Thị trấn WakumaStudent login
From zero, children learn soroban on their own – just by playing
A first or second grader who has never touched an abacus plays in Thị trấn Wakuma (Wakuma Town) and, step by step, learns 4–5 digit addition and subtraction, multiplication and division on the soroban.
Every stage of the journey completed earns a certificate issued together with a Japanese soroban organization (for online app members)
Play it now on your phone – no sign-up (the app is in Vietnamese) · full 3-day free trial · then from VND 250,000/month (12-month plan) · 12-month plan: a real soroban and textbooks free!
- Start from zero
- Children learn on their own
- Nothing to install
- Japanese app included
a journey with Wakuma
collect stars ★
in the Square
teaching soroban in Japan
Know nothing yet? No problem.
Thị trấn Wakuma starts with setting the very first number on the soroban. A few stages a day, and children work their way up to sums that impress grown-ups.
- Stage 1
Meet the soroban
3 + 4 − 2Set numbers, move beads, add and subtract 1 digit.
- Stages 2 → 5
5-friends, 10-friends
7 + 8 − 6 + 9Carrying and borrowing, the Japanese way.
- Stages 6 → 9
Multiply and divide
36 × 7864 ÷ 4From 2-digit multiplication to 4-digit division.
- Stages 10 → 12
4–5 digits
48 215+ 31 906− 12 734+ 67 358− 25 4714–5 digit addition and subtraction, bigger multiplication and division, decimals.
Three things parents worry about – Wakuma takes care of them
“What should my child practise today?”
Each time the app opens, the Next task button takes your child straight to the right stage. Finish one and the next opens by itself.
“I can’t use a soroban myself.”
Wakuma the bear guides each step on the soroban and reads the moves aloud, e.g. “add 5, take away 4”.
“My child gets bored after a few days.”
Every stage earns stars and coins. Pass a level test and a building opens – the town grows with your child.
How children learn in Thị trấn Wakuma
- 1
Open the map and set off
Everyone starts at stage 1 – Wakuma’s House. The journey has 12 stages, each one a building in the town.
- 2
Learn in small stages
Each building has 12–20 short stages, from easy to harder, with review stages in between.
- 3
Move the beads on screen
Your child moves the beads right on the screen. Stuck? Tap Hint and Wakuma shows each move.
- 4
Level test & certificate
Collect enough stars to unlock the level test (15 questions, 7 minutes). Complete it to receive a numbered certificate from Kodomo Soroban Center and a Japanese soroban organization – print it or save it as a PDF.
A 12-stage journey with Wakuma
In the same order as our classes at Kodomo Soroban Center: 5-friends first, then 10-friends.
Add · SubtractStages 1 → 5
- 1Wakuma’s House
- 2Fruit Shop (5-friends)
- 3Bakery (10-friends)
- 4Festival Square (combined)
- 5Post Office
Multiply · DivideStages 6 → 9
- 6Pizza Shop (multiplication)
- 7Cake Shop (division)
- 8Toy Factory
- 9Repair Shop
Big numbers · DecimalsStages 10 → 12
- 10Bank
- 11Soroban Building
- 12Lookout Tower
Each stage matches a soroban level (stage 1 = kyu 14 … stage 12 = kyu 3). The level is printed on the certificate.
Plus 14 practice games in the Square, such as Flash Anzan and times tables.
SampleA certificate with a Japanese soroban organization
Each level test completed earns a certificate issued jointly by Kodomo Soroban Center and the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Regional Education (Japan), clearly marked online app member.
- With your child’s name, level, score and date.
- Numbered – anyone can verify it on our website.
- Print on A4, or save as a PDF or image to share with the family.
See how your child is learning
- Study days, questions and minutes – on the Progress and Parents screens.
- Progress is saved on our server – switch phone or computer and just log in again.
- Siblings can share a device – one account each, tap a name to switch.
- No ads in the app.
Made by Kodomo Soroban Center, based on Kodomo School’s curriculum
Kodomo Soroban Center teaches soroban in Hà Nội (our Vinhomes Gardenia center and in-school clubs) with the exact method and materials of Kodomo School, which has taught soroban in Aichi, Japan since 1976. Wakuma the bear is Kodomo School’s mascot.
Thị trấn Wakuma is built on that same teaching: how to read numbers, how to move the beads, what to say while moving them – in the same order as our classes.
