Last Updated on 18.01.2022 by Coto Japanese Language School
Looking for an effective and easy way to memorize Japanese words? Try using Anki. Using spaced repetition system (SRS), it allows you to revisit new vocabularies repetitively — but in a programmed time frame. Through this, you can spend more time on words that you have a harder time remembering, and less on easier ones.
When setting up an Anki, we recommend you use pre-made Anki decks. Once you know your learning preference, you can then customize them. Anki decks can easily be downloaded from the Anki website.
Check out the 10 best Japanese Anki decks. Before that, make sure to head to our Japanese learner’s guide to starting Anki flashcards.
How to choose the right Anki Deck?
With there are hundreds of Japanese Anki decks for learning, choosing the right one can be difficult and confusing. This is especially so for first-time users of Anki who are still figuring out how to use the software. It’s not that hard when you get used to it, but we don’t want to add more to your full bowl.
On the Anki website, there is a section under ” Popular categories: Languages ” where you could see links to landing pages for different languages. Click on the “Japanese” link and it would bring you to the page full of different Japanese Anki decks. If you already have a topic in mind that you want to study, there is a manual search option in the top right corner.
If you have a problem choosing, you can click on each Anki deck and look at the reviews. There is also a rating column that shows the ratings of the different tabs.
Once you have chosen the Anki Deck you want to use, just simply click the “download” button to open the Anki on your device.
Best Japanese Anki Decks
1. Japanese Core 2000 Step 01 Listening Sentence Vocab + Images
Japanese Core 2000 Step 01 is one of the most popular and used Anki decks to memorize Japanese vocabularies. Specifically customized for beginners to Japanese, this Anki Deck has over 2,000 Japanese words for you to learn. The contents in this Anki deck are well-structured, with images provided for easier memorization. The deck contains 405 audio files and 235 images combined with example sentences for the Kanji.
It would probably take you 2-3 months to complete this Anki deck if you practice consistently — and consistency is the number one thing for improvement.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki Deck onto your computer. Once the deck is imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
2. Japanese Core 2000 Step 02 Listening Sentence Vocab + Images
Japanese Core 2000 Step 02 is the second part of the Japanese Core 2000 Anki series. Make sure you start with Step 01 before you visit Step 02. Still, for beginners, this Anki Deck is a more advanced version with audio files, English translations and images are provided in the flashcards. There are Japanese Kanji, verbs and example sentences that are used in everyday life. In this Anki Deck, there are over 404 Audio files and 236 Images.
Similar to Step 01, it would probably take you 2-3 months to complete this Anki Deck if you practice consistently.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki deck onto your computer. Once the deck is imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
3. Japanese Basic Hiragana
Japanese Basic Hiragana comes as a highly recommended Japanese Anki deck for beginners to learn the fundamentals of hiragana. Unlike the Japanese Core Series Anki Deck, this Anki deck does not have any pictures. The deck was modified from the TextFugu Hiragana deck and only includes 46 basic audio Hiragana character files.
However, you can actually type in romaji under particular hiragana characters. This Anki Deck can be easily completed as the contents are basic and simple for beginners. Since there are only 46 notes, the deck is a good refresher for new learners.
Since it only covers fundamentals, it does not have all the hiragana characters. So, you might want to move on to more advanced Japanese Anki Decks once you have completed the Deck.
4. JLPT Grammar from Jtest4you
Jtest4you Anki Deck is a JLPT N1-to-N5 grammar-focused flashcard. It includes example sentences as well as romaji and translations that can be added in the front and back of the flashcards. What’s good about this Anki deck is that the vocabularies are split up by different JLPTs level so you can choose to study those that are relevant to your current situation.
In most flashcards, the front would be the kanji and example sentence in Japanese while the back of the flashcard would be the furigana, romaji and English translation.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki deck onto your computer. Once the deck is imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
5. Japanese Visual Novel, Anime, Manga, LN Vocab – V2K
If you are interested in Japanese visual media, Japanese Visual Novel, Anime, Manga, LN Vocab – V2K Anki Deck could be perfect for you.
