Please check out the Public Features and Public Bugs boards before you request a feature or report an issue, thanks a lot!
TL;DR Download link at the bottom of this post.
Hi there!
Over the last few months Iâve been working on a new SRS-based application for learning Japanese vocabulary, closer to the style of WaniKani. This is as a personal project I created for my own needs, I donât intend to compete with any of the other vocab learning tools out there. Though, I decided to put in some extra effort and make my project public as some folks showed their potential interest in an app like this (see here).
How does Torii work?
Step 1: Select a Study Mode
10k Mode
Default Mode. Learn the complete Core 10k vocab.
JLPT Mode
Learn only vocabulary words of a certain JLPT level, e.g. N5.
Itâs possible to combine levels.
WaniKani Mode
Exclude vocabulary taught by WK. A good way to supplement your WK study.
New vocab is ordered by the WK level of the Kanji.
Kana-Only Mode
No Kanji allowed.
Step 2: Study
Havenât learned Kana yet? I recommend checking out Tofugus Hiragana and Katakana Guides.
Basically works like reviewing on WK.
Youâre either asked to type in the Japanese reading (in Kana) or the English meaning. Thereâs audio reviews, too.
Done via the app.
Just download the application from the website (link below) and launch it.
Availability
Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Android (4.4+)
Syncing
Your user data is synced automatically across all your devices.
Pricing
Itâs free.
Donations are very much appreciated and help cover the server costs
Should you come across any bugs or other technical issues, please let me know asap. Iâd love to hear your constructive feedback, feature wishes and general ideas to improve Torii! Just drop me a message. You can
Added a timezone feature (Dashboard > Settings > Lessons)
Added a couple of settings to have the audio autoplay in different ways when reviewing (at start; after responding; if the answer was wrong)
Furigana will now auto-show after every answer
Desktop: Added various hotkeys for smoother navigation. The keybinding manager can now be accessed in lessons
Desktop: Added a keyboard shortcut for archiving items and the possibility to restore the item for a few seconds after it has been archived
Bugfixes
Text and icons should no longer be blurry on HDPI monitors (especially Macs)
Custom notes and synonyms added in practice mode are now saved to the server as expected
The placeholder setting will no longer reset to its default setting after restarting the app
The vocab progression window (Dashboard > Browse) will no longer stay on the screen after returning to the main menu
Fixed a bug that caused the app to freeze when clicking on âSearch byâŠâ (Dashboard > Browse) before the practice lists loaded up
Minor bug fixing and code optimisation
Version 1.4.5 (December 13 2019)
New features and improvements
The top right corner of the review interface now shows the total number of available reviews and completed items per session (a session ends when one goes back to the dashboard)
Removed the Furigana textfield for kana-only words
Added a Knowledge Base / FAQ section (can be accessed from the dashboard)
Added a function to get in touch with the dev via the app (can be accessed from the FAQ section)
It is now possible to easily report individual items if a mistake is suspected (e.g. wrong JLPT level). To do so, click on the âReport a problemâ link that is located at the bottom of the lesson interface
Added a Light theme
Desktop: Added tooltips for most image buttons and some links
Android: The phoneâs back button is now actually functional within the app
Added some minor features and improvements not worth mentioning in detail
Bugfixes
The endless practice settings will no longer reset after finishing the first session
Fixed quite a few visual bugs, mostly in the Android version
Version 1.4.1 (September 10 2019)
Bugfixes
Fixed some audio related bugs that caused the app to freeze on Windows and macOS systems
Fixed a bug in the font randomizer that caused the app to crash on Windows and macOS systems
Version 1.4.0 (September 9 2019)
New features and improvements
Load time in between reviews have been shortened significantly
Desktop: Added full-screen support to reduce the potential for distractions during lessons and reviews
When selecting another Study Mode it is now possible to decide whether you want to get all or just study mode specific reviews in the future
It is now possible to archive vocabulary during reviews
Numbers can now be typed in as digits (eg â3 thingsâ for âäžă€â)
In both study and review sessions there are some new icons in the top bar providing a visual indication of when temporary audio files are being downloaded and played
Made scrollbars in menus always visible by default
Added some more minor features not worth mentioning in detail
Bugfixes
Fixed a bunch of audio related issues (audio being played back in the wrong order; audio lagging behind; etc)
Got rid of that annoying static noise at the end of some audio files
Words with many meanings/translations wonât cause bugs in the UI any longer
Typing in a mix of Hiragana and Katakana for a single word wonât cause the answer to be wrong any more
Some more minor bug fixing and code optimization
Version 1.3.5 (April 26 2019)
New features
Font randomization is now available
Itâs now easier to test oneâs Kanji knowledge: Just check âHide Furiganaâ in Settings â Reviews. When doing reviews, press Tab to make it visible again.
Desktop: Added various keyboard shortcuts. For details, press the keyboard-shaped button in the top bar when doing reviews.
