Learn Japanese Pod

In this podcast, Alex and Andy talk about their experiences of life in Tokyo. They focus on their top 5 best and top 5 worst aspects of living in Tokyo. If you are planning to move to Tokyo or just curious about the good, the bad and the ugly of life in the capital city of Japan then this episode is for you. You can find more Japan and Japanese language learning related podcasts at http://learnjapanesepod.com ENJOY!   

In this podcast, I talk to Andy, a great friend of mine whom I have known for over 10 years here in Japan. As we are both long term residents of Tokyo, we wanted to record a podcast outlining the best and the worst of life here in the capital city of Japan. We decided to look at the good, the bad and the ugly to give an honest and balanced discussion of what it is really like to live here. If you are thinking about moving to Tokyo to live or just want to come for a brief visit, we hope there is some useful information for you here. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

In this podcast, I talk to Andy, a great friend of mine whom I have known for over 10 years here in Japan. As we are both long term residents of Tokyo, we wanted to record a podcast outlining the best and the worst of life here in the capital city of Japan. We decided to look at the good, the bad and the ugly to give an honest and balanced discussion of what it is really like to live here. If you are thinking about moving to Tokyo to live or just want to come for a brief visit, we hope there is some useful information for you here. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

In this podcast, Ami sensei and alex give you their full guide on how to speak fluent Japanese. They go over the various things you will need, mindset, technuques and strategies to get you to your goal of speaking Japanese fluently. For more podcasts and Japanese lessons go to http://learnjapanesepod.com

These are just the Japanese dialogs to practice with

These are the PDF show notes that accompany podcast 13

In this podcast Ami and Alex discuss in detail everything you need to know about becoming fluent in Japanese. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast Ami and Alex discuss in detail everything you need to know about becoming fluent in Japanese. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

Everything You Need to Know to Speak Japanese Fluently My speaking fluent Japanese…sort of… One of the most common questions I get at Learn Japanese Pod is “How do I learn to speak Japanese fluently?”. The usual problem I hear is that although students study lots of vocabulary and grammar, they can’t seem to put it together to hold even a simple conversation. Fluency seems out of the question. Well, I hear you because I used to be in the same situation. I was really frustrated. However, after a lot of trial and error… and coffee, I eventually began to discover some effective study techniques, strategies and the mindset that actually worked. Now, fluency didn’t happen overnight but my ability to hold natural flowing conversations with my Japanese friends got noticeably better and my progress definitely sped up. So if you are feeling confused, frustrated and your motivation is crumbling, it’s time to get your Japanese back on track. So this is why I decided to make this podcast and guide to show you absolutely everything you need to know to speak Japanese fluently. You can listen to the podcast here where Ami sensei and I discuss this topic in detail. Then keep reading below for more in-depth information with links to useful resources. Podcast Dialog – How to Speak Japanese Fluently Japanese Pronunciation English  A: 先生、質問しても良いですか？  Sensei, shitsumon shite mo ii desu ka.  Teacher, may I ask a question?  B: はい、どうぞ。  Hai dōzo.  Sure, go ahead.  A: どうすれば日本語を流暢に話せるようになりますか？  Dō sureba nihongo o ryuuchō ni hanaseru you ni narimasu ka?  How can I become fluent at speaking Japanese?  B: そうですね。やっぱり教材はもちろんですが、日本のテレビを観たり、日本の音楽をたくさん聴いてみてください。  Sō desu ne. Yappari kyōzai wa mochiron desu ga, nihon no terebi o mitari, nihongo no ongaku o takusan kiite kudasai.  Let me see. Well of course you need study materials but you should watch Japanese TV, listen to a lot of music, stuff like that.  A: なるほど。  Naruhodo.  I see.  B: 私の友達は、日本に住んだことはないですが、そうやって日本語を結構覚えましたよ。  Watashi no tomodachi wa nihon ni sunda koto ga nai desu ga sō yatte nihongo o kekkō oboemashita yo.  I have a friend who never lived in Japan. However, he learned a lot of Japanese that way.  A: 他に何かアドバイスはありますか？  Hoka ni adobaisu ga arimasu ka?  Do you have any other advice?  B: 日本語が話せる友達を作って、積極的に日本語で会話をしましょう。  Nihongo ga hanaseru tomodachi o tsukutte, sekkyokuteki ni nihongo de kaiwa o shimashou.  Make Japanese speaking friends and proactively try to have conversations in Japanese.  A: 分かりました。頑張ります！  Wakarimashita. Ganbarimasu.  I understand. I will do my best. The Secret to Speaking Japanese Fluently Here’s the brutal truth. There is no secret to speaking fluent Japanese. And if anyone tells you there is a magical course that teaches you how to speak perfect Japanese in 3 days, buy a fire extinguisher because someone’s pants are on fire. It takes time, commitment and hard work…and coffee…I mentioned coffee right? Anyway, I can’t give you a magic pill BUT… And this is a big but… I can tell you the dumb things I did so you don’t have to. And that’s going to save you a LOT of time and frustration. Plus there are more efficient and effective ways to study that will further save time. But what do we actually mean by “fluency”? What does “fluent Japanese” mean? Fluent doesn’t necessarily mean native speaker level. To me, fluency simply means you can express what you want to say, clearly, easily and quickly without getting stuck or stumbling over your words. If you can order sushi or do a simple self introduction in Japanese,