This Anki Deck has over 2,000 common words that are found in popular Japanese media such as novels, anime and manga. In Japanese media, words and phrases often serve a variety of different contexts and examples. Hence, this Anki deck helps users make the link between the particular kanji and familiar English translations.
It is a beginner-focused Anki deck where users will learn kanji and furigana along with a pre-recorded audio that can be found at the front of the flashcard. You will be able to pick up heaps of useful words such as 全然駄目だ、結構 that are frequently mentioned in anime and manga. It will also significantly improve reading and listening comprehension.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki deck onto your computer. Once the deck is imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
6. Katakana Reading Practice
Katakana Reading Practice is an Anki deck that acts as a guide for beginners to learn katakana. With over 1,000 words and phrases in Katakana, the contents in the flashcard focuses a lot on foreign loanwords, proper names, onomatopoeia, animal names as well as brand names. Many users of this Anki deck have found that it is very helpful in improving speed and confidence with speaking and writing katakana.
English speakers might think it’s unnecessary to learn katakana. After all, they are loan words from English — but you’d be surprised by some of the Japanese katakana words that don’t sound similar to the original English words.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki deck onto your computer. Once the deck is imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
7. Official KanjiDamage deck
KanjiDamage is the ultimate deck to learn Kanji with the KanjiDamage method, which is basically learning Kanji using mnemonics. There are over 1,700 Kanji to learn from in this Anki Deck. You will learn a mix of commonly used Kanji as well as uncommonly used Kanji that has been put in random order. The stroke order of how to write the Kanji is also included.
If you want to learn kanji frequency instead, check out another Anki Deck made by the same user, which is a reordered version of this Anki deck. It has been reordered based on the frequency of each Kanji character so that you can more common characters first followed by the uncommon ones.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki Deck onto your computer. Once the deck are imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
8. All in One Kanji Deck
Looking to learn pretty much everything there is to learn about Kanji? All in One Kanji deck is one of the most comprehensive and informative collections out there. It is perfect for those looking to practice writing the Kanji and gaining more knowledge on kanji meaning and readings.
The Anki deck is nicely formatted. With over 10,000 flashcards, you will learn how to read each kanji in onyomi, kunyomi, nanori as well as learn the number of strokes and stroke orders. It also teaches you how each Kanji had been changed from its original Chinese elements to become a Japanese character.
9. Kanji All in One Heisig RTK + Kondansha KKLC + Vocabulary Ex
Kanji All in One Heisig RTK + Kondansha KKLC + Vocabulary Ex Anki Deck is rich in information as it combines information and stories from the most popular books to learn kanji characters:
- Remembering the Kanji (RTK) by Heisig.
- Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Course (KKLC) by Conning and Halpern.
- Stories from WaniKani and Koohii.
This is one of the most comprehensive Japanese Anki Decks and has three different types of cards: Recognition, Production and Memrise. The deck is good for learning as you can easily choose to hide the information you don’t want. There are also animated gifs in each flashcard that show you the stroke order of each Kanji.
10. Kana Mnemonics (Tofugu)
Kana Mnemonics is an Anki Deck that teaches you Japanese Hiragana and Katakana with mnemonics created by Tofugu. With Hiragana and Katakana being the foundation of Japanese learning, in this Anki Deck, you will be able to learn the basics of Japanese pronunciation.
Through descriptive and animative mnemonics, they make learning fun and interactive and are a perfect method for memorization! We also recommend downloading the Tofugu hiragana chart for reference before you get started with this Anki Deck.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki Deck onto your computer. Once the deck is imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
Studying Japanese? Take Free Japanese Level Assessment Test
At Coto Japanese Academy (our Tokyo, Yokohama and online language school), we focus on practical and conversational Japanese. For that, we want to hear more about your goal, preference and Japanese level. Sign up to get a free level assessment and lesson consultation.
