Teaching kanji is a major challenge for many teachers.
It takes time and creativity to help learners connect each character with its sound.
But when learning becomes a game—when students enjoy taking cards with others—kanji starts to come naturally.
This is the idea behind “Kotonoha” Kanji Karu
Features & How to Use
- Includes 200 kanji characters at the JLPT N5 level
- Designed with increasing difficulty across the four seasons
- The illustrations are intentionally the same, to encourage learners to focus on recognizing the characters rather than relying on images
- Reading cards are not included. The game begins when a teacher or group leader reads aloud the visible card
- Designed to encourage natural communication—activities such as grammar and vocabulary review, hint games, and sentence creation can all be developed from the cards
- Numbered cards make it easy to organize and manage
- Ideal as a supplementary tool for kanji learning, as well as for events and group activities
- Enjoyable even for Japanese learners and native speakers, making it perfect for multicultural and community-based activities
Basic Usage
- The basic format is a traditional karuta game, where players listen and take the card that is read aloud
- It works well in small groups of 4–5 learners, allowing for focused practice even in a short time
- One set (100 cards) can be divided into four groups of 25 cards, enabling four teams to play simultaneously, each using different kanji
Extended Activities
- The reader gives hints, and players guess and take the correct card
- Use the front and back of the cards to create short sentences
- Arrange multiple cards to build stories or describe scenes
👉 These activities can be adapted flexibly to suit different levels and learning goals
