1. Pick your JLPT level
Choose N5 to N1. A fresh 20×20 grid is built on your phone from the words tagged for that level, so an N4 puzzle only asks for N4 words.
Japanese crossword · JLPT N5 to N1
Type “kyou,” get きょう. A daily Japanese crossword that reads romaji.
My Senpai Crossword is a free Japanese crossword for learners: every clue is an English meaning, every answer is a JLPT word, and you type the reading in romaji while the grid fills in hiragana. A new 20×20 puzzle every day, N5 to N1, with no account and no Japanese keyboard.
Get it on Google PlayDownload the free appDownload on the App StoreDownload the free appPlay today’s puzzle in your browser
Free. No account needed.Free on Android and iPhone: Google Play · App Store
- 7,753 JLPT words, N5 to N1
- 20×20 grid, new every day
- Daily puzzle + 3 practice puzzles free
- Solve with a friend
- No account
1 AcrossSchool4 squares
Type gakkou and watch the squares fill in.
How the Japanese crossword works
It works like an English crossword, but every answer is a Japanese word. Three things make it a learning tool rather than a quiz you can only finish if you already know Japanese.
2. Read the English clue, type romaji
The clue is the meaning, for example “next week”. Type raishuu and the squares fill with らいしゅう. No Japanese keyboard needed, and the cursor moves on to the next word by itself.
3. Stuck? Ask for a letter
Each word has 2 one-letter hints and a full reveal. A romaji chart is one tap away, so you can play before you know every kana.
JLPT N5 to N1 crosswords, level by level
7,753 words, each tagged with its JLPT level. Pick the level you are studying, and the puzzle stays there. Example clues and answers from each level:
| Level | Words | Example clues → answers |
|---|---|---|
| N5 Beginner | 614 | newspaper → しんぶん 新聞car → くるま 車summer holiday → なつやすみ 夏休み |
| N4 Elementary | 621 | earthquake → じしん 地震glove → てぶくろ 手袋kindness → しんせつ 親切 |
| N3 Intermediate | 1,908 | to reach → とどく 届くhair → かみのけ 髪の毛musical performance → えんそう 演奏 |
| N2 Upper intermediate | 1,541 | snowstorm → ふぶき 吹雪ticket window → まどぐち 窓口sold out → うりきれ 売り切れ |
| N1 Advanced | 3,069 | flower bud → つぼみ 蕾view → みはらし 見晴らしenthusiasm → ねつい 熱意 |
Levels follow the official JLPT level summary. Answers are written in kana, so N1 puzzles test whether you can produce the reading, not just recognise the kanji.
New: two-player mode
Solve a Japanese crossword with a friend, or anyone at your level
Tap Play with someone on the home screen. Join someone waiting at your JLPT level, open your own puzzle for anyone, or send a friend a link or a 6-character code. You both fill in the same grid at the same time, each on your own phone.
- Letters and hints show up on both phones within about a second
- Your partner’s current word is outlined in their colour
- Nobody joins in 2 minutes? A practice partner, marked PRACTICE, solves with you
- Quick messages instead of chat: Nice!, Stuck on 5 Down, Be right back
- Leave for now: the grid stays saved for 7 days after the last move
- 1 free puzzle together every day
Play free in your browser, or get more in the app
| Browser | Android and iPhone app | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily puzzle (20×20, new every day) | Free | Free, never counts against a limit |
| Practice puzzles at any level | No | 3 free a day |
| Solve with a friend | No | 1 free a day |
| Streaks, stats, words seen per level | No | Yes |
| Your phone’s own keyboard, including a Japanese IME | No | Yes |
| 6 colour themes, dark mode | No | Yes |
| Account needed | No | No |
Ad-Free
Removes the ads and lets you play fully offline.
Unlimited
Removes the daily limits on practice puzzles and puzzles with a friend.
Bundle
Ad-Free and Unlimited together.
All three are one-time purchases, not subscriptions. The store shows the price in your currency before you buy.
