Yuri sent us an e-mail last week about why she's studying Japanese.  Being half-Japanese and growing up outside of Japan, she told us she really wants to improve, but has trouble picking up the language. "I am half-Japanese on my mother's side. Although she wasn't taught Japanese growing up she encouraged me to learn, and as I got older I began to want to learn the language myself. I have used many resources over the years but never have I found as great a listening comprehension resource as Japanesepod. When I found Japanesepod I had already studied for several years, and so was able to jump right in at the intermediate/upper intermediate levels. I also greatly enjoyed Miki's Blog because it was at just the right level for me, with... Show more

Have pen pals?  Lars wrote in to tell us since using JapanesePod101 his pen pals have been quite surprised with his Japanese.  He also told us about how he first decided to learn the language and why. "I'm Lars (38) from Germany and I have a relationship to Japan for many years. I like Japanese sports and culture. And finally I have decided to start to learn this beautiful language Japanese. I went to at a local public high school and noticed soon that the style of the textbook does not really cover current daily Japanese language. Additionally there are not many chances to practice conversations in a big class. So I went on looking for other options. My search ended with japanesepod101.com. I like browsing through the... Show more

Today we'd like to share another story from the Mail Bag Contest we did recently from Nathan Mittelman of Sydney, Australia.  What do you do while listening to the podcast? Nathan walks his dogs and has even taught them commands in Japanese! Here's his full story: "On my first trip to Japan I was sure I would pick up Japanese easily.  I had the wonderful opportunity to work at Tokai University Hospital for a working holiday.  Although I had no previous experience with the Japanese language, I had been able to pick up European languages quickly and easily, and so smugly I thought Japanese would be a pushover.  I bought a phrase book at the airport in Sydney and spent a few hours reviewing it on the plane. The problems started... Show more

Congratulations to Jenni from Southern California on winning the GRAND PRIZE of Mail Bag Contest II! Jenni is in high school currently and absolutely LOVES Japanese!  Much like many of our other listeners, she became interested in the language and culture first through Japanese media like anime and  manga.  She was a bit discouraged when she first thought of learning Japanese, but toughed it out and is moving along and learning quickly! Have a look at the mail she sent us: "My name is Jenni and I'm a junior in high school. I am 16 years old going on to 17 this year. I became interested in Japan through anime and manga. That soon developed into a greater passion for the Japanese language, its people, and its culture.  I started trying... Show more

JapanesePod101.com was created with the intent to help people study, but we've found out some people even use our tools as a reference for work! One such individual is Darryl, age 59, from Oklahoma.  He works for Hitachi as a technical Japanese translator, a true veteran in his field! "Since my job at Hitachi is to translate technical drawings, procedures, reports, operating instructions and email communications between our office here and the headquarters office in Japan, I have to use my Japanese-language skills everyday. If JapanesePod101 was a store, I would call it a “One-Stop Shop” because it provides ALL the tools you need for learning the Japanese language.  That's why it is now my only reference tool. I used to read and... Show more

Konbanwa Listeners! This evening I thought I'd bring you a story about a foreigner living in Tokyo, but finding it difficult to practice Japanese. In Tokyo many Japanese speak basic English or the store clerks have mastered simple phrases to conduct business with the many foreigners living here.  This is great for the newly arrived or confused traveler, but for those trying to speak the language it can be quite frustrating!  There are also many people who speak only English at work and have no contact with Japanese. This makes learning even more difficult! This week's story comes from Julie Mitchell  in Tokyo.  Julie shared a story with us about this difficult to escape "expat bubble": "Why am I studying Japanese?  I ask... Show more

Konnichiwa! I'm sure everyone is waiting in anticipation to hear who the next Mailbag Contest winners are, but until we decide the final results I'd like to introduce another listener. This week's story comes from Richard Murabayashi, age 71 in Hawaii.  Murabayashi-san shared a story with us about how he started studying Japanese and how he currently studies. "I'm a soon to be 71 year old nisei and sansei, born and raised in Hawaii. Though I picked up some Japanese as a child, after the war broke out I didn't have a chance to study any longer. After that it was one thing after another, and Japanese was on the back burner until I retired at age 64. I started with 3 adult education classes in Japanese. And that was right about... Show more

Konnichiwa listeners!   Welcome to the new section of our blog, The Mail Bag. This is where we'll share stories from our listeners about their endeavors with Japanese. We hope stories from fellow students can help motivate and inspire you to learn Japanese with JapanesePod101.com or give you that extra needed push and renewed sense of strength when you think it's impossible to get become more proficient in Japanese!   This week we'd like to introduce you to Jalees, the winner of  the Mail Bag Contest and recipient of a free 1 year Premium subscription.  She had this to say about her Japanese studies: "My Japanese story is as simple as this.  I felt like my brain was MELTING! Why, you may ask? Well to make a long story... Show more