The full hiragana chart, with a memory hook for every character

Memory hook: An antenna on a little house — someone inside says "aah!" when the picture appears.

あい (ai) — love

Memory hook: Two little eels swimming side by side — "ee!"

いぬ (inu) — dog

Memory hook: A wave curling above the sea — "ooh!"

うみ (umi) — sea

Memory hook: An energetic ninja caught mid-run — "eh!"

えき (eki) — station

Memory hook: A UFO hovering over a surprised person — "oh!"

おかね (okane) — money

Memory hook: A kite with a short tail cutting through the wind — ka!

かさ (kasa) — umbrella

Memory hook: A key with two teeth — ki sounds like "key".

きもの (kimono) — kimono

Memory hook: A bird's open beak — coo, ku!

くつ (kutsu) — shoes

Memory hook: A skewer next to a bent shrimp — a kebab, ke!

けさ (kesa) — this morning

Memory hook: Two calm strokes lying down — a cozy little cot, ko.

こども (kodomo) — child

Memory hook: A fishhook that just caught a sardine — sa!

さかな (sakana) — fish

Memory hook: A fishing line hanging into the water — shhh, shi, the fish are listening.

しお (shio) — salt

Memory hook: A straw spiraling in a glass — one sip, su!

すし (sushi) — sushi

Memory hook: A mouth with one tooth sticking out — "se", says the dentist.

せかい (sekai) — world

Memory hook: A single thread sewn in zigzag — so-so stitching.

そら (sora) — sky

Memory hook: It literally looks like "t" + "a" squeezed together — ta-da!

たまご (tamago) — egg

Memory hook: A cheerleader's raised arm with a pom-pom — chi!

ちず (chizu) — map

Memory hook: A tsunami wave rolling in — tsu.

つき (tsuki) — moon

Memory hook: A table seen from the side — te. (て itself means "hand"!)

て (te) — hand

Memory hook: A toe with a tiny splinter — ouch, to!

とり (tori) — bird

Memory hook: A cross above a tight knot — na, for knot.

なつ (natsu) — summer

Memory hook: A needle beside two neat stitches — ni.

にく (niku) — meat

Memory hook: Noodles twirled around chopsticks — nu!

ぬの (nuno) — cloth

Memory hook: A cat sitting with a curled tail — neko starts with ne.

ねこ (neko) — cat

Memory hook: A "no entry" swirl — no!

のり (nori) — nori seaweed

Memory hook: A capital "H" holding a balloon — ha! It floats.

はな (hana) — flower

Memory hook: A wide grin — hee hee, hi!

ひと (hito) — person

Memory hook: Mount Fuji with wind whistling around the peak — fu.

ふゆ (fuyu) — winter

Memory hook: A little hill — heh, easy to climb.

へや (heya) — room

Memory hook: A mast with a full sail — ho, off we go! (ほ means "sail".)

ほし (hoshi) — star

Memory hook: A mama tying a round knot at the bottom — ma.

まど (mado) — window

Memory hook: The number 21 written in one loopy motion — mi turns 21.

みず (mizu) — water

Memory hook: A cow's face with a curly nose — moo, mu!

むし (mushi) — insect

Memory hook: An eye with a beautiful lash — め really means "eye"!

め (me) — eye

Memory hook: A fishhook with two worms — more bait, mo!

もり (mori) — forest

Memory hook: A yak's head with one horn poking up — ya!

やま (yama) — mountain

Memory hook: A unique fish swimming through a hoop — yu.

ゆき (yuki) — snow

Memory hook: A yo-yo dangling from a finger — yo!

よる (yoru) — night

Memory hook: A DJ's hand raised over a turntable — ra!

らいねん (rainen) — next year

Memory hook: A river flowing between two banks — ri.

りんご (ringo) — apple

Memory hook: A looping road that ends in a roundabout — ru.

るす (rusu) — being away from home

Memory hook: A runner kicking one leg back at the start line — re, ready!

れきし (rekishi) — history

Memory hook: The same looping road as る — but with no roundabout: ro.

ろく (roku) — six

Memory hook: A wave breaking against a pole — wa!

わたし (watashi) — I, me

Memory hook: Someone mid-cartwheel shouting "whoa!". Written wo, usually pronounced o — it marks the object of a sentence.

