Learn Japanese Pod – Details, episodes & analysis

In this podcast, we’ll dive into the process of opening a bank account in Japan, providing you with essential vocabulary and practical phrases that will help you confidently handle your finances. Not only will you learn how to navigate the specific steps of opening an account, but we’ll also cover useful language for managing money in various situations—whether you’re making a deposit, withdrawing cash, transferring funds, or even discussing your account with bank staff. These are practical skills that go beyond the basics covered in many textbooks, ensuring you’re better equipped to manage your money in Japan.

We’ll also explore the cultural context surrounding Japanese banks, shedding light on unique practices and expectations so you can better understand how the system works and avoid potential confusion. By the end of the episode, you’ll be prepared with both the language skills and cultural insights to handle a wide range of financial interactions with ease.

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The Japanese-only audio drills for podcast 58 have moved to our new Patreon page. Please click the link below for access:

Learn Japanese Pod Patreon

The Japanese-only audio drills for podcast 54 have moved to our new Patreon page. Please click the link below for access:

Podcast 54 Audio dialogue drills

In the latest Fun Friday podcast Tomo Akiyama is back by popular demand. We mostly talked about various aspects of Japanese culture including the question “Why do Japanese people wear masks?”. This discussion came up through the questions people most commonly ask about Japan on Google. Therefore we took a stab at answering this popular query.

We also talked about how Katakana is used in Japanese and the rules for writing foreign words in this script. We also answered listener questions including how to improver your Japanese listening skills.

The guest on this week’s show is Tomo Akiyama, a corporate communications specialist and linguist. He is a gourmet, advocate of Japan and expert in destroying cultural stereotypes and myths. He’s an absolutely fascinating individual full of mind-blowing facts about the Japanese language and the culture of Japan.

You can follow him on Twitter here @tomoakiyama

In this episode, Ami and I talk about our favorite Japanese TV shows. Watching Japanese TV shows regardless of you Japanese level is great way to improve your understanding of Japanese culture. It also gives you a common frame of reference to have more interesting conversations with Japanese people. Although Japanese TV is not so accessible outside of Japan, you can usually find extended clips on Youtube. You can also find some Japanese TV shows that have English subtitles.

Here is a list of some of the shows we talked about in the podcast:

Japanese TV Shows

1. 水戸黄門 Mito Kōmon

This is a samurai drama set in the Edo period featuring the hero Tokugawa Mitsukuni who roams Japan fighting injustice.

2. 空耳アワーSora Mimi Awa

Sora mimi awa is part of the Tamori Club TV show where listeners submit foreign songs that have sections that sound Japanese.

3. Smap x Smap

Smap X Smap is the long running variety show featuring the boy band Smap. One of the most popular sections of the show was Smap Bistro where the members would compete to cook the most delicious dishes for famous visiting celebrities.

4. ダウンタウンのガキの使いやあらへんで Dauntaun no gaki no tsukai ya arahende

“Dauntaun no gaki no tsukai ya arahende” A.K.A “Gaki Tsuka” is hosted by one of Japan’s most famous comedy duo “Downtown” who are  Hitoshi Matsumoto and Masatoshi Hamada.

5. 紅白歌合戦 Kōhaku Uta Gassen

This is the famous singing contest held by NHK as Japan celebrates the new year. This show is perhaps one of the most watched programs on Japanese TV and features famous singers from across Japan.

6. ナイトスクープ Naito Sukuupu (Knight Scoop)

Knight Scoop is a famous TV show from Kansai (Osaka) which features requests from viewers who need help with various random problems. The show is hosted by comedians and actors who visit viewers and try to help them out with their request. Invariably, hilarity ensues.

7. 関ジャニ-クロニクル Kanjani Kuronikuru

This variety show features the boy band Kanjani and their funny exploits. One section is the Dengon game know as Chinese whispers in English. Native English speakers whisper phrases to the band who usually mess us the message leading to some pretty funny results.

8. アメトーク Ame Tōku

Ame Talk is a weekly show that invites comedians to talk on various subjects.

 

In this lesson Ami and I teach you how to ask and give your opinions on various topics using the verb 思う Omou – To think. This is usually used to say “I think that…”.

思う is a very useful phrase you use all the time in conversation in Japanese. The main grammatical structure we will be using is this:

Something or someone…どう思う？Dō omou which means what do you think about so and so… For example:

彼女どう思う？ Kanojo wa dō omou What do you think of her?

彼どう思う？ Kare wa dō omou What do you think of him?

