Anki Kaishi 1.5k Jun 2026

Ready to dive in? Here's a step-by-step guide to get you started:

The deck employs a specific card template designed to minimize cognitive load: anki kaishi 1.5k

⭐ – The best “starter deck” for modern Japanese learners. Its only “flaw” is that you’ll quickly outgrow it — and that’s the point. Once you finish Kaishi 1.5k, you’ll be ready to mine your own cards from native media with confidence. Ready to dive in

Unlike the older "Core" series, which was based on newspaper frequency lists from the 1980s and 90s, Kaishi 1.5k utilizes a frequency list derived from a balanced corpus of modern sources, including novels, anime subtitles, and visual novels. This ensures that learners are studying words that are actually common in contemporary media (e.g., learning the word dokyuu [classmate] before shimbun [newspaper]). Once you finish Kaishi 1

The name “Kaishi” means “beginning” (開始) — a perfect fit for learners finishing kana and stepping into real Japanese.

Designed specifically to reduce visual fatigue, making long-term retention exercises smoother on desktop and mobile platforms.