Learning kanji may be really challenging, and there are times when you just have no time or energy to learn them well. In this article I will suggest some ways to help you learn and memorize kanji in your free time and without taking that much effort. I'm learning Japanese language myself, but I think that my advice can work for Chinese hieroglyphs also.

The main idea is to make you remember kanji whether you want it or not by using the so-called 'involuntary memorizing' method - it's when you remember things without putting any efforts into it.

If you look around, you will most certainly see some places which you rest your eyes upon every day. You don't usually notice those places because you don't use them, but they can prove to be a great help in learning those stubborn kanji.

1. Wall in your bathroom

There are special pens and markers meant for kids to draw on bathroom walls. Those markers are of bright beautiful colors, they're easily washed away and I think it's a really good idea to get yourself a pack and practice writing kanji when you're relaxing in the bathtub. Not only will it help you to have some fun and relax even more, but you'll also remember the number and the order of strokes. Use different colors for different kanji, for example, green for those related to plants, red for animal-related ones; or use a different color for the radical - whatever you can come up with. This way of remembering and practicing kanji will never be boring or tiresome.

2. Kitchen

You can also use the same bathtub markers to draw some kanji around your kitchen: in front of the sink so you see them when washing up; or on the wall to look at when cutting and mixing, even on the fridge. You can also place some sticky notes with kanji around - the main idea is to occupy the space where you're gonna stare aimlessly for some time. Try to mark the shelves in your fridge with appropriate kanji: fruit, vegetables, eggs, etc; or draw some big kanji on milk, juice or other packages.

3. Mirror

No matter where it is: in your bedroom or in your bathroom, your mirror can certainly help you with studies. If you draw some kanji on it with erasable markers or just on sticky notes, you're gonna glance over them every time you make your hair, brush teeth or shave - and you will involuntary memorize those kanji.

4. Computer

That's one big helper. I'm sure you are already using your computer for learning Japanese (or Chinese): there are online dictionaries, kanji practicing software, websites and printable worksheets, but now we are going to use the space that has never been used before.

Whether you have a laptop or a desktop, you can draw some kanji or place some stickers with them on the keyboard, monitor edges and peripherals. You don't always stay at the computer working hard or looking into the screen, do you? Sometimes you just wait for a page to load or someone answer you in IM, or just dawdle pointlessly... So, much like with the mirror above: if in such moments you glance over some kanji, they will be involuntary memorized without you even noticing. It's not a lesson, you won't have to learn them by heart, but mere having them around will have its effect.

5. Nightstand

Many of us spend some moments just lying in bed with open eyes, either before falling asleep or getting up. The side of your nightstand or the wall near your bed can hold some kanji for you also - they're gonna work just the same, by simply being around and catch your eyes now and then.

I'm sure you can find much more places for kanji around you, depending on the place you live in, your lifestyle and hobbies. You just need to use the space that is never used, and let your memory to do the work for you.

As for the kanji you should place around, I think you need to think about it yourself. They can either be those related to the place (kitchen objects, furniture names, home appliances, etc), or those you need for the next test or exam, or even those from the joyo list - any kanji that you need to know, but not always have time and energy to learn them.

The ways described in this article may seem unusual, but such ways of learning often prove to have the best effect than plain cramming. Just keep in mind that such ways need time, so the sooner you start placing kanji around you, and the longer they stay in those unused places, the better.

Natalia Veselova: freelance article writer and a professional translator. http://nataliaveselova.weebly.com/