Nihongo Master: Recent Episodes
Nihongo Master
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
There are always guides on what to do in Japanese summer - what about what NOT to do?
Loads of online posts would tell you what you shouldn’t miss and what you must do when you travel to Japan during the summer, but in this episode, we give you the top 5 don'ts!
This is podcast host Azra's last episode on the podcast - listen to the end of this episode for a special message from Azra.
Azra's Instagram: @azrasyakirah
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE FOR SEASON 13: Enter "JAPANSUMMER" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
We're definitely sure about something - why not express it? In this bite-sized language learning episode, we learn how to express that in Japanese!
This is podcast host Azra's last episode on the Study Saturday series - listen to the end of this episode for a special message from Azra.
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE FOR SEASON 13: Enter "JAPANSUMMER" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Podcast host Azra covers another Japanese summer topic for you today! It’s a fun one: we look at the top 5 Japanese summer cuisines you can devour to beat the heat!
Japan is big on regional and seasonal dishes, so when you’re on a trip to Japan in summer, take this opportunity to try out dishes that you can only get in summer!
We’ll highlight the top 5 ones that are extremely famous during the season, and extremely cooling on the inside too.
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE FOR SEASON 13: Enter "JAPANSUMMER" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This week's grammar point is extremely simple.
We’re looking at how to give approximates by saying “approximately” or “about” or “around”.
And to do that in Japanese, there are two words we can use: kurai or gurai.
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE FOR SEASON 13: Enter "JAPANSUMMER" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
As we mentioned quite a few times before, Japanese summer can be quite drastic in comparison to some of the summers you guys are used to. So why not prepare in advance in terms of what you pack so you can beat most of the heat?
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE FOR SEASON 13: Enter "JAPANSUMMER" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This week's Study Saturday will be short and simple, because there’s only one phrase to learn to say “suddenly” and that’s: kyuu ni (急に).
This language series offers bite-sized language learning episodes are formatted just like the Nihongo Master online learning system — we start out by explaining the grammar point, exemplifying them with a few example situations and then wrapping it up with a list of vocabulary words we just learned in the episode.
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE FOR SEASON 13: Enter "JAPANSUMMER" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Today we’ll zoom into Japan’s biggest summer festival, and that’s Obon.
Podcast host Azra will be introducing the background, practices, and traditions; and talking about some of the key festival language. Keep your ears tuned for some useful and interesting related vocabulary as we go along
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE FOR SEASON 13: Enter "JAPANSUMMER" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Podcast host Azra is stripping it down to one of the basics for this week’s Study Saturday. We'll look at how to conjugate the negative forms for verbs, adjectives and nouns!
It’s one of the first few conjugations, if not the first, that you learn of the Japanese language!
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE FOR SEASON 13: Enter "JAPANSUMMER" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
The theme of Season 13, which is only one month long, is... Japanese Summer! Are we ready to say goodbye to knits and cardigans, and welcome linen dresses and straw hats?
As we start the new month of June, we’re also welcoming the hottest season of the year. And Japan’s summer is not only hot and humid, it is one of the most eventful times of the year!
So to kick this season off, we’re going to look at the top 3 things to do during Japanese summer!
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE FOR SEASON 13: Enter "JAPANSUMMER" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Join podcast host Azra and our special guest, Anna from Japan Wireless and Japan Web Magazine, as they discuss Japanese fashion through their own experiences and observation.
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE: Enter "FASHION" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
As part of our "Japanese Fashion" theme, we’ll be looking today is Japonism in fashion - looking at how Japanese fashion influenced other parts of the world, back then and today.
If you haven’t already noticed, a lot of fashion styles today came from Japanese fashion, but pinpointing exactly where and how it came about that way has not been discussed much. So we’ll dip our toes in that today.
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE: Enter "FASHION" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This week is a continuation of last week’s Study Saturday, where we were looking at how to say “I completely or accidentally did” something. Podcast host Azra covers the usage of "chau" and "jau".
The Study Saturday language series breaks down Japanese grammar points in a fun and easy way! These bite-sized language learning episodes are formatted just like the Nihongo Master online learning system — we start out by explaining the grammar point, exemplifying them with a few example situations and then wrapping it up with a list of vocabulary words we just learned in the episode.
PODCAST EXCLUSIVE: Enter "FASHION" at checkout for 50% off your entire subscription at NihongoMaster.com!
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This week’s Study Saturday will be yet another one that’s easy to incorporate into your everyday conversations.
It seems that a lot of you love short and simple grammar with multiple usages, so I have another one for you today:
This grammar can be used to say two things: already and anymore.
Doesn’t it blow your mind that just one phrase can do both?
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Kicking off Season 12's theme of "Japanese Fashion", this first episode will have the topic of what I call the yin and yang of Japanese fashion, and that’s because there are two sides to this country’s fashion scene, which are not just opposites but also complementary.
Episode one will give you a tease into what this season has in store, by giving an overview of wafuku and yofuku respectively.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Podcast host Azra is bringing you another simple yet very commonly used grammar point for this week’s Study Saturday: we’re going to look at how to say "whether or not…"
The Study Saturday language series breaks down Japanese grammar points in a fun and easy way! These bite-sized language learning episodes are formatted just like the Nihongo Master online learning system — we start out by explaining the grammar point, exemplify them with a few example situations and then wrap it up with a list of vocabulary words we just learned in the episode.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This episode is all about White Day — what it is, how it came about, and how to celebrate it!
If you don’t know what White Day is, you’ve come to the right place. It’s like Valentine’s Day, but in March.
Podcast host Azra will let you in on some tips on how to wow your lady on March 14th!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This Study Saturday is kind of a follow-up from our previous one, where we looked at two particles “kara” and “made”, to mean from and until. Check that one out if you haven’t already!
In this episode, we’ll look at Japanese particles! It’s one of the first things you notice when learning Japanese is the particles. We don’t have those in the English language, so it might be a bit difficult to fully grasp its usage when you’re first starting out.
