You can build legible, confident kanji handwriting with five‑to‑ten minute sessions on your phone. The key is stroke order, feedback, and repetition—with just enough handwriting to anchor recognition.

Why handwriting helps recognition

Writing encodes stroke direction and component layout.
Muscle memory separates similar shapes (未/末, 土/士, 右/石).
Even 2–3 careful reps per kanji can lift recognition speed.

Setup and ergonomics

Use a stylus if possible; zoom for fine strokes.
Sit the phone on a table; keep the wrist relaxed.
Write large first, then shrink to reading size.

A quick routine (per session)

Learn/review 5–10 kanji from one component family.
Watch stroke order once; write twice from memory.
Say readings/meaning as you write; highlight the radical.
Do one short recognition quiz (10–20 cards).

Weekly plan

4–5 days: handwriting micro‑sessions (5–10m).
2–3 days: look‑alike contrast pages.
Weekend: read a short passage; mark stabilized kanji.

Drills

Enclosure practice (国、図、問): close the bottom last.
Long‑stroke families (中、小): leave verticals for last.
Left‑radical sets (亻/氵/扌): write three per set side‑by‑side.

Pitfalls

Writing too fast; aim for deliberate, proportionate strokes.
Skipping recognition quizzes; handwriting alone won’t test recall.
Mixing too many families in one sitting; batch for transfer.

Metrics

Characters cleanly written from memory (per session).
Time to write a 5‑kanji set legibly.
Recognition accuracy on a 20‑card post‑drill quiz.

How Kanji Koi helps

Stroke‑order animations + handwriting input for immediate feedback.
Component‑grouped sessions to batch families.
Look‑alike sets for contrast training.
Offline mode for dependable daily practice.

Use Kanji Koi to alternate handwriting and recognition in one sitting: write two reps, then quiz. This loop cements proportions and speeds reading.

An app with stroke‑order animation, handwriting input, and JLPT lists makes this easy to sustain on the go.