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Learning kanji, plainly
Guides on where to start, how much to study, and how the main methods compare. Written by the people who build Kanji Guide.
Latest
How to Learn Kanji From Zero: A Plain Starting Plan
A beginner's plan for learning kanji from zero: what to know first, which 25 kanji to start with, how to study them, and how to review so they stay learned.
October 28, 2026
mnemonics
How to Memorize Kanji: Stories, Parts and Review
How to memorize kanji so they stay: split each one into parts, tie the parts to a short story, then review at growing gaps. Examples with real kanji.
October 28, 2026
mnemonics
Kanji Mnemonics: What They Are and How They Work
Kanji mnemonics are short stories that tie a kanji's parts to its meaning. See how they work, what makes one good, and where they stop being useful.
October 28, 2026
study-plan
How Many Kanji Per Day Should You Learn?
Most beginners do well with 3 to 10 new kanji a day. Here is the arithmetic for N5 and for all 2131 kanji, why reviews decide your pace, and how to set it.
October 28, 2026
jlpt
How Many Kanji Are in Each JLPT Level, N5 to N1?
The JLPT has five levels but no official kanji list since 2010. Here are the commonly quoted counts for N5 to N1, why they differ, and how to use them.
October 28, 2026
N5
JLPT N5 Kanji List: All 81 Kanji With Meanings
All 81 JLPT N5 kanji in Kanji Guide with meanings, on and kun readings and stroke counts. Each links to a picture story, plus tips for learning the set.
October 28, 2026
N4
JLPT N4 Kanji List: All 169 Kanji With Meanings
All 169 JLPT N4 kanji in Kanji Guide with meanings, readings and stroke counts, linked to picture stories. Plus how to approach N4 after N5.
October 28, 2026
comparison
Picture Stories vs WaniKani vs Anki for Kanji
A fair comparison of three ways to learn kanji: picture stories like Kanji Guide, WaniKani's radicals and vocabulary path, and Anki's flexible flashcards.
October 28, 2026
rtk
Remembering the Kanji: What It Is, and Who It Suits
What Remembering the Kanji (RTK) is, how Heisig's method works, its strengths and limits, and how picture-story apps like Kanji Guide relate to it.
October 28, 2026
study-plan
Learn Kanji or Vocabulary First? A Practical Answer
Kanji first or vocabulary first? Neither alone is ideal. Here is a practical middle path for beginners, with the trade-offs of each side explained plainly.
October 28, 2026
radicals
Do You Need to Learn Radicals Before Kanji?
You do not need all 214 radicals before kanji. Learn the common parts as you meet them, and tie each to a story. Examples with real kanji and honest limits.
October 28, 2026
readings
Onyomi vs Kunyomi: How Kanji Readings Work
Onyomi is the Chinese-derived reading, kunyomi the native Japanese one. Learn when each appears, with real kanji and words, and how to practise them.
October 28, 2026
stroke-order
Kanji Stroke Order: Rules, Examples and Animation
The basic kanji stroke order rules with real examples, why order matters, and why you can learn to read kanji with animated stroke order and no handwriting.
October 28, 2026
apps
Free Kanji Apps for Android and iPhone: What to Expect
How to find a free kanji app that works on Android and iPhone: what free usually means, what to check before you commit, and how browser apps fit in.
October 28, 2026
lookup
How to Find Out What an Unknown Kanji Means
Four ways to look up an unknown kanji: radical search on Jisho, stroke count, drawing input and camera translators, plus checking context.
October 28, 2026
lookup
How to Check What a Kanji Tattoo or Item Says
How to check what a kanji tattoo, sign or souvenir really says: native speakers, dictionaries, and why machine translation and stylized fonts mislead.
October 28, 2026
kanji
Similar-Looking Kanji: 土/士, 末/未, 大/犬/太 and More
Which kanji look alike, and how to stop mixing them up. Pairs like 土/士, 末/未, 大/犬/太, 日/目/白 and 人/入/八, each with its meaning and a memory trick.
October 28, 2026
beginners
Does Kanji Make Japanese Harder to Read?
Does kanji make Japanese harder to read? No. Kanji mark word boundaries and carry meaning at a glance, which speeds up reading once learned.
October 28, 2026
study-plan
How to Learn Your First 1,000 Kanji: A Daily Plan
A realistic plan to learn your first 1,000 kanji, with the daily-pace arithmetic shown, review habits and tips to avoid burnout.
October 28, 2026