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Lloyd๐ Wins
Member wins! Accepted into NAIST!
Massive well done to one of our members for getting accepted into NAIST, a top tier university in Japan. Keep up the good work :) ใใใงใจใใใใใพใ๏ผ
๐ฅ The 90 Day Kanji Challenge
Learn 1,000 Kanji in 90 Days Without Endless Revision
Learn the exact method I used to go from struggling with 200 kanji to almost 2,000, using fun memory techniques instead of brute force. Kanji, vocabulary and grammar, all in one community.
From $4.17/month on the annual plan ยท 14-day money back guarantee
- 12,000+ followers
- 6+ years learning Japanese
- Beginner to advanced
A real Day 1 memory technique
็
ball
็king
+
ไธถthe ball
A king kicking up a football. That little extra stroke is the ball flying off his boot. Picture it once and you won't forget it.
Sound familiar?
Learning kanji shouldn't feel like this
I've been learning Japanese for over 6 years, and to be honest, a lot of that time was pretty painful. These are the traps I fell into, and the ones I see learners fall into every day.
Brute force memorisation
Writing the same kanji 50 times and hoping it sticks. It doesn't, and a week later it's gone.
Never-ending flashcard reviews
Hundreds of Anki reviews piling up every day, for cards you "learned" but still can't remember.
Knowing words but not using them
You've studied hundreds of words, but when you actually listen to or speak Japanese, nothing comes out.
I was stuck on the ~200 kanji for JLPT N5 and N4 for ages. Then I switched to memory techniques, and some days I was learning 100โ150 new kanji comfortably.
The Kanji Athletes System
One system for all of Japanese, not just kanji
Kanji, vocabulary, grammar and real Japanese input, all taught the same way: memory techniques to learn it fast (yes, even for grammar), active recall to keep it, and real Japanese so you can actually use it.
How we learn kanji
Every kanji in the 90 Day Challenge follows the same five steps, so you always know exactly what to do next.
- See it in real words. ๆฅ (day, sun) comes with ไธๆฅ (ใใกใซใก, one day) and ไบๆฅ (ใใคใ, five days), so you're learning words from day one.
- Spot the lookalikes. ๆฅใป็ฎใป่ณ look similar, so we compare them side by side before they can trip you up.
- Make it stick with a story. A vivid picture for every kanji. ๆฅ is a Minecraft sun rising to start the day.
- Write it. Follow the stroke order three times, then write it from memory.
- Lock it in. Daily flashcards with the story's picture on the card, plus collectibles to unlock as you go.
Read more: How many kanji do you need to read Japanese?
Real stories from Day 1. Tap a card ๐
How we learn vocabulary
Knowing a word means knowing four things. Most flashcard decks only teach the first one.
- 1Meaning
- 2How it's written
- 3How it's said
- 4When to use it
- Learn it with a memory technique that covers the meaning and the pronunciation.
- Test yourself with active recall instead of just rereading.
- See it in real sentences so you know how it's actually used.
- Keep it for good with spaced repetition and everyday Japanese input.
Read more: How to learn Japanese vocabulary fast
Memory technique
ๅฟ
่ฆ
necessary
Hit (hitsu) your (you) chest and do what's necessary. Amp yourself up! One picture gives you the meaning and the pronunciation.
Context
็งI, me
ๅI, me (masculine)
ไฟบI, me (very masculine)
All three mean "I", but pick the wrong one and it sounds odd. You learn which to use and when.
How we learn grammar
Textbook grammar can feel like a maths lecture. We give grammar the same memory-technique treatment as kanji, so even tricky particles stick, and then you use it straight away.
- One point, one clear example. Every JLPT grammar point starts with a simple sentence and a one-line explanation, like ใชใ: "used for change or transformation".
- A memory technique for the grammar itself. Particles that look almost identical get a vivid picture so you never mix them up.
- More examples, and common mistakes. Several real sentences, plus the mistakes learners actually make and how to fix them.
- Compare similar grammar. ใชใ vs ใใ vs ๅคใใ: see what's different before it confuses you.
- Make your own sentences. Pause the video, build sentences from sample words, then post them in activities to get feedback.
Read more: The difference between ใซ and ใง ยท How to remember particles
Memory technique
ใธdirection
ใซdestination
ใงplace, method
HE (ใธ) walks toward his destination with his KNEE (ใซ). And what do you do on the DEck (ใง) of a ship? Take actions, like eating and studying. Three particles, two pictures.
