Nihongo Lessons

Name: Nihongo Lessons
Rating: 4.8 (126 reviews)
Author: Serpenti Sei Japan

by Serpenti Sei Japan

iPhone

Active Last checked 31 Jul 2026

App Store ↗

Quick verdict

What it is: Store information collected; independent summary not yet available.
At a glance: Free to download
In-app purchases

Categories and search queries

Official categories

Education
Reference

AppCorpus categories

Key functions

Function	Availability	Access	Scope	Evidence
Free app	Yes	Free	—	Store published
In-app purchases	Yes	Limited free	—	Store published

Screens

No screenshots collected yet.

Pricing & paywalls

App Store

Shown for US

Free to download
In-app purchases

Last verified 31 Jul 2026

Ratings & reviews

App Store

Shown for US

4.8 126 ratings · App Store

5/5Excellent Japanese Learning App
I recently came from Jalup and started using this app. I am very impressed - the interface is simple and intuitive, and the spaced repetition system works much better to prevent getting overwhelmed with reviews as you get deeper into the sentence packs. The developer, Chris, was super helpful in answering some questions I had about importing my Jalup progress and getting me switched over from the legacy app. I am currently using this Lessons app for kana and sentence packs in combination with Nihongo Pro for Kanji / Vocab. Great combo, and it helps that the card interface is the same with the simple swipe gestures in both apps. I highly recommend you give these apps a trial run to see if they suit your learning style and goals!

AeroJPN · 31 Jul 2026
5/5Really cool
Takes a few of my favorite learning methods and combines them into one app. Especially, features I would expect in other apps, but just aren't. Simple stuff, like curating a bunch of progressively harder native material (starting from Yotsuba to stuff like One Piece), with built-in "Anki" decks for all of it. Things I could hypothetically do myself, but really appreciate not having to. Anyway, it might not feel like a game (think: Duolingo) - but it does feel like I'm learning, which makes me happy.

-Meditations · 31 Jul 2026
5/5Thank you for preserving such awesome content
As someone new to the Jalup community, I am thrilled and relieved that you not only saved such incredible content from the possibility of abandonment, but improved on the app presentation! Thank you! I’ve already paid for the full package in the app, and I’m loving the quality and experience. Looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for us in the future.

TenaciousD19800 · 31 Jul 2026
4/5Fantastic app with great potential
So far I’ve enjoyed using the app. Quality content with quality audio. I have two requests for improving my experience. I wish there was a way to automatically play audio when flipping the card. I use the front to quiz my pronunciation and understanding and would like to automatically hear the audio upon flipping the card. Often, I have long car rides. I’d like to play the cards while driving to maximize my studying time.

Shawnlf · 31 Jul 2026
5/5Amazing!
I started learning Japanese with Duolingo and was looking for something to supplement my Duolingo progress. This app is very well crafted! I appreciate how it gives you review cards each day and builds your understanding of vocabulary alongside growing your familiarity with the hiragana characters. Highly recommend!

Careinthepark · 31 Jul 2026

Privacy & accessibility

App Store

Privacy

Data Not Linked to You — Analytics — Location — Coarse Location Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — Analytics — Purchases — Purchase History Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — Analytics — Usage Data — Product Interaction Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — App Functionality — Diagnostics — Crash Data Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — App Functionality — Diagnostics — Other Diagnostic Data Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — App Functionality — Diagnostics — Performance Data Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — App Functionality — Usage Data — Product Interaction Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — Diagnostics Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — Location Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — Purchases Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — Usage Data Developer declared

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Accessibility

No accessibility labels collected yet.