Everything You Need to Know to Speak Japanese Fluently My speaking fluent Japanese…sort of… One of the most common questions I get at Learn Japanese Pod is “How do I learn to speak Japanese fluently?”. The usual problem I hear is that although students study lots of vocabulary and grammar, they can’t seem to put it together to hold even a simple conversation. Fluency seems out of the question. Well, I hear you because I used to be in the same situation. I was really frustrated. However, after a lot of trial and error… and coffee, I eventually began to discover some effective study techniques, strategies and the mindset that actually worked. Now, fluency didn’t happen overnight but my ability to hold natural flowing conversations with my Japanese friends got noticeably better and my progress definitely sped up. So if you are feeling confused, frustrated and your motivation is crumbling, it’s time to get your Japanese back on track. So this is why I decided to make this podcast and guide to show you absolutely everything you need to know to speak Japanese fluently. You can listen to the podcast here where Ami sensei and I discuss this topic in detail. Then keep reading below for more in-depth information with links to useful resources. Podcast Dialog – How to Speak Japanese Fluently Japanese Pronunciation English  A: 先生、質問しても良いですか？  Sensei, shitsumon shite mo ii desu ka.  Teacher, may I ask a question?  B: はい、どうぞ。  Hai dōzo.  Sure, go ahead.  A: どうすれば日本語を流暢に話せるようになりますか？  Dō sureba nihongo o ryuuchō ni hanaseru you ni narimasu ka?  How can I become fluent at speaking Japanese?  B: そうですね。やっぱり教材はもちろんですが、日本のテレビを観たり、日本の音楽をたくさん聴いてみてください。  Sō desu ne. Yappari kyōzai wa mochiron desu ga, nihon no terebi o mitari, nihongo no ongaku o takusan kiite kudasai.  Let me see. Well of course you need study materials but you should watch Japanese TV, listen to a lot of music, stuff like that.  A: なるほど。  Naruhodo.  I see.  B: 私の友達は、日本に住んだことはないですが、そうやって日本語を結構覚えましたよ。  Watashi no tomodachi wa nihon ni sunda koto ga nai desu ga sō yatte nihongo o kekkō oboemashita yo.  I have a friend who never lived in Japan. However, he learned a lot of Japanese that way.  A: 他に何かアドバイスはありますか？  Hoka ni adobaisu ga arimasu ka?  Do you have any other advice?  B: 日本語が話せる友達を作って、積極的に日本語で会話をしましょう。  Nihongo ga hanaseru tomodachi o tsukutte, sekkyokuteki ni nihongo de kaiwa o shimashou.  Make Japanese speaking friends and proactively try to have conversations in Japanese.  A: 分かりました。頑張ります！  Wakarimashita. Ganbarimasu.  I understand. I will do my best. The Secret to Speaking Japanese Fluently Here’s the brutal truth. There is no secret to speaking fluent Japanese. And if anyone tells you there is a magical course that teaches you how to speak perfect Japanese in 3 days, buy a fire extinguisher because someone’s pants are on fire. It takes time, commitment and hard work…and coffee…I mentioned coffee right? Anyway, I can’t give you a magic pill BUT… And this is a big but… I can tell you the dumb things I did so you don’t have to. And that’s going to save you a LOT of time and frustration. Plus there are more efficient and effective ways to study that will further save time. But what do we actually mean by “fluency”? What does “fluent Japanese” mean? Fluent doesn’t necessarily mean native speaker level. To me, fluency simply means you can express what you want to say, clearly, easily and quickly without getting stuck or stumbling over your words. If you can order sushi or do a simple self introduction in Japanese,