When searching for items via Browse, unlearned words can now be moved to the front of the lessons queue. This allows you to prioritize items or learn words that are not part of your currently selected Study mode. Use wisely.
Unlearned words are now visually marked with gray font color.
A auto-submit feature has been added, no need to press Enter anymore. Use wisely.
In EN->JP mode, only basic PoS will be displayed from now on (eg: âVerbâ instead of âGodan verb with su-endingâ)
Added a setting to auto-play sentence audio in reviews
Added some more minor features not worth mentioning in detail
Bugfixes
Fixed a couple performance issues that could lead to overheating on some devices
Fixed an endless loading loop bug caused by the dashboard incorrectly showing â1 review leftâ
The confirm-button didnât convert n to ă if itâs the last character of a word
Some more minor bug fixing and code optimisation
Version 1.3.0 (March 18 2019)
New features
Vacation Mode has been implemented
An audio review mode has been implemented: Youâll hear the vocab in Japanese and are asked to enter its meaning (activate in Settings â Reviews)
The Endless Practice feature has been improved and now lets you choose the way you want to practice (JP to EN, EN to JP, Audio to EN, Audio to JP) and which SRS levels shall be included
The information that appears when an item has just been answered (shortcut = space bar) was extended by the words PoS, JLPT level, the context sentence with audio and links to Jisho & Tatoeba
Selecting any vocab in the âBrowseâ interface will now display some valuable infos such as its SRS level and how many times it has been answered (correct)
Part of speech is now displayed in review sessions
The current selected Study Mode now appears in Settings â Lessons
The Kana converter will now convert nâ to ă
On the login screen thereâs now a âSecure Connectionâ checkbox (enabled by default)
Added some more minor features not worth mentioning in detail
Bugfixes
Trying to playback audio of custom vocab or other vocab without an audio file wonât crash the app anymore
Adding custom vocab: Fixed a bug that prevented Kanji from being pasted into the corresponding textfield
Some more minor bug fixing and code optimisation
Version 1.2.6 (January 23 2019)
Lightning Mode can now be activated/deactivated on the fly while reviewing
The Progress interface now shows the time left until the next daily reset
Fixed a login interface bug that could lead to crashes on Android devices and changed itâs look a bit
Fixed a bug that could prevent the user from logging in in some cases
Some more minor bug fixing and code optimisation
Version 1.2.5 (December 22 2018)
New features
It is now possible to browse/view/edit all unlocked vocabulary
The JLPT level of each word is now being displayed in study sessions
In Endless practice mode, it is now possible to practice items by their levels (Rookie, Amateur, etc)
The âCritical Condition Itemsâ list is now automated. A word is added to the list when it has just been reviewed and the average percentage of correct answers is <75%, and removed if itâs >75%
Each practice list now shows the number of items it contains
Added some more minor features not worth mentioning in detail
Bugfixes
After changing the login password on one device, signing in on other devices wasnât possible (unless manually deleting the cache folder)
Adding/editing custom vocab crashed the app in some cases
Some more minor fixes not worth mentioning in detail
Version 1.2.0 (October 18 2018)
New features
Itâs now possible to add, edit and delete your own vocabulary
Added a practice mode that allows vocabulary to be reviewed anytime without restrictions. Practicing doesnât change a words mastery level or its next due review time
Itâs now possible to browse, search and view vocabulary
Vocabulary can now also be edited and archived outside of study/review sessions
Archived vocabulary can now be restored
Itâs now possible to add alternative readings to vocab items (=like synonyms but for Japanese readings)
Added part of speech to most words
Synonyms are now displayed in review sessions
Various usage hints have been added
The review session input field now shows different default texts depending on whether the English meaning or Japanese reading has to be entered
Latin characters w/ common diacritics are now supported in synonyms (and pretty much everywhere else)
Android: Pasting from and copying to the clipboard is now supported
Added in-app donations. Donating grants âPrimeâ status as a thank you. While the core features and most of the additional features are free to use forever, some of the features added in this patch require Prime status to be fully functional
Added some more minor features not worth mentioning in detail
Bugfixes
Getting the last review item of a study session wrong shouldnât crash the app anymore
Losing internet connection shouldnât crash the app anymore
When thereâs no internet connection on startup, itâs no longer required to quit and restart the app
Double-clicking the âStudy Nowâ or âReview Nowâ button shouldnât crash the app anymore
Android: Notifications should now work on Android 8+
Android: Re-opening the app right after closing it shouldnât crash the app anymore
Android: Increased the size of the âadd synonymâ textfield
Fixed the layout of popup windows
Some more minor fixes not worth mentioning in detail
Version 1.1.1 (June 24 2018)
A critical bug that led to frequent crashes in review sessions has been fixed.
