KanaQ is a Japanese kana flashcard program which was created in around 2003 for the first generation of mobile phones which ran apps using Java Micro Edition (JME/J2ME).
It creates a set of simulated kana “cards” based on a set of either Hiragana or Katakana as chosen by the user. These cards train the user to recognise the the reading for each kana symbol so they’ll be able to read text written in actual Japanese scripts rather than having to stick to the dull Romanized offerings found in most basic Japanese textbooks.
Features:
- Three types of romaji supported – Hepburn, Kunreishiki, and Nipponshiki.
- Support for kana combined characters such as “shu” and “sho”.
- Support for newer kakatana combined characters – “fa”, “va”, etc., as well as obsolete characters “wi” and “we”.
- Progress saving, so you can make your way through your current card set at your own pace.
- Choose any kana subset you like, allowing you break down the task of learning into more manageable chunks.
- Practice writing kana on phones equipped with a stylus, such as the SonyEricsson P800.
Since a small number of people still seem to be downloading this in 2022, I’ve included the original download links below. It’s possible that your current smartphone will run KanaQ, although I wouldn’t bet on it.
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