JapanesePod101.com Blog

Did you ever enjoy watching Japanese anime shows as a kid? Well, Japanese anime shows are just the tip of the iceberg, and there are other entertaining Japanese TV shows (such as Japanese game shows) waiting for you to discover! In this article, I’ll be going over the best Japanese TV shows (read: Japanese must-watch TV shows) for entertainment and learning Japanese! Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner of the Japanese language, watching Japanese television series and shows offers you hours of fun and immersive opportunities to learn practical and conversational Japanese. Various shows are available, and you can choose whatever suits your preference of genre, language level, or interests. You’ll learn practical Japanese... Show more

Do you love Japan? Would you consider working and living in Japan? If so, know that there are many ways for foreigners to find a job in Japan! But how easy is it to find a job in Japan? Is it hard to find a job in Japan? It can be very difficult for a foreigner to work in Japan, for various reasons. These include: English isn’t the official language in Japan. Multinational and international companies are located mainly in Tokyo. Work conditions are quite different from those in other countries. However, there are many jobs available for foreigners, including language teaching, IT engineering, health- & medical-related jobs, and other white collar jobs. In short, depending on your skills and interests, there’s a variety of... Show more

Japan is a lovely place, decorated with frills of excitement and laced with serenity. But we’ll admit that some destinations in this unique country that you may enjoy visiting more than others. So in this article, JapanesePod101.com will introduce you to the top five destinations in Japan along with fun things to do in each. Your visit or move to Japan will be all the better for it! 1. Kyoto The former imperial capital of Japan, Kyoto lays claim to the “Cultural Capital of Japan.” In addition to being Japan’s biggest tourist destination and cultural center, attracting more than ten-million visitors every year, it’s preserved much of the atmosphere of the past. There are so many things Kyoto has to offer and several places to... Show more

On White Day, which is precisely one month after Valentine's Day, men return the favor for the chocolates they received on February 14th. Whether the chocolate was given to them out of a sense of obligation or love, men who receive chocolate on Valentine's Day return the favor by sending gifts including sweets. Since ancient times, Japan has had a custom in which a person should give something in return for any gift that they receive. This idea is probably unique to Japan, because its people place great importance on honesty and politeness in interpersonal relationships. Learn more about White Day in Japan to gain a better understanding of the culture. This will also help you learn Japanese in context, which is an absolute must!... Show more

Do you often feel lonely and sad? Do you long for romance and are willing to do whatever it takes to meet that special person? Speaking another language could revolutionize your love life! So, why wait? Learning how to say ‘love’ in Japanese could be just what you need to find it. Or perhaps you were lucky, and have found your Japanese partner already. Fantastic! Yet, a cross-cultural relationship comes with unique challenges. Learning how to speak your lover’s language will greatly improve your communication and enhance the relationship. At JapanesePod101, our team will teach you all the words, quotes and phrases you need to woo your Japanese lover with excellence! Our tutors provide personal assistance, with plenty of extra... Show more

Can You Really Learn Japanese Alone? Learning a language on your own or without traditional classroom instruction may seem quite daunting at first. What if you run into questions? How do you stay motivated and on track to achieving goals? Don’t worry, not only is it possible to learn Japanese or any language without traditional classroom instruction: JapanesePod101 has created the world’s most advanced and extensive online language learning system. Not only is JapanesePod101 specifically designed to help you with learning a language on your own, it’s actually faster, more convenient, and less expensive than traditional classroom options! Let’s look at some of the benefits of learning Japanese or any language alone. Also, don't... Show more

Japan is a country with quite a rich culture and history, and the Setsubun Festival reflects this. Find out why the Japanese hold the Bean-throwing Ceremony each year and much more about this holiday’s events with JapanesePod101.com! After you’ve learned about this holiday, you’ll have gained much insight into Japan as a whole. So let’s get started by finding out what exactly the Setsubun Festival is. 1. What is Setsubun Day? Setsubun Day, also known as the Japanese Bean-throwing Festival, is a unique Japanese holiday. Essentially, the Bean-throwing Festival is celebrated as a way of chasing demons away and summoning good fortune. In ancient times, many believed that evil spirits were born during the changing of the seasons,... Show more

Yes, even beginners can quickly learn conversational Japanese well enough to carry on real conversations with native speakers. Of course, beginners won’t be able to carry a conversation the same way they could in their native language. But, just knowing a few tips like which questions to ask to keep a conversation going are all you need to speak and interact with real native speakers! But before we get to specific suggestions, let’s first take a closer look at how having real Japanese conversations is so vital to your mastery of the language. Learning to Carry a Conversation is Vital to Mastery of Any Language Communicating with other people is the very point of language and conversation is almost second nature in our native tongue. For... Show more

Are you ready to take the vocabulary, cultural knowledge, and the confidence you’ve gained through JapanesePod101.com and deepen it? Our trusted partner LiveFluent seeks to shed light on the lesser talked-about aspects of learning—and grasping in its full essence—a new language. 1. Immersion LiveFluent holds the view that a vocab list and good memory are not enough to become fluent in a language. You need to live that language and that culture; you need to actively apply the language you’re learning to the real world and not look back. The necessity of immersion in mastering a language is quite interesting. This tactic implies that you go and live in the country of the language you’re studying if possible. As LiveFluent points... Show more

Today, classrooms are no longer the only or even best place to learn a new language like Japanese. More and more people are finding that they can easily learn a language just about anywhere they have a few minutes of spare time, including their daily commute to work. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American spends over 50 minutes a day commuting to and from work, or over 300 hours a year. Rethinking Your Daily Commute to Work But rather than simply sitting in traffic and wasting the time, you can instead use your daily commute to literally learn Japanese in just a few short months! JapanesePod101 has developed specialized learning tools that you can use on your commute to work (and home again) to master the language... Show more