About HiKana

HiKana is a Japanese speaking practice app for English speakers. You talk out loud with Kana, a character with her own voice and face, and get instant corrections on what you said. It is made by 90us, Inc. in San Francisco, and it is free to download on iOS and Android.

What you do in HiKana

You open the app and talk. Kana listens, answers in Japanese, and shows you what you said on screen. After the conversation you see what landed and what to fix, line by line. You can start with a few words and read along, or go off script once you feel ready. There are also role-plays for everyday scenes and pronunciation checks. Short lessons feed into your next conversation.

The guides on this site go with the app. Each one answers one question about Japanese. Kana reads the examples aloud, and there is a quick practice at the end.

Who makes it

HiKana is built by 90us, Inc., a company in San Francisco. It is the U.S. subsidiary of 90dS Inc. in Tokyo. The founder, Hayato Hoshikawa, started his career at Google and later led product at a fan community startup in Tokyo. He writes the guides on this site. A native Japanese speaker checks the text and the audio before anything goes up.

Why we built it

Hayato grew up in Tokyo and moved to San Francisco with his family for work. Living in another country was harder than he expected, even in one of the friendliest cities in the world. If it was that hard there, Japan must be harder still for anyone who loves it and wants to live there. After coming home he traveled through the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South America. Everywhere he went, he met people who loved Japan. They loved the food, the anime, and the feeling of a Japanese street at night.

HiKana is for them. For the person who started learning because of a manga that moved them. For the person who wants to visit Japan and understand what the people around them are saying. For the person already living in Japan and building a life there.

We think a language is different from other skills. Effort alone is not enough. You also need time, real interest, and someone to practice with. You learn, forget, and learn again, for years. Kana is meant to be that someone. She gets to know you, and you get to know her. Read Hayato's full note.

The name

HiKana used to be called Kana - Language Partner. It is the same app with a new name since October 2026. The character is still Kana. The app is HiKana, as in “Hi, Kana!”, the first thing you say when you open it.

At a glance

Name

HiKana (formerly Kana - Language Partner)

Made by

90us, Inc., San Francisco. A subsidiary of 90dS Inc., Tokyo

Founder

Hayato Hoshikawa

Runs on

iOS and Android

Price

Free to download, with in-app purchases

For

English speakers learning to speak Japanese

Contact

[email protected]

Get in touch

Questions, a mistake you spotted, an idea: write to [email protected]. Inside the app you can also message Hayato directly. He answers himself.