Built by people who needed it.
We are three half-Japanese siblings. We grew up between two languages, and when we tried to get serious about Japanese, we hit the same wall everyone does.
Every app we tried got something wrong. Some buried real explanations under streaks and confetti. Some assumed you already knew the basics. Most were built to be opened, not to actually take you somewhere. We were juggling four of them at once and still not making real progress.
So we built the app we wished we had. One that explains the why, not just the what. One that starts where you are, whether that is your very first hiragana or somewhere short of fluency. One that feels like a knowledgeable friend who is rooting for you, not another app to drop after week two.
What we believe
HeyShima takes you from your first kana to JLPT N5 with clear, beginner-friendly lessons, a gentle daily review built on spaced repetition, and mock exams that mirror the real test. It works offline, so the whole course travels with you. And it is calm by design, because learning a language is hard enough without an app shouting at you.
To meet every Japanese learner where they are, and help them make real progress, with tools that feel like a knowledgeable friend, not another app to drop after week two.
Our vision: a world where every Japanese learner, whether chasing a career milestone or reconnecting with their roots, has exactly what they need to break through.
What we stand for
Progress over performance
Real advancement beats streaks and scores. We measure success by how much closer you are to your actual goal.
Meet you where you are
Complete beginner or stuck before fluency, there is no starting from zero and no dumbing it down. You come in with your own reason and your own next step. We work with that.
Culturally genuine
Japanese by design, not a Western app wearing a kimono. The language, the mascot, and the feel are all rooted in something real.
Friend first, teacher second
Warm and encouraging, but rigorous when it matters. Sixty percent friend, forty percent teacher. Never condescending, never chaotic.
Calm confidence
Using HeyShima should leave you feeling calm and capable, not anxious, overwhelmed, or guilty for missing a day.