Everything you need to know about Kizuna before you sign up.
Kizuna (絆) is a cross-cultural connection app designed to bridge Japanese people and international users living in, visiting, or interested in Japan. It facilitates friendships, language partnerships, cultural exchange, and meaningful connections of all kinds — it's not exclusively a dating app.
The name 絆 means "bond" in Japanese, and the app is built around the idea that relationships take time, intention, and cultural understanding to grow.
Kizuna is for anyone who wants genuine cross-cultural connections with Japan. During sign-up, you'll choose one of two user types:
This selection shapes your discovery experience so you're always meeting people across cultures, not within the same group.
Yes! Kizuna has a generous free tier that includes basic access to both Dating and Social modes, limited daily likes and connections, message translation (10 per day), and 1 active bond slot.
For power users, Premium unlocks unlimited likes, connections, translations, 3 bond slots, and the ability to initiate video calls. Premium Plus adds priority visibility in discovery.
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account and use Kizuna. We take age requirements seriously and reserve the right to request verification at any time. In Japan, additional age verification may apply under applicable law.
Kizuna offers two distinct ways to discover people:
You choose whether to opt into Dating Mode during onboarding. If you only want social connections, that's perfectly fine — Social Mode works independently.
Yes. If you opt into dating during sign-up, you'll see a tab switcher at the top of the Discover screen that lets you toggle between Dating Mode and Social Mode freely. Each mode runs its own discovery pool independently.
Kokuhaku (告白) is Kizuna's signature feature, inspired by the Japanese cultural tradition of formally confessing your feelings. Instead of a casual "DTR" text, you send a beautifully designed seasonal letter to someone you've been chatting with, telling them you want to form a deeper bond.
If they accept, you become bonded — unlocking special features and deepening your connection within the app.
Kokuhaku letters come in seasonal editions that rotate throughout the year, each with a unique design inspired by Japanese seasonal aesthetics:
Each edition is a one-time purchase. The seasonal design adds a personal, intentional feel that a regular message can't match.
Bond slots limit how many accepted Kokuhaku bonds you can hold at once. Free users get 1 slot, while Premium and Premium Plus users get 3 slots. This keeps bonds meaningful — you can't bond with everyone at once.
If you want to form a new bond when your slots are full, you'd need to release an existing bond first or upgrade your subscription.
Kokuhaku letters expire after 7 days if the recipient doesn't respond. An expired letter is treated as a gentle decline. Kokuhaku purchases are non-refundable regardless of the outcome — this reflects the sincerity and courage behind the act of confessing.
Every meaningful interaction with a bonded person earns experience points (XP) that deepen your bond level:
Higher levels unlock features like voice messages (unlocked at Friend level) and show the world that your bond is real.
XP is earned through genuine interactions with your bonded person:
There's a weekly cap of 200 XP per bond to prevent gaming the system. Bonds also experience a small daily decay (−5 XP) if inactive, so real relationships are rewarded over abandoned ones.
When you're meeting a Kizuna connection in person, you can set up a timed safety check-in. Choose who you're meeting (from your matches/connections), set a time limit, and designate an emergency contact.
If you don't confirm your safety by the deadline, Kizuna automatically sends an SMS alert to your emergency contact. It's a simple but powerful safety net, especially when meeting someone cross-culturally for the first time.
Kizuna offers optional video-based profile verification. You record a short video following a prompt, and our system uses face detection technology to confirm you're a real person. Verified profiles get a visible badge that builds trust with other users.
Note: verification confirms you're a real human — it's not a full identity check or background screening.
Kizuna uses AI-powered moderation to keep the community safe:
Kizuna uses a 3-strike system: each violation adds a strike, and 3 strikes result in a permanent ban. Strikes are not removed over time.
Yes. You can report a user for violating community guidelines or block them at any time. Blocking removes the match/connection and prevents them from finding you in discovery. Reports are reviewed by our team and may result in content removal, strikes, or account suspension.
Kizuna uses DeepL for real-time message translation. Tap any message in chat to see it translated between English and Japanese. Translations are cached so you only use one translation credit per message.
Free users get 10 translations per day. Premium subscribers get unlimited translations.
Kakehashi (架け橋, meaning "bridge") is Kizuna's built-in language learning system. When you receive a message in Japanese (or English), you can tap the Kaisetsu (解説) chip to get an AI-powered word-by-word breakdown — readings, meanings, and grammar notes.
Words you find useful can be saved to your personal vocabulary notebook (Tangochou / 単語帳), where you can review them later with flashcards. It turns every conversation into a language learning opportunity.
Yes. Kizuna's entire interface is fully bilingual — every screen, button, and notification is available in both English and Japanese. The app can auto-detect your device language or you can set your preferred language during onboarding. You can switch at any time in Settings.
Yes! Kizuna supports both video and voice calls between matched or connected users. Premium and Premium Plus users can initiate calls, while all users can receive and join them. Calls are one-on-one and have a maximum duration of 1 hour.
Recording calls without the other person's consent is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate account termination.
Kizuna's design changes with Japan's five traditional seasons, giving the app a living, breathing feel:
Colors, animations, and even Kokuhaku letter designs shift with each season — it's one of the things that makes Kizuna feel distinctly Japanese.
Subscriptions are managed through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, not within the app itself. To cancel, go to your device's subscription settings, find Kizuna, and cancel there. Your Premium features stay active until the end of the current billing period.
You can delete your account at any time from the Settings screen inside the app. Account deletion is permanent — your profile, photos, messages, matches, connections, bonds, and all associated data will be removed. This action cannot be undone.
If you have an active subscription, remember to cancel it through your device's store settings as well to avoid future charges.
Refunds for subscriptions and in-app purchases are handled by the Apple App Store or Google Play Store — Kizuna doesn't process refunds directly. Kokuhaku letter purchases are non-refundable regardless of whether the recipient accepts, declines, or lets the letter expire.