Overview
Nichijo is a mobile app that helps internationals in Japan look up administrative procedures,like ward office registration and utility setup,in a structured, 3-tap mobile format. Designed and built solo over 3 months: Figma prototypes, React Native frontend, Firebase data layer, and Supabase authentication. Phase 1 is live on the App Store as a pilot. Phase 2 is in active development.
The Challenge
Japanese administrative information is dense, desktop-first, and written for native speakers. For internationals navigating Japan,especially in urgent situations,finding the right information on mobile is slow and frustrating. The goal was to restructure that information into a fast, intuitive mobile experience.
How I Built It
Designed and developed entirely solo over 3 months:
- User Research: Conducted 3 structured interviews with internationals living in Tokyo, and gathered feedback from visitors at a Tokyo entrepreneurship event to identify the most common administrative pain points and validate the core concept.
- UI/UX Design: Designed the full app in Figma,minimalist, high-contrast, icon-based navigation,to reduce cognitive load for users unfamiliar with Japanese systems and make information reachable in 3 taps or fewer.
- Frontend & Backend: Built the frontend in React Native with NativeWind for styling. Integrated Firebase as the backend data layer and Supabase for user authentication,sign-in and sign-up flow,keeping the full stack in one solo build.
- Architecture and Platform Decisions: Chose Firebase over AWS (too heavy for a pilot), a JSON file (no visual admin interface for non-technical content managers), and WordPress (not compatible with a React Native app). Firebase gave the right balance: free tier for pilot scale and a visual Firestore console so non-technical admins can manage content without touching code. For platform, chose iOS App Store over a web deploy after researching the target audience: Japan has one of the highest iPhone adoption rates in the world, so native iOS was where the actual users were.
Outcome
Phase 1 launched on the App Store as a pilot in November 2025, debuted at a Tokyo entrepreneurship event in collaboration with a freelance marketer and event coordinator. The app turns 10+ pages of Japanese government documentation into a structured 3-tap mobile experience.
Phase 2 is currently in development, incorporating user feedback from the pilot launch to expand content categories and improve the search experience.
