Learn Japanese Pod

These are the downloadable PDF show notes for podcast 34 “Aizuchi”. For more Japanese learning podcasts visit Learn Japanese Pod

In this podcast I interview Katheryn Gronauer who is a coach specializing in cross cultural communication for foreigners living in Japan. She is the author of Confessions of a Yo Yo Dieter and runs ThriveTokyo a consultancy helping foreigners settle into their lives and work in Japan. For more podcasts, visit Learn Japanese Pod

In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you how to have a conversation with your friends about a past trip to Japan. For more Japanese language learning podcasts visit Learn Japanese Pod

These are the dialogues for podcast #33 “Talking about a trip to Japan. In this lesson you will learn how to talk about a past trip to Japan with your friends. Main Dialog (Japanese) A: 日本の旅行はどうだった？ B: 超楽しかったよ。 A: 何をしたの？ B: 東京と京都で観光してきた。 A: 食べ物はどうだった？ B: 寿司が美味しかったけど… A: 高かった？ B: いや、そうじゃなくて、メニューが読めなかったんだよね。 A: 食べたい物に指差して、「これください」そう言えばいいじゃん。 B: そうだね。覚えとく。   Main Dialog (Pronunciation) A: Nihon no ryokō wa dō datta? B: Chō tanoshikatta yo. A: Nano o shita no? B: Tōkyō to kyōto de kankō shitekita. A: Tabemono wa dō datta? B: Sushi wa oishikatta kedo… A: Takakatta? B: Iya, sō janakute, menyuu ga yomenakattan da yo ne. A: Tabetai mono ni yubi sashite, kore kudasai sō ieba ii jan. B: Sō da ne. Oboetoku.   Main Dialog (English) A: How was your trip to Japan? B: It was so fun. A: What did you do? B: I did some sightseeing in Tokyo and Kyoto. A: How was the food? B: The sushi was delicious but… A: It was too expensive? B: No, not that. I couldn’t read the menu you know. A: Just point at the food you want and say “this please”. B: Right. I’ll remember that!

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #33, “Talking about your trip to Japan”. For more podcasts visit Learn Japanese Pod

In this podcast Ami and Alex teach you how to make dinner plans with a friend. For more Japanese language learning podcasts visit Learn Japanese Pod  

These are the dialogues for podcast #32 “Making dinner plans with a friend” In this lesson you will learn the following: How to make dinner plans with a friend How to talk about a restaurant you regularly frequent Introduction In this podcast you will learn how to make dinner plans at a restaurant you regularly frequent. You’ll learn some natural phrases for making plans that native speakers commonly use. Check out the dialogue and grammar notes below for a detailed explanation. Main Dialog (Japanese) A: もしもし B: もしもしアレックス、明日夜ご飯食べに行かない？ A: ごめん、明日はちょっと無理なんだ。土曜日なら行けるよ。 B: じゃあ土曜日の７時にいつものお寿司屋さんで！ A: あみは本当にお寿司飽きないねー！ Main Dialog (Pronunciation) A: Moshi moshi B: Moshi moshi, Arekkusu, ashita yoru gohan tabe ni ikanai? A: Gomen, ashita wa chotto muri nan da. Doyōbu nara ikeru yo. B: Jaa, doyōbi no shichi ji itsumo no osushi ya san de. A: Ami wa hontō osushi ni akinai ne. Main Dialog (English) A: Hello? B: Hi, Alex, do you wanna go out to eat dinner tomorrow? A: Sorry, tomorrow’s not possible. If it’s Saturday I can go. B: OK then, Saturday at 7 o’clock at the usual sushi place. A: Ami, you never get sick of sushi do you!? Grammar point and drills Here is a breakdown of the main grammar pattern featured in the dialogue: 土曜日の７時にいつものお寿司屋さんで Doyōbi no shichiji ni itsumo no osushiyasan de (Let’s meet on) Saturday at 7 o’clock the usual sushi place. Here are some more example drills: 1) 金曜日の６時半にいつものラーメン屋さんで。 Kinyōbi no roku ji ni itsumo no raamenyasan de. (Let’s meet on) Friday at 6 at the usual ramen place. 2) 日曜日の６時にいつものイタリアンで。 Nichiyōbi no rokuji ni itsumo no itarian de. (Let’s meet on) Sunday at 6 at the usual Italian place. 3) 木曜日の８時にいつもの居酒屋で。 Mokuyōbi no hachiji ni itsumo no izakaya de. (Let’s meet on) Thursday at 8 at the usual Izakaya. 4) 土曜日の７時にいつものカラオケで。 Doyōbi no shichiji ni itsumo no karaoke de. (Let’s meet on) Saturday at 7 at the usual Karaoke place.   Random Phrase of the Week The random phrase of the week is where we teach you a random Japanese phrase to make your friends laugh and ask “where did you learn that from?!” 行き当たりばったり – Ikiatari battari Meaning: unplanned and making decisions on the fly / Playing it by ear. It’s generally used in a negative way but there are some exceptions Example sentences: 1) 行き当たりばったりでなんでも決めちゃう。 Ikiatari battari de nandemo kimechau. To make decisions in a random or unplanned way 2) 行き当たりばったりな旅だった。 Ikiatari battari na tabi datta It was an unplanned trip. 3) 行き当たりばったりにレストランを選んだ。 Ikiatari battari resutoran o eranda. I randomly chose a restaurant. For more podcasts on how to learn to speak natural fluent Japanese visit Learn Japanese pod

