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Looking for an effective and easy way to start learning new Japanese words? Try using Anki.
Using a spaced repetition system (SRS) allows you to revisit new vocabulary repetitively — but in a programmed time frame. Through this, you can spend more time on words you have a harder time remembering and less on easier ones.
When setting up an Anki, we recommend you use pre-made Anki decks. Once you know your learning preference, you can then customize them. Anki decks can easily be downloaded from the Anki website.
Coto Academy is a Japanese language school located in Tokyo and Yokohama. With its small class sizes and flexible course schedule, we ensure the students find their community here in Japan and learn practical and useful daily-life Japanese by focusing on conversational practice.
Check out the 10 best Japanese Anki decks. Before that, head to our Japanese learner’s guide to starting Anki flashcards.
How to choose the right Anki Deck?
Best Japanese Anki Decks
1. Japanese Core 2000 Step 01 Listening Sentence Vocab + Images
2. Japanese Core 2000 Step 02 Listening Sentence Vocab + Images
3. Japanese Basic Hiragana
4. JLPT Grammar from Jtest4you
5. Japanese Visual Novel, Anime, Manga, LN Vocab – V2K
6. Katakana Reading Practice
7. Official KanjiDamage deck
8. All in One Kanji Deck
9. Kanji All in One Heisig RTK + Kondansha KKLC + Vocabulary Ex
10. Kana Mnemonics (Tofugu)
How to choose the right Anki Deck?
With there are hundreds of Japanese Anki decks for learning, choosing the right one can be difficult and confusing. This is especially so for first-time users of Anki who are still figuring out how to use the software. It’s not hard when you get used to it, but we don’t want to add more to your full bowl.
On the Anki website, there is a section under ” Popular categories: Languages ” where you can see links to landing pages for different languages.
Click on the “Japanese” link and it would bring you to the page full of different Japanese Anki decks. If you already have a topic in mind that you want to study, there is a manual search option in the top right corner.
If you have a problem choosing, click on each Anki deck and look at the reviews. A rating column also shows the ratings of the different tabs.
Once you have chosen the Anki Deck you want to use, just simply click the “download” button to open the Anki on your device.
Best Japanese Anki Decks
1. Japanese Core 2000 Step 01 Listening Sentence Vocab + Images
Japanese Core 2000 Step 01 is one of the most popular and used Anki decks to memorize Japanese vocabulary. Specifically customized for beginners to Japanese, this Anki Deck has over 2,000 Japanese words for you to learn.
The contents in this Anki deck are well-structured, with images provided for easier memorization. The deck contains 405 audio files and 235 images, and example sentences for the Kanji.
It would probably take 2-3 months to complete this Anki deck if you practice consistently — consistency is the number one thing for improvement.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki Deck onto your computer. The flashcards will appear on your screen once the deck is imported to your device. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
2. Japanese Core 2000 Step 02 Listening Sentence Vocab + Images
Japanese Core 2000 Step 02 is the second part of the Japanese Core 2000 Anki series. Make sure you start with Step 01 before you visit Step 02. Still, for beginners, this Anki Deck is a more advanced version with audio files, English translations, and images provided in the flashcards.
There are Japanese Kanji, verbs, and example sentences that are used in everyday life. This Anki Deck has over 404 Audio files and 236 Images.
Similar to Step 01, it would probably take you 2-3 months to complete this Anki Deck if you practice consistently.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki deck onto your computer. The flashcards will appear on your screen once the deck is imported to your device. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
3. Japanese Basic Hiragana
Japanese Basic Hiragana is a highly recommended Japanese Anki deck for beginners to learn the fundamentals of hiragana. Unlike the Japanese Core Series Anki Deck, this Anki deck does not have any pictures.
The deck was modified from the TextFugu Hiragana deck and only includes 46 basic audio Hiragana character files.
However, you can type in romaji under particular hiragana characters. You can easily complete it as the contents are basic and simple for beginners. Since there are only 46 notes, the deck is a good refresher for new learners.
