In this age where you can learn high-quality lectures online, have you ever thought, "I wish I could take courses from famous universities and companies overseas in Japanese?"
Coursera is one of the world's largest online learning platforms that can help you achieve this. You can start for free and earn a certificate or degree depending on your goals.
I myself have completed four courses so far, including the "Content Marketing Strategy" course from the University of California, Davis.
Based on that experience, I will explain Coursera's features, Japanese support, reputation, fees, and how to use it for beginners.
What is Coursera?
Coursera is a learning platform where you can take online courses offered by universities and companies around the world.
There are courses in a wide range of fields, including programming, business, data science, and languages, and some are free to learn, while others cost money to complete and earn a certificate.
For example, it is offered by Stanford University and Google, and its feature is that you can learn high-quality content from the comfort of your own home.
What makes Coursera special
- Partnering with universities and companies around the world
We offer high-quality courses from well-known universities such as Stanford University, Yale University, and the University of Tokyo, as well as major companies such as Google, IBM, and Meta. - Supports a wide range of fields
More than 5,000 courses in IT, programming, data science, business, marketing, psychology, languages, etc. Flexible learning levels for beginners to advanced students. - Complete online learning for free
Compatible with PCs, smartphones, and tablets, you can take the course at any time and place. You can study at your own pace, making it ideal for relearning while working or preparing for a side job. - Flexible learning styles and support
Each course has subtitles and Japanese support (some are fully translated into Japanese). There are also plenty of quizzes and project assignments, allowing you to acquire practical skills. There is also active interaction between learners through forums and reviews. - A variety of pricing plans from free to paid
Depending on the course, you may be able to take the course for free (only for listening).Coursera PlusYou can take as many courses as you want, and you can even earn a formal degree, such as a master's degree. - Receive a certificate or certification
Upon completion, you will be issued an official certificate (with image and URL), which you can use to highlight your resume or post on LinkedIn. Some of the certificates are also compatible with certifications from Google, IBM, etc.
*This is a certificate of completion for the course that the author completed.
Coursera is recommended for working adults looking to advance their careers or change jobs, students looking to acquire skills, people looking for a side job, and people who want to experience lectures at overseas universities while living in Japan.
Coursera Pricing Plans
Coursera's fee structure varies depending on the course or program you take and how you use it. There are the following main types:
Free Courses
Many courses are free on CourseraThey provide access to video lectures and study materials. However, you usually have to pay to submit assignments, get grades, and get certificates, but you can still learn just fine with the free courses.
Prices may vary depending on exchange rates. Free trials and discount offers may apply for some courses and programs.
Buy individual courses
If you want to obtain a certificate of completion or use specific features, you pay a fee for each course. The fee varies depending on the course, and can range from a few thousand yen to tens of thousands of yen.
Guided Projects
Coursera's Guided Projects are short, hands-on learning sessions (2 hours or less) that teach a specific tool or skill.
You'll learn not just theory, but also practical tasks with software and tools, focusing on mastering specific skills such as data analysis, programming, design, and business.
period:About 1 to 2 hours
Fee: Free or $9.99 USD
Professional Certificates
The aim is to acquire practical skills required for specific jobs, leading directly to employment and career advancement.
Courses are offered by industry-leading companies such as Google, IBM, Meta, Salesforce, Microsoft and CVS, as well as renowned educational institutions such as Johns Hopkins University.
This also often comes in the form of a monthly subscription, and allows you to obtain certifications that are useful in the workplace.
- period:Approximately 2 to 6 months (assuming approximately 10 hours of study per week)
- Fee：Monthly fee: $39 to $49 USD
Specializations
The aim is to gain deeper and more comprehensive knowledge in a particular academic field or specialization.
It is mainly offered by educational institutions such as universities, and consists of multiple related courses arranged in stages, allowing students to learn systematically from the basics to applied knowledge.
Finally, students will put what they have learned into practice through a Capstone project (an educational program in which students work in groups on a project).
- period: 3 to 6 months (assuming 5 to 10 hours of study per week)
- Fee：Monthly fee: $39 to $89 USD
MasterTrack® Certificates
This program allows you to study part of a master's degree course offered by leading universities around the world online and earn an official university-issued certificate.
It is designed as an intermediate step towards a Master's degree or for those looking to advance in their career.
- period: 4 to 8 months (assuming 8 to 12 hours of study per week)
- Fee:$2,000~$5,000 USD
Degree Programs (Bachelor's and Master's)
This is a program where you can earn a bachelor's or master's degree online. Tuition can run into the hundreds of thousands of yen, but is often cheaper than attending a university on campus.
- period: Bachelor's degree takes about 3-6 years, Master's degree takes about 1-3 years
- Fee:$9,000~$45,000 USD
Coursera Plus (monthly subscription)
A monthly or yearly subscription gives you unlimited access to Coursera's 7,000+ courses, projects, specializations, and professional certificates, and you can earn certificates at no extra cost.