These are the PDF show notes from Learn Japanese Pod podcast #32 “Making dinner plans with a friend”. For more podcasts on how to learn fluent Japanese visit Learn Japanese pod

This is the Fun Friday edition of Learn Japanese Pod. This is where we speak to cool people doing cool things in Japan. In this episode I talk to Japan veteran Andy about life in Japan during the Coronavirus. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com  

In this podcast Ami and Alex teach you some useful Japanese phrases you can use when visiting a convenience store. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com  

These are the Japanese dialogues for podcast #31: Convenience Store Japanese. Introduction In this podcast you will learn useful Japanese phrases for shopping at a convenience store. Understanding the polite language used by convenience store staff can be a little confusing at first. However, if you learn common set phrases it’s not that hard to understand. Main Dialog (Japanese) A: いらっしゃいませ、お次の方どうぞ. B: ファミチキを一つとハッシュポテトを一つお願いします。 A: こちら温めますか。 B: はい、お願いします A: お箸をお付けしますか。 B: はい、お願いします。 A: 袋お分けしますか。 B: 大丈夫です。 A: ポイントカードはお持ちですか。 B: はい。 A: 1500円になります。1万円からでよろしいですか。 B: はい A: ありがとうございました Main Dialog ( Japanese pronunciation) A: Irasshaimase, otsugi no kata dōzo. B: Famichiki o hitotsu to Hasshu potato o hitotsu onegaishimasu. A: Kochira atatamemasu ka. B: Hai, onegai shimasu. A: Ohashi o otsuke shimasu ka. B: Hai, onegai shimasu. A: Fukuro owake shimasu ka. B: Daijōbu desu. A: Pointo kaado wa omochi desu ka. B: Hai. A: Sen gohyaku ni narimasu. Ichi man en kara yoroshii desu ka. B: Hai A: Arigatō gozaimasu. Main Dialog (English) A: Welcome, next customer please. B: One Famichiki (fried Family Mart chicken) and one hashed potato please. A: Would you like it heated? B: Yes, please. A: Would you like chopsticks with that? B: Yes, please/ A: Would you like to use seperate bags? B: No, that’s fine. A: Do you have a point card? B: Yes. A: That’ll be 1500 yen. Shall I give you change from this 10,000 yen bill? B: Yes. A: Thanks. Extra Phrases Saying Yes and No To recap, when talking to Konbini staff you’ll mostly say: はい、お願いします – Hai, Onegai shimasu – Yes please 大丈夫です – Daijōbu desu – No, it’s OK Ordering stuff One useful phrase is これ一つお願いします Kore o hitotsu onegai shimasu – which means I’ll have one of that. When you aren’t sure of the name for something, you can point and say that. So usually at the register or レジ reji – there’ll be a glass case with hot food such as fried chicken, potato and other foods. Sometimes the kanji can be hard to read so just point and say これ一つお願いします Kore o hitotsu onegai shimasu Bags One thing you’ll definitely be talking about is plastic bags. Here are some useful phrases: 袋にお入れしますか Fukuro oire shimasu ka. Do you need a bag? 袋お分けしますか Fukuro owake shimasu ka. Shall I put these in separate bags? このままでよろしいでしょうか Kono mama de yoroshii deshō ka Do you want it just like this. You don’t need a bag right? 袋は結構です Fukuro wa kekkō desu No, I don’t need a bag. Asking if you want chopsticks and other cutlery Another thing you will almost definitely be asked is if you want chopsticks, a spoon, a straw etc. お箸はご利用ですか Ohashi wa goriyō desu ka Will you be using chopsticks お箸をお付けしますか Ohashi o otsuke shimasu ka Do you want chopsticks? (Shall I add chopsticks?) スプーンをお付けしますか Supuun o otsuke shimasu ka Do you want a spoon? ストローをお付けしますか Sutoroo o otsuke shimasu ka Do you want a straw? Point card Another thing that might throw you off is point cards. Many konbini have customer loyalty point cards which allow you to build up points every time you make a purchase. So they’ll usually say: ポイントカードはお持ちですか Pointo kaado wa omochi desu ka Do you have a point card? Random Phrase of the Week 居留守 Irusu – To pretend to not be at home or 居留守を使う Irusu o tsukau – To pretend to not be at home You use this when someone rings on your doorbell and you pretend to not be in. You can also use it for the telephone when someone rings and you don’t answer.    