Common mistake
ๆฅๆฌใงไฝใฟใพใใโ
ๆฅๆฌใซไฝใฟใพใใโ
"Live in Japan" uses ใซ, not ใง, because ไฝใ is about where you exist, not an action you do there. Compare ๅญฆๆ กใงๅๅผทใใพใ (study at school).
Your turn
___ ใซ ใชใ
ๅ
็ teacher
็ซ cat
ๅ
ๆฐ healthy
้ใ quiet
e.g. ๅ ็ใซใชใใใใงใใ I want to become a teacher. Now write your own and get feedback.
How we use comprehensible input
Comprehensible input is Japanese you can mostly understand, pitched just above your current level. Linguist Stephen Krashen argued this is how we actually acquire a language: by understanding real messages, not by memorising rules.
So the kanji, words and grammar you study aren't the end goal. They're what make real Japanese understandable sooner. And every time a word you've learned pops up in a song or an anime, it sticks a little harder.
- The Study Zone: hand-picked input resources, example sentences and study playlists
- Podcast, music, anime and YouTube ideas to fit Japanese into your day
- Guides on the learning science behind all of this
Read more: What is comprehensible input?
1StudyLearn it fast with a memory technique
2RecallKeep it with spaced-repetition flashcards
3InputMeet it in real Japanese and it sticks for good
Skip the trial and error
I spent 6 years working out what works. You get the finished system.
Most learners burn months on research, dead-end apps and making their own materials before they learn much Japanese at all. Here's what you get to skip.
๐ฉ On your own
- Hours researching which app, textbook or method to use
- Making hundreds of flashcards by hand
- Inventing memory stories from scratch
- Hunting for example sentences and input at your level
- Guessing whether your Japanese is actually right
- Studying alone and losing motivation by week three
๐ช With Kanji Athletes
- A clear step-by-step path from kana to advanced
- Ready-made Anki decks and quizzes for every lesson
- Memory techniques for kanji, words and even grammar
- Example sentences and input resources already picked for you
- Real feedback on the sentences you write
- Daily challenges, a community and collectibles to keep you going
What you can expect
Your 90 Day, 1,000 Kanji roadmap
The challenge takes you through the 1,000 most common kanji step by step, at about 11 new kanji a day. Here's where that gets you.
Days 1โ30
~330 kanji
- That's about all the kanji for JLPT N5 and N4 (~300)
- Memory techniques become second nature
- Everyday signs, menus and simple sentences start making sense
Days 31โ60
~660 kanji
- Around the number of kanji expected for JLPT N3 (~650)
- New vocabulary gets easier because you already know the kanji
- You start recognising kanji in real content
Days 61โ90
1,000 kanji
- Around the number of kanji expected for JLPT N2 (~1,000)
- You know the kanji behind the large majority of everyday written Japanese
- Kanji stops being the thing holding you back
~11 kanji / dayNew kanji per day to finish in 90 days
The most common 1,000The kanji you'll actually see most often
Built-in revisionAnki decks and quizzes for every stage
Real talk: 90 days is a big challenge, and not everyone finishes it on schedule. That's totally fine. The lessons stay available as long as you're a member, so you can take it at your own pace. Even getting partway through means you've learned a skill that makes every kanji after it easier. JLPT kanji counts are unofficial estimates, since the JLPT doesn't publish official lists. See kanji counts for every JLPT level.
What you get
Everything you need, all in one place
Kanji, vocabulary, grammar and the people to practise with. No more jumping between ten different apps and wondering what to study next.
๐ฅ Video Lessons Core
Beginner to advanced kanji, grammar and words with fun memory techniques and real Japanese.
- 90 Day 1,000 Kanji Challenge: the 1,000 most common kanji
- Vocabulary course: memory techniques for words, plus how they're used in real Japanese
- Grammar course: essential JLPT grammar points, with new ones added on request
- Kana course: hiragana and katakana if you're starting from zero
โ๏ธ Activities & Feedback
Practise what you learn and get real feedback on your Japanese, so you're not just memorising, you're actually using it.
- Practice activities for every course
- Real feedback on your Japanese
- Arcade mode games and collectibles to make studying fun
๐งฐ Pre-made Resources
Everything's set up for you, so you spend your time learning instead of making flashcards.
- Ready-made Anki decks and quizzes
- The Kanji Athletes app: a dictionary to back up your studies
- Study Zone: input resources, example sentences and study playlists
- In-depth guides on the learning science I use
๐ฌ Active Community
Ask questions, speak Japanese and make real progress without the confusion.
- Ask me and other members anything
- Find study buddies and people to speak Japanese with
- Great for introverts too: read other people's questions and learn from them
Inside the community
Here's what it actually looks like inside
Members sharing their progress, writing in Japanese, helping each other with memory techniques and celebrating wins. These are real posts from Kanji Athletes.
