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Ever tried to learn a language by watching TV shows, listening to news program, and that was way too too much!?  Well, this is a show for you! Great for students studying Japanese and Japanese students studying English, OR if you just want some chuckles!  That’s the spirit we bring as two comedians swap Niigata snow stories, and the tiny phrases that make Japanese feel alive off the page. We introduce ourselves as it is our first episode—and move quickly into what the flash cards can’t teach: timing, fillers like nanka, and the quiet power of greetings that bookend a day, from ittekimasu to okaerinasai.

The conversation bends toward identity in a way only language can. Which “I” are you today—watashi, boku, ore—and what does that choice tell the room about age, mood, and intent? We unpack sociolinguistic cues hiding in pronouns, region, and register, then laugh our way through memory hooks like “Don’t touch my mustache” for do itashimashita and “Costco salmon” for gochisousama. Purists might groan, but we make the case for playful mnemonics as scaffolding, not a crutch, and show how to transition from sticky jokes to clean delivery when it counts. Along the way, food becomes a classroom—karaage vs. karikari prompting corrections that sharpen the ear—and Niigata life underscores why small towns can turbocharge fluency: fewer English shortcuts, more real stakes, and nightly reps at the neighborhood izakaya.

Under the humor runs a practical system you can steal. Build scene-based Anki decks, record fixed exchanges, practice one filler until it’s yours, and keep a live list of words textbooks skip but life demands—futsukayoi included. We keep circling our half-joking premise: a “show about nothing” that ends up being about everything that matters in language learning—attention, courage, and the joy of being understood. If this blend of comedy, culture, and practical Japanese helps you feel braver in conversation, hit follow, share it with a friend who’s studying, and drop a review telling us your most memorable mnemonic. What phrase are you claiming next?

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🎙️ Nihongo To English No Show — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]

📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes every 2nd, 12th & 22nd of the month!