These are the show notes for podcast #13 “Everything you need to know to speak Japanese Fluently” For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com  

These are the show notes for podcast #13 “Everything you need to know to speak Japanese Fluently” For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com  

In this podcast, Ami and Alex talk about their favorite Japanese bands

Learn Japanese Pod Fun Friday: Our Favourite Japanese Bands In our latest Fun Friday Podcast, Ami and I talked about our favourite Japanese bands and other recent news that has been happening in our lives Welcome to Learn Japanese Pod and the Fun Friday episode where we temporarily put down our Japanese textbooks and talk about Japanese culture and anything else to do with Japan that floats into our heads. In this episode, Ami sensei and I talked about our favorite Japanese bands. I kinda showed my age with some of my selection with some old classic Japanese bands most older people know. But Ami Sensei also likes some of those old classics too so we have a lot of music in common that we like. So here is a break down of some of the music we talked about. 1. Utada Hikaru – Fantome If you don’t know who Utada Hikaru is, you must have been living in a cave. She is a diva megastar of Japanese pop and has a long career spanning all the way back to the late 90s. Her latest album is Fantome and features quite an eclectic range of styles on the album. It’s definitely worth a listen and for me Utada is one of those go-to classic J-Pop stars you should have in your Japanese music collection. 2. Kick The Can Crew – Super original I hadn’t heard of Kick the Can Crew until Ami introduced them to me on the podcast. And on the first listen I really liked them. Japanese are masters of importing foreign culture and recreating it with their own unique interpretation. And rap is no exception. Japanese rap has come into its own and is considered to be a unique and innovative genre. If you like Kick the Can Crew and want to check out more great Japanese rap bands then you won’t go wrong with Rip Slyme and Dragon Ash. 3. Super Fly – Ai O Komete Hanataba O Super Fly is often called the Janis Joplin of J-Pop. She sings a mix of J-pop and rock and has a wide range and present vocal stle which is a refreshing break from your typical female Japanese singer. She has some pretty solid albums and songs out there and one of my favorites is 愛をこめて花束を Ai o komete hanataba – a song that really showcases some great song writing and powerful singing. That’ll definitely get your toes tapping. 4. Wednesday Campanella – Diablo Wednesday Campanella is a Japanese pop group headed by the super talented KOM_I, a singer and rapper with an hilarious sense of humour and a very original and creative style. In terms of genre it mixes rap, hop hop, electronic music and J-pop. Their videos are also pretty funny and worth a listen. 5. Okuda Tamio – Marshmallow Okuda Tamio is a singer song writer, guitarist and producer. He was formerly in a band called Unicorn which was pretty famous in Japan. He later quit to follow his own career. If you ask most Japanese people they will have heard of him and is also known for producing the hit band Puffy. The reason I like him is simple. In a word: guitar. As a nerdy guitarist I love the way he produces rock and gets an incredibly fat guitar sounds. Worth a listen! 6. Dry and Heavy – New Creation Back in the 90s, reggae hit Japan in a big way and the Japanese reggae scene was born. Today you have some really big reggae music events in Japan including the Reggae Sun Splash festival. One really solid Japanese reggae band I love is “Dry and heavy” which has an incredibly well produced and tight sound. One thing I have found is their albums age really well so they are always a good go to band of summer parties and something to listen to on the beach. 7. Urufuruzu – Osaka Strut ウルフルズ Urufuruzu are a rock band from Osaka and “Osaka Strut” is one of their big hits. The band is headed by the charismatic Tortoise Matsumoto who has also tried his hand at acting. They enjoyed their biggest initial success with the song “Guts Da Ze”, a song you should attempt only when you have achieved your black belt in Karaoke. 8. Southern All stars

