Learning English instead?learners using the free apps
Three free apps.
No email. No signup. No install. You get the full version of all three.
はるたび日本語HaruTabi Nihongo
MOST PEOPLE START HERE
Hiragana to N1, in one app. The road is already laid out.
Open はるたび — free →
Free · no account · runs in your phone's browser
3,180+ words50 grammar lessons8,980-word dictionaryaudio on every word
FOR THE FAST, STRAIGHT ROAD
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."
Android: open in Chrome → ⋮ → "Install app."
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→
All three are free, forever.
Plenty of people run はるたび in the morning and SpeakPlanet at night.
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.
The apps are the way in.
What keeps you going is somewhere to actually use it.
So I want to build not just a place to learn, but a place to speak.
See the community →
What keeps you going is somewhere to actually use it.
So I want to build not just a place to learn, but a place to speak.
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.
You probably don't need another app. You need someone to talk to — that's the community.
SpeakPlanet first — say it out loud somewhere it's safe to be bad at it.
Then don't guess. 7 questions, 3 minutes, and I'll write the order for you.
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 road so far
Come be one of them.
You don't pay to learn.
You pay for the room where you actually speak it.
Why this changed
The three apps are free, forever.
If you're enjoying it on your own and it's sticking, keep using them for free.
But without anyone to say it to, that's where it stops.
So if you spend money, spend it on a place to USE it — not on learning.
If you're enjoying it on your own and it's sticking, keep using them for free.
But without anyone to say it to, that's where it stops.
So if you spend money, spend it on a place to USE it — not on learning.
15 minutes a day, one-on-one with me
Questions, conversation, or something you're stuck on. Anything's welcome.
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.
What a week here looks like
Three speaking sessions. A topic every day.
Group speaking
Three times a week, 60 minutes each. Come to the ones you can.
15 min a day with Haru
Questions, conversation, or just venting. All fine.
A topic every day
Reply in text. One to three lines about your day.
Replays, anytime
Missed one? Watch it back when you can.
Nothing's mandatory. Mess it up and nobody here minds.
There's no single right way. Pick the one closest to you.
swipe →
Just starting
(speaking still scares you)
Speaking per week
Zero is fine — just listen
What you focus on
Join and listen. Speak when you're ready, not before.
Best for
People who freeze up the moment it's their turn
What you're going for
Get used to being in the room while it happens
Warming up
(once a week)
Speaking per week
One 60-minute group
What you focus on
One line on the daily topic. Listening in the group is fine.
Best for
You've studied, but barely spoken
What you're going for
Raise how often your own voice is the one talking
Making it a habit
(2-3 times a week)
Speaking per week
2-3 groups, plus the daily topic
What you focus on
Speak, write down what you got stuck on, use it next time.
Best for
You have a trip or work coming up
What you're going for
Raise how often you finish the sentence you started
Going all in
(nearly every day)
Speaking per week
All 3 groups + your 15 min with Haru, most days
What you focus on
Take all three sessions, and kill one weak spot in the 1-on-1.
Best for
You want the most you can get, soon
What you're going for
Stretch how long you're thinking in Japanese
What the money is for
Not the material. The room, and the people in it.
Price and terms
25 USD a month for the first 30 members. 30 USD a month after that.
Whatever rate you join at, you keep.
7 days free to try. Cancel anytime, yourself. No refunds — so use the 7 days to see if it fits.
Whatever rate you join at, you keep.
7 days free to try. Cancel anytime, yourself. No refunds — so use the 7 days to see if it fits.
Haru's dream
This is my own personal dream.
2026
100 community members worldwide
A hundred people, from all over the world, in one place.
2027
The first big event
Offline, everyone in one place, just once.
Someday
Meeting you in person
Travel the world, say hello, and hear your dream out loud.
This community isn't my dream alone.
It's a future built with you — the one who chose to change.
Be honest and kind to yourself. Enjoy your life!
Be honest with your own heart. Believe in what you could become.
You get one life — enjoy it properly.
You get one life — enjoy it properly.
That's my motto.
Let's start by finding a version of you
that you actually like.
that you actually like.
If you're happy studying alone — and you're actually doing it — stay free. Seriously. Come back when it stops working.
$25/month
First 30 members only · $30/month after that
Join at $25 and you keep $25 · 7-day free trial · cancel anytime
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 / 5 · 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.