Press Kit
Everything you need to write about Daruma without emailing me first. All assets below may be used in editorial coverage without asking.
Kayne Sheenan — independent developer, Tokyo
support@darumajapanlife.xyz or k.sheenan@gmail.com — both reach me directly.
Founder & product history
Daruma Japan Life, also branded as Daruma, is independently developed and maintained by Kayne Sheenan in Tokyo, Japan. Development began in January 2026, and the iOS app launched on the App Store in August 2026.
Daruma is a solo, bootstrapped venture and is not yet incorporated. January 2026 marks the start of development, not a legal incorporation date.
- 23 January 2026: Early development update discussing Daruma and preparations for Apple's developer programme.
- 20 August 2026: Version 1.0 released, as listed in the App Store version history. The listing identifies Kayne Sheenan as the developer.
- 22 August 2026: Public App Store launch announcement.
- Ongoing development: Founder update on LinkedIn describing the launch and improvements informed by early feedback.
Watch the one-minute Daruma introduction
The app helps newcomers and foreign residents turn Japanese paperwork and administrative deadlines into practical plans. Its AI coach and document analysis currently use Google Gemini. Evaluation of Claude for these workflows is planned.
Product enquiries: support@darumajapanlife.xyz. This address reaches the founder directly.
Fact sheet
| App name | Daruma: Move to Japan Guide | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-sentence pitch | A personalized digital pocket assistant that turns Japan's intimidating bureaucratic paperwork and municipal deadlines into a dated, step-by-step checklist. | |||||||||||||||
| Category | Travel / Productivity / Navigation | |||||||||||||||
| Target audience | Foreign residents, new arrivals, expats, students, engineers, and working holiday makers navigating Japanese immigration, municipal ward offices, and daily administrative life. | |||||||||||||||
| Pricing & tiers |
Paid access only (No free tier). Every user selects an Essential or Pro plan upon completing onboarding to unlock the app:
All subscription plans include a 7-day free trial for new users. Available across all App Store storefronts with standard local currency conversion (e.g. Essential ~$3.50/mo, ~$20/yr, ~$35 lifetime; Pro ~$7/mo, ~$40/yr). No weekly tiers. Zero ad tracking, no selling user data, and no third-party profiling. Camera document scans are processed strictly in-memory and raw images are purged immediately upon OCR text extraction. | |||||||||||||||
| Platforms | iOS (iPhone iOS 15.1+, iPadOS). Android version in development. | |||||||||||||||
| Requirements | iPhone or iPad running iOS 15.1 or later. English interface with level-aware Japanese integration. | |||||||||||||||
| Release & version | Initial launch August 2026. Current version: 1.1.1 (September 2026). | |||||||||||||||
| Developer | Kayne Sheenan, independent solo maker based in Tokyo, Japan. | |||||||||||||||
| App Store | apps.apple.com/app/id6795013400 | |||||||||||||||
| Developer page | Kayne Sheenan on the App Store | |||||||||||||||
| Website | darumajapanlife.xyz | |||||||||||||||
| Contact | support@darumajapanlife.xyz |
About the app
The Problem
Relocating to and living in Japan means navigating an intricate web of municipal obligations: residence cards, the mandatory 14-day address registration at city hall, national health insurance, pension enrolment and exemption schemes, bank verification, and municipal residence tax. Nearly all of it operates on unforgiving, unadvertised statutory deadlines in complex bureaucratic Japanese. Missing a deadline can trigger back-taxes, loss of health coverage, or immigration complications—yet no official office hands a newcomer a consolidated chronological list.
The Solution
Daruma acts as an English-language pocket planner built around the user's specific relocation parameters: visa status, nationality, destination prefecture, and arrival date. It automatically generates a chronological timeline with legal deadlines, directs residents to the exact floor and counter at their local ward office, and answers ad-hoc procedural questions through an AI Coach that already knows their administrative history.
Data & Privacy Standpoint
Immigration paperwork and identification documents are inherently sensitive. Daruma does not sell user data or deploy third-party advertising trackers. Camera document scans are processed strictly in-memory and on-device for OCR text extraction; once deadlines, amounts, and payment barcodes are recognized, the raw camera photo is purged from memory, keeping only the user's verified task metadata and notes.
Key features
- Personalized Relocation Timeline: Generates a tailored timeline from visa type, nationality, destination prefecture (all 47 supported), and arrival date, with statutory 14-day deadlines highlighted.
- In-Memory Document Scanner & OCR: Reads Japanese municipal mail, tax notices, and utility slips through the camera, extracting due dates and payment methods without cloud photo retention.
- AI Bureaucracy Coach (“Ask Daruma”): Provides immediate, context-grounded answers to visa, residency, and tax questions without requiring users to repeat their background.
- Ward Office Intelligence: Directs users to the specific floor and counter across all 23 Tokyo special wards and major cities, noting weekend openings and English support availability.
- Counter Mode & Neural Audio: Equips users with exact Japanese phrases for the clerk counter, complete with furigana suppression for advanced learners and native speech output.
- Multi-Year Administrative Roadmap: Tracks multi-year milestones including residence card renewal windows, second-year residence tax surges, and pension lump-sum refunds.
Visual Assets & Screenshots (v1.1.1)
Nine full-resolution iPhone images at 1206×2622 pixels, unframed and without marketing overlays. The selection includes the Wabi-Sabi theme, task details, Japanese counter phrases and the moving-house checklist. Download individual images below or get the screenshots, original app icon, transparent mascot illustrations and wordmark in the press kit archive.
App Icon & Mascot Marks
Official app icons and mascot assets included in the media kit:
- App Icon: Original 1024×1024 PNG and 512×512 PNG. Please do not alter or overlay text.
- Mascot Illustrations: Eight original transparent 768×768 PNGs: neutral, happy, paperwork, success, traditional, calm, thinking and relaxing.
- Wordmark: Original calligraphy PNG at 239×72 pixels. The bundle contains raster originals; vector files are not included.
Download Screenshots & Brand Assets (ZIP · 15.2 MB)
About the developer
Kayne Sheenan is an independent software developer based in Tokyo. Originally from New Zealand, he first lived in Japan on a working holiday during university and studied as an exchange student at Fukuoka University before relocating permanently to Tokyo in 2023.
He created Daruma after experiencing firsthand how confusing Japanese bureaucracy was for both foreign hires and domestic employers who had never navigated visa renewals, pension exemptions, or city hall filings before. Daruma is independently developed and maintained in Tokyo.
Contact
Kayne Sheenan — Tokyo, Japan
support@darumajapanlife.xyz · k.sheenan@gmail.com
Background and current work: @kaynesheenan on X and LinkedIn.
The app also posts on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Happy to answer questions, provide a reviewer account with full access, or talk on the record.