Learn Japanese kanji, vocabulary & grammar — with vivid mnemonics and a spaced-repetition system that studies you back.
Free on iOS & Android
Our brains aren't designed to memorize thousands of abstract symbols. We remember faces, streets and places because they have meaning, stories and connections — but kanji memorized through rote repetition has none of that.
Every kanji is made of basic components called radicals. Learn the components, combine them into a story, and you won't need to force it anymore. The weirder, funnier or more absurd the story, the better it sticks.
Not dry flashcards — every kanji becomes a vivid little story that just clicks. Here’s how one character turns into something you can’t un-see.
Put the sun (日) and the moon (月) side by side and the whole sky is bright (明). Once you see it, you can never unsee it.
From your first radical to JLPT N1 — reading, listening, grammar and review, all in one place.
Every kanji comes with a memorable story and radical breakdown — so it sticks instead of slipping away.
Words you know well appear less; words you struggle with come back more. ~30% more accurate than Anki’s SM-2.
237 rich grammar lessons across N5–N1, with example sentences, quizzes and clear explanations.
Graded reading passages and voiced conversations for every level, with tap-to-look-up vocabulary.
Full JLPT-style practice exams with listening audio and a certificate when you pass.
Grab vocabulary from any webpage and send it straight into the app by QR or file.
Intervals are calculated per person and per card by FSRS — no fixed schedule to memorize.
See a new kanji or word for the first time and tie it to a vivid mnemonic — a story, a picture in your head.
The system brings each card back exactly when you’re about to forget, and spaces it out a little more every time you remember.
Strong memories fade slowly, so they take less and less of your day. You study a little — and remember a lot.
Yes. All core learning — decks, cards, reviews, grammar, reading and conversations — is free and unlimited. Golden Bird is an optional subscription for AI tools and convenience features, never for the core learning itself.
Shima Bird combines the radical-story method (like WaniKani/RTK) with the modern FSRS v6 scheduler (more accurate than Anki’s SM-2), then adds AI study tools, graded reading, listening and JLPT mock tests — all in one app, with a generous free tier.
Yes. You can start from the very first radicals and N5 kanji, vocabulary and grammar, and grow all the way to N1 in the same app.
No. Studying works offline; your progress syncs across devices whenever you reconnect. Only AI features need a connection.
Yes — Shima Bird runs on iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets, and your progress syncs between them.
FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) is the most modern spaced-repetition algorithm, built from memory-science research. It predicts when you’re about to forget each specific card more accurately than older systems like Anki’s SM-2 — so you review less and remember longer.
Free on iOS and Android. Just a little each day — one day you’ll be surprised how much you know.
