Wakanai: Learn Japanese — Listen first. Speak for real

The problem

Apps teach you to tap. Japan asks you to listen and answer.

A streak alone doesn't order food at an izakaya. Real conversation means catching real speech at real speed. That skill grows through listening you can actually understand, then opening your mouth.

How it works

Three passes. Zero grind.

Each session plays one real podcast episode three ways:

一 · Listen

Pictures and ears only

Watercolor scenes switch in time with the story, carrying the meaning. No text anywhere. You follow the scene first, the way kids do.

二 · Replay

Now with subtitles

The same episode with Japanese + English line by line, core words lighting up as they're spoken. Confirm what you understood; catch what you missed.

Replay pass with Japanese and English subtitles

三 · Speak

Say it out loud

Each new word plays in a clear studio voice. You say it back, and on-device speech recognition checks what it heard.

Word test asking the learner to speak Japanese

Join the beta →Get the app →

Memory that argues back

Your voice is the test.

Reviews are spoken, not tapped. Hear the Japanese, say the meaning in English. The app checks your answer, and a vermilion 済 stamp lands on the card when you earn it.
Pronunciation is graded sound-by-sound, forgiving what natives forgive, catching what matters.
FSRS scheduling brings each word back right before you'd forget it.
Wrong verdict? Override it. The recognizer is a judge, not a tyrant.

A review card showing Correct! after speaking the meaning

Conversations with Toro

Then you talk to him.

Toro plays the izakaya server, the konbini clerk, and the station attendant. The people your trip actually puts in front of you.
He only uses words you've learned, so you understand every line he says. That's the point.
Stuck? Say it in English. He answers with the Japanese you were reaching for, and the conversation keeps moving.

Meet Toro at the counter →

A Wakanai conversation: Toro the izakaya server asks what you'd like to drink

Private by design

Your learning never leaves your phone.

Speech recognition on-device. Your voice is never uploaded. The Japanese and English models both run locally on your iPhone.
No account. Nothing that names you. Lessons download like a podcast; the only telemetry is anonymous usage counts and crash reports (EU-hosted, detailed here). Never your voice, never your words. The app doesn't know who you are, and doesn't want to.
Generated, then checked by a person. The illustrations, translations, and voices come from the developer's AI pipeline, then get reviewed before they ship.

Wakanai home screen with today's session

Questions

Before you ask

Is this for total beginners?

Yes. Day one starts with simple words, and harder material waits until the app has proof you're ready. If you already read manga in Japanese, this will feel slow. Curious why listening-first works? Read about the method.

Why iPhone only? Why iOS 26?

The private, on-device speech engine Wakanai uses ships with iOS 26. Without it, the app can't grade your voice on the phone. For now that means iPhone or iPad on iOS 26 and newer. Android folks: join the list anyway and we'll count you.Android folks: leave your email below and we'll tell you if that ever changes.

Is my voice uploaded anywhere?

Never. Recognition runs entirely on your iPhone.

What happens after I join the list?

You'll get one email with a TestFlight link when your wave opens. Beta is free. Reply "stop" to any email and you're off the list.

Where do I get it?

Search the App Store for "Wakanai" or use the button below. iPhone on iOS 26 and newer. Download and start listening.

Beta

Get on the list.

Wakanai is iPhone-only (iOS 26+). Invites go out in small waves, oldest signups first.

Get the app

Take Toro to Japan.

Wakanai is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad (iOS 26+). Free to download. Start listening today.

The App Store link isn't wired up yet. APP_STORE_URL is still a placeholder. (Only visible until it's set.)

On Android?

Signups aren't wired up yet. The API endpoint hasn't been deployed. (This notice is only visible while SIGNUP_ENDPOINT is a placeholder.)