Now, you’ve come to the right place to get a bit of clarification on the matter. Podcast host Azra covers the most important particles you need in the next few minutes! It’s formatted slightly differently from our usual Study Saturday episodes, but don't worry, you still get your examples with the new language points!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
We’re kicking off a new season yet again! Season 11’s theme is a little more fun and lighter than the previous one, but it’s also shorter. As we welcome the month of March, we also say goodbye to winter and hello to spring — this season will look at Japanese Spring!
And what do we associate spring in Japan with? I don’t know about you, but I automatically think of cherry blossoms. The unofficial flower of Japan is going to be the topic to kick this season off!
The flower and everything that comes with it takes up a huge part of the tradition that is extremely visible to this very day. Sakura is a thing of the past, present and future of Japan. Let’s delve into the significance of cherry blossom in Japanese culture in this episode!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Season 10’s topic is “Mannerisms in Japan”, and we have looked at the various aspects of Japanese etiquette that are different from the rest of the world. Because it’s a topic that’s high in popular demand, podcaster Azra thought to have someone else join in to wrap up the season with!
In this season finale episode, TikToker Matcha Samurai joins our host in discussing the various aspects of Japanese mannerisms, including sharing personal experiences.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
As you read from the title, we’re going to break down the way to say “from…until…” in Japanese!
When you look at it, it’s actually not really a grammar point. Technically, we’ll be using two particles for this: kara (から) and made (まで).
The Study Saturday language series breaks down Japanese language and grammar points in a fun and easy way! These bite-sized language learning episodes are formatted just like the Nihongo Master online learning system, so tune in for a sneak peek at what our subscription offers!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Every culture has a certain way of doing things, and it’s no different in Japan.
As part of Season 10's theme of "Japanese Mannerisms", this episode will cover a few different special occasions along with the unique customs and mannerisms that come with them: weddings, funerals, and home visits.
Yes, the last one is sort of an occasion on its own, so you’ll have to tune in to the second half of this episode to know more.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
As part of our Valentine's Day special episode, we discuss a few romantic phrases in Japanese to use this upcoming romantic holiday!
Nothing makes the heart skip a beat than when our partner showers us with compliments and says romantic stuff.
Regardless of which stage in a relationship you’re in, or even if you’re not in a relationship at all but have someone you fancy, there’s going to be a Japanese phrase that we’re covering today that you can use.
We have four sections: confessing, asking someone out, and dating. Oooh.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Podcast host Azra breaks down the dating culture in Japan!
Just like the rest of Japanese culture, dating in Japan isn’t exactly the same as in the rest of the world. If you’ve watched your fair share of anime and J dramas, you’d realise that already.
So, as a Valentine’s Day special since it’s just around the corner, we’re going to walk you through the Japanese dating culture, in three phrases: the dating phase, the commitment phase and the getting physical phase.
Take this as practice before going on that first date with a Japanese gal or guy.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Do you do two things at the same time? Learn this grammar point "while" to express that in Japanese!
Study Saturday is a language learning series of the podcast, formatted just like Nihongo Master's online learning system. If you like this series, get a subscription with us now!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
At work, you gotta behave. But in a Japanese work environment, different rules apply.
In this episode, podcast host Azra lists down five rules to follow when at work in Japan.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Japanese mannerisms are abundant, and some might say that there are a bit too many to remember in a short period of time for a short trip.
Podcast host Azra gives more of an overview of a very popular collection of Japanese mannerisms in this episode, and that’s those for travellers!
The other episodes in this season are zoomed into various etiquette categories, like greetings and table manners. And of course, they are just as important as the ones mentioned in this episode.
But this special long mid-season episode is for those in a rush to get into the minimal Japanese manners mode for that week-long Japan trip we all hope to be on this year (like finally).
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this week's episode of Study Saturday, we look at the various ways to say "and" in Japanese!
Unlike in English, the way you connect various types of words varies. Connecting verbs and connecting nouns aren't the same!
But don't worry, podcast host Azra breaks them down step-by-step for you in a fun and easy way, then put them to use with a few roleplaying scenarios.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
While ramen and sushi have become dinnertime mainstays around the world, the customs that go along with them were mostly all left behind in Japan. And it’s no secret that there are a lot of them in the Japanese culture.
Podcast host Azra walks down the fundamentals of Japanese table manners in this episode!
You might want to take notes so you can brush up on your ways of eating ramen and sushi before your Japan trip.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
The connector "because" is an easy way to level up your Nihongo game. Tune in to this episode of the Study Saturday language series to learn two easy ways to say this in Japanese! Podcast host Azra also throws in a few roleplaying scenarios exemplifying the new grammar in this episode.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
There’s nothing more important than greetings, it’s crucial we have that covered as soon as possible. After all, it’s the first impression that sticks with us.
In this episode, podcaster Azra highlights three important points to acing the Japanese greeting etiquette: formality in speech, addressing titles and names, and bowing.
Once you know what to do for each and every point, you’ll master the proper Japanese greeting etiquette. And trust me when I say that it’s not that difficult at all.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Conjugation is crucial in the Japanese language, and so are adjectives. In this episode of the Study Saturday language series, we go through step-by-step how to conjugate Japanese adjectives!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Welcome to a new season of the Nihongo Master Podcast! Season 10's theme is 'Etiquette and Mannerisms'. To kick off this fresh new season, we cover the very basics of Japanese mannerisms. The four points covered in this episode will be recurring themes in Season 10, so tune in and take notes. We're in for a wild ride!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
- YouTube
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
- YouTube
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
- YouTube
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
- YouTube
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
- YouTube
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
- YouTube
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
- YouTube
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
- YouTube
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
- YouTube
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
- YouTube
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
How do you say "I begin..." in Japanese? It's as simple as ABC!
This is part one of three of "the parts of the cycle of life", as podcast host Azra would like to say — it begins, it continues, it ends.
Tune in to this week's Study Saturday for your bite-sized grammar pointer!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Season 7 is all about matsuri, or festivals!
There are hundreds of thousands of festivals in Japan, based on season, religious practices, and just for fun!
