Mac appsIn development · reservations opening soon
Kirikae
Switch to English with the left ⌘ key and to Japanese with the right one
$6 one-time (no subscription) · macOS 14 Sonoma or later (planned)
What it is for
Japanese keyboards for Mac have 英数 (eisū) and かな (kana) keys that switch the input mode directly. US and other keyboards do not. With Kirikae, a tap of the left ⌘ key gives you English and a tap of the right ⌘ key gives you Japanese.
Kirikae only does this switching. It has one settings window and installs no virtual keyboard driver.
It is built natively for Apple silicon, so it keeps working with macOS 28, when Rosetta for Intel-based apps becomes limited to certain older games (Apple Support: Using Intel-based apps on a Mac with Apple silicon).
Features (planned)
Left ⌘ → English, right ⌘ → Japanese
A tap of the key alone switches. ⌘ shortcuts such as ⌘C keep working as usual.
Your own assignment
Use left/right ⌘ or ⌥ and choose what each tap sends: 英数, かな, or a specific input source.
Works with Japanese input methods
Sends the same 英数/かな key events as a JIS keyboard, so input methods that react to those keys follow along.
Tap timing
Set how short a press counts as a tap. Holding the key never switches.
Pause per app
Turn it off in apps where ⌘ alone matters, such as games or remote desktop clients.
No driver
No kernel or driver extension. Needs the Accessibility / Input Monitoring permission that macOS asks for. Native on Apple silicon.
Planned price and reservation
| Planned price | $6 one-time (no subscription) |
|---|---|
| Founder reservation | $4, deducted from the price; fully refundable at any time before release |
| If you reserve | $2 at release for founders |
| Requirements | macOS 14 Sonoma or later (planned) |
Reservations have not opened yet. Join the waitlist below and we will tell you when they do.
Waitlist (email only)
Get one email when Kirikae is released and when reservations open.
Used only to tell you about the release and reservations. Privacy policy
FAQ
- Why is permission needed?
- To notice that a ⌘ key was pressed alone, the app has to read modifier key events. macOS requires your approval for that. Kirikae does not record or send what you type.
- How is it different from Karabiner-Elements or other utilities?
- Karabiner-Elements is free and can do the same, but it installs a virtual keyboard driver and needs rule configuration. Some small utilities for this job are no longer updated and run only as Intel-based apps, which will stop working with macOS 28. Kirikae does only the switching, natively on Apple silicon, with a short settings window.
- Can I buy it now?
- Not yet. The app is in development. You can join the waitlist (email only) or, once reservations open, reserve a founder licence.
- What does the founder reservation include?
- You pay $4 now. The $4 is deducted from the price of the first paid release, and you get the licence key by email on release day.
- Can I get my money back?
- Yes. Until the first release you can ask for a full refund at any time by replying to the receipt email. If the app is cancelled, every reservation is refunded in full.
- How will it be distributed?
- As a direct download, signed and notarized by Apple. A Mac App Store version may follow later.