The Tofugu Podcast: Japan and Japanese Language

By Tofugu

Education

What's The Tofugu Podcast: Japan and Japanese Language about?

For people who want to visit Japan, live in Japan, and learn Japanese. Please excuse the tangents.

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The Tofugu Podcast: Japan and Japanese Language episodes:

04.26.2023
けど: Why Are Japanese Speakers Always Ending Their Sentences with "But"?
In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Kanae and Nick, discuss how "but" in Japanese, けど (kedo), is often used at the end of sentences in real-life conversations. For more details, check out Kanae's article: https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/kedo/
12.19.2022
How To Language Exchange Successfully
Language exchange is a fun and free way to improve your Japanese. But to do it successfully, you should consider a few things. In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Kanae and Ian discuss tips and practical expressions you can use for...
11.04.2022
How and Where to Buy Japanese E-Books
In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Kanae and David discuss why e-books can be great materials for Japanese learners, all their tips for buying Japanese e-books, and their favorite Japanese e-book stores. After listening to the episode, check out: https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/how-to-buy-japanese-ebooks/
07.23.2022
Why Is Everyone Raving about "Yotsuba&!"?
よつばと！ (Yotsuba&!) is a Japanese slice-of-life comedy manga series that's become very popular in the Japanese learning community. In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Kanae and Ian talk about how much they love Yotsuba&! and why it's such a great manga...
06.26.2022
"Yuri" — Japanese Queer Women Love Stories
In this episode, Emily and Kanae discuss “yuri,” the Japanese genre of women-loving women (wlw) romantic relationships. Check out this episode to learn a brief history of yuri, famous examples of yuri, and Emily’s yuri/LGBTQ+ recommendations, such as: ...
04.01.2022
Things I Wish I Knew When I Was A Beginner Japanese Learner, Feat. Ian Battaglia
In this episode, Ian Battaglia, a Japanese resource review writer at Tofugu and an enthusiastic Japanese learner who’s still actively working his way to the advanced level, discusses all kinds of things he wishes he knew when he was a...
03.25.2022
Things I Wish I Knew When I Was A Beginner Japanese Learner, Feat. Emily Suvannasankha
In this episode, Emily Suvannasankha, a Japan category writer at Tofugu and an enthusiastic Japanese learner of over a decade, discusses all kinds of things she wishes she knew when she was a beginner Japanese learner. Even more, she also...
03.18.2022
Things I Wish I Knew When I Was A Beginner Japanese Learner, Feat. David Honeycutt
In this episode, David Honeycutt, a Japanese resource review writer at Tofugu and an enthusiastic Japanese learner of over a decade, discusses all kinds of things he wishes he knew when he was a beginner Japanese learner. David covers topics...
12.22.2021
MEXT Research Scholarship: Get a Master’s Degree in Japan for Free
The MEXT Research Scholarship is Japan's government-funded program that will let you do a free master's *and* cover living expenses to boot. ...Sounds too good to be true? Well, Emily is living proof that it's not. In this episode, Kanae and Rachel...
11.17.2021
は and が: Part 1
Put your hands up if you agree that は and が are up there with the most confusing aspects of Japanese grammar. Part of the confusion is that they're often conflated as being more or less the same thing. And...
11.17.2021
は and が: Part 2
This is the second episode in our three-part mini-series on the ins and outs of the Japanese particles は and が. In this episode, Kanae and Jenny focus particularly on the particle は, and answer some more questions from listeners,...
11.17.2021
は and が: Part 3
This is the third and final episode in our three-part mini-series on the Japanese particles は and が. In this episode, Kanae and Jenny turn their attention to the particle が, including the effects of switching it out with は...
10.08.2021
彼・彼女: The Japanese Words for "He" and "She" That We Don't Really Use
彼 (kare) and 彼女 (kanojo) are Japanese third-person pronouns, meaning "he" and "she." Even though they're the equivalents of these essential English words, Japanese speakers don't really use 彼 and 彼女 in conversation. In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Kanae, Jenny,...
08.23.2021
もったいない: Learn About "Mottainai" Because It's Mottainai If You Don't
もったいない (mottainai) is a unique Japanese word that articulates the sense of regret, guilt, and sorrow you feel for wasting all sorts of things — food, physical objects, time, opportunities, and potential. In this episode, Kanae and Jenny (big fans of...
08.20.2021
んだ and んです: What the Heck Is the ん?!
Although んだ (nda) and んです(ndesu) are very common ways of ending Japanese sentences, they can be challenging for English speakers to understand because there's no equivalent to these in English. In this episode, Kanae and Rachel discuss what these sentence enders...
08.13.2021
に VS で: Which Particle To Use For Locations?
