Nihongo to English

Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 19 of Nihongo to English, Michael Allen CPA and Michelle MaliZaki talk about tobacco festivals, sister cities, heavy metal, mosh pits, ducks, and college majors before working through more Genki Japanese practice. 

This episode includes:

• beginner Japanese practice with simple yes/no questions
• Genki vocabulary about school, majors, years in college, and belongings
• a lively detour into heavy metal festivals, mosh pits, and concert culture
• a surprisingly long discussion about whether duck in Japanese is ahiru or kamo
• side quests involving Pokémon, Animal Crossing, handkerchief games, and geese
• more chaotic bilingual conversation that somehow still helps you learn Japanese 

If you like learning Japanese while listening to two comedians wander through ducks, metal festivals, and textbook exercises, this episode is for you.

Intagram 

Email: [email protected]

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

エピソード19では、Michael Allen CPA と Michelle MaliZaki が、たばこ祭り、姉妹都市、ヘビーメタル、モッシュピット、アヒル、そして大学の専攻の話で脱線しながら、今回も Genkiを使って楽しく日本語練習をしていきます。 

このエピソードの内容：

• 初級レベルの はい / いいえ で答える日本語練習
• Genki の 学校・専攻・学年・持ち物 に関する語彙
• メタルフェス やモッシュピットについてのにぎやかな脱線トーク
• 日本語で「duck」は あひる なのか かも なのかをめぐる長めの議論
• ポケモン、どうぶつの森、ハンカチ落とし、ガチョウ まで飛び出す寄り道
• 脱線しながらもなぜか日本語の勉強になる、いつものバイリンガル会話 

日本語を勉強しながら、二人のコメディアンのちょっと変で楽しい会話も楽しみたい方にぴったりのエピソードです。

メールは[email protected]までお願いします！！

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.

Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 18 of Nihongo to English, Michael Allen and Michelle MaliZaki talk about California teeth, Hammurabi, Dragon Ball Z, fake Vegeta figures, Japanese straw hats, and vegetables before getting back into Genki Japanese practice.

This episode includes:

• beginner Japanese practice with koko / soko / asoko
• learning how to describe where things are in more natural Japanese
• no-particle practice with questions like “Whose is this?”
• a detour into Vegeta, anime toys, and food-inspired character names
• talk about waraboshi / mugiwara boshi, vegetables, and everyday Japanese vocabulary

If you want to learn Japanese while listening to two comedians go completely off the rails—and still somehow make it educational—this is the episode for you.

📩 Email us literally anything: [email protected]

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Japanese Description:
エピソード18では、Michael Allen と Michelle MaliZaki が、カリフォルニアの歯、ハムラビ法典、ドラゴンボールZ、ベジータのフィギュア、わら帽子、野菜 などについて脱線しながら、最後は Genki の日本語練習に戻ってきます。 

このエピソードで出てくること：

• ここ・そこ・あそこ を使った初級日本語練習
• 物の場所を より自然な日本語で説明する言い方
• これはだれのですか のような の の練習
• ベジータ、アニメのフィギュア、食べ物由来の名前 の話
• わら帽子／麦わら帽子 や 野菜の名前 など、日常で使える日本語

いつものようにたくさん脱線しながらも、なぜかちゃんと勉強にもなる回です。日本語を勉強したい人も、英語を聞きたい人も、ぜひ聴いてください。

📩 メールは何でも大歓迎です： [email protected]

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.

💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]
🔴 Watch us live on Twitch: twitch.tv/nihongotoenglish
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

📱 Follow the show on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.
👥 Follow the hosts: Michael Allen CPA @michaelallencpa and Michelle MaliZaki @MichelleMaliZaki

Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 17 of Nihongo to English, Michael Allen and Michelle MaliZaki talk about Japanese sake, aliens, Earthlings, newspapers, baseball, and Dodgers parking prices before circling back to Genki Japanese practice.

This episode includes:

• beginner Japanese practice with kono / sono / ano
• price questions and shopping-style vocabulary from Genki
• a fun conversation about sake, snacks, and Japanese souvenirs
• weird and wonderful words like uchu-jin (alien) and chikyu-jin (Earthling)
• a very normal detour into Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers talk, and expensive parking

If you want to learn Japanese while listening to two comedians talk about almost nothing — and somehow still learn something — this is the episode for you.

