JAPOW! Teaches You Japanese Slang, Free For A Limited Time
JAPOW! (Free) by Cocone is a language learning app that exposes the hilarious side of Japanese culture. With over 100 words and corresponding illustrations, you will learn plenty of street slang to help you fit in on your next trip to Japan. Just try not to be a hetare (coward) while you are there.
If you are studying Japanese, or plan on visiting Japan soon, this app offers words and phrases that you probably won’t learn in your translation book. Things like, dango-bana, which is an insult to a person’s nose, or kira kira, which is a sound symbolism for twinkling, or sparkling. There are six different vocabulary categories, including: sound symbolism, idioms, people, “Japanglish,” other expressions and “Did you know?” which is a Japanese trivia fact section.
Not only will you learn phrases like, zamaa-miro (“serves you right”), but you can also save words as favorites. When you "star" a word or phrase, it gets ranked in popularity. The ranking system feature shows how many times a word or phrase has been "favorited" and lists them by popularity. You can also view the ones you have saved in your favorites section.
If you would like to speak with someone in Japan, or communicate with other people who love Japanese culture, you can post something to the in-app message board. Here, you can ask someone from Japan a question about where they live or what movies or music they like. Once you post your question, others will respond. For example, one Japanese user asked a question about the difficulties in learning the English language. Seven other users responded, some from Japan, some English speakers. You could potentially build a bond of friendship across the ocean.
Overall, this iPhone/iPod touch app is clever and educational. You can brush up on your Japanese colloquialisms, meet new people, and laugh at funny pictures of men stuffing hot dogs in their mouths. Fans of quirky Japanese culture will enjoy the decidedly fun loving nature of this app. It is available free in the App Store for a limited time.