ほんをよむ (hon wo yomu) — to read a book

Memory hook: A simple "n" shape — the only kana that ends a syllable: hmmm… n.

ほん (hon) — book

Memory hook: か (ka) + ゛ = が (ga). The two dots switch the voice on.

めがね (megane) — glasses

Memory hook: き (ki) + ゛ = ぎ (gi). The two dots switch the voice on.

ぎんこう (ginkou) — bank

Memory hook: く (ku) + ゛ = ぐ (gu). The two dots switch the voice on.

かぐ (kagu) — furniture

Memory hook: け (ke) + ゛ = げ (ge). The two dots switch the voice on.

げんき (genki) — lively, healthy

Memory hook: こ (ko) + ゛ = ご (go). The two dots switch the voice on.

ごはん (gohan) — rice, meal

Memory hook: さ (sa) + ゛ = ざ (za). The dots add a buzz — zzz.

ひざ (hiza) — knee

Memory hook: し (shi) + ゛ = じ (ji). The dots add a buzz.

じかん (jikan) — time

Memory hook: す (su) + ゛ = ず (zu). The dots add a buzz.

すず (suzu) — bell

Memory hook: せ (se) + ゛ = ぜ (ze). The dots add a buzz.

かぜ (kaze) — wind

Memory hook: そ (so) + ゛ = ぞ (zo). The dots add a buzz.

かぞく (kazoku) — family

Memory hook: た (ta) + ゛ = だ (da). The dots make it heavier.

だいがく (daigaku) — university

Memory hook: ち (chi) + ゛ = ぢ, read "ji" like じ. Rare — it survives in a few words like はなぢ (nosebleed).

はなぢ (hanaji) — nosebleed

Memory hook: つ (tsu) + ゛ = づ, read "zu" like ず. Rare — appears in words like つづく (to continue).

つづく (tsuzuku) — to continue

Memory hook: て (te) + ゛ = で (de). The dots make it heavier.

でんわ (denwa) — telephone

Memory hook: と (to) + ゛ = ど (do). The dots make it heavier.

どこ (doko) — where

Memory hook: は (ha) + ゛ = ば (ba). The dots turn breath into voice.

かばん (kaban) — bag

Memory hook: ひ (hi) + ゛ = び (bi). The dots turn breath into voice.

ゆび (yubi) — finger

Memory hook: ふ (fu) + ゛ = ぶ (bu). The dots turn breath into voice.

てぶくろ (tebukuro) — gloves

Memory hook: へ (he) + ゛ = べ (be). The dots turn breath into voice.

たべる (taberu) — to eat

Memory hook: ほ (ho) + ゛ = ぼ (bo). The dots turn breath into voice.

ぼうし (boushi) — hat

Memory hook: は (ha) + ゜ = ぱ (pa). The little circle makes the sound pop.

ぱん (pan) — bread

Memory hook: ひ (hi) + ゜ = ぴ (pi). The little circle makes the sound pop.

えんぴつ (enpitsu) — pencil

Memory hook: ふ (fu) + ゜ = ぷ (pu). The little circle makes the sound pop.

てんぷら (tenpura) — tempura

Memory hook: へ (he) + ゜ = ぺ (pe). The little circle makes the sound pop.

ぺらぺら (perapera) — fluent (in a language)

Memory hook: ほ (ho) + ゜ = ぽ (po). The little circle makes the sound pop.

さんぽ (sanpo) — a stroll

Memory hook: き (ki) + small ゃ = きゃ (kya), one smooth syllable.

きゃく (kyaku) — guest

Memory hook: き (ki) + small ゅ = きゅ (kyu), one smooth syllable.

きゅう (kyuu) — nine

Memory hook: き (ki) + small ょ = きょ (kyo), one smooth syllable.

きょう (kyou) — today

Memory hook: し (shi) + small ゃ = しゃ (sha), one smooth syllable.

しゃしん (shashin) — photo

Memory hook: し (shi) + small ゅ = しゅ (shu), one smooth syllable.

しゅくだい (shukudai) — homework

Memory hook: し (shi) + small ょ = しょ (sho), one smooth syllable.

