Earlier this year #WeArePlay went on a virtual tour of Australia and the U.S. to spotlight the stories of app and game founders. Today, we’re rounding up our tour across the world with the last stop for 2024: Japan. From an app that uses AI to promote early health intervention to one that’s turning litter picking into a social movement, meet the 49 apps and games founders building growing businesses on Google Play.

Let’s take a quick road trip across Japan by reading some of my favorite stories.

Fujio’s app is turning litter collection into a global movement

When Fujio was a child, his love for environmental books ignited his passion for protecting nature. Later, while traveling through different countries, he was shocked to find litter everywhere, even in remote jungles. This experience inspired him to create Pirika – named after the Ainu word for “beautiful” – a social platform that encourages people to pick up litter, document it with photos, and geotag locations to track problem areas. With over over 360 million pieces of trash collected globally, Pirika is fostering a nationwide movement towards cleaner communities. Fujio plans on expanding the app’s reach worldwide, mobilizing communities to fight pollution collectively.

Self-taught game developer and illustrator CHARROOM turned her passion for mini-games into a full-time career. Her latest project, Sushi Food Cart, combines two of her favorite things: sushi and cats. In this fun cooking game, players manage a sushi food cart, preparing and serving sushi to customers quickly and accurately. The game features quirky cat characters, time-management challenges, and colorful art. As players progress, they unlock new recipes, upgrades, and meet new cat characters. For Char, creating apps is her ‘ikigai’—her purpose in life. She’s currently working on a new restaurant game to continue spreading her playful approach to gaming.

Kota and Yoshinori’s app uses AI to help people research their health concerns and connect with medical specialists

When entrepreneur Kota decided to create a healthcare app, he partnered with his high school friend and roommate, Dr. Yoshinori. Combining Kota’s tech expertise with Yoshinori’s medical knowledge, they developed Ubie, an AI-powered symptom checker that allows people to research their symptoms and connect with medical specialists. The app promotes early detection and intervention by offering them tailored information on potential health concerns and guidance on finding care. Ubie's goal is not just limited to symptom checking; the founders plan to expand its services to include tracking treatments and managing day-to-day healthcare needs alongside transforming Ubie into a global brand.

Takuji has always been passionate about travel and music, but when he learned programming 15 years ago, he discovered a new creative outlet. Together with his brother, Shohei, he launched IzumiArtisan from their parents' house in Osaka. The duo specializes in creating escape room games, heavily influenced by the detective stories Takuji loves. Their popular game, Rime, is filled with mysterious puzzles and plot twists and has been translated into 18 languages, capturing a global audience. The brothers are now working on a new title inspired by the American Underground Railroad.

Discover more #WeArePlay stories from Japan, and stories from across the globe.

Posted by Robbie McLachlan, Developer Marketing

In our latest film for #WeArePlay, which celebrates the people behind apps and games, we meet Hyojeong - the visionary behind the app NomadHer. She’s aiming to reshape how women explore the world by building a global community: sharing travel tips, prioritizing safety, and connecting with one another to explore new destinations.

What inspired you to create NomadHer?

Honestly, NomadHer was born out of a personal need. I started traveling solo when I was 19 and have visited over 60 countries alone, and while it was an incredibly empowering and enriching journey, it wasn’t always easy—especially as a woman. There was this one moment when I was traveling in Italy that really shook me. I realized just how important it was to have a support system, not just friends or family, but other women who understand what it's like to be out there on your own. That’s when the idea hit me— I wanted to create a space where women could feel safe and confident while seeing the world.

The focus on connecting women who share similar travel plans is a powerful tool. Can you share feedback from someone who has found travel buddies through NomadHer?

Absolutely! One of my favorite stories comes from a woman who was planning a solo trip to Bali. She connected with another ‘NomadHer’ through the app who had the exact same travel dates and itinerary. They started chatting, and by the time they met up in Bali, it was like they’d known each other forever. They ended up traveling together, trying out new restaurants, exploring hidden beaches, and even taking a surfing class! After the trip, they both messaged us saying how the experience felt safer and more fun because they had each other. It’s stories like these that remind me why I started NomadHer in the first place.

How did Google Play help you grow NomadHer?

We couldn’t connect with the 90,000+ women worldwide without Google Play. We’ve been able to reach people from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and beyond. It’s incredible seeing women connect, share tips, and support each other, no matter where they are. With tools like Firebase, we can track and improve the app experience, making sure everything runs smoothly. Plus, Google Play's startup programs gave us mentorship and visibility, which really helped us grow and expand our reach faster. It’s been a game-changer.

What are your hopes for NomadHer in the future?

I want NomadHer to be more than just an app—it’s a movement. My dream is for it to become the go-to platform for women travelers everywhere. I want to see more partnerships with local women entrepreneurs, like the surf shop owner we work with in Busan. We host offline events like the She Can Travel Festival in Busan and I’m excited to host similar events in other countries like Paris, Tokyo, and Delhi. The goal is to continue creating these offline connections to build a community that empowers women, both socially and economically, through partnerships with local female businesses.

