The Tofugu Podcast: Japan And Japanese Language

YouTuber Loretta "Kemushichan" has been making videos about Japan and the Japanese language for over 10 years now. And because of her expertise, we asked her to write an article for us (which you can read here: https://tfg.li/2C46DcV) and invited her on the Tofugu Podcast to drop some knowledge bombs. Knowledge bombs liiiiiiike... - The secrets she used to discover hidden exchange programs and other free ways to live in or visit Japan. - The study methods she used to get her spoken Japanese sounding fluent. - The problems Japanese small businesses are having with their tourism initiatives. - And many more... Listen and learn, friends. Then hop on over to Loretta's YouTube channel for more expertise. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kemushichan/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KemushiJP

Resources for learning Japanese we talk about in this episode: - Using SRS to Learn Japanese: https://tfg.li/2ila3Q1 - How to Study Japanese with Sentences: https://tfg.li/2iOtnc6 - Language Shadowing: https://tfg.li/2AMWZgW === "You can learn Japanese from anime!" You’ve probably seen promises like these floating around the Internet. Maybe you’ve secretly hoped they’re true. We’re here to tell you THEY ARE TRUE! But just because you CAN learn Japanese from anime, it doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Koichi and Michael discuss the one way you can use anime to learn Japanese. It may not necessarily be the best way to learn Japanese, but it’s a way. Like if you REALLY just have to use anime to learn Japanese, we’ll tell you how. Even if you’re not interested in anime in the slightest, you can use the principles introduced in this episode to learn Japanese faster and better than everyone else. Weeaboos and Normal-boos listen up: there’s language learning gold in these here hills (the "hills" in this case being our

There’s a clothing brand here in Portland that Koichi is a big fan of. It’s called Kiriko. What makes Kiriko special? The company makes clothing out of reclaimed Japanese fabric, some of it over 100 years old. But more important, they promote taking time to appreciate simplicity and quality. That’s why they sell more than just clothing; ceramics, coffee makers, backpacks. You could make an entire Kirko life. And that’s what we talked about with Kiriko’s founder, Katsu. We wanted to know what pieces of Japanese culture inspired him to create the Kiriko lifestyle. Listen in and you might gain a new perspective on clothing and how it affects your life.

When visiting or living in Japan, you may be worried about making mistakes: speaking informally to a superior, using chopsticks awkwardly, or bowing at the wrong degree. Things like this cause a lot of anxiety for foreigners in Japan. But we’re here to tell you about foreigner forgiveness. Basically, don’t worry so much. But on the other hand, don’t not worry enough. Some foreigners stretch this goodwill thin by taking advantage of peoples’ kindness for their own benefit. That’s not so good. So how do you know when to quit worrying about the little things while also ensuring you don’t fall into an amoral abyss of cultural and situational ambiguity? That’s a tough question that no one person can answer. That’s why there are three people on this podcast. Join us as we attempt to unpack the moral gray area of foreigner forgiveness so you can enjoy your time in Japan more. P.S. We’re definitely not talking about using your foreign-ness to get away with crime. DON’T DO CRIMES, KIDS! Or McScruff the Crime Cat wi

We’ve been doing this Tofugu Podcast thing for 50 episodes now (hooray!) so we decided to celebrate by answering listener questions. We asked you for your most burning questions and you sent us a ton! We picked the 50 best and sat down to answer them all in one fantastic podcast episode. I’m sure after this, all your questions about Japan, Japanese language, and Tofugu will be answered forever. Sure, this means the end of the Tofugu Podcast, but that’s a small price to pay for unlimited knowledge, right? Just kidding. We’re never gonna stop this podcast train.

Read more about Japanese festivals here: https://tfg.li/2hb8Fij There’s nothing better than a Japanese festival. Drums, mikoshi, dancing, food. It’s a magical experience. But Japanese festivals don’t just "happen." They take a lot of hard work and equipment. And some of the best festival equipment comes from a 150 year old shop in Tokyo called Miyamoto Unosuke. This shop is one of the top suppliers of festival gear in Japan. And if you love intricately carved portable shrines inlaid with gold as much as we do, this place is for you. And for only ¥500, you can also visit the world’s only drum museum, located on the fourth floor of Miyamoto’s building (Japanese festivals have a lot of drumming, after all). To learn more about all the awesome things you can see at Miyamoto Unosuke and how to get there, take a listen to this episode of the Tofugu podcast. Next time you’re in Japan, you’ll know just how to get your festival and/or drum fix.

Read more: https://tfg.li/2A1ph47 Yokai is Japan’s category for monsters, ghosts, demons, and pretty much any spooky or fantastic creature you can think of. And there are hundreds upon hundreds of fun yokai to learn about. With Halloween on the way, Michael and Kristen discuss their eight favorite Japanese ghouls; some terrifying, some creepy, and some just plain weird. Turn down the lights, light some candles, and settle in for some unsettling Japanese ghosts and monsters.

