Ikkimi

Learn Japanese with Encouragement of Climb

How hard its Japanese is, where to watch it, and what to watch before and after.

Last updated 30 October 2026

Anime by Japanese level › N4 to N3

The short answer: Ikkimi rates Encouragement of Climb N4 to N3 for learning Japanese: short episodes, friends talking, hiking words. Good for a beginner? Yes, as an early show. It is a step up from the very easiest shows, and a good second or third show.

Ikkimi lists Encouragement of Climb on Crunchyroll. What each service carries varies by country. On Crunchyroll, Ikkimi finds a Japanese subtitle file for the episode in Jimaku’s catalogue and lines it up for you.

The Ikkimi web app and Chrome extension come on one plan. The iPhone app is coming soon.

How hard is the Japanese in Encouragement of Climb?

Ikkimi rates Encouragement of Climb at N4 to N3 (everyday talk). What sets its level: short episodes, friends talking, hiking words. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 16 are easier and 148 are harder.

Levels follow the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). They are Ikkimi’s estimate of how hard a show’s Japanese is to follow, from how fast people talk, how many unusual words there are and how clear the voices are. They are not official JLPT ratings.

FactEncouragement of Climb
Ikkimi’s levelN4 to N3 (everyday talk)
Whyshort episodes, friends talking, hiking words
Japanese titleヤマノススメ
FormatTV series of short episodes
Episodes12, about 4 minutes each
First aired2013
GenresAdventure, Comedy, Slice of Life
Where to watchCrunchyroll

Format, episodes, year and genres are from AniList’s entry, which may cover only the first season.

How to learn Japanese with Encouragement of Climb

Ikkimi lists Encouragement of Climb on Crunchyroll. What each service carries varies by country. Ikkimi does not stream anything: you watch on your own account, in Chrome on a computer, and Ikkimi adds a Japanese line you can click on top of the player.

On Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll rarely has Japanese subtitles. On a Crunchyroll episode, Ikkimi looks for a matching Japanese subtitle file in Jimaku’s public catalogue, loads it and lines it up with the episode by itself. If Jimaku has no file for an episode, you can search by hand in the Ikkimi popup or load a subtitle file from your computer.

  1. Add Ikkimi to Chrome

    Get the extension from the Chrome Web Store and sign in.

  2. Play an episode

    Open Encouragement of Climb on Crunchyroll. The Japanese line appears on top of the video.

  3. Click the words you keep hearing

    The video pauses and the word opens: kana, romaji, meaning, JLPT level and a recording by a native speaker where one exists (never a computer voice; otherwise the line from the show plays again). Keep three to five words an episode, the ones that come up again.

  4. Review them later

    Kept words come back as flashcards on the Ikkimi website, with the scene and the line they came from, just before you would forget them.

Episodes are about 4 minutes, short enough to watch each one twice: once to follow, once to pick words.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Encouragement of Climb, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

  • N4K-On!school club chatter, everyday wordsNetflix
  • N4Kiki’s Delivery Servicea film, 1 h 43Netflix
  • N4Pokémonmade for children, simple adventure talkNetflix

Also N4 to N3

  • N4 to N3Horimiyacasual school talk, short scenesCrunchyrollNetflix
  • N4 to N3Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maidhome and office talk, one very polite speakerCrunchyroll
  • N4 to N3Komi Can’t Communicateshort lines, written notes on screenNetflix

Harder

  • N3My Hero Academiaschool talk, hero words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix
  • N3ONE PIECEloud and clear, pirate words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix
  • N3Narutoclear voices, ninja words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix

See every N4 to N3 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Encouragement of Climb good for learning Japanese?

Yes, as an early show. Ikkimi rates it N4 to N3 (everyday talk). What sets its level: short episodes, friends talking, hiking words. It is a step up from the very easiest shows, and a good second or third show.

What Japanese level is Encouragement of Climb?

N4 to N3, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 16 are easier and 148 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Encouragement of Climb with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Encouragement of Climb on Crunchyroll. What each service carries varies by country. Crunchyroll rarely has Japanese subtitles, so Ikkimi looks for a matching file in Jimaku’s catalogue and lines it up with the episode.

How many episodes does Encouragement of Climb have?

AniList’s entry lists 12 episodes of about 4 minutes, first aired in 2013. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Encouragement of Climb?

Shows a little easier than Encouragement of Climb, with genres in common: K-On! (N4), Kiki’s Delivery Service (N4) and Pokémon (N4).

Sources: show details from AniList; meanings from JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0); readings and word splits from kuromoji.js with IPADIC; JLPT word levels from Jonathan Waller’s unofficial lists. See Credits. Spotted a mistake? Tell us at hello@ikkimi.app.

Tonight’s episode is a lesson.

Get Ikkimi