Hiragana
The soft phonetic script used for native Japanese words, grammar endings, and beginner reading.
New!Beta version
Japanese Memory Game
Explore cards, play recall rounds, and build Japanese memory one tiny win at a time.
No account needed to tryStart with anonymous Explore and Play limits.
No ads or tracking pixelsPrivacy-friendly aggregate analytics only.
Free softwareGPL code and open educational licensing.
Japanese writing
Japanese uses characters in three different ways.
Learning Japanese is not just memorizing an alphabet. You meet two phonetic scripts plus kanji, a system of meaning-bearing characters. The app exists because that mix is easier to learn when each symbol becomes an action, not a static table.
Katakana
The angular phonetic script used for loanwords, names, emphasis, and many modern terms.
Kanji
Meaning-rich characters used for words and concepts. One symbol can carry sound, meaning, and context.
Why this app exists
Because recognition is not the same as memory.
Most beginners see giant kana charts and kanji lists, understand them for a moment, then lose them later. Japanese Memory Game is built around retrieval practice: short rounds, immediate feedback, and repeated recall. The goal is to help learners cross the first wall without ads, dark patterns, or noisy lessons.
Inside the app
What practice looks like.
Start by browsing, then ask your memory to work. The interface stays deliberately simple so the card, answer, and next tiny win stay in focus.
How it works
One loop, four moves.
The app is intentionally small. Less setup means fewer exits before the first useful memory rep.
Explore first
Flip cards without pressure. See the character, pronunciation, and meaning until the deck starts to feel familiar.
Switch to Play mode
Recall from memory instead of just recognizing. Type the answer, check it, and build a real retrieval habit.
Follow the path
Start with Hiragana, continue with Katakana, then move into Kanji Grade 1 and Grade 2 when kana feels comfortable.
Keep your streak simple
Use best score, solved cards, and best time as tiny signals. One clean round beats a long unfocused session.
Your first session
Do this before you leave.
Most people bounce because the next action is unclear. This is the shortest useful path: get one small win, then decide whether to go deeper.
- Try 10 Hiragana cards in Explore mode.
- Play one short recall round.
- Search a character you keep missing.
- Come back tomorrow and beat your best time.
Access
Free learning first. Plus when you want the full kanji path.
Build the foundation
- Hiragana and Katakana
- Kanji Grade 1 and Grade 2
- Free account removes anonymous limits on free content
Unlock advanced kanji
- Kanji Grade 3 through Grade 6
- Future advanced content as it ships
- Supports hosting, maintenance, and free-software development
Give it one round.
If the first three minutes feel useful, save your access with a free account. If you are already serious about kanji, Plus is there when you need the advanced grades.