Mirai Voca Study Guide

Practical articles, tips, and walkthroughs to help you study Japanese vocabulary more effectively. Whether you are starting from Hiragana or pushing for JLPT N1, you'll find something useful here.

Latest articles

How to memorize Hiragana fast (and actually keep it)

A practical 7-day plan to learn all 46 Hiragana — plus the dakuten and yōon — without burning out.

7 min read · Beginners

How to memorize Katakana in 5 days

The 5-day Katakana plan, plus how to crack the シ vs ツ and ソ vs ン look-alikes that confuse everyone.

8 min read · Beginners

JLPT N5 essential words: 100 vocab to start with

A curated list of the 100 most useful JLPT N5 words, grouped by topic, with example sentences and study tips.

9 min read · N5

JLPT N4 vocabulary preview — what's new beyond N5

What changes when you move from N5 to N4, with 60 example words and a study plan to make the jump painless.

10 min read · N4

How long does it take to pass JLPT N3?

Realistic timelines from casual to intensive, what to study at each stage, and a 12-month roadmap.

9 min read · N3

JLPT vs JPT — which Japanese exam should you take?

A practical comparison of the two main Japanese exams, with a decision flowchart for common goals.

8 min read · All levels

8 Japanese pronunciation rules every learner should know

Long vowels, double consonants, devoicing, pitch accent — the rules that separate natural Japanese from textbook Japanese.

10 min read · All levels

A 30-minute daily Japanese routine for self-learners

A realistic 30-minute self-study plan that balances vocab, listening, and review — and that you can actually keep.

8 min read · All levels

Reading Japanese restaurant menus: 50 essential food words

50 high-frequency food and ordering words that appear on almost every Japanese menu, with reading and meaning.

7 min read · Travel