# Kakehashi - For WaniKani — Unofficial app for WaniKani

> Companion app for WaniKani to practice Japanese with authentic content. (iPhone/iPad app by Pedro Ortego.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kakehashi-for-wanikani/id6757765444 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Pedro Ortego](https://appshunter.io/developer/1773012596)
- Category: Education
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 56 App Store ratings · 27 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 15.1 · 178 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2026-01-28
- Data updated: 2026-09-12
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kakehashi-for-wanikani/id6757765444/reviews.md

## What is Kakehashi?

Bridge the gap between learning kanji and using Japanese in the real world.

Kakehashi is the ultimate unofficial third-party app for WaniKani - designed to take your Japanese beyond flashcards and into authentic content. Practice with anime dialogue, read NHK news articles, learn through song lyrics, and see exactly how your knowledge maps to JLPT and Joyo levels.


REVIEWS & LESSONS, YOUR WAY

- Customizable batch sizes and question ordering
- Meaning-first or reading-first modes
- Critical item prioritization for struggling vocabulary
- Detailed statistics after every session


LEARN FROM REAL JAPANESE

- Listening Practice — Study vocabulary in context with real anime clips
- NHK News — Read current events with kanji readiness indicators
- Song Lyrics — Learn Japanese through music with Spotify integration
- Camera OCR — Point your camera at Japanese text and learn instantly


POWERFUL STUDY MODES

- Recent Lessons — Reinforce newly learned items
- Random Tests — Quiz yourself on any level range
- Vocab Reading Practice — Master kana readings
- Custom Reviews — Study exactly what you choose


TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

- JLPT Breakdown — See your N5 to N1 progress at a glance
- Joyo Grades — Track school-level kanji mastery
- Frequency Analysis — Know which kanji matter most
- Review Heatmap — Visualize your study consistency
- Constellation View — Explore kanji component relationships


THOUGHTFUL DETAILS

- Multiple Japanese voice options for audio
- MyAnimeList sync for personalized anime content
- Review notifications so you never miss SRS timing
- Offline caching for study anywhere
- Beautiful dark mode interface


Kakehashi means "bridge" in Japanese — and that's exactly what this app is. A bridge from WaniKani's world of radicals, kanji, and vocabulary to the Japanese you'll encounter in manga, anime, news, and everyday life.

Your journey to fluency deserves more than flashcards. Build your bridge with Kakehashi.


Note: Kakehashi requires an active WaniKani account. This is an unofficial third-party app and is not affiliated with WaniKani or Tofugu LLC.

## Key features

- Practice with anime, news, and song lyrics
- Customizable study modes
- Progress tracking for JLPT and Joyo levels
- Offline caching for study anywhere
- Camera OCR for instant text learning
- MyAnimeList sync

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy me a coffee | $2.99 | one-time |
| Buy me a beer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Generous tip | $19.99 | one-time |
| Buy me lunch | $9.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 27)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kakehashi-for-wanikani/id6757765444/reviews.md

### 5/5 — The ONLY way i do wanikani

*2026-07-19, version 1.4.7*

I wanted an anki mode since i hate practice using wanikani’s website. This is the PERFECT solution as it make it 10 times easier to review. One thing i hope they add is an undo button/gesture (maybe there is and i dont know how to enable it).

### 5/5 — Excellent App

*2026-07-16, version 1.4.7*

I love using this app for all my reviews!  I love the games as well.  I just wish I could do listening practice on the iPad version.

### 5/5 — Great Developer

*2026-07-08, version 1.4.7*

Picked this app up 4 months ago. The experience is genuinely so much better than desktop WaniKani that I had to leave a good review. The developer keeps adding useful features and is quite active in debugging. I don’t think I’ve had a serious issue yet and the few minor issues have been resolved within a few days.

Great app, great dev

### 5/5 — Great app! Recommend for all Wanikani users

*2026-06-27, version 1.4.7*

Very useful app - has lots of useful features for going beyond and supplementing Wanikani

### 5/5 — Really cool and open source!

*2026-06-22, version 1.4.7*

Very happy with the functionality, much better than using wanikani on mobile!

