Everyday Japanese Podcast

"Do you ever burn out?"「燃え尽きたことある？」

Shun from Japanese with Shun posts three videos a week and has over a thousand videos on his channel, so I had to ask.

His answer surprised me a little, and then we spent the rest of the conversation trying to work out why. How his pace has changed over the years, whether the numbers get to you, the gym, and the kind of person we've both watched burn out.

Neither of us really landed on an answer. We talked about it anyway! Tameguchi, no script, just two friends talking. For intermediate and above.

🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: https://sayurisaying.com

Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content & support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!

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I just got back from a three-day trip to a quiet mountain town in Japan, and this time I'm sharing my post-trip routine. Do you unpack the moment you walk through the door, or tell yourself "tomorrow is fine"?

And why does home feel so good after a few days away? This is a relaxed, slice-of-life episode full of Japanese you'll actually use in daily life, like 荷解き (unpacking), 洗濯機を回す (running the washing machine), and お惣菜 (ready-made side dishes from the supermarket)!

🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: https://sayurisaying.com

Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content & support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!

🩷 Support this podcast

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When someone says "考えます" (I'll think about it), how much thinking is actually happening? In this episode I put Tatsuya, an online Japanese teacher, through a quiz on 本音 (true feelings) and 建前 (the polite front) — everyday phrases where the literal meaning and the real meaning don't quite line up. Turning down an invitation, replying to a business proposal, reacting to a photo of someone's new partner. Even as a native speaker, I've misread these myself🙈 If you've ever felt stuck between the words and the intention, this one's for you!

Tatsuya also teaches Japanese online. If you're looking for a teacher, check out his trial lesson and Instagram in the links below! 🗓️ https://calendly.com/tatsuya-diginjapan/trial-30minute-lesson

https://www.instagram.com/tatsuyajapanese/

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🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: https://sayurisaying.com

Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content & support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!

🩷 Support this podcast

https://sayurisaying.com/support

My mom just got a passport, and I'm the reason why.

In this episode, I talk about Oyakoko (親孝行 — caring for and giving back to your parents) and its opposite, Oyafuko (親不孝）. We look at the kanji together, visit a street in Fukuoka with an unexpected name, and pick up everyday expressions like 門限を破る (to break curfew). I also share three small ways I think we can show our parents we care, plus a proverb most people in Japan know. Take your time and listen along!

🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: https://sayurisaying.com

Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content & support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!

🩷 Support this podcast

https://sayurisaying.com/support

Yusuke(もしもしゆうすけ）once saw a young employee walk in late — Starbucks cup in hand, smiling — and we ended up talking about what's really shifting in Japan's workplaces. Is the younger generation just more relaxed, or is something bigger changing? We get into generational gaps, punctuality, paid leave, and power harassment — and what it all means for the future of Japanese work culture. It's the kind of conversation you'd have over coffee, not in a classroom. Come listen in!

🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: https://sayurisaying.com

Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content & support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!

🩷 Support this podcast

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If you're learning Japanese, you've probably watched a lot of channels made for learners. But you might also wonder what Japanese people actually watch — I get asked this a lot!

So this time I'm just talking about four channels I watch myself. A bookshow, a literary critic, a cook, and one small channel about Tokyo that honestly I half wanted to keep to myself.

It's a pretty relaxed episode. Everything I mention is linked here:

https://www.sayurisaying.com/japanese-youtube-channels-i-actually-watch

🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: https://sayurisaying.com

Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content & support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!

🩷 Support this podcast

https://sayurisaying.com/support

It's not something people here talk about — so I asked. Tatsuya is back, this time to compare how married couples in Japan handle their finances: the old 小遣い制 kozukai-sei (the wife manages the salary and hands her husband monthly spending money), what 按分 anbun means (splitting shared costs proportionally, not 50/50), and why some couples end up with three wallets.

We also get into travel, workation, and one small purchase worth far more than it cost.

Unscripted Japanese for intermediate learners and up!

Tatsuya also teaches Japanese online. If you're looking for a teacher, check out his trial lesson and Instagram in the links below! 🗓️ https://calendly.com/tatsuya-diginjapan/trial-30minute-lesson

https://www.instagram.com/tatsuyajapanese/

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🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: https://sayurisaying.com

Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content & support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!

🩷 Support this podcast

https://sayurisaying.com/support

"Human dock." That's what 人間(にんげん）ドック literally says. So what do you think it actually means? Maybe some of you are thinking "human and dog."

I went for one recently, and in this episode I talk through the whole morning, from the changing room to sitting down with the doctor at the end. I also get into how it's different from the kenko shindan (健康診断), the free yearly checkup that companies arrange, and the one test I'd rather not do again.

🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: https://sayurisaying.com

Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content & support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!

🩷 Support this podcast

https://sayurisaying.com/support

It started with a mountain of negi — green onions — piled onto a bowl of udon at a self-serve topping station. In this episode, Yusuke(もしもしゆうすけ） and I talk about where the line is, why shops now have to post rules that used to go without saying, and what that shift says about Japanese society today. If you've ever felt like something quietly changed in how people treat shared spaces, this conversation is for you!

🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: https://sayurisaying.com

Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content & support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!

🩷 Support this podcast

https://sayurisaying.com/support

We all have those little happy moments — too small to tell anyone about, but that quietly make your day. Lately I've been wanting to hold onto them, so I built a quiet website to collect them: Hokkori Biyori. (Hokkori is that warm feeling when your heart softens; biyori means a lovely day for something.) It's a collection of short true stories, about 100–150 characters each, drawn from my own life and the people I've met along the way, no likes, no sharing buttons, just a calm space to keep these small moments.

In this episode, I talk about why I made it, and read a few of the stories aloud, including one written by a student of mine🤍

Visit the site: hokkoribiyori.org

手動のオルゴール https://hokkoribiyori.org/story/hand-crank-music-box

言葉のいらない仲 https://hokkoribiyori.org/story/wordless-bond

🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: https://sayurisaying.com

Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content & support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!

🩷 Support this podcast

https://sayurisaying.com/support