Research
How Long Does It Take to Learn Kanji?
Two to four years for comfortable reading, months for a useful handwriting set, and consistency matters more than method. The arithmetic and the shape of the curve.
Lawrence Arya··11 min
Research
Kanji Radicals Explained, and Why They Matter
A radical is the indexing component, and in practice the word means any recurring part. What each kind of component tells you, which to learn first, and the limits.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Playbooks
Where to Start Learning Kanji: The First Month
Kana first, then kanji inside words rather than as isolated characters, and production from memory from week one. A concrete first month and what to avoid.
Lawrence Arya··11 min
Playbooks
An alternative to Anki drawing add-ons for kanji
Anki handwriting add-ons exist but are fiddly. Here is a smoother way to add real kanji drawing to your study.
Lawrence Arya··3 min
Playbooks
Kanji writing practice for Anki users
Anki is brilliant for recognition, but kanji stroke order rarely sticks from a flashcard. Here is how to fix that.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Anki stroke-order fonts vs actively drawing kanji
Stroke-order fonts make Anki cards show the order. Useful, but seeing the order is not the same as producing it.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Anki writing add-ons do not work on mobile: what to do
Built a kanji writing workflow with an Anki add-on? It will not run on AnkiMobile or AnkiDroid. Here is why, and how to practise writing on your phone.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
App vs paper for kanji writing practice
Paper has the best feel; an app has less friction and built-in spacing. Here is how to choose, honestly.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Practising kanji with Apple Pencil
An Apple Pencil makes writing kanji feel natural. Here is how to use it well, and what is real versus planned.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Apple Pencil vs paper for kanji practice
Paper has the best feel; an Apple Pencil has less friction and built-in spacing. Here is which to use, honestly.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
iPhone flashcards for Genki kanji, and the writing they miss
Flashcards are great for Genki vocabulary recognition. Here is how to pair them with the kanji writing they do not build.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
The best way to practise kanji handwriting
Mass copying is the old way, and the slow one. Here is what actually builds kanji handwriting, in less time.
Lawrence Arya··4 min