Benkyu

Benkyu is a learning app built around the way people actually become fluent in Japanese: understanding a large amount of real material over time. Rather than presenting a pile of disconnected tools, it lays out one guided path from kana through the 2,000 most useful words and 78 short grammar lessons, then into the shows, videos, books and websites Japanese people actually enjoy.

The core study session uses an i+1 principle: every sentence contains exactly one word you have not learned and only grammar you have already seen, so it is always understandable. Grammar lessons appear in the session right before the sentences that need them, and spaced repetition brings each card back just before you would forget it, keeping reviews short.

A companion Chrome and Firefox extension carries that same idea onto the web. It marks every word on Japanese sites and streaming subtitles by how well you know it, counts the words you already understand, and highlights the i+1 sentences worth keeping. One click turns a sentence, with its audio, into a card. Benkyu also includes an EPUB and paste-in reader, daily guidance on what to study next, and a stamp book that rewards streaks and milestones.