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The intermediate Japanese plateau: why it gets harder and how to break through
The intermediate Japanese plateau is a workflow problem, not a motivation problem. Here is why progress stalls after the textbook and how to break through.
Business Japanese Keigo: 敬語 at Work, Explained
A native speaker's deep dive into business Japanese keigo: the three types, the official five categories, emails, meetings, and how to remember it all.
How to Transcribe Japanese YouTube Videos for Study
A simple workflow to get Japanese subtitles from any YouTube video, read them with instant lookup, and turn the words into flashcards that stick.
Complete guide to reading your first Japanese novel
Learn how to read Japanese with a step-by-step guide to your first novel: when you're ready, what to read (graded readers to light novels), and how to look up and remember words as you go.
Mobile Japanese Dictionary: Takoboto vs Jisho vs immit
Takoboto, Jisho, and immit compared as Japanese dictionary apps for mobile. Which one fits how you read Japanese and remember new words.
JPDB vs immit: Which Japanese Reader Fits Your Workflow?
JPDB vs immit for Japanese: JPDB gives you frequency decks on jpdb.io, immit gives you popup lookup plus built-in SRS on any page. Which fits your workflow?
Switching From Anki to immit: What Changes and What Stays
Thinking about an alternative to anki for Japanese? Here is exactly what changes when you switch from Anki to immit, what stays the same, and where Anki still wins.
Japanese pitch accent: does it matter, and how to start
Does Japanese pitch accent matter? Yes — but not the way panic content claims. Here's what it is and a 30-minute weekly routine to start.
NHK News Web Easy: Free Japanese reading + how to remember it | immit
NHK News Web Easy is the canonical free Japanese reading source for N4–N3 learners. Here's how to read it and actually remember the vocabulary.
Japanese immersion setup without the Yomitan-plus-Anki tax
The community-standard immersion setup is three tools, three update cycles, and 35 minutes of config before the first card. Here is the one-tool shape and what it costs.
How to Learn Kanji Through Immersion (Not RTK, Not WaniKani)
A fourth path for learning kanji: read Japanese, save what you hit, let an SRS handle review. When immersion fits, when WaniKani or RTK still wins.
JLPT N4 vocabulary: a spaced repetition schedule for the 1,500-word ramp
A sustainable spaced repetition schedule for the roughly 1,500 cumulative words commonly cited for JLPT N4, written for learners who have finished N5 and want a review pace that doesn't collapse into a backlog.
Spaced Repetition Japanese: The Definitive Guide (2026)
A definitive 2026 guide to spaced repetition for Japanese. How SRS works, why it fits Japanese vocabulary, and how Anki, immit, jpdb.io, WaniKani, Mochi and Kitsun.io compare for review scheduling, sentence cards, and long-term memory.
Japanese Dictionary for Windows — Native Apps vs Web
A working learner's tour of the Japanese dictionary apps and web tools on Windows in 2026: native apps, browser popups, and reference dictionaries, organized by what you're actually trying to do.
Yomitan Without Anki: The Gap Where immit Fits
If you use Yomitan for hover lookup but never finished the Anki + AnkiConnect setup, the same words keep slipping. Here is what "Yomitan without Anki" actually looks like, and where immit fits as a one-tool substitute.
Best Kanji Lookup Extension for Chrome (2026): Popup Dictionary and SRS
Honest 2026 comparison of the best kanji lookup extensions for Chrome. immit, Yomitan, 10ten Reader, Migaku, Rikaikun, Mouse Dictionary. Built-in SRS, offline, stroke order, price.
Japanese popup dictionary 2026: Rikaikun, 10ten Reader, and immit compared
The 2026 Japanese popup dictionary roundup: Rikaikun, 10ten Reader, and immit compared, with Yomichan, IPA Furigana, and the best mobile dictionaries.
Anki burnout: why it happens and the fix that actually lasts (2026)
Anki burnout follows a predictable arc for Japanese learners: review debt, a tool switch, then quitting. Here is the fix that keeps the loop unbroken.
WaniKani vs Anki vs immit: Pricing, Kanji Depth, and When to Use Each (2026)
WaniKani vs Anki vs immit for Japanese learners in 2026: side-by-side pricing, kanji depth, and when to use each SRS tool (or all three together).
How long does it take to learn Japanese?
