Learn to read and write Japanese.

Kanakaku takes you from your very first hiragana to reading real sentences — kana, kanji, vocabulary, and grammar, each with a mnemonic that makes it stick and stroke order that teaches your hand. Free, and at a pace that lasts.

Start learning →

Free · ten new things a day · your progress saves automatically

Everything you need to actually read it

Start from zero

Hiragana and katakana first, each character tied to a little shape-and-sound story, so the alphabet sticks in days rather than months.

Remember the kanji

Every character is broken into its parts and every word given a memory hook, so readings and meanings stay put instead of slipping away.

Write it right

Stroke-order animation on every character, so you learn to write Japanese properly — not just recognise it on a screen.

Spaced repetition

Reviews arrive exactly when you're about to forget. It's the proven way to remember for good, with no pointless busywork.

Grammar in context

Verbs and adjectives conjugated properly, then put to work in real example sentences you can actually read and say.

Your pace

Ten new things a day — a foundation that compounds quietly over time instead of burning you out in a week.

How it works

  1. 1

    Learn the kana

    The two Japanese alphabets — hiragana and katakana — with mnemonics that turn each shape into something you can't unsee.

  2. 2

    Build your words

    The most useful vocabulary first, each word with its reading, meaning, and a hook to hang it on. Kanji are taught through the words that use them.

  3. 3

    Put it together

    Conjugation drills and example sentences turn isolated words into Japanese you can genuinely read and produce.

Start free

Create an account below — it takes seconds, and your progress follows you on every device.

loading…