Dear parent,
I want to tell you something before I tell you anything else about Mukashi.
Mukashi was founded on a simple belief: children learn best when they are inspired by something that genuinely matters to them. When they care about what happens next. When they are not studying English but helping a friend find their way home. A child who wants to learn is the child who comes back every day, and consistency is the single most important element of learning a language.
Every decision we make at Mukashi is guided by one idea - our own guiding star: we want your child to be 25 years old one day and suddenly remember Hoshi. Remember the whale. Remember the night they finally saw the stars. And feel something warm in their chest.
Not a test score. Not a certificate. Not a measurable proficiency outcome.
A memory. The kind that lives quietly until a quiet morning brings it back. The kind you cannot quite explain to someone who wasn't there.
That is what I am trying to give your child.
I know that sounds like an unusual thing for a learning app to say. Most products in this space will tell you about their methodology, their results, their framework. Mukashi has all of those things and they matter. But they are not why I built this.
Hoshi is a star spirit, far from home. Every world your child explores is part of his journey back to the stars. Every word they learn lights his path a little brighter. They are not a student being tested. They are a companion. That distinction changes everything about how they experience the work.
The reading is real. The method is proven. The progress is trackable. But the reason it works is simpler than any of that: your child will open Mukashi because they want to know what happens to Hoshi. And while they are finding out, they will learn English.
That is the whole idea.
I hope you will give them the chance to find out.
With warmth,
Tom
Founder, Mukashi
Dear parent,
I want to tell you something before I tell you anything else about Mukashi.
Mukashi was founded on a simple belief: children learn best when they are inspired by something that genuinely matters to them.
When they care about what happens next. When they are not studying English but helping a friend find their way home. A child who wants to learn is the child who comes back every day.
Every decision we make at Mukashi is guided by one idea: we want your child to be 25 years old one day and suddenly remember Hoshi. Remember the whale. Remember the night they finally saw the stars.
And feel something warm in their chest. Not a test score. Not a certificate. A memory. The kind that lives quietly until a quiet morning brings it back.
That is what I am trying to give your child.
I know that sounds unusual for a learning app to say. Most will tell you about their methodology, their results. Mukashi has all of those things. But they are not why I built this.
Hoshi is a star spirit, far from home. Every world your child explores is part of his journey back to the stars. Every word they learn lights his path a little brighter. They are not a student being tested. They are a companion.
The reading is real. The method is proven. The progress is trackable. But the reason it works is simpler: your child will open Mukashi because they want to know what happens to Hoshi.
And while they are finding out, they will learn English. That is the whole idea.
I hope you will give them the chance to find out.
With warmth,
Tom
Founder, Mukashi
Why it works
Mukashi builds real English skills through a story your child genuinely cares about.
Other apps contain stories. Mukashi is powered by one. Hoshi has a quest. The child has a reason to care. When the motivation is real, the learning is invisible.
Hoshi's house fills with memories. Postcards arrive from new worlds. Easter eggs reward the curious. A new world every week. Your child won't need reminding to come back.
The Lighthouse gives you Star Charts, progress reports, and A Letter from Hoshi: a personal summary at the end of every world. In English and Japanese. Everything included. Always.
Click the Adults door below to learn more.
Every path leads to adventure. Choose your plan below:
For families who love to read together.
For classrooms ready to explore.
Things parents often wonder before they knock.
Is it safe for young children?
Mukashi is designed for ages 4 and up. There is no social component, no advertising, and no user-generated content. Stories are written and illustrated by our team. Every word is chosen carefully.
What language is it in?
Stories are currently written in English with Japanese available on selected titles. We are actively expanding. The toggle in the top corner switches the interface language. Story language is set per title.
How often do new stories arrive?
New stories (and a new world) are added every week. Subscribers receive a small letter from Hoshi when something new is waiting. We never add stories without telling you first.
Can I cancel any time?
Yes. Cancel from your dashboard with one click. No phone calls, no hoops. Your child keeps access until the end of the paid period. Everything they read is remembered if you come back.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Stories download automatically when connected. Once downloaded they are available without internet. Good for travel, quiet mornings, and places where the wifi is unreliable.
What devices does it work on?
Any modern browser on tablet, desktop, or phone. There is no app to download. We recommend a tablet for the full illustrated experience, but all screen sizes are supported.
