No ads · iOS & Android · Works offline

Japan, within reading reach. From take-off.

A pocket app to discover, at your own pace, katakana, hiragana and a handful of useful kanji — through the story of a rock band on tour in Japan.

On the App Store & Google Play on August 31, 2026

✦ One-time $4.99 — no subscription, no ads.
✦ Fonctionne en avion, dans le métro, partout.
✦ Disponible en français et en anglais.

No subscription. No ads. A real ending.

A real game you actually finish: $4.99 once, then it's yours forever.

The method Start with what will be most useful, as soon as possible.

Japanese is written with three scripts. Katakana are mainly used to transcribe foreign words — hotel, coffee, taxi… Learning them first gives you access, from your very first hours of play, to dozens of already familiar words. The app then gradually introduces hiragana and a few useful kanji.

タtaクkuシshiーi taxi

ビbiーiルru bière

コkoンnビbiニni konbini

ラraーaメmeンn ramen

You just read four Japanese words. The whole app is built on that intuition: starting from what you already recognise.

Read

Recognise characters at a glance, through short, well-paced sessions.

Recognise

Gradually memorise everyday vocabulary: food, drinks, places, common objects.

Discover

Follow an illustrated story and collect stickers as you progress.

The app One app, several ways to learn without losing interest.

Quiz

Short sessions to review a handful of characters or words at a time, at your own pace.

Battle mode

A more demanding mode, in the form of a duel, to consolidate what you have learnt.

Rhythm

Read characters in time with the music. Another, more playful way to progress.

Sticker collection

Stickers to unlock as you progress, some rarer than others.

Illustrated journey

A story told level after level by your Japanese guide, Makiko.

100% offline

Everything is bundled in the app: lessons, voices and music. Your data stays on your device.

Free demo Try it right now, in your browser.

The first 5 levels of the journey — quiz, story, battle, rhythm and stickers — free, with nothing to install and no sign-up.

Play the free demo

Your progress travels with you: download it at the end of the demo and import it into the full app.

Collection A collection to unlock little by little.

Each milestone gives you a chance at a new sticker. Just a glimpse — most are left to discover in the game.

Common Rare Very rare

And many more left to discover as you progress.

The journey

You are on tour. Makiko is your guide.

Your band has been invited to perform in Japan, but nobody speaks Japanese. Once you arrive, your local guide Makiko welcomes you and walks you through the country, one chapter at a time.

Each level brings its share of new words, illustrations and little everyday scenes — from the all-night konbini to the sunrise onsen.

Onsen stop

Karaoke night

On the way

About A solo project, born from a personal need.

Hello, my name is Raphaël. Katakana Rocks! is a personal project that started when I began learning Japanese. I couldn’t find a fun, pressure-free way to memorise katakana, hiragana and kanji. Yet that’s the main barrier! I wanted an illustrated adventure that turns this very first step of learning Japanese into an app you actually want to open.

The app is designed and developed solo in Bordeaux, France, with the precious feedback of a circle of friends and relatives who tested each iteration. It is offered as a one-time purchase of $4.99, ad-free, subscription-free, in-app-purchase-free, works entirely offline, and respects your data: nothing leaves your device.

If you enjoy the app, the most valuable gesture is to share it with a fellow Japan lover.

Our approach An approach designed for the curious, rather than for exams.

	Katakana Rocks!	Classic methods
Designed for discovery, not for exams	✓	—
Fully works offline	✓	×
Pricing	$4.99 one-time	Monthly subscription
Original soundtrack and minigames included	✓	—
Collectable stickers	✓	×
An illustrated story as a thread	✓	—

Designed for airplane mode.

The app contains all of its lessons, voices and music. No connection is required — not in flight, not on the train, not in a Wi-Fi-less hotel room.

Preview A few screens to give you a sense of it.

Make your journey your first Japanese chapter.

Get Katakana Rocks! for $4.99 (one-time purchase, no subscription) and use your flight, your train ride or a simple coffee break to take a first step towards Japan.

One-time $4.99 — no subscription, no ads.