Learn Japanese
Learn about Japanese — culture, kanji, grammar, JLPT prep, and daily life in Japan.
Satori Reader vs WaniKani (2026): reading practice or kanji drill
Satori Reader gives you graded Japanese with native audio and notes; WaniKani drills 2,000 kanji on a fixed path. An honest 2026 comparison from Tokyo.
Sep 12, 2026
jpdb vs WaniKani (2026): kanji from media or kanji by curriculum
jpdb teaches the vocabulary of the anime or novel you chose; WaniKani teaches a fixed 60-level kanji curriculum. An honest 2026 comparison from Tokyo.
Sep 11, 2026
Renshuu vs MaruMori (2026): free forever, or all-in-one?
Renshuu vs MaruMori compared honestly for JLPT study in 2026: the most generous free tier versus the most complete all-in-one course, and how to pick.
Sep 10, 2026
WaniKani vs Anki (2026): buy the deck or build it
WaniKani sells you a kanji curriculum; Anki sells you nothing and asks you to build one. An honest 2026 comparison for JLPT study, from Tokyo.
Sep 9, 2026
WaniKani vs MaruMori (2026): kanji specialist or all-in-one course?
Honest WaniKani vs MaruMori comparison for 2026: kanji specialist or all-in-one Japanese course, what each does better, and the gap both of them leave.
Sep 8, 2026
jpdb vs Anki (2026): which Japanese SRS should you actually use
Honest jpdb vs Anki comparison for Japanese in 2026: decks and setup cost, mining from media, kanji handling, JLPT fit, and the one thing neither of them does.
Sep 7, 2026
LingoDeer vs Duolingo for Japanese (2026): which one actually teaches grammar
Honest LingoDeer vs Duolingo comparison for Japanese learners in 2026: grammar depth, kana and kanji, habit-building, JLPT fit, and where both apps stop.
Sep 6, 2026
Anki alternatives for Japanese (2026): what to switch to, and when not to
Honest guide to Anki alternatives for Japanese in 2026. What Anki still does better, the five real reasons people leave it, and which tool fits each one.
Sep 4, 2026
How to Write Longer Sentences in Japanese (and Why Yours Fall Apart)
Your Japanese sentences stay short because chaining is a grammar skill, not vocabulary. Five joins that lengthen a sentence, and the four ways they break.
Sep 3, 2026
How to practice Japanese writing alone (without a tutor to correct you)
How to practice Japanese writing alone: prompts that force real grammar, a weekly routine, and four ways to catch your own errors with no native speaker.
Sep 2, 2026
Why your Japanese sounds unnatural even when the grammar is right
Your Japanese is grammatical and still sounds off. The three error classes a grammar check cannot catch, and how to test your own sentences for each.
Sep 1, 2026
JLPT writing practice: the exam has no writing section, so why do it anyway?
The JLPT has no writing section, so why practise writing for it? Because producing sentences finds the grammar gaps a multiple-choice test hides.
Aug 31, 2026
Bunpro vs Duolingo for Japanese (2026): which one actually gets you to JLPT?
Bunpro vs Duolingo for Japanese in 2026: a JLPT grammar SRS against a gamified beginner course. What each is genuinely better at, and which to pick.
Aug 30, 2026
Is my Japanese sentence correct? How to check Japanese grammar without a native speaker
How to check if a Japanese sentence is correct with no native speaker to ask: five methods that work, and what Japanese grammar checkers still miss.
Aug 28, 2026
Bunpro vs jpdb (2026): grammar SRS or vocabulary-from-media SRS — which gap are you filling?
Bunpro vs jpdb in 2026: a grammar SRS against a media-driven vocabulary SRS. What each is genuinely better at, real prices, and where both of them stop.
Aug 28, 2026
Bunpro vs MaruMori (2026): grammar SRS or full course — which one fits how you study
Bunpro vs MaruMori in 2026: a grammar SRS against an all-in-one Japanese course. Real prices, what each is better at, and where each one stops.
Aug 27, 2026
Genki vs Bunpro (2026): textbook or grammar app — and why most people need both
Genki vs Bunpro for Japanese in 2026: a beginner textbook against a JLPT grammar SRS. What each is better at, where each stops, and how to run them together.
Aug 26, 2026
Bunpro vs LingoDeer (2026): grammar drill or full beginner course?
Bunpro vs LingoDeer for Japanese in 2026: a JLPT grammar SRS versus a structured beginner course. What each is better at, and who should pick which.
Aug 25, 2026
Bunpro vs Anki for Japanese grammar (2026): SRS you rent or SRS you build
Bunpro vs Anki for JLPT grammar in 2026: a ready-made grammar SRS with example sentences versus a free deck engine you build yourself. Honest trade-offs.
Aug 24, 2026
Bunpro vs Renshuu: which one do you actually need (2026)
Bunpro vs Renshuu for JLPT study, compared honestly: what each drills, how far the free tiers really go, 2026 pricing, and what neither one grades.
Aug 22, 2026
Bunpro vs WaniKani: which one do you actually need (2026)
Bunpro vs WaniKani compared honestly for JLPT study: what each teaches, what they cost in 2026, why most learners use both, and what neither one grades.
Aug 21, 2026
Renshuu vs Anki: which one gets you through the JLPT (2026)
Renshuu vs Anki compared honestly for JLPT study: what each one is genuinely better at, what they cost, and the one thing neither of them can grade.
Aug 20, 2026
WaniKani alternatives: an honest comparison for kanji (2026)
WaniKani alternatives compared honestly: Anki, jpdb, Kanji Garden, Renshuu, Kitsun and Marumori, what each is better at, and when to stay on WaniKani.
Aug 19, 2026
Bunpro alternatives: an honest comparison for JLPT grammar (2026)
Bunpro alternatives compared honestly: Renshuu, Anki, Bunpo, WaniKani and Marumori — what each is better at, and who should just stay on Bunpro.
Aug 3, 2026
Japanese Particle Practice: 50 Fill-in-the-Blank Exercises (N5–N3) With Answers
50 fill-in-the-blank Japanese particle exercises for JLPT N5 to N3, with answers and a one-line reason for every item. Type the particle, don't pick it.
Aug 2, 2026
ところ (tokoro) grammar: every form, one core idea (N4-N2)
ところ (tokoro) grammar explained from one core idea, a point: るところ, ているところ, たところ, ところが, ところで and どころか, with JLPT N4 to N2 levels.
Jul 31, 2026
させる vs させられる: causative vs causative passive (JLPT N3)
させる vs させられる explained: causative means you make someone do it, causative passive means you were made to. Conjugation, particles and JLPT N3 traps.
Jul 30, 2026
How to read a Japanese menu: kanji and words (JLPT N4-N5)
How to read a Japanese menu in five blocks: meal format, cooking method, ingredients, portion size and the price line, with the JLPT level of every word.
Jul 28, 2026
Japanese convenience store phrases and kanji (JLPT N5)
Japanese convenience store phrases and kanji: the four questions the clerk asks, best-before vs use-by dates, and tax-included prices, at JLPT N5 level.
Jul 28, 2026
Japanese train station kanji: read Tokyo signs (JLPT N5)
Japanese train station kanji explained: the 12 characters on Tokyo station signs, fare boards and exit markers, all JLPT N5, photographed on the Yamanote line.
May 2, 2026