Learn Japanese: Free Guides and Reading Tools
Yomimaru Learn is a free library of 20 handcrafted guides, interactive tools and JLPT resources for reading real Japanese — from hiragana and katakana through JLPT N1 reading strategies, grammar breakdowns, and vocabulary-in-context methods.
JLPT & Test Prep
JLPT N2 Reading: 9 Strategies to Pass 読解
Nine tactics for the N2 読解 section: read the questions first, track hedging language, use the T-chart on comparative passages, and a 60-minute plan.
- JLPT N2 Reading: 9 Strategies to Pass 読解 — 18 min read
- JLPT N3 Reading: 8 Strategies to Pass 読解 — 13 min read
- JLPT N1 Kanji List & Vocabulary (Interactive) — 10 min read
- JLPT N2 Vocabulary List With Kanji (Interactive) — 9 min read
- JLPT N3 Kanji List & Vocabulary (Interactive) — 9 min read
- JLPT N4 Kanji List & Vocabulary (Interactive) — 8 min read
- JLPT N5 Kanji List & Vocabulary (Interactive) — 8 min read
- JLPT Reading Comprehension: Strategies N5–N1 — 16 min read
Reading Tools
Japanese Grammar AI Explainer: How It Works
Highlight any Japanese sentence and get a live structural breakdown: particle roles, embedded clauses, dropped subjects and conjugation chains.
- Japanese Grammar AI Explainer: How It Works — 9 min read
Tool Comparisons
Migaku Alternatives: 4 Options Without Anki
Migaku needs Anki plus a browser extension. Compare Yomichan, Language Reactor, LingQ and Yomimaru on setup, iOS support and reading library.
- Migaku Alternatives: 4 Options Without Anki — 14 min read
- Furigana Reader Online: 5 Tools Compared (2026) — 12 min read
- 3 Best Satori Reader Alternatives (2026) — 13 min read
- NHK Web Easy Alternatives: 4 Better Sites (2026) — 14 min read
Learning Guides & Methods
How to Learn Hiragana and Katakana (Free Tool)
Learn kana in the right order: hiragana first, a row a session, plus the look-alike traps that trip beginners — and a free trainer to drill both scripts.
- How to Learn Hiragana and Katakana (Free Tool) — 7 min read
- Hiragana and Katakana: A Beginner's Guide — 17 min read
- What Is Furigana? Meaning, Uses & How to Read It — 12 min read
- Master Japanese Vocabulary: SRS + Reading — 5 min read
- Graded Readers Fail. Native Japanese Content Wins — 6 min read
Reading Roadmaps
What to Read After WaniKani Level 60
You know 2,000 kanji and still stall on page one. What to actually read after WaniKani, by type and difficulty, plus a 90-day plan to close the gap.
- What to Read After WaniKani Level 60 — 9 min read
- How to Start Reading Native Japanese Content — 13 min read