Kikitori Lab is an independent study resource for one specific, often-neglected skill: understanding spoken Japanese. It pairs plain-language guides with a free browser tool that drills real sentences one word at a time, from JLPT N5 to N1.
Why listening
Most Japanese study leans heavily on reading — kanji, grammar notes, vocabulary lists. That work is essential, but it does not automatically teach your ears to catch speech in real time, and listening is where a lot of otherwise-prepared learners come unstuck. On the JLPT it is a separately scored section with its own minimum you must clear, so a weak ear can sink an otherwise strong result. Kikitori Lab exists to give that skill the focused, practical attention it deserves.
The tool
The centrepiece is a free, browser-based listening drill. You pick a JLPT level and it plays real sentences on shuffle, running each through a four-step loop: it plays the full sentence in Japanese, shows and speaks the translation, breaks the sentence down word by word with each part’s meaning, then plays the whole thing once more so it lands as a unit. The collection holds 1,607 sentences graded across N5 through N1, each with a word-by-word breakdown and translations. It runs entirely in your browser, needs no account, and is free to use. Audio is produced by your device’s built-in speech voices, so playback depends on the Japanese (and translation-language) voices installed on your system.
The guides
Alongside the tool sits a small library of evergreen guides — how listening works, how to practise it, what each JLPT level tests, and how to build it all into a realistic schedule. They are written to be read once and returned to, in plain language, without padding.
Who makes this
Kikitori Lab is a small, independent project maintained by a solo language-learning enthusiast, not a company or a school. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the organisations that administer the JLPT; “JLPT” and any related names belong to their respective owners and are used here only to describe the exam the material helps you prepare for.
How the site is funded
To stay free, Kikitori Lab is supported by advertising and, where noted, by affiliate links to products a reader might find useful. Using them never costs you anything extra, and recommendations reflect the site’s honest opinion. You can read the full disclosure for details.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections, or suggestions are welcome — see the contact page.