Here are some mnemonics to help with learning Japanese hiragana – which is a good place (just before katakana) to start learning written Japanese (Check out this hiragana chart, and this one, too!):
- あ – a: Looks like a man with a snake wrapped around him screaming “AAAA!”
- い – i: Looks like a pair of legs, perhaps kicking something that goes “IIII!”
- う – u: Looks like a child pointing out a toy he wants to his mother and going “UUUU!”
- え – e: Looks like a woman putting her hand up and walking away from a man she’s not interested in and going “Eh…”
- お – o: Looks like a man rowing a boat with his “O”ar.
- か – ka: Looks like a man doing a backflip! It’s amazing that he “K”an do that!
- き – ki: Looks like a skeleton “KI”y!
- く – ku: Looks like a bird’s beak that is “KU-KU”ing!
- け – ke: Looks like one person carrying something, and another person asking to help. Alternatively, looks like a “KE”g.
- こ – ko: Looks like a “KO”iled spring.
- さ – sa: Looks like a guy with a big, “SA”gging belly!
- し – shi: “SHI” has long hair!
- す – su: A woman with a baby coming “SU”n!
- せ – se: Two people sitting and watching the sun”SE”t.
- そ – so: There’s a Z on top of a C saying “SO sorry!”
- た – ta: Add a few lines and it looks like “ta” in the Latin alphabet.
- ち – chi: Looks like a tai “CHI” pose!
- つ – tsu: Looks like a crescent moon. (Fitting since “TSUki” means moon!)
- て – te: Looks like a broken “TE”nnis racket!
- と – to: Looks like a “TO”e with a splinter in it!
- な – na: Looks like a bike “NA”bber with the owner chasing after him!
- に – ni: Looks like a “NI”dle and thread.
- ぬ – nu: Picking up your “NU”dles and an egg with chopsticks! (The egg/loop part is important.)
- ね – ne: A tree with a “NE”st with an egg inside of it! (The egg/loop part is important.)
- の – no: A “NO”-entry sign.
- は – ha: Looks like a comedian with a microphone making the audience go “HA!”
- ひ – hi: Looks like someone smiling at a good joke: “HEE-HEE!”
- ふ – fu: Looks like a guy flailing his arms and “FU”ling around.
- へ – he: Looks like a “HE”ystack.
- ほ – ho: Looks like a “HO”ckey player with his “HO”ckey stick.
- ま – ma: Looks like a “MA”n with quadruple arms. What evil “MA”gic is this? Alternatively, it’s your “MA”, who has grown two more arms!
- み – mi: Look at “MI”, I’m 21! (Looks like the number 21.)
- む – mu: Looks like a cow with a cowbell and a tail going “MU!”
- め – me: My bowl of noodles with chopsticks has no egg in it! “ME”h!
- も – mo: A fishing hook with two worms on it! Must be going for a “MO”nster fish!
- や – ya: Looks like someone shouting “YA!” as they punch through a board.
- ゆ – yu: A “YU”nique-looking fish swimming through the water.
- よ – yo: Looks like a person presenting something saying “This is YOurs!”
- ら – ra: Looks like the Egyptian god “RA” on a “RA”king chair.
- り – ri: Looks like an ear missing an ear”RI”ng!
- る – ru: Looks like a “RU”ined number 3!
- れ – re: The nest is w”RE”cked! The egg fell out!
- ろ – ro: “RO”, “RO”, “RO” your boat…3 “RO”s, and it looks like a 3!
- わ – wa: Looks like a person getting slammed by a boulder going “WAA!”
- を – wo: “WO”! Almost fell into the puddle!
- ん – n: Looks like the lowercase “n” in English!
I also recommend learning from this Japanese deck on Memrise.