Price Master Video 

📩 Email us literally anything: [email protected]

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Japanese Description:
エピソード17では、Michael Allen と Michelle MaliZaki が、日本酒、お土産、宇宙人、地球人、新聞、野球、ドジャースの駐車場代まで、あちこち話が飛びながら、最後は Genki の日本語練習に戻ってきます。

このエピソードで出てくること：

• この・その・あの の初級日本語練習
• 値段の聞き方 や買い物に使える Genki の表現
• 日本酒 やおつまみ、お土産のゆるいトーク
• 宇宙人（uchu-jin） や 地球人（chikyu-jin） など、ちょっと面白い単語
• そしてなぜか 大谷翔平、ドジャース、駐車場が高すぎる話 まで

日本語を勉強したい人も、英語を聞きたい人も、そして「結局何の話だったの？」というポッドキャストが好きな人も、ぜひ聴いてください。

プライスマスターのビデオ

📩 メールは何でも大歓迎です：[email protected]

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.

💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]
🔴 Watch us live on Twitch: twitch.tv/nihongotoenglish
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

📱 Follow the show on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.
👥 Follow the hosts: Michael Allen CPA @michaelallencpa and Michelle MaliZaki @MichelleMaliZaki

Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 16 of Nihongo to English, Michael Allen and Michelle MaliZaki fall into a “ki” spiral—kitte (stamp), kite(to cut / “cut and…”), and somehow kitty—which turns into a chaotic pitch for a Hello Kitty x Garfield crossover (and the question nobody asked: what if they dated?).

Then we jump into Genki Lesson 6 practice:

• Shopping + prices vocabulary (hat, shoes, bag, wallet, and more)
• The endlessly confusing world of Japanese counters (flat things vs cylindrical things… why)
• A full workout of kore / sore / are (this/that/that over there)—aka the “sphere of influence” lesson

📩 Email us literally anything—even “I’m listening!”: [email protected]

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Keywords: kore sore are, Genki Lesson 6, Japanese demonstratives, Japanese counters, Japanese shopping phrases, Japanese prices, Hello Kitty, Garfield

日本語版（Description）

『Nihongo to English』第16話は、Michael Allen と Michelle MaliZaki が “ki” 地獄に突入。
kitte（切手／スタンプ）→ kite（切って…）→ kitty で、気づけば ハローキティ×ガーフィールドのクロスオーバー妄想に発展。しかも「もし付き合ったら？」という誰得の議題まで。笑

後半は Genki Lesson 6 の練習！

• 買い物＆値段の単語（帽子・くつ・かばん・財布など）
• 助数詞の沼（平たいもの vs 筒状のもの…なぜ…）
• これ／それ／あれ を徹底トレーニング（いわゆる“勢力圏”レッスン）

📩「聞いてます！」だけでもOK：[email protected]

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.

💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]
🔴 Watch us live on Twitch: twitch.tv/nihongotoenglish
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

📱 Follow the show on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.
👥 Follow the hosts: Michael Allen CPA @michaelallencpa and Michelle MaliZaki @MichelleMaliZaki

Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 15 of Nihongo to English, we dive into Japanese Valentine’s Day culture—from giri choco (obligation chocolate) to the panic of White Day reciprocity. Comedians Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (Goat VS Fish)also bounce from “nee / Knights who say Ni!” into a surprisingly deep (and very funny) cultural breakdown.

Then it’s Genki time: we crack open Genki (pp. 66–68) and practice Japanese money + numbers, from yen bills vs coins (satsu / kouka) to counting up through ichi-man (10,000) and beyond—plus shopping-style price questions like: “___ wa ikura desu ka?”

Also in this episode: big snow in Japan, travel whiplash (Japan → SF → NYC), “milk chocolate isn’t real chocolate” opinions, and a heartfelt thank-you to everyone listening.

📩 Email: [email protected]

Follow us on socials + tell a friend who’s learning Japanese (or just loves chaos).

