Kashi

Kashi was created as a passion project to support my goal of reaching fluency in Japanese and my love of Japanese music. Unfortunately there wasn't anything quite what I was looking for out there, so I decided to put my experience as a software developer to good use and make Kashi a reality — and hopefully other Japanese learners will get enjoyment and use out of it also.

We can't legally promise divinity. But Kashi has been known to cause: suspiciously accurate YOASOBI sing-alongs, unprompted subtitle corrections, and the unshakeable belief that you could pull off Usseewa at karaoke. You cannot. But you'll sound better than you did yesterday. Results may vary. Side effects include an ever-growing J-pop playlist, a parasocial relationship with Ado, and telling people you're "learning Japanese through music" at every opportunity. You are. Keep going. 🎤

Not at all. Kashi works for complete beginners and advanced learners alike. You can toggle full English translations for every lyric line, or challenge yourself with just the Japanese. Tap any word at any time for an instant breakdown — meaning, reading, and level — so you're never stuck staring at characters you don't recognise.

Yes, genuinely. Kashi lets you tap any word in a song's Japanese lyrics to instantly see its meaning, reading, and JLPT level. Because you're learning through music you already love, vocabulary tends to stick in a way that textbook drills rarely achieve — your brain anchors words to melodies, emotions and moments. It won't replace structured grammar study, but for building vocabulary and reading confidence it's hard to beat.

Yes. Words in a song's lyrics are tagged with JLPT-style levels — N5 through N1 — so you can focus on vocabulary that matches your current study level.

Absolutely. Kashi automatically generates Anki-style flashcard decks from songs. Each card includes the word, its reading, the meaning, and lyric context, then spaced repetition keeps everything fresh without the grind.

Spotify is optional. You can connect it to bring playlists and songs into Kashi more easily, or use search manually if you prefer not to link a music account.

Not yet — Kashi is starting with optional Spotify support and manual search. Apple Music and YouTube Music are possible future integrations, but the core lyric study tools are designed to work without requiring a music account.