Coming to iOS and Android

TomoTrail: Japanese, one step at a time

TomoTrail takes English speakers from their first hiragana to reading kanji, along one guided trail of short daily lessons. Every word and sentence is recorded by a native Japanese speaker.

Email hello@tigerelement.com with “TomoTrail” in the subject to hear when it launches.

tomo, friend

The trail

Four sections, each ending in a checkpoint test.

  • TrailheadHiragana, katakana and everyday greetings
  • FoothillsFirst sentences, numbers, time and your first kanji
  • RidgeVerbs, adjectives and the rest of JLPT N5
  • Summit PathsLonger sentences and reading, on the way to N4

Built for how people learn Japanese

A native speaker's voice

Every kana, word and sentence is recorded by a native speaker, with a slow version for practice.

Kana first, romaji out fast

You read real Japanese script from the first lesson, and the English letters fade away by the end of the first section.

Kanji early, in small doses

Simple kanji arrive alongside your first sentences, so they never pile up into a wall later.

Review that sticks

Everything you learn comes back on a spaced schedule, right before you'd forget it.