熊 Kanakuma

日本語を、毎日少しずつ。

Japanese — one step at a time

Everything for learning Japanese in one place.

Learn

Kana

Hiragana and katakana: reading, writing and practice.

Vocabulary

Lessons by level, meanings, readings and examples.

Kanji

Learn characters and practise writing them.

Grammar

Explanations, practice and assessments.

Listening

Practise understanding spoken Japanese.

So it sticks

Review and my words

an FSRS queue plus your own lists and favourites

Progress

time by skill, streak, achievements and the honour board

Start with kanaVocabulary lessons

01Overview

From your first あ to confident Japanese

Learn kana, build your vocabulary and reinforce it with short study sessions. Each step builds on the one before. The course runs from your first hiragana to N3 texts and decides for you what is worth studying today.

Start with kana

02Writing

Remember kanji through movement

Break characters into parts and practise stroke order. Write with a mouse, finger or stylus and get feedback on your handwriting. A character built from radicals you already know stays learned alongside its neighbours instead of blurring into them.

Explore kanji

03Listening

Practise understanding spoken Japanese

Listen to words and sentences, explore phrases and check your understanding. Adjust the speed and replay difficult parts to connect how words look with how they sound.

Explore listening

04Review

The right word at the right time

FSRS schedules your reviews. Add your own words and collections to practise the things that interest you. Nothing slips away: a card comes back on its own, just before you would have forgotten it.

Open review

05Offline

Japanese wherever it suits you

Install Kanakuma on your phone or computer and download lessons ahead of time. Keep learning and saving progress without internet. On a train, on a plane or out of town, lessons, the dictionary and reviews work exactly the same.

Downloaded lessons

06For teachers

More time for your students

Explain, encourage and help students move forward. Kanakuma will connect finding a teacher with independent practice between your lessons.

Teacher applications are open

Apply as a teacherBrowse the directory

Applications are reviewed manually. You arrange lessons, schedules and payments directly with your students.

Your directory profile

A list of Japanese teachers with experience, levels, lesson formats and contact details. Introduce yourself so students can find the right teacher.

Direct contact with students

Share your preferred contact method and lesson terms. Kanakuma helps introduce your teaching, without taking commission on lessons.

Between-lesson assignments · coming soon

We plan teacher-selected vocabulary, kanji and grammar assignments. Students will complete them in the app and reinforce what they learn through reviews.

Groups and progress · coming soon

We plan student lists, groups and assignment results to help you spot difficult topics, give feedback and prepare the next lesson around students’ mistakes.

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Eight visual themes

Calm Zen, retro CRT, a dark galaxy or the classic interface — study in a space you enjoy returning to.

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Start free — choose your path later

Dictionary, kana, reviews and sync on every plan. New plan terms are coming soon.

Tora

daily practice

  • The full dictionary, hiragana, katakana, grammar explanations and examples without limits.
  • 10 new words a day with no lifetime cap: keep building your vocabulary over time.
  • 2 complete grammar sessions a day on any available topics you choose.
  • Unlimited FSRS reviews of vocabulary and kanji, with practice for mistakes.
  • Handwriting, reading, multiple choice and word games for varied practice.
  • Favourites for useful words and basic speech synthesis for listening practice.
  • Downloaded lessons offline and progress synced across devices after signing in.
Start for free

Sora

learn at your own pace

coming soon
  • All the essentials of Tora, with more freedom to set your study pace.
  • New vocabulary and grammar sessions without a daily plan limit.
  • Up to 10 custom dictionaries alongside Favourites, for a textbook, topic or trip.
  • Anki import to keep studying with your own materials.
  • Ready-made enhanced ElevenLabs audio for words, examples and listening, with unlimited playback.
  • Coming soon: a personal plan for your goal, target date and study time, adjusted to your progress.
  • Reviews, offline lessons and sync for learning at home and on the go.
Join Sora waitlist

Hoshi

personal AI

coming soon
  • Everything in Sora: a flexible pace, Anki import and enhanced ready-made audio.
  • Custom dictionaries without a plan limit, for all your interests and materials.
  • Coming soon: AI answer feedback with explanations of mistakes and suggestions for practice.
  • Coming soon: study texts on request, tailored to your level and interests.
  • Coming soon: personalised audio for new text, generated on your request using AI credits.
  • 300 AI credits per billing period; replaying ready-made audio does not use them.
  • Sora’s upcoming personal study plan is included without spending AI credits.
Join Hoshi waitlist

Plan features are evolving. Subscriptions and features marked ‘coming soon’ will open as they become ready.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need an account?

No. Kana, N5 words and kanji, and all category lessons are open to guests. Create an account when you want to sync progress across devices.

Does Kanakuma work offline?

Yes. It is an installable PWA, so downloaded lessons and local progress remain available without a connection.

Why are reviews not in a fixed order?

Kanakuma uses FSRS to bring a card back when reviewing it is most useful.

Is the dictionary paid?

No. Dictionary search remains free and works without an account.

Will I be able to study with a tutor through Kanakuma?

Yes. Kanakuma will include a directory of Japanese tutors with reviews and contact options. Tutors will be able to assign and check work, while students complete it right on the site.

Tutors →

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Dictionary