Tune in to our first episode for a glimpse into the matsuri culture in Japan!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Our finale episode features a very special guest: Ellie Fox! In this season recap, we discuss our experiences on working in Japan, job hunting, visa sponsorship, and Japanese language ability for working in Japan!
There's even a Q&A section where we answer the questions that you submitted to us about Japanese work culture and working in Japan!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
The Japanese language works differently from the English language in the sense that there are usually two types of the same verb. And deciding which one to use depends on the context of the sentence.
In Japanese, these two types of verbs are classified under transitive and intransitive verbs. We take a look at what they are, how to identify them and how to use them in a sentence!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
You cant work in Japan without a working visa — find out how to get one in this episode!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Not sure what to say in a Japanese job interview? We get it. Japanese is tough on its own, let alone when it's used in a formal, official setting.
We give you a run-through of a basic one here in this exclusive Study Saturday episode!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Interviews are tough, let alone in a different language. And with Japanese culture being very prominent in the business environment, we've gotta add that into the interview as well.
Here are three major tips to acing that mensetsu!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Have you tuned in to our first part of basic keigo? Well, the second part of basic keigo is here!
As part of our language series, Study Saturday, we break down the humble form in Japanese polite speech!
Keigo is crucial in the work environment in Japan. And while it can be quite scary to get into it, it's not that hard.
Here we break it down simply for you, complete with example scenarios and useful vocabulary words!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Etiquette is a huge part of Japanese culture — do you know Japanese business etiquette?
The world of business in Japan can be quite the culture shock, and in this case, it might cost you... Don't let that happen!
Prep in advance! We've got you covered with this episode!
Here are 4 aspects you should know!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
There's always a positive and negative in everything — in this episode, we look at the pros and cons of working in Japan!
Sometimes, your fantasy of working in The Land of the Rising Sun isn't actually reality. So before you jump into it, we'll shed some light on the situation.
Of course, everyone's experience is different. Don't let this stop you from going after your dreams of working in Japan!
Oh, and stay till the end of the episode for a bonus point!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
If you're planning to work in Japan, keigo is extremely crucial. However, it can be quite daunting.
Not to fret, this episode is the first of two parts breaking down the basics of keigo.
Our first part discusses sonkeigo, the honorific form, and we have examples of where and how you can use them in conversation.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
We know that the Japanese have a rich and unique culture, and that affects how they think and act at work.
For some of us, this change might be a bit of a working culture shock, but this episode will assist you in planning ahead and knowing what to expect when you start your working life in Japan.
Decipher the Japanese working mindset with us in this episode!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In the previous Study Saturday, we looked at the passive form. This week, we’ll look at its counterpart: the causative form.
Figure out its meaning — causation or permission — how to conjugate it and use it in daily and work conversations in this episode of Nihongo Master’s language series!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Finding a job is hard enough, let alone in a different country. We’re giving you some job-hunting tips to find a sweet position in Japan for you!
Even if you know which industry you want to apply for, with resumes perfectly polished, there are some Japanese job portals that aren’t as in plain sight as we think.
Whether it’s getting the help of a recruiter or knowing what to avoid, we’ve got you covered in this episode!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
The passive form is significant in Japanese language, but the conjugation can be a little tricky. We break it down easy for you in this Study Saturday episode!
And as part of our Season 6's "Working in Japan" theme, our roleplaying scenarios and examples are tweaked to accommodate that, without compromising examples for everyday usage too.
Study Saturday is our language series that's dedicated to producing bite-sized Japanese grammar pointers in minutes, equipping you with related vocabulary words as well!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Welcome to Season 6: Working in Japan! Our first episode highlights the best jobs to take on as a foreigner in The Land of the Rising Sun!
This season, we'll look at everything you need to know about working in Japan — work culture, jobs, job hunting, visa situation, and more.
We kick it off with the best and common jobs as a foreigner here.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
There’s always the plus and minus side to living in any new country — what is it for Japan? Listen to podcast host Azra’s experience and insight into her life in Japan, plus a special Q&A section where we answer your submitted questions!
In this finale episode as well, we recap some of the topics we discussed in Season 5: Life and Living in Japan.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
If you have any dietary restrictions — whether it's vegan, vegetarian, halal, gluten-free or lactose intolerant — we've compiled a list of words and phrases for making special requests when dining in Japan!
Learn how to ask what’s in a dish, request ingredients to exclude and substitute in a dish!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
If you’re familiar with our first “Japan on A Budget” episode in Season 4 about travel, we have a Japan life version!
If the cost of living in Japan is what’s stopping you from living your best life here, then you have nothing to worry about.
Cutting down cost when living in The Land of the Rising Sun is 100% possible!
In this episode, we look at 5 categories on how you can save a few bucks while still enjoying life in Japan: rent, transportation, food, shopping and entertainment.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This week’s Study Saturday episode is so simple, it’s ONLY going to take a few minutes.
There are only a handful of ways to say “only” in Japanese, and this episode of our language series breaks down 4 of the most commonly used ones, along with some roleplaying scenarios exemplifying them!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Want to know how to start your life in Japan? There’s a lot of nitty-gritty, but we’ve simplified it into 5 steps!
Living life in Japan is fun and all, but it’s not without its work. Everything from the preparation to the integration, we’re covering them all in the most efficient yet fun way possible.
Tune in to this episode for your quick run-down to getting started with your Japan life!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
The grammar point we’re going to learn today is an absolute MUST for anyone serious about Japanese... Did you see what we did there?
There are more than a few ways to express “must” and “have to”, and this Study Saturday episode will break it down nice and easy for you!
You definitely HAVE TO give this language series episode a listen to learn!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode, as part of the “Life in Japan” theme, we chat about an interesting aspect of life in Japan: the socialising culture.
Some of you might be thinking, “how hard can socialising be?” Podcast host Azra soon realised it’s like stepping into a whole other social universe!
When you move to a country that has a completely opposite approach to making friends and communicating, it can be more of a challenge than you think.
In the next few minutes, we’re going to look at a few ways to break into that Japanese social culture.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This is the second part of helping verbs grammar, where we cover te ageru, te kureru and te morau.
