# kotori: Japanese Novel Reader — Furigana, Dictionary, Classics > Japanese literature reader with vertical text, offline dictionary, and annotation tools. (iPhone/iPad app by Tatsuhiko Kawana.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kotori-japanese-novel-reader/id6759166859 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Tatsuhiko Kawana](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877115707) - Category: Books, Education - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 121 MB - Languages: American English, Japanese - Released: 2026-03-02 - Data updated: 2026-10-28 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kotori-japanese-novel-reader/id6759166859/reviews.md ## What is kotori? Natsume Soseki, Dazai Osamu, Akutagawa Ryunosuke and more: kotori is an Aozora Bunko reader that beautifully displays about 17,600 public-domain works in vertical text with ruby (furigana). Start reading, or pick up where you left off — more easily than ever. kotori is a quiet place to read Japanese literature. No ads, no sign-up. ■ Bring literature closer with Kotori I want to read literary works like a paperback. I want to look up unfamiliar words right as I read. I want to revisit a passage that stayed with me anytime. Kotori connects reading, looking things up, and returning to favorites — creating a reading environment where you can slowly immerse yourself in a work. ■ Find your next read - Book of the week Each week, kotori introduces one work with a passage that shows what makes it special. - Browse by mood, theme, or author Find something that fits how you feel, from "something slow" to "something strange". Narrow each mood further to your taste, and every curated mood pick comes with a short note on why we chose it. Author guides lead you through the classics. - Work and author pages Every work and author has its own page. Jump to an author from Home, Explore, or any work page. - Your bookshelf Favorites, books in progress and finished books live on your bookshelf, and downloaded works now appear there too. Jump back into anything you left partway through. - Widget and reminders Open the book of the week or your current read from the Home Screen widget. Turn on reminders for a gentle nudge to return to the book you're reading. ■ Key Features - Vertical text + ruby support Full vertical text with ruby (furigana). Even works with older kanji forms or unfamiliar words read as naturally as a printed book. - Built-in offline dictionary (approx. 91,000 entries) Look up words on the spot, instantly. Even without a network connection, you can check meanings without interrupting your reading. - Table of contents to jump where you want Browse chapters of long works or short stories from a list and quickly open the section you want. Also handy when returning to a work you left partway through. - In-text search to find that passage again Search within a work for memorable phrases, character names, or scenes that caught your attention. Get right back to the passage you want to revisit. - Highlights & Notes Highlight passages that resonate with you and save them with notes. Even after finishing, you can look back on a work through your own words. - Search by title, author, or reading Quickly find what you want to read by title, author name, or phonetic reading. Download works to enjoy reading even where there is no signal. - A reading environment that suits you Choose from 4 themes — Light, Dark, Sepia, and Aozora — and 2 fonts — Gothic and Mincho — with fine-grained text size settings. Read in a setting that suits your eyes, morning or night. ■ Nothing between you and the story - No ads — nothing to interrupt your reading - No registration — start reading right away On screen, it's just you and the work. kotori is a small doorway into the treasure trove of Japanese literature. Savor it in beautiful vertical text, look up words, and return to the passages that stayed with you. Find your own reading time with kotori. ## Key features - Vertical text display with ruby annotations - Offline Japanese dictionary - Customizable themes and font styles - Highlight and memo feature - Quick search by title or author - No ads or registration required ## Is kotori safe? Not enough ratings yet to assess kotori. ## Is kotori legit? kotori: Japanese Novel Reader has limited verification signals. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for kotori is 58 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data. ## Recent user reviews (7 of 7) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kotori-japanese-novel-reader/id6759166859/reviews.md ### 5/5 — 佐藤 *2026-08-20* 本が無料で読めるのは良いですね。 ただ、タップした時に反応が出るのが遅いのが欠点ですね。 ここを直していただけるとありがたいです。 ### 2/5 — いまいち使いづらい *2026-08-15* フォントや辞書機能など一応工夫されているが、読書途中に一時停止すると最初のページに戻ってしまい、そのたびに途中ページを探して戻るという手間が大変。何とかならないのか？ **Developer response:** この度はご不便をおかけし申し訳ございません。ご指摘いただいた「読書途中に一時停止すると最初のページに戻ってしまう」不具合につきまして、最新版（v1.0.13）にて修正いたしました。アプリを最新版に更新していただくと、読書中に他のアプリに切り替えたり、アプリを閉じたりしても、途中のページが正しく保存されるようになります。 貴重なフィードバックをいただき誠にありがとうございました。今後もより快適にご利用いただけるよう改善を続けてまいります。 ### 5/5 — 重宝 *2026-08-04* 字も大きくできるし、カフェでランチしながら読んだことのない短編など読むのにちょうどよいし、よい時間となります ### 2/5 — いまいち使いづらい *2026-07-14* フォントや辞書機能など一応工夫されているが、読書途中に一時停止すると最初のページに戻ってしまい、そのたびに途中ページを探して戻るという手間が大変。何とかならないのか？ **Developer response:** この度はご不便をおかけし申し訳ございません。ご指摘いただいた「読書途中に一時停止すると最初のページに戻ってしまう」不具合につきまして、最新版（v1.0.13）にて修正いたしました。