To avoid fake "15k" scams, only download the official deck from:
Note: The deck is 100% free. If someone is selling "Kaishi 15k," report them.
To understand the hype, you must understand what Kaishi fixes from older decks. anki kaishi 15k
| Feature | Core 2k/6k (2012) | Tango N5 (2018) | Kaishi 1.5k (2023) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Audio Quality | Robotic TTS (Text-to-Speech) | Studio-ish, but slow | Native-quality, two speeds (slow/natural) | | Card Layout | Cluttered, top-heavy | Clean but basic | Minimalist, image-first, dark mode friendly | | Vocabulary Order | Frequency (generic newspapers) | Textbook (JLPT grammar order) | Thematic + Frequency (for immersion) | | Example Sentences | Often unnatural, business-heavy | Short, JLPT-focused | Natural, taken from native contexts | | Pitch Accentuation | No | No | Yes – visual pitch graphs included | | Media & Images | None | None | Relevant anime/slice-of-life screenshots |
The Verdict: The Kaishi 1.5k is the first deck built for the immersion learner. If you plan to watch Shirokuma Cafe, read Yotsubato!, or play Animal Crossing in Japanese, Kaishi is your launchpad. To avoid fake "15k" scams, only download the
| Feature | Details | |---------|---------| | Card Type | Vocabulary card with sentence context (not isolated words) | | Audio | Native speaker audio for each sentence (not just the word) | | Pitch Accent | Color-coded pitch accent notation | | Kanji | Includes kanji with furigana (optional reveal) | | Order | i+1 order (each sentence introduces exactly one new word) | | Frequency | Based on modern frequency lists (BCCWJ, Netflix, subtitles) |
| Feature | Kaishi 15k | Core 2k/6k | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Data Source | Modern (Subtitles, Novels, Net) | Older (Newspapers, Business) | | Vocabulary Relevance | High for Anime/Drama/Chat | High for News/Formal settings | | Pitch Accent | Included | Usually Absent (requires plugins) | | Card Format | Clean, Minimalist | Often cluttered, complicated HTML | | Sentences | Beginner-friendly (i+1) | Progressively difficult (often too hard early on) | | Audio Quality | Consistent, High Quality | Variable (depends on version) | | SRS Algorithm | Standard Anki | Standard Anki | Note: The deck is 100% free
Verdict: For a modern learner interested in consuming media (anime, manga, YouTube), Kaishi 15k is objectively superior due to the modernized frequency list.
| Field | Purpose | |-------|---------| | Word (Kanji) | Main target word | | Sentence Audio | Listen first | | Sentence (Japanese) | Read with context | | (Back reveals) | Reading, meaning, pitch accent, word audio |