased product)
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-28
Thank you, Tabea. Glad Makoto works well with the bundles. That's been our goal for the past two years: get all our various resources to play nicely together. The mobile app was the key.
Clay
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Jan · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-26 ·
★★★★★
I am using TheJapanShop.com learning bundles for years
I am using TheJapanShop.com learning materials for years now, moving from N5 to N4 in the process. Most prominent feature of their learning bundles is that they are constantly updated. I also very appretiate the way they explain different topics (not only grammar, but cultural references as well).
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-28
N5 to N4 is real progress. Congratulations! The updates and the cultural notes are the parts that take the most time on our end, so it's genuinely encouraging to hear those are the parts you value. Here's to N3.
Clay
I love using this site to get the educational things I need to further my study of the Japanes language. And I can't wait to get more.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-28
Thank you, Jeromy. More is on the way. We're rarely short on ideas, just on hours. Glad it's helping.
Clay
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Loves Red · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-05-19 ·
★★★★★
Genuine service with a caring attitude
The Japan Shop has been the luckiest find for me on my journey learning Japanese. I've become a Shogun lifetime member. I love the monthly magazine. The digital learning bundles are good value for money, especially for someone like me living in Australia where exchange rates and postage make physical textbooks a very expensive option. All of this is backed by real people with real experiences that they share on a regular basis via email. The emails are always interesting and, in themselves usually offer a tidbit of learning. If there is ever an issue, such as with a subscription, Clay himself worked on it for me - even though it was well in the middle of the night for him! The book club deal that they have where you can buy one of their physical books for credit off digital bundles is also good. The books are available from Amazon, which we do have in Australia too, ha ha ha, and have been an affordable way to obtain hard copies of books that are good for learning but can also be treasured. Being an oldie, I like physical books. I've also purchased other products from The Japan Shop, such as T-Shirts, which have always been of good quality and the orders have always arrived on time and in good condition. Given the lived experience Clay and Yumi have of the Japanese culture, the slogans on the T-Shirts perfectly fit the subtle humour of the Japanese culture, so you can't go wrong with them if you want to buy one for someone living in Japan!
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-26
Thank you! Digital is so nice. No postage, instant delivery, and easy to update. Thanks for being here.
Clay & Yumi
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Aq · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-04-21 ·
★★★★★
Great quality, wonderful support
The materials are interesting and entertaining. They are backed up by copious and clear explanations of vocabulary and grammar. If you need further support or information, or if you encounter a problem, whatever you need is an email away. I have always received a rapid and helpful response to any queries.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-26
Thank you! A fun text is wasted if you can't actually decode it, so the vocab and grammar breakdowns get as much love as the stories themselves. Glad it's working for you. Thanks for being here.
Clay & Yumi
The materials provided by this shop are super diverse and cater to every learning need and affinity.
Once bought you always benefit from updates and hell theres a lot of them! They really continuously work on giving even more services, better quality materials etc.. I think JapanShop + Makoto are a onestop shop for selflearners (and others). Im really happy I found them!
ALSO if you have questions or find bugs they answer you in no time and very personal I was super surprised.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-26
Thank you so much, Verena! Self-learners are exactly who we picture when we make this stuff: people driving their own study. So glad we turned out to be the shop that fit. Thank you again!
Clay & Yumi
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Don Doehla · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-24 ·
★★★★★
The Japan Shop - A Highly Recommended Company!
Clay, Yumi, and their team produce excellent materials for learning Japanese! As a retired high school French teacher of nearly 40 years, and a teacher trainer of over 35 years, I can attest to the quality of their language learning approach. In California, where I had the privilege to help write the first set of WL Standards, we encourage the use of high interest "authentic resources" to use as part of each lesson. Students have the opportunity to see the Target Language modeled the way it is used by native speakers as they examine readings, poems, articles, videos, and all other types of media created by them and for them (what we mean by authentic resources). The JS constantly uses high quality resources as the base of language study, and build communication-based activities around them to build Target Language proficiency in interpretive, interpersonal and presentational modes, orally and in writing. Students have the opportunity to listen, speak, read and write as they interact with the resources, and as they also learn cultural content embedded within them. The Anki flash cards allow students easy access to review words and phrases regularly for mastery. Moreover, their monthly magazine, Makoto, serves up a rich offering of materials for both novice and intermediate learners.
In addition, if that were not enough, they also are building on-line learning tools on their website. There is a conversation bot for interaction between the learner and an AI Bot to practice interpersonal communication on any topic. There are monthly themes, and phrases for enrichment. They offer video shorts to practice comprehension - these shorts are posted on YouTube and made by authentic native speakers of various ages and backgrounds, representing a diverse population of native speakers.
I recommend these resources to Japanese teachers to use with their students, but also, for anyone who, like me, loves learning languages, and is ready to work on their own.
I became a lifetime member and plan to keep at it for years to come, so long as Clay and Yumi continue to build their company. You can be happy that you are helping to support a wonderful family by purchasing their wonderful resources as well.
If you want to learn Japanese, don't hesitate to subscribe to Makoto! You will be pleased with all you get for your investment! This is a wonderful company! I have no hesitation recommending them to you!
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-26
Thank you so much, Don — this one genuinely floored us. "Authentic resources" is the exact idea we've built everything around, even back when we couldn't have named it as clearly as you just did. That you'd recommend it to fellow teachers means more than we can say. Thank you for taking the time — and for the kind words about our family.
Clay & Yumi
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kund · 5 reviews · Experienced 2025-10-10 ·
★★★★★
Great service
Great service, quick response via e-mail. I'm amazed how much content they create and still answer personally to e-mails.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-26
Thank you so much! Honestly, the answer to "how do they make all that and still reply personally" is mostly caffeine. Hehe. So glad you feel looked after. Thank you again!
Clay & Yumi
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Jack Bussy · 3 reviews · Experienced 2026-07-09 ·
★★★★★
Great material
Great material. Things you don’t find elsewhere.
And great people. They can easily be reached in case of problem.
You can see they try hard to help their customers.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-26
Thank you, Jack! We make the oddball stuff I always wished existed back when I was a beginner. Glad it's useful to you too. Thanks for being here.
Clay
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Tom · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-24 ·
★★★★★
I am proof that you can learn Japanese utilizing their Pedagogy
I have watched this company grow and become so good at what they do. Clay and Yumi are committed to teaching real Japanese with innovative new ways that entertain and educate people on the Japanese culture and all parts of the Japanese language (i.e., Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana, manga, anime, books magazines and more). I am a lifetime member because they have such a diverse number of ways to learn Japanese and has taken me from not being able to read Kanji at all to an advanced intermediate in Japanese writing and reading skills! Sign up! You won't be disappointed!!! BTW their app is great for studying anytime, anywhere!
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-30
Awesome! Thank you so much for the great review and it thrills me to hear the material helped you on your language learning journey. The "diverse number of ways to learn" is really just me (Clay) working on whatever interests me at the time. I tend to chase shiny objects, but this means over the years, we've truly added a diverse number of ways to learn. :)
Thank you!
Clay
The absolute best in Japanese language and culture training without actually going to Japan. I have been a customer for years. I am quite fluent in japanese... or at least I was years ago (I lived there for two years) and their books, magazines, emails, Cell phone app, etc are the best. I have tried many others but they are not nearly as good.
Reply from TheJapanShop.com2026-07-25
Thank you, Doug! That is super awesome of you.
Clay & Yumi
