FUJI – a mobile application for learning Japanese, combining character-writing practice, intelligent spaced repetition and tools supporting everyday study, won second place in the team project category of the CreatiWITy 2026 competition. The project was developed by graduates of Applied Computer Science.

“FUJI – a mobile application supporting Japanese language learning with kanji and kana writing systems” was created by Tymoteusz Lango, Tomasz Jaskólski, Tomasz Milewski and Michał Górniak. The project was supervised by Dr Marcin Pietranik.

Learning how to write Japanese

The idea for the application came from Tymoteusz Lango, who studied Japanese in high school. As he observed, one of the biggest challenges in learning the language is not only memorising characters, but mastering how to write them correctly.

– I knew that learning Japanese characters is difficult, and at the same time there was no app that really supported users in this process. I suggested the idea to my teammates, and our supervisor approved it – says Tymoteusz Lango.

The team also noticed clear limitations in existing solutions. Some do not teach correct writing techniques, while others lack an effective revision system. Their goal was to create a comprehensive learning tool.

Practice and stroke order matter

In Japanese writing, not only the final shape of a character matters, but also the order and direction of strokes. As the authors emphasise, this is fundamental to effective learning.

– Each character has a defined stroke order. One of the general rules is to write from top to bottom and from left to right – explains Tymoteusz Lango.

Building good habits with simpler characters helps learners develop fluency when moving on to more complex ones. Without solid foundations, progress can become significantly more difficult.

Three pillars of FUJI

The application is built around three core pillars. The first is an intelligent spaced repetition system. Review intervals are dynamically adjusted to the user’s progress, ensuring that material reappears at the optimal moment.

– The idea is not to repeat everything every day, but to return to characters just as you are about to forget them. This makes the learning process much more efficient – explains Tomasz Jaskólski.

The second pillar is active writing training. Users draw characters directly on the screen, while the system analyses not only the final shape but also the way it was written. If mistakes occur, the app highlights specific strokes that need correction.

The third pillar is a broader ecosystem of learning tools. FUJI includes a character dictionary, vocabulary lists, breakdowns of character components, usage examples and animations demonstrating correct stroke order.

Train with AI

The application also features an AI trainer, functioning as a chatbot for practising conversation. Users can write in Japanese, and the system responds according to their proficiency level.

Each AI-generated message can be translated into English, and the tool additionally highlights potential mistakes in the user’s input.

The app also allows users to listen to the pronunciation of characters and use a free practice mode. Users can draw a symbol manually, and the system suggests the most likely matches and helps identify its meaning. A progress-tracking module enables users to monitor their learning history over time.

The team plans to further develop the project and release it on Google Play. At present, the application is not yet publicly available.