The particles に (Ni) and で (De) can both be used to specify locations, but each serves a different purpose. If you ever wondered how they're different, or you've been using them without knowing the difference, this episode is for...
05.28.2021
Second-Person Pronouns: お前
The Japanese second-person pronoun, お前 (omae), has different sides to its personality, just like other personal pronouns. This is the third episode of our Japanese second-person pronoun series. In this episode, the Tofugu crew, comprised of Kanae, Mami, and Rachel, discuss...
05.21.2021
Second-Person Pronouns: 君
A Japanese second-person pronoun, 君 (kimi) carries different nuances. It could be friendly, poetic, endearing, or even condescending (!). This is the second episode of our Japanese second-person pronoun series. In this episode, the Tofugu crew, which features Kanae, Mami, and...
05.14.2021
Second-Person Pronouns: あなた
Have you ever wondered if the Japanese second-person pronoun, あなた (anata), is rude or polite? This is the first episode of our Japanese second-person pronoun series. In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Cameron and Kanae, try to clear the myth of...
03.19.2021
What Should I Call "You"? Part 4: Other Tricks
This is the fourth episode of our What Should I Call "You"? series. In Japanese, pronouns for "others" (which includes everything besides "I" — "you" "they" / "she" / "he" ) are not generally used in conversation. In this series, the...
03.12.2021
What Should I Call "You"? Part 3: Using Family Roles/Social Roles
This is the third episode of our What Should I Call "You"? series. In Japanese, pronouns for "others" (which includes everything besides "I" — "you" "they" / "she" / "he" ) are not generally used in conversation. In this series, the...
03.05.2021
What Should I Call "You"? Part 2: Using Names
This is the second episode of our "What Should I Call 'You'?" series. In Japanese, pronouns for "others" (which includes everything besides "I" — "you" "they" / "she" / "he" ) are not generally used in conversation. In this series, the...
02.26.2021
What Should I Call "You"? Part 1: Zero Pronouns
This is the first episode of our "What Should I Call 'You'?" series. In Japanese, pronouns for "others" (which includes everything besides "I" — "you" "they" / "she" / "he" ) are not generally used in conversation. In this series, the...
12.18.2020
よ VS ね — Two Particles with Lots of Attitude
In this episode, Mami, Cameron, and Kanae talk about two sentence-ending particles, よ (yo) and ね (ne). They dive deep into their different nuances and uses, with a lot of examples. Also make sure not to miss a special cameo...
11.20.2020
さすが — Actually, It Isn't *Always* A Compliment
This is the second episode in our two-part さすが (sasuga) miniseries. The Tofugu crew — Kanae, Jenny and Mami — discuss the "other," overshadowed use of さすが, which is not for compliments. This discussion led to the discovery of Kanae's...
11.13.2020
さすが — The Best Compliment You Can Get in Japanese
This is the first episode in our two-part miniseries about the unique Japanese word さすが (sasuga). In this episode, the Tofugu crew — Kanae, Jenny and Mami — discuss the nuances of さすが when it's used as a compliment. Listen...
09.04.2020
思う VS 考える — Two Kinds of "Thinking"
Put on your thinking caps, folks! In this episode, the Tofugu crew — Kanae, Cameron, Mami, and Rachel — discuss the differences between 考える and 思う, two Japanese words for "think." After listening to the episode, check our article to do...
06.19.2020
Making Sense of な-adjectives and の-adjectives
In this episode, two native Japanese speakers (Kanae/Mami) and two English-speaking Japanese learners (Cameron/Rachel) discuss two types of noun-based adjectives, な-adjectives and の-adjectives. Later in the episode, the Tofugu Crew goes through quizzes such as "What's the difference between 本当な〜 and...
05.01.2020
Senpai: The Japanese Word You Look up To
In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Kanae, Cameron, and Rachel discuss the word "senpai," its use in Japanese schools and society, and Kanae's lasting trauma surrounding white socks from her senpai experience. After listening to the episode, check more details in...
04.24.2020
The Meaning of Sensei: More Than Just "Teacher"
Did you know there are people who are 先生 (sensei) besides teachers or your judo instructor Sensei Jeff? In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Kanae, Jenny, and Rachel discuss the word "sensei" from their personal experience and introduce many different...
01.24.2020
だ and です: Part II
In this episode, Tofugu's research team answers questions about だ and です from our listeners, such as: "What would be the best translation of です?" "When and how does it make sense to switch between です to だ when meeting somebody new?" After...
01.17.2020
だ and です: Part I
In this episode, the Tofugu research team answers questions about だ and です from our listeners, such as: "Is it true that だ isn't just a less polite form of です?" "What are the real differences between だ and です?" After listening to...
01.06.2020
First-Person Pronouns: When Female Speakers Use 僕 or 俺
This is the finale of our "First-Person Pronouns" series. In this episode, Kanae welcomes new co-hosts Cameron and Javi to discuss the use of traditionally male first-person pronouns such as 僕 or 俺 by female speakers. The discussion spans use in...
