Tsujiru Nihongo® to be used in Tsukuba City’s Future Co-Creation Project
Tsukuba City selected a proposal by CASIO Computer Co., Ltd. for a pilot project using a Japanese learning app under its 2026 Future Co-Creation Project. PRONTEST cooperates in developing the web app Tsujiru Nihongo®, which will be used by foreign residents of Tsukuba City.
The project aims to increase opportunities to speak Japanese by offering pronunciation, reading-aloud, and speaking practice on smartphones and tablets. The period published by Tsukuba City is July 2026 through March 2027.
About the Future Co-Creation Project
The project uses technologies and services from companies and research organizations to test solutions to local issues in Tsukuba City. The selected proposal was submitted by CASIO Computer Co., Ltd. PRONTEST participates as a development partner for the Japanese learning app used in the pilot project.
The official Japanese proposal title is: 「日本語学習アプリ利活用による外国人市民の日本語レベル向上とアプリ個人利用の実証およびコミュニケーション創造による多文化共生の環境づくりの実証」.
Why practice speaking and reading aloud?
Learning words and grammar also requires opportunities to use Japanese aloud. In daily life, learners may have few chances to speak, and it can be difficult to check whether their pronunciation is understood.
This pilot project aims to increase speaking opportunities through reading-aloud practice that people can do at their own pace. Tsukuba City's published materials describe the goal of better communication between Japanese and foreign residents.
About Tsujiru Nihongo®
Tsujiru Nihongo® is a web app for practicing Japanese pronunciation, reading aloud, and speaking. Learners do more than listen or read: they speak, check their results, and practice again.
The learning flow has seven steps: listen, speak, words, pronunciation, grammar, fluent reading aloud, and recorded assessment. Learners speak aloud in every step except listening. The curriculum contains 61 lessons and 147 parts. The project proposal describes an amount of material comparable to one textbook.
Tsujiru Nihongo®
See the Tsujiru Nihongo® product page
Please use a separate form to apply for the Tsukuba City Future Co-Creation Project. Go to the project application instructions
Pronunciation assessment technology
The pronunciation and speaking assessment uses the PRONTEST Engine, based on technology jointly developed by PRONTEST and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). It helps learners identify what to work on in their next attempt at speaking. The goal is communication that the other person can understand, rather than a score alone.
Who is the pilot project for?
The project proposal identifies foreign residents of Tsukuba City as the pilot project's target group and mentions residents aged 15 or older in the participation guidance. Stories in the trial version are intended for learners of high-school age or older, at approximately JLPT N5 to N4 level.
The application form asks about the applicant's connection to Tsukuba City and whether the application is from an individual, school, group, or company. Check the application guidance for the exact eligibility conditions and period of use.
Learn on a smartphone or tablet
Tsujiru Nihongo® is a web app. With an internet connection, learners can practice Japanese reading aloud and pronunciation on a smartphone or tablet, including at home. The pilot project will also examine how people use it at their own pace outside scheduled classes.
What the pilot project will examine
This is a pilot project that will examine the app's effects and areas for improvement. The proposal plans to use surveys and usage data to examine the following points:
- How often and where the app is used
- Changes in learners' Japanese level
- Changes in opportunities to communicate in Japanese
- Learners' evaluation of the app and willingness to continue using it
- Features that need improvement
Japanese learning and multicultural coexistence
The project aims to create more opportunities for Japanese and foreign residents to communicate and to build a community that respects different lives and cultures. Speaking Japanese can matter at school, at work, in local activities, while shopping, and during public procedures. PRONTEST aims to support the move from knowing Japanese to using it in real conversations.
Schedule
The proposal planned to begin a trial in July 2026 and then evaluate its effects through surveys. Tsukuba City lists the overall project period as July 2026 through March 2027. For the exact period when you can use the app, check the license notice or guidance email sent after applying.
How to apply for the Tsukuba City project
If you wish to participate in this pilot project, use the separate application and pre-use survey form for the Tsukuba City project.
- Open the Tsujiru Nihongo® application and pre-use survey form.
- Enter the required details and answer the pre-use survey.
- Review the personal information notice and special terms of use.
- Submit the form.
- Check the license notice or usage instructions sent to your registered email address.
Tsujiru Nihongo® application and pre-use survey
Official information
For the official details of this project, see Tsukuba City's project page and CASIO Computer Co., Ltd.'s publicly available proposal. PRONTEST will continue to support Japanese learners in practicing language they can use in real communication.
