Topic
study strategy
22 articles on study strategy for Japanese learners.
Track Your JLPT Progress: Cotobara's Dashboard Explained
Cotobara's dashboard answers one question: am I ready for the exam? Per-level mastery, weekly accuracy, your review schedule, and problem words.
Why Does This Word Mean That? Cotobara's Japanese Word Breakdowns
Cotobara entries explain the word: kanji components, how the parts combine, a mental model, usage notes, etymology. Why that beats memorizing a gloss.
Is Japanese Hard to Learn? An Honest Answer for English Speakers
Japanese is ranked one of the hardest languages for English speakers. What is genuinely hard, what is surprisingly easy, and how long it really takes.
How to Learn Japanese by Yourself (A Realistic Self-Study Plan)
A month-by-month self-study plan for learning Japanese without a class: what to study in what order, what to pay for, and the traps that stall you.
How Many Kanji Do You Actually Need to Know?
2,136 jōyō kanji is the number everyone quotes, and the wrong target for most learners. What each range of kanji actually buys you, by JLPT level.
How Cotobara's SRS Works: Every Stage, Interval, and Rule
The schedule behind Cotobara's spaced repetition: nine stages from 4 hours to 120 days, why every word has two cards, and what a wrong answer costs.
How Lessons Work in Cotobara (and How to Pick Your Daily Pace)
Inside a Cotobara lesson: batches of five words, reveal cards with audio and example sentences, a quiz you must pass, and how to set a daily limit.
Set Up Cotobara for Your Level: A Guide to the Study Settings
Configure Cotobara so it stops teaching words you know: starting level and half-levels, the rare-word filter, daily new-word limit, furigana, audio.
The Best Way to Learn Kanji (Without Burning Out in Month Two)
Radicals, mnemonics, RTK, handwriting, or kanji inside real words — the main approaches compared, and how to pick the one that fits your goal.
The Best Apps for Learning Japanese in 2026
Duolingo, WaniKani, Anki, Bunpro, renshuu, Cotobara — what each app is genuinely good at, and how to combine two or three into a complete setup.
What's the Best Anki Deck for Learning Japanese?
Kaishi 1.5k, Core 2k/6k, JLPT decks and mining setups compared — what each is good for, and the faster option if you would rather skip deck-hunting.
Why WaniKani + Cotobara Is the Best Combo for Learning Japanese
WaniKani teaches you to read kanji; Cotobara turns that into a living vocabulary you can use. Why the two together beat either one on its own.
Cotobara vs Anki: Which SRS Setup Keeps You Studying?
Anki is flexible and unopinionated; Cotobara is a curated, ready-to-study vocabulary system. An honest comparison of when each one actually wins.
Cotobara vs Renshuu: Which Japanese Vocabulary Tool Fits You?
Renshuu is a deep, feature-rich all-in-one Japanese platform; Cotobara is a focused vocabulary system. How to choose between breadth and focus.
The Best Order to Learn Japanese Vocabulary
Frequency order, JLPT order, or themed lists? Which order to learn Japanese vocabulary in, and why the first 1,000 words matter more than the next 3,000.
Cotobara vs Duolingo for Japanese: Which Actually Builds Vocabulary?
Duolingo is great at building a daily habit. Cotobara is built to make Japanese vocabulary stick for the JLPT and real reading. Here is where each one wins.
How Many Words Do You Need for Each JLPT Level?
A realistic look at the vocabulary and kanji counts behind JLPT N5 to N1 — where the numbers come from, why they are a guide, and how to get there.
Spaced Repetition for Japanese: A Beginner's Guide
What spaced repetition is, why it suits Japanese vocabulary better than any other subject, and how to use an SRS daily without drowning in reviews.
Is WaniKani Enough to Pass the JLPT?
WaniKani teaches kanji brilliantly but was never a JLPT study plan. Where it helps, where it leaves gaps, and exactly what to add for each level.
Why You Can Recognize Kanji but Can't Recall the Words
You know the word when you see it, but it never comes when you need it. Why recognition without recall is the most common Japanese plateau, and the fix.
How to Learn Japanese with Anime (Without Fooling Yourself)
Anime is real, motivating Japanese input — if you use it right. How to actually learn from anime instead of watching subtitles and absorbing nothing.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Japanese?
How long it really takes to learn Japanese, by goal: travel-functional, conversational, JLPT N3, and fluent — with the study hours behind each.