We combine a verb with another to give the sentence even more context. Similar to the first part, it’s a concept that’s unique to the Japanese language: giving and receiving.
The Study Saturday language series aims to bring bite-sized grammar pointers in a fun and simple way, just like Nihongo Master’s learning system!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This list of fun locally loved activities is a sneak peek at the kind of life you can live in Japan!
What is considered a fun, once-in-a-lifetime activity on your holiday isn’t something you’d do week after week when you’ve settled down here.
Podcast host Azra lists a few ways to have fun like a local, everything from cheap thrills to evening excitement!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Podcast host Azra is joined by Cyber Bunny in this special episode about life in Japan!
Travelling to Japan and living in Japan are two very different experiences. It’s not until you’ve gone through them both yourself that you see what they are.
In this special episode, podcast host Azra and Cyber Bunny, who both are living in Japan, exchange their stories, give Japanese language and cultural tips, and reveal a few secrets about Japan life!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This week’s Study Saturday is the first of two parts on helping verbs!
Helping verbs give context to sentences by combining a verb with another. It’s like saying, “I’m going to the store...and coming back!”
We’re looking at te iku (ていく) and te kuru (てくる) for the first part of helping verbs!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In these next few minutes, we’re taking a look at our choices of housing in Japan!
The place you settle down in is going to be your base for everything.
So you’ve got your new job contract or school acceptance letter, and booked your one-way flight ticket. Put aside the dozen other things you gotta prepare and focus on this one: finding the right place to call home.
Not a lot of people know this, but there are a few types of housing you can choose from in Japan. Today, we’re highlighting the three kinds: dormitory, share house and apartments.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Find stuff easy or hard to do? Let’s learn how to say that in Japanese in this week’s Study Saturday, our podcast language series!
Everything from expressing doing something that’s hard to something that’s easy — we’re going to break it down step-by-step for you.
On top of that, we practice the new grammar language with a few roleplaying scenarios!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
What are some of the most surprising culture shocks you can experience in Japan? Here are the 5 we shortlisted!
Nothing can really prepare you 100% for the things you experience first-hand in Japan.
Experiencing culture shock in Japan is not a particularly surprising thing — it’s even more surprising if you don’t.
Despite having a grasp of the Japanese language and mentally preparing for the overwhelming neon adverts, podcast host Azra was still shocked like everyone else.
Find out what are some of the unique cultural aspects to look forward to on your next Japan trip!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
The first Study Saturday episode of Season 5 discusses how to express decision making with ことにする, にする and ことになる.
For example, podcast host Azra decided to move to Japan three years ago.
Follow us on our Season 5 journey with the theme “Living in Japan”!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Welcome to Season 5’s theme: Living. We’ll look at everything there is to know about life in Japan. You can look forward to episodes discussing about culture shock, Japan life lessons, and even ones like a rundown on how to settle down in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Today, we’re kicking this season off with 3 pros and 3 cons of living in Japan – just to ease into the theme. No country is perfect, just as no person is perfect. It’s when the good outweighs the bad that makes everything all worthwhile.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Season 4 is all about travel in Japan – bringing Japan ryoko tips and insights to you virtually while prepping you for your next trip to Japan.
This week’s our last episode for the season with the ‘Japan Travel’ theme, and we’re wrapping it up with...Japan On A Budget!
In recent years, Japan travel is so popular that it inevitably affects the budget range for this type of travel. Gone are the chances of going to Japan without splurging all your savings...or so you thought.
It’s 100% possible to experience this culturally rich island nation without breaking the bank. So we’re going to look at 5 categories of going cheap: accommodation, transport, attractions, food and entertainment.
Our season finale has a recap of the topics and grammar language we covered so far in this season weaved into this episode’s topic – so grab your notebooks!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
We’re looking at superlatives today. All the ways to say “the best”, “very”, “super”, “extremely” and everything else in between, we’re covering that in the next couple of minutes.
Today’s bite-sized grammar pointer is super easy, ridiculously quick to learn and basically the best for a laid-back study sesh.
Podcast host Azra promises you, by the end of this episode, you’ll be the best at the superlative form.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
We’ll be looking at the various types of unique accommodations you can find only in Japan!
What’s the first and foremost thing you consider when planning for a trip? Okay, flights, sure. What’s the second thing? Accommodation!
We’ll highlight four: traditional ryokan and minshuku stays, cultural temple lodgings, futuristic capsule hotels and the entertainment-filled manga cafes.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
We’re going back to fundamentals, and what’s more fundamental in Japanese grammar than the te-form?
This is without a doubt one of the most important conjugations in Japanese grammar. Without the te-form, you won’t be able to really grasp some of the other Japanese grammar.
It’s kind of like a level up token – as soon as you master this, you go from speaking short simple sentences to flawlessly and fluidly expressing your thoughts in clauses.
So what exactly does the te-form do? There are five ways — this episode covers them all!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Aside from sightseeing and eating, what are other Japan travel activities? We give you a shortlist of our favourite quirky ones: themed cafes, purikura, mario go-karting and cosplay!
Japan is the land that keeps on giving when it comes to cultural insights and eye-opening history, but it’s no secret that this island nation is full of quirky activities you can only get here.
So prepare your mental checklist of the ones you’ve done – for those who’ve been to Japan – or the ones you want to do – for those who haven’t been.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by NihongoMaster.com, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This episode of Study Saturday covers everything you need to know about giving and asking for permission with “it’s okay to”.
In both statement and question form, this grammar language can save you a few minutes of language barrier and miscommunication.
Sure, a “daijoubu” can cover most situations, as discussed in our Season 1 Episode 1, but aren’t we all here to up our Nihongo game?
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Let’s chat about something pretty close to most ladies’ hearts: shopping!
Japan is one of the best countries to shop in, with unique styles originating from the country itself and thousands of local shops offering them at various prices.