Learn Japanese Pod Fun Friday: Our Favourite Japanese Bands In our latest Fun Friday Podcast, Ami and I talked about our favourite Japanese bands and other recent news that has been happening in our lives Welcome to Learn Japanese Pod and the Fun Friday episode where we temporarily put down our Japanese textbooks and talk about Japanese culture and anything else to do with Japan that floats into our heads. In this episode, Ami sensei and I talked about our favorite Japanese bands. I kinda showed my age with some of my selection with some old classic Japanese bands most older people know. But Ami Sensei also likes some of those old classics too so we have a lot of music in common that we like. So here is a break down of some of the music we talked about. 1. Utada Hikaru – Fantome If you don’t know who Utada Hikaru is, you must have been living in a cave. She is a diva megastar of Japanese pop and has a long career spanning all the way back to the late 90s. Her latest album is Fantome and features quite an eclectic range of styles on the album. It’s definitely worth a listen and for me Utada is one of those go-to classic J-Pop stars you should have in your Japanese music collection. 2. Kick The Can Crew – Super original I hadn’t heard of Kick the Can Crew until Ami introduced them to me on the podcast. And on the first listen I really liked them. Japanese are masters of importing foreign culture and recreating it with their own unique interpretation. And rap is no exception. Japanese rap has come into its own and is considered to be a unique and innovative genre. If you like Kick the Can Crew and want to check out more great Japanese rap bands then you won’t go wrong with Rip Slyme and Dragon Ash. 3. Super Fly – Ai O Komete Hanataba O Super Fly is often called the Janis Joplin of J-Pop. She sings a mix of J-pop and rock and has a wide range and present vocal stle which is a refreshing break from your typical female Japanese singer. She has some pretty solid albums and songs out there and one of my favorites is 愛をこめて花束を Ai o komete hanataba – a song that really showcases some great song writing and powerful singing. That’ll definitely get your toes tapping. 4. Wednesday Campanella – Diablo Wednesday Campanella is a Japanese pop group headed by the super talented KOM_I, a singer and rapper with an hilarious sense of humour and a very original and creative style. In terms of genre it mixes rap, hop hop, electronic music and J-pop. Their videos are also pretty funny and worth a listen. 5. Okuda Tamio – Marshmallow Okuda Tamio is a singer song writer, guitarist and producer. He was formerly in a band called Unicorn which was pretty famous in Japan. He later quit to follow his own career. If you ask most Japanese people they will have heard of him and is also known for producing the hit band Puffy. The reason I like him is simple. In a word: guitar. As a nerdy guitarist I love the way he produces rock and gets an incredibly fat guitar sounds. Worth a listen! 6. Dry and Heavy – New Creation Back in the 90s, reggae hit Japan in a big way and the Japanese reggae scene was born. Today you have some really big reggae music events in Japan including the Reggae Sun Splash festival. One really solid Japanese reggae band I love is “Dry and heavy” which has an incredibly well produced and tight sound. One thing I have found is their albums age really well so they are always a good go to band of summer parties and something to listen to on the beach. 7. Urufuruzu – Osaka Strut ウルフルズ Urufuruzu are a rock band from Osaka and “Osaka Strut” is one of their big hits. The band is headed by the charismatic Tortoise Matsumoto who has also tried his hand at acting. They enjoyed their biggest initial success with the song “Guts Da Ze”, a song you should attempt only when you have achieved your black belt in Karaoke. 8. Southern All stars