Japanese Culture Classes

Take a journey through Japan with this assortment of cultural points, tips and insight.

Absolute Beginner

Curriculum

Japanese Culture Classes

In this ongoing series, you will learn all about Japanese Culture through these fun and informative lessons! Each lesson introduces and focuses on various aspects of the Japanese culture, presenting useful related vocabulary words, phrases, and even songs! Culture classes are conducted primarily in English and cover one topic per episode.

Lesson	Title	Topic	Key Vocab	Key Phrases
1	Coming-of-Age	Coming-of-Age Day and associated terminology	草履下駄袴足袋成人の日成人式着物振袖帯勉強
2	Japanese Superstitions	Japanese superstitions and related vocabulary	迷信霊柩車親指ハブ招き猫お守り	夜の蜘蛛どういたしまして
3	The Japanese SAT (kinda) - UTCE - University Testing Center Examination!	Japanese exam - UTCE, University Testing Center Examination.	歴史国語 -語日本語英語数学予備校浪人生地理東京大学大学入試センター試験青山学院青山慶応大学留年
4	Setsubun - Red Monsters, Blue Monsters, and Flying Beans, Oh My!	Setsubun in Japan	no vocab
5	Japanese Valentine's Day (V-Day with a Twist)!	Valentine's Day Japanese style.	バレンタイン・デーロッテめいじゴディバトリュフチョコレートホワイト・デー告白	本命チョコ義理チョコ手作りチョコ友チョコ
6	Japan's Gold Medal Hopefuls!	Japan's biggest Gold Medal hopefuls	建国記念の日オリンピック建国記念日神武天皇イタリア / トリノ安藤美姫フィギュアスケート女子荒川静香村主章枝選手スピードスケート加藤条治スキージャンプ怖い原田雅彦	頑張れ日本頑張れ！
7	What's Your Blood Type?	The interesting and popular belief that blood type and personality are related.	可愛い関西ホロスコップ星占い型血液・血 A 型 B 型マイペース AB 型 O 型相性占い	そうですか？貴方の血液型は何型ですか？
8	Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival, Girls' Day!)	Hinamatsuri and its origins.	菱餅白酒平安五人囃子三人官女お雛様男雛お内裏様雛人形雛祭り桃の節句雛あられ	両手に花
9	Japanese Plum Blossoms	Japanese Plum Blossoms (ume)	梅名所観梅梅酒梅干し弁当おにぎり梅雨
10	Warikan (Splitting the Bill)	Japanese way of splitting a bill	割り勘焼き鳥取り皿	割り勘勝ち割り勘負け頂きますご馳走様
11	Graduation!	Graduation in Japan	卒業ジンチョウゲ制服セーラー服学ランブレサー学長校長先生卒業書証拍手クラブ先輩卒業アルバム蛍の光謝恩会飲み会	パチパチ第二ボタン先輩、弟2ボタン下さい。
12	Shibuya!	Shibuya - the landmarks and the night life	渋谷侍ハチ公 109* クラブセンター街マンガ喫茶東急デパート東急ハンズ西武
13	Harajuku!	Harajuku - the landmarks and the streets	蒸しパン京都原宿山手線表参道竹下通りクレープラフォレ森裏原明治神宮大晦日明治通り
14	Cherry Blossoms (Hanami #2)	Cherry blossoms and how to "view" them.	花見桜前線桜奈良時代場所取り花見弁当なだ万ほかほか弁当酒乾杯カラオケ大学通り
15	Golden Week	Japan's Golden Week	ゴールデンウイーク新幹線温泉地国内旅行海外旅行憲法記念日緑の日なるほどゴールデンタイム黄金週間伊豆
16	Hakata Ramen, Anyone?	Japanese Ramen, things to do during Golden Week and differents dialects in Japan	方言福岡鹿児島熊本宮崎長崎大分佐賀博多ラーメン沖縄九州四国弁標準語東北弁東京弁関西弁九州弁長崎弁北海道本州豚骨
17	Animals and Their Meanings	Animals and their meanings (animals and what they signify to Japanese)	動物亀土佐犬豆柴柴犬秋田犬鶯海老金魚すくい金魚鯉尾頭付鯛犬
18	Animals and their Meanings Part II	Animals and their Japanese meanings (more animals and for the first time, insects)	猫狸寝入り蛙お犬様生類憐みの令蜻蛉蛍狐狸犬蝉
