Kitsunewa Writing Practice vs Nazoru

Kitsunewa Writing Practice helps learners practice Japanese kana and kanji stroke order by watching, tracing or writing characters from memory. Learners can practice individual characters or words, study the stroke order first, or begin memory practice with hints. The “Your own” option takes Japanese text, such as a name or sentence, and makes its unique characters available to practice. Writing practice runs in a browser without signup or rounds and scores; learners can repeat characters and personal bests are saved on their device. A mouse or trackpad works, as does finger input on phones and tablets. The tool is available on the web, Android and iOS. The Free plan is free and includes writing practice and other tools. Pro costs $4.08/mo (annual), billed $49 yearly, and includes Advanced Essentials after a free preview, higher AI conversation caps and unlimited guided speaking lessons. Advanced Essentials batches require an account. Pro can be cancelled in account settings, with access through the billing period’s end.

Nazoru is a Japanese handwriting practice app for learners working on kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Practice moves from full character outlines through dashed stroke cues and direction hints to a blank canvas, supporting progress from tracing toward writing from memory. When a learner misses a stroke, the guide and direction cue return; the next session starts at the level indicated by their memory. Built-in paths cover JLPT levels N5 to N1, Japanese school grades, frequency, and Heisig ordering. Learners can browse categories and custom lists, search kanji and words they have seen, and practice confusable kanji side by side. Nazoru can suggest practice based on kanji studied in WaniKani, Bunpro, and MaruMori. Those integrations use a read-only API key kept on the device, and practice here does not count as a review in those services. The app works offline and offers optional Google Drive backup for progress, history, and settings. Free allows two full practices per day; Unlimited costs $3.99 per month. The app has no ads or tracking.