Coto Japanese Academy is a unique Japanese Language School in Iidabashi, Tokyo and Yokohama. We offer relaxed and fun conversational lessons for all levels of Japanese learners.Coto Japanese Academy prides itself on its community atmosphere and fun lessons that focus on thecreation of opportunities to speak and learn Japanese. If you are interested in studying Japanese in Tokyo or Yokohama, pleasevisit our contact page.
Post Views:18,550
FAQs
How good is Anki for Japanese? ›
Ian's Review9/10
As a Japanese learner, you'll need some way to grow your vocabulary, and because of the expansive range of options and deep customizability, it might as well be Anki. The ability to make your own flashcards is extremely powerful, though getting started is more than a little frustrating.
Generally I recommend to start at 20 per day, do it for a week or two so that your daily reviews balance out, and then decide if you want to do more or less. Keep in mind, consistency is the most important thing here.
How do I start learning Japanese with Anki? ›If you're starting to use Anki to learn Japanese, remember that there are three Japanese characters: hiragana, katakana and kanji. Meshing them together in one card isn't going to help you learn vocabulary the fastest way. In fact, it will overwhelm you. Start with hiragana first, and then katakana, followed by kanji.
How long should 100 Anki cards take? ›How Long Should it Take to Review Anki Every Day? Short answer: Old cards: ≤ 1 hour per 100 reviews. New cards: 1-2 minutes/new review.
Is Zanki or Anking better? ›Anking vs Zanki
Anking is just the same as Zanki except that it comes with a better tagging system and a few additional decks.
Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese is a completely free app that helps you learn Japanese by mastering basic vocabulary. In addition to vocabulary lessons, Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese also includes lessons on verbs, kanji, and other subjects.
What app can make me fluent in Japanese? ›Kanji Study is among the best apps for learning to read and write Japanese. The app provides a thorough and comprehensive approach that will take you from a N5 reading level (absolute beginner), all the way through N1 (advanced). Kanji study is free for beginners.
How many hours a day should I practice Japanese? ›The number of hours you are able to commit per day is ultimately what will have the largest impact on how many years it will take to reach your Japanese fluency goals. So, you will want to spend a good chunk of time learning every day. In general, it is recommended that learners spend 2 hours per day studying Japanese.
Can I study all my Anki cards at once? ›To study all Radiology cards at once, click on “Radiology Flashcards” in the home screen in Anki. c. To study a custom set of decks at once, you will need to create a filtered deck. To create a filtered deck, you must use tags.
How can I learn Japanese fast by myself? ›- Learn the Japanese alphabet. The best way to learn Japanese is to start with the basics: learning the alphabet. ...
- Practice grammar. ...
- Learn some key phrases. ...
- Set up a schedule. ...
- Use apps to get started. ...
- Pay attention to flashcards. ...
- Chat online with native speakers or other learners. ...
- Read manga.
How can I learn Japanese fast at home? ›
- Pick a core Japanese curriculum and work with it every day. Most Japanese schools use the “Minna no Nihongo” series (“Japanese for Everyone”). ...
- Watch anime, movies, and TV in Japanese. ...
- Listen to Japanese radio, music, and podcasts. ...
- Cook Japanese food. ...
- Make Japanese friends.
But I'm talking more about where to put the “heavy studying.” For most people, this comes down to when to do Anki, or kanji, or some major focus task. The answer is without a doubt: first thing in the morning.
Do Anki decks expire? ›Account Expiry
As AnkiWeb is a free service, we need to periodically delete unused account data to keep costs down. Decks stored in your account will expire if your account is not accessed in 6 months or longer.
No more, no less. Some Classes can be broken down into anywhere between three and 40 Decks, with anywhere between 15 and 400 cards in each. The sweet spot is generally between 20 and 200 cards per deck.
Is Zanki Step 2 enough? ›If you have a strong knowledge base and are performing well clinically, Zanki Step 2 is a great resource for you. If you need more guidance and background knowledge, WiWa might be a deck better suited to your needs.
How many Zanki cards a day? ›How many Zanki cards should I do a day? Most med students do around 800-1,000 cards per day but it varies. Others devise plans where they take weekends off. Generally, divide the cards in your deck by the days you have to study and that's how many you should do per day.