Podcast host Azra will virtually walk you through a shopping experience in Japan, all the while dropping some Japanese phrases and essential words that’ll help you navigate Japan’s shopping universe!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Podcast host Azra is joined by @TikTok-er Gino Kei (@heyginosan on Instagram) for a fun chat about Japan travel, Japanese culture and anime — ending it off with a mini-lesson for all!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
We look at how to say “I hope…” or “It’ll be good if…” You know, like I hope this global pandemic goes away soon so we can all go back to normal life and travel again…
This week’s Study Saturday episode uses the grammar language of Study Saturday #12 — so tune to that one first if you haven’t!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Goodbye winter, hello spring! As we speak, the beautiful pale pink flowers we all know and love are taking over the landscape of Japan!
Since a lot of us aren’t able to visit The Land of the Rising Sun this spring due to the pandemic, podcast host Azra is bringing Japanese spring to you!
They’re no ordinary flora — they have quite the background in terms of significance and symbolism in Japanese culture. Sakura is a thing of the past, present and future of Japan.
From being the symbol of life to a celebration that brings people together, cherry blossoms are here to stay and to continue dominating the spring season.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
We cover some of the basics in this Study Saturday: directions!
Podcast host Azra feels like, no matter what stage we’re at in our learning journey, directions are something best to constantly revise.
Let’s all agree that this is a key essential in your Japanese language travelling kit. Who knows, there are some directional expressions you don’t really know how to make full use of!
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In this episode, we won’t be virtually travelling to any particular city in Japan but rather focusing on the means of going from one to the other.
Transportation in Japan, particularly the train system, has been complimented time and time again to be one of the world’s most efficient.
Podcast host Azra said, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited by the thought of a bullet train zipping me from one end of the nation to the other before I first came to Japan.”
We’ll have a brief look at a few categories: JR System, shinkansen and private railway companies.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
This episode of Study Saturday will guide you through all the language you need to navigate through the excessive and insufficient!
Podcast host Azra had a few struggles with expressing something’s too much and not enough when she first came to Japan, so she decided to turn her experience into something others can learn from!
So if you want to express something that is too much or not enough, as well as request for something more or less because of it, here’s a bite-sized language learning episode for you!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Move aside ramen-ya and kaitenzushi — we’re here for the other unique types of Japanese eateries!
If you’ve listened to Season 1’s Episode 6, The Munchies, you’re already caught up with a few highlighted Japanese food. Today, we’re not about that — we’re looking at the types of restaurants you can find here.
We’ll touch on the top four unique types of eateries today: izakaya, ryotei & kappo, cook-it-yourself and family restaurants.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Our 13th Study Saturday guides you through how to express what you “need” in life!
In our fifth Study Saturday, which is Season 2’s Episode 10, we discussed how to say “I want”, so it’s only right that we cover needs today.
After all, we need to know the difference between what we desire and what we require.
And as part of Season 4’s theme, we’ll have the whole episode geared towards travel — vocab, roleplaying scenarios, all of it.
But don’t worry, this grammar language isn’t just used for Japan travel but also for those who are already living and want to live in Japan.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
We’re happy to introduce you Season 4’s theme: travel! And to kick it off, let’s look at what should be on your Japan bucket list!
This season is all about the biggest thing a lot of us are really dying to do right now but impossible to thanks to the global pandemic: travel. But we’re not going to talk about general travel, we’re talking about Japan travel!
There’s the standard “visit these specific places” and “eat local food”, and the list goes on to more than 50 things to do! Boy, we don’t all have the time in the world to read or do that!
Instead, this Japan basic bucket list has only 4 on the list — it’s the most basic of lists, but a damn good one.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we dig deep into the meaning and usage of the Japanese word “気”, along with 9 essential phrases.
We’ll look at how “ki” is used in conveying difficult thoughts and emotions in the Japanese language.
Regardless of what language we’re speaking in, our inner being, our soul, brings up a lot of opportunities for conversation. Especially in this day and age where the “mind over matter” mentality is at its peak.
Podcast host Azra says, “You don’t need to always pour your heart out every single time you need to express something — just use one of these “key” phrases! Get it… ki, like the spirit….”
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, the 12th Study Saturday brings you four ways to express the conditional form, “if”.
There are many ifs in life, and in Japanese, the various if’s requires a different grammar point.
Oh, if only it was as simple as in English where there’s only one way. In Japanese, there are four ways to express conditional. Yes, four!
Don’t get put off by the idea just yet! That’s where the Nihongo Master’s learning system comes in and saves the day: we structure this podcast series very similarly to our online learning system, where we break down the grammar points for you step-by-step in the simplest way possible!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the idol culture in Japan!
Idols are like celebrities but on a whole other spectrum.
It’s no denying that Japan’s music scene has been dominated by the likes of J-pop, Japanese popular music — everywhere you go in the country, you’ll see a banner promoting a girl group’s latest album or a boy group advert for a brand’s newest product.
But what exactly is idol culture and how is it different from the rest of the world?
We’ll have them all answered in this episode!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about making comparisons using more or less than as part of our Study Saturday language learning series!
Ever needed to make a comparison before? I do it on a daily — whether it’s to say that taking the train is faster than the bus or if coffee’s better than tea.
Regardless of what type of comparison you’re making, we can all agree that it’s a pretty common daily occurrence and we must definitely learn how to say it in Japanese, right?
And the best part of it all is that it’s not difficult in the least to do that!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
For this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the top romantic holidays in Japan!
In Japan, love is always in the air. As soon as Christmas and New Year’s are over, the shops take down their Christmas trees and festive lights to replace them with pink decorations and chocolate everything.
You’d think that it stops after February 14th, after Valentine’s Day, but nope. It goes on for another month until March 14th: White Day!
There’s more than one romantic holiday in Japan, and today we’re going to look at the significance, a bit of history and traditions of these two romantic holidays.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
By the end of this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, the tenth Study Saturday, you will be asking and giving advice in Japanese like a pro!
We wish we had a problem-free life where we don’t need to ask someone else’s opinion on what we should do. But alas, we’re only human. And as a human, we’re interested in what other humans have to say, as well as giving my own two cents.
This grammar point can also be used for asking someone’s advice on which dress is better to buy.
So you see, it’s another useful grammar language for this week’s Study Saturday!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about Japanese entertainment!