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #31: Convenience store Japanese. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast Ami and Alex teach you some useful phrases and dialogues to talk about you plans for the year in natural, fluent Japanese. For more podcasts go to http://learnjapanesepod.com

Talking about your plans for the year In this podcast you will learn how to talk about your New Year’s resolutions, your plans and goals for the coming year. Check out the main dialogue to learn natural phrases and vocabulary for this lesson. Vocabulary from the podcast 新年の抱負 Shinnen no hōfu New Year’s resolution 日本語 Nihongo Japanese (Language) 上達 Jōtatsu Improve 本を読む Hon o yomu To read books 後 Ato Also / As well / After that もっと Motto More 読みたい Yomitai I want to read 健康的 Kenkōteki Healthy なりたい Naritai Want to become 音楽活動 Ongaku katsudō Musical activities 頑張りたい Gambaritai I want to do my best やる気 Yaruki Motivation なんでもできる Nandemo dekiru You can do anything よし Yosh(i) Let’s do this Main Dialog (Japanese) A: ね、新年の抱負はなに？ B: そうだね。やっぱり、日本語を上達させたいからもっと本を読むよ。後、もっと健康的になりたいな。あみは？ A: 私も本をもっと読みたい！後、音楽活動をもっと頑張りたいな。 B: なるほどね。 A: やる気があれば、なんでもできるよ。 B: よし！ Main Dialog ( Japanese pronunciation) A: Ne, shinnen no hōfu wa nani? B: Sō da ne. Yappari, nihongo o motto jōtatsu sasetai kara motto hon o yomu yo. Ato, motto kenkōteki ni naritai na. Ami wa? A: Watashi mo motto hon o yomitai! Ato, ongaku katsudō o motto gambaritai na. B: Naruhodo ne. A: Yaruki ga areba nandemo dekiru yo. B: Yosh! Main Dialog (English) A: Hey, what’s your New Year’s resolution? B: Well, let’s see. I guess I want to improve my Japanese and read more books. Also, I want to be more healthy. How about you Ami? A: I also want to read more books. Also, I want to go for it with my music. B: I see. A: If you have motivation you can do anything. B: Let’s do this! Grammar Drills Let’s drill a really useful phrase for talking about you goals for self improvement. Here’s the basic sentence structure: [The activity or goal] + [もっと頑張りたいな] I want to go for it (Lit. I want to try harder) Drill 1 音楽活動をもっと頑張りたいな。 Ongaku katsudō wo motto gambaritai na. I want to go for it with music Drill 2 仕事をもっと頑張りたいな。 Shigoto wo motto gambaritai na. I want to go for it at work Drill 3 日本語の勉強をもっと頑張りたいな。 Nihongo no benkyō wo motto gambaritai na. I want to go for it with my Japanese studies Drill 4 運動をもっと頑張りたいな。 Undō wo motto gambaritai na. I want to go for it for working out Drill 5 ダイエットをもっと頑張りたいな。 Daietto wo motto gambaritai na. I want to go for it for my diet   Random Phrase of the Week This week’s random phrase is… 奥が深い – Oku ga fukai This means something like it’s hard than you think or it’s deep or there’s more than meets the eye. Examples: 日本語は奥が深い Nihongo wa oku ga fukai Japanese is a deep language / Japanese is a deep language   この本は奥が深い Kono hon wa oku ga fukai This book is deep / There’s a lot more to this book than meets the eye   「七転び八起き」ということわざは奥が深い Nana korobi ya oki to iu kotowaza wa oku ga fukai The saying “fall seven times, stand up eight” is very deep in meaning.

