箱

合言葉を

hako

first batch · spring 2027

No phrase yet? It's shared in the Discord when you join the beta.

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Try it How it works Founder Edition Process Maker FAQ Notify me
EN 日本語 DE

an ambient Anki companion

A small wooden box
that knows how
your studies are going.

hako sits on your desk and shows how many Anki reviews you have left on a 64×64 LED screen. It never sends notifications.

Founder Edition · $279 Try it →

第一弾 First batch · spring 2027 · 25 numbered units

〇 Try it

Review a few cards. Watch hako react.

This is the real panel, drawn from the same code that runs on the device. Answer some cards and see the count drop, the heatmap fill in and the pet relax. Turn the knob to look around.

一 What it is

A glanceable view of your review queue.

01
hako today screen

What's due today

How many cards are left, how long they'll take, and how many you've done. The number turns green as you catch up.

02
hako study pet screen

A little study pet

It gets nervous when reviews pile up and relaxes once you're caught up. It doesn't track streaks.

03
hako cards screen

Cards you've recently added

Cycles through your newest cards, random ones, or a tag you pick, so you see a few words while you're doing something else.

04
hako six-week heatmap screen

Six weeks of reviews

A heatmap of the last six weeks, your retention, and how many cards are mature, young or new.

二 How it works

Setup takes about five minutes.

You don't need an app or an account, and your study data stays on your Wi-Fi.

  1. 1

    Plug it in

    hako opens its own setup network and shows a QR code.

  2. 2

    Connect with your phone

    Scan the code, or tap your phone on the box. Pick your Wi-Fi and type the password. Time zone and language are set for you.

  3. 3

    Add the hako add-on to Anki

    In Anki, Tools → Add-ons → Get Add-ons, code 1077082455. Click Allow when hako asks.

  4. 4 箱

    Study as usual

    Your reviews show up on the box while Anki is open. Updates install themselves overnight.

三 Founder Edition
Founder Edition mark and number burned into the wood

初版

25 numbered boxes.
One batch. By hand.

$279 + shipping, worldwide

  • Hardwood box with hand-cut Japanese joinery, no screws or nails in the case
  • “Founder Edition” and your number, 01–25, burned into the wood
  • Signed by me, with a handwritten note
  • Power adapter for your country, quick-start card in English, Japanese or German
  • Software updates for as long as hako exists, and a 2-year warranty

25 of 25 left

Pre-orders open spring 2027

Ships about 6–8 weeks after you order. Full refund any time before your box ships. Shipping & returns

Founder Edition or the Kickstarter run?

After these 25, a larger production run goes to Kickstarter. Same screens, same software — here's what's different.

Founder EditionKickstarter run
EnclosureSolid hardwood, Japanese joinery cut by handWood, made in a workshop run
Numbered 01–25 & signedYes, burned into the woodNo
Warranty2 yearsAnnounced at launch
How many25, everA larger run
Price$279Lower, announced at launch
ShipsSpring 2027After the campaign

Want the lower price? Join the waitlist and I'll email you when the Kickstarter launches.

四 Process

Built by one person, in small batches.

Cutting the joinery for a hako box by hand

手作り

Handmade enclosure

I cut each box from solid hardwood, join it by hand without screws or nails, and finish it with oil.

hako internal electronics

電子

Real components

A Raspberry Pi 3 A+ drives a 64×64 RGB LED matrix, with a knob, a shake sensor and an NFC tag for tap-to-open. Every unit is burned in and self-tested before it ships.

少量

Small batches, by design

The first batch is 25 because that's how many I can build well by hand. After that, a bigger run goes to Kickstarter.

What's inside the box

It has one knob, a shake sensor, and an NFC chip under the wood that you tap your phone on.

1 2 3 4 5 6
  1. 64×64 LED panel 4,096 lights, easy to read from across the room
  2. Raspberry Pi and matrix driver runs hako's software and updates itself overnight
  3. NFC chip, just under the wood tap your phone here to set up Wi-Fi or open hako's web page
  4. Shake sensor a gentle shake shows the next screen
  5. Knob turn to change screens, press to refresh, hold for the menu
  6. Power one adapter, made for your country
五 Maker

Made by Jared.

I'm a Japanese learner and YouTuber who's spent the last few years documenting AJATT-style immersion at @jareddesu. hako started because my desk needed something quieter than a phone and more present than a tab.

It's a solo project. Every unit will be assembled, tested, and shipped by me. If you have a question, you'll hear back from me directly.

YouTube ↗ Discord ↗ Twitter ↗
Jared
六 Testers

The people who shaped this.

hako wouldn't exist in its current form without the testers in the Discord who ran builds for months, broke things in interesting ways, and pushed me toward better choices.

@mysticajp

@MysticaJP

@alihene222

@alihene222

@seigyo

@Seigyo

@nwsell

@nwsell

第一弾

First batch drops spring 2027.

25 numbered Founder Edition units, then a larger run on Kickstarter. Drop your email and I'll write when pre-orders open, and when the Kickstarter launches. Nothing else.

I'll email you twice at most: when pre-orders open and when the Kickstarter launches. I won't share your address.

七 FAQ

Questions you might be asking.

Tap any question to read the answer.

It sits on your desk and shows your Anki progress on a 64×64 LED matrix. Six screens you can switch between — today's queue, card health, a six-week heatmap, a study-pet chibi, recent or random card review, and retention percentages. It's ambient, not interactive: there's no touchscreen, no notifications, no app to open.

Through the free hako add-on for Anki (code 1077082455). hako finds Anki on your Wi-Fi by itself, and Anki asks you once to allow it. It can only read your stats — it can't change your collection. Works with Anki on Windows, Mac and Linux while Anki is open. Already use AnkiConnect? That works too.

The Founder Edition is $279 plus shipping. That's what 25 hand-joined, hand-assembled and individually tested units actually cost to make. The Kickstarter run will come in a workshop-made enclosure without the numbering, and will cost less — see Founder Edition or the Kickstarter run?

Yes. The free desktop app for Mac and Windows shows exactly what the box shows. Join the Discord to try it now, or try the demo at the top of this page.

Yes — it works with any Anki deck, whether that's Japanese, a language you're learning, or Step 1. Menus and setup come in 12 languages, including English, 日本語, Deutsch, Español, Français, Português, Русский and 中文.

Yes. After the Founder Edition, a larger run goes to Kickstarter. Join the waitlist and you'll hear when it launches.

Yes, worldwide, with tracking and a power adapter for your country. Shipping is calculated at checkout. Outside the US, your country will probably charge import tax (VAT or GST) on delivery, collected by the carrier. See shipping & returns.

You can cancel for a full refund any time before your box ships, and return it within 30 days of delivery. Every hako has a 2-year warranty: if it stops working, I'll repair or replace it. After that, I'll repair it at the cost of parts and shipping.