On-device generation
No backend call to load a puzzle. Ad-Free and Unlimited members get full offline play. The free tier needs a brief connection to load the daily ad.
🧩 5 free plays daily + the daily puzzle · JLPT N5 → N1
Type "kyou," get きょう. A daily Japanese crossword that reads romaji.
A fresh 20×20 grid every day, built from a JLPT-tagged word list for N5 through N1. Type the pronunciation you already know and the grid fills in hiragana automatically. No kana memorization required to start.
No account required. Ad-Free and Unlimited members play fully offline.
🇯🇵 5 JLPT levels, N5–N1⌨️ Native Japanese IME on iOS & Android🔥 Streak tracking
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×20 Grid Size
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Hints Per Word
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JLPT Levels, N5–N1
Three steps. No tutorial video.
Every grid is built fresh, on your device.
Pick N5 through N1 and a new 20×20 grid generates on-device from a word list tagged against official JLPT level guidelines, filtered to that level. No two puzzles repeat the same layout, and words you've solved recently are deprioritized so the same vocabulary doesn't resurface every day.
Type romaji. We handle the kana.
Just spell out the pronunciation you already know. For example, 'kyou' lands as きょう, 'tsu' as つ, 'sha' as しゃ. The conversion engine handles every compound kana and long vowel automatically. You never have to memorise the hiragana layout to play.
Recall, not recognition.
Every clue is a real JLPT word with its English gloss. Producing the correct kana spelling from a clue is retrieval practice; picking a familiar word off a flashcard is recognition. Cognitive science research on the testing effect on long-term retention found that retrieval practice beats passive restudy for what you remember later. JLPT levels roughly track the CEFR proficiency framework used across Europe, so N5 sits near CEFR A1 and N1 near a high B2–C1.
See it in action.
What the app includes.
Type with your own keyboard
On iOS and Android, switch to your phone's own keyboard, including your device's Japanese IME if you have one installed, and it types straight into the grid.
JLPT-tagged word list
Every word is tagged N5 through N1 against official JLPT levels, so a puzzle at your level stays at your level.
Streaks & daily challenge
One daily puzzle keeps the streak alive and never counts against your 5 free plays. Miss a day and the streak resets.
Phone, tablet, web
Same puzzle engine, three form factors. Pick up where you left off.
Two hints, one reveal, per word
Reveal a single letter (up to twice) or the whole word when you're stuck. Revealed letters lock in place.
Six palettes, six vocabulary words: the picker teaches you the name while you choose:
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," the default
Kasuga Vermillion (春日朱): named for Kasuga Shrine
Sakura Komorebi (桜木漏れ日): "cherry blossoms in dappled sunlight"
Every control, explained.
Tap any icon in the mock-up below to see what it does.
↑ Tap any control above
5 free plays a day in the app. More if you want them.
Web gives you today's puzzle. The app adds 5 free ad-supported plays a day, on top of the daily puzzle, plus streak tracking across devices. Go Ad-Free to remove ads and play offline, or go Unlimited to drop the daily play limit entirely.
Free: 5 ad-supported plays/day + the daily puzzle · Ad-Free removes ads and enables offline play · Unlimited removes the daily play cap
Common questions.
Is it free?
Yes. Web gives you one free puzzle a day. The app adds 5 free ad-supported plays a day, and the daily puzzle never counts against that 5. Ad-Free removes ads and enables offline play. Unlimited removes the daily play cap.
Do I need an account?
No. The web and app both work without sign-up. Progress is stored locally on your device.
What is the difference between the web version and the app?
The web version gives you one new puzzle each day. The app adds 5 free plays a day on top of that, plus offline play for Ad-Free/Unlimited members and per-level streaks.
Which JLPT levels are covered?
N5 through N1, matching the official JLPT level guidelines. Pick a level and a fresh 20×20 grid generates on-device from a word list tagged for that level.
Does it work offline?
Ad-Free and Unlimited members can play fully offline once the app is installed. The free ad-supported tier needs a brief connection at the start of each puzzle to load the ad. The web version always requires 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. An in-app romaji keyboard is also available as the default and can be switched back to any time in Settings.
I do not know hiragana yet. Can I still play?
Yes. The romaji helper shows you what each kana sounds like, and you can type romaji at any time. The engine converts it for you.
Keep building your Japanese
The Crossword pairs well with the rest of the My Senpai learning tools.
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Fluency Tool
Speaking practice with Echo Fluency shadowing, SM-2 flashcards, and a full JLPT grammar guide.
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Kana Challenge
Master all 96 hiragana & katakana characters in 30 days, a great warm-up before the crossword.
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📰
YoMoo
Read real news in Japanese with furigana on every kanji, a one-tap dictionary, text-to-speech, and JLPT N5 to N1 reading passages. Free on Android and as an iOS PWA, no account needed.
Learn more →