Inside the app
Six themes, six words to learn
- Aizome Washi 藍染和紙: indigo-dyed paper
- Ink & Ember 墨と柿色: ink and persimmon
- Chashitsu Green 茶室: tea room
- Yuyami Cobalt 夕闇: evening dusk
- Kasuga Vermillion 春日朱: named for Kasuga Shrine
- Sakura Komorebi 桜木漏れ日: cherry blossoms in dappled sunlight
Watch a puzzle being solved
29 seconds: typing romaji, the level picker, a hint and the daily puzzle. More on the My Senpai YouTube channel.
Japanese crossword questions
How does a Japanese crossword work?
It works like an English crossword, but the answers are Japanese words written in hiragana. In My Senpai Crossword, each clue is a JLPT vocabulary word shown with its English meaning. You type the reading in romaji, for example “kyou”, and the grid fills in the hiragana (きょう).
Where can I play a Japanese crossword online for free?
You can play My Senpai Crossword’s daily puzzle free in your browser at my-senpai.com/crossword/app/: one new 20×20 puzzle a day, with no download and no account. The Android and iPhone apps add 3 free practice puzzles a day on top of the daily puzzle.
Is My Senpai Crossword free?
Yes. The daily puzzle is free in the browser and in the app. The app also gives you 3 free practice puzzles and 1 free puzzle with a friend every day, with ads. Ad-Free, Unlimited and the Bundle are optional one-time purchases, not subscriptions.
Do I need an account to play?
No. My Senpai Crossword works without sign-up in the browser and in the app. Your progress is stored on your device.
What is the difference between the web version and the app?
The web version gives you the daily 20×20 puzzle. The app adds 3 free practice puzzles a day at any level, solving with a friend, streaks and stats, your phone’s own keyboard, six colour themes, and offline play for Ad-Free and Unlimited members.
Which JLPT levels are covered?
All five, N5 to N1. My Senpai Crossword uses 7,753 words tagged by JLPT level: 614 at N5, 621 at N4, 1,908 at N3, 1,541 at N2 and 3,069 at N1. Pick a level and the 20×20 grid only uses words from it.
Can I play a Japanese crossword with a friend?
Yes. Two-player mode in the My Senpai Crossword app lets you send a friend a link or a 6-character code, or join anyone waiting at your JLPT level, and the two of you fill in the same grid live, each on your own phone. One puzzle together a day is free.
Does the Japanese crossword work offline?
Ad-Free and Unlimited members can play fully offline once the app is installed. The free tier needs a brief connection at the start of each puzzle to load the ad, and the web version always needs a connection.
Can I type with my phone’s own keyboard?
Yes, on both iOS and Android. Switch to your device’s own keyboard, including a Japanese IME if you have one set up, and it types directly into the grid. The in-app romaji keyboard is the default and you can switch back any time in Settings.
Can I play if I don’t know hiragana yet?
Yes. You type romaji, the English-letter spelling of each sound, and the grid shows it in kana. A built-in romaji chart shows what each kana sounds like. Learning the kana first, for example with Kana Challenge, makes the grid easier to read.
Does a crossword help with JLPT vocabulary?
It trains recall. Each clue gives you the English meaning and you have to produce the Japanese reading yourself, which is harder than recognising a word on a flashcard. Research on the testing effect found that this kind of retrieval practice improves long-term retention more than rereading.
What if I get stuck on a word?
Each word allows two hints, which reveal one letter each, and one full reveal. Revealed letters lock in place, so you can keep solving the crossing words around them.
Sources: JLPT level summary (Japan Foundation and JEES); Roediger and Karpicke (2006), Test-Enhanced Learning, Psychological Science 17(3).
Keep building your Japanese vocabulary
- Two-player Japanese crosswordHow to invite a friend, join a game and solve together.
- Kana ChallengeLearn hiragana and katakana first, so the grid reads easily.
- Building Japanese vocabularyHow to turn new words into words you keep.
- YoMooRead Japanese news with furigana and meet the same words in context.
- JLPT grammar by levelGrammar guides for N5 to N1.
Today’s puzzle is ready.
Free on Android and iPhone, or in your browser. No account.