Japanese learning blog
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
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Learn Japanese with Rakugo: Comic Storytelling for Listening and Speech
Rakugo (θ½θͺ) is traditional Japanese comic storytelling: one performer kneels on a cushion and voices every character, using only a fan and a small cloth. Because one voice plays the boss, the servant, the child and the merchant, it is a superb way to hear register shifts and comic timing, and to practise them yourself.
9 min readLearn Japanese with Children's TV: Anpanman, Doraemon and NHK E-tele
Children's TV is the easiest real Japanese you can watch: the speech is clear, slow and repetitive, and the pictures explain the story. Start with preschool songs and Anpanman, move to Doraemon as your grammar grows, and summarise each episode aloud in simple Japanese.
9 min readShokurepo: Describe Food Like a Japanese TV Food Reporter
Shokurepo (ι£γ¬γ) is short for food report, the TV segment where a reporter tastes a dish and describes it on camera. Reporters follow a simple formula: the look, the smell, the first bite, the texture and the verdict. Learn the stock lines for each step and you can describe any meal vividly in Japanese.
9 min readAnime Pilgrimage (Seichi Junrei): Japanese for Visiting Real Anime Locations
Seichi junrei (θε°ε·‘η€Ό), literally a pilgrimage to sacred places, is what fans call visiting the real towns, shrines and streets that appear in anime. To do it well you need a few polite phrases: asking whether a place is the setting, asking before you take photos, and telling locals why you came.
10 min readHow to Talk About Movies in Japanese: Reviews, Spoilers and Recommendations
To talk about movies in Japanese, ask saikin nanika mita? (seen anything lately?), describe the film with to iu hanashi (it's a story about...), and give a verdict like rasuto ga yokatta (the ending was great). Before you reveal anything, check with netabare shite mo ii? (can I spoil it?).
9 min readLearn Japanese with Audiobooks: Listening, Shadowing and Retelling
Audiobooks give you hours of clear, well-paced Japanese read by trained narrators. Choose a book a little below your reading level, listen while following the text, slow the playback speed when you need to, shadow the narrator, and retell each chapter aloud in your own words.
9 min readLearn Japanese with Visual Novels: Reading, Voices and What Transfers
Visual novels pair every line of Japanese text with a voice actor's reading, so you can read, listen and replay at your own pace. Choose a title at your level, shadow the voiced lines of ordinary characters, avoid copying exaggerated character speech, and retell your route aloud, including which choices you made and why.
9 min readLearn Japanese with TikTok and Short Videos: Trends, Slang and Speed
Short videos on TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels put real, fast, current Japanese in front of you every day. To learn from them, follow formats with clear speech and captions, collect the trend words, replay one clip several times, and then explain it aloud in your own Japanese.
9 min readJapanese Speaking Practice Before a Trip: A 14-Day Plan
A traveler who wants useful Japanese before departure does not need another giant phrase list. This guide shows how to handle the conversations most likely to happen on the trip with a repeatable practice loop and clear feedback.
5 min readJapanese for Your First Day in Japan: What to Practice First
A first-time visitor arriving in Japan does not need another giant phrase list. This guide shows how to get through arrival, transport, food and the first unexpected question with a repeatable practice loop and clear feedback.
5 min readJapanese Restaurant Roleplay: Order, Customize and Pay with Confidence
A learner who wants to eat comfortably in Japan does not need another giant phrase list. This guide shows how to order a meal, ask about ingredients and handle the bill with a repeatable practice loop and clear feedback.
5 min readJapanese Train Station Practice: Tickets, Platforms and Delays
A traveler navigating Japanese trains does not need another giant phrase list. This guide shows how to ask for the right platform and recover when a route changes with a repeatable practice loop and clear feedback.
5 min readPractical guides
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