Start with hiragana and katakana, then build kanji, vocabulary and grammar across the full JLPT ladder, N5 to N1. Tanuki uses spaced repetition and active recall so what you learn stays in your memory, not just in today's lesson. No streaks, no guilt.
Kana → N5 → N4 → N3 → N2 → N1
Most apps are great at getting you started and quiet about what happens after. Tanuki is tuned for long-term memory from your very first kana stroke to advanced N1 vocabulary.
Every kana and kanji is traced stroke by stroke, the way it is actually written, then tied to a sound and a memory hook.
A modern FSRS scheduler brings each word back at the moment you are about to forget it, so your review time is never wasted.
After the first look you produce the answer on a kana keyboard. Recognising a flashcard is not the same as knowing it.
Japanese pitch accent is data here, not a guess. Every word carries its pattern, shown right inside the lesson.
Kanji always comes with its reading above it, and graded passages turn vocabulary into real comprehension.
Progress is tied to words you genuinely remember, not to a daily counter. Miss a day and nothing breaks.
Your home screen changes as you climb the ladder, from a quiet torii gate to the summit of Mount Fuji. The same warm, hand-painted world you learn inside.
Kana, right at the beginning.
N3, deep into the ladder.
N1, the top of the ladder.
Meet hiragana and katakana with tracing, audio and mnemonics, then blend them into your first real Japanese words. Romaji drops away almost as soon as you no longer need it.
Climb the JLPT ladder from N5 to N1, producing words and kanji from memory, guided by comprehensible input so you only ever meet one new thing at a time.
Lock everything in with graded reading passages and perfectly timed reviews, from your first kana to advanced Japanese across the full JLPT ladder.
Tanuki starts you at zero. You trace hiragana and katakana, hear each one spoken, and tie it to a memory hook, then blend kana into real words almost immediately. Kanji, vocabulary and grammar build from there, all the way to N1.
Yes, Tanuki is free to start. Hiragana, katakana and the full N5 level are free forever. Tanuki Pro unlocks N4 through N1, available as a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase.
Tanuki is built for retention, not streaks. A real FSRS spaced-repetition scheduler and active recall make Japanese stick long term, and missing a day never punishes you. Kanji always carries its furigana reading, and every word carries its pitch accent pattern, not just a romanized guess.
Yes. Your lessons, the spaced repetition scheduler, and your progress run on your device, so you can learn on a train or underground with no connection.
Spaced repetition shows you each word right before you would forget it. Tanuki uses a modern FSRS scheduler to time every review, which means you remember more while studying less.
It depends on how often you practice. With short daily sessions, N5 is an early and reachable milestone, and Tanuki keeps going all the way to N1. There is no fixed deadline and no pressure to rush.
Yes. Every word carries its pitch accent pattern, and furigana appears over kanji everywhere it shows up, so you are never stuck decoding a character you have not learned yet.
Free to start, fully offline, and calm by design. Tanuki is on its way to iOS and Android: hiragana, katakana and kanji, all the way to N1.
