Parents looking at Gus on the Go Japanese usually have a toddler or preschooler and a few quick questions: what age is it for, is it free, what will my child actually learn, and is the app still being looked after?
We run an online Japanese school for children growing up outside Japan. Here is a straightforward review, checked against the developer’s own pages and the App Store listing as of September 2026.
What Gus on the Go is
Gus on the Go is a series of vocabulary apps for young children, made by toojuice, LLC. A friendly owl called Gus guides a child through picture lessons, a quick review, and then small games that unlock as they go. There is a separate app for each language, and Japanese is one of them. The developer’s press page gives the target age as 2 to 6.
When the first words are learned, who will your child say them to?
TOMODACHI JAPAN is an online Japanese school for children growing up outside Japan. They talk with peers their own age in Japan every day, taught by teachers working at Japanese schools, in small classes of 8.
🎁 Register and we’ll email you our School Guide (PDF, in English) straight away. You’ll also be first to hear about tuition, scholarships and opening dates.
Free · takes about 30 seconds
What Gus on the Go Japanese teaches
- Nearly 90 words in eight themes: animals, food, transport, clothes, numbers, colours, body parts and shapes.
- Ten activities, with audio recorded by a native Japanese speaker.
- Script: words are shown in hiragana and katakana, without kanji. Romaji appears only in the free printable flashcards on the developer’s website.
That scope is worth pausing on. Around ninety words is a lovely first set for a three-year-old — and it is also the whole app. It is a starter, not a course.
Is Gus on the Go free?
On iOS, each language is a one-time purchase, with no subscription. The App Store listing says there are no ads, no in-app purchases, no tracking and no data collected — which, for a toddler app, is exactly what you want to read. On Android the Japanese app is listed under a different name (Gus Learns Japanese for Kids); check the price model there directly. We do not quote prices, because store prices change.
Is the app still maintained?
This is the question older reviews cannot answer. The Japanese app on iOS went eight years without an update — from February 2018 until a new version in September 2026, described simply as bug fixes and improvements. So it runs on current devices, but the lessons themselves have not changed since 2018. That is not necessarily a problem for a vocabulary set of colours and animals; just know what you are buying.
What it does well
- Genuinely toddler-sized. Short lessons, big pictures, a character to follow.
- Clean and safe. Pay once, no ads, no links out, nothing collected.
- Native audio, so the first sounds a child hears are right.
- Screen-free extras. The free printable flashcards work well on the fridge.
Where it runs out
- Vocabulary only. Independent reviewers note there is no conversation and no grammar.
- Short shelf life. Reviewers also note that children can find it babyish by first grade.
- Kana on screen from the start. One App Store reviewer felt it assumes children already recognise hiragana and katakana. For a pre-reader, the audio and pictures carry the lesson; a parent sitting alongside helps.
- Works best with a parent. Reviewers point out that the words stick when a grown-up repeats them in daily life.
How it compares
| Gus on the Go Japanese | Dinolingo | TOMODACHI JAPAN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | About 2 to 6 | From 2 | School-age children |
| Content | About 90 words | 1,250+ words, 8 levels | Live lessons that keep going |
| How you pay | Once per language (iOS) | Subscription | Tuition |
| Ads | None | None | None |
| Conversation | No | No | Every session |
| Other children | No | No | Peers in Japan, in a class of 8 |
What to do after the first ninety words
For a small child, the best next step is not a bigger app. It is people: a Japanese-speaking parent or grandparent narrating the day, songs in the car, a local Japanese playgroup if there is one near you. Words learned on a screen become language when somebody answers.
Once your child starts school, the Japanese around them usually thins out just as their other language takes over. That is the point where regular contact with other children who speak Japanese matters most.
Where TOMODACHI JAPAN fits
- Live classes of 8, with peers their own age in Japan.
- Teachers working at Japanese schools, used to children who are just starting to read kana.
- Speaking every session, so words have somewhere to go.
- Ongoing, for the school years when Japanese most often fades.
Gus on the Go is a sweet, safe first step for a toddler. When your child is ready for more than a first word list, that is where we come in.
Frequently asked questions
What age is Gus on the Go for?
The developer’s press page says 2 to 6. Most children enjoy it most as preschoolers.
Does Gus on the Go Japanese teach kanji?
No. Words appear in hiragana and katakana. Romaji appears only in the free printable flashcards.
Is it a subscription?
Not on iOS, where each language is bought once. Check the Android listing for its own terms.
Will my child be able to speak Japanese after using it?
They will recognise and say a first set of everyday words. Speaking in sentences comes from talking with people, which no vocabulary app provides.
In short
- Gus on the Go Japanese is a toddler vocabulary app (about ages 2 to 6) from toojuice, LLC.
- Nearly 90 words in eight themes, native audio, hiragana and katakana only.
- One-time purchase on iOS, with no ads, in-app purchases or data collection.
- Updated in September 2026 after eight years, but the content dates from 2018.
- A lovely first step; plan for people, not just more apps, once the words are learned.
