AI-Powered Japanese Vocabulary Card Creator for Anki
Mining the best example sentences for your Japanese learning journey
採鉱 (Saikou) is an Anki add-on that helps you create high-quality Japanese vocabulary cards with AI assistance. It automatically fetches definitions, generates or finds example sentences, provides translations, and creates audio files—all in one streamlined workflow.
- 🎯 Smart Dictionary Lookup - Real-time word definitions from Jisho.org
- 📚 Example Sentences - Automatically fetches real example sentences from Tatoeba, with Google Gemini AI fallback
- 🌐 AI Translation - Natural English translations powered by Google Gemini
- 🔊 Audio Generation - High-quality Japanese text-to-speech using Google Gemini TTS
- 🎨 Flexible Field Mapping - Works with your existing note types or create a default setup
- ⚡ Async & Debounced - Non-blocking UI with smart request throttling
- Download the add-on from the Anki add-on repository (or install manually)
- Restart Anki
- The Saikou menu will appear in Anki's menu bar (before the Help menu)
- Get your API key from: https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
- Enable the Gemini API for your project
- In Anki, go to Saikou → Settings
- Enter your Google API key in the "Google API Key" field
- (Optional) Adjust other settings:
- Gemini Model: Choose your preferred model (default:
gemini-2.5-flash)- Options:
gemini-3-flash-preview,gemini-3-pro-preview,gemini-2.5-flash,gemini-2.5-flash-lite,gemini-2.5-pro
- Options:
- TTS Model: Text-to-speech model (default:
gemini-3.1-flash-tts-preview)- Options:
gemini-3.1-flash-tts-preview,gemini-2.5-flash-tts,gemini-2.5-flash-lite-preview-tts
- Options:
- TTS Voice: Select the voice for audio generation (default:
Kore)- 30 voice options available including:
Zephyr,Puck,Charon,Kore,Fenrir,Leda,Orus,Aoede, and more
- 30 voice options available including:
- Gemini Model: Choose your preferred model (default:
- Click Save
Note: The Google API key is required for generating sentences, translations, and audio. Without it, you'll only be able to look up definitions.
採鉱 needs to know which deck and note type to use, and how to map its fields to your note type's fields.
- Go to Saikou → Map Fields...
- Click "Create Default Saikou Setup"
- This will automatically:
- Create a "Saikou" deck
- Create a "Saikou Japanese" note type with all required fields
- Set up card templates with styling
- Auto-map all fields
You're ready to go! Skip to Creating Cards.
- Go to Saikou → Map Fields...
- Select your Deck from the dropdown
- Select your Note Type from the dropdown
- Map each 採鉱 field to a field in your note type:
- Target Word (required) - The Japanese word you're learning
- Sentence - Example sentence in Japanese
- Sentence Translation - English translation of the sentence
- Definition - Word definition
- Sentence Audio - Audio file reference for the sentence
- Word Audio - Audio file reference for the word
- Fields will auto-map if your note type has matching field names
- Click Save
Tip: You can leave fields unmapped if you don't want to use them. Only "Target Word" is required.
-
Go to Saikou → Create Card
-
Enter a Target Word (Japanese word you want to learn)
-
Use the features:
Dictionary Search Panel (Left Side):
- Search for words to see definitions
- Click a result to view details
- Click "Use This Word" to populate the card creator
Card Creator (Right Side):
- Generate All - Automatically fills all empty fields
- Individual Generate Buttons - Generate specific fields:
- Definition (from Jisho)
- Sentence (from Tatoeba, falls back to AI)
- Translation (from Tatoeba or AI)
- Audio (for sentence and word)
-
Review and edit the generated content
-
Click Save Card to add it to your deck
- Target Word is always required
- Use Lookup or Generate All to fill the definition field
- Example sentences are fetched from Tatoeba first (real examples), then AI-generated if none found
- Audio files are saved to Anki's media folder and automatically linked
- Tatoeba Search - First, 採鉱 searches Tatoeba.org for real example sentences containing your target word
- AI Fallback - If no Tatoeba results are found, it generates a sentence using Google Gemini
- Translation - If Tatoeba provided the sentence, it includes the translation. Otherwise, Gemini generates one
- Uses Jisho.org API for word definitions
- Runs lookups asynchronously to prevent UI blocking
- Shows kanji, readings, and English definitions
- Uses Google Gemini TTS models with advanced features:
- Enhanced expressivity and natural speech
- Precision pacing for better prosody
- Multiple voice options including Kore, Zephyr, Puck, Charon, Fenrir, and Aoede
- Files are saved as WAV audio in Anki's media folder
- Automatically linked in your cards
- Go to Saikou → Settings and enter your API key
- Get your key from https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
- Make sure the Gemini API is enabled (includes TTS capabilities)
- Click Save
- Go to Saikou → Map Fields... and configure your field mappings
- Make sure at least "Target Word" is mapped
- Restart Anki completely
- Make sure the add-on is enabled in Tools → Add-ons
- This is normal! 採鉱 will automatically fall back to Google Gemini-generated sentences
- Tatoeba may not have examples for every word, especially rare or new vocabulary
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Google API Key | Your Google API key (required) | - |
| Gemini Model | Model for text generation | gemini-2.5-flash |
| TTS Model | Model for audio generation | gemini-3.1-flash-tts-preview |
| TTS Voice | Voice for audio generation | Kore |
Configure which deck and note type to use, and map 採鉱 fields to your note type fields.
- Anki 2.1.50 or later
- Google API key with Gemini API enabled (includes TTS)
- Internet connection (for dictionary lookups, Tatoeba searches, and AI features)
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
For issues, feature requests, or questions:
Happy mining! 🎌