Hiragana is the first hurdle every Japanese learner faces. I learned all 46 base characters plus dakuten in 14 days — here's exactly how I did it.
The Plan
When I first looked at a hiragana chart, my brain flatly refused. 46 characters? Plus variations? Plus katakana? Plus kanji?
I took a breath. One thing at a time.
My Method: Mnemonics + Spaced Repetition
I used two tools in tandem:
1. Dr. Moku's Hiragana mnemonics — Each character has an illustrated story. The character あ (a) looks like an angry man with his arms out. That kind of silliness sticks.
2. Anki with the Hiragana Recognition deck — 15 minutes every morning, right after coffee. Non-negotiable.
Week 1: The Vowel Rows
The first week I drilled the five vowel rows:
- あいうえお (a i u e o)
- かきくけこ (ka ki ku ke ko)
- さしすせそ (sa shi su se so)
- たちつてと (ta chi tsu te to)
- なにぬねの (na ni nu ne no)
Week 2: Finishing Strong
The second week covered:
- はひふへほ (ha hi fu he ho)
- まみむめも (ma mi mu me mo)
- やゆよ (ya yu yo)
- らりるれろ (ra ri ru re ro)
- わをん (wa wo n)
Plus all the dakuten (゛) variations that turn か into が, さ into ざ, etc.
The Result
By day 14, I could read hiragana at a slow but steady pace. I'll never forget the first time I read a sign in a Japanese restaurant and actually understood it.
Pro tip: Practice writing by hand. The muscle memory reinforces recognition dramatically.