It’s no secret that Japanese people love their entertainment — from traditional arcades and classic gaming cafes to Japan-born pachinko and karaoke.
We’ll have a virtual walkthrough of Japan’s entertainment culture — both traditional and modern.
We split them up into four categories, some you are familiar with more than others: karaoke, pachinko, arcades and local entertainment
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we chat with Asriel Olivares about Japanese language learning, tips and techniques, as well as a review of Nihongo Master’s online learning system.
How’s your Japanese language learning journey going?
How do you motivate yourself during those situations? How do you get out of bed and go, “I’m going to study Japanese today”?
Everyone’s on their own path at their own pace, and sometimes it can get pretty draggy when you’re kind of stuck and don’t know how else to improve yourself.
This podcast episode will motivate you with our personal Japanese language learning journeys as well as some motivation for your own!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast and our ninth Study Saturday, we learn how to express possibility with “perhaps” or “maybe” in Japanese.
This week’s Study Saturday looks at conveying the possibility of something that’s not 100%… more like a 50/50 shot.
If you think something’s going to happen but you’re not 100% sure, you’re going to add the word “might”, “maybe” or “perhaps” in the sentence, aren’t you?
Maybe you want to use it to say everyday things like, maybe it’s going to rain, or perhaps you’ll cook dinner instead of buying takeout. All of that is easily achievable with the grammar language!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the “taboo” topic of tattoo culture in Japan.
Tattoos have made a mark (pun intended) way back in Japanese history — would you believe me if I say that it goes as far back as 5,000BC? The primaeval tale of Japanese tattoos carved the scene of this art-on-skin today. From generation to generation, Japanese tattoo artists were taught the ancient skills that shaped the tattoo culture today.
Japan has built quite a reputation for itself when it comes to tattoos — on both ends of the stick, actually. While people all around the world look up to the unique Japanese tattoo art, the locals aren’t exactly fond of them.
Discover the backstory of this Japanese body art and how it has evolved to this day. Have your ink pens ready as we’ll be dropping a few cool new vocabulary words related to all things tattoo.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we look at how to say “I can…” in Japanese.
This week’s Study Saturday introduces another useful grammar language that we can’t live without — whether it’s at work or just among friends, there would definitely come a time when you mention or respond with your abilities, capabilities or attributes.
And sometimes, it doesn’t even have to be about you — it can be about the people around you or even things!
If that’s not proof enough that this particular grammar point is extremely useful, then I don’t know what is. But if you’re already convinced and want to know how exactly to express potential, then stick around!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the unique Japanese art of gift-giving!
This art of gift-giving dates back to the Edo period, a healthy practice that lives to this day in respect to the original intentions of the various types of gifts.
Podcast host Azra says, “It is more than just casually giving someone a souvenir from a recent trip or a present for an occasion. It’s an act of appreciation, a show of respect and a presentation of gratitude.”
We look into the various types of gifts, along with a brief history of the practice as well as gift-giving etiquette to prepare you for when you do find yourself in the situation of having to give a gift in Japan.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we discuss how to say “I’ll try…” as part of our Study Saturday language series!
What is your New Year’s resolution? Are there any new things you want to try?
Podcast host Azra says, “ It’s the best time of the year to come up with a list of new things you want to try. Why not have that list written down in Japanese as well?”
We all try something new every now and then, so let’s equip ourselves with the grammar for it.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about Japan’s Seijin no Hi holiday — also known as Coming of Age Day.
It’s the beginning of adulthood for Japanese 20-year-olds, complete with a celebration to commemorate this fresh start known as Seijin no Hi, or Coming of Age Day.
Podcast host Azra says, “This special day welcomes the youth into the adult world, and Seijin no Hi didn’t just pop up recently — this centuries-old festival has its roots deep in Japanese tradition.”
It may not sound as appealing for those of us who have had a taste of what the adult life has to offer, but let’s also agree that there are tons of other doors of opportunities adulthood open.
It’s a brand new year – fresh start and new beginnings, am I right?
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the magic of Japanese winter.
Podcast host Azra says, “ Japan’s winter season is nothing short of a picture-perfect winter wonderland.”
There are tons of activities and events happening during this time, and we got to thank the Japanese for making the best out of any situation.
So if you’re not convinced that winter is probably one of the best seasons for travelling in Japan, I’m here to reassure you otherwise — wowing you with the top activities you can do including snow sports and fairytale-like illuminations, to the top events to participate in, like annual winter festivals and the biggest event of the year, New Year’s itself.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast and our fifth Study Saturday, we look at how to express we got something, gave something, and someone gave something to us for Christmas!
Did you get the present you wanted for Christmas?
There are three different grammar language to convey gift-giving and gift-receiving exchanges.
These grammar points, while they are perfect for talking about Christmas, it definitely doesn’t limit to that at all!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about a few of the top Japanese contemporary artists!
The Land of the Rising Sun is constantly brewing creativity — if you’ve seen the famous Great Wave print by Hokusai, you somewhat know that Japanese artists have been around and creating revolutionary works since centuries ago.
Podcast host Azra says, “From paintings and sculptures to visual media and perspective photography, these four Japanese artists of today transform Japan’s art scene on a global scale.”
We touch on Takashi Murakami’s anime-style crafts, Yayoi Kusama’s polka dots, Tatsuo Miyajima’s illuminating creations and Hiroshi Sugamoto’s refreshing captures.
Let’s start painting the beautiful picture of four of Japan’s top contemporary artists of our generation!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast and our fifth Study Saturday, we discuss how to express our desires and wants (for Christmas, especially) by saying “I want...”.
This grammar language isn’t only usable during the Christmas season — even though it’s quite perfect for it — you can use it regularly.
Podcast host Azra says, “So… what do you want for Christmas? I want… well, I won’t tell you. But what I will tell you is how to express your wants and desires in Japanese.”
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the various ceremonial stages of life!
There’s always some sort of ritual or celebration going on every other week in Japan, and that’s in no way a bad thing. In fact, it’s splendid that the Japanese commemorate all the various phases of life.