Then to answer you could say your opinion plus と思う which means I think so and so. So, for example you can say 可愛いと思うよ Kawaii to omou yo which means I think she’s cute or カッコイイと思うよ Kakko ii to omou which means I think he’s cool.

In this lesson Ami and I teach you how to ask and give your opinions on various topics using the verb 思う Omou – To think. This is usually used to say “I think that…”.

思う is a very useful phrase you use all the time in conversation in Japanese. The main grammatical structure we will be using is this:

Something or someone…どう思う？Dō omou which means what do you think about so and so… For example:

彼女どう思う？ Kanojo wa dō omou What do you think of her?

彼どう思う？ Kare wa dō omou What do you think of him?

Then to answer you could say your opinion plus と思う which means I think so and so. So, for example you can say 可愛いと思うよ Kawaii to omou yo which means I think she’s cute or カッコイイと思うよ Kakko ii to omou which means I think he’s cool.

Here are the example conversations in the podcast:

 

Dialog 01 A: 君のなはってどう思う？ Kimi no na wa dō omou? What do you think of “Kimi no na wa”? B: 面白いと思うよ。 Omoshiroi to omou yo. I think it’s interesting. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: ストーリーがロマンチックだからね。 Sutoorii ga romanchikku da kara ne. Because the story is romantic. Dialog 02 A: ねぇ、iPhoneってどう思う？ Nee, iPhone te dō omou? What do you think of the iPhone? B: まあまあだと思うよ。 Maamaa da to omou yo. It’s so so. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: 便利だけど高いからね。 Benri dakedo taki kara ne. Because it’s useful but expensive.

 

Dialog 03 A: ねぇ、この髪型ってどう思う？ Nee, kono kamigata dō omou? What do you think of my hairstyle? B: 似合うと思うよ。 Niau to omou yo. It suits you. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: 君は顔が小さいからね。 Kimi wa kao ga chiisai kara ne. Because you have a small face.

 

Dialog 04 A: ねぇ、彼女ってどう思う？ Nee, kanojo te dō omou? What do you think of her? B: 可愛いと思うよ。 Kawaii to omou yo. She’s cute. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: おっちょこちょいだからね。 Occhokochou dakara ne. Because she’s so clumsy. Dialog 05 A: ねぇ、彼ってどう思う？ Nee, kare te dō omou? What do you think of him? B: いい人じゃないと思うよ。 Ii hito ja nai to omou yo. I don’t think he’s a good person. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: 浮気ばかりしてるからね。 Uwaki bakari dakara ne. Because he’s always cheating (on girls).

 

Dialog 06 A: ねぇ、このレストランってどう思う？ Nee, kono restoran te dō omou? What do you think of this restaurant? B: イマイチだと思うよ。 IImaichi da to omou yo. It’s a little disappointing. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: 食べ物は美味しいけどサービスが悪いからね。 Tabemono wa oishii kedo saabisu ga warui kara ne. Because although the food is good the service is bad.

 

Extra Grammar Notes

Casual and polite ways to say “I think…”

Casual Polite どう思う？ Dō omou?What do you think? どう思いますか Dō omoimasu ka?What do you think? …と思う。…to omouI think… …と思います。…to omoimasu.I think …

 

Random Phrase of the Week

A: 最近どう？ Saikin dō? How have you been recently?

B: 相変わらずだよ Aikawarazu da yo Same old, same old…

I hung out with Niko, the creator of Nihongo Shark for my latest Fun Friday podcast. We talked about how he started Nihongo Shark which is a website crammed full of resources for students of Japanese which is well worth a look if you have’t seen it.

We also talked about how to overcome feeling overwhelmed when learning Japanese, translation and the horrors of English education in Japan.

In this podcast Ami and I talk about what to do if you lose your wallet or other personal items when in Japan. The good news is that Japanese people are generally very law abiding and honest. Therefore, if someone finds your lost item, there is a good chance they will hand it in to the police and you will get it back.

If you do lose something, the best idea is to ring the place you think you left it and ask if it has been found. If you lose something on the train it’s best to go to the station master’s office and ask there. If you drop something in the street then you should go to a Koban or police box.

This lesson focuses on how to call the last place you were at to ask the staff if they found you things.

In this podcast Ami and I talk about what to do if you lose your wallet or other personal items when in Japan. The good news is that Japanese people are generally very law abiding and honest. Therefore, if someone finds your lost item, there is a good chance they will hand it in to the police and you will get it back.

