Great dictionary for anyone studying Japanese  
By: Not Another Nickname - Sep 21, 2008
Version: 1.0
Of the numerous Japanese - English dictionaries available, this is the best I've seen for anyone studying Japanese. For native or near-native Japanese speakers, Wisdom and Longman may be more suitable Japanese - English dictionaries but "Japanese" bridges the gap with support for kanji, kana and romaji.
For anyone learning kanji, the animated stroke diagrams are particularly useful. The kanji grouped into the levels of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test is also a nice touch.

An awesome dictionary that fits in your pants  
By: Moltz - Sep 21, 2008
Version: 1.0
This app isn't worth $20. It's worth twice that much. That's what you'd pay for a Nelson's character dictionary and the darn thing would still not fit into your pants pocket. This is really the dictionary I've been looking for for years. The ability to look up both in English and Japanese, by stroke count, by radical, animation that shows the stroke order, it's pretty much all there. The interface is fairly intuitive if a little complicated by necessity in some places. One of my favorite features is being able to see what other words a character is in. This really helps in learning the meaning and use of a character. I think Nelson's probably has more combinations but, again, who wants to lug it around? I'm completely thrilled with this app.

Fantastic App - I use it almost everyday  
By: Miyamoto Bru - Apr 26, 2009
Version: 1.0.2
There has been a lot said about why this is a great App, so I am not going to take the time repeat it all on this particular App. I will say that it is nothing short of a an amazing App, well worth the $20.
As a student of Japanese and a person who bought (at this time) about 23 Japanese Apps, this is the best dictionary on iTunes.
Unfortunately, all of the people who gave this ONE star, did so out of promotion for Kotoba (which is NOT as good by any stretch) and several people that left one star, but did not even review it. It is truly a 5-Star App.
Looking forward to 2.0!

Super app-if it fits your needs  
By: Nastebu - Sep 26, 2008
Version: 1.0
If you just need to look up the occasional word this is over kill. If you need complete in-depth definitions you'll find these abbreviated. But for students of Japanese who are learning vocabulary and kanji this is just perfect. There's a video on the website that is as good as a trial. Take a look and you'll get a very complete sense of what this app does. Halfway through that video and I was sold.

A Very Useful Japanese Dictionary  
By: edmo - Sep 30, 2008
Version: 1.0.1
It is obvious that the developer has put a lot of thought into the application where he could have just repackaged a publicly available dictionary file. The extra features add a lot of value. It is a very polished app and I have used it quite a bit with no crashes.
That said, the information contained in certain paper (Kenkyusha's) and electronic dictionaries (Casio and Canon) is superior to the information in this dictionary. Those dictionaries are either very heavy or very expensive. If you need them, you probably already have them and use them a lot. I have those dictionaries but this fits in my pocket and will do what I need it to do about 95% of the time.

Worth every penny and more  
By: Kirtus - Mar 1, 2009
Version: 1.0.2
This is a very well designed App. It gives you many ways to study Japanese Kanji. I have only had it for a short time but am very impressed with what it does. If you are trying to learn Japanese and have an iPhone/iPod Touch this is a must buy (Pay for it! It is worth it).
I read through the reviews and am disgusted with those who love the program but are unwilling to pay a measly $20 for the privilege to use it.
To the creator “Thank you!”

Awesome!  
By: 日本語の学生 - Sep 20, 2008
Version: 1.0
I have tried many of the other dictionary applications, and most of them, like this one, are derived from the free EDICT online dictionary files. However, this dictionary goes beyond giving you simple definitions, as it also includes JLPT words to help you study, and categorizations to help you understand their context, for example, "Japanese Proverbs".
This dictionary is incredible in the way it lets you search on it. You can even search by the partial definition that you are looking for (if you know that Tokyo is the capital of Japan, well, you can also search by "Capital", and that would be one of the results!)
I've also emailed the developer, Mark, with a couple of questions, and he answered very promptly (within 24 hours, even though he is half-a-world away in Tokyo!).
You should really try this dictionary. You will be very impressed too.

Extremely useful  
By: DJ Color TV - Apr 12, 2009
Version: 1.0.2
I just came back from Japan. I was there for two weeks. Before I left I boutght this program with high hopes. I used it almost everyday and it helped so much. When I got stuck and did not know what to say, this program stepped right up. I had no AT&T network. But that was no trouble! It's all on the phone and runs very quickly. Also in the program are usful and common phrases. I know most of them but still useful.

