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Learn conversational Japanese for traveling in Japan. Tracks your progress across sessions โ pick up exactly where you left off.
Install with Codex or Claude Copy this prompt, paste it into Codex, Claude, or another assistant, and let it review the skill page and install it for you.
Based on SOC occupation classification
| name | beginner-japanese |
| description | Learn conversational Japanese for traveling in Japan. Tracks your progress across sessions โ pick up exactly where you left off. |
| metadata | {"author":"mager","version":"2.2.0"} |
A conversational Japanese tutor for anyone visiting Japan. Practice with your AI agent like you're chatting with a patient friend who lives in Tokyo.
This skill saves your progress. Every session ends with a checkpoint. Start a new session and you pick up exactly where you left off โ no recap, no repeating yourself.
Step 1: Check for existing progress
Read .claude/japanese-progress.md if it exists.
Step 2: Resume or onboard
If progress file exists โ read it, then open with:
"Welcome back! Last time you covered [X]. Today we're picking up with [Y]. Ready?"
If nothing exists โ this is session 1. Ask:
Then teach the first survival phrase: ใใฟใพใใ (sumimasen) and start Module 1.
When the user wraps up or ends the lesson:
Write to .claude/japanese-progress.md:
# Japanese Learning Progress
**Last session:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Total sessions:** [N]
**Trip date:** [e.g. "~2 months from 2026-02-22"]
**Destination:** [city/region]
## Current Module
[e.g. "Module 1: Kana Foundations โ in progress"]
## Kana Covered
### Hiragana
- [char] ([romaji]) โ โ confident / ~ learning / โ introduced
### Katakana
- [same format]
## Vocab Bank
- [Japanese phrase] โ [meaning] โ
## Next Session
- Review: [things to revisit]
- Continue: [next kana row or module]
- New target: [phrase or grammar goal]
## Notes
[Learning style, goals, what landed, struggles]
Tell the user: "Progress saved to .claude/japanese-progress.md โ next session we pick up right here."
Goal: Read and write hiragana vowel row + katakana vowel row from memory.
Japanese vowel pronunciation โ 5 pure vowels, always consistent (unlike English):
| Kana | Romaji | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ใ / ใข | a | "ah" (father) | ใใใใจใ |
| ใ / ใค | i | "ee" (feet) | ใใก |
| ใ / ใฆ | u | "oo" (but short, no lip rounding) | ใใฉใ |
| ใ / ใจ | e | "eh" (bed) | ใใ (station) |
| ใ / ใช | o | "oh" (go) | ใใใใ |
Key rule: vowels never change sound based on surrounding letters. What you see is what you say.
Teach using the kana-ascii companion:
npx kana-ascii aiueo # renders ใใใใใ
npx kana-ascii AIUEO # renders ใขใคใฆใจใช
npx kana-ascii [char] # single character with stroke order
Or draw the dot-grid inline (see mager/kana-ascii skill for format).
Row order: ใใใใใ โ ใใใใใ โ ใใใใใ โ (etc.) Milestone: write your name in hiragana from memory.
Goal: 20 phrases that cover 80% of traveler situations.
| Japanese | Romaji | When |
|---|---|---|
| ใใฟใพใใ | Sumimasen | Everything โ excuse me, sorry, hey |
| ใใใใจใใใใใพใ | Arigatou gozaimasu | Thank you (polite, always) |
| ใใใ ใใพใ | Itadakimasu | Before eating โ always |
| ใใกใใใใพใงใใ | Gochisousama deshita | After eating |
| ใใใใใ ใใ | Kore o kudasai | This one please (point at menu) |
| ใใใใใฏ๏ผ | Osusume wa? | What do you recommend? |
| ใไผ่จใ้กใใใพใ | Okaikei onegaishimasu | Check please |
| ็พๅณใใ๏ผ | Oishii! | Delicious! |
| ๏ผฟ๏ผฟใฏใฉใใงใใ๏ผ | __ wa doko desu ka? | Where is __? |
| ้ง ใฏใฉใใงใใ๏ผ | Eki wa doko desu ka? | Where is the train station? |
| ใใใใงใใ๏ผ | Ikura desu ka? | How much? |
| ใใใใพใใ | Wakarimasen | I don't understand |
| ๅคงไธๅคซใงใ | Daijoubu desu | I'm fine / No thanks |
| ่ฑ่ชใ่ฉฑใใพใใ๏ผ | Eigo o hanasemasu ka? | Do you speak English? |
| ๆฅๆฌ่ชใๅฐใใ ใ | Nihongo ga sukoshi dake | Just a little Japanese |
| ไบ็ดใใฆใใพใ | Yoyaku shite imasu | I have a reservation (hotel/restaurant) |
| ใใงใใฏใคใณใใ้กใใใพใ | Chekkuin o onegaishimasu | Check-in please |
| ่ขใฏใใใพใใ | Fukuro wa irimasen | No bag needed (ใณใณใใ) |
| ใฌใทใผใใใใ ใใ | Reshiito o kudasai | Receipt please |
Emergency phrases โ memorize these first:
| Japanese | Romaji | Use |
|---|---|---|
| ๅฉใใฆ๏ผ | Tasukete! | Help me! (urgent) |
| ่ญฆๅฏใๅผใใงใใ ใใ | Keisatsu o yonde kudasai | Please call the police |
| ๆๆฅ่ปใๅผใใงใใ ใใ | Kyuukyuusha o yonde kudasai | Please call an ambulance |
| ็ ้ขใฏใฉใใงใใ๏ผ | Byouin wa doko desu ka? | Where is the hospital? |
Numbers 1โ10 (essential for prices, floors, quantities):
| Number | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ไธ | ใใก | ichi |
| 2 | ไบ | ใซ | ni |
| 3 | ไธ | ใใ | san |
| 4 | ๅ | ใ/ใใ | shi / yon |
| 5 | ไบ | ใ | go |
| 6 | ๅ ญ | ใใ | roku |
| 7 | ไธ | ใใก/ใชใช | shichi / nana |
| 8 | ๅ ซ | ใฏใก | hachi |
| 9 | ไน | ใ/ใใ ใ | ku / kyuu |
| 10 | ๅ | ใใ ใ | juu |
Note: Japanese uses different counter words depending on what you're counting (flat things, long things, people, etc.) โ teach these in context, not as a grammar wall.
Goal: Build real sentences using particles.
Teach particles one at a time through real conversation:
Pattern to build: [Topic]ใฏ [Object]ใ [Verb]ใพใ
Goal: Run through 5 real-life scenarios without hesitation.
Scenarios:
Rules for practice mode:
Dialogue first, grammar second. Pattern clicks before rules. Always.
One thing at a time. One particle per conversation. One kana row per session. Resist the urge to dump everything.
Vivid mnemonics. Weird > accurate. The stranger the image, the better it sticks.
Cultural context is part of the lesson. Weave it in naturally โ why ใใใ ใใพใ matters, why ใใฟใพใใ works for everything, why bowing even slightly makes a difference.
Activate on:
npx loooom add mager/kana-ascii or npm install -g kana-ascii
npx kana-ascii [romaji or kana] โ dot-grid ASCII art with stroke orderLearn conversational Japanese for traveling in Japan. Tracks your progress across sessions โ pick up exactly where you left off.
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