Kotoba Tanken — Japanese Vocabulary for Kids
Japanese audio flashcards for ages 3–5
Help your child discover Japanese words through photos and audio flashcards. Explore hiragana, katakana and Japanese onomatopoeia together.
Some content is paid.
Kotoppi & Pentan are waiting!
Try it free with no ads and no account required.
Explore Japanese Words, Hiragana and Katakana
Learn safely and joyfully. Six points that support your child’s growth.
1) 1,000+ Japanese words
From everyday items to Japanese culture and seasonal events. 👉 Build a big vocabulary!
2) Learn with photos + audio
Every card includes a photo and Japanese audio. See, hear, and remember with a multi-sensory approach.
3) Two learning modes
Auto-play mode: cards flip and play audio automatically. Swipe mode: learn at your own pace. 👉 Fits your child’s focus and rhythm.
4) Multilingual support
Translations in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. 👉 Great for bilingual and international families.
5) Great for school prep
Build foundational vocabulary from daily words to culture and traditions. 👉 Ideal for early school readiness.
6) No ads & safe by design
A simple, safe UI with no ads. 👉 Easy for children to use on their own.
Watch the video
A great first step for hiragana and katakana, including stroke order
Perfect for children starting to get interested in letters. They can enjoy learning the shapes and stroke order of hiragana and katakana by watching and listening.
Latest News
Get the latest updates and announcements for Kotoba Tanken.
User Voices
What families are saying about Kotoba Tanken
Parent of a 3-year-old
Since starting, we’ve noticed a bigger vocabulary. New words show up in everyday conversations.
Parent of a 4-year-old
The controls are simple, so my child keeps going on their own. I love that I don’t have to hover.
User
Learning action words with images helps a lot. It’s easy to understand right away, so it’s great for Japanese learning.
Learning Japanese with Kids: FAQs
Three quick answers before you get started
Kotoba Tanken is a Japanese vocabulary app mainly designed for kids ages 3 to 5. Children can explore Japanese words with photos and audio flashcards, at home with a parent or caregiver.
Kotoba Tanken does not display ads. Its simple interface is designed to reduce the likelihood of accidental purchases. Purchase authentication depends on the device settings.
There are more than 1,000 flashcards covering Japanese words for animals, vehicles, food, seasons, and everyday life. Children can also explore Japanese onomatopoeia: words that express sounds, feelings, and actions. Photos and Japanese audio help children connect words with their meanings.
Meet the Characters
Our adorable characters support your learning. (Except USA Map Master)
Kotoppi
Kotoppi is a fluffy bunny from the "Forest of Words." Often mistaken for a sheep, Kotoppi loves looking up words. A little dictionary is always in the pouch. When a new word appears, Kotoppi can’t help but look it up.
Curious
Friendly
Pentan
Pentan the penguin loves adventures and is Kotoppi’s partner. With a tiny professor hat and magnifying glass, Pentan is great at finding "words." Energetic and a little clumsy, Pentan loves bringing new words to Kotoppi.
Adventure-loving
A bit clumsy
Download Kotoppi & Pentan coloring pages and wallpapers!
Watch Kotoba Tanken Shorts
Meet Kotoppi and Pentan through short videos in multiple languages.
Tanken Flashcards
A learning app series that grows curiosity and knowledge
Word Explorer
Ages: 3–6
Learn words in English with a sister app to Kotoba Tanken. Supports Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish as secondary languages.
Aventuras de Palabras
Ages: 3–6
Learn words in Spanish while exploring Latin American culture. Supports English, Japanese, and Chinese as secondary languages.
USA Map Master
Ages: 12+
Learn US geography with flashcards and quizzes: states, capitals, flags, and landmarks. Includes map challenges and trivia on GDP and more. (English only; Japanese version in development. Contains ads.)
Download
Start exploring everyday Japanese words with your child
FREE START
Start with Kotoba Tanken for free
Explore Japanese vocabulary with your child. Try the app free, with no ads or account required.
※ Some content is paid.
Coupon code
Try Premium free for 2 weeks
Use code “TANKEN14” to try the first 2 weeks for free.
Opens the App Store or Google Play code redemption page.
Continue Learning
Next steps for kids who want to learn more
Preschool learning & school entrance prep
BabyTech® Awards 2024 winner!
Fun learning materials for school entrance prep
After getting familiar with words in Kotoba Tanken, we recommend BrainySprouts for school prep and early learning.
Learning with both PDF and digital
BrainySprouts Prints lets you download printable learning sheets for home. It combines the best of paper materials and IT. Also recommended as a companion to BrainySprouts. Completely free to use.
- Includes categories hard to cover in apps, like crafts and drawing
- Covers content through the end of elementary school
- Explains kana, kanji stroke order, and written calculation steps with animations