Japanese Language Database

When the client came to us, they had a clear goal: build a system that isn’t just flashcards, but a learning ecosystem with an intelligent dictionary, structural kanji analysis, and tools to help learners understand the “why” behind the language. We delivered a site that does exactly that, with multiple integrated modules:

Vocabulary, Kanji, Radicals & Levels: Users can browse through curated vocab lists, kanji characters, or radicals (the building blocks), each annotated with deep linguistic data: radical decomposition, stroke order or patterns, etymology/semantic origins, and pitch accent visualizations.

Multi-dimensional filtering & sorting: Users can filter by JLPT level, Genki level, school grade, radical set, readings, pitch accent patterns, etc. Sorting lets them prioritize what’s most relevant (e.g. “all N2‐level kanji that share a specific radical”, or “vocab with certain pitch accent”).

Adaptive, intelligent flashcards / SRS Study Sessions: We built a study interface that’s tied into the dictionary and decks: you can generate decks or review sessions from filtered dictionary entries. It adapts over time with personalized difficulty scaling, so learners are always challenged but not overwhelmed.

Custom visualizations & data presentation: Pitch accents are displayed graphically, kanji are broken down into radicals and stroke-patterns, radicals are semantically classified, etc. These features give learners insight into structure and meaning, not just rote vocabulary.

All this goes well beyond what one can get with a standard web builder or generic plugin. It required designing a custom database schema for linguistic data, building dynamic querying and filtering, creating specialized frontend visualizations (pitch accent, stroke order, radical decomposition), and integrating SRS algorithms that respond to learner performance. The technical architecture needed to support fast, responsive filtering, plus a UX that makes complex information digestible.