アプリを最新版に更新していただくと、読書中に他のアプリに切り替えたり、アプリを閉じたりしても、途中のページが正しく保存されるようになります。 貴重なフィードバックをいただき誠にありがとうございました。今後もより快適にご利用いただけるよう改善を続けてまいります。 ### 3/5 — 上下が切れる *2026-07-10* iOS26.5 上下のコントロールが被さって上下が読めません。文字サイズ調整でも同様です。 ### 4/5 — なかなか良いです。 *2026-05-01* 小説が読みやすくて、良いと思いました。 ### 4/5 — あと一歩 *2026-04-27* 読みやすいので気に入りました。 アイコンもかわいい。 検索などで出たキーボードが引っ込まず、その後の操作がしにくいですね。改善していただけたら5点に近づきます！ **Developer response:** レビューいただきありがとうございます。読みやすさとアイコンのデザインを気に入っていただけて嬉しいです。 ご指摘の検索時のキーボードの件、確認できましたので近日中に修正版を配信いたします。ぜひアップデートしてお試しください。 また何か気づいたことがあれば、サポートフォームからお気軽にお問い合わせください。今後ともコトリをよろしくお願いします。 ## Frequently asked questions about kotori ### What is kotori? kotori is a free application designed for reading Japanese literature. It features authentic vertical text display with ruby (furigana) support, an offline dictionary, and annotation tools to enhance the reading experience. ### Does kotori have ads? No, kotori is completely ad-free. The developers emphasize an uninterrupted reading experience, dedicating the entire screen to the literary work. ### Can I use kotori offline? Yes, kotori supports offline reading. The built-in dictionary also functions offline, allowing you to look up words without an internet connection. ### What kind of Japanese literature can I read with kotori? kotori provides access to approximately 18,000 works from Aozora Bunko, a digital library of Japanese literature. This includes works by famous authors like Osamu Dazai and Soseki Natsume. ### How does kotori help with understanding Japanese words? kotori includes a built-in offline dictionary with around 91,000 entries. You can instantly look up words while reading by tapping on them, making classical kanji and vocabulary easier to comprehend. ### Can I customize the reading experience in kotori? Yes, kotori offers customization options. You can choose from four themes (Light, Dark, Sepia, Aozora) and two font styles (Gothic, Mincho), and adjust the text size for optimal comfort. ### What are the annotation features in kotori? kotori allows you to highlight passages that resonate with you and add memos. These highlights can be color-coded for easy organization and quick reference later. ### Is kotori available on multiple devices? Based on the provided data, kotori is supported on iPhone and iPad devices, indicating compatibility with Apple's mobile operating systems. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.3.0 — 2026-10-20 • Fixed blank pages that could appear in very long works. • New pages for each work and author. Jump to an author's page from Home or a work page. • Downloaded works now show up on your Bookshelf. • Mood picks now have extra filters, and each curated pick comes with a short reason it was chosen. • Refreshed the "What's it about?" summaries. • Fixed downloads that stopped working after the Aozora Bunko site update. ### 2.2.0 — 2026-09-08 ■A note from Kotori - You can select passages across pages and save them as highlights with colors and notes. - A first-book guide now introduces text size, dictionary lookup, and highlights, and can be revisited anytime. - Home Screen widgets now let you open this week’s pick or continue from your saved place. Thank you for reading with Kotori. If you notice anything, please let us know through the support form. https://www.kotori-aozora.app/en/support ### 2.1.0 — 2026-08-30 ■ Kotori News - Added an English dictionary. You can select it from Settings. - Other minor fixes have been made. Thank you for using Kotori. If you notice anything, please let us know anytime via the support form. https://www.kotori-aozora.app/support ### 2.0.0 — 2026-08-19 ■What's New in Kotori [Design] We've refreshed the app's overall color scheme, spacing, and icons for a calmer, more readable design. We've also improved the display in Light Mode and Dark Mode, as well as the readability of book covers. [Home & Discover Works] We've refined how "This Week's Pick" is presented. You can now more naturally find works you want to read through recommendations, search, moods, and authors. [First-Time Guide] We've improved the screen for choosing favorite themes and authors, as well as the display of recommended works, making it easier to pick your first book. [Bookshelf & Work Info] We've organized the bookshelf's work count, filtering, and sorting options. It's now easier to find works you're currently reading, as well as information about works and authors. [Reading Screen] We've revised the layout of in-work search, table of contents, page navigation, and text settings. Operations like dictionary lookup, copying, highlighting, and notes have also been made clearer and more intuitive. [Finished Reading Screen] Adding to favorites, checking bibliographic information, returning to the text, and getting suggestions for your next book are now easier to use. [Accessibility] We now support larger text sizes, and the layout adjusts to match screen width and text size. We've also improved VoiceOver narration and touch target areas. We've also made other stability improvements and minor fixes. Thank you for always using Kotori. If you notice anything, please feel free to let us know anytime via the support form. https://www.kotori-aozora.app/support ### 1.0.16 — 2026-07-25 Kotori News - Minor fixes implemented - Settings page has been updated --- Thank you for using Kotori. 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Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-28.*