Keywords: giri choco, White Day, Japanese Valentine’s Day, Genki lesson, Japanese numbers, yen, satsu, kouka, ikura desu ka, ichi-man, oku

『Nihongo to English』第15話は、コメディアンの Michelle MaliZaki と Michael Allen（Goat VS Fish） が、「nee（ニ〜！）」「Knights who say Ni!」のくだりからスタートして、気づけば 日本のバレンタイン文化へ突入！

今回は 義理チョコ（giri choco / obligation chocolate） や ホワイトデーの“お返しプレッシャー”を、笑いながら（でもわりと真面目に）語ります。
さらに後半は Genkiタイム！ 『げんき（Genki）』66〜68ページを開いて、お金・数字・買い物の言い方を練習します。
「〜は いくらですか？」、さつ（紙幣）／こうか（硬貨）、そして いちまん（10,000） の「4ケタ区切り」に英語話者が混乱する話まで！

ほかにも：日本の大雪、旅行の移動（日本→サンフランシスコ→ニューヨーク）、チョコレートの強すぎるこだわり（ミルクチョコはチョコじゃない？）などなど、今回も脱線多めでお届けします。

📩 メール：[email protected]

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.

💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]
🔴 Watch us live on Twitch: twitch.tv/nihongotoenglish
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

📱 Follow the show on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.
👥 Follow the hosts: Michael Allen CPA @michaelallencpa and Michelle MaliZaki @MichelleMaliZaki

Send us Fan Mail

Episode 14 starts with a very LA problem: “It doesn’t rain enough to casually say ame ga yamu.” From there, Michael Allen and Michelle MaliZaki jump into Genki-style grammar and nuance—yamu vs yameru, tomaru vs tomeru, and what changes when the “stopping” happens by itself vs when you stop something (Superman stops the Shinkansen, obviously).

Then we go full language-nerd with a pronunciation breakdown of why Hi / Pi / Bi (ひ・ぴ・び) are in the same family—voicing, airflow, and how those sound shifts show up in real Japanese (hello, sanbyaku / roppyaku / happyaku / sanzen / hassen). We also cover sentence-ending particles ね / よ / よね, polite request phrases (～をください / ～をお願いします / ～をどうぞ), a sentimental Mt. Aso onsen-sake story, and a quick plug: we made a Twitch channel.

Hosts: Michael Allen, CPA + Michelle MaliZaki
Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

エピソード紹介（日本語・追記版）

第14回は「LAは雨が少なすぎて 雨がやむ を言う機会がない！」からスタート。Genkiの文法で やむ／やめる、とまる／とめる（自動詞・他動詞）を整理しつつ、文末の ね／よ／よね のニュアンスもチェック。

さらに今回は発音オタク回！ひ／ぴ／び（Hi / Pi / Bi） の関係を、息・声帯（有声音／無声音）からわかりやすく解説。数字の音変化 さんびゃく／ろっぴゃく／はっぴゃく／さんぜん／はっせん にもつながります。阿蘇（熊本）の温泉水で造られたお酒の思い出話、そして Twitch 開設のお知らせも。

ホスト: Michael Allen, CPA / Michelle MaliZaki
Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.

💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]
🔴 Watch us live on Twitch: twitch.tv/nihongotoenglish
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

📱 Follow the show on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.
👥 Follow the hosts: Michael Allen CPA @michaelallencpa and Michelle MaliZaki @MichelleMaliZaki

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Nihongo to English, hosts Michael Allen CPA and Michelle MaliZaki break down Japanese particle も (mo) from Genki I (Lesson 5)—how to use も to mean “also/too,” and how it can imply “among other things.” We also practice じゃないです (janai desu) vs ではないです (dewa nai desu) for saying “not” in Japanese, plus common beginner pitfalls (like stacking “also” and “too”).

Then we do what we do best: a comedian detour into pennies, “paying to do the work,” and the Flying Spaghetti Monster (Amen… Ramen).

If you’re studying Japanese with Genki—or you’re English-curious and like your learning with chaos—come hang out.

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

今回の Nihongo to English は、ホストの Michael Allen CPA と Michelle MaliZaki が Genki I（第5課） を使って 助詞「も」 を解説します。「も」＝ “also / too（〜も）” の基本用法に加えて、「ほかにも色々ある」という 含み（暗示） が出る使い方も練習。さらに、否定表現の 「じゃないです」 と 「ではないです」（カジュアル／ややフォーマル）の違いも整理しながら、初心者がつまずきやすいポイントを一緒に確認します。

…そして当然、話は脱線します。ペニーの話から「お金を払って自分で作業するのがアメリカンドリーム？」、さらには フライング・スパゲッティ・モンスター まで（Amen… Ramen）。

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.

💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]
🔴 Watch us live on Twitch: twitch.tv/nihongotoenglish
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

📱 Follow the show on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.
👥 Follow the hosts: Michael Allen CPA @michaelallencpa and Michelle MaliZaki @MichelleMaliZaki

Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 12 of Nihongo to English No Show, Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (CPA / comedic performance artist) bounce between English + 日本語 (nihongo) and dive into the Genki textbook to tackle one of the most confusing beginner topics: kore / sore / are / dore — plus the matching sets kono / sono / ano / dono and koko / soko / asoko / doko.

Along the way: an audition callback mix-up, Michael’s Goat vs Fish early-morning livestream “motivational” routine (is it a cult? 👀), Michelle’s daily bass practice (quietly, so the family doesn’t complain), a local Japanese-English language exchange, and a dangerously chewy mochi donut detour that turns into peak vocabulary chaos: momo (peach), mochi, mochimasu, mochimono, okanemochi and more.

If you’re studying Japanese (or English!) and want fun, real conversation + Genki-based learning, this one’s for you.

Listen, like, subscribe, and share!
Questions or vocab requests: email us at [email protected]

第12話は「これ・それ・あれ・どれ」問題！『げんき』を使って “this/that” の言い方（この・その・あの・どの／ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ）をゆるっと練習します。途中でモチドーナツの「もも・もち・もちます」ダジャレ祭り、Goat vs Fishの朝活トーク、そしてミシェルのベース練習話も！英語と日本語で会話しながら一緒に学びましょう。

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.

💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]
🔴 Watch us live on Twitch: twitch.tv/nihongotoenglish
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

📱 Follow the show on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.
👥 Follow the hosts: Michael Allen CPA @michaelallencpa and Michelle MaliZaki @MichelleMaliZaki

Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 11 of Nihongo to English (No Show), hosts Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen tumble into Japanese shopping phrases, beginner-friendly Genki vocabulary practice, and a chaotic-but-useful roleplay that goes from the store… to the restaurant… to “wait, why is Mary going to the bathroom?” 😄

You’ll hear practice with essentials like kore / sore / dore, common shopping & everyday nouns (wallet, bag, shoes, notebook, pen), and the most important question of all: “How much?” (いくら / ikura). Plus: a mini rabbit-hole on asteroid vs meteorite vocabulary, and a hilarious riff on Japanese “firsts of the year” like kaizome (first shopping) and hatsuyume (first dream).

📩 Have a question for Michelle & Michael? Email: nihongo to english no show at gmail.com
✅ Subscribe for more bilingual banter + practical Japanese/English learning moments.
👋 またね / Hatcha ne!

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.

💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]
🔴 Watch us live on Twitch: twitch.tv/nihongotoenglish
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

📱 Follow the show on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.
👥 Follow the hosts: Michael Allen CPA @michaelallencpa and Michelle MaliZaki @MichelleMaliZaki

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to 2026 — and our first 初笑い (hatsu warai), the first laugh of the New Year 🎍

Nihongo to English hits Episode 10 with Japanese New Year traditions, language mix-ups, and joyful confusion.

We talk oshōgatsu, bonenkai, and shinnenkai, New Year foods, long tamago jokes, karuta vs. hanafuda, and why the Japanese New Year lasts more than one day. Along the way, we confuse similar-sounding words, invent new ones, and laugh a lot.

Then it’s classic Genki-style chaos:
Japanese numbers, phone numbers, telling time, time zones, awkward role play, and the mystery of analog clocks — in two languages.

Also in this episode:
• Hatsu warai (first laugh of the year)
• Bibimbap pronunciation debates - provided by @vividkitchen_global on IG

• Japanese New Year resolutions
• Tokyo vs. New York time
• Snacks, food labels, and eating only after the podcast ends

A bilingual Japanese–English comedy podcast that’s lightly educational, very conversational, and proudly unpolished.

2026年最初の**初笑い（はつわらい）**エピソード！

第10回の「Nihongo to English」では、お正月（お正月・忘年会・新年会）の話から始まり、日本語と英語が入り混じった会話、言い間違い、食べ物トーク、そして時間・数字・ロールプレイまで、ゆるく楽しく脱線します。

勉強というより、笑いながら「なんとなく分かる」バイリンガル・ポッドキャストです。

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.

💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]
🔴 Watch us live on Twitch: twitch.tv/nihongotoenglish
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

📱 Follow the show on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.
👥 Follow the hosts: Michael Allen CPA @michaelallencpa and Michelle MaliZaki @MichelleMaliZaki