We are a school. Can we use Mukashi?
Yes. The Lighthouse plan is built for classrooms. It includes a teacher dashboard, curriculum notes, a whole-class mode for shared reading, and much more. Click through the Adults Door in the About Section for comprehensive explanations of each feature. Feel free to contact us with any questions and we will get back to you within one school day.
Who makes the stories?
Mukashi is a small studio. The stories are written and illustrated by our team of native English speakers, with input from early childhood educators and readers. Hoshi is very involved in the editorial process.
How are the books structured?
Each world contains between 10-20 books - each containing words that have been hand selected by native speakers and experienced ESL teachers, to build on the child's existing vocabulary. Every book builds on top of the vocabulary learned from the last, and each world continues that progression, from Pre-Eiken to Eiken.
Using proven linguistic techniques, we combine the latest in linguistic research with cutting edge technology - to provide an engaging and educational experience that has your child wanting to come back day after day. Consistency is key in language acquisition.
Can I try Mukashi before I subscribe?
Absolutely! We want you to! On our homepage you can explore the entire first world. All sections of the world are explorable, but the demo limits you to just the first 4 books.
The full first world has all 16 books.
Is it safe for young children?
Mukashi is designed for ages 4 and up. There is no social component, no advertising, and no user-generated content. Stories are written and illustrated by our team. Every word is chosen carefully.
What language is it in?
Stories are currently written in English with Japanese available on selected titles. We are actively expanding. The toggle in the top corner switches the interface language. Story language is set per title.
How often do new stories arrive?
New stories (and a new world) are added every week. Subscribers receive a small letter from Hoshi when something new is waiting. We never add stories without telling you first.
Can I cancel any time?
Yes. Cancel from your dashboard with one click. No phone calls, no hoops. Your child keeps access until the end of the paid period. Everything they read is remembered if you come back.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Stories download automatically when connected. Once downloaded they are available without internet. Good for travel, quiet mornings, and places where the wifi is unreliable.
What devices does it work on?
Any modern browser on tablet, desktop, or phone. There is no app to download. We recommend a tablet for the full illustrated experience, but all screen sizes are supported.
We are a school. Can we use Mukashi?
Yes. The Lighthouse plan is built for classrooms. It includes a teacher dashboard, curriculum notes, a whole-class mode for shared reading, and much more. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Who makes the stories?
Mukashi is a small studio. The stories are written and illustrated by our team of native English speakers, with input from early childhood educators. Hoshi is very involved in the editorial process.
How are the books structured?
Each world contains 10-20 books with words hand-selected by native speakers and ESL teachers. Every book builds on the vocabulary from the last, and each world continues that progression from Pre-Eiken to Eiken.
Can I try Mukashi before I subscribe?
Absolutely! On our homepage you can explore the entire first world. All sections are explorable, but the demo limits you to the first 4 books. The full first world has all 16.
While your child explores Hoshi's world, The Lighthouse is yours.
It is the place where the journey is watched over. Where progress is recorded, not as data, but as a constellation of effort. Every book read, every word learned, every world completed leaving its mark on the map.
The Lighthouse gives you Star Charts that show your child's journey at a glance. Letters from Hoshi that arrive when a world is complete - warm, personal, written about your child specifically. A Journey Map that makes the adventure visible from the outside. Spelling Cards for every word your child has learned. For educators, we offer a full suite of classroom resources, audio guides, activity sheets and multi-student management tools.
Everything in The Lighthouse is designed around one principle: a parent or teacher should be able to understand exactly where a child is, feel genuinely good about it, and know what comes next - without it ever feeling like a performance review.
Hoshi is in there somewhere, travelling. The Lighthouse watches over the journey. You can always see how far they have come.
Requires annual commitment. Price per student.
The Lighthouse Small
5-10 students. ¥23,760/year. ¥1,980/mo
The Lighthouse Medium
11-20 students. ¥21,360/year. ¥1,780/mo
The Lighthouse Growing
21-50 students. ¥18,000/year. ¥1,500/mo
The Lighthouse Large
51+ students
Enquire →
All Lighthouse plans are billed annually. Payment can be made in full or in two installments aligned to the Japanese academic year - April and October. Consumption tax (10%) will be added at checkout.