Since it only covers fundamentals, it does not have all the hiragana characters. So, you might want to move on to more advanced Japanese Anki Decks once you have completed the Deck.
4. JLPT Grammar from Jtest4you
Jtest4you Anki Deck is a JLPT N1-to-N5 grammar-focused flashcard. It includes example sentences, romaji, and translations that can be added to the front and back of the flashcards.
What’s good about this Anki deck is that the vocabulary is divided into different JLPT levels, so you can study words relevant to your current situation.
In most flashcards, the front would be the kanji and example sentence in Japanese, while the back of the flashcard would be the furigana, romaji, and English translation.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki deck onto your computer. The flashcards will appear on your screen once the deck is imported to your device. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
5. Japanese Visual Novel, Anime, Manga, LN Vocab – V2K
If you are interested in Japanese visual media, Japanese Visual Novel, Anime, Manga, LN Vocab – V2K Anki Deck could be perfect for you.
This Anki Deck has over 2,000 common words in popular Japanese media, such as novels, anime, and manga. In Japanese media, words and phrases often serve various contexts and examples.
Hence, this Anki deck helps users link the particular kanji and familiar English translations.
It is a beginner-focused Anki deck where users will learn kanji and furigana, along with a pre-recorded audio that can be found at the front of the flashcard.
You will be able to pick up heaps of useful words, such as 全然駄目だ、結構, that are frequently mentioned in anime and manga. It will also significantly improve your reading and listening comprehension.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki deck onto your computer. Once the deck is imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
6. Katakana Reading Practice
Katakana Reading Practice is an Anki deck that acts as a guide for beginners in learning katakana. With over 1,000 words and phrases in Katakana, the contents of the flashcard focuses a lot on foreign loanwords, proper names, onomatopoeia, animal names as well as brand names.
Many users of this Anki deck have found it very helpful in improving their speed and confidence in speaking and writing katakana.
English speakers might think it’s unnecessary to learn katakana. After all, they are loan words from English — but you’d be surprised by some Japanese katakana words that don’t sound similar to the original English words.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki deck onto your computer. Once the deck is imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
7. Official KanjiDamage deck
KanjiDamage is the ultimate deck to learn Kanji with the KanjiDamage method, which is basically learning Kanji using mnemonics. There are over 1,700 Kanji to learn from in this Anki Deck.
You will learn a mix of commonly used Kanji as well as uncommonly used Kanji that has been put in random order. The stroke order of how to write the Kanji is also included.
If you want to learn kanji frequency instead, check out another Anki Deck made by the same user, which is a reordered version of this Anki deck. It has been reordered based on the frequency of each Kanji character so that you can more common characters first followed by the uncommon ones.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki Deck onto your computer. Once the deck are imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
8. All in One Kanji Deck
Looking to learn pretty much everything there is to learn about Kanji? All in One Kanji deck is one of the most comprehensive and informative collections out there. It is perfect for those looking to practice writing the Kanji and gaining more knowledge on kanji meaning and readings.
The Anki deck is nicely formatted. With over 10,000 flashcards, you will learn how to read each kanji in onyomi, kunyomi, nanori as well as learn the number of strokes and stroke orders.
It also teaches you how each Kanji had been changed from its original Chinese elements to become a Japanese character.
9. Tofugu: Learn Hiragana Deck
This Anki deck created by Tofugu helps you learn Hiragana through Mnemonics. In this Anki Deck, you will be able to learn the basics of Japanese pronunciation.
10. Tofugu: Learn Katakana Deck
This Anki deck created by Tofugu helps you learn Katakana through Mnemonics. In this Anki Deck, you will be able to learn the basics of Japanese pronunciation.
Through descriptive and animative mnemonics, they make learning fun and interactive and are a perfect method for memorization! We also recommend downloading the Tofugu hiragana chart for reference before you get started with this Anki Deck.
Visit the Anki website to download the Anki Deck onto your computer. Once the deck is imported to your device, the flashcards will appear on your screen. You can edit the cards by clicking on the “edit” button.
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