Textbooks and apps teach you Japanese words. What most learners lack is someone to actually talk to: every day, at their level, without feeling embarrassed. A NuraMate companion can be that conversation partner. Turn on Japanese practice, and they'll chat with you mainly in Japanese, keep it at your level, and gently correct one mistake at a time.
How Japanese practice works
- Pick a companion. Aiko, a product designer in Tokyo, and Hana, a landscape architect in Kyoto, are natural choices, but any companion can practise with you.
- Turn on practice. In the chat options, choose Practice Japanese.
- Just talk. Write in Japanese, even if it's simple. Your companion answers mainly in Japanese, matched to your level.
- Learn from one correction. If you made a mistake, the reply ends with one short correction (✏️) and a few words about why, in the language you use the site in.
What a practice chat looks like
You: きのう、友だちと映画を見るました。とても楽しいでした！
Aiko: いいですね！何の映画を見ましたか？わたしも週末に映画を見たいです。
✏️ 友だちと映画を見ました。とても楽しかったです。 Past tense is 見ました (not 見るました), and い-adjectives take かった: 楽しかったです.
The conversation keeps going first; the correction comes after, so it feels like talking with a friend rather than taking a test.
Built for Japanese learners
- Kana and simple kanji. Your companion writes with kana and everyday kanji, adding readings in brackets for harder kanji, like 練習（れんしゅう）.
- Your level, rising with you. Write simply and the replies stay short and simple. As you improve, the language gets richer.
- Ask anytime. Don't know a word? Ask in English (or your language) and you'll get a quick answer, then the chat continues in Japanese.
- Polite or casual. Practice です/ます form first, then ask your companion to switch to casual speech (タメ口) when you're ready.
Tips for faster progress
- Write every day, even three sentences. Short daily practice beats a long weekly session.
- Talk about your real life. What you ate, what annoyed you at work. You'll learn the words you actually need.
- Practise out loud. Use a voice call to work on speaking and listening.
- Pin new words. Save a useful phrase as a memory, and your companion can bring it back later.
- Combine with a course. Use a textbook or app for grammar, and NuraMate to use it in conversation.
Why a companion, not a tutor bot
A companion has a personality, interests and a life of their own. Aiko loves night photography and jazz; Hana loves gardens and tea. There's always something to talk about, and because they remember you, conversations build on each other like they would with a real language-exchange partner.
