Visual Japanese vocabulary · iOS

Every Japanese word,
learned through a real photo.

6,700+ words across JLPT N5 to N1, each paired with an original photograph — not a cartoon. Meet a word beside a real image and it stays with you. Free to start, no sign-in.

Get it on the App Store

No sign-in. Open and go.

Pictango flashcard for 桜 (sakura, cherry blossom): a real photo of cherry blossoms with the reading, kanji, romaji, English meaning, and a Japanese definition and example sentence.

A real photograph for every single word

Most apps draw cartoons. Pictango gives each of its 6,700+ words an original photo of the real thing — because a word met beside a real image lodges far deeper than one you only read. No word here goes without one.

Pictango flashcard for 神社 (jinja, Shinto shrine): a real photo of a red torii gate with the reading, kanji, romaji, English meaning, and a Japanese definition and example sentence.

Pictango flashcard for 猫 (neko, cat): a real photo of a cat with the reading, kanji, romaji, English meaning, and a Japanese definition and example sentence.

Pictango flashcard for 走る (hashiru, to run): a real photo of a runner with the reading, kanji with furigana, romaji, English meaning, and a Japanese definition and example sentence.

Kanji, kana, furigana, or romaji — your call

Not ready for kanji yet? Read everything in hiragana or romaji. Want the reading over the kanji? Turn on furigana. Switch the script whenever you like — and flip definitions and example sentences between Japanese and English too.

Kanji 桜

Furigana 桜さくら

Kana さくら

Romaji sakura

Brought back the moment before you'd forget

See the photo, recall the word — then reveal it. Stuck? A gentle hint shows the first sound and how many beats it has. Spaced repetition returns each word right as it's fading, and the words you've mastered graduate out.

Pictango recall card for 山 (mountain): a real photo of a mountain with the answer hidden — only a hint of the first sound and beat count (や ◯) and a Show answer button. — Guess from the photo

You see the image and the meaning, and try to recall the word. A hint shows the first mora and length — *や ◯* — so you're nudged, not handed the answer.

Pictango recall card for 山 (yama, mountain) after revealing: the photo, the reading, kanji, romaji, English meaning, and a Japanese definition and example sentence. — Reveal and rate

Tap to reveal the reading, kanji, and meaning, then mark *Got it* or *Not yet*. Your rating sets when the word comes back.

Stuck on a word? Tap it

Example sentences are always in simple Japanese, and definitions can be too — that's where the real learning happens. Every word with a dotted underline is tappable: one tap opens its own photo and meaning, right on the spot. No dictionary app, no losing your place.

Pictango card for 桜 (sakura, cherry blossom): below the photo, the Japanese definition 春にピンクの花がさく木。 with dotted underlines beneath the tappable words. — Spot the dotted underline

With Japanese definitions on, 桜 reads 春にピンクの花がさく木。 — "a tree with pink flowers that bloom in spring." Not sure about 花? It's underlined. Tap it.

From N5 to N1, in order

6,700+ words organized into JLPT N5–N1 across 66 finely graded sublevels. Start where you are; each band builds on the one before it.

N5 N4 N3 N2 N1

Pictango's levels are its own study ordering — a learning path, not an official JLPT syllabus.

Your data stays
on your phone.

We kept everything unrelated to learning off the screen. Your progress lives on your device, no account is needed, and nothing interrupts a card.

Learning data stays on your device.

What you've learned is saved on your iPhone. The app isn't built to send it to the cloud.

No advertising.

Nothing breaks your focus mid-card.

No sign-in required.

No account, no email verification — just open the app and start.

Works offline after launch.

A connection is needed only when you open the app. After that the cards keep working — on the train or with no signal.

Things people ask first.

No. You can read every word in hiragana or romaji, and turn on furigana to see the reading above the kanji. As you grow more comfortable, dial the kanji back in.

Words are organized by JLPT level so you can study in a sensible order, but Pictango is a vocabulary app, not a mock-test app, and its leveling is its own study path rather than an official syllabus. For the exam itself, check against official materials too.

Every feature is free to try. You can learn up to 150 words for free — enough to tell whether it's worth continuing. Premium unlocks all 6,700+. There's no free-trial countdown and no surprise charges.

A real photograph ties a word to the real world you'll meet it in, and tends to stick better than a cartoon. Every word in Pictango has its own original photo.

You'll need a connection when you open the app, but once it's running, learning needs none — your data stays on your device, so the train or anywhere with no signal works fine.

The photos, definitions, and example sentences are created with AI and quality-checked. We work hard on accuracy, but the chance of an occasional error isn't zero — so where precision matters, it's worth confirming against a trusted source.

Learn Japanese, one photo at a time

You could start on today's commute. A few quiet minutes a day is all it takes.