How you can help support Katsuyo Academy to keep it free for everyone

Every page, every drill and every kanji is free, with no ads and no account needed. Here’s why it’s built that way, what it costs to keep it running, and how you can chip in if you’d like to.

✓ Supporters help keep the whole site free
Become a supporter
The story · 物語

A tool made by a student, for students

I’m not a Japanese teacher. I’m a learner, like you, and Katsuyo is the study tool I wanted and couldn’t find.

It started as a single page for my own verb practice, because I wanted something that explained why an answer was wrong instead of just marking it red. That page grew into one enormous file of about 15,000 lines, and once other learners began using it, it kept on growing: kana with audio, all 2,300 kanji on the Wall, flashcards, the Reading Room, a dictionary, progress reports that show what you’ve mastered and what keeps tripping you up, and Katsu, the AI tutor who explains your mistakes in plain words.

When learners from China, France, Vietnam and beyond started showing up, the whole site learned four more languages. I still build it in my evenings and on weekends, and I study with it every day myself, so almost every new page began as something I wished existed while I was learning.

1 page20+tools and pages
1 language5EN · DE · FR · 中文 · 日本語
0 kanji2,300kanji, each with its own card
0 ads0ads, still
Learning a language shouldn’t depend on what you can pay. I want Katsuyo to stay free for everyone, and every supporter helps make that possible.

But free to use isn’t free to run. Here’s where the money goes.

What it costs · 運営費

Free to use. Not free to run.

The whole site runs on one small server that I rent and look after myself, with a backup every day. The parts that feel like magic, Katsu’s explanations, Talk and the Japanese voices, cost a little every time they’re used: when someone asks Katsu a question, I pay for the answer. The more people learn here, the more those add up.

Why not ads?Ads track you, slow every page down and get in the way of studying. Not here.
Why not a paywall?Locking the useful parts would shut out exactly the learners who need them most.
Your data isn’t for saleNo account is needed, and the stats I keep don’t follow you around the web.
WHAT YOUR SUPPORT COVERS
Server & backupsthe whole website, accounts and your saved progress, backed up every day✓
Katsu & Talk (AI)explanations, conversations and stories✓
Japanese voicestext-to-speech for every word and sentence✓
Domain & emailkatsuyoacademy.com and the support mailbox✓
Room to growmore learners means more Katsu and voices, plus new pages and stories✓
Goal $100/month
Not on the receipt
  • My timelessons, stories, code and answering emails
  • Computer & gearthe PC, microphone and backup drives
  • Rent & electricitythe room where it all gets made
  • Creative toolsart for the badges, pictures and the site
  • Tealots of it

 

The monthly goal is $100. It keeps everything running, with room to grow as more people learn here. Anything above that buys time to build: next up is 終電 Last Train.
 
Ways to help · 応援する

If you’d like to help, here’s how

Cup of tea

$3/ month
  • Your name on the supporters wall
  • A 応援 stamp on your account and in your reports
  • Dev notes now and then: what shipped and what’s next

Bento box

$6/ month
  • Everything in Cup of tea
  • Sneak peeks: see the designs for upcoming pages and vote on which one gets built next
  • Early access: new pages open for you first

Omakase

$12/ month
  • Everything in Bento box
  • Story ideas for the Reading Room: send in ideas and vote on which story gets written next
  • Join the brainstorm: send feature ideas and get a personal reply from me. Not every idea gets built, but each one helps shape what comes next
  • Your name in the credits of a page you choose
See all the badges you can pick →
How early access worksA new page opens for supporters first. Signed in as a supporter, you can use it right away; a little later it opens for everyone.
How sneak peeks workBefore I build a page, I design it. Supporters see those designs first on their own page and vote; the winner gets built next.
How story ideas workOmakase supporters send in a topic and a level (N5–N1) and vote on the ideas. I write the winning story, check it and add audio. It joins the Reading Room with a “suggested by” credit.

Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay via StripeStop any timeRefunds within 14 days

Thank you

Supporters choose whether their name appears. Glowing seats are monthly supporters.

Questions

Will anything become paid-only?

Not if I can help it, and supporters help make that possible. Today every page is free and supporters only get extras on top. If the costs ever outgrow the support, I’ll tell you here first, openly, before anything changes.

Do I need an account?

For a one-time gift, no. Monthly support comes with a free account, made for you from the email you pay with, so your extras follow you to every device.

Where does the money go?

First into keeping everything running: the server, Katsu and Talk, the voices, the domain and email. The rest goes into time to build, and Bento and Omakase supporters help decide what comes next.

Can I cancel?

Any time, in one click with “Manage my support”. Your extras stay until the end of the month you paid for.

How can I pay?

With a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, on Stripe’s secure checkout page. Apple Pay shows up in Safari on Apple devices, Google Pay in Chrome.

Is my payment safe?

Payments go through Stripe. Katsuyo never sees or stores your card number.

Something went wrong with a payment?

Email support@katsuyoacademy.com within 14 days and I’ll refund it.

Not able to chip in right now?

That’s completely fine. Please just keep studying. Telling a friend about the site helps too, and it’s free.

Whether you give or not, thank you for learning here.

Become a supporter