Are you struggling with stroke order? You’re not alone. Some kanji have more than a few strokes to remember. That is why we are so happy to share about this! Kanjibro is a new tool for finding the stroke order of most common Kanji (Kanji that appear in open source Japanese dictionaries.) Using Kanjibro to find stroke order is simple:
Type your kanji in the search (You can also paste it)
The animated stroke order will pop up for each kanji.
It’s that simple. One great thing about this tool and one that we’re very proud of – is that Kanjibro is made by one of our students. Here is his message about the project:
When I started to learn Japanese a year and a half ago, the difficulty to take notes was the most frustrating bit while learning. (to take notes is probably the best way to process and retain information I think.) So after discussion with my Japanese pals and classmates, the idea of being able to take notes, and therefore writing kanji without making any mistakes, became a crucial need. We checked google but there was no “simple” solution allowing us to paste a sentence, check how to write it, and then proceed out conversation in Japanese. With this tool our classes or sessions started to be way much more productive. As we weren’t spending too much time trying to write kanji. Basically after class or a conversation session, we were able to study each kanji properly on our own. I’m glad to hear this tool is useful! ๐
If you’re looking to learn how to practice writing kanji – you may also be interested in our kanji writing worksheets. These worksheets provide an easy way to practice Japanese writing and also have stroke order diagrams that teach you the correct order of the strokes. If you’d like to see all of the available JLPT Kanji Writing Workbooks – please visit Coto Kanji Writing Workbooks
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If you are interested in studying Japanese in Tokyo, find out more about our school by filling out the form below.
For foreigners living in Japan, reading food labels may be particularly challenging. In this Kanji worksheet, we sort out some common kanji to help you understand the information written on Japanese food labels and packaging.
If you are interested in studying Japanese, find out more about our school by filling out the form below.
When shopping at drugstores and supermarkets in Japan. Kanji can be seen on the detergent bottles, medicine packages…etc. In our first unit of N2 Kanji Workbook, we’ll be presenting to you commonly used of household goods. Before that, let’s take a look at the JLPT Kanji Worksheet.
The best video game to learn Japanese Kanji – Kanji Drop is tetris for Kanji learning with a dictionary and flashcards. You can learn Kanji
Kanji Drop – The Best Video Game for Japanese Learning
We rarely post an entire blog dedicated to one learning app – but we think that this is hands down the best video game that you can use to improve your Japanese learning (and it’s also free).
We could spend a ton of time explaining what it is – but it would be better to just show you a video of it first.
In tetris – you rotate blocks and fit them into empty spaces in order to make the blocks explode.
Kanji drop has a dropping tile format just like tetris, but instead of rotating blocks, you need to place kanji on top of or next to other characters.
This will allow you to:
Combine Characters
Create Compound Words with multiple Kanji
Every so often – the game will pause for a minigame when you discover a new kanji – and there are around 2200 kanji in total in the game.
Why is this good for learning?
Passive repeated exposure to both the readings and the meanings of the kanji.
Mini-games that test your comprehension of the kanji
A fun and addictive learning format that will keep you wanting to play due to its gamified nature.
Unlike many other gamified learning experiences – this is a rare application that does exactly what is promised – it teaches you to recognize and understand a wide range of Kanji while tricking you into having fun while doing it.
This is definitely our choice for the best video game you can play to learn Japanese.
On top of the addictive gameplay format – there is a flashcard study feature that you can use while pausing the game:
Not only can you learn to recognize the meaning of the word – you can explore its stroke order and how the kanji is written.ย In the screenshot above – you can see that there is a review and dictionary mode to explore your recently learned kanji.
What’s also great about this feature is that you can use it to remove kanji that you have already learned so that you can make the game more challenging and fun!
There are tons of great little bells and whistles in this game that you can use to learn Japanese.
We highly recommend it if you would like to improve your Kanji reading.
If you would like to download it – check out https://www.kangenius.com/web/index.html
Japanese ATMs can be difficult and confusing to operate in Japanese! Although some ATMs have English options available, many do not. So if you have already opened a Japanese bank account – the next step is learning how to navigate an ATM in Japanese.