If you do lose something, the best idea is to ring the place you think you left it and ask if it has been found. If you lose something on the train it’s best to go to the station master’s office and ask there. If you drop something in the street then you should go to a Koban or police box.

This lesson focuses on how to call the last place you were at to ask the staff if they found you things. Study the vocabulary list and dialogs below to learn how to do it.

Vocabulary featured in the podcast もしもし Moshi moshi Hello (On the phone) 一番寿司でございます Ichibanzushi de gozaimasu This is Ichiban Sushi すみません Sumimasen Excuse me 昨日 Kinō Yesterday そちら Sochira There (Polite) 財布 Saifu Wallet カバン Kaban Bag 携帯電話 Keitai denwa Mobile phone 忘れた Wasureta Forgot 何色 Nani iro What colour 少々お待ちください Shōshō omachi kudasai One moment please 届いてますよ Todoitemasu yo It is here (Someone found it) ありがとうございます Arigtō gozaimasu Thank you Dialog 01 A: もしもし幕張メッセでございます。 Moshi moshi, Makuhari Messe de gozaimasu. Hello, this is Makuhari Messe. B: すみません、昨日そちらで財布を忘れたのですが。 Sumimasen, Kinō sochira de saifu o wasureta no desu ga. Excuse me, I left a wallet there yesterday. A: 何色のお財布ですか。 Nani iro no osaifu desu ka What colour is the wallet? B: 黒い革の財布です。 Kuroi kawa no saifu desu It is a black leather wallet. A: 少々お待ちください。届いていますよ。 Shōshō omachi kudasai. Todoite imasu yo. One moment please. We have it. B: ありがとうございます。 Arigatō gozaimasu. Thank you very much. Dialog 02 A: もしもし一番寿司でございます。 Moshi moshi, Ichibanzushi de gozaimasu. Hello, this is Ichiban Sushi. B: すみません、昨日そちらでカバンを忘れたのですが。 Sumimasen, Kinō sochira de kaban o wasureta no desu ga. Excuse me, I left a bag there yesterday. A: 何色のおカバンですか。 Nani iro no okaban desu ka What colour is the bag? B: 赤い革のカバンです。 Akai kawa no kaban desu It is a red leather bag. A: 少々お待ちください。届いていますよ。 Shōshō omachi kudasai. Todoite imasu yo. One moment please. We have it. B: ありがとうございます。 Arigatō gozaimasu. Thank you very much. Dialog 03 A: もしもし六本木ヒルズでございます。 Moshi moshi, Roppongi Hiruzu de gozaimasu. Hello, this is Roppongi Hills. B: すみません、昨日そちらで携帯電話を忘れたのですが。 Sumimasen, Kinō sochira de keitaidenwa o wasureta no desu ga. Excuse me, I left a mobile phone there yesterday. A: 携帯電話の機種はなんですか。 Keitaidenwa no kishu wa nan desu ka. What type of phone is it? B: iPhone8です。 iPhone hachi desu. It’s an iPhone 8. A: 少々お待ちください。届いていますよ。 Shōshō omachi kudasai. Todoite imasu yo. One moment please. We have it. B: ありがとうございます。 Arigatō gozaimasu. Thank you very much. Extra Phrases

Let’s study some other phrases related to lost items:

1) 申し訳ありませんが財布は届いてないようです。

Mōshi wake arimasen ga saifu wa todoite inai yō desu.

I’m very sorry but it seems your wallet hasn’t been handed in.

2) 連絡先を教えていただけたら見つかり次第ご連絡します。

Renrakusaki o oshiete itadaketara mitsukari shidai gorenraku shimasu.

If you give me your contact details we’ll contact you the moment it is found.

3) 忘れ物

Wasuremono

Lost items

4) 紛失届け

Fun shitsu todoke

A form to fill out at the police station for lost items

Cultural Points

1. The Japanese are generally quite law abiding and honest. Most times, if found, your lost items  will be returned.
2. If you lose something on the train go to the nearest 駅長室 Eki Chō shitsu – Station master’s office and tell them what you lost and on which train it was on. They’ll ring ahead to the next station or terminal station to see if they can locate your items.
3. You can also go to any 交番 Koban police box to report lost or stolen items. For lost items you would write out a form called a 紛失届け Fun shitsu todoke

Random Phrase Of The Week

あたまが真っ白

Atama ga masshiro

When you mind goes completely blank or you are lost for words.

 

留守番電話を残す時いつもあたまが真っ白

Rusuban denwa o nokosu toki ni atama ga masshiro

When I leave a message on an answering machine my mind goes completely blank