Great learning companion!  
By: Illuminati - Apr 16, 2009
Version: 1.0.2
I'm trying to learn Kana in an attempt to learn some Japanese before I make a trip to Japan. I should note that I have taken no formal class whatsoever in Japanese, spoken nor written. While I do have a textbook to help me learn how to read, I'm still trying to translate english to Japanese. This app makes a great English>Japanese wordbank. In addition to showing the kana for the word, the app provides the word in romaji to help English speakers, like me, pronounce the word. Even better, if kanji is involved, the app shows me stroke order for the kanji. If I was any good at drawing kanji using the iphone's drawing pad, I'd even be able to figure out what an unknown kanji symbol was by using it as a search term!While this app isn't a substitute for a proper Japanese grammar book or a class, it is serving me a a great companion app during my independant studies. I'll definitely keep it handy on my iPhone when I finally make the trek over the pond. Well worth the money!

Finally, A Very Well Done Japanese Dictionary For Learners!  
By: OkieInJp - Oct 4, 2008
Version: 1.0.1
This Japanese Dictionary is very well done. It is good for all levels of language learning, is packed with useful information, allows you to create your own vocabulary lists, and it even draws the kanji so you can learn the correct way to write them. I have used many Japanese language learning programs on Mac, iPhone, and other platforms and this program is among the best. It is truly the best Japanese dictionary for the iPhone thus far.

Excellent App!!  
By: Jack A - Mar 29, 2009
Version: 1.0.2
This is an outstanding app that really highlights the power of technology to take things to the next level. With all the cross references, Kanji handwriting recognition, stroke order animation, etc, it completely blows paper dictionaries away. I would have liked to see the price kept down to 10 dollars though so I could recommend it more easily to friends or people who might just want to use it casually. Now it would be really really cool if voice recognition could be added to eliminate having to type at all in many cases. At any rate, great job so far and I am really looking forward to seeing what the developer comes up with in the (free) updates.

I never write reviews but . . .  
By: Max in Japan - May 17, 2009
Version: 1.0.2
I felt compelled to write one for this app. As someone living with a Japanese host family and studying the language daily this app has been absolutely invaluable. Its huge library of vocabulary words and kanji has never failed me, and it has made looking up words a snap. The only alternatives to this app are bulky, inefficient paper dictionaries (you would have to buy both a kanji and vocabulary dictionary to match the power of this app) or highly expensive electronic dictionaries 4 times the size of your iPhone. The price may be higher than most apps but the value is higher than any I've downloaded. You simply can't go wrong with "Japanese."

The BEST Japanese Learner Dictionary in the App Store!!!  
By: Ninstarmon - Sep 10, 2009
Version: 2.0
By far the best. I've had this for a long time and the improvements added to 2.0 make this app the best Japanese dicitonary for someone who is learning the language. I only wish that the flashcards had a grading system more akin to Anki with more than just wrong or correct options. This is a minor gripe though. The example sentences, new search options, and the ease of use of the flashcards from custom made lists make this a far superior study tool for the Japanese language. This is what an electronic dictionary ought to be like! Thanks a lot for all the work that was put into this.

Amazing...  
By: リバーサ - Sep 11, 2009
Version: 2.0
If you are a student of Japanese, you must buy this app. If you Japanese, you must buy this app. I have compared the functionality found in the current version of this app (2.0) to just about every alternative. Electronic dictionaries, websites, other dictionary apps; there is no comparison. Now with 2.0, not only do you have an intelligent dictionary, but you can find conjugated forms, review example sentences, see Kanji with furigana OR romaji subtext, and then add all of those to a word list for flash card review. In the past many saw this as a slightly more enhanced version of the free Kotoba!, but now the utility far surpasses that of almost any other Japanese app in the store. You must buy this. NOW! Great work devs, I am truly impressed.

Indispensable Learning App on my iPhone  
By: Tony in Japan - Sep 11, 2009
Version: 2.0
If I was to choose one app for learning Japanese that does it all it would be this. This version 2.0 has been greatly improved and the creator has obviously put in a lot of effort to refine it. Now it has ruby/furigana to help with reading, flash card functionality based on custom vocabulary lists, a wealth of sections to study based on subjects, JLPT levels, kanji, etc.
It really is a wonderful program and worth every cent – and I paid $20 when it was first released, so now it is an even better bargain.
By using this app each day, I know my Japanese will surely improve. Not just the best Japanese Dictionary on the iPhone, but one of the best learning apps on any portable platform.