12.17.2019
First-Person Pronouns: Using Your Own Name
This is the fifth episode in our "First-Person Pronouns" series. In this episode, we talk about using your own name as a first-person pronoun (and the anatomy of Anpanman). After you’ve listened to this episode, check out our article on Japanese first-person...
09.09.2019
First-Person Pronouns: 俺 (おれ)
This is the fourth episode in our "First-Person Pronouns" series. In this episode, we talk about 俺 (おれ) and why it is so tricky for Japanese learners to master. After you’ve listened to this episode, check out our article on Japanese...
09.02.2019
First-Person Pronouns: 僕 (ぼく)
This is the third episode in our "First-Person Pronouns" series. In this episode, Koichi, Michael, and Kanae discuss their own personal experiences with 僕 (ぼく), as well as how to sound more hip when using it. After you’ve listened to this episode,...
08.26.2019
First-Person Pronouns: うち
This is the second episode in our "First-Person Pronouns" series. In this episode, we talk about うち. Though rarely taught in textbooks, うち is used fairly commonly in real life, especially in Kansai and between young females. After you’ve listened to this...
08.19.2019
First-Person Pronouns: 私 (わたし/わたくし/あたし)
In this, the first episode in our "First-Person Pronouns" series, we talk about わたし, わたくし and あたし. Despite all coming from the kanji 私, each of these three pronouns carries a different level of formality and gives a different impression. We’ve...
01.08.2019
How to Count Living Things (and Monsters, and Robots) in Japanese
We talk about the counters that count living things (頭, 匹, 人, and 羽) and how they overlap with each other. We also answer the hard Japanese counter questions like: can you count a robot with 人? What about a...
12.20.2018
How to Counter Anything
We talk about the counters 〜個 and 〜つ, the two counters that can count just about... anything! But, there are always going to be better counters out there for more specific things so we talk about those too. Consider this...
10.02.2018
Becoming Famous in Japan - An Interview with Big in Japan
Find and watch the Big in Japan documentary here: http://www.biginjapandoc.com We interviewed David Elliot-Jones, the writer/producer of the Big in Japan documentary. He tells us why he went to Japan with two of his friends (Lachlan Mcleod: Director, Louis Dai: Editor) to...
09.19.2018
Ganbaru: Do Your Best to Listen to This Podcast
For more, check out our article on ganbaru: https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/ganbaru/ "Do your best!" "Hang in there!" "FIGHT!" The Japanese verb 頑張る has a wide variety of English translations, and that's because it's such a nuanced word. Depending on how you say it...
08.21.2018
How to Use ~san, ~kun, ~sama, and All the Other Japanese Honorific Name Enders
You may already know that, in Japanese, you add a polite little something at the end of someone’s name: ~san, ~sama, ~chan, ~kun… actually, there are lot more honorific name enders than that. And there are a lot of rules...
08.14.2018
Rendaku: Why it's HITOBITO and not HITOHITO
Have you ever wondered why 人々 is ひとびと and not ひとひと, or even ひとぴと? Or why it’s てがみ instead of てかみ, or くさばな and not くさはな? It’s all because of a little thing called rendaku, or “sequential voicing,” which we talk...
07.30.2018
Counting in Japanese with Your Karate Teacher Sensei Jeff
Hi, it's me, Sensei Jeff. I'm here to teach all you white belts how to count in Japanese. Punch! Punch! Punch! (Actually, we teach you how to count from zero to uh... a mysterious number. And, we teach you how to...
07.24.2018
Japanese Whisky (ft. Brian Ashcraft)
Get Brian's Book, Japanese Whisky: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Desirable Spirit → https://amzn.to/2NAEqPR Michael and Koichi interview Brian Ashcraft–author of several Japan-related books–about his latest book, Japanese Whisky: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Desirable Spirit. He...
07.10.2018
O Genki Desu Ka?
Read more about Genki: http://www.tofugu.com/japanese/genki-meaning/ Everyone learns "o genki desu ka" when they begin their Japanese language education. But the truth is real people don't say it that much. So, how do you ACTUALLY use genki? We cover genki's use cases, its...
06.13.2018
ちょっと, a Little Word That Means a Lot
Read more about ちょっと in our article: http://www.tofugu.com/japanese/chotto/ We talk about ちょっと. At first it seems like a simple, little word. But, it actually has many meanings and ways to use it. We cover most of them, I think.
05.23.2018
Ways to Improve Your Japanese Pronunciation
In this episode we get into Japanese pronunciation. Whether you are a beginner, advanced, or fluent, you'll find something in this episode that will help you to improve your pronunciation. To read more, check out our (really in-depth) guide: https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/japanese-pronunciation/
05.15.2018
Getting Into 込む Compound Verbs
Prefer reading instead? We wrote a whole article about this (even more example sentences included!) https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/komu-compound-verbs Have you ever seen the Japanese verb 込む? On its own, it means "to be packed" or "to be crowded." But, this verb is also used...