EDU-Port Nippon 2026–2027 · A project supported by Japan’s MEXT
Learn Japanese with Wakuma too
KSC online members can also learn Japanese: Wakuma takes your child on a trip around Japan, starting from the very first letters, あいうえお. Suitable from grade 4 – and for parents too. Trial version
- Hiragana and katakana – listen, watch the strokes, trace, then write alone; a review game after each row.
- Japanese N5 (lessons 1–20) – vocabulary, kanji with Sino-Vietnamese readings, grammar and conversation.
- The same account as Thị trấn Wakuma – no extra sign-up, no extra cost.
- This is a trial version: N4 and N3 will be added later. Japanese progress is currently saved on the device you use.
Choose a plan – after a 3-day free trial
Every plan is a KSC online membership: unlimited learning in 2 subjects – soroban (Thị trấn Wakuma) and Japanese (trial version). Soroban includes a certificate from Japan. The app screens and voice are in Vietnamese.
Sign up for 12 months – get a real soroban and textbooks free!1 workbook + 1 guide for parents · sent after payment
1-month plan
400,000VND/month
Pay VND 400,000
- Soroban: 12 buildings, 198 stages
- Japanese (trial version)
- Certificate from Japan
- Parents can follow progress
6-month plan
300,000VND/month
Pay VND 1,800,000 for 6 months
- Soroban: 12 buildings, 198 stages
- Japanese (trial version)
- Certificate from Japan
- Parents can follow progress
12-month plan
250,000VND/month
Pay VND 3,000,000 for 12 months
- Soroban: 12 buildings, 198 stages
- Japanese (trial version)
- Certificate from Japan
- Parents can follow progress
Gift: a real soroban + textbooks (1 workbook and 1 guide for parents) (sent after payment)
Prices include all content of both subjects; there are no in-app purchases. Certificate from Japan: issued jointly by Kodomo Soroban Center and the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Regional Education (Japan) to online app members. Official certificate: level test via Zoom (registered separately). Students of Kodomo Soroban Center get a special price. The 12-month gift (soroban + 1 workbook + 1 guide for parents) is sent after we receive payment; it is not part of the 3-day trial.
Frequently asked questions
My child knows nothing about soroban. Can they learn alone?
Yes. Stage 1 starts with setting numbers on the soroban. Wakuma explains each step, the Hint button shows the moves, and the app picks the next stage. Best for grades 1–2; 5-year-olds can start too.
Do we need to buy a soroban?
No. The app has an on-screen soroban. If you have a real one at home, your child can practise with it too.
How does the 3-day trial work?
Send the form at the bottom of this page. We’ll send a login ID and password on Zalo during office hours. For 3 days your child can use both apps in full (soroban and Japanese).
What happens after 3 days?
The trial account stops. To continue, choose 1 month (VND 400,000), 6 months (VND 1,800,000) or 12 months (VND 3,000,000) – we’ll guide you on Zalo, and your child keeps their progress. Nothing is charged automatically.
Who issues the certificate?
Kodomo Soroban Center and the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Regional Education (Japan), jointly, for online app members. It certifies completion of a level test in the app and has a number you can verify on our website. Every plan includes it.
How do we get an official certificate?
Your child takes the level test online via Zoom with a teacher supervising. Ask us on Zalo (096.802.8484) for dates and the exam fee.
Already studying at Kodomo Soroban Center?
Students of our center and in-school soroban clubs get a special price. Ask us on Zalo (096.802.8484).
What language is the app in?
Vietnamese (there is no English version yet). Instructions are read aloud with the device’s Vietnamese voice.
What can my child learn in Japanese (trial version)?
For now: hiragana, katakana and Japanese N5 lessons 1–20 – listening, tracing strokes, vocabulary, kanji with Sino-Vietnamese readings, grammar and conversation. Log in with the same account and use the Japanese entrance inside Thị trấn Wakuma. Suitable from grade 4 to adults. N4 and N3 will be added later at no extra cost. During the trial version, Japanese progress is saved on the device you use.
Sign up for a 3-day free trial
We’ll send an account (login ID and password) on Zalo during office hours. No card needed, nothing charged automatically. To continue: VND 400,000 for 1 month, or from VND 250,000/month on the 12-month plan.
- Use all 12 buildings
- Learn Japanese too (trial version)
- Certificate with a Japanese soroban organization
- Ask anything on Zalo
Not sure yet? Let your child play it now – no sign-up, the first 2 stages are free to play (the app is in Vietnamese).
ZaloZalo 096.802.8484