Photo of the developer of Bunpo on a collage.

Several years ago, a friend asked Yuki Yamamoto for a little help learning Japanese. Rather than suggesting a book or offering a little one-on-one tutoring, Yamamoto decided to create the app Bunpo. (He’s a very good friend.)

What sets Bunpo apart is that it’s purpose-built to teach just one language. Lessons start with the basics: the three types of characters — hiragana, katakana, and kanji — along with essential vocabulary. Yamamoto’s goal is to impart a mastery of the language, he says.

We spoke to the first-time developer about how he got Bunpo off the ground.

Bunpo’s elegant illustrations and useful audio clips help you master Japanese.

How did you get into app development? When I was in university, I had a friend who was having a difficult time learning Japanese — because it’s quite a difficult language. I thought it would be helpful to make an app, so I started learning the basics of programming using Swift Playgrounds. Everything started from there.

What strategies did you have in mind when creating Bunpo? I wanted learning Japanese to be fun and engaging, but I also wanted to actually teach people. I try to break down everything step by step.

How did you get the word out? After I launched Bunpo, it didn’t have any users at all, so I went to language classes in Kyoto to get feedback. A small group liked the app very early on. From there, people started writing about it.

What’s the response been like recently? There’s been a lot of demand. I think many people wanted to go to language school or come to Japan, but they couldn’t. We’ve seen an increase in our chat, where you can ask a question of a native speaker.

What advice would you give other aspiring developers? Developing an app takes time and patience. Find a project that you feel passionate about and, importantly, one you enjoy the process of building.

Download Bunpo: Learn Japanese from the App Store

Learn more about the App Store Small Business Program