Kanjijo + Textbooks: The Ultimate Study Combo Guide

Why You Need Both a Textbook and Kanjijo

Textbooks and apps serve fundamentally different purposes. A textbook gives you structured grammar, reading passages, and cultural context. Kanjijo gives you optimized kanji memorization through SRS, widgets, and data-driven review. Together, they create a complete Japanese learning system.

The problem most learners face is figuring out how to use them together. This guide provides chapter-by-chapter alignment and weekly schedules for the most popular Japanese textbooks.

Kanjijo + Genki (Beginner)

Genki is the most widely used beginner Japanese textbook, especially in university courses. Here's how to align your Kanjijo study with Genki's pace.

Genki I (Chapters 1–12)

Weekly Schedule: Genki + Kanjijo

Kanjijo + Minna no Nihongo (Beginner)

Minna no Nihongo (MNN) takes a more immersive approach — the textbook is entirely in Japanese from page one. This makes Kanjijo even more valuable as a companion tool.

Key Differences from Genki

• MNN introduces kanji more gradually across 50 lessons
• The grammar translation book is separate, so kanji lists are in the main text
• MNN uses furigana extensively, but you should try reading without it

Strategy: MNN + Kanjijo

1. Lessons 1–10: Focus on N5 kanji deck in Kanjijo. MNN is still heavy on kana.
2. Lessons 11–25: Create custom lists matching each lesson's kanji. Review daily in Kanjijo.
3. Lessons 26–50: Transition to N4 kanji deck. Most MNN II kanji overlap with N4.

Kanjijo + Tobira (Intermediate)

Tobira: Gateway to Advanced Japanese bridges the gap between beginner and advanced. It's dense with kanji and assumes you know about 300 characters already.

Alignment Strategy

Tobira introduces roughly 800 kanji across its 15 chapters. With Kanjijo handling the memorization through SRS, you can focus your textbook time on grammar and reading comprehension.

Kanjijo + JLPT Prep Books (Soumatome / Shinkanzen Master)

For serious JLPT preparation, dedicated prep books like 日本語総まとめ (Nihongo Soumatome) and 新完全マスター (Shinkanzen Master) are essential. Here's how Kanjijo supercharges your exam prep.

Soumatome + Kanjijo

Soumatome is organized as a 6-week program for each JLPT level. Align your Kanjijo study accordingly:

• Week 1–2: Set Kanjijo to the target JLPT level. Add 10–15 new kanji daily from Soumatome's weekly sections.
• Week 3–4: Reduce new cards to 5–10. Focus on SRS reviews and Soumatome practice problems.
• Week 5–6: Zero new cards. Pure review mode in Kanjijo + Soumatome mock tests.

Shinkanzen Master + Kanjijo

Shinkanzen Master is more comprehensive and academic. Its kanji book is essentially a reference guide organized by reading patterns and compound types.

• Use Kanjijo as the memorization engine — add kanji from each Shinkanzen section to custom lists
• Use Shinkanzen for deep understanding — reading patterns, common compounds, and usage notes
• Cross-reference: when a kanji appears in Shinkanzen, mark it for focused review in Kanjijo

The "Textbook for Grammar, Kanjijo for Kanji" Philosophy

This is the core principle behind every combo strategy:

This division lets you:

• Use textbook time efficiently: Don't waste 30 minutes staring at kanji lists in your textbook — Kanjijo handles that better with SRS.
• Advance grammar faster: When you already know the kanji from Kanjijo, textbook reading passages become comprehensible sooner.
• Study anywhere: Textbook time is at your desk. Kanjijo time is everywhere else — commute, lunch break, waiting room.

How to Create Custom Study Lists Matching Textbook Chapters

1. Open Kanjijo → Study Lists → Create New List
2. Name it after your textbook chapter (e.g., "Genki Ch.5" or "Tobira Ch.8")
3. Add kanji by:
   • Search: Type each kanji character to add manually
   • OCR scan: Point your camera at the textbook's kanji list page
   • JLPT filter: Browse by JLPT level and select matching characters
4. Start studying — Kanjijo's SRS will schedule reviews automatically

Using OCR to Scan Textbook Pages

Kanjijo's built-in OCR scanner is a massive time-saver for textbook users:

• Open the OCR scanner in Kanjijo
• Point your camera at a textbook page
• Kanjijo detects and highlights all kanji on the page
• Tap any kanji to see its details, readings, and meanings
• Add unknown kanji directly to your study list with one tap

Exam Period Intensive Combos

When a JLPT test or university exam is approaching, shift to intensive mode: