Remembering the Kanji
Remembering the Kanji by James Heisigby James Heisig
Shares rank 3 of 4 language learning books by recommenders
Recommended for learning kanji meanings and writing through mnemonics and stories instead of rote memorization, with a set study order and about 30 minutes of daily practice. One commenter said they would not recommend it.
Recommended for learning kanji meanings and writing through mnemonics and stories instead of rote memorization, with a set study order and about 30 minutes of daily practice. One commenter said they would not recommend it.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Mnemonic stories instead of rote memorization
“It is fundamentally different from rote memorization that they would have you do at school, instead using mnemonics and stories.”
Comment from 24 Dec 2025 in “Nabokov's guide to foreigners learning Russian” “RTK/wanikani style elements used for mnemonics”
Comment from 15 Dec 2025 in “Hashcards: A plain-text spaced repetition system” Good order plus spaced repetition reviews
“With a good order (RTK), optimal reviews (SRS) and putting 30 minutes a day it is possible to learn keyword to Kanji writing”
Comment from 17 Apr 2026 in “中文 Literacy Speedrun II: Character Cyclotron”
Other language learning books people recommend
The three most recommended other language learning books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lingua Latina per se Illustrataby Hans Ørberg | 10 | 1 | 91% | 3 | — | — |
| Ōsweald Beraby Colin Gorrie | 4 | 1 | 80% | 1 | — | — |
| Remembering the Kanjiby James HeisigThis page | 3 | 1 | 75% | 2 | — | — |
| The Fables of Orbiliusby A.D. Godley | 3 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
All 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“With a good order (RTK), optimal reviews (SRS) and putting 30 minutes a day it is possible to learn keyword to Kanji writing”
“It is fundamentally different from rote memorization that they would have you do at school, instead using mnemonics and stories.”
“He was a strong student, but I wouldn't recommend it.”
“RTK/wanikani style elements used for mnemonics”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.