Versions

App Store

1.1.10
Bug Fixes * Fixed an issue where decks would appear grayed out during onboarding.
1.1.11
Fixes to run properly on the latest version of iOS.
1.1.12
Fix an issue where the "Settings" header wouldn't appear on the top of the settings screen.
1.1.13
Fix an issue where placeholder text was appearing in certain places in the app.
1.1.14
* Added dark mode and tinted app icons. * Fixed an issue where syncing would not initiate properly.
1.1.15
Fixed an issue where the flashcard text was not copyable on iOS 18.
1.1.16
Nihongo Lessons is now published by Serpenti Sei Japan. (still Chris Vasselli behind the scenes!)
1.2
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. 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).
1.2.2
* Display the what's new screen prominently upon first launch after update. * Add an explanation about the new kana learning mode.
1.2.3
* Fix an issue where Katakana Day 4 had 10 cards in it instead of 5. * Remove the card for ぇ. * Include a space in romaji mode before じゃありません. * Remove extra space in romaji mode before ました、てください、くないです,くなかったです、くありませんでした、かったです、な (adjective)、じん、さい * Improve explanation of よかった. * Emphasize that katakana is most commonly used for loan words. * Add an explanation of hiragana and katakana as being analogous to upper and lowercase letters. * Add an explanation that Japanese words never begin with ん. * Update the grammatical explanations for は、が、に、へ. * Fix the explanation for the p-sound row of hiragana characters. * Update the introductory explanation of hiragana.
1.2.4
* Fix an issue where words would not appear bolded on the front of flashcards when furigana is turned off. * Fix mistakes on cards for どれぐらい, 痩せる, 気力, 除く, 手がかり, 対応, 扱う (thanks Matthew!) * Fix erroneous spaces before ません、ています、かげつ、てはいけません、てもいいです、てもいいですか、ましょう、くありません、さい in kana learning mode. * Replace rarely used kanji form of 勿論 with もちろん. * Update explanation for ています、あまり住んでいます、好き、が、へ、じゃありません、あそこ、よ、あなた、です、ます。 * Update explanations for し、ち、つ、ぢ、づ、す、が、かhiragana characters. * Fix a typo in explanation for お金. * Merge 行って into the て-form cards. * Add additional explanation for dakuten mark. * Remove references to "kana" before the concept is introduced. * Many more tweaks and improvements to the beginner deck contents.
1.2.5
Removed the Kanji deck that was labeled “Coming Soon.” From Chris: Thank you so much for your patience waiting for the kanji writing decks. I’m really sorry, but they’re still not ready — and honestly, they won’t be for a while longer. I still fully intend to add them in the future, but after being pushed back again and again, they’re just not where I want them to be. At this point, I think my time is better spent focusing on other projects that can have a bigger impact. I’m disappointed — and honestly a bit embarrassed — that I haven’t delivered on this yet. But I think it’s better to be upfront, rather than keep it hanging there like it’s just around the corner. Thanks again for sticking with me. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out: [email protected]
1.2.6
Removed another mention of the kanji deck, which has been put on hold for now.
1.3
Adds a new subscription option for accessing lessons.
1.4
* New onboarding to help you select the right course for you * New subscription paywall screen.
1.4.1
Minor fixes to new onboarding and paywall.
1.4.10 · 12 Apr 2026
Updates to onboarding.
1.4.2
* Fix a potential freeze during loading * Fix an issue where the dismiss button on the paywall screen was sometimes appearing below the status bar. * Tweaks to the deck recommendation screen.
1.4.3
* Fix an issue where the dismiss button on the paywall screen was sometimes appearing below the status bar. * Make a more gentle transition between the start learning button section and upper section on the paywall.
1.4.4
Fix an issue with animating in deck buttons on an upcoming release of iOS.
1.4.5
Minor bug fixes.
1.4.6
Adjustments to onboarding.
1.4.7
* Updates to support upcoming Black Friday sale.
1.4.8
Fix the animation when flipping flashcards on iOS 26.1.
1.4.9
* Turning flashcard audio back on now immediately replays the current card's audio when that side normally has audio.

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Availability by market

No LIVE observation for GB yet.

Data quality & evidence

Page completeness: Live store listing
Last verified: 31 Jul 2026
Sources: App Store

Independent summary has not been published yet.
Screenshots: not yet collected

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Compare this app with its closest alternatives.

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GET /api/v3/apps/1640204242

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      "notes": "* Fix an issue where words would not appear bolded on the front of flashcards when furigana is turned off. * Fix mistakes on cards for どれぐらい, 痩せる, 気力, 除く, 手がかり, 対応, 扱う (thanks Matthew!) * Fix erroneous spaces before ません、ています、かげつ、てはいけません、てもいいです、てもいいですか、ましょう、くありません、さい in kana learning mode. * Replace rarely used kanji form of 勿論 with もちろん. * Update explanation for ています、あまり住んでいます、好き、が、へ、じゃありません、あそこ、よ、あなた、です、ます。 * Update explanations for し、ち、つ、ぢ、づ 、す、が、かhiragana characters. * Fix a typo in explanation for お金. * Merge 行って into the て-form cards. * Add additional explanation for dakuten mark. * Remove references to \"kana\" before the concept is introduced. * Many more tweaks and improvements to the beginner deck contents."
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