One kanji at a time is slow, and all 2,300 at once is overwhelming. The guided path takes ten at a time through four short steps: what they mean, a review of their cards, how they’re read, and how they’re used in real sentences. Then on to the next ten.
Every step teaches something and checks it at the same time. When one step ends, a single button takes the same kanji to the next one, so you never have to work out what to do next.
A kanji appears; you say what it means. Don’t know it yet? Press Show me the answer: you see the meaning, the readings and an example word, and it costs you nothing. Each right answer turns the kanji green on your Wall.
Your ten are outlined on the Wall. Step through their cards: every reading, example words, stroke order and a short story to remember it by.
Each kanji is a bento box and each reading is a compartment. Type its ON readings (the Chinese-style sounds, used in compound words) and its KUN readings (the Japanese words) until the box is full.
Now meet them in real Japanese sentences, written by real people. One word is marked in red; say what it means or how it’s read here. Anything you miss comes back, and Katsu can explain any sentence.
Then the next ten. Any you got wrong come first, while they’re still fresh.
The kanji come in the Wall’s Everyday order: the ones on signs, menus and shop fronts first. One set a day adds up quickly.
Every block of 100 shows four bars, one per step, and a single Continue button that picks the right next set for you.
No. It’s a mode you turn on. Without it, the Wall, the Kitchen, the Bento and Kanji in the Wild are all there to use however you like.
No. Kanji you’ve already got solid are skipped. Continue picks the ones you haven’t met yet, and anything shaky comes first.
It’s free, and no account is needed. Your progress is saved in the browser you’re using. If you want to switch between your phone and your computer, a free account makes that easy: your Wall, your sets and your bentos come with you to every device.
Yes. Your set waits for you. Open the Wall and Continue picks up where you left off.
The Everyday order: the kanji you’ll see most on signs, menus and in everyday Japanese. You can switch the Wall to the classic KLC order any time.
Yes. Readings are typed in rōmaji and turn into kana, but you’ll get far more out of it if you can already read hiragana and katakana. Kaiten Kana is the place for that.
Ten kanji, four short steps, about twenty minutes. You can leave whenever you like.