I’m learning Japanese for quite some time now, and of course, you also have to deal with the intricacies of the Japanese writing system. After some try and error I have found a nice Android app:
Kana and the first Kanji level are free, while the rest is available as In-App purchase (for a moderate amount). That said, I find the expense well justified.
What does the app offer?
- Classic flashcards: Shows sample readings (of course, Kun and On), word lists and example sentences. In addition, it will show how the radical parts.
- Fast quizzes: There you have to select the correct Kanji from several ones. In my opinion, this is not very useful, but still nice for a quick refresh.
- Drawing mode: In this mode, you have to actually write the symbol correctly. Of course, there are also different learning modes. The app also recognizes the correct stroke order. For people like me with thick fingers, it is also possible to configure how precisely the app should recognize your writing.
- A list of radicals that can be sorted by frequency and/or stroke count.
- You can partition the levels into sets of arbitrary size. The app also (optionally) displays a daily reminder if you haven’t learned your personal minimum time yet. Just for the record: I’m learning for 350 days without a break, now 😉
- You can save signs as favorites or export them as Anki cards.
- The quiz can display the most important readings as Kana and/or Romaji, and you can also optionally show the word meanings.
- There are several options for the Kanji levels, e.g., Japanese school levels or JPLT.
What is missing or can be improved?
- The notification when you have reached the minimum learning time is displayed even when a quiz is running, which I find irritating.
- A learning mode similar to Anki: Kanji that need more work are automatically repeated more often. At the moment you have to manage that with custom groups.