1. Home
  2. 🔍 Reference
  3. Kanji Lookup
Kanji Lookup

Kanji Lookup

by telethon k.k.

3.1K ratings
92 reviews
With Ads
📚 Education
🔍 Reference
Free
In-App PurchasesWith Ads

Details

Released
March 16, 2015
Updated
October 27, 2026

Features

Developer

telethon k.k.
✨Promote your app ✨
Kanji Lookup screenshot #1 for iPhone
Kanji Lookup screenshot #2 for iPhone
Kanji Lookup screenshot #3 for iPhone
Kanji Lookup screenshot #4 for iPhone
Kanji Lookup screenshot #5 for iPhone
Kanji Lookup screenshot #6 for iPhone
Kanji Lookup screenshot #7 for iPhone
iphone
iphoneDuo
ipad
watch
🧾$0.99 - $1.99
In-App Purchase↘︎
📌Ready
Reviews summary↘︎
⭐92
Reviews↘︎
📝8+ tags
Tags↘︎
🔄5+ apps
Alternatives↘︎
❓5 answered
FAQ↘︎
📦~ in 1 month
Updates frequency↘︎
🖼️Get Icon
Icons↘︎

About

Quickly find the meaning and pronunciation of unknown Kanji characters by drawing them. This app focuses on fast, easy lookup without complex methods, offering definitions and relevant word examples. It also supports keyboard and pasteboard searches.

✓Handwriting recognition for Kanji lookup
✓Instantaneous search results
✓Pronunciation and definition display
✓Searchable list of relevant words
✓Keyboard search support
✓Pasteboard text search
Show original description

What users say about Kanji Lookup

Reviews of Kanji Lookup are mostly positive: the Reference app is rated 4.7/5 from 3.1K App Store ratings. What users like most: easy to use, accurate kanji recognition. Top complaints: occasional recognition issues, ads can be intrusive. Summarized from real user reviews.

Positive things

  • 👍Easy to use
  • 🚀Accurate kanji recognition
  • 💡Comprehensive kanji information
  • 👍Helpful for learning Japanese
  • 👍Useful for travel to Japan

Negative things

  • 🐛Occasional recognition issues
  • 💰Ads can be intrusive
  • 🐛Camera function not reliable
  • 🔋Drains battery quickly
See all reviews
+1

What's New in Kanji Lookup

2.4.3

October 27, 2026

- iPhone Duo compatibility

2

Subscriptions & In-App Purchases

$0.99

Stroke Animations

Get stroke animations for > 3500 Kanji characters.

User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

Outstanding essential tool!!!

This is the most useful thing I’ve ever used for kanji lookup and practice. So thorough. Great examples. Amazing!!! Thank you!!!
Rrkrgrllllll

As advertised, works well.

But they pester you to rate it the very first time you draw a kanji on it, and every time thereafter until you rate them. Maybe even after that. And it’s annoying to be asked to give a review before one knows how reliable the app is, or how it handles rare or borderline cases. So, this app may be worth five stars, or three.
Show more
SSpockahontas

Good

Good App
Hhlaingphyo

Absolute must have

Whether you just visit or really want to master Japanese, without being able to know what the kanji means you will be lost. Restaurants, streets, shopping. I love this app, use it everyday and my understanding of the language is really improving.
Pprem00-1

Exactly what I was looking for

Thank you !
JWjahacafxhkd wca
See 87 more reviews

Developer apps

MySequence
MySequence

Analyse DNA Sequences

🔧 Utilities

(106)

Free
MyGels
MyGels

Analyze Protein and DNA Gels

🏥 Medical

(2)

Free
Simple Furigana
Simple Furigana

Add Furigana to Japanese Text

🔧 Utilities

(271)

Free
In-App Purchases
かけるかな？
かけるかな？

by telethon k.k.

🎮 Games

(6)

In-App PurchasesWith Ads
Let's Write Kanji!
Let's Write Kanji!

A fast-paced Kanji game

🎮 Games

(8)

Free
In-App PurchasesWith Ads
See developer apps

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

3 issues

Kanji recognition not always accurate

Bug

Camera function doesn't work consistently

Bug

App crashes or freezes occasionally

Bug
✨

Requested Features

4 requests

Add audio pronunciations

Feature

Improve camera function

Feature

Provide more customization options

Feature

Implement kanji quizzing/testing

Feature

FAQ

What does Kanji Lookup do?

Kanji Lookup is designed to help you quickly find the meaning and pronunciation of unknown Kanji characters. It excels at identifying characters through drawing them on your device's touch screen, offering a fast and hassle-free lookup experience.

How does Kanji Lookup work?

The primary method is drawing the Kanji character directly on the screen. The app uses handwriting recognition to identify the character and instantly provides its pronunciation and definition. It also supports searching via keyboard and optionally scanning Kanji from your device's pasteboard.

Is Kanji Lookup free to use?

The application is free to download and use, but it offers in-app purchases. This model allows users to access core functionality for free while providing options for enhanced features or content through purchases.

What kind of Kanji information does it provide?

It provides the character's pronunciation and definition. Additionally, it offers a searchable list of the most relevant words that contain the Kanji character, making it easier to understand its usage in context.

What are the main benefits of using Kanji Lookup?

The app focuses on speed and ease of use, eliminating the need for complex stroke counting or radical deciphering. Its interface is clean and designed for minimal startup time and instantaneous recognition, making it efficient for identifying unknown Kanji.