Taptaro is a new little app designed by Michele Angeloro to help new learners and first time travelers to Japan familiarize themselves with the words and phrases they need to get around. It’s clean, simple, straightforward, and best of all, free!
The app is broken up into sections like "Language Essentials," "Time and Weather," "Customs and Immigration," and "Emergency." There are single vocabulary words as well as phrases to choose from within each of these categories. Each word or phrase includes the Japanese spelling as well as the romaji and audio from a native speaker. The audio can be played at normal speed (tap) or slow speed (hold down). You also have the option to record your own voice repeating the word, so that you can hear how you actually sound compared to the provided recording.
We’ve read a ton of phrasebooks here at Tofugu, but this one already feels like the most convenient. It’s so simple and easy to use – anyone worried about going to Japan and using Japanese should download this app. Whether you want to use it on the plane ride over to brush up, or to help remember how to order at a restaurant, this app can be a huge time (and embarrassment) saver.