It might take some getting used to at first, but if you stick with this guide and learn the ATM related Japanese vocabulary, you will be scrolling through the system like a pro!
In this article, we will walk you through the ATM related Japanese vocabulary and information about Japanese ATM transactions. Let’s kick it off with the “numbers” screen you will see on ATM after inserting your cash card or passbook.
Japanese ATM Vocabulary 1 – Pin Code and Transaction Amounts
Let’s begin with the ATM number keypad and the buttons and words associated with it. Knowing how to navigate the number pad and what the buttons do on a Japanese ATM are important for making your transactions!
ๆ่จผ็ชๅท – PIN Code
Anshล bangล (ๆ่จผ็ชๅท) – This is your Personal Identification Number (PIN) that you made when you first opened your bank account. You will need to enter this number for any transaction except deposits (for most banks).
If you ever forget this number, you will have to go to your nearest bank branch and ask them for help to recover it. You can bet on a lot of paper work, “verification”, and waiting – so please please don’t lose this number! You will be saving yourself many headaches!
ๅ้ค – Delete/Backspace
Sakujo (ๅ้ค) – Oops! You meant to press the “8” but you missed and hit the “0”! NO PROBLEM! Just hit the Sakujo/ใใใใ button to backspace it and re-enter!
Kanji: ๅ – “reduce”, ้ค – “remove, exclude”.
ๅๆถ – Cancel (Transaction)
Torikeshi (ๅๆถ) – Whenever you want to quit a transaction and start over – or just cancel altogether – you can press this button. This will cancel the transaction and return your cash card or passbook to you from the machine. In most cases, if you want to start a new transaction you have to do so from the beginning.
The kanji is ๅ – “take” and ๆถ – “erase, clear”.
่จๆญฃ – Correction/Clear
Teisei (่จๆญฃ)– This handy button is exactly what it looks like. It just clears whatever you entered in up above.
It has the kanji ่จ – “revision” and ๆญฃ – “correct, right”. This button is often yellow and usually on the bottom of the keypad.
็ขบ่ช – Confirm/Proceed
Kakunin (็ขบ่ช) – This is a word that appears often in Japanese finance-related situations. The kanji comes from the Japanese words ็ขบใใใ – “to confirm”, and ่ชใใ – “to realize”. A variation of this may be ็ขบๅฎ – which also means to confirm.
It is necessary to press this button for almost every page in an ATM procedure. Sometimes you will not be able to return to the previous page after pressing ็ขบ่ช – so be careful that you entered everything the way you wanted to!
This button is often green – making it quick and easy to find and press!
It is also the smallest Japanese yen bill – which you can choose to withdraw if you so desire.
ไธ – man
The next step up is the ไธ (man) which is 10,000. If, for example, you are withdrawing money in ten-thousands (such as 70,000ยฅ) – just tap “7” and “ไธ” and you will receive 7 ไธ bills.
You can also select ไธ bills in sequence with ๅ yen bills. For example: 53,000ยฅ โ tap “5”, “ไธ”, “3”, “ๅ” and you will receive 5 ไธๅ bills and 3 ๅๅ bills. Easy!
ๅ – yen/en
Even though almost all ATMs in Japan only distribute yen, Japan is still a very procedural culture ๐
Almost all of the time, they will want you to select the ๅ button before confirming your transaction. So if the ็ขบ่ช button seems to not be working, double check that you have selected ๅ!
Japanese ATM Vocabulary 2 – Transaction Types
Now we will move on to the different transaction types available on a Japanese ATM. After reading this you will know the different words in Japanese for the different transaction types and what they mean!
This will help you know the Japanese necessary to really fly through your ATM transactions. It’s no fun to have a line pile up behind you! Let’s learn the following Japanese ATM related words โ
ใๅผๅบใ – Withdrawal
O hiki dashi– This is probably the transaction you will use most often! This is your cash withdrawal option. Make sure to note that some ATMs charge different transaction fees depending on the time of day – as well as the day of the week.