They offer monthly and yearly plans, with the yearly plans offering a better price per month, and some even come with a 7-day free trial and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
- Monthly plan：$59 USD
- Annual plan: $399 USD (14-day money back guarantee)
The author alsoCoursera PlusI have completed several courses and was lucky enough to apply at low cost thanks to campaign discounts and the strong yen.
Which pricing structure is best?
- I want to try Coursera first: We recommend starting with a free course or Guided Projects.
- I want to learn a specific skill: Consider purchasing individual courses, related specializations, or professional certificates.
- I want to take multiple courses: Coursera Plus may be a good deal.
- I want to advance my career: Professional Certificates, MasterTrack® Certificates, and degree programs may be valid.
You can view the cost of the course you want to take on Coursera's individual course pages. Choose the pricing that best suits your learning goals and budget.
▶ Learn more about Coursera pricing
What people say about Coursera
Coursera has received high praise for its ability to "learn specialized knowledge in a systematic way" and "offer university-level courses for free."
I signed up for Coursera Plus, a monthly subscription service that allows me to take as many courses as I want, and completed several of them.
- University of Houston "Bilingual Brain"
- University of California, Davis "Content Marketing Strategy"
- Emory University: "Biohacking Your Brain Health"
- University of California, Irvine "Time management to improve work efficiency and productivity"
In these courses, you can learn specialized knowledge through videos, texts, PDFs, reference URLs, etc. For each section, you will be given quizzes and assignments to further improve your understanding.
If you pay to register, you can get a certificate, and you will be issued not only an image of the certificate but also a URL. Since a third party can confirm that the course has been completed, the reliability is relatively high.
Some people say that Coursera has a lot of English courses, but the number of courses available in Japanese is increasing. Of the courses I completed, only one was available in Japanese, and I used translation tools such as DeepL to study the rest.
▶ Read reviews of each Coursera course
Coursera's Japanese support status
Coursera does not yet have many courses fully available in Japanese, but you can learn in Japanese in the following ways.
- English audio + Japanese subtitles
- The user interface is in Japanese.
- There are some Japanese audio lessons too
By selecting "Language: Japanese" when searching, you can narrow down your search to courses that have Japanese subtitles and UI support.
Popular and recommended courses available in Japanese
Below are recommended courses available in Japanese that are popular (highly rated in reviews) or that the author has actually taken.
- Stanford Introduction to Food and Health – Stanford University
A course on food and health offered by a renowned overseas university. - Time management that leads to improved work efficiency and productivity – University of California, Irvine
This is a course that the author actually completed and can be completed in a short amount of time. - Google Cyber Security Professional Certification – Google
This course provides specialized knowledge on how to deal with cyber attacks. - Google Data Analytics Professional Certification – Google
This is a data analysis course that I took part of. It can also be used to analyze data from websites and social media.
In addition,Data Science Courses on Courserais also popular.
How to register and use Coursera
How to register and log in
Official Coursera websiteand press the "Participate is free" button that appears.
You can create a free Coursera account by entering your email address and password, or by using your existing Google, Facebook, or Apple account.
Basics of usage
Coursera is available on PC, smartphone, and the Coursera app. After logging in, search for courses you are interested in using the search box at the top of the page, categories, or courses displayed. *We will explain how to use it using the "Game Theory" course offered by the University of Tokyo as an example.
If you would like to take the course, click "Register for free" on the details page.
You will be asked to purchase individual courses, but you can take the course for free without a certificate. If you sign up for Coursera Plus in advance, you can take as many courses as you want.
The course screen looks like this:
- Course menu
For most courses, you can access the modules, sessions and quizzes you want to take - Top menu
Hierarchical menu links. Click "Next" on the right to go to the next session. - Video or text
Videos and texts from the lectures will be displayed.
movie:Displays subtitles, notes, links to discussion page, and subtitle language settings.
text: In addition to the course content, downloadable PDF files and reference URLs may also be displayed.
Regarding withdrawal and cancellation
- Cancellation: My Page > Settings > Purchase History
- Cancellation (cancellation): You can cancel your membership from your account settings
- Courses for which the deadline has passed: You may not be able to submit assignments and your certificate may not be issued.
Frequently asked questions and additional information
How do you pronounce Coursera?
It is pronounced "Corsera" or "Kusera." In Japan, "Corsera" is more commonly used.
Are there any "Japanese Universities" courses on Coursera?
The course is officially offered by the University of Tokyo.
＞ List of University of Tokyo courses on Coursera
What happens if the course deadline has passed?
If you are taking a free course, a certificate of completion will not be issued once the deadline has passed, so we recommend that you plan your courses carefully.
summary
Coursera is an online learning platform where even beginners can learn with confidence. There are courses available in Japanese, and you can start with a free course.
By taking practical courses at overseas universities, I was able to not only gain knowledge but also apply it to my work. You can start for free or at a low cost, so please check the details first.