In every culture, we have our own ways of acknowledging parts of life. In Japan, a country so rooted in culture and etiquette, they have quite a unique take on them all.
Podcast host Azra says, “we’ll look at three ceremonial sections to life: rituals for the youth, the commemoration of the union of two souls, and the service of paying respects to the passing of a life.
Are you ready for the ride of your life?
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast and our fourth Study Saturday, we talk about expressing opinions: I Think…
This grammar point will be a lot quicker and easier to process as there’s only one phrase for today — unlike the previous Study Saturdays.
Podcast host Azra says, “If you think you already know how to say your opinion in Japanese, then take this as a refresher course, but if you don’t know and you think you want to learn, then stick around.”
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the Japanese fashion triumvirate.
Podcast host Azra says, “These three Japanese fashion designers are not only experts at seamlessly fusing traditional and modern, but they have unexpectedly made quite an impact on the Western fashion industry.”
You can’t really sum up Western fashion of the late 20th century without acknowledging the contributions by this Japanese avant garde trio: Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake and Rei Kawakubo.
“Made in Japan” now carries a newfound prestige, and we have these fashion designers to thank for.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, our third Study Saturday, we talk about ways to ask and answer, “do you know...?”
This phrase is without a doubt an essential one for not only daily conversations but also at work.
Podcast host Azra says, “You can’t deny that this phrase pops up a lot in just one day. I mean...do you know how to ask “do you know” in Japanese?”
There’s one pretty straightforward grammar point to use but there’s another similar one, and we’ll be breaking down the grammar points and looking at the proper usage with a few roleplaying scenarios to get you accustomed to them.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we’re all about that packed lunch in a box, also known as a bento.
Lunchboxes are the norm, and if you don’t bring one, you’ll be the one getting looks.
Bento culture is a thing, and if we have to admit, it’s a pretty good one!
Podcast host Azra says, “Not only does it save you a few bucks throughout the day, bentos are often curated with a balanced diet in mind, the ideal nutritional value and lots of love. Can you get a better trio?”
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we give you a second Study Saturday with the grammar points for “it looks like…”!
How many times have we felt that the food from a restaurant looks delicious, or met someone new and they looked younger than they actually were? Countless of times? Us too!
Podcast host Azra says, “There are more than a few ways of saying ‘it looks like…’. Even till today it kinda confuses me. It looks like…these grammar points are eternal learning journeys.”
Just like how we can express one thought in more than a few ways in English, it’s the same in Japanese. We’ll run through the various “it looks like” grammar with its usage.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about Japanese tunes and beats!
Japan has the second-largest music market in the world, and was at one point the largest physical music market worldwide!
Podcast host Azra says, “the oldest forms of traditional Japanese music date back to the 6th century.”
We’ve shortlisted to three categories that sum up the music scene in Japan perfectly: traditional Japanese music, J-pop and video game music.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we introduce our language series, Study Saturday!
They’re going to be very similar to the lessons Nihongo Master offers, so if you realise you love Study Saturday, you’ll love our interactive online learning system.
Podcast host Azra says, “Before we get to playing “Never Have I Ever”, we gotta know how to ask the basic question: Have you ever…?
It’s a pretty basic and casual question that we don’t realise we use it all the time — until we need to say it in a different language, and we go, “How do we say that again…?”
And it’s also a perfect conversation starter! What better way for us to ease into this fresh and new series than a conversational grammar point to get the ball rolling.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about Japanese film!
Podcast host Azra says, “Japan has one of the oldest and longest film industries in the world, going back to over a century ago.”
Horror lovers consider The Ring and The Grudge as classic Japanese scare fests, and who hasn’t watched Godzilla? The King of Monsters became a pop culture icon. And the 2016 animation Kimi no na wa (or better known as Your Name) took the world by storm as soon as it was released.
We’ll get straight into the top four genres that of Japanese cinematography!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we spice things up a bit — an interview with Overland Japan about all things business and nature!
Podcast host Azra says, “Mixing business with pleasure can get tricky, so so instead, we’re mixing business with nature!”
The thought of starting our own business can make some of us instantly halt, turn on our heels and dash the opposite direction — let alone starting a business in a foreign country.
Japan has a program to increase foreign entrepreneurs in the country, which offers an initial six months-long visa for overseas businesses to set up shop here.
Azra happens to know someone who did what a lot of us are scared to do: open a business, in Japan no less! And his business is all about venturing out into the wilderness and camping under the nature that Japan has an abundance of — in perfectly designed camper vans.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the lives and times of the Japanese Emperors (and Empresses)!
We’ll be shining the spotlight on one of the most influential families on earth — the Yamato Dynasty.
Podcast host Azra says, “The imperial monarchy of Japan is the oldest royal dynasty anywhere in the world.”
We know for sure that this same family have been in power — in one form or another — for at least 1500 years. Although, if Japanese legend is to be believed, that number is closer to 2650 years! That means that a single family’s lineup of emperors is longer than a lot of people’s Instagram followers list.
If you want to understand how the Japanese people relate to their imperial family, you only have to look at a select few — a greatest hits of some of the most influential royals ever to sit on the Chrysanthemum Throne.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this special episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we tell Japanese ghost stories!
If you’re a film fan, you’ll be well aware that Japanese ghosts are some of the most terrifying out there — it takes a brave soul to get through the whole of The Grudge or The Ring without hiding behind a cushion.
These stories are filled with restless spirits, flesh-eating monsters, and enough blood and guts to make George A Romero weep with joy.
Podcast host Azra says, “Superstitious villagers in Japan have been swapping ghostly folk tales for centuries, and plenty of them could give any modern Hollywood horror flick a run for its money.”
We’ll be looking at three different ghost stories from Japan, which were collected and translated by the famous gaijin writer Lafcadio Hearn, who lived here around 120 years ago.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about Japanese etiquette!
Manners make the people, and the people make the country.
Every country has their own set of unspoken customs and rules, and it’s undeniable that there are just some things you can do in one part of the world which are considered taboo in another.