Since March, we’ve been publishing articles in a series called "What I Use to Study Japanese" (you can read them all here: https://tfg.li/2h3u8Kr). In each article, a Japanese language learner tells us what they use to study and the methods they followed to get the language ability they have today. Over the past seven articles, we’ve seen patterns, techniques, and resources that helped us look at learning Japanese in new ways. In this episode, the Tofugu team shares their thoughts on the series and what tools and methods you should you use in your own Japanese studies.

Read the article: https://tfg.li/2yrOp3K When living in or visiting Japan, there’s one simple thing you can do to make good relationships with Japanese people: omiyage. This art of gift-giving is steeped in tradition and has lots of rules to follow. Get it right and you’ll get off on the right foot with your host family and smooth over relations with co-workers. Get it wrong and… well, just don’t get it wrong. In this episode, Koichi and Michael talk about omiyage etiquette, where to buy, and 6 steps to achieving Japanese gift-giving greatness.

Read the article: https://tfg.li/2fRsA52 Memorizing Japanese vocabulary takes a lot of time and energy, and there's so much to memorize! This alone makes people give up before they even get started. But what if there was a way to alleviate this burden by making memories of Japanese words stick in your head almost instantly? You might not have to quit learning Japanese. In fact, you might just become fluent. In this episode, Koichi, Kristen, and Michael teach you how to use the keyword mnemonics method to memorize Japanese faster and keep it in your head longer. After they walk you through the steps, you'll be able to create mnemonics and memorize Japanese vocabulary like a pro. Best of all, you'll learn Japanese faster than everyone else. Listen to the podcast and thank us later.

Get more from us at: https://tfg.li/2fEcRty Why are Japanese classes disappearing from your school? Demand for Japanese classes at universities isn't decreasing. In fact, more people want to learn Japanese than ever before! Then why are Japanese teachers losing their jobs? Recently, Koichi met with a group of professional Japanese teachers to discuss problems facing them. In this podcast, he talks with Kristen and Michael about what he learned. The group brainstorms solutions for Japanese education and discusses the future of Japanese programs at schools around the world.

Read the article: https://tfg.li/2wMOjkR This is maybe the most frustrating aspect of studying kanji. You start learning 山 as やま. Cool, one kanji memorized. Wait... it can also be read as さん. Wait. All your other kanji have 2 or 4 extra readings too! Some are on'yomi. Some are kun'yomi. Why does this have to be so complicated?! It may seem confusing at first, but if you learn the difference between on'yomi/kun'yomi readings, where they came from, and how they work, we promise it will make learning kanji a lot easier. Listen to this kanji-tastic episode where Kristen explains all this and more. When you're breezing through kanji like a pro, you'll be glad you did. iTunes:https://tfg.li/tofugu-podcast Google Play: https://tfg.li/tofugu-gplay

Get your ideal day itinerary here: https://tfg.li/2fbRsb4 Oh no! The Tofugu Team has been kidnapped by Elon Musk and flown in his spaceship to Japan. He doesn't know how to have fun as a human, so he's forcing Koichi, Kanae, and Michael to show him what they would do with one day in Tokyo. If you're in Tokyo for a short visit, you can get some sweet travel tips from the team as they move from place to place, Elon Musk trailing slowly behind. Exciting destinations like: - A restaurant that serves shaved ice made with water from a World Heritage site - An indigo clothing store - A ramen restaurant that makes its own noodles right in front of your very own peepers - A multi-level toy store - A bath house with fancy wall murals - A bar where you can taste your favorite movies - And many more (like a lot more) And if you want to read about Kanae's ideal day in particular, check out the article she wrote: https://tfg.li/2fbRsb4 iTunes:https://tfg.li/tofugu-podcast Google Play: https://tfg.li/tofugu-gplay

In Japan last year, we rented a homeless person. Now, before you get angry at us for doing something terrible, listen to the podcast. It's not as ominous as it sounds. We wrote about this experience, too. If you want to read Homeless Kotani's story, you can do it here: http://www.tofugu.com/interviews/homeless-rental-kotani/ Be sure to subscribe to the Tofugu Podcast on iTunes or wherever podcasts go to die. iTunes:https://tfg.li/tofugu-podcast Google Play: https://tfg.li/tofugu-gplay