### 4/5 — Great app, missing offline support

*2026-06-20, version 1.4.7*

Cool features, good customization, but missing offline support for reviews/lessons as far as I can tell

### 5/5 — Indispensable

*2026-06-06, version 1.4.6*

I really can’t do wanikani without this app anymore. I first tried it out when Tsurukame stopped working, and it’s leaps and bounds better. Anki mode with combined meaning & reading, as well as being able to simply tap left or right to mark correct or incorrect make my reviews go so quickly. I’m doing more wanikani than I have in years and years. I think I’ll actually make it to level 60 this time. I love the feature that pulls clips from anime for context! I also love how easy it is to see similar or related words, visually similar kanji, etc.

### 5/5 — Absolutely recommend this app!

*2026-05-29, version 1.4.4*

I’ve been using this app almost every day for over a month now and I love it! The interface is very intuitive and everything is so customizable. I’d totally recommend it to anyone wanting to learn kanji & vocabulary! Huge thanks to the developers who made it.

### 5/5 — Great addition to your wanikani studying

*2026-05-28, version 1.4.4*

Lots of extra ways to leverage your wanikani data to improve studying Japanese.

### 5/5 — Phenomenal

*2026-05-27, version 1.4.4*

Open source lets this easily beat everything else! Only complaint is it checks for an update EVERY TIME app is opened (option for disabling or significant speed up would be neat). お疲れさま！

## Frequently asked questions about Kakehashi

### What is Kakehashi?

Kakehashi is an unofficial companion app for WaniKani designed to help users apply their kanji and vocabulary knowledge to real-world Japanese content like anime, news, and music. It aims to bridge the gap between flashcard learning and practical language use.

### Does Kakehashi require a WaniKani account?

Yes, Kakehashi requires an active WaniKani account to function. It is an unofficial third-party app and is not affiliated with WaniKani or Tofugu LLC.

### How does Kakehashi help with learning Japanese?

Kakehashi offers practice through authentic content such as anime clips for listening, NHK news articles with kanji indicators, and song lyrics with Spotify integration. It also provides customizable study modes and detailed progress tracking.

### Can I use Kakehashi offline?

Yes, Kakehashi supports offline caching, allowing you to study anywhere without an internet connection. This feature ensures consistent learning regardless of your location or network availability.

### What kind of progress tracking does Kakehashi offer?

Kakehashi provides detailed progress tracking, including a JLPT breakdown from N5 to N1, Joyo grade kanji mastery, frequency analysis of kanji, a review heatmap for study consistency, and a constellation view of kanji component relationships.

### What are the study modes available in Kakehashi?

Kakehashi offers several study modes, including customizable batch sizes, meaning-first or reading-first modes, critical item prioritization, recent lessons reinforcement, random tests, vocabulary reading practice, and custom reviews for tailored study sessions.

### What devices is Kakehashi available on?

Kakehashi is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It features a beautiful dark mode interface for a comfortable user experience across Apple devices.

### Is Kakehashi free to use?

Kakehashi is free to download and use. It offers in-app purchases, which may provide additional features or content beyond the core functionality.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.4.7 — 2026-06-19

- Bug Fixes and Improvements

### 1.4.6 — 2026-06-03

- Added Spotify Integration

### 1.4.4 — 2026-05-19

New lock screen widget

### 1.4.3 — 2026-05-02

- Add new offline voice for context sentences and patterns of use

### 1.3.1 — 2026-03-14

- Fixed cache migration

## More apps by Pedro Ortego

- [AniQuiz - Guess the Anime](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aniquiz-guess-the-anime/id6736673580)

All apps by Pedro Ortego: https://appshunter.io/developer/1773012596

## Related topics

[kanjimado for wanikani](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/kanjimado-for-wanikani) · [jlpt vocab sprint](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/jlpt-vocab-sprint) · [kanji for junior high exam](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/kanji-for-junior-high-exam) · [wanikani](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wanikani)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-12.*