Learning Kanji with Heisig: What I Wish I Knew Before I Started

—from someone who actually finished all three books—and lived to write about it

If you’re here, you’ve likely heard about the Heisig method—the famous system behind Remembering the Kanji. Maybe you’ve seen an SRS deck with keywords like “river,” “idea,” or “collapse.” You’re curious whether this method works—and whether it’s worth investing months (or even years) in.

I ask because I once asked the same question. Over twenty years ago, I dove into Remembering the Kanji Volume I. I completed Volume II, then Volume III. And along the way I learned something unexpected: this method changed how I think about learning, about language, and about my own capacity.

In this post, I’m offering you a deep, honest look at three things:

What each volume of Heisig actually contains—and whether you really need them
What the experience of completing all three books feels like, from start to finish
How to get started with Volume I—step by step, with concrete examples and tools

This isn’t a superficial introduction. This is the long-view, behind-the-scenes, “what no one else tells you” guide. Let’s begin.

🚀 What the Heisig Method Is — And Why It Feels So Odd at First

At its core, the Heisig method is a radical reframe of how you learn kanji. Instead of starting with vocabulary or pronunciation, you begin with **meaning and memory**.

Every kanji is assigned a single English keyword (for example: river, idea, collapse). You break the kanji into **primitives**, then invent a **short mnemonic story** that ties the primitives to the keyword. For example:

川 (river): three squiggly lines. Story: “Three streams flowing side by side—river.”
花 (flower): ⺾ (grass) + 化 (change). Story: “Grass that has changed into a flower.”
忘 (forget): 亡 (death) + 心 (heart). Story: “To forget is to have a dead heart.”

Crucially, you don’t learn how to read the kanji at first. The goal is to build a **mental library of form + meaning**—so when you later tackle readings and vocabulary, you’re not trying to handle meanings, writings, and pronunciations all at once.

It sounds strange. It is strange. But it works—and once you grasp how it works, Heisig becomes a powerful tool for anyone serious about kanji.

📚 The Three Heisig Volumes — What’s In Them and Do You Need Them?

Let’s unpack the three volumes of Heisig carefully. Many learners see Volume I and stop. But I’ll show you why Volume II and III exist—and whether they’re right for you.

📘 Volume I: Remembering the Kanji

Covers ~2,200 Jōyō kanji (official “daily-usage” list).
Focuses only on **meaning and writing**.
Teaches **radicals**, **keywords**, and **mnemonic stories**.
No readings. No vocabulary.

Why it matters: Volume I builds the visual identity of kanji. You master their shapes and meanings before adding pronunciation. This isolates complexity during learning and dramatically reduces confusion.

Drawbacks: You won’t know how to pronounce any kanji after finishing Volume I unless you learn them separately.

Recommended for: Anyone planning long-term learning or aiming for reading fluency. Essential building block.

📗 Volume II: Remembering the Kanji 2 – Learn on’yomi readings

Introduces **on’yomi readings** (Chinese-derived pronunciations).
Organizes kanji by **phonetic elements** so you learn reading patterns in groups.
You already know the writing and meaning from Volume I.

Why it helps: Demystifies pronunciation by showing patterns. If you dislike rote memorization of readings, this structure can save countless hours.

Limitations: Doesn’t teach kun’yomi (native pronunciations) or vocabulary. More useful in combination with immersion or vocab-based learning.

Recommended for: Learners who want a systematic way to learn on’yomi and develop phonetic pattern recognition. Optional if you prefer reading‑through‑vocabulary approaches.

📙 Volume III: Remembering the Kanji 3 – Beyond Jōyō

Adds ~1,000 additional kanji—classical, obscure, literary, historical, and names.
Includes both meaning and on’yomi.
Uses familiar primitives and patterns.

Why you might do it: If you aim to read classical Japanese, academic texts, older literature, or take the Kanji Kentei — Volume III gives you full coverage.

Why most learners don’t: Diminishing real-life returns. Many of these kanji rarely appear in everyday modern contexts.

Recommended for: Completionists, academics, or anyone committed to knowing *all* kanji—even the rarest ones.

🧠 What It Feels Like to Complete All Three Volumes

Let me be brutally honest: this isn’t something you knock out in a weekend or even a month. Here’s a glimpse into what I experienced:

Volume I – Building the Foundation

Daily goals: 15–20 kanji/day → ~110–130 weeks for all 2,200.
Early progress felt slow—stories felt awkward, memory faltered.
By 400–500 characters, recall became faster; stories felt “sticky.”