Get more from us at: https://tfg.li/2fEcRty If you've ever had beer in Japan, you probably know that there are only four of them: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Yebisu. But, there is a beer movement going on. Japanese craft beers are making a comeback in a big way. We talked to Beer Tengoku, a duo of professional Japanese craft beer drinkers (hey guys, the first step is admitting you have a problem), about the best and worst craft beers in Japan, and where to get them. Also, there was a blue beer. That was weird. Be sure to check out Beer Tengoku, wherever websites are sold: Website: http://beertengoku.com Support BeerTengoku: https://www.patreon.com/beertengoku Twitter: https://twitter.com/tengokubeer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beertengoku/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beertengoku Tumblr: https://beertengoku.tumblr.com/ Also be sure to keep an eye out for the BeerTengoku mobile app! And, you can subscribe to the Tofugu Podcast on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here's that iTunes l

Get more from us at: https://tfg.li/2fEcRty A lot of world famous martial arts started in Japan: Karate, Judo, Kendo, Jujutsu, and especially Aikido. But if you really want to study one of these fighting arts properly, like for real, you have to move to Japan and practice it there. Right? Maybe not. This week, we talked to Guillame Erard who has been practicing Aikido for 30 years. He moved to Japan just to study Aikido and has taught students all over the world. He breaks down the pros and cons of studying martial arts in Japan, as well as explaining the history and philosophy behind Aikido in particular. So if you practice martial arts, or want to know how to get started, listen to Guillaume's wisdom. Find out once and for all what it means to study in Japan (and if it's okay to study anywhere else). Get more from Guillaume: https://www.guillaumeerard.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GuillaumeErardCom https://twitter.com/guillaumeerard iTunes:https://tfg.li/tofugu-podcast Google Play: https://tfg.li/tofu

Get more from us at: https://tfg.li/2fEcRty It’s totally possible for you, a foreigner, to move to Japan and become a TV star. That’s exactly what happened to our guest this week, Matt Chozick, who has appeared weekly on one of Japan’s biggest variety shows for the past five years. But he gets to be where he is because of all the Japanese practice he put in (and a generous portion of luck). Learn how you can follow Matthew’s method to learn Japanese IN JAPAN! FOR FREE! And when we say "learn Japanese" we mean "learn Japanese to the level where you can present on national television every week." This is some serious stuff. On top of this, you’ll also hear what it’s like to work with some of Japan’s biggest stars and how the creative process plays out in the Japanese TV and film industry (hint: it’s a bit more inclusive than the West). If you want to learn Japanese like a pro and/or become a celebrity in Japan, listen to the whole episode. Then you can be like Matt. iTunes:https://tfg.li/tofugu-podcast Go

Get more from us at: https://tfg.li/2fEcRty If you want to translate video games and anime, you’ll probably have to work freelance. That means no 9–5, no benefits. You’ll be working weekends and rushing work to your clients. That’s been the experience of our guest this week, Nora Stevens Heath, and she's loving every minute of it. Nora has translated A+ titles like Kingdom Hearts 2, Your Name, Assassination Classroom, and Mario Kart DS. Listen to our conversation with Nora and find out if you have what it takes to translate games and manga professionally. You’ll learn what it’s like working with a big clients like FUNimation, how to get started as a freelance translator, and the step-by-step process freelancers use when translating games. P.S. We also settle an age old debate: Final Fantasy vs. Dragon Quest iTunes:https://tfg.li/tofugu-podcast Google Play: https://tfg.li/tofugu-gplay

Get more from us at: https://tfg.li/2fEcRty If you're having a hard time planning your trip to Japan, then don't! You can avoid all that stress of fitting everything into your schedule and trying to see the best spots by simply avoiding the planning. Taking the road less traveled can yield a more authentic experience and is a sure cure for the itch of adventure. This week Koichi, fresh off a trip from Japan, and Michael sit down to discuss the joys in exploring Japan with limited or no itinerary. They give you insight on why traveling free from guide books and blogs can improve both your language skills and overall experience. Initially, this may sound crazy but after listening to the episode, you'll realize taking an adventure can be even more fulfilling than planning a ton of activities. By the way, we also write about learning Japanese: tofugu.com/japanese/ iTunes:https://tfg.li/tofugu-podcast Google Play: https://tfg.li/tofugu-gplay

In January 2017, Tofugu started collecting the best, newest Japanese learning resources each month and reviewing them in a series (which you can read here: https://tfg.li/jlr2017). It's been six months since we started, and we've collected 32 new resources. Now it's time to reveal the best of the best! In this episode, Kristen tells you her 5 absolute favorite resources. As Tofugu's translator, she knows what it takes to study faster, better, and stronger. So if your progress is stuttering, listen to this podcast to discover new Japanese study tools that will get you back on your feet and running toward the finish line. --- For the full list of all 32 resources, check out our series "JAPANESE LEARNING RESOURCES" https://tfg.li/jlr2017 iTunes:https://tfg.li/tofugu-podcast Google Play: https://tfg.li/tofugu-gplay