Podcast host Azra says, “The Japanese are famously known for their politeness, and we have their highly-valued customs to thank for that.”
With such a broad topic, we’ll summarise it to four sections: speech, business, dining and daily.
In each one, we’ll look at two do’s and two don’ts, along with various common situations that you might encounter, whether you’re on a holiday trip or living your new life in Japan.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we dive into the art culture of Japan! Art is one of the best windows into the character of a nation and culture, and Japan has one of the richest artistic traditions in the world.
Podcast host Azra says, “It’s here that probably the most famous image in the world was created : Hokusai’s great wave. Depending on how into art and history you are, you might know a few other big names from these parts too.”
Listen in to learn about four iconic Japanese arts that shaped the Japanese aesthetic tradition the most: ukiyo-e woodblock prints, shodo calligraphy, shikki lacquerware, and ikebana flower arrangement.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about Japanese fashion throughout the ages!
Did you know that “kimono” literally translates to “thing to wear” — which doesn’t win any prizes for imagination — because it was considered an everyday essential rather than a decorative piece.
Podcast host Azra discusses the past 500 years of Japanese fashion. Tune in to hear how the Japanese fashion scene came to be the unique blend of tradition, westernization, and crazy experimentation which we know today.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the Japanese gaming culture! Podcast host Azra says, “No matter how old you are, I’ll bet some of your best gaming memories began as the bright idea of a developer here in the Land of the Rising Sun.”
Hardcore enthusiasts will be able to rattle off countless Japanese companies who have been influential on the video game scene, but we’re just gonna stick with three of the biggest today: SEGA, Sony, and Nintendo.
Between these three companies, they have more iconic characters than anyone could possibly remember. And in broad terms, their story is the story of Japanese video gaming culture as a whole.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the weird and wild Subcultures of Japan! Anyone with an interest in Japan will definitely have seen pictures online of all the weird and wonderful fashion out here: from girls dressed like 18th century toddlers to guys that look like they walked right off the set of the musical Grease. Contrast that with the sea of business suits you’ll see in every train station during rush hour, and it’s easy to see why their eccentricity stands out so much.
Podcast host Azra says, “The more conservative the culture, the weirder and wilder kinds of nonconformism you’ll find on its fringes.”
We’ll look at five different unique subcultures to find out who they are, where they came from, and what they wear. Expect the usual suspects like biker teens and the Harajuku Girls, but also a few which might be totally new to you.
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the famous munchies of Japan! We cover kaiseki, sushi, Shojin Ryori, street food, and Ramen. There’s a good chance you’ve tried sushi and ramen, but do you know it’s history?
Podcast host Azra says, “Food is the quickest way to the heart of any culture, but when it comes to Japan, you might struggle to decide exactly where to start!”
Did you know that Japan has the second most amount of Michelin star restaurants in the world with over 400!?
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about island life in Japan! Specifically, we cover three different categories of islands: famous main islands, quirky tourist islands and some far-flung exotic islands which feel a world away from Tokyo.
Podcast host Azra says, “What not everyone knows is that Japan is not only one single island, but it’s made up a total of almost 7 thousand ones!”
There are a total of 6,852 shima (islands) in Japan, and 430 of them are inhabited. They cover a huge range of longitude and latitude, ranging from the subarctic to the subtropical climates. Listen to this episode to learn about animal islands, art islands, and so much more!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
We talk about mystical animals of Japan! Podcast host Azra says, “Japan is packed full of interesting creatures. But what you might not know, is that many of these animals hold a lot of mythical significance.”
There are tons of Japanese mystical animals, in this episode we dive into 4 that hold a special spot in Japanese culture, along with some useful animal-related language throughout. So keep your ears tuned for some interesting mythical animal vocabulary to add to your dictionaries - tune in!
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A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode, Azra interviews Taylor Dondich! Taylor is the Founder and CEO of Nihongo Master. He founded Nihongo Master in late 2011 after taking a trip to Japan. After studying with various materials available to him to prepare for his trip, he came back wanting to build a better tool for not only himself but for others to learn as well.
Language prospers cross-cultural interactions, Taylor says, “Ultimately communication is connection. The mission is to help people get connected.” Tune in to learn about Taylor’s mission for the company, the challenges he has faced, and his experience as an entrepreneur.
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode, Azra talks about Japanese “matsuri” (祭) or festivals! Whether it’s dancing celebrations or times of paying somber respects, there are many festivals year-round that shape the Japanese tradition. Azra educates listeners that “Japanese matsuri religiously follow the seasons and all of its natural changes. Nature is the root of Japanese traditions!”
“Matsuri” bring people together and memorialize loved ones. Japanese festivals are more often than not religious events. Shinto and Buddhism are the two most popularly practiced religions in Japan. Tune in to learn 4 culturally significant festivals that display the breadth of the Japanese culture.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
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About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
In this episode, Azra teaches keystone pieces of survival Japanese, which will help you navigate the complexities of everyday life. Learn three essential Japanese phrases that are useful in every place, context, and at every level. You will learn how to use “daijobu”, “onegaishimasu”, and “sumimasen”.
Azra breaks down these three phrases and the use case scenarios that might help you avoid sounding like an unnative speaker or offending someone in dialogue. Even without the fully-fledged Japanese language abilities to hold a proper conversation, these three nihongo gems can set you on your way to effectively communicating in the majority of basic everyday situations.
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.
Konnichiwa! In this episode, Azra welcomes you to the Nihongo Master podcast! Nihongo Master is a Japanese e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language. Nihongo Master offers bite-sized lessons, discussion forums, interaction with other students and experienced instructors, and a library of hundreds of quality lessons at every level.
If you’re planning on studying or working in Japan in the future or if you just want to watch your favorite Japanese TV shows without subtitles, we’ve got you covered!
Stay tuned for upcoming episodes where we’ll be interviewing current students, team members, and interesting people in Japan to get their insights into Japanese culture. Azra says, “Learning a new language can be tough, but our online tools and community make it so simple and fun!”
Start Learning with Nihongo Master!
- Website
About Nihongo Master Podcast
A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at every level master the Japanese language.