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90 Day Challenger๐ฌ General
Day 30/90 (A third done!)
ใใใฐใใฏใ็ใใใไปๆฅใฎ่ฑ็ฅ่ญใฏใซใฉใชใฑใฎๅงใพใใซใคใใฆใงใใๆใใซใฉใชใฑใฏใ้ ใฎๅบใซใใฃใฆใ็ฅใใชใไบบใฎๅใงๆญใใพใใใ
90 Day Challenger๐ฌ General
้: my memory story
I wanted to share my interpretation of ใกใใ, since it's a bit hard to come up with an association for it. Writing a post about it also helps me remember it better.
90 Day Challengerโ๏ธ Assignment Submissions
Day 37/90
ใใผใบใๅฅฝใใงใใๅฃใใ็ฉใ่ฟใใใใงใใๅคใช่ฟไบใงใใญใใใฎ่ปใฏๅฎ้ใซๅคใใงใใ
Lifelong Learner๐ฌ General
Hi
ใฏใใใพใใฆใไธๅไบใใใงใใใพใ ๆฅๆฌ่ชใใชใใใใใงใใ
A member in their 70s introducing themselves in Japanese. It's never too late to start.
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Lloydโ๏ธ Activities
Day 1 Challenge: Introduce yourself in Japanese with ่จใ
For those who followed along with Day 1 of the 90 Day Kanji Challenge, feel free to try introducing yourself using the word ่จใ๏ผใใ๏ผ that we learned today!
Member names and photos changed for privacy. Posts shortened.
Who's teaching you
Hi, I'm Lloyd ๐
I've been learning Japanese for over 6 years, and I've made pretty much every mistake you can make. I spent ages trying to brute force information into my head, and even after "learning" hundreds of words, I still struggled to actually speak or understand Japanese.
Memory techniques changed everything for me. I went from struggling to remember the ~200 kanji for JLPT N5 and N4 to memorising almost 2,000 kanji with relative ease. Some days I was learning 100 or even 150 new kanji, and doing it fairly comfortably.
Kanji Athletes is everything I wish I'd had when I started. It's the method, the resources and the community, all in one place, and made as fun as possible.
6+ yearslearning Japanese
~2,000kanji memorised
12,000+followers across socials
150new kanji in a single day (my record)
Choose your plan
Start learning today
Both plans get you full access to every course, resource and the community.
โจ Monthly
$10 / month
Flexible, cancel anytime
- 90 Day 1,000 Kanji Challenge
- Vocabulary, grammar & kana courses
- Anki decks, quizzes & Study Zone
- Activities with real feedback
- Full community access
Best value
๐ Annual
$50 / year
Just $4.17/month ยท 7 months free
- Everything in Monthly
- Save $70 compared to monthly
- Enough time to finish the challenge and the grammar course
- Locked-in price for the year
14-Day Money Back Guarantee. If you're not happy within the first two weeks, just send me a message and I'll be more than happy to give you your money back. No hard feelings.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Kanji Athletes good for complete beginners?
Yes. There's a kana course for hiragana and katakana, and the kanji, vocabulary and grammar courses all start from the basics and build up to advanced material. If you've got a friend who wants to try Japanese for the first time, they can start there too.
What if I don't finish the 90 Day Challenge in 90 days?
That's completely fine. 90 days is an ambitious target and not every member finishes on schedule. The lessons stay available as long as you're a member, so go at whatever pace suits you. The memory technique skills you pick up along the way make every kanji after that easier.
Is the Kanji Athletes method like Remembering the Kanji?
It's similar. If you've heard of Remembering the Kanji, you'll recognise the idea of using memory techniques to learn kanji. I've added extra methods I found really effective from my own 6+ years of learning, and paired everything with flashcards and real Japanese so you can actually use what you learn.
Do I need to use Anki?
Anki decks are included and I recommend them for keeping on top of revision, but flashcards are a supplement, not the main event. The focus is memory techniques and practising with real Japanese. Because the memory techniques make things stick, your reviews stay manageable.
How much does Kanji Athletes cost?
$10 per month, or $50 per year on the annual plan, which works out to about $4.17 a month (7 months free). Both plans include everything, and both come with a 14-day money back guarantee.
What if I don't like it?
If you're not happy within the first 14 days, just send me a message and I'll give you your money back.
Ready to stop struggling with kanji?
Join Kanji Athletes, start the 90 Day Challenge and learn Japanese faster, and have a lot more fun doing it.
Join Kanji Athletes$10/month or $50/year ยท 14-day money back guarantee