しょうゆ (shouyu) — soy sauce

Memory hook: ち (chi) + small ゃ = ちゃ (cha), one smooth syllable.

おちゃ (ocha) — tea

Memory hook: ち (chi) + small ゅ = ちゅ (chu), one smooth syllable.

ちゅうごく (chuugoku) — China

Memory hook: ち (chi) + small ょ = ちょ (cho), one smooth syllable.

ちょう (chou) — butterfly

Memory hook: に (ni) + small ゃ = にゃ (nya) — exactly the sound a Japanese cat makes.

にゃあ (nyaa) — meow

Memory hook: に (ni) + small ゅ = にゅ (nyu), one smooth syllable.

ぎゅうにゅう (gyuunyuu) — milk

Memory hook: に (ni) + small ょ = にょ (nyo), one smooth syllable.

にょうぼう (nyoubou) — wife (casual)

Memory hook: ひ (hi) + small ゃ = ひゃ (hya), one smooth syllable.

ひゃく (hyaku) — hundred

Memory hook: ひ (hi) + small ゅ = ひゅ (hyu) — the whoosh of a cold wind.

ひゅう (hyuu) — whoosh (of wind)

Memory hook: ひ (hi) + small ょ = ひょ (hyo), one smooth syllable.

ひょう (hyou) — leopard

Memory hook: み (mi) + small ゃ = みゃ (mya), one smooth syllable.

みゃく (myaku) — pulse

Memory hook: み (mi) + small ゅ = みゅ (myu). Rare — you'll mostly meet it in katakana loanwords like ミュージック (music).

Memory hook: み (mi) + small ょ = みょ (myo), one smooth syllable.

みょうじ (myouji) — surname

Memory hook: り (ri) + small ゃ = りゃ (rya), one smooth syllable.

りゃくご (ryakugo) — abbreviation

Memory hook: り (ri) + small ゅ = りゅ (ryu) — like りゅう, the dragon.

りゅう (ryuu) — dragon

Memory hook: り (ri) + small ょ = りょ (ryo), one smooth syllable.

りょこう (ryokou) — travel, trip

Memory hook: ぎ (gi) + small ゃ = ぎゃ (gya), one smooth syllable.

ぎゃく (gyaku) — opposite, reverse

Memory hook: ぎ (gi) + small ゅ = ぎゅ (gyu), one smooth syllable.

ぎゅうにく (gyuuniku) — beef

Memory hook: ぎ (gi) + small ょ = ぎょ (gyo), one smooth syllable.

きんぎょ (kingyo) — goldfish

Memory hook: じ (ji) + small ゃ = じゃ (ja), one smooth syllable.

じゃがいも (jagaimo) — potato

Memory hook: じ (ji) + small ゅ = じゅ (ju), one smooth syllable.

じゅう (juu) — ten

Memory hook: じ (ji) + small ょ = じょ (jo), one smooth syllable.

じょうず (jouzu) — skilled, good at

Memory hook: ぢ + small ゃ = ぢゃ, read "ja" like じゃ. Practically never used — kept for completeness.

Memory hook: ぢ + small ゅ = ぢゅ, read "ju" like じゅ. Practically never used — kept for completeness.

Memory hook: ぢ + small ょ = ぢょ, read "jo" like じょ. Practically never used — kept for completeness.

Memory hook: び (bi) + small ゃ = びゃ (bya), one smooth syllable.

さんびゃく (sanbyaku) — three hundred

Memory hook: び (bi) + small ゅ = びゅ (byu) — the howl of a strong wind.

びゅうびゅう (byuubyuu) — howling (wind)

Memory hook: び (bi) + small ょ = びょ (byo), one smooth syllable.

びょういん (byouin) — hospital

Memory hook: ぴ (pi) + small ゃ = ぴゃ (pya), one smooth syllable.

ろっぴゃく (roppyaku) — six hundred

Memory hook: ぴ (pi) + small ゅ = ぴゅ (pyu) — something whizzing past.

ぴゅう (pyuu) — whizz, whistle

Memory hook: ぴ (pi) + small ょ = ぴょ (pyo) — like ぴょんぴょん, a rabbit's hop.

ぴょんぴょん (pyonpyon) — hop hop (like a rabbit)