Kana & Kanji Tools

Kana practice, kanji study, and dictionary lookups solve different problems. You do not need to choose one tool for all three. Decide what you want to do next, and choose the smallest set of tools that helps you do it.

For kana recall: Real Kana

If you have seen the characters but cannot recognise them reliably, try Real Kana. Select a few rows and practise until the sounds come more easily. Add rows gradually instead of testing the whole chart from the first day.

This is a useful companion to learning the characters, rather than a complete Japanese course. No visible paywall was found in the curation check, but the page did not explicitly state a price.

For a memory hook: Tofugu

If a hiragana character keeps slipping away, Tofugu’s Learn Hiragana guide offers visual mnemonics. Use a mnemonic as a temporary bridge to recognising the character directly.

After reading the explanation, close it and try recalling the sound. Then see the character in another context, such as a short word. The aim is to use the character without needing to repeat the whole memory story every time.

For a guided kanji sequence: WaniKani

WaniKani combines mnemonics with spaced repetition for kanji and vocabulary. It may suit you if you want a prepared sequence and regular reviews without creating the study material yourself.

The source reports that introductory levels are free and later study is paid. The current free limit and subscription price have not been checked. Try the introductory material and check current terms before deciding whether it belongs in your routine.

WaniKani’s levels are its own learning sequence, not JLPT levels. You will still need grammar and reading practice alongside kanji study.

For your own vocabulary and kanji cards: Anki

Anki gives you more control over what you review. It can work well if you want to make cards from words encountered in a book or class.

That flexibility means you also choose and maintain the material. Start small. A sentence you understand is often a clearer prompt than a disconnected word you have never seen in use. When reviews become hard to keep up with, pause new cards and work through the existing ones.

Desktop Anki and AnkiDroid for Android are free. The official AnkiMobile iOS application is paid, and its price still needs checking. You do not need the paid iOS application to use desktop Anki.

For a specific question: Jisho

Jisho is an English–Japanese dictionary for looking up words and kanji. Use it when you want to check a reading or a meaning while studying.

A dictionary helps with a question in context; it does not choose your review schedule. After a lookup, return to the original sentence and see whether the meaning now makes sense. Add a card only if the word is useful to you.

Choose a combination you will use

On a narrow screen, scroll the table to compare all three columns.

Your immediate task	A place to start	What to keep in mind
Recognise hiragana and katakana	Real Kana	Begin with a few rows.
Remember a hiragana shape	Tofugu	Follow the memory hook with recall practice.
Follow a prepared kanji sequence	WaniKani	Introductory access is limited; later study is paid.
Review words from your own reading	Anki	Keep new cards and daily reviews manageable.
Check an unfamiliar word or kanji	Jisho	Return to the sentence after the lookup.

Try one review system before adding another. Two overlapping queues can make it harder to read or practise grammar, even when each tool is useful on its own.

Pair your chosen tool with Tadoku’s free readers so that characters appear in meaningful sentences. For a complete starting sequence, follow the N5 roadmap.

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AI-assisted writing and curation. Jason Kobayashi runs and updates this guide. How PeraNabi works.