KantanWa

KantanWa

簡単 kantan, easy, and 話 wa, talk.

Shadow real Japanese conversations, with ease.

A story you speak along with. Tan moves to Tokyo, works at a small sushi shop and meets the neighbourhood; three years later he and Kan build a life together. Every line is voiced and painted, in casual and polite Japanese.

Coming soon to theApp Store Coming soon toGoogle Play
Morning at the sushi shop: Sumi, in her apron, greets Tan at the open door; a broom leans by the frame.

Sumi 澄
is speaking

Good morning, Tan. You’re early again today.

Chapter 1, “Getting the shop ready”, the first line, voiced. Switch between casual and polite to hear both.

Hear a line, say it back, choose what happens next

  1. Listen

    Every line is voiced by its character, with natural Japanese voices. Tap Listen as often as you like, or slow it to 0.5× or 0.75×.

  2. Shadow

    Say it back. Let it play: your partner’s lines play by themselves and yours wait for you. Swap roles to practise the other side.

  3. Choose

    Tan often has to reply, and you pick how. Each reply brings its own answer and its own picture. Go back and try the others.

Two ways to say every line

Every line in chapters 1 and 2 is written twice: casual タメ口 for friends and family, polite 丁寧語 for work and strangers. Switch at any time and hear the difference.

Furigana sits over the kanji and English under the line, each on or off. Open the notes for the words, the grammar and when to use it, in plain English, from N5 up to N3.

おはよう
good morning
おはようございます
good morning
今日きょう
today, this day N5
早はやい
early N5

The notes for Sumi’s line above, as the app shows them. Word meanings from JMdict.

Your reply changes the story

Later the same morning. Sumi has noticed Tan already put the water on. What does Tan say?

Tan holds the rolled-up indigo noren curtain; Sumi smiles beside the counter.

Pick a reply

Sumi

Yes, it is. You notice everything, don’t you?

Tan replies

From chapter 1, “Getting the shop ready”, a free conversation. In the app every reply is voiced too.

第3章 The map

Chapter 3 is one story on twelve roads. Tan’s company is in trouble, Minh is starting nursery, and the choices you make carry forward: they decide where Tan and Kan end up.

Every season is a row on the map. Play a road to its end, then come back and live another. Gentle and everyday, even on the hard roads.

The chapter 3 map in the app: seasons from spring to winter, each with its conversations, and the decision in winter. A chapter 3 scene: Tan and Kan at home with baby Minh asleep; Kan says she passed N4 and will try the next level.

The people of the neighbourhood

Each has a voice, a way of speaking and a story of their own. You meet them one conversation at a time.

  • Tan in a blue shirt, holding a board of sushi

    Tan タン

    The one you play. A student and sushi-shop part-timer in year one, a data engineer three years on.

  • Kan in a red apron, tasting from a spoon in the kitchen

    Kan カン

    Tan’s wife, from Ho Chi Minh City. Runs the house and the kitchen, with simple, growing Japanese.

  • Sumi in an orange jacket and white apron at the shop door

    Sumi 澄

    The kind senior at Sushi Gen in year one; three years on, Kan’s Japanese teacher.

  • Gen-san in chef’s whites with a headband, shaping sushi

    Gen-san 源さん

    The owner, the 大将, of Sushi Gen. Gruff plain speech, flawless service keigo.

  • Yuma on a park bench with a notebook

    Yuma 悠真

    The broke student regular, mid job hunt, who ends his sentences with っす.

  • Hana in a yellow cardigan, holding a melon bun on the shopping street

    Hana 春野花

    The cheerful bakery part-timer on the shopping street; a pâtissière by year three.

  • Kenta in glasses and a green jacket at the office

    Kenta 硯太

    The calm IT manager at Sora Data who hires Tan.

  • Rin in a green kimono, whisking tea

    Rin 凛

    Tea-ceremony teacher and regular. Soft, courteous keigo.

  • Yui in a pink cardigan in a bright classroom

    Yui 結衣

    Kindergarten teacher. Warm and polite to adults, simple speech to children.

  • Aoi in a red jacket, holding a microphone

    Aoi 葵

    News anchor and the hard customer. Crisp, fast, exact keigo.

  • Daichi in glasses with a staff badge, holding a laptop

    Daichi 大地

    Junior data engineer on Tan’s team. Wants to try AI; used to want to make games.

  • Baby Minh in a striped romper, waving

    Minh ミン

    Tan and Kan’s son, six months old when chapter 3 opens.

Places you come back to

Every place is painted once and kept: the same counter, the same arcade, the same light through the window, scene after scene.

The Album keeps what you find along the way: the people and their outfits, the places, the phrases you have heard, ready to play again, and a stamp for every chapter you finish.

Three chapters, one life in Japan

  1. 1年目

    Year one

    Tan in Tokyo. The sushi shop, the convenience store, the train, the ward office, friends, keigo at work and a job interview.

    32 conversations, 15 of them free

  2. 3年後

    Three years on

    Tan and Kan. Home, outings, special days, travel and a growing family.

    27 conversations

  3. 第3章

    The map

    A branching story of twelve roads. Your choices decide where Tan and Kan end up.

    Twelve roads

Start free. Pay once for the rest.

Free

15 conversations

Every restaurant and daily-life conversation of chapter 1: the sushi shop, the convenience store, the train, cooking at home, the fish market, the greengrocer and the drugstore.

Kan & Tan

US$6.99 once

149,000₫ in Vietnam. Local prices elsewhere.

  • The other 17 conversations of chapter 1
  • Chapter 2, Three years on: 27 conversations
  • Chapter 3, The map: twelve roads

One payment through the App Store or Google Play. No subscription. Restore it on your other devices from Settings.

Nothing of yours leaves the device

  • No account, ever. No sign-in, no profile.
  • No ads, no analytics, no tracking. Nothing is counted.
  • Everything is inside the app. Every conversation, picture and voice clip.
  • Only the store is asked whether you bought the unlock.

Read the privacy policy

Questions

What level is it for?

From N5 up to N3. Each conversation shows its level (N5–N4, N4–N3 or N3). With furigana and English on, a beginner can follow along; turn them off as you grow.

Which phones and tablets?

iPhone and iPad, and Android phones and tablets. KantanWa is not in the stores yet; the store links appear here when it is.

Does it work offline?

Yes. Every conversation, picture and voice clip is inside the app. It goes online only to buy the unlock, restore it, or check that you have it.

How do I restore my purchase on a new phone?

Sign in to the same Apple Account or Google account that bought it, then open Settings (the gear) and tap Restore purchases. On the App Store, Kan & Tan is also shared with your Family Sharing group.

Does my progress move to a new phone?

Your progress is kept on your device only, since there is no account. The device’s own backup may bring it along.

Who are the voices?

Each character has their own voice, made with ElevenLabs. The pictures are painted with OpenAI image models, and the word notes come from JMdict.

What language is the app in?

The screens and the notes are in English; the conversations are in Japanese.