There are no overdraft fees in Japan. If you do not have enough money to withdraw the transaction will be cancelled. So please be careful about this!
ๆฎ้ซ็ งไผ – Balance Inquiry
Zandaga shลkai – A balance inquiry will obviously require your PIN code, and does no more than show you your balance. Some ATMs will give you the option to print the amount on a receipt for you.
ATMs often give you the option to ๅๆถ – end the transaction and return your passbook/cash card. Or you may be presented with the option to continue on to make another transaction (like deposit or withdraw).
ใ้ ๅ ฅใ – Deposit
O azuke ire – You don’t need a PIN code for this one! Just throw your cash in, make sure to check the ATM counted the bills right, and you’re all set!
Again, keep the ATM transaction fees in mind for this, and try to plan accordingly to save yourself on transaction fees. If you use ATMs owned by your own bank, the transaction fees are often lower – or waived altogether, as opposed to other bank ATMs.
ใๆฏ่พผ – Money Transfer to Another Person’s Account
O furi komi – At some ATMs, such as JP Post (ใใใกใ) this will be written as gosลkin (ใ้้) – “send money”. So please don’t worry if you can’t find the ใๆฏ่พผ button right away!
Use this transaction to send money from your bank account to either another person’s bank account, or to a company. For example, many landlords will require you to send money from your bank account directly to their bank account or company account to pay rent.
Be extremely careful when you furikomi that you double check all the information through every part of the process before sending it off by pressing that kakunin button!
You don’t want to lose that money ๐
้ๅธณ่จๅ ฅ – Passbook Update
Tsลซchล kinyลซ– A Passbook update is kind of like an ultimate balance inquiry. The ATM will print your recent transactions onto the pages of your passbook. This is especially helpful if you happen to have a bank account without online banking. It is a bit archaic, but nice to know that you have the option if ever needed. ๐
ใๆฏๆฟ – Money Transfer Between Accounts (Same Person)
O furi kae – Much like the O furi komi (they even sound alike!), the ใๆฏๆฟ is used to transfer money between accounts. The main difference is – like the title says – it’s a transfer between 2 accounts you own.
These transfers typically need to be made between two accounts that are both in your exact name. Even transferring money between spouses is not counted as a transfer between two of your own accounts. Because there is no joint filing in Japan, an official transfer of a large sum of money between spouses may be subject to a gift tax. Please be very careful with this!
Japanese Passbook Vocabulary
When you first open your bank account, you will receive a passbook from your bank. This is like a ledger that records your bank transactions – and also holds all your account information.
ๅฃๅบงๅ็พฉ – Account Holder
The Kouza meigi is, more often than not, going to be your name in katakana. It is usually printed in the order found on your passport and/or residence card – often family name first and given name(s) second. Do you need to brush up on reading katakana? It’s all in our Japanese beginner cheat sheet that’s available for download!
This name will be printed on your passbook – as well as on your cash card. If you are making a credit card or making rental payments with your bank account, you will need to pay attention to fill out your name on the forms the exact same way it is written in your passbook.
้่ๆฉ้ขๅ – Financial Institution/Bank Name
Kinyลซ kikanmei – Your bank name, just in case you forget it ๐
You may not need this too much, but it is a necessary bit of information to put on your passbook – for instances such as registering your bank information with your employer.
ๆฏๅบๅ – Branch Name
Shitenmei – This is the branch name of your Japanese bank account.
You will need this information when filing for automatic withdrawals from your bank account. Such as for paying credit card bills or rent. Additionally, you will need to give this to your employer to receive direct deposit payments.
ๅบ็ช – Branch Code
The tenban(branch code) is often a 3 digit number, and is usually printed in kanji in your passbook. This is the corresponding code to the branch’s name (above). Like the branch name, this is also information you will need for automatic withdrawals.
้ ้็จฎ็ฎ – Deposit Type
Yokinshumoku – There are typically only 3 main deposit types. Normal deposit account, normal savings account, and a time deposit account.
Futsลซ yokin(ๆฎ้้ ้) – This is the standard bank account offered by Japanese banks. It is similar to a regular checking account you may have held overseas, and (for the most part) functions in the same manner.
