Atago Japanese - Learn Kanji Through Words and Context

Effective kanji learning

Learn kanji through words and context.
Take small daily steps that compound.

Small steps lead to large accomplishments

The phrase 積小為大 (seki-shō-i-dai, "small efforts become great achievements") comes from Sontoku Ninomiya (二宮尊徳), a Japanese agriculturalist and philosopher who helped rebuild more than 600 villages. He taught the value of steady daily effort — that even small, consistent actions can lead to great results.

積 accumulate, stack, pile up

小 small, little

為 become, make, achivement

大 large, big

Vocabulary for kanji learning

Memorizing kanji in isolation — their on-yomi, kun-yomi, radicals, or meanings — is difficult and rarely effective. A better approach is to learn kanji through words. This way, we can see when each reading is applied and how characters combine to form actual vocabulary.

Contexts for deeper understanding

Repetition with flashcards — cycling through the same characters or words — is a familiar study method, but not the most effective one. When we see those same characters and words used in short, meaningful phrases, we begin to grasp how they actually work together. This deeper exposure makes them easier to understand and remember.