How To Count Anything In Japanese. The Japanese language has this tricky thing known as “counters.” With counters, certain things have certain “counters” that you use to count them. For example, you don’t just say “one dog,” you say “ippiki” (一匹), which refers to one small animal. Reviewing the Kanji. Aculem's JLPT N5 Course (Kanji Readings)