AMAZING!!! It does everything!  
By: bcircle - Sep 12, 2009
Version: 2.0
This app does absolutely everything! It is the most complete and extensive program available. As a current student of Japanese, working for a minor in my degree, and working to become fluent, this app is a must have. I use it for hours every day while studying. It has it all, over 115,000 words and 12,000 kanji including vocab lists, categories, labels and notes, kanji readings, stroke order, example sentences, conjugations, a super powerful search that always returns exactly what I'm looking for, and much more. I would have gladly paid over $50 for this app, as it does way more than my textbooks, rosetta stone, and my other programs and educational materials. If you are studying Japanese and have an iPhone, you must have this app. Note to developers: the only possible feature i can think of to add is audio pronunciations for the vocab. If that was included, I would pay $100 for this.

A 5 star app  
By: rhinob - Sep 16, 2009
Version: 2.0
Pride went into this application. That's all you really have to say. I'm rating this 5 stars based on an excellent dictionary that just raised the bar. It's not 4.99 but it goes plenty beyond the standard app with all it's features. The developer had a lot of talent to do this right and I'm writing this comment to encourage them to keep going with the potential of language learning software that until now hasn't shown it's potential. An app of this quality that offers interactive games, puzzle etc in the foreign language would be exciting. This is really an interactive dictionary that is surprisingly comprehensive. What an excellent resource!

This is great for all students of Japanese  
By: hermosawave - Sep 19, 2009
Version: 2.0
Japanese is a fantastic reference. You can type English words or Japanese words (either in roman, kana or kanji) and it finds them. But it is all the links that make this so special: once you have found a word you can see the pronunciation, the kanji that make up the word (and what each means by itself), common compounds, how to write it (stroke order) -- all hyperlinked to other words/characters in the dictionary.Pricy, but worth it.

A natural way to learn  
By: ancient_buho - Sep 19, 2009
Version: 2.0
I bought this expecting to use it as a dictionary, and it so much more useful than that. As in any dictionary, you learn words by searching for them or browsing to them in categories. You get an english translation of the word with example sentences. It lets you touch the words in the example sentences and browse into their translations. What makes this app shine for me is the history feature: It tracks whatever stream of words you browsed that day, and the next day you can review it, without having to keep a word list yourself. It sounds simple, but this lets you create word list as you go, so when you backtrack them later your brain recalls their associations, so they are easier to learn. It's really effective.

日本語の学生 MUST HAVE!  
By: cozykiwibird - Sep 21, 2009
Version: 2.0
This app does everything and it does it better! It was a long wait for the update, but it was worth it! I would now happily pay three or four times the twenty dollars I originally paid for this. Hooray for a great kanji/word dictionary/learning tool with conjugations, flashcards, example sentences, and room for notes at the bottom of each entry. Also, being able to search conjugated verbs is so awesome. So many details make this the best-ever Japanese learning tool. Like the fact that you can click on the example sentences and get furigana, then click on a word you are unfamiliar with to zoom to the entry (your previous entry being just a back button away) and you can similarly zoom to the kanji entries that make-up a word and simply click to see the stroke order. This dictionary is not only useful, it is fast and attractive too! Japanese has really become a one stop shop as the name seems to imply. Dear genious developer(s), The following is a wishlist that I have composed after continuously using Japanese 2.0 since it's release. I would really like to be able to access my notes from the flashcards because sometimes we are tested on a particular meaning or usage of the word and it isn't always covered by the definition. Also I would like the option to include furigana on the Japanese side of a flash card so I don't always have to hold my thumb over the english when I flip the card to see what I am looking at. It would be especially cool if I could, when studying kanji flashcards, get the reading/meaning and then input the kanji using the Chinese drawing keyboard to practice my writing. Finally, if you get bored, could you make a Japanese grammar app? There are no good Japanese grammar resources for iPhone/iPod. I am talking something with a browsable, maybe even searchable list of grammar points. An example entry might read: 〜たい To want for oneself (verb) - formation: verb stem + たい - conjugation: い adjective - example: 日本語を勉強したい。 If you make it, we will buy it. :)