The Genki Anki deck, and what happened to it

What the Genki deck was

Genki is a long-running beginner Japanese textbook series published by The Japan Times. It is one of the most common starting points for self-study and classrooms alike. For years a popular set of free, fan-made study resources, including companion Anki decks of each chapter's vocabulary and exercises, made it easy to drill Genki's words with spaced repetition rather than flipping pages.

What happened in 2025

In autumn 2025, the best-known free Genki study resources, including those companion decks, were taken down. According to the creator's own notice, the takedown followed a request connected to the textbook's publisher, and he announced plans to rebuild an original, clean-room version of the exercises that does not reproduce the book's protected material.

This is part of a broader, real trend: publishers are increasingly asking for fan-made decks derived from their textbooks to be removed. It is worth understanding before you go looking for a replacement, because the obvious move, hunting down a leftover copy, is exactly the thing that is being pulled down.

Legitimate ways to study Genki vocabulary now

1. Build your own deck from the book you own

This is the most reliable route, and a genuinely good one. If you own Genki, the vocabulary lists are right there at the start of each lesson. Make your own cards a chapter at a time. Short factual word lists are not the part of a textbook that carries the strongest protection, and a deck you typed yourself is unambiguously yours to keep, sync, and back up. The act of making the cards is itself decent first-pass study.

A simple, effective card shape for each word: the Japanese on the front (with the reading as furigana if the kanji is new), and the reading plus meaning on the back. Add a short example sentence once the word is sticking.

2. Use the publisher's official resources

The Japan Times provides official Genki support, including free audio for the textbook's dialogues and vocabulary through its companion app. Official audio paired with your own cards covers most of what the old all-in-one deck did, with none of the legal worry.

3. Watch for the rebuilt, original resources

The author of the old free site has said he is rebuilding the exercises as original work. Clean-room community tools like that are the sustainable version of what was lost, so they are worth waiting for rather than chasing a copy of the old files.

4. Consider a structured beginner course instead of a bare deck

If what you really wanted from the deck was "teach me beginner Japanese in order," a bare vocabulary list was always only half the job. A structured course that sequences vocabulary, grammar, and example sentences may serve you better than any single deck. See our guide to Japanese study apps for the options.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Genki Anki deck still available?

The well-known free companion decks and the site that hosted them were taken down in late 2025. Copies found elsewhere are unofficial, may be incomplete or altered, and rest on doubtful legal ground.

What is the best alternative to the Genki deck?

For most people: build your own cards from the textbook's chapter vocabulary lists, pair them with the publisher's official audio, and study them with spaced repetition. It is legitimate, durable, and tailored to exactly the chapters you are on.

Is it legal to make my own Genki vocabulary cards?

Making personal study cards from a book you own, especially short word lists, is a very different thing from redistributing someone else's full textbook-derived deck. Keep your cards private rather than republishing them and you avoid the issue entirely. This is general information, not legal advice.