19	Smashing Watermelons	Japanese games, types of games that are a part of the Japanese culture, and see how they compare with your own	羽根つき絵札読み札羽子板罰ゲームスイカ割り鬼ごっこ遊び墨トランプカルタ凧揚げ短歌
20	Japanese Games Part II	Japanese children's games (Japanese games similar to pin the tail on the donkey, cat's cradle, hide-and-seek, and more)	福笑い折り紙千羽鶴綾取り剣玉隠れん坊じゃん拳
21	The Star Festival	Tanabata, or The Star Festival, the background and cultural information about this celebration. Also, touch on ochugen, or mid-year gifts, and a few other important topics in Japanese culture for this time of the year.	お中元吹き流し短冊七夕残暑見舞い暑中見舞いお返しお歳暮山芋お素麺巾着
22	Getting Married	Weddings in Japan, from the meeting to the proposal, different types of weddings, and more.	見合い恋愛結婚家庭教師結婚二次会プロポーズ	お見合い結婚できちゃった結婚
23	Bon Festival	Japanese Holiday O-Bon	提灯赤提灯大文字焼き灯篭流し盆踊り五山の送り火お盆
24	Getting Married II	Japanese Weddings. - Shintō, Bukkyō, and Kirisutokyō style weddings.	結納新婚旅行仲人結納返し教会神前白無垢角隠し人前結婚届地味婚六次会五次会結婚式三三九度神道仏教キリスト教儀式披露宴二次会三次会四次会綿帽子
25	Disaster Prevention Day	Disaster Prevention Day - why it exists, what happens, and some good information about disaster preparation.	防災強風避難所地震水害消火器消火火災関東大震災訓練豪雨
26	Getting Married III	Getting Married III - the reception	ケーキカットキャンドルサービス披露宴
27	Respect-for-the-Aged Day	Keirō no Hi - Respect for the Aged Day - the history of this holiday and how the Japanese celebrate it.	敬老の日健康祝う長寿国長寿敬う老人祝日国民福祉
28	Health and Sports Day	Taiiku no hi - Health and Sports Day. This Japanese holiday is to promote the benefits of an active lifestyle, and on this day Japanese schools, companies, and communities take part in organized sporting events.	体育の日運動会お弁当騎馬戦綱引き皇太子皇太子妃	ハッピーマンデー制度
29	National Culture Day/Halloween	Halloween and Bunka no Hi, or National Culture Day	文化勲章文化勲章お化け
30	Shichi Go San	Shichi Go San, when you can find hundreds of children dressed in traditional Japanese clothing visiting shrines with their parents.	七五三着物袴羽織帯千歳飴
31	Labor Thanksgiving Day	Kinrō kansha no hi, or Labor Thanksgiving Day - what this day is all about, the history, as well as what people in Japan commonly do to celebrate this day.	勤労感謝の日新嘗祭勤労感謝
32	Remembering Natsume Soseki	Natsume Soseki, his life and his works.	no vocab
33	The Emperor's Birthday	Japanese holiday Tennou Tanjoubi, or The Emperor's Birthday	天皇誕生日天皇天皇陛下万歳
34	Merry Christmas!	Japanese style Christmas.	クリスマスメリー・クリスマス. クリスマスケーキイルミネイション
35	Fukubukuro	Fukubukuro, the fortune bag - what these are, in addition to some tips on travel in Japan during the New Year holiday season.	福袋
36	Let's Talk Food	Japanses food - nabe (pot), kaki and oden	はんぺん大根白菜水菜石狩なべ掘り炬燵炬燵鋤焼き鍋牡蠣屋台	季節の食べ物
37	Big Clean-Up	Ousouji (big clean-up), and bounenkai, a year-end party.	大掃除忘年会
