Takoba

Japanese dictionary, translator, TTS, and Anki integration for launchers

Search Jotoba for words, kanji, and sentences. Translate on the fly. Add cards to Anki in one keystroke. Built for Vicinae (Linux) and Raycast (Mac/Windows).

Features

• Word search — definitions, readings, pitch accent, part of speech, and example sentences
• Kanji analysis — stroke order, JLPT level, grade, frequency, and radical decomposition
• Translation — instant Japanese → your language via Google Translate
• AI explanations — Gemini-powered breakdowns of words, kanji, and phrases in your language
• Anki export — one click (⌘⇧A), with per-deck duplicate detection
• Text-to-speech — ElevenLabs multilingual TTS (⌘⇧P)
• Clipboard-aware — auto-loads selected text on launch

Screenshots

Word results with meanings, readings, and pitch accent	Stroke order, JLPT level, and radicals
Instant translation with contextual furigana	Gemini explains words and kanji in your language

General & Anki	TTS & Translation	AI & advanced

Installation

Vicinae (Linux)

yay -S vicinae-takoba

^{or build from source — see Development}

Raycast (Mac/Windows)

git clone https://github.com/kurojs/takoba.git
cd takoba
npm install
npm run build:raycast
npx ray develop

The extension registers itself on first run — Ctrl+C once it loads, it stays available in Raycast.

Configuration

Setting	Default	Description
Definition Language	English	Jotoba definition language (9 supported)
AnkiConnect Port	8765	Local port for the AnkiConnect API
ElevenLabs API Key	—	Required for TTS
ElevenLabs Voice ID	21m00Tcm4TlvDq8ikWAM	Voice used for pronunciation
Gemini API Key	—	Required for AI explanations
AI Model	gemini-2.5-flash	15 models available
AI Response Language	English	Language for AI explanations (21 supported)
Auto-load Selected Text	false	Load clipboard selection on launch
Show Furigana	false	Furigana above translations

Usage

Shortcut	Action
⌘⇧A	Add to Anki
⌘⇧P	Play audio
Tab	AI explanation
⌘C	Copy word / kanji
⌘⇧C	Copy definition

Search a word, kanji, or phrase — results are grouped as Translation → Words → Kanji. Select a result for full details.

Requirements

	Required for	Notes
Node.js ≥ 18	Building from source
Anki + AnkiConnect	Anki export	Plugin code 2055492159
ElevenLabs API key	TTS	Free tier available
Gemini API key	AI explanations	Free tier available
ffplay (ffmpeg) or mpv	Audio playback on Linux

Development

git clone https://github.com/kurojs/takoba.git
cd takoba
npm install
npm run build          # Vicinae → ~/.local/share/vicinae/extensions/takoba/
npm run build:raycast  # Raycast → npx ray develop

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
Anki: "Not connected"	Ensure Anki is running with AnkiConnect installed
No audio (Linux)	sudo pacman -S ffmpeg or mpv
Extension missing (Vicinae)	Run vicinae server

License

MIT