These are the show notes for podcast #30 “Convenience store Japanese”. Download the PDF show notes to read about this lesson in more detail. For more podcasts video http://learnjapanesepod.com  

In this Fun Friday episode of Learn Japanese Pod, I interview Miku Sensei of Miku Real Japanese. Miku Sensei is a prolific creator of fun, educational Japanese language learning videos on Youtube and Instagram. She is an international traveler and linguist who speaks fluent English and Spanish. Through her travels she has discovered her own effective techniques for teaching and learning languages. In the podcast we talk about her journey to become a Japanese teacher and her advice on how to become more fluent in Japanese.

In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you useful phrases and dialogues to help you talk about your job in natural Japanese. For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

Main Dialog 1 – Talking about your job (Japanese) A: お仕事は何をしてるの? B: ウェブデザインの仕事してるよ。 A: そうなんだ。楽しい? B: そうだね。毎日大変だけど楽しいよ。 A: 楽しいのはよかったね。何年ぐらいやってるの? B: 7年ぐらいかな。 A: ヘェ〜、すごいな。俺はすぐ転職しちゃうからさ。 B: まじで?! Main Dialog 1 – Talking about your job (Pronunciation) A: Oshigoto wa nani o shiteru no? B: Uebu dezain no shigoto shiteru yo. A: Sō nan da. Tanoshii? B: Sō da ne. Mainichi taihen dakedo tanoshii yo. A: Tanoshii no wa yokatta ne. Nan nen gurai yatteru no? B: Nana nen gurai kana. A: Hee, sugoi na. Ore wa sugu tenshoku shichau kara sa. B: Maji de?! Main Dialog 1 – Talking about your job (English) A: What do you do for work? B: I do web design work. A: Really? Is it enjoyable? B: Well, everyday is tough but it’s fun. A: That’s good it’s enjoyable. How long have you been doing that? B: About 7 years I guess. A: Wow. I’m always changing jobs. B: Seriously?!

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #29 “Talking about your job in Japanese” For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you some useful phrases and dialogues for talking about the weather in natural, fluent Japanese. For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

If there is one thing Japanese love to talk about, it’s the weather. Apart from discussing the forecast, it’s quite common to mention the weather in small talk or when striking up a conversation with someone you don’t know so well. Also, as you’ll probably be checking the weather on a daily basis, it makes sense to study related vocabulary and grammar as it’s so useful. Simply listen to the podcast and read along with the dialogues below. Main Dialogue (Japanese) A: 今日暑いよね。 B: そうだね。超ジメジメしてるね。 A: 今週の天気予報は？ B: 今週はずっと３５度だよ。 A: うそ！マジで？！もう我慢できない。 B: だけど週末は雨が降りそう。 A: あ、良かった、こんな猛暑だと北極に引っ越ししたくなるな。 Main Dialogue (Pronunciation) A: Kyō atsui yo ne. B: Sō da ne. Chō jime jime shiteru ne. A: Konshuu no tenki yohō wa? B: Konshuu was zutto sanjuu go do da yo. A: Uso! Majide? Mō gaman dekinai. B: Dakedo, shuumatsu wa ame ga furi sō. A: A, yokatta, konna mōsho da to hokkyoku ni hikkoshi shitakunaru na. Main Dialogue (English) A: It’s hot today isn’t it? B: It sure is. It’s so hot and sticky. A: What the weather forecast for this week? B: It’s going to be 35 degrees all week. A: No way! Seriously?! I can’t take this anymore. B: But it looks like it might rain on the weekend. A: Ah good. This kind of heat makes me want to move to the Arctic!