What's The Tofugu Podcast: Japan and Japanese Language about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Tofugu Podcast: Japan and Japanese Language episodes:

けど: Why Are Japanese Speakers Always Ending Their Sentences with "But"?

How To Language Exchange Successfully

How and Where to Buy Japanese E-Books

Why Is Everyone Raving about "Yotsuba&!"?

"Yuri" — Japanese Queer Women Love Stories

Things I Wish I Knew When I Was A Beginner Japanese Learner, Feat. Ian Battaglia

Things I Wish I Knew When I Was A Beginner Japanese Learner, Feat. Emily Suvannasankha

Things I Wish I Knew When I Was A Beginner Japanese Learner, Feat. David Honeycutt

MEXT Research Scholarship: Get a Master’s Degree in Japan for Free

は and が: Part 1

は and が: Part 2

は and が: Part 3

彼・彼女: The Japanese Words for "He" and "She" That We Don't Really Use

もったいない: Learn About "Mottainai" Because It's Mottainai If You Don't

んだ and んです: What the Heck Is the ん?!

に VS で: Which Particle To Use For Locations?

Second-Person Pronouns: お前

Second-Person Pronouns: 君

Second-Person Pronouns: あなた

What Should I Call "You"? Part 4: Other Tricks

What Should I Call "You"? Part 3: Using Family Roles/Social Roles

What Should I Call "You"? Part 2: Using Names

What Should I Call "You"? Part 1: Zero Pronouns

よ VS ね — Two Particles with Lots of Attitude

さすが — Actually, It Isn't *Always* A Compliment

さすが — The Best Compliment You Can Get in Japanese

思う VS 考える — Two Kinds of "Thinking"

Making Sense of な-adjectives and の-adjectives

Senpai: The Japanese Word You Look up To

The Meaning of Sensei: More Than Just "Teacher"

だ and です: Part II

だ and です: Part I

First-Person Pronouns: When Female Speakers Use 僕 or 俺

First-Person Pronouns: Using Your Own Name

First-Person Pronouns: 俺 (おれ)

First-Person Pronouns: 僕 (ぼく)

First-Person Pronouns: うち

First-Person Pronouns: 私 (わたし/わたくし/あたし)

How to Count Living Things (and Monsters, and Robots) in Japanese

How to Counter Anything

Becoming Famous in Japan - An Interview with Big in Japan

Ganbaru: Do Your Best to Listen to This Podcast

How to Use ~san, ~kun, ~sama, and All the Other Japanese Honorific Name Enders

Rendaku: Why it's HITOBITO and not HITOHITO

Counting in Japanese with Your Karate Teacher Sensei Jeff

Japanese Whisky (ft. Brian Ashcraft)

O Genki Desu Ka?

ちょっと, a Little Word That Means a Lot

Ways to Improve Your Japanese Pronunciation

Getting Into 込む Compound Verbs

さすが — Actually, It Isn't Always A Compliment