Finally hit 12. It felt like a long time, so let’s check our wkstats
Start Date:
2012-08-01 (4941 days ago)
That’s probably about average, right?
Jokes aside, 11 was a slog, but it was a normal combination of reviews piling up and tacking on Bunpro on the side. Felt like my vocab and grammar were falling behind hard.
That start date is real though. I was a beta tester back around when I was studying Japanese in college, and I fell off with Japanese for a long time after I graduated and DIDN’T end up moving abroad like I planned. I finally had some younger internet friends who are really gung-ho about picking up Japanese hype me back up and get me studying on my own again, so I got back on it a few months ago and I’m stoked to be back at it. It’s tiring, and can be demotivating at times, but I’m still happily pushing forward.
I’m pushing 40 y/o now, so hopefully the younger folks take this as a reminder that it’s not too late to start.
But seriously, let’s hope with everything I’ve burned lately that 12 doesn’t also take me 70 days
I’m in a similar situation to you, except that I never even graduated my Japanese degree at university (I did have my year abroad though!) and went on to entirely unrelated work.
I’m 36 now and picking it back up again! I don’t have any internet friends also studying Japanese to hype me up, but I do have the community here and my study log keeping my motivation up! I wholly recommend this!
Glad to see you making a return to your Japanese studies, and hope you can keep at it too!
lol that’s so real. I’ve been on level 11 since July 2025. I fell off a bit in November and January, but I was decently active in learning from July to October. It definitely takes a lot longer than the other levels. I’ve only got 3 more guru’d kanji to get to 12!
I just hit 11 recently too! I reset down to level 6 from level 12 several years ago, but only picked it back up a few months ago. Now I’m nearly back at 12. Slowly but surely! I’m in my 30s now, but I feel more inspired and confident than ever.
All these youngsters posting here I started learning Japanese 1 year ago at 53. Only discovered Wanikani recently but hope to make slow but steady progress.
Related to spaced repetition: what is your experience regarding reviews in WK piling up? I used an online app to learn vocabulary and the first 5-6 months were great, I managed to review all my words on a daily basis but then it got exponentially higerh and at the moment I have 900 daily reviews and no way to manage all of it.
Accuracy is important after all, especially of not to keep in Apprentice for too long. Memorize outside SRS if needed. Actually, I started WK with improving memorization in mind.
100 reviews can be done with touch typing, auto show info (via Double Check), double check, double Enter. 200 reviews sometimes. More than that for a session I could crash. Reorder strategically to clear new items and prevent repeated loops.
I have good impression with typing SRS, but not as much for Right/Wrong button (Anki mode)
Yeah, levels 10 and 11 seem so big. I just got to 12 myself.
At one point I had 850 or so reviews piled up. Lately, it’s so much especially after being tired from work. But I’m down to about 200 so I’m catching up.
We’re sort of in the same boat.
I also took Japanese in university and then life happened and I hung it up for well over a decade.
I was just shy of 40 when I found WaniKani and it took me 4 years to hit 60 with plenty of stumbling.
Very doable. Just requires a little bit of prioritization.
I’m about to turn 40 and just about to level up from 5-6. I started 114 days ago and just keep at it a little each day. Its never too late to learn something new. Glad you are back in it and representing us “old” folks.
This is my fourth attempt I think? Life got in the way a few times but each restart was easier. This is the first time getting past level 30 and the levels were 7-8 days for the repeats but I’m slowing down to about 15-20 days now.
I went to Japan in September and could still barely understand anything anyone said out loud but I could make myself understood well enough and I was happy with how much I could read - in museums while I certainly wasn’t getting everything, I was usually getting more from the Japanese text than the minimal English.
I came here just to share that 11 level struggle I do right now. Feeling way more complicated than previous 10. Is it more comfortable in future levels?
Started in August 2025 and is about half a year journeying.
looks like “learn kanjis in just over a year” motto is a bit baiting. Is it?
Slowly but surely! I’m in my 30s now, but I feel more inspired and confident than ever. 
Stick around for the book clubs or join a readathon now and then 
I started learning Japanese 1 year ago at 53. Only discovered Wanikani recently but hope to make slow but steady progress.
