uchisen

    uchisen

    Uchisen is a web app created by two students, Frankie and Saori. It uses Saori's original artwork to create visual mnemonics that support Japanese learners in the seemingly never-ending task of kanji study. Each kanji is incorporated into an image, with an accompanying explanation, to help you make the link between the character and its English meaning. The site is available in both English and Japanese, so you can view the kanji explanations and lessons in either language, though the meaning is always given in English.

    One to watch, especially for learners with more visual memories!

    The uchisen app consists of a "lessons" section, which is broken down into "preschool" and various "grades," a review section, and a primes section, which lists kanji components. The preschool section includes an overview of the Japanese writing system, in-depth introductions to hiragana and katakana, including drills, and an introduction to kanji. Each grade then introduces you to a certain number of kanji, and you can choose to indicate whether you know a kanji already, or would like to add it to your reviews to practice later.

    A free account is needed to access the preschool and first grade sections, and then there are three different paid membership options that give you access to the remaining content. Currently, uchisen is only available as a web app, but there are plans to develop Android and iOS apps too. Still a work-in-progress, the creators of uchisen welcome feedback so that they can improve the user experience, and seem to put a lot of work into continually improving the app. One to watch, especially for learners with more visual memories!

    Web App
    iOS
    Kanji
    SRS
    Mobile App