Version 1.1.0 (June 23 2018)
New features
Itâs now possible to only review JA->EN or EN->JP at one time
Study Modes can be switched anytime without losing progress (Settings â Lessons)
A kana-only Study Mode has been added
WK vocabulary can be excluded from all Study Modes
Kana-only vocabulary can be excluded from all Study Modes
Improved typos tolerance for english words (similar to what WK does)
New lessons appear more randomly in order to avoid too many similar words in a row
Reviews appear more randomly in order to avoid always the same items being reviewed at the same time
Audio auto-play is now also available in review-sessions (Settings â Reviews)
Android: Study reminders (=push notifications) have been added
Kana-characters are now supported in notes
A character limit counter for notes has been added
You can now type Hiragana for Katakana-words
Settings now have descriptions
The changelog will now be displayed on the âUpdate availableâ mask
Accounts can be (permanently) deleted
Added a simple Resource Monitor to keep track of RAM usage etc (press F12 to open)
Bugfixes
[Experimental] Desktop: Audio related errors led to frequent crashes
Android: The keyboard no longer obscures the email/password fields
editing in the middle of a note returned the cursor to the text end with every keystroke
marking text in a note crashed the application if that note started with a line break
The application showed a higher amount of available lessons than there were left to learn
Japanese words that contain a lot of characters shouldnât exceed the screen width anymore
The âI made my choiceâ button on the Study Mode selection mask could be clicked even though there was no Study Mode selected
Not closing Torii could lead to excessive RAM usage over time in some cases
Version 1.0.1 (June 10 2018)
New features
Option to âignoreâ words you already know in depth to permanently keep them from appearing in the reviews
Reset your progress (Settings â General Settings)
Improved the Kana converter (now 〠can be typed as âtuâ, 㥠as âtiâ and many more)
Bugfixes
Synonyms that contain whitespaces were falsely taken as wrong answer
entering the meaning of äœ - ăȘă and a few other words wonât crash the application anymore
certain characters in custom notes caused the application to crash
notes are now visible when reviewing
when adding notes while reviewing, the space-key doesnât collapse the info pane anymore
macOS: the heavy flickering of the app at startup is gone
Looks great! But do you have to download it? I use a Chromebook and know nothing about computers. One of the many great things about WK is that there is nothing to download.
I have to disagree that âFundayâ is an acceptable synonym for âSundayâ since it is already the 8th day of the week, created by Quailman, in season 2, episode 7A of Doug, âDoug Battles the Rulemeister.â
Wow, it looks amazing from the screenshots! I look forward to trying it out!
So, WaniKani mode only includes vocabulary not on WaniKani? But this vocab does include words with kanji then? It would be interesting to have a mode with kana only words to supplement WaniKani ^^
I gave it a quick try and it works well! The one issue I had was that when signing up on my phone, my keyboard popup completely obscured the e-mail/password fields so I had to just be extra sure what I was typing. I was looking for something WK-like to tackle the 10k deck with, thank you for making this!
@marcusp Yes you have to download the application. I did a quick Google search and it appears that the Chrome operating system is not capable of running Java applications by default. There are some workarounds, but those are rather complicated and require a certain level of computing skills
As @Kenshiro273 mentioned, some Chromebooks support the installation of Android Apps from Google Play. You could try that.
@seanblue Yup, I use the data from the 10k Anki deck.
@Futoi Exactly, WaniKani Mode includes words with Kanji that donât appear on WK. Kana-only words are currently not included. Thatâs a nice idea btw, Iâll think about that!
@mztik Iâm glad to hear that! Could you run the app without problems or was it blocked by Appleâs Security Policy at first?
@soltris Yeah thatâs a design issue with mobile devices. I guess it would be best to temporarily relocate the textfields to the upper half of the screen when the keyboard is visible. Donât worry though, you wonât have to type in your credentials every time - after the first successful login Torii should log you in automatically
The screens look very promising, this could be a great alternative to HouHou (which I currently use) once it has a feature of adding own vocab.
Is the download link for the Windows version broken though? It downloads a ~14Mb .rar file which is not a rar archive, doesnât look like an executable eitherâŠ
Iâll definitely be giving this a go. Iâve been hoping to get back to studying 10K minus the wanikani vocab, but havenât wanted to get back on anki.
Your app looks really cool so far. However, Iâve picked the normal mode (all of core 10k) but, if I understand correctly, the WaniKani mode is literally the core 10k thing, while skipping the WK vocab? If so, is there a way to reset my progress to start over with this mode? Thank you!
What do you mean with âitâs not a rar archiveâ - I guess youâre unable to extract it? Which file archiver software are you using? The link is not broken, Iâve just downloaded the file and had no problems extracting it (using winrar). The EXE is packaged within the RAR archive. Itâs correct that the file size is about 14MB.
I actually donât have any plans of open sourcing this project ^^
Almost right - WK Mode also doesnât include Kana-only words. Thereâs currently no way to reset oneâs progress manually. You can send me a short pm (see 1st post), tell me the email address you used for signing up and I can reset your account, tho
Good to see you finally release it! Iâll take a look at it later but the screenshots look great 