Want to grow Japanese reading with songs and short texts you already like — without signing up for a membership first? UtaYomi (歌语, utayomi.app) is a browser tool aimed at Chinese-speaking beginners: line-by-line lyrics / passages with kana, romaji, Chinese glosses and grammar notes; a “chorus only” mode; new words and example sentences drop into FSRS spaced review; plus stroke order and mnemonics for the 46 kana. The site lands on /today. Researched November 2, 2026.
Do not confuse it with GitHub qweihu/Utayomi (a separate “AI Skill for furigana” project) — this article covers only the web product at utayomi.app.
At a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | In-browser Japanese self-study (lyrics / reading / kana / quizzes / FSRS) |
| Site | https://utayomi.app (defaults to /today) |
| Account | Optional — guest progress stays in this browser; login syncs across devices |
| Open source | No public source repo on the site; not the qweihu/Utayomi Skill |
| Pricing | Guests / free accounts have daily quotas; Plus is preview-only, no checkout yet (Membership page) |
| UI languages | Chinese / English; content for Japanese beginners |
| Author note | About: reading-first, mnemonics are yours, AI explanations can be wrong |
What you can do
Songs: search NetEase Cloud Music (a popular Chinese music library) or import tracks, then analyse lyrics line by line. Sample tracks such as “Tokyo Love Story” and “Beautiful Journey” can be parsed without limit; other tracks count new lines against a monthly quota. Useful to grind the chorus first, then open the full song.
Reader / Translate / Quiz: break down short texts, do translation drills, and save words, grammar points and example sentences into the same review deck.
Characters → Kana: hiragana / katakana 46-sound grid — tap cells, hear audio, see stroke order and memory hints; hide readings for recall drills. About notes that kanji readings help Chinese-native learners who recognise shapes but forget Japanese readings.
Review: FSRS adjusts intervals from your answers. The site pushes small daily reviews and active recall instead of one giant word-list binge.
Guest sample quotas (Membership page when checked): a few AI memory / translate calls per day, monthly new lyric lines, etc. After AI calls run out, saved content and daily review still work. Daily quotas reset at UTC 00:00 (08:00 Asia/Shanghai). Clearing cookies / site data can wipe guest progress.
How it sits next to tools on this site
| Need | Better fit |
|---|---|
| IELTS English vocab one-word-one-image + FSRS, no login, open source | Word Atlas (EN pending) |
| Video → timestamped notes / mind maps | a2md (EN pending) |
| Browser bilingual page / selection translate | mewCat |
| Build Japanese reading habits from lyrics + furigana | UtaYomi |
Word Atlas and UtaYomi both use FSRS, but one is an IELTS English lexicon and the other is Japanese lyric / short-text reading — not the same product.
Who it is for (and caveats)
Good fit: absolute beginners to early Japanese who read Chinese characters but fear kana / kun readings; people who learn better from songs and short texts; anyone fine trying as a guest first.
Caveats: reading companion, not a full exam course or speaking tutor; AI glosses and grammar can be wrong — verify yourself; browser TTS uses the system Japanese voice (speech, not singing); Plus was not open for purchase when checked. Quotas and progress follow the live Membership page (November 2, 2026).
Entry: utayomi.app · About · Membership.
