Kotogaki

The free Japanese app for beginners — a clear JLPT N5 path, a new practice puzzle every day, and bilingual stories you can read and write.

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Study from zero to N5

One curriculum: hiragana and katakana first, then vocabulary, kanji, grammar, and review weighted to your weak spots.

Turn practice into a habit

A fresh puzzle for vocab, kanji readings, sentences, and listening every day at midnight UTC — two minutes is enough to keep your streak alive. Same puzzles for everyone, so you can compare with friends.

Read bilingual stories

Illustrated pages from the community. Read Japanese, guess, then reveal the English — filter by JLPT level from N5 to N1.

Browse community stories · free to read, no account needed

How Kotogaki works

  1. 1LearnFollow the guided path — one kana row or lesson at a time.
  2. 2PlayRun through the daily puzzles to lock in vocab, kanji, and listening.
  3. 3Graduate with storiesRead community stories, then publish your own when you’re ready.

What's open, and what needs an account

The five daily games, the stories index, the learning guides, and the hiragana and katakana charts are open without an account.

A free account adds the guided lessons, flashcards, My Cards, publishing, comments, and sync across devices — the same account on web and app.

Today's puzzleCommunity storiesLearning guidesHiragana chartKatakana chart

Frequently asked questions

New to Japanese? Browse our free learning guides for step-by-step roadmaps from hiragana to JLPT N5.

How do I start learning Japanese as a beginner?
Create a free account, then start with hiragana — one row per day using Kotogaki's guided program. Then katakana, N5 vocabulary flashcards, basic grammar, and short bilingual stories. Or get the mobile app for the same path on your phone.
Can I study Japanese online for free?
Yes. Kotogaki is free: the five daily games, community stories, learning guides, and kana charts are open without signing in. The guided kana lessons, flashcards, and grammar patterns need a free account.
How long does it take to learn hiragana?
Most beginners read basic hiragana in 2–3 weeks with 10 minutes of daily practice. Kotogaki's guided program teaches one row per day in the standard gojūon order.
What is JLPT N5?
JLPT N5 is the first level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test — roughly 800 vocabulary words, 100 kanji, and core grammar. Kotogaki targets N5 skills from your first kana through reading practice.
Do I need an account to use Kotogaki?
No — the five daily games, community stories, learning guides, and the hiragana and katakana charts are all open to guests. A free account is needed for the guided lessons and flashcards, and it syncs your streak and stats across devices. The mobile app uses the same account.
What is Kotogaki?
Kotogaki (言書き) is a free Japanese learning hub and app. Study hiragana and katakana, build N5 vocabulary, learn grammar, play daily games, and read or write bilingual illustrated stories with the community.
Is there a Kotogaki app for iPhone and Android?
Yes. Kotogaki is free on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android. The same free account works on the web and in the app, so your streak and study progress stay in sync. Download at kotogaki.com/app.

Start practicing free

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