38	New Year's Party	New Year in Japan, known as shinnenkai.	新年会忘年会御節料理居酒屋
39	Haunted Japan	Haunted Japan - Ghosts, graveyards, and more - focusing on Suzugamori	no vocab
40	Sumo	All about Sumo	相撲力士勝ち越し負け越し土俵行司横綱大関関脇親方部屋幕内十両幕下三段目序二段序ノ口ちゃんこ鍋日本相撲協会小結
41	Aomori-ben #1	Aomori-ben - differences between Aomori dialect from Standard Japanese	わらしへば入るあんずましい（あずましい）んだはんでんだしばれるたげ津軽漬け行ぐ、　行くなわなもこったおめまんず
42	Aomori-ben #2	Casual greetings and new shopping vocabulary in the Aomori Dialect	なんぼ決めるへばかっちゃけっぱる	かちゃくちゃ！どんだ？せばたけぇんだがどしちゃー？
43	Moving on Up	Hikkoshi (moving) in Japan	不動産屋不動産物件礼金敷金引っ越す引越し貧乏保証人
44	Moving II	Gift giving, a traditional Japanese custom associated with moving in and moving out	心付け
45	Aomori Dialect 3	New words in the Aomori Dialect	やばい弘前公園大蒜林檎叱られるさかっちゃめぐせなげるまいね点数弘前城	んだどせばどすべそったなして
46	Aomori Dialect 4	More words from Aomori dialect	べでかい食うまま散歩わ	どしちゃ？まいねはんでがっぱどかっちゃくんだんだべんだがしちゃ何しちゅんず？んだのか
47	LESSON IS MISSING
48	Aomori Dialect 5 (Bringing it all Together!)	Aomori dialect review	しばれる滑るしゃっこい	がっぱどんだなだべわんど
49	Going to a Maid Café!	Whatis a Japanese Maid Café.	no vocab
50	What's Up With the Intros? 1	JapanesePod101 intros' explanations	はりつけひかえ香ばしいかぐわしい	間もなくめっちゃ
51	What's Up with the Intros? 2	JapanesePod101 summer 2007 intros' explanations	死神曰く子こらぁてめぇおめぇ慰める承る後続優勝宇宙飛行士鍋マネージャー畏まる	たのしからずや随分と経つ
52	Niigata Dialect 1	Explaining about Niigata-ben.	あやーしょうしいだろもしょばかなーちちんこいこんげおめさんしかもあちさん
53	Niigata Dialect 2	Explaining about Niigata-ben 2.	いとしげおなごおーここなにねあんまかんべはよそっでは
54	Niigata Dialect 3	Explaining about Niigata-ben 3.	おめえがめるいんや ~がんだすけこくしゃっつける
55	Roommate Rivalry Part 1: Give Me a Break!	Using Okayama dialect.	裏声
56	Roommate Rivalry Part 2: What the Heck Were You Thinking?	Using Okayama dialect 2	確定申告税金今後市役所宴会花柄（かさを）さすまし	来週いっぱい
57	Roommate Rivalry Part 3: That Reminds me...	Using Okayama dialect 3	温暖化白桃直前氷水冷蔵庫甘さ落ちる
58	Spend New Year's in Japan!	Japanese traditions for New Year	正月初詣年賀状
59	Happy New Year from JapanesePod101.com!	How you can make every day successful based on how you act on New Year's Day, learn about traditional New Year's meals, and others infos	no vocab
60	You can be in a Japanese Grand Prix!	Learn about the New Word and Buzzword-of-the-Year grand prix.	グ～アラフォー
61	New Word and Buzzword-of-the-Year Grand Prix 2009	Japanese buzzwords that won awards in 2009	政権交代草食男子ファストファッション
62	Martial Arts Video	Shorinji Kempo" - the purpose and philosophy of this Japanese martial art, and show you some moves	創始する自信慈悲素材合掌突く熟達蹴る護身術
63	Izakaya Part 1: What is an izakaya?	Izakaya, the Japanese version of what we might call a bar or a pub	no vocab
64	Izakaya Part 2: Working at an izakaya	Kat's experience of working at an izakaya	no vocab