Japanese Kanji 101 (and How I’d Learn Kanji Starting Over)

Main ideas / concepts conveyed

• Kanji are unavoidable for most Japanese learners

  • Japanese uses multiple writing scripts; kanji are logograms/logographs (each character conveys meaning/small meaning).
  • They also include a phonetic component called a reading.
  • Some learners argue Japan should drop kanji and only use hiragana, but the speaker disagrees; kanji “isn’t going anywhere.”

• What you must learn about each kanji

  • Meaning (can be learned in English too).
  • Writing rules
    • Stroke order is fixed; wrong order can affect how the kanji looks.
    • The speaker says they’ll cover writing rules in a later video.
  • Readings (where learners get stuck)
    • Kanji can have multiple readings:
      • Onyomi (“sound reading”)—adapted/related to the original Chinese reading; commonly used in compounds (jukugo).
      • Kunyomi (“meaning reading”)—based on native Japanese words (often verbs/adjectives, etc.).
      • Name readings—used in personal/place names.
      • Special readings can appear that feel “out of nowhere.”
    • The speaker’s claim: you don’t memorize readings directly upfront (more on this below).

• Why common learning methods can fail

  • Repetitive writing by children
    • Japanese kids write kanji repeatedly for years; this works partly because they already know Japanese at a native level.
  • Textbook/flashcard rote memorization
    • Often memorizing a “dictionary entry” (meaning + readings) without understanding in context.
  • Remembering the Kanji (RTK / James Heisig)
    • Strong for meaning/writing via radicals and stories.
    • Weak for readings: no good method for memorizing many readings.
    • Also potentially slow: the speaker claims at least ~6 months before you get much “useful Japanese practice.”
  • WaniKani as a hybrid
    • Learns meanings without writing first, then readings when encountered while reading.
    • Speaker likes the hybrid concept but critiques the “months” spent on English meaning before real word exposure and notes it delays writing practice.

Methodology / instruction-like approach (detailed bullets)

A) Core philosophy: don’t memorize readings in isolation

• Learn meanings + writing first, so when readings appear in real words you can infer them from usage.
• Readings are learned through encountering words, not memorized as abstract items out of context.

B) Use radicals and visual stories to learn meanings + writing efficiently

• Kanji decomposition / radicals
  • Many kanji are built from simpler pieces; the simplest examples:
    • 1: looks like a single stroke/“one”
    • 2: “two” combined
    • 3: “three” lines
    • 4: later used as an example
• Radicals as reusable parts
  • Radical pieces appear inside many kanji.
  • James Heisig popularized story-based mnemonics using radicals (and the speaker draws from this idea).
• Speaker’s specific mnemonic process
  • Learn simpler components first:
    • Example components:
      • a kanji that also serves as a radical (e.g., “mouth”)
      • another radical part (e.g., “person’s legs”)
  • Make visual stories/objects for each radical and keep them consistent.
  • For a target kanji:
    • Combine the stories/objects of its radical parts into one coherent scene.
    • Example given:
      • “4” is treated as combining “mouth” + “person’s legs,” visualized as legs inside mouths.
  • Reinforce memory
    • Visualize clearly (and optionally add sound).
    • Write the kanji on your hand or paper (the speaker recommends doing it twice for that step).
    • Use spaced repetition flashcards (example software: Anki) alongside practice.
• Result of this stage
  • You can understand/guess what words might mean when you see kanji in context—even before fully knowing readings.

C) Step-by-step plan for learning kanji from scratch (as the speaker will teach on YouTube)

1. Divide kanji by JLPT and Kanken levels

   • JLPT = Japanese Language Proficiency Test levels.
   • Kanken = kanji test Japanese kids and adults take.

2. Start with the lowest combined set

   • Begin with: JLPT N5 + Kanken level 10
   • Target size: about 118 kanji initially.

3. Learn for each kanji (only one level at a time)

   • Learn:
     • English meaning
     • writing
   • Time estimate:
     • Using SRS flashcards, expect ~6 to 24 days depending on study speed (example: learning 5–20 per day).

4. Use those kanji immediately inside real words

   • Next, learn words that contain the kanji you just learned.
   • Crucial rule:
     • Never focus on each kanji’s reading separately.
     • Learn the word “as it is,” in sentence context.
   • Prefer:
     • Sentences with grammar and words you already know
     • Audio
   • Reinforcement:
     • Write each word on paper or hand when it appears during flashcard reviews.

5. Move up a level

   • After finishing one level:
     • Repeat the process for JLPT N4 + Kanken level 9, etc.

6. Expected scaling

   • The speaker claims it’s only necessary to do this for around ~800–1200 kanji total.
   • After that, learners should recognize readings from repeated exposure.

7. How to choose words/lists

   • The speaker points to an existing deck they provide (see below) and says future videos will cover approach to selecting lists.

8. Provided resource for members

   • Mentions a complete N5 + Kanken 10 Anki flashcard deck on tokenyandy.com for members.
   • Claims it covers:
     • the first 118 kanji
     • meanings + writings
     • words for each needed reading
     • sentences + native audio
   • Promised outcome:
     • After finishing, you’ll have nearly 1/4 of vocabulary needed for JLPT N5
     • and can read/write the kanji needed for N5
     • plus strong listening practice and readiness for Kanken level 10.

Promotional / channel notes (secondary content)

• The speaker invites viewers to:
  • Subscribe for upcoming videos (e.g., writing rules).
  • Like the video (claims it helps).
• They state they will teach the method for free on YouTube across weeks/months.
• Additional topics they say will be covered later if needed:
  • history, special readings, non-Japanese word usage, special characters, etc.
• They mention a schedule:
  • one video per week with a live stream after each YouTube video,
  • released early on tokenyandy.com as soon as editing finishes (they say four are already available).

Speakers / sources featured

• Speaker/host: Not explicitly named in the subtitles.
• James Haysig (source of the method “Remembering the Kanji” / RTK).
• RTK (“Remembering the Kanji,” James Heisig / Haysig).
• WaniKani (learning platform).
• Anki (spaced repetition flashcard software).
• JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test).
• Kanken (official kanji tests for Japanese learners/kids; referenced generally).
• “Genki” (textbook referenced as an example of common classroom/textbook kanji learning; “Genki for learning kanji”).
• tokenyandy.com (membership site referenced for decks and early video releases).