How many years does it take to be fluent in Japanese? ›Learning Japanese isn't easy and it will take time. It's probably fair to say that you can expect a commitment of at least three years in order to achieve something resembling fluency. The average learner gets to the advanced level in three or four years.
What level of Japanese is fluent? ›C2 level holders are regarded as fluent as a native language speaker, or are referred to as business level. * Japanese language tests today typically do not have a speaking section, but test-making organizations are considering incorporating a speaking section in future tests.
How long will it take me to be fluent in Japanese? ›How Hard is it to Learn Japanese? According to the US Department of State, Japanese is one of the hardest languages for English natives to learn. It doesn't have many similarities in structure to English. They estimate it takes 88 weeks of learning, or 2200 hours, to reach fluency.
What apps do Japanese students use? ›| Japanese learning App | Best for |
|---|---|
| Duolingo | learning Japanese for fun |
| Drops | improving Japanese vocabulary |
| Falou | Japanese learners who have plenty of time |
| Bunpo | learning Japanese grammar |
How many Japanese words do you need to know to be fluent? ›
Kanji includes over 50,000 different characters, however, you only need to know about 2,000 of them to be considered fluent. You also only need to know about 5,000 Japanese vocabulary words to be considered fluent as well.
Can you master Japanese with Duolingo? ›The world's most popular way to learn Japanese online
Learn Japanese in just 5 minutes a day with our game-like lessons. Whether you're a beginner starting with the basics or looking to practice your reading, writing, and speaking, Duolingo is scientifically proven to work.
The average length of time to learn advanced Japanese is 2-3 years. At the intermediate level, you can understand most of what your teacher says, and you can follow along with TV programs. When it comes to using the language with other Japanese speakers, however, you still have some limitations.
How many hours do Japanese workers sleep? ›Sleeping on the job
On average, Japanese workers get 6 hours and 35 minutes of sleep per night (and executives even less), making Japan the most sleep deprived country in the world.
In Japan, inemuri literally translates to dozing or nodding off, but in this case, it can also mean “sleeping while present.” It's a culturally accepted power nap that you can take in the middle of the workday in Japan.
How long should you spend on each Anki card? ›- Learn a card the first time. Average time: 1-5 minutes. ...
- First review of that card. Average time: 20-60 seconds. ...
- Every consecutive review of that card. Average time: 5-20 seconds. ...
- Cards marked incorrect now appearing again. Average time: 5-60 seconds.
By following this approach, at the beginning of your learning process, your deck would fill up terribly quickly. Therefore, you might find yourself investing too much time in it. This is why I recommend adding words sparingly, in particular no more than 20 words per day.
Is Anki better than flashcards? ›As Anki uses spaced repetition it is definitely the more effective of the two flashcard apps for getting you to learn vocab.
How many Anki can you do in a day? ›Our suggested 10 new cards per day is a good starting point, but if it's too much then you could decrease it to 5 flashcards per day. But if you find that you can stay on top of all your Anki reviews a day, then you can increase it to 20 new cards a day.
Can you become fluent with Anki? ›Are anki flashcards, as recommended in Fluent Forever, the best way to learn a language? - Quora. This is a really old question, but the answers here really aren't great and I want to put this out there for anyone who might stumble onto this like I did. Yes, anki is one of the greatest tools for learning a new language ...
How do I choose Anki cards to study? ›
Study by card state or tag
Select a certain number of cards from the current deck to study. You can choose to select new cards only, due cards only, or all cards; after you click "Choose Tags", you can also limit the selected cards by tags.
Learn to Read Hiragana
The other two are katakana and kanji, but hiragana is where everything starts. The ability to read hiragana is going to be a prerequisite for most beginner Japanese textbooks and resources. It's the first thing you learn in a traditional classroom.
While it may not be possible to become fluent in Japanese in just ten days, it IS possible to learn the basics of speaking in a short period of time and move on to becoming fluent. Don't be discouraged. You can and will learn Japanese much faster than you expect.
