About Japanese University
Learn the words you already met.
You watch a Reel. You hear a new Japanese word. It feels useful — and then it's gone.
Japanese University is where those words come back.
Every word in this app comes from a Reel you have already seen. Nothing is random. Nothing is from a textbook you never opened. These are the words your teacher chose, in the moments she chose them.
How it works
1. Watch a Reel
New words appear in Reels on Instagram, with real examples from daily life in Japan.
→ Follow Japanese University on Instagram
2. The words arrive here
Each word is added to the app with its reading, meaning, and an example sentence.
3. Review, a little every day
Flashcards bring each word back just before you forget it. A few minutes a day is enough.
What's inside
Flashcards that know when to ask
Words you find easy come back less often. Words you struggle with come back sooner.
Example sentences that fit your life
Choose how you want to use Japanese — daily conversation, travel, business, or JLPT study — and see example sentences written for that purpose.
Your own words, too
Heard something interesting on the train? Add it. Rie Sensei will suggest the reading, the meaning, and an example sentence for you.
Sorted by JLPT level
Every word is labeled N5 to N1, so you always know where you stand.
Why I made this
I am a Japanese teacher.
In my classes, I saw the same thing again and again. I would teach a new word. My students would understand it. And soon after, it was gone.
But I noticed something. When a word is connected to a video — to something you actually saw — it stays with you much longer. The image holds the word in place.
That is why every word in this app comes from a Reel.
I also wanted your vocabulary book to be light enough to carry. Something in your pocket, that you can open for one minute. Words stay when you meet them often, not when you study them once.
That is why I made Japanese University.
Who it's for
You don't need to be a beginner. You don't need to be advanced.
If you follow Japanese University on Instagram and you want the words to stay with you, this app was built for you.
If you are studying for the JLPT, the words are already sorted by level.
If you are planning a trip to Japan, or working with Japanese colleagues, you can set your goal and see example sentences that match.
About your teacher
こんにちは、りえです。
I have taught Japanese to students from other countries for many years.
Along the way, two things became clear to me. The Japanese in textbooks is not the Japanese we actually speak. And textbook study is rarely fun.
So I started teaching on Instagram — showing my everyday life in Japan, and the words that belong to it. Real places, real situations, language as it is actually used.
Watching helps you remember. Reviewing makes the word yours. Do both, and Japanese starts to feel like something you own, not something you study.
I named it Japanese University because I wanted it to be more than enjoyable to watch. I wanted it to be a place where you truly learn.
— Rie