Discover more global #WeArePlay stories and share your favorites.

Posted by Robbie McLachlan, Developer Marketing

In our latest film for #WeArePlay, which celebrates the people behind apps and games, we meet Michael and Shalom - a mother and son duo driven by a passion for sharing and teaching African languages. Discover how their app, Nkenne, goes beyond language learning—serving as a powerful tool for preserving cultural heritage and reconnecting people with their African language and culture.

What inspired you to create Nkenne?

Michael: Nkenne which means "of the mother," really came from a personal place. I wanted to learn Igbo, my native language from Nigeria, but there weren’t many resources out there that made it easy or accessible. My mom, Shalom, raised me in the U.S., and while I grew up hearing bits of Igbo, there wasn’t enough time or structure for me to fully learn it. During the pandemic, when everything paused, I realized how much I wanted to connect with my heritage, and that’s when the idea sparked. We realized that not just Igbo, but many African languages were becoming less common, even among those who speak them. So, we saw this as an opportunity to preserve these languages and help others reconnect with their roots.

You’ve mentioned the goal of preserving African languages. How does Nkenne contribute to their preservation?

Shalom: African languages are considered low-resource because they don't have as much digital content, formal documentation, or readily available learning tools. With Nkenne, we’re helping to change that. We’re not just teaching the languages, we’re documenting them, building lessons, and creating a resource for future generations. Many people in Nigeria, for example, don’t speak their native languages anymore. By creating Nkenne, we’re essentially building a digital library of African languages.

How does Nkenne integrate both language learning and cultural education? Why is it important to teach both?

Michael: Understanding the cultural meaning behind a language makes learning richer. It’s not just vocabulary—it’s about connecting people with the culture behind it. We include blogs, podcasts, and lessons that dive into the traditions and customs tied to the language, so people understand not just the words, but the history and meaning behind them.

Shalom: Yes, learning a language without the cultural context leaves gaps. For instance, in Nigeria, using your left hand to hand someone an item is considered rude— we teach these cultural nuances in the app to help the user truly grasp the culture.

What’s next for Nkenne?

Michael: We're focused on expanding our language offerings to 30 by the end of 2025, including more African languages and Creole dialects from around the world. We're also working on enhancing our AI capabilities for language translation.

Shalom: We’re also deepening the community experience, adding more social features where users can connect, share, and practice together. It’s about building not just a language-learning platform, but a space where people from the diaspora and beyond can truly connect with their heritage.

Discover more global #WeArePlay stories and share your favorites.

Posted by Robbie McLachlan, Developer Marketing

In our latest film for #WeArePlay, which celebrates the people behind apps and games, we meet Robson from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As the co-founder of Estante Mágica, he created an app that turns kids into published authors, sparking their imagination and love for reading. Robson's journey from the favelas to creating a platform that inspires millions of young minds is helping to revolutionize education in Brazil. Discover how Estante Mágica is making a lasting impact on education, one story at a time.

What was the inspiration behind Estante Mágica?

It’s a combination of my personal journey and a deep belief in the transformative power of education. Growing up in the Rocinha favela, I saw first-hand how education could change lives — my illiterate grandparents always believed that education was the key to real change, and passed that belief down to me. I wanted to create a tool that nurtures literacy so I teamed up with my friend Pedro to create Estante Mágica.

Estante Mágica, which translates to "Magic Bookshelf," is our way of giving every child the chance to become an author, create something magical that they can be proud of, and to see their own imagination come to life. We designed the app to be a bridge, reaching not just urban schools but also rural and underserved communities, including indigenous villages and areas with fewer resources.

Can you tell us about a moment that showed you the power of Estante Mágica?

Recently, I visited a school in a small village in Rio de Janeiro. The principal apologized for being late to our meeting, explaining that she had just met with a father and mother who wanted to enroll in adult education classes. When she asked them why they wanted to learn to read and write in their 30s and 40s, they told her, "Our son wrote a book here last year, and we don't know how to read it. It's our dream to be able to read the book our son wrote." That moment hit me hard. It was proof that our app isn’t just about helping kids become authors; it's about inspiring entire families to embrace literacy and education.

Tell us about the Autograph Days

These events are held at schools and are all about celebrating the young authors who have created their own books. Each child receives a printed copy of their book, and the day is set up just like a traditional book signing event. The event is not only about the children’s hard work but also a moment of pride for parents and teachers, who see the joy and confidence this experience brings to the kids.

What’s next for Estante Mágica?

One major focus is integrating more AI into the app. We want to make it so that when kids create their characters or stories, they can interact with them more dynamically. Imagine a character in a game being able to respond to a child’s questions or comments – that’s the kind of interaction we’re aiming for. We’re keeping an eye on some new features like text-to-video and image-to-video which could add a whole new layer to how kids can bring their stories to life. Ultimately, we’re planning to bring the magic of storytelling to children around the world and expand our platform to more schools, especially in underserved areas.

Discover more global #WeArePlay stories and share your favorites.