Practice Japanese with an anime character who answers in her own voice.
Toonabi isn't a Japanese course. It's nine 3D anime characters you can chat with, and all of them speak Japanese. Say hi in Japanese, or type "let's talk in Japanese", and she answers out loud in her own Japanese voice, with the text on screen. Pick a character below and it starts in the browser.
Pick a character and say こんにちは
chat with Koharu
What it's good for: conversation practice at your own pace. Replies are short, arrive as voice notes you can replay as often as you like, and show the Japanese text underneath, so you can listen first and read after. Tell her you're a beginner and she keeps it simple. Ask her to correct you and she points out the mistake and gives you the natural way to say it.
What it isn't: a tutor. There are no lessons, levels, quizzes or grades, and she won't plan a curriculum. Each character has her own life in Japan (Saki sings in Shimokitazawa, Koharu runs a cafe in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa), so you practice by talking about your day, a show or food, the way you would with a friend. She can get things wrong too, so check anything important with a dictionary or a teacher.
How it works: you type, she talks. A Japanese keyboard on your phone or computer is all you need. Every character has a different voice, made with AI. Conversations stay warm and never explicit, and on the same browser she picks up where you left off.
Or start from a scene
- Koharu Café owner and cooking teacher · Warm alto
- Keiko Lavender farmer · Soft and calm
- Hikari Kimono dresser and yukata designer · Lively soprano
Frequently asked questions
- Is this a Japanese tutor?
- No. It's a character to talk to, not a teacher: no lessons, levels or grades. What you get is conversation, with short, natural replies in Japanese, spoken in her own voice, whenever you feel like practicing.
- Can she correct my Japanese?
- Yes, if you ask. Say "please correct my mistakes" and she points out what to change and how a native speaker would say it. She can still be wrong sometimes, so double-check anything you need to rely on.
- I'm a beginner. Will it be too hard?
- Tell her you're a beginner and she keeps her Japanese short and simple. When you get stuck, ask in English how to say something and she'll help you say it in Japanese.
- Can I speak to her out loud?
- You type and she talks. The mic button listens in the site's language, so for Japanese, use a Japanese keyboard.
- Does it work on a phone?
- Yes. It runs in the browser on iPhone and Android, with nothing to install and no account.
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