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #28 “How to talk about the weather in Japanese” For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you how to talk about your preferences in Japanese. For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you how to talk about your preferences in Japanese. Main Podcast Dialogue (Japanese) A: ね、お寿司とたこ焼きどっちが好き？ B: そうだね。やっぱり、お寿司の方が好きかな。 A: なるほどね。でもなんで？ B: 味が好きだから。あみは？ A: もちろんたこ焼きの方が好き。 B: あみは典型的な大阪人だよね。 A: せやで！ Main Podcast Dialogue (Pronunciation) A: Ne, osushi to takoyaki, dochi ga suki? B: Sou da ne, yappari osushi no hou ga suki kana. A: Naruhodo. Demo nande? B: Aji ga suki dakara. Ami wa? A: Mochiron, takoyaki ga suki. B: Ami wa tenkeitekina osaka jin da yo ne. A: Se ya de！ Main Podcast Dialogue (English) A: Hey, which do you prefer, sushi or takoyaki? B: Well, I guess I prefer sushi. A: I see…but why? B: Because I like the taste. How about your Ami? A: Of course I prefer takoyaki. B: Ami, you are a typical Osakan! A: That’s right！

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #27 “Talking about your preferences in Japanese” For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast you’re going to learn useful verbs to talk about your daily routine. These verbs are very commonly used in casual conversation throughout the day so they are well worth learning. You will also study a little grammar related to plain form verbs and -TE form verbs which are the most common type of verb used in casual speech. You will also learn how they are used together when describing actions in a sequence. Also, the dialogue in this lesson will teach you particles which are sounds that usually go at the end of sentences to change the nuance of what you are saying. Learning these will help you sound a lot more natural when speaking Japanese.

In this podcast you’re going to learn useful verbs to talk about your daily routine. These verbs are very commonly used in casual conversation throughout the day so they are well worth learning. You will also study a little grammar related to plain form verbs and -TE form verbs which are the most common type of verb used in casual speech. You will also learn how they are used together when describing actions in a sequence. Also, the dialogue in this lesson will teach you particles which are sounds that usually go at the end of sentences to change the nuance of what you are saying. Learning these will help you sound a lot more natural when speaking Japanese. A: Amiの平日の過ごし方を教えて！ B: ７時に起きて、顔を洗って、朝ごはんを食べるよ。 その後着替えて、メイクして、仕事に行くよ。 A: 休憩時間は？ B: 休憩時間はお弁当を食べて、携帯で時間を潰すよ。 A: 仕事が終わったら？ B: うちに帰って、晩御飯を食べて、お風呂に入るよ。 A: その後は何をするの？ B: 寝る！ A: Amiは忙しいね！ B: まあね！ Podcast Dialogue (Pronunciation) A: Ami no heijitsu no sugoshikata oshiete! B: Shichi ji ni okite, kao o aratte, asagohan o taberu. Sono ato kigaete, meiku shite, shigoto ni iku yo. A: Kyuukei jikan wa? B: Kyukeijikan wa obentō o tabete keitaii de jikan o tsubusu yo. A: Shigoto ga owattara? B: Uchi ni kaette, bangohan o taberu, ofuro ni hairu yo. A: Sono ato nani suru no? B: Neru! A: Ami wa isogashii ne. B: Maa ne. Podcast Dialogue (English) A: Ami, how do you spend your weekdays? B: I wake up at 7, I wash my face and eat breakfast. After that I get dressed, put on my makeup and go to work. A: What about your break time? B: During my break time I eat a bento and kill time with my mobile phone. A: And when work finishes? B: I go home, I eat dinner and have a bath. A: What do you do after that? B: Sleep! A: Ami, you’re busy! B: I guess so.

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #26 “Japanese verbs for daily life” For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast you’re going to learn about how to use adverbs of frequency in daily speech. In other words, you’ll learn how to ask and answer questions about how often you do things in Japanese. You’ll learn how to ask questions such as “How often do you…”. You’ll also be able to reply that you do something never, occasionally, sometimes, often and always.

