KikoJoin the waitlist

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You can read Japanese.Now it's time to speak it.

Buying a ticket, ordering lunch, telling a friend about your weekend — learn through real conversations and your own stories. Kiko answers in Japanese and shows you what to fix without stopping you.

We'll email you when the doors open.

At the station
Kiko, as station staff

Yes — which platform are you looking for?

You

You said 三番線は行きたいです. Corrected: 三番線に行きたいです.

に marks where you're heading. は would make the platform the topic.

You know how to say this.

Excuse me — one ticket to Kyoto, please.

But when someone's actually waiting, nothing comes out.

  • I passed N3 and still froze buying a train ticket.
  • I can read the whole menu, and I still end up pointing.
  • I plan the sentence in my head, then just nod and say .
  • Years of flashcards, and my mind still goes blank.

Sound familiar?

You don't need more flashcards. You need someone to talk to.

Meet Kiko

Someone to talk to, whenever you're ready.

Kiko plays the other person in the conversation — the station staff, the waiter, a new friend — so you can practise speaking without anyone watching.

  • Take your time

    Freezing up is normal. Kiko waits while you find the word, and only you decide when your turn is over.

  • Mistakes are fine

    Say it wrong and the conversation keeps going. Kiko quietly marks what to fix, without stopping you.

  • Your words come back

    Kiko notices the words and grammar you use, and brings the shaky ones back into later conversations.

  • No pressure to keep up

    Busy week? There are no streaks to lose and no guilt-trip reminders. Pick up whenever you can.

A day in Japan

One day, four moments you can practise for

Life in Japan runs on small conversations. Here are four from a single day, and what you'd do in Kiko to be ready for each.

Morning

The station

The machine won't take your card, so it's the ticket window, with a queue behind you.

“There's no one to practise with.”

In Kiko · Scene roleplay

Rehearse the scene out loud

One of 153 scenes, ready whenever you are. Kiko plays the station staff, speaks only Japanese and stays in the scene until you have your ticket.

Getting around

N5–N4

Buying a shinkansen ticket

  • Get a ticket to Tokyo for tomorrow morning (done)
  • Ask for the seat you'd like
  • Ask how much it is

Noon

The ramen counter

The owner asks how it was, and you have about two seconds to answer.

“I never know what I got wrong.”

In Kiko · Inline corrections

See the slip, keep talking

Get something wrong and Kiko still answers, as the owner — and marks just the part that needs to change, in red, with a one-line reason.

Ordering at a ramen counter

-adjectives take the past on themselves

Dusk

The drugstore

You need something for a cold, and the word is right on the tip of your tongue.

“The word never comes when I need it.”

In Kiko · Reviews, out loud

Say it, don't just recognise it

Spaced repetition the other way round: the English comes up and you say the Japanese — the direction a reading deck never tests.

Say it in Japanese

Due today

“Do you have something for a cold?”

English in, Japanese outYour turn

Night

The ryokan

The futon is out, the bath is done, and the whole day is still in your head.

“My textbook never has the words for my own day.”

In Kiko · The daily log

Write the day down

Tell Kiko about your day in a few lines, in any mix of Japanese and English. Kiko pulls out the words and grammar, checks the grammar against the JLPT lists, and adds the new words to your vocabulary.

Tonight's log

Twice.

Pulled out

  • word
  • word
  • N5 grammar
New words, to your vocabulary+2 words

On board

What's in Kiko today

Kiko line

(reading)to (speaking)

roleplay scenes
153
kinds of situation
8
grammar points tracked against the JLPT lists
494
travel phrases to warm up with
151

Early access pass

Early access · Be one of the first to speak with Kiko

Kiko isn't open yet. Join the waitlist to be one of the first learners speaking Japanese out loud with Kiko, and get 25% off for life when it launches.

From
Reading
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Speaking
Class
Early access
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Included

  • Voice roleplay with corrections marked inline
  • Spaced repetition you say out loud
  • A daily log that pulls out words and grammar
  • Grammar coverage against the JLPT lists

Join here

Join the waitlist

What you get

  • 25% off for as long as you're subscribed
  • Practise free during the beta

Questions

Good to know

What is Kiko?

Kiko is a Japanese speaking practice app for intermediate learners — an AI conversation partner that plays the other person in everyday situations in Japan: the station staff, the waiter, a new friend. You answer out loud, Kiko replies in Japanese, and the exact part you got wrong is marked without stopping the conversation. Reviews are said out loud too, and a short daily log turns what you wrote into the words and grammar you practise next.

How is it different from flashcard apps?

Flashcards train recognition: you see a word and remember what it means. Kiko trains the other half — getting Japanese out of your mouth in a real exchange, with someone waiting for the answer. It works alongside your flashcards rather than replacing them.

What situations does it cover?

The everyday ones Japanese actually gets used in — food and drink, getting around, where you sleep, shops, making friends, and what to say when something goes wrong — with a set of everyday phrases to warm up on first. You rehearse the conversation before you're standing at the counter.

Is Kiko open yet?

Not yet, but you can be one of the first in. Join the waitlist and we'll email you the moment Kiko opens.

What level is it for?

Anyone past the very first steps. If you know some everyday words and a little grammar, that's enough to start — scenes run from simple exchanges to real back-and-forth, and each one is tagged with its JLPT level so you can pick your pace.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes. Kiko runs in your phone's browser with nothing to install, and an iOS app is on the way.

What if I miss a few days?

Nothing happens. There are no streaks to protect and no reminders nagging you. Everything you've practised is still there when you come back.

How much will it cost?

Kiko is free during the beta. Pricing will be announced before launch, and everyone on the waitlist gets 25% off for as long as they stay subscribed.

Join the waitlist

Kiko isn't open yet. Join the waitlist for 25% off for life.