# How to make useful Japanese flashcards in Inku > Build a small personal Inku deck from class, travel or reading. Decide when to save a catalog card, create your own, and stop adding new material. Canonical: https://studyjapanese101.com/blog/make-your-own-japanese-flashcards-in-inku Last updated: 2026-10-26 Keep words you expect to meet again. Start with a few useful cards, check their readings and meanings, and review them alongside your prepared Japanese decks. Published: 2026-10-26 4 min read Beginner and intermediate ## How to follow this guide 1. Pick one purpose for your deck, such as a class chapter or an upcoming trip. 2. Look for the word in Inku's catalog before creating a duplicate. 3. Save an existing card or create your own card with checked Japanese and a clear meaning. 4. Group the cards in a personal deck and return for due reviews. A useful personal deck starts with Japanese you need. That might be a word from class, a phrase you want for a trip, or an expression you have met several times in a book. Inku supports original cards and personal decks on iPhone and the web. You can also save cards from its prepared catalog. This guide explains how to choose the material; use the [Inku help center](https://inkujapanese.com/help) for the current controls on your platform. Inku is made by the team behind Study Japanese 101. [Read the disclosure](https://studyjapanese101.com/disclosures). ## Give the deck one purpose A deck called "My Japanese" can collect everything you see. A deck for "Chapter 4" or "Train travel" gives you a reason to choose each card. For a trip, start with words you will need to recognize or say. For class, start with items you understood during the lesson but could not recall later. A short deck is easier to check and review. ## Look in the catalog first Search for the word in Inku's Library before creating a new card. If a prepared card already teaches the meaning you need, save that card and include it in your own deck. Prepared cards supply readings, meanings and pronunciation audio. Reusing a suitable card avoids writing and checking the same information again. Create an original card when the catalog does not cover the expression or when you need a particular meaning from your own context. ## Ask one clear question per card Suppose you want to remember 予約（よやく）, meaning reservation. A useful card can show the Japanese and its reading, with a clear English meaning on the answer side. Check the reading before saving it. If your source gives a full phrase, keep enough context to understand how the word is used. Do not turn one card into a page of dictionary entries. A good test is whether you can tell if your answer was right. If several different answers could satisfy the prompt, rewrite it before adding more cards. ## Review the cards you have already added Personal cards can join Inku's spaced reviews. Try to remember the answer before revealing it, then respond according to what you recalled. Adding cards creates future review work. Finish due reviews before expanding a deck that already takes longer than the time you have. If a card fails repeatedly, check its wording and meaning. Repetition will not repair a confusing prompt. The [SRS workload guide](https://studyjapanese101.com/guides/how-to-use-srs-without-burning-out) explains how to reduce a growing queue. ## Keep a useful prepared deck beside it You can use a prepared deck for a broad vocabulary base and a small personal deck for words from class or daily life. Give each a clear job and avoid duplicate cards. The difference is who chooses the material. Prepared decks supply a sequence; personal cards follow what you encounter. Our [prepared versus personal flashcard guide](https://studyjapanese101.com/blog/ready-made-japanese-flashcards) helps you decide how much of each you need. ## Keep existing Anki collections intact Inku's personal decks do not include Anki imports, note templates or add-ons. Your Anki review history will not transfer. If an existing collection still helps, keep using it. Try Inku with a small, separate set of material before committing to a different routine. [See the Inku profile](https://studyjapanese101.com/resources/inku) for the full product overview, or [visit Inku](https://studyjapanese101.com/go/inku) to check the current subscription and platform details. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I combine catalog cards and original cards in Inku? Inku lets you save catalog words, create original cards and organize personal decks. Personal cards can join your spaced reviews. ### Can Inku import an Anki deck? No. Inku does not import Anki decks or review history. Keep a large established collection in Anki rather than copying it by hand. ## Evidence and sources Product details can change. Evidence pages and their individual check dates appear below. Page updated 2026-10-26. - [Inku official site](https://inkujapanese.com/) - official product · checked 2026-10-26 · Current prepared catalog, custom cards and decks, browser study, iPhone availability, and Android waitlist. - [Inku help center](https://inkujapanese.com/help) - official docs · checked 2026-10-26 · Lessons and due reviews, FSRS, Again and Got it controls, personal decks, synthesized pronunciation audio, and platform-specific account guidance. ## Related - [Ready-made Japanese flashcards versus a deck you build](https://studyjapanese101.com/blog/ready-made-japanese-flashcards) - Prepared decks supply a starting point. Personal cards keep the Japanese you meet outside an app. Inku supports both; Anki adds more control over notes and imports. - [Inku](https://studyjapanese101.com/resources/inku) - Japanese flashcards on iPhone and the web, with ready-made decks, custom cards, pronunciation audio and spaced review. - [How to use SRS without burning out](https://studyjapanese101.com/guides/how-to-use-srs-without-burning-out) - Treat review capacity as a fixed budget. Finish due work before adding material, and let the queue shrink when life gets crowded. - [What is new in Inku: personal decks, browser study and a larger library](https://studyjapanese101.com/blog/whats-new-in-inku) - Inku combines prepared Japanese decks with cards you create yourself. Here is what to look at if you are returning to the app or choosing it for the first time. - [What SRS is actually for](https://studyjapanese101.com/blog/what-srs-is-actually-for) - SRS answers one question: when should this item come back? Everything else is still your job. - [5 Best Anki Alternatives for Japanese: Inku Is Our Pick](https://studyjapanese101.com/best/anki-alternatives-for-japanese) - We recommend Inku first for most Japanese learners who want prepared daily review on iPhone. Renshuu fits a broader Japanese study system, JPDB fits media vocabulary, WaniKani fits a fixed kanji path, and Bunpro fits grammar retrieval. Protect your Anki collection before testing a replacement.