Around the 1,000th character, something clicked. Recognition became automatic. I could guess unfamiliar kanji’s meaning before even thinking about it. My brain had a map—and I could navigate it.

Volume II – Seeing the Sounds

Learning on’yomi in clusters like 行 (こう), 衡 (こう), 艦 (かん), etc.
You realize: pronunciations aren’t random—they follow logic tied to a character’s phonetic parts.
It took longer per kanji than Volume I, but felt rewarding—every new reading unlocked a group of educated guesses.

Volume III – The Deep End

Smaller daily pace—fewer kanji but more obscure.
Many characters I encountered once in decades of reading.
Completion felt like finishing a puzzle’s edge pieces; satisfying but not life-changing.

By the end of it all, I didn’t just learn 3,000+ kanji—I rewired my relationship with Japanese. Characters no longer intimidated me. I could write them from memory, separate meanings, guess unknown ones, and parse signs I’d never seen before.

🛫 How to Start Volume I — Step-By-Step Practical Workflow

1. Choose the Right Edition

The 6th edition or later is recommended—it aligns with modern Jōyō lists and includes the latest characters.

2. Establish Writing & Story Habits

Use a notebook or printable sheets. Write each kanji by hand at least once.
Note the Heisig keyword, and then craft your own mnemonic if needed.

3. Use SRS (Anki)

Front card: *keyword* → Back: write from memory.
Optional second card: shown kanji, recall keyword.
Review daily—small repeated exposure is key.

4. Start Small & Build Momentum

Begin with just **10–15 kanji/day**—quality over quantity.
If your memory fails on a story, pause and rebuild it. Don’t rush on autopilot.

5. Use Kanji Koohii

Great for browsing and borrowing vivid shared stories.
Submit your own to contribute—and deepen your connection to each character.

6. Sample Stories (First 10 Characters)

Here’s how three might appear in real practice:

川 (river): Three lines. “Three streams flowing side by side—river.”
花 (flower): ⺾ + 化. “Grass becoming something beautiful.”
忘 (forget): 亡 + 心. “To forget is to have a dead heart.”

7. Additional Study Tips

Use visuals: Draw radicals separately, sketch story scenes.
Switch formats: Write by hand some days, type others.
Track progress visually: Check off frames or use progress sheets for morale.
Don’t be afraid to revisit stories: If a kanji feels shaky after review, rebuild its imagery.

🔧 Bringing It All Together — Best Practices & Common Pitfalls

✔️ Best Practices

Make stories emotionally vivid—even silly or absurd stories stick better.
Review consistently—missing reviews piles up quickly.
Transition to vocabulary around 500–800 kanji to anchor usage.
If using Volume II, match phonetic families to reinforce patterns.

❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid

Learning too fast: pushing 50+ kanji/day leads to surface familiarity—not retention.
Using others’ stories without understanding the logic—makes recall shallow.
Skipping readings and vocab entirely: Heisig by itself doesn’t teach usage.
Letting motivation fade: it’s easy to lose sight when only doing keyword → kanji drills.

✅ Should You Use Heisig? A Final Litmus Test

Condition	Heisig Volume I	Volume II	Volume III
Need strong kanji foundation	✔️	✔️ (optional)	—
Want structured reading patterns	—	✔️	✔️
Learning everyday Japanese	✔️	Optional via vocab immersion	No
Reading classical texts or historical kanji	—	Optional	✔️

If you’re serious about reading fluency or mastery—especially long-term—start with Volume I. Add Volume II if you want structured on’yomi understanding. Volume III is optional, but deeply fulfilling if you’re completing what you began.

🏁 Final Thoughts: The Long Road Is Worth It

Finishing all three volumes of the Heisig method was one of the most mentally demanding experiences of my life—but also one of the most transformative. Kanji no longer felt impossible. I could write them, guess them, decode them—and I built the mental scaffolding that made grammar, vocabulary, reading, and listening far easier to progress with.

If you’re looking for instant conversation or travel fluency, Heisig might feel abstract. But if your aim is **real reading ability**, **lasting kanji memory**, and a system that scales, Heisig is a journey worth starting. Three weeks in—you’ll begin to recognize patterns. Three months in—you’ll recall your first 500 kanji. A year in—you’ll own your reading.

Stick with it. Stay curious. And remember: every kanji you’ve memorized is a doorway to Japanese understanding that no one can ever take away from you.

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