Japan Foundation to build anime-character Japanese app by fiscal 2028

The app represents a shift in how the Japan Foundation has approached language learning. Its previous apps and websites relied on original characters due to copyright restrictions, but for this venture it plans to negotiate with rights holders to secure well-known anime and manga characters. It is also the first time the foundation has incorporated AI into its language-learning services.

The timing reflects a broader government push. A 2024 Japan Foundation survey found that interest in anime, manga, J-pop and J-fashion was the most commonly cited motivation for studying Japanese, cited by 61.3% of students at overseas Japanese-language education institutions. The same survey found the number of Japanese-language learners overseas reached a record 4 million, up 5.4% from the previous survey in 2021.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes the app will expand access to Japanese-language education in regions where schools and qualified teachers may be scarce, and provide a relatively low-cost alternative to establishing additional overseas teaching facilities. The ministry has requested ¥1.83 billion ($11.6 million) for fiscal 2027 to support the overseas expansion of Japanese content, part of a wider effort that also includes promoting legitimate distribution channels to combat piracy and supporting translators.