A New Way to Start Learning Japanese with Nihongo Lessons 1.2

Chris Vasselli -

Learning Japanese as a beginner can feel overwhelming, especially with unfamiliar scripts like hiragana and katakana. With Nihongo 1.2, we’re making those first steps easier and more approachable than ever. This update introduces a guided learning system that transitions seamlessly from familiar English letters (romaji) to hiragana and katakana as you progress, helping you build confidence step by step.

By integrating hiragana and katakana lessons directly into the Beginner course, Nihongo 1.2 provides a clear and structured path for new learners to master vocabulary, grammar, and writing together. It’s never been easier to take your first steps toward fluency.

Download the update here.

Major Updates

  • A new learning mode that gradually transitions from English letters (romaji) to Japanese characters.
  • Integrated hiragana and katakana flashcards into the beginner course.
  • Added the ability to mark a card known.

Content Updates

  • Added notes to beginner cards where we first encounter each kind of long vowel.
  • Create a new sentence for the word 無くする with a more appropriate usage.
  • Added kana flashcards for small やゆよヤユヨ.
  • Fix a typo on Advanced day 5 where 止まる was given the furigana とままる.
  • Fix an issue on Advanced day 19 where 私語 was given the wrong furigana and wouldn't link to Nihongo.
  • Remove the は・へ　kana writing flashcards. This seems more appropriate in the vocab/grammar decks, which already address it.
  • Fix furigana typo on 美しい (thanks Wyatt!)
  • Fix infinite link loop on 面積 (thanks Wyatt!)

App Improvements

  • Added a link to the Discord group JALUP Adventrurers (not run by me) in the Settings screen.
  • Make the 済 stamp semitransparent so you can see what's under it.
  • When you have cards to review, they will now appear in the "Next Up" section before displaying the next lesson.

Bug Fixes

  • Fix an issue where the status bar would not appear during a flashcard session on iPhone 16 models.
  • Fix tiny text for certain flashcards with multiline dialogs (for example, Expert day 37).