Kansai Japanese, or Kansai-ben, is spoken around Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. Where standard Japanese says for "won't go", Kansai speakers say , and the accent rises and falls differently. Nearly every Japanese app teaches standard Japanese, so this page checks which apps teach Kansai-ben, and what the others are still good for. For books, websites, and videos, see our guide to Kansai Japanese resources.
Our Japanese app comparison covers apps for standard Japanese, and our Kansai Japanese comprehensible input guide covers what to read and watch.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Kansai Japanese. You learn from Kansai Japanese you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Kansai Japanese lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
Try asking what adds to a sentence.
Bubblegum focuses on reading and listening more than speaking. For speaking, try the tutors and partners below.
- Lessons are written in Kansai Japanese.
- Lessons use Kansai forms like , , , , and negative verbs with , in the dialogue and the narration.
- Furigana shows the reading above every kanji.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Saved words come back in new lessons through Regenerative Review™, and you can send them to Anki too.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter in the free Japanese Hiragana course, with a picture to help you remember each one.
- You can't turn books or manga you have into lessons. However, you can send Poppy a screenshot of a page, and she'll explain it line by line.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Kansai speech
Mobile
JapanesePod101
Five of the seven lessons run about two minutes each, and the other two cover escalator manners and Kansai foods. It is a short taste of the dialect, not a full course.
- An Introduction to Kansai Dialect: seven short audio lessons with 72 vocabulary items.
- It explains what the dialect is and how it differs from standard Japanese.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Kansai speech (partly)
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- Go! Go! Nihon: Learn Kansai-benA pre-recorded video course on Kansai-ben in seven days of lessons, with skits, quizzes, and a student community. It suggests at least JLPT N5 level, and Day 1 has a free preview.
Satori Reader
Read here for your standard Japanese base, then listen for how Kansai speakers change the endings.
- More than 1,650 stories to read or listen to, with grammar explanations built into the text.
- The text shows kanji you know and adds readings to the ones you don't.
- Flashcards
- Standard Japanese, not Kansai speech
MobileWeb
Duolingo's Japanese course teaches standard Japanese, and its course page does not list Kansai-ben.
italki
Profiles of tutors from Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe mention Kansai dialect lessons, and some add Kansai culture.
- Find tutors from Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe who teach Kansai dialect.
- Get feedback while you speak.
MobileWeb
Tandem
Tandem has Japanese speakers in Osaka and Kyoto. Try your on one of them and ask how it sounds.
- Practice with messages and video chat.
- Find language partners in Osaka and Kyoto.
- It can take a few tries to find a partner who matches your interests and time.
MobileWeb
| App | Teaches Kansai Japanese | What It Gives You |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Yes | Lessons, stories, and news in Kansai-ben at your level |
| JapanesePod101 | PartlyA seven-lesson series | Short audio lessons for upper-intermediate learners |
| Go! Go! Nihon | Yes, a video course | Seven days of Kansai-ben lessons |
| Satori Reader | No, standard Japanese | Graded stories with audio |
| Duolingo | No, standard Japanese | Short, game-like lessons |
| italki | PartlyWith a tutor from Kansai | Speaking with feedback |
| Tandem | PartlyWith a partner in Osaka or Kyoto | Conversation practice |
| App | Free? | What's Free |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Free version | Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. |
| JapanesePod101 | Free version | A free JapanesePod101 account gives you a survival phrases course and the first 3 lessons of every pathway, with new lessons each week. Paid plans open every lesson, and Premium starts with a 7-day free trial. |
| Satori Reader | Some lessons free | A free Satori Reader account never expires and gives you selected episodes. Satori Reader Pro opens the whole library of stories. |
| italki | Paid | You pay for each lesson, and each teacher sets their own price. Practicing with the community and taking the level test are free. |
| Tandem | Free version | Signing up is free, and Tandem reviews each new member first. Many features are free, and Tandem Pro gives you all of them. |
| Go! Go! Nihon: Learn Kansai-ben | Some lessons free | You can preview the first day of the course for free. |
The number of languages you can use an app in isn't the same as the languages its lessons explain things in, so check one lesson in your language before you pay.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 76 | Supported language pairs |
| JapanesePod101 | 1 | App Store |
| Satori Reader | — | App Store |
| italki | 19 | App Store |
| Tandem | 14 | App Store |
| Go! Go! Nihon: Learn Kansai-ben | — | Page |
Which Kansai Japanese app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Kansai Japanese, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with a tutor on italki if you want someone from Osaka, Kyoto, or Kobe to correct you while you speak. Add Tandem if you want a practice partner in Osaka or Kyoto.
Should I learn Kansai-ben or standard Japanese first?
Begin with standard Japanese, since textbooks and many apps teach it and you can use it anywhere in Japan. Learn Kansai-ben when you plan to live, study, or work around Osaka, Kyoto, or Kobe, or when you want to follow Kansai comedy.
Why do so few apps teach Kansai-ben?
Japanese apps are built around standard Japanese, the form used in textbooks, exams, and news. The Kansai lessons that exist are short series and single courses, so the Kansai Japanese guide combines them with a tutor and real Kansai media.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kansai dialect (accent, negative endings, and comedians)
- JapanesePod101: An Introduction to Kansai Dialect (7 audio lessons, Upper Intermediate)
- JapanesePod101: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Innovative Language: mobile app study tools
- Go! Go! Nihon: Learn Kansai-ben online
- Satori Reader
- Satori Reader on the App Store
- Duolingo: Japanese course for English speakers
- italki: Japanese teachers
- italki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Tandem: Learn Japanese in Osaka
- Tandem: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- HelloTalk: Japanese partners in Japan
- HelloTalk: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- JapanesePod101: pricing
- Satori Reader: pricing
- italki: home page (lesson prices)
- Tandem: home page (what is free)
- Tandem on the App Store (what is free)
- Bubblegum
