ALL FREE
Three free apps.
No email. No signup. No install. You get the full version of all three.
FOR THE FAST, STRAIGHT ROADMOST PEOPLE START HERE
はるたび日本語HaruTabi Nihongo
Hiragana to N1, in one app. The road is already laid out.
3,300 words50 grammar lessons8,980-word dictionaryaudio on every word
Open はるたび — free →
Free · no account · runs in your phone's browser
For you if: you want someone to just tell you what to do next.
Skip it if…
you close apps the moment they look like homework.
Add to home screen
iPhone: open in Safari → tap Share ⬆️ → "Add to Home Screen." Android: open in Chrome → ⋮ → "Install app."
IF STUDYING NEVER WORKED
NihongoQuestan RPG that teaches Japanese
An RPG that happens to teach you Japanese.
2,500 words2,500 example sentences120 monsterschapter story
Play NihongoQuest — free →
Free, no account. Your progress saves on your phone.
For you if: you've quit every language app you ever downloaded.
Skip it if…
you need to be at N3 by Friday — this one's built for the long game, not a deadline.
Add to home screen
iPhone: open in Safari → tap Share ⬆️ → "Add to Home Screen." Android: open in Chrome → ⋮ → "Install app."
WHERE YOUR VOICE GOES
SpeakPlanetsay it out loud
Say it out loud — somewhere it's safe to be bad at it.
30-second postshear other learnersreact, don't grade
Speak on SpeakPlanet — free →
Nobody sees your face. It's your voice, ten seconds, that's all.
For you if: you understand far more than you can say. Most learners are here and don't realise it.
Skip it if…
you haven't learned any words yet — come back after a week with either app above.
Add to home screen
iPhone: open in Safari → tap Share ⬆️ → "Add to Home Screen." Android: open in Chrome → ⋮ → "Install app."
It's new and quiet right now — being early means yours is the voice people hear first.
You don't have to choose. All three are free, forever. Plenty of people run はるたび in the morning and SpeakPlanet at night.
🧭 Can't pick? A 3-minute quiz picks one for you→
📱 Add them to your home screen. Tap your browser's share button → "Add to Home Screen." That's how you come back tomorrow.
FAQ
Is it really free? What's the catch?
Yes. All three, all the way through. No credit card, no account, no email. I earn from the community and 1-on-1 lessons — the apps are how you find out if you like how I teach.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Everything runs in your phone's browser. Add it to your home screen and it behaves exactly like an installed app.
That's everything — there is nothing to buy on this page. If studying alone hasn't stuck before, that isn't an app problem. → See the community
NOT SURE WHERE TO START
Where should I start?
Tell me where you are. I'll point.
Pick the one that sounds like you
One tap, one answer.
Then start with はるたび. It begins at hiragana, character one — and there's nothing to sign up for. Free apps ↓
You probably don't need another app. You need someone to talk to — that's the community. Community ↓
SpeakPlanet first — say it out loud somewhere it's safe to be bad at it. Free apps ↓or see 1-on-1 →
Then don't guess. 7 questions, 3 minutes, and I'll write the order for you. Take the free diagnostic →
Still not sure? Let the diagnostic decide.
7 questions, about 3 minutes. It asks how you learn, how much time you really have, and what you want to do in Japanese — then it names the app to open first, and what to do in week one.
How much time do you actually have per day?
Have you quit a language app before?
What do you want to do first — read a menu, or say something?
Take the free diagnostic →
No email. Your answers stay in your browser. Nothing to buy at the end.
The apps are free — and they're not a trial. So what is $25 for? People.
💬
A 15-minute 1-on-1 call with me
Bring one thing you couldn't say last week. We fix it, live.
🎤
3 live speaking sessions every week
All recorded, so join the one that fits your timezone.
☀️
A new topic every morning
And someone actually replies to yours.
Mon — reply to the daily topic, one sentence is enough
Wed — 30-minute live speaking session
Fri — your 15 minutes with Haru
Sun — catch up on a replay, no pressure
Wed — 30-minute live speaking session
Fri — your 15 minutes with Haru
Sun — catch up on a replay, no pressure
$25 /month
Same price for everyone · 7-day free trial · cancel anytime
If you're happy studying alone — and you're actually doing it — stay free. Seriously. Come back when it stops working.
Start the 7-day free trial →
Free for 7 days · cancel anytime · no refunds after the trial.
Haru runs every session himself.
FAQ
What actually happens in the community?
3 live speaking sessions a week, a 15-minute 1-on-1 with me, and a daily topic in a group feed. All recorded if you can't make it live.
How does billing work?
$25/month, charged in USD (your bank converts it). 7-day free trial, cancel anytime from your account settings. No refunds after the trial ends.
I'm a total beginner — is that OK?
Yes. Most members start exactly there. The 15-minute calls exist so a beginner always has a safe place to try.
Can I use the apps without joining?
Always. The apps are yours either way — this is only for when you want a person on the other end.
Want a teacher just for you?
★★★★★ 5.0 (21 reviews on Preply)
"He's a good conversationalist, sends detailed notes after every lesson, and strikes a great balance between learning and fun."
✓Speaking from lesson one
✓Built around your goal — beginner, a trip, or JLPT
✓Book when it suits you — no subscription
✓Written notes after every lesson
If you just want practice hours with someone, the community is cheaper and honestly better for that. This is for when you want the lesson built around you.
See my Preply profile →
Booking, payment, available times and prices are all on Preply — pick a slot and we meet online.
Bilingual, with a degree in English education and a teaching license, plus a year teaching Japanese online.
FAQ
How is this different from the community calls?
The 15-minute community calls are quick practice, included for everyone. Preply lessons are longer, planned around your specific goal, and billed separately.
How does a lesson usually go?
We speak from minute one, in whatever mix of Japanese and English gets you talking. You'll get written notes after so you can review.
I'm a complete beginner — is that OK?
Yes — many of my students start with zero Japanese. We just start slower and build from there.