Tsลซjyล chokin (้ๅธธ่ฒฏ้) – As the name suggests, this account is a standard savings account.
They offer slightly higher interest rates than the ๆฎ้้ ้ (checking) account. However, in Japan this usually means .01% or so – not very high.
Teiki chokin (ๅฎๆ่ฒฏ้) – This is a time deposit bank account. This is certainly an option for long term savings. The primary advantage of these account are, like any time deposit, higher interest rates.
The minimum amount requirement for this type of account is often ยฅ100,000 โ but it can vary depending on the bank.
Also, like any time deposit, this type of account may require notice in case of early withdrawal or penalties may be applied.
Larger banks often allow you to deposit into foreign currency accounts (ๅค่ฒจ้ ้๏ผๅค่ฒจๅฎๆ้ ้). Examples of these are SMBC and Shinsei Bank. These often have much higher interest rates than accounts in the Japanese yen.
ๅฃๅบง็ชๅท – Account Number
Kลza bangล– The last word on our list! This is your account number. Usually this will be printed on your cash card as well as your passbook – along with your account holder name.
Japanese Passbook Vocabulary #2
We saw the first page, now let’s look at how to read the passbook pages that keep records of your balance!
ๆฎ้้ ้ – Normal Bank Account
Futsลซ yokin – We already discussed the different deposit/bank types above, but this is the normal (standard) Japanese bank account.
This will be printed somewhere on your passbook pages – usually in the top right corner.
ๅนดๆๆฅ – Year (Japanese era)/Month/Day
Nengappi – This one is pretty straight foreward! It literally means year, month, day. It’s just the date of the transaction.
Notice that in the example above the year is written “2”. This is because the passbook dates often follow the Japanese era calendars. In this case ไปคๅ2ๅนด – year 2 of the “reiwa” imperial era.
ๆ่ฆ – Summary
Tekiyล – The “summary” is a short description of the transaction. It can be either the type of the transaction, or the name of the company that is withdrawing from or depositing into your account.
If you look at the examples above (num. 7-14), you can see the summary can be a number of different things. “Tokyo gas” (7), “deposit” (9), and even the “ATM procesessing fee” (14) is recorded on the passbook.
ใๆฏๆใ้้ก – Payment
Oshiharai kingaku – This column represents the money going “out” of your account.
This includes payments, fees, and withdrawals. Details regarding the transaction may also be written here if the transaction is money going in to your account.
ใ้ ใใ้้ก – Deposit Received
Oazukari kingaku – This is essentially the opposite of the previous term. This column represents the money going into your account.
The vice versa of the oshiharai kingaku, the oazukari kingaku can also contain details regarding the transaction – if the transaction is a withdrawal.
ๅทฎๅผๆฎ้ซ – Remaining Balance
Sashihiki zandaka – This one is also fairly self-explanatory! The remaining balance just prints how much money you have in your account total after the transaction.
Now you know how to use an ATM in Japanese!
If you are interested in studying Japanese in Tokyo, find out more about our school by filling out the form below.
Have you enjoyed all the N3 Kanji worksheet series so far?
In this new Kanji unit, we are going to learn how to write some nature elements. For example, ็ณ (ishi: stone) and ่ (kusa: grass.)
In the N4 kanji workbook, we practiced kanji related to the four seasons. In this Kanji worksheet, we are going to learn some words you will see in weather forecasts.
If you are interested in studying Japanese in Tokyo, find out more about our school by filling out the form below.
When you feel sick, or if an accident happens to you in Japan, you should go to a clinic or hospital. In this Kanji Worksheet, we will introduce to you some relevant kanji which you can use when you describe symptoms or medical problems.
If you are interested in studying Japanese, find out more about our school by filling out the form below.
We’ve already learned some kanji related to ไนใ็ฉ (norimono: vehicles) in N5 and N4 levels, such as: ่ป (kuruma: car), ้ป่ป (densha: train) and ้ง (eki: station.) In this Kanji worksheet, we will show you Japanese Kanji you will see on the train, on traffic signs, and on tickets.
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