SimplyKanji Read Japanese

SimplyKanji learn Japanese - 2,400+ kanji and 6,000+ vocabulary words, covering every level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), from N5 to N1

Read Japanese.

SimplyKanji teaches you to read Japanese. 2,400+ kanji and 6,000+ vocabulary words, covering every level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), from N5 to N1.

No accounts. No login. Tap Start and study.

"The Simply Kanji app is a lifesaver for students aiming for all levels of the JLPT. Our younger students are completely hooked. They're simple and fun, which makes learning really engaging." -- Akkywish, App Store Review

THE SCIENCE

Most study apps show you a character and ask you to re-read it. Re-reading feels productive, but it creates shallow memory -- you recognize the answer while it's in front of you and forget it an hour later.

SimplyKanji works differently in two ways.

First, every card is a retrieval attempt. You see a prompt and have to pull the answer from memory before revealing it. That act of retrieving -- even when you get it wrong -- builds stronger, longer-lasting memory than passive review. Cognitive psychologists call this the testing effect. It's one of the most replicated findings in learning science, documented since the 1960s.

Second, the app tracks which characters you struggle with and brings them back at calculated intervals. Characters you know well fade into the background. Characters you keep forgetting come back sooner. Your study time goes where it actually matters instead of cycling through things you already know.

WHY LEARNERS GET STUCK

The most common thing people say when they start learning kanji is some version of "I studied for an hour and forgot half of it by morning." They put the time in, feel confident during the session, and find most of it gone the next day.

That's usually a format problem, not a memory problem. Passive review -- re-reading, copying, highlighting -- creates short-term recognition without durable recall. Change the method and retention changes with it.

SimplyKanji was built for exactly this.

HOW IT WORKS

1. Open. Tap Start.
2. Choose your JLPT level. Sequential, random, or spaced repetition.
3. Recall. Tap to reveal. Swipe to rate how well you knew it.

The app remembers what you struggle with and brings those cards back at the right time.

WHAT'S INSIDE

• 2,400+ kanji across all JLPT levels (N5 through N1)
• 6,000+ vocabulary words, each tied to the kanji it uses
• Six study modes: Sequential, Random, Category, Weak Points, Review, Learning
• Active recall on every card -- you retrieve, not re-read
• Spaced repetition that adapts to your memory
• Compound words from native Japanese sources
• Daily goals and streaks
• No tracking. No data collection. Your progress stays on your device.

JLPT LEVELS

N5 - Beginner (100 kanji): basic daily life N4 - Elementary (300 kanji): everyday conversations N3 - Intermediate (650 kanji): written Japanese N2 - Upper Intermediate (1,000 kanji): news and literature N1 - Advanced (2,000+ kanji): native-level texts

WHY I BUILT THIS

Years ago, I was living in Japan and commuting by train. I found a flashcard app -- nothing fancy, just kanji organized by JLPT level -- and started reviewing on the ride to work. Five minutes out, five minutes back. Within a few months, something shifted. Signs I'd walked past for years started making sense. Not all of them. But enough that the city felt different. I was reading it.

Then the app disappeared from the App Store. Never updated, just gone. The replacements I tried were either buried in features I didn't need or missing the simplicity that made the original work. So I built SimplyKanji -- the app I wished still existed.

Now on iPhone and iPad.

Five minutes on the train. Start today.

Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/