Most people don't fail at Japanese because it's too hard — they fail because they study in a way that doesn't stick, or they stop. This guide gives you a simple, proven method: what to learn, in what order, and how to make it a daily habit that lasts.

The 3 scripts (and why there are three)

Japanese is written with three systems, used together:

  • Hiragana (ひらがな) — the phonetic script for native words and grammar. Learn this first.
  • Katakana (カタカナ) — same sounds, sharper shapes, used for foreign/loanwords and names. Learn this second.
  • Kanji (漢字) — characters borrowed from Chinese that carry meaning; you build these gradually alongside vocabulary.

You don't learn all three at once. You learn the two kana first (they're quick), then grow vocabulary and kanji together over time.

What about romaji? Romaji (ローマ字) is Japanese written in the Latin alphabet — sushi, arigatou, Tokyo. It's a useful crutch in your very first days, but treat it as training wheels: the longer you lean on it, the slower your reading gets, because Japanese is really read in kana and kanji. Use romaji to get started, then drop it as soon as you can read hiragana — ideally within your first week or two.

Why spaced repetition is the whole game

The single most important idea in language learning: review things just as you're about to forget them. That's spaced repetition. Cramming 100 words in a day and never reviewing them means you forget 90 by next week. Reviewing a smaller set on a schedule means they move into long-term memory and stay.

This is why Komichi's decks and review system show you cards when they're due — that timing is doing the heavy lifting. Trust the reviews.

  1. Hiragana — a week or two. (Learn Hiragana)
  2. Katakana — usually faster, since the sounds are already familiar. (Learn Katakana)
  3. N5 vocabulary + basic kanji, together — the core everyday words and ~100 kanji. (JLPT N5)
  4. Grammar in context — learn patterns through reading and example sentences, not rules in isolation.
  5. Keep climbing — N4 (the level the SSW work visa needs), then N3 and beyond. (The full plan)

How to build a habit that sticks

Consistency beats intensity every time. A few rules that work:

  • A little every day beats a lot occasionally. 15–30 focused minutes daily will outrun weekend cramming.
  • Do your reviews first. Clear your due reviews before learning new cards — that's what locks memory in.
  • Anchor it to something. Study right after a daily habit you already have (morning coffee, commute).
  • Make starting frictionless. Open the app and hit your one daily action — don't browse, just practise.
  • Track a streak. Not breaking the chain is a surprisingly strong motivator.

How to actually use the tools

  • Flashcards to learn and recognise new words/kanji.
  • Quiz to test recall under a little pressure.
  • Review (spaced repetition) daily — this is the non-negotiable one.
  • Read at your level to see words in real sentences.

The mindset

You don't need to be gifted or have hours a day. You need a clear order, spaced repetition, and a daily habit. Do that steadily and Japanese becomes not just learnable but genuinely enjoyable. Start now — your first ten words are free on Komichi's study decks.