How long does it take to learn Japanese? An honest, hours-based estimate by goal, study intensity, and native language, with the FSI 2,200-hour figure explained.
Japanese popup dictionaries compared (2026)
A 2026 comparison of Japanese popup dictionaries: Yomitan, 10ten Reader, Migaku, Mouse Dictionary, and immit. See which one fits how you read and remember.
Keigo in Japanese: a clear guide to honorific language for intermediate learners
What is keigo? A clear guide to Japanese honorific language for intermediate learners: sonkeigo, kenjougo, teineigo, the official five-category model, and the uchi/soto rule.
A Japanese subtitle reading workflow that actually sticks
A Japanese subtitle reading workflow for Netflix and YouTube: how to read Japanese subtitles, look words up, and remember them with built-in spaced repetition.
How to Build an Anki Mining Deck for Japanese (No Yomitan Required)
Learn how to use Anki for Japanese sentence mining: build a mining deck the standard way with Yomitan and AnkiConnect, or skip the setup entirely with immit.
The 20 Most Commonly Confused Japanese Words (Intermediate Guide)
The 20 most commonly confused Japanese words for intermediate learners, from a native speaker: homophones, transitive vs intransitive verbs, and nuance pairs explained.
Japanese particles that confuse intermediate learners: は vs が, に vs で, and the cases where two particles both feel right
The Japanese particles that still trip up intermediate learners: は vs が, に vs で, and when は replaces を or が, explained by a native speaker.
Anki alternative for Japanese: a calmer way to read and remember
Looking for an Anki alternative for Japanese? immit puts a popup dictionary and built-in SRS in one tool, no setup. See how immit and Anki compare.
Yomitan alternative (2026): the integrated dictionary + SRS workflow that doesn't break
Yomitan is free, open source, and lookup-only. If you want lookup plus built-in SRS in one tool without an AnkiConnect bridge, here is where immit fits.
How to read Japanese on iPhone Safari (2026): a learner's mobile workflow
What actually works for reading Japanese on iPhone Safari in 2026: iOS Look Up, Live Text, page translation, the Safari extensions that exist (including 10ten Reader and Nihongo), photo lookup, and a cross-device workflow that connects mobile discovery to desktop spaced repetition.
Best app for learning Japanese in 2026: an honest comparison
The best app for learning Japanese in 2026 is not a single app. An honest by-phase comparison of immit, Renshuu, Bunpro, WaniKani, Anki, Yomitan, Migaku.
Notes from Building a Japanese Dictionary: Why Intermediate Vocabulary Learning Breaks Down
What it is like to design a Japanese dictionary for the wall every intermediate learner hits. Three methods that actually move vocabulary past the post-textbook plateau.
Transitive vs intransitive Japanese verbs: an intermediate learner's guide
自動詞 vs 他動詞 is the layer most textbooks introduce around N4 then leave to immersion. A native-speaker guide to the pairs, particles, and intuition.
How to Mine Japanese Vocabulary from Netflix and YouTube in 2026
A 2026 workflow for mining Japanese vocabulary from YouTube captions, plus an honest look at where Netflix sits today and what tool fits if Netflix is your only source.
How to Read Japanese on the Web (no copy-paste)
A 2026 workflow for reading Japanese on the web: hover any word, save it in one click, review on a spaced schedule. No copy-pasting, no Anki setup tax.
Sentence Mining Japanese: A 5-Step Workflow to Read and Remember (2026)
Sentence mining is the fastest way to turn Japanese reading into vocabulary that actually sticks. Here's the 5-step workflow, beginner-friendly, no Anki setup required.
After Duolingo Japanese: the 2026 roadmap to actually become fluent
Duolingo got you started. Here's the grammar-then-immersion stack (Renshuu, Bunpro, immit, Yomitan, Anki) to read native Japanese in 12 months.
Migaku Review (2026): Is It Worth It for Japanese Learners?
"Honest Migaku review for Japanese learners (2026): the Academy course, pricing tiers, what works, what doesn't, and the best alternatives."
Anki Alternatives for Japanese Learners (2026): Beyond Shared Decks
Honest 2026 comparison of the best Anki alternatives for Japanese learners. immit, Migaku, JPDB, Renshuu, WaniKani, Bunpro, Lexirise. By a learner who hit the burnout wall.