Jisho

Jisho is a free Japanese-English dictionary. awesome-japanese calls it a gold-standard web dictionary, which matches how most beginners actually use it: type an English gloss, romaji, or a pasted word and read the result.

What job it does

It answers “what does this word mean?” and “how do I write this kanji?” without an account. Stroke diagrams, parts of speech, and example sentences make it usable on day one.

Limits

Jisho does not teach grammar, schedule reviews, or sit on top of a novel. For in-page reading, Yomitan is the stronger lookup layer. For production, you still need example sentences in context and a place to use the word.

How to test it

Look up three words from a textbook page and one unknown kanji by radical or drawing if available. If the entries are clear enough to return to study, it is doing the job.