Japan plans an AI app that lets overseas fans practice Japanese by talking with characters from popular anime and manga. The Japan Times reported on November 9, 2026, that the Japan Foundation will build it at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following budget approval for the next fiscal year. It is expected to be completed by fiscal 2028. You cannot download it today.
That leaves a practical question for anyone who wants to learn Japanese with AI now. This guide covers what is known about the planned app, what is still open, the Japan Foundation resources you can use today, two AI speaking tools that support Japanese, and two popular AI features that do not cover English speakers learning Japanese yet.
What we know about the anime AI app
According to The Japan Times, the app will use AI to let users practice conversations with characters from popular anime and manga. It will primarily target young people overseas who are interested in anime and manga. Nikkei Asia also reported the plan, describing it as an AI-powered app for learning Japanese that features characters from popular anime and manga.
The character part is the real change. The Japan Times says earlier Japan Foundation apps and websites used original characters because of copyright restrictions. For this app, the foundation plans to negotiate with rights holders to use well-known characters. It is also the first time the foundation has added AI to its language-learning services.
The ministry hopes the app will widen access to Japanese-language education in regions where schools and qualified teachers may be scarce, and offer a relatively low-cost alternative to opening more teaching facilities abroad. The Japan Times links the plan to Japan's soft power push, particularly in emerging and developing economies across Africa and Central and South America.
Demand is the reason it makes sense. The Japan Times cites a 2024 Japan Foundation survey: interest in anime, manga, J-pop and J-fashion was the most commonly cited motivation for studying Japanese, reported by 61.3% of students at overseas Japanese-language education institutions. The same survey found overseas learners reached a record 4 million, up 5.4% from the 2021 survey.
On money, the ministry has requested 1.83 billion yen (about $11.6 million, per The Japan Times) for fiscal 2027 to support the overseas expansion of Japanese content. That is a broader program, not a budget for the app alone.
What is still unknown
Dexerto notes that no specific characters or franchises have been announced, and that development depends on government funding being approved. None of the reports we read give a launch date beyond the fiscal 2028 target, a price, or the platforms the app will run on. Treat any list of "confirmed" characters you see online with caution until the Japan Foundation names them.
Japan Foundation resources to use now
You do not have to wait for the new app. The Japan Foundation already runs several learning sites, and one of them is built around anime and manga.
Japanese in Anime & Manga
Japanese in Anime & Manga comes from the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai. Its outline page says the aim is to give Japanese learners and anime and manga fans around the world an opportunity to learn Japanese in an enjoyable way, using anime and manga as a gateway. The site is built from lines actually used by characters in anime and manga works popular overseas, and it teaches a casual style of Japanese not found in the usual textbooks and dictionaries. It is meant for learners from beginners to advanced.
The site uses its own anime-style characters, not licensed ones. That is the gap the new app is meant to close. Sections include:
- Character Expressions, with a character line-up, a character dictionary and a "Whose line?" quiz
- Expressions by Scene, split into School, Samurai, Love and Ninja
- Word Quiz and Kanji Game, in the same four themes
JF Japanese e-Learning Minato
Minato is the Japan Foundation's online course platform. It offers two course types: a Self-Study Course with interactive e-learning materials, and a Tutor Support Course where a tutor corrects your assignments and gives live lessons. Levels use the six levels A1 to C2 of the JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education. You can filter courses by fee (Free or Charged), and many courses in the list are marked Free. Explanations are available in several languages, and Minato hosts the Marugoto Japanese Online Course.
Marugoto
Marugoto is the Japan Foundation's course book series, from Starter (A1) to Intermediate 2 (B1). The site carries the notice "Marugoto books are free to view all pages now". Since October 19, 2026, you no longer need to log in to play or download the audio files; you agree to the Terms of Use instead.
Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan
Irodori is a textbook focused on everyday life in Japan. It runs from A1 to B1 in four parts: Starter (A1), Elementary 1 (A2), Elementary 2 (A2) and Pre-Intermediate (A2/B1). It is provided as a PDF you can download, print, or read on a tablet or phone, and the audio can be downloaded or streamed.
The Irodori FAQ adds that the IRODORI Japanese Online Course is available for self-study and uses videos for speaking practice. The four books teach 644 kanji in total, and the whole course is estimated at about 360 to 500 hours. The FAQ also says Irodori was not designed for young learners.
AI speaking practice that works in Japanese
The Japan Foundation sites above are mostly reading, listening and quizzes. For speaking practice with AI today, these two options list Japanese support.
ChatGPT Voice
ChatGPT Voice lets you speak with ChatGPT and hear a spoken reply. Its Live option can listen and speak at the same time, so interruptions feel more natural. OpenAI's help page lists the free plan as "Limited access to GPT-Live-1.1 Quip. Limits may change." Paid plans get more time.
For Japanese learners, three details matter. Live includes two Japanese voices, Himari and Rindō. You can set your preferred language under Settings, Voice, Language, and you can ask ChatGPT during a conversation to speak a different language. With Live, ChatGPT's replies also appear as text in the chat while they are spoken, so you can read along. OpenAI says the older Advanced and Standard voice modes retire on December 11, 2026.
For ready-made practice prompts, see our guide on how to learn a language with ChatGPT.
Speak
Speak is a speaking-first language app. Its site says English speakers can use it to learn Spanish, French, Korean, Japanese, Italian and Simplified Chinese, with AI conversation practice through the Speak Tutor and real-time feedback on pronunciation and phrasing. Speak offers a 7-day free trial, after which a paid subscription is required. It says pricing varies by plan, region and promotions, and the current price is shown in the app.
AI features that skip Japanese for now
Two well-known AI speaking features do not list English speakers learning Japanese as of November 2026.
Duolingo Max
Duolingo's help center says Video Call with Lily is available to Max subscribers learning English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese. Roleplay is available to English speakers learning French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian, plus several English courses, including English for Japanese speakers. Japanese for English speakers is not on either list. Duolingo says learners on a course that does not support these features still get the Super Duolingo benefits.
Google Translate Practice
Google Translate's AI practice mode is a limited beta. For English speakers, it lists French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. Japanese is not listed.
If you are learning Spanish instead, our roundup of AI Spanish tutor apps covers these tools in more depth.
A simple study setup
This is our reading, not an official recommendation. The resources above cover different skills, so they combine well:
- Casual, character-style phrases: Japanese in Anime & Manga
- Structure, grammar and kanji: Marugoto or Irodori, with a Minato course if you want guided lessons
- Speaking out loud: ChatGPT Voice or Speak
One caution, also our reading: an AI conversation partner can sound fluent and still be wrong. OpenAI's own help page says "ChatGPT can make mistakes." Check grammar points you plan to rely on against a textbook such as Marugoto or Irodori.
Bottom line
Japan's anime character app is a plan, not a product. The Japan Times reports a fiscal 2028 completion target, and Dexerto notes it depends on funding approval, with no characters named yet. Until then, the Japan Foundation already offers an anime-themed learning site, textbooks, and an online course platform where many courses are marked Free. For speaking practice, ChatGPT Voice and Speak list Japanese support today, while Duolingo Max's AI features and Google Translate Practice do not list it for English speakers.
Sources
- The Japan Times: Government betting on language app powered by anime and AI
- Nikkei Asia: Japan government to create AI-based Japanese-learning app for anime, manga fans
- Dexerto: Japan making AI app to learn Japanese by talking to anime characters
- Japan Foundation: Survey on Japanese-Language Education Abroad
- Japanese in Anime & Manga and its outline page
- JF Japanese e-Learning Minato
- Marugoto
- Irodori: What is Irodori? and Irodori FAQ
- OpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT Voice
- Speak
- Duolingo Help: What is Duolingo Max?
- Google Translate Help: Get personalized conversation practice
