🌱
Pre-N5 Starter
100–250
Kanji
5
pages
Sample
日本一
Hiragana, katakana, greetings. Your first 50 sentences in Japanese.
Level
Learn Japanese without the grind
Read Stories, Learn Japanese.
Shinobi blends comprehensible input, illustrated stories and spaced repetition so JLPT N5 to N2 becomes a path, not a wall.
500,000+
learners
4.9 / 5
App Store
Story · N5 · Maiko Tap any word
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1 / 3
How Shinobi works
Japanese that sticks, one story at a time.
Step 1 · Read
Illustrated stories at your level
Every story is graded, illustrated and read by a native speaker.
Comprehensible input, the way your brain actually learns.
4 / 15
🚩
からだ 体 を あら 洗って から、 おんせん 温泉 に つかります。
Step 2 · Look up
Any word, one tap
Tap any kanji for furigana, meaning and the exact nuance it carries in that sentence.
No more dictionary-hopping.
きし 騎士 は つるぎ 剣 を も 持って います。
剣
Meaning Sword
🔊 🔖
勇気を出して、怪物と戦います。
Step 3 · Choose
25 themes, hundreds of stories
Daily life, travel, food, work, fantasy, mystery — pick what interests you.
Stories you want to read = Japanese that sticks.
Pick a theme
25 total🍱
Food
42 stories
✈️
Travel
38 stories
🎓
School
29 stories
❤️
Romance
33 stories
🐉
Fantasy
24 stories
🏯
Culture
31 stories
Step 4 · Test
Every story ends with a quiz
Kanji, reading, listening, translation. Active recall turns passive reading into real fluency.
One story = one micro-win.
✓ 4 ✕ 1
5 / 14 
ハナさんが 見ている 建物は 何ですか？
What building is Hana looking at?
A 天守閣 tenshukaku
B 神社 jinja
C お城 o-shiro ✓
D お寺 o-tera
Step 5 · Progress
From Starter to Expert
91 levels, 5 grades, 455 stories. Your SRS engine brings back what you almost forgot,
right when you need it.Shinobi
Joined July 2025
Your Shinobi Rank
🎋 3%
Level "Expert"
1
🔥 Days
113
📖 Stories
27k
⚡ XP
Starter → N2
Your full JLPT roadmap in one place
Scroll
師
Japanese Instructor @lilly.real.life.japan
ゆり先生
Yuri sensei
Meet your teacher
A native Japanese teacher, always in your pocket
Every story and the full JLPT N5 → N2 curriculum inside Shinobi is written by Yuri, a native Japanese teacher. The stories aren't generic exercises. They're the real, carefully graded input she uses to bring her students to fluency.
Follow her on Instagram- From
- 横浜
- JLPT coverage
- N5 → N2
- Native speaker
- Yes
Story categories · graded readers
25 themes. Hundreds of stories. Your pick.
🏠
Daily Life
Everyday routine, home, commuting, ordinary life.
🌤️
Slice of Life
Ordinary moment with no dramatic stakes.
💼
Work
Office, career, delivery workers, guides, jobs.
🎓
School
Studies, campus, library, exams.
👨👩👧
Family
Family relationships, parents, grandparents, siblings.
🤝
Friendship
Friends, new encounters, social bonds.
❤️
Romance
Love, attraction, romantic relationships.
🏥
Health
Doctor, hospital, fitness, wellness.
🛍️
Shopping
Market, stores, price negotiation, spending.
✈️
Travel
Trips, trains, hotels, discovering new places.
🏙️
City Life
Urban neighborhoods, subway, city restaurants.
🗺️
Adventure
Exploration, discovery, danger or survival situations.
🌲
Nature
Forests, seasons, weather, landscapes, environment.
🏠
Daily Life
Everyday routine, home, commuting, ordinary life.
🌤️
Slice of Life
Ordinary moment with no dramatic stakes.
💼
Work
Office, career, delivery workers, guides, jobs.
🎓
School
Studies, campus, library, exams.
👨👩👧
Family
Family relationships, parents, grandparents, siblings.
🤝
Friendship
Friends, new encounters, social bonds.
❤️
Romance
Love, attraction, romantic relationships.
🏥
Health
Doctor, hospital, fitness, wellness.
🛍️
Shopping
Market, stores, price negotiation, spending.
✈️
Travel
Trips, trains, hotels, discovering new places.
🏙️
City Life
Urban neighborhoods, subway, city restaurants.
🗺️
Adventure
Exploration, discovery, danger or survival situations.
🌲
Nature
Forests, seasons, weather, landscapes, environment.
🥟
Food
Cooking, recipes, restaurants, shared meals, specialties.
🎉
Festivals
Holidays, New Year, birthdays, cultural ceremonies.
🏮
Culture
Customs, traditions, heritage, ways of life.
🐉
Mythology
Legends, folk tales, folklore, mythical creatures.
😂
Humor
Comedy, absurd or funny situations.
🔍
Mystery
Investigation, secrets, disappearance, revelation.
🎭
Drama
Emotional tension, conflict, personal stakes.
🧚
Fantasy
Magic, imaginary worlds, supernatural, creatures.
🐼
Animals
Domestic or wild animals as key characters.
⚽
Sports
Competition, training, physical performance.
🎨
Arts
Music, painting, dance, theater, creative work.
💻
Technology
Apps, internet, gadgets, the digital world.
🥟
Food
Cooking, recipes, restaurants, shared meals, specialties.
🎉
Festivals
Holidays, New Year, birthdays, cultural ceremonies.
🏮
Culture
Customs, traditions, heritage, ways of life.
🐉
Mythology
Legends, folk tales, folklore, mythical creatures.
😂
Humor
Comedy, absurd or funny situations.
🔍
Mystery
Investigation, secrets, disappearance, revelation.
🎭
Drama
Emotional tension, conflict, personal stakes.
🧚
Fantasy
Magic, imaginary worlds, supernatural, creatures.
🐼
Animals
Domestic or wild animals as key characters.
⚽
Sports
Competition, training, physical performance.
🎨
Arts
Music, painting, dance, theater, creative work.
💻
Technology
Apps, internet, gadgets, the digital world.
Not another Duolingo
Shinobi vs. the rest
| 🥷 Shinobi | Generic app | Private tutor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graded readers at your level | ✓ | - | Partial |
| Real-life situations (not 'the pen is on the table') | ✓ | - | ✓ |
| Grammar, vocabulary & listening together | ✓ | Partial | ✓ |
| Speaking practice | ✓ | - | ✓ |
| Exercises & quizzes | ✓ | ✓ | Partial |
| Full JLPT N5 → N2 coverage | ✓ | - | Depends |
| Price | Free | $7 / mo | $400+ / mo |
Start now
Start Japanese today.
Free forever on Starter. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
Takes 60 seconds. Your first story is ready.