Can Japanese be self taught? ›As an independent learner, you will be the captain of your own ship in the vast sea of language learning. But with motivation, commitment and some good resources, you will not only find it's totally possible to learn Japanese by yourself, it's also one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences!
Can you learn Japanese in 6 months? ›IMPOSSIBLE. In 6 months you may come upto a basic level of communication, but fluency and profiency requires very systematic reading for any language. Japanese is a very proficient and grammar oriented language.
Is studying Japanese worth it? ›There are lots of social benefits of learning Japanese. Being able to communicate with more people means you are able to meet and get to know more people. If you know how to speak Japanese, you'll find it much easier to make Japanese friends than someone who doesn't speak Japanese.
How can I become fully fluent in Japanese? ›- Don't rush the basics. For some learners, the three Japanese writing systems can be intimidating. ...
- Find media you love. ...
- Practise with native speakers. ...
- Record yourself speaking. ...
- Set goals. ...
- Use mnemonics. ...
- Stay positive.
- Understand the mechanics of remembering and forgetting.
- Focus on what you'll use most often.
- Prioritize improving your Japanese speaking and listening skills. ...
- Set good goals and have realistic expectations.
- Little and often is better than occasional marathon learning.
- Avoid procrastination.
- Learn from your mistakes.
The word ai shiteru 愛してる is essentially the default phrase for "I love you" in Japanese. It is also the one that arguably comes closest in meaning to the English expression "I love you." The character 愛 ai literally translates to "love," typically with the connotation of romantic love.
What is the strongest deck in Yugioh? ›Dragon Rulers are widely considered to be one of the best Yu-Gi-Oh! Archetypes of all time, and if they were all unbanned would likely dominate the meta all over again. The Dragon-Type is one of the most supported ones in the game, many of the best Yu-Gi-Oh! decks are Dragons, such as the Dragon Rulers.
What Anki deck should I use for MCAT? ›
The jacksparrow2048 deck is one of the most used Anki MCAT decks out there, and a great MCAT study resource. This deck contains 5978 cards, arranged by MCAT content sections: Chemistry/Physics, Biology/Biochemistry, Psychology/Sociology.
What is the best deck in Yugioh? ›- 8/10 Zoodiac.
- 7/10 Thunder Dragon.
- 6/10 Virtual World.
- 5/10 Sky Striker.
- 4/10 Invoked.
- 3/10 Adamancipator.
- 2/10 Drytron.
- 1/10 Eldich.
Number 1: Numeron Gate Ekam | Card Details | Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME - CARD DATABASE.
Is ace stronger than king? ›(a) The rank of the cards used in all types of poker other than low poker, for the determination of winning hands, in order of highest to lowest rank, shall be: ace, king, queen, jack, 10, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three and two. All suits shall be considered equal in rank.
What is the cutest Yu-Gi-Oh deck? ›- 8/10 NATURIA.
- 7/10 FLUFFAL.
- 6/10 MAJESPECTER.
- 5/10 DESKBOTS.
- 4/10 SYLVAN.
- 3/10 WINDWITCH.
- 2/10 GHOSTRICK.
- 1/10 MADOLCHE.
If your main aim is looking to learn vocab as effectively as possible and you are happy with a straight forward, simple flashcard app then Anki is definitely the one for you. However, if you're looking for a more fun and engaging way to learn then Quizlet is the app for you.
What card is the strongest in a deck? ›The Ace of Spades (also known as the Spadille and Death Card) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards in English-speaking countries.
What is a Tier 1 deck in Yu-Gi-Oh? ›Tier 1 is 3-4 decks that are on a pretty even playing field with each other, beating different decks most of the time due to their power and consistency, while usually losing to the current Tier 0 deck.
What is a Tier 0 deck? ›Anyway: Tier 0 is a deck that is completely unmatched against all other decks, and is able to dominate the format. See Tele-DAD. A deck that can achieve its win condition easily and quickly, with little or no possible ways to stop it.