Shinobi: Read & Learn Japanese

Shinobi: Read & Learn Japanese

Japanese Story Reader

839 ratings
743 reviews
Free
In-App Purchases

Details

Released
May 21, 2024
Updated
October 17, 2026

Features

Shinobi: Read & Learn Japanese screenshot #1 for iPhone
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Shinobi: Read & Learn Japanese screenshot #5 for iPhone
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Shinobi: Read & Learn Japanese screenshot #7 for iPhone
iphone
ipad
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About

Learn Japanese through engaging, illustrated stories. This app offers immersive reading and listening practice with interactive tools for vocabulary, kanji, and grammar. Track your progress and build fluency with daily new content and SRS flashcards.

✓Illustrated Japanese stories
✓One-click word translation and explanations
✓Full-page translation view
✓Furigana toggle
✓Japanese audio with slow speed option
✓Kanji learning in context
✓SRS flashcards for vocabulary review
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What users say about Shinobi

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+1

What's New in Shinobi

1.5.3

October 17, 2026

• New: take a test to skip ahead to a higher grade. • New listening and pronunciation exercises after your stories. • Quizzes now have answers in Japanese: tap one to hear it. • Sentence scrambles now accept other natural word orders. • The "Cards to review" chart now includes your story decks. • Word details and translations fill the whole screen. Stability improvements and bug fixes.

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5

Subscriptions & In-App Purchases

Yearly Subscription

Yearly access to premium features, 7-day free trial

$57.991 Year
7 Days trial
How to cancel Shinobi subscription ⁉️

User reviews

Engaging and useful

This app is great. I find it useful for my listening practice

Perfect Learning Tool

Shinobi is an excellent tool for learning! As a language teacher and lifelong language student, I can definitely say that more languages could use an app like Shinobi!

The Best Japanese App

Shinobi has been a flawless learning product. It includes reading, the chance to highlight and save new vocabulary, accurate translations in English, and the opportunity to do shadowing work through slow and normal speeds. The 10-15min duration allows the user to build it as a daily habit, advancing to progressively more advanced stories. I find it best on an iPad, but the synchronization across devices gives users the choice of how and when they use it.
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Treat non premium better. Premium to expensive

Good app but premium is way too expensive. Almost 120$ for 1 year. Also i think people without premium should have unlimited furigana because it helps with reading kanji. People without premium should also get more flashcards.

Abozwang vor dem Testen

Wenn man zum dreitägigen Testen bereits ein Abo abschließen muss, ist das meiner Meinung nach schlechter Stil. Man muss also rechtzeitig kündigen. Außerdem teilte mir die App mit, dass meine Testzeit bereits morgen, also nach zwei Tagen enden solle. Das erzeugt bei mir kein Vertrauen. Es kommt hinzu, dass beim Testen auf der Homepage manches banal wirkt, woran KI sicherlich einen Beitrag leistet. Schade, die App macht konzeptionell einen guten Eindruck.
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Developer apps

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

2 issues

Occasional crashes or freezing

Bug

Inconsistencies in translations and definitions

Bug
✨

Requested Features

4 requests

Ability to adjust text size

Feature

Option to read stories without illustrations

Feature

More advanced quizzing and comprehension testing

Feature

Expanded story library and content variety

Feature

FAQ

What is Shinobi: Read & Learn Japanese?

Shinobi is a language learning application designed to help users master Japanese through immersive, illustrated stories. It combines reading, listening, and interactive tools to teach vocabulary, kanji, and grammar in context, making the learning process engaging and practical.

What are the key features for learning Japanese?

Key features include reading illustrated stories with one-click translations, full-page translation views, a furigana toggle for kanji readings, Japanese audio with adjustable speed for listening practice, and SRS flashcards for vocabulary review. Kanji are integrated naturally into stories for contextual learning.

How does the app help with vocabulary and kanji?

Users can tap any word for instant translations, explanations, and example sentences. Kanji are presented within stories, and furigana can be toggled on or off. Vocabulary can be bookmarked and reviewed later using a Spaced Repetition System (SRS) flashcard feature to reinforce memory.

Is there audio content available?

Yes, the app provides Japanese audio for every story, allowing users to practice pronunciation and improve listening comprehension. A slow audio option is also available, enabling learners to follow along at their own pace.

What is the cost of Shinobi: Read & Learn Japanese?

The application is free to download and use, offering a free tier of content. It also features in-app purchases, suggesting that premium content or advanced features may be available for purchase.