Not every app that claims to teach you to write Japanese does the same thing. Some teach you to recognize characters and others make you trace them; among those that make you trace, only some check that you do it right. This guide gives you criteria to choose without relying on anyone’s advertising, and complements phone vs paper.
Seven criteria
| # | Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Does it check the order of the strokes, not just the final shape? | An app that only compares the finished drawing lets you lock in the wrong order. |
| 2 | Does it check the direction of each stroke? | Direction is what separates pairs like シ and ツ (see similar-looking kana). |
| 3 | Does it correct you as you write or only at the end? | Correcting mid-stroke stops you repeating the mistake several times. |
| 4 | Can you practice from memory, without a guide? | Tracing is not the same as recalling. The full loop is in how to learn hiragana by writing. |
| 5 | Does it start with kana and then move on to kanji by level? | The logical order is hiragana, katakana, then kanji (see what a kanji is). |
| 6 | Can you try for free what you are about to pay for? | If the correction does not convince you, better to find out before paying. |
| 7 | How do you pay: one-time purchase, subscription or ads? | Compare the cost over a year, not the first month’s price. |
The five-minute test
Before committing to an app, do this in its free mode:
- Pick a kana with a clear order, for example し or ち.
- Trace it correctly and see how the app responds.
- Trace it with the order changed on purpose (start with the last stroke).
- Trace it in the opposite direction.
- Repeat with a multi-stroke kana, such as あ or ふ.
If the app accepts the stroke with the order or direction changed, it is teaching you to draw, not to write. If it catches it right away, it meets criteria 1 to 3.
Where Kaku! fits
Kaku! is the app we built at Kuxar Studio for this. Against the criteria above:
- Order and direction: it recognizes your strokes in real time and corrects you on the spot.
- Content: hiragana and katakana, plus N5-level kanji.
- Price: hiragana and katakana are free; kanji unlock with a one-time purchase. It has no ads.
- Platform: available on Android.
What it does not do: it does not replace writing with a pencil on paper, which is still useful for motor memory. Our recommendation is to use the app to trace with correction and paper to write from memory.