Give each shape a story
Original illustrations connect kanji with vivid scenes, creating another way to remember the shape.
絵と音で学ぶ漢字
Every kanji,
a little discovery.
See the picture. Hear the word. Make it your own. A brighter way to explore Japanese kanji.
2,136common kanji reference entries
1,026elementary kanji, by grade
5interface languages
Offlinefor bundled app content
From familiar shapes to real understanding.
Connect each character’s shape, sound and meaning. Give every new kanji a way to stay with you.
See the words you hear
Listen to Japanese audio with word highlighting. Tap a word to hear it again, then follow the whole sentence.
山が見えます。
Hear the sentenceMake every stroke count
Watch the stroke order, then trace and write. Turn a character you recognize into one you can write.
A pace that feels like yours
Choose a daily learning amount and save kanji to revisit. Each learner keeps their own progress.
Say hello to your next kanji.
Pick a character. Explore its picture, listen and follow the strokes. These are real illustrations and audio from the app.
山が見えます。
I can see a mountain.
Tap a word to hear it on its own, or play the full sentence.This website offers selected lesson previews. Full practice and learning records are in the app. Illustrations are memory aids, not historical explanations of kanji origins.
Open the bookshelf. Find your beginning.
Explore Japanese elementary kanji from grades one to six. New to Japanese? Start with a few familiar shapes.
Grade 11かんじ山 川 木
80 kanji
Grade 22かんじ海 雲 星
160 kanji
Grade 33かんじ旅 葉 港
200 kanji
Grade 44かんじ然 望 季
202 kanji
Grade 55かんじ夢 豊 興
193 kanji
Grade 66かんじ創 憲 尊
191 kanji
Counts refer to reference entries and stroke order. Complete illustrated lessons are being produced in batches; the app shows which lessons are available.
Different beginnings. The same curiosity.
Elementary school learners
Practice character shapes, readings and writing alongside Japanese school grades.
Multilingual families in Japan
Use a familiar interface language so children and parents can take part together.
Japanese beginners
Start with simple shapes, then meet kanji in useful words and sentences.
Learn Japanese. Navigate in your language.
The app supports 日本語, 简体中文, English, Tiếng Việt and 한국어. Choose your interface language separately from the Japanese learning content.
日本語简体中文EnglishTiếng Việt한국어
Little by little. Progress that’s your own.
Set your daily amount. Use saved characters, due reviews and mistake correction to revisit what still feels unfamiliar.
for bundled app contentA pace that feels like yours
A few things you might be wondering
Who is Kanji Palette for?
The app is designed primarily for Japanese elementary school learners, international students in Japan and people learning Japanese. Age and Japanese proficiency are set separately to suit both life experience and language level.
Do all 2,136 kanji have illustrated lessons?
2,136 refers to common kanji reference entries and stroke order, including 1,026 elementary school kanji. Complete picture, sentence and audio lessons are being produced in batches. The app shows the actual available lessons.
Can I use it offline?
Kanji reference entries, stroke order, pictures and audio bundled with the app work offline. Unrecorded words may require a Japanese voice pack on your device. This website needs a connection when loading lesson assets.
Do I need an account? Where is my progress kept?
The current development app needs no account. Each learner’s progress is saved on the device and can be backed up as JSON. Recordings are not included in that backup. There is currently no cross-device cloud sync.
Where can I download the app? What does it cost?
The iOS and Android apps are in development and preparing for store release. Official store links, pricing and the free content allowance are not yet set. Selected lessons are available on this website; download links will be added when available.
How is the website different from the app?
This website previews four kanji with illustrations, Japanese audio, word highlighting and stroke order. The app also includes grade bookshelves, tracing and writing, other practice modes, learning plans, multiple learners and local progress records.
Your next kanji.
Your next discovery.
Explore Japanese, one character at a time.
iOS & Android apps in development
Official downloads will be added after store release. Explore selected lessons online today.
Try a kanji lesson