Japan wants anime fans to learn Japanese by talking to the actual characters from their shows. The Japan Foundation is building the AI app at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Instead of the original characters it used in past tools to avoid copyright issues, it now plans to negotiate licenses for recognizable ones. The target is young people overseas. A 2024 survey found that more than 60 percent of Japanese learners abroad already cite anime or manga as a main reason they started studying. So the government is trying to turn an existing hobby into language practice rather than hoping people seek out formal lessons later. Completion is still aimed at 2028 and depends on the funding going through.