In this podcast you’re going to learn about how to use adverbs of frequency in daily speech. In other words, you’ll learn how to ask and answer questions about how often you do things in Japanese. You’ll learn how to ask questions such as “How often do you…”. You’ll also be able to reply that you do something never, occasionally, sometimes, often and always. This kind of grammar and vocabulary comes up often in daily conversation as well as the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam so it’s well worth learning. First of all, have a look at the vocabulary lists to get an idea of the main phrases used in this podcast. After that you can practice how to use that vocabulary naturally with the dialog examples. Following that are extra grammar and sentence examples. Also, while reading this PDF lesson, you can listen along to either the main audio podcast which contains all the dialogs and explanations in English. Alternatively you can listen to the Japanese only audio file. Main Lesson Vocabulary Here are the main adverbs of frequency commonly used in daily Japanese conversation. Main Dialog 1 – Adverbs of frequency – (Japanese) A: アレックスはどれくらい*運動するの？ B: 全然しないよ。 時間がないからさ。 A: そうなんだ。 A: 昔はよくしてただけどね。あみは？ B: 時々ジョギングするよ。たまに水泳もするよ。 A: じゃ、もうすぐオリンピックだから毎日 運動しよう。 Main Dialog 1 – Adverbs of frequency – (English) A: Arekkusu wa dore kurai undō suru no. Alex, how often do you exercise? B: Zenzen shinai yo. Jikan ga nai kara sa. Never. It’s cos I don’t have any time, you know. A: Sō nan da. Really? B: Mukashi wa yoku shiteta kedo ne. Ami wa? I used to however. How about you Ami? A: Tokidoki jogingu suru yo. Tama ni suiei mo suru yo. I sometimes go jogging. I occasionally also go swimming. B: Ja, mō sugu orinpikku dakara mainichi undō shiyō. Well, it’s almost time for the Olympics so exercise everyday! Particles used in this dialog: Wa – Sentence subject marker (As for so and so…) Ga – Similar to Wa and is often used in sentences about having or not having something No – Turns sentence into a question (Casual) Yo – Emphasizes the statement Ne – Means isn’t it or right? Sa – Means something like “You know?” or “You see what I mean” Extra example sentences Japanese only dialog audio (From 00:47) Zenzen – Not at all (00:47) 1: どれくらいお寿司食べるの？ ぜんぜん食べないよ。 Dore kurai osushi taberu no? Zenzen tabenai yo. How often do you eat sushi? I never eat it. 2: どれくらい映画を見るの？ ぜんぜん見ないよ。 Dore kurai eiga o miru no? Zenzen minai yo. How often do you watch movies? I never watch them. Metta ni – Hardly ever (01:11) 1: どれくらいお寿司食べるの？ 滅多に食べないよ。 Dore kurai osushi taberu no? Metta ni tabenai yo. How often do you eat sushi? I hardly ever eat it. 2: どれくらい映画を見るの？ 滅多に見ないよ。 Dore kurai eiga o miru no? Metta ni minai yo. How often do you watch movies? I hardly ever watch them. Tama ni – Occasionally (01:38) 1: どれくらいお寿司食べるの？ たまに食べるよ。 Dore kurai osushi taberu no? Tama ni taberu yo. How often do you eat sushi? I occasionally eat it. 2: どれくらい映画を見るの？ たまにに見るよ。 Dore kurai eiga o miru no? Tama ni miru yo. How often do you watch movies? I occasionally watch them. Tokidoki – Sometimes (02:03) 1: どれくらい運動するの？ ときどきするよ。 Dore kurai undō suru no? Tokidoki suru yo. How often do you exercise? I sometimes exercise. 2: どれくらいカラオケに行くの？ ときどき行くよ。 Dore kurai karaoke iku no? Tokidoki iku yo. How often do you go to Karaoke? I sometimes go. Yoku – Often (02:29) 1: どれくらい運動するの？ よく運動するよ。 Dore kurai undō suru no? Yoku undō suru yo. How often do you exercise? I often exercise. 2: どれくらいカラオケに行くの？ よく行くよ。 Dore kurai karaoke iku no? Yoku iku yo. How often do you go to Karaoke? I often go. Itsumo – Always (02:53) 1: どれくらいゲームやるの？ いつもやってるよ。 Dore kurai geemu yaru no? Itsumo yatteru yo. How often do you play video games? I’m always playing them

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #25 “Japanese Adverbs of Frequency” For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast you will learn how to book a table at a restaurant by phone in natural Japanese. These days it is easy to make bookings online and with mobiles apps. However, there are still many restaurants in Japan which don’t have online booking facilities. Also, in crowded cities like Osaka and Tokyo, it can be hard to get a seat, especially during Fridays and weekends. Therefore being able to book seats in Japanese by phone is a useful skill. Another thing you will learn is the polite language commonly used by restaurant and service staff. This is called Keigo and is a very polite way of speaking in Japanese. It’s also quite tricky to master as it uses different phrases and vocabulary compared with casual speech. However, I would recommend learning just enough to be able to understand it so you can interact with hotel, restaurant or department store staff. You don’t need to learn to speak it perfectly, just understanding a little is enough. Most Japanese people have difficulty speaking proper Keigo!

In this podcast you will learn how to book a table at a restaurant by phone in natural Japanese. These days it is easy to make bookings online and with mobiles apps. However, there are still many restaurants in Japan which don’t have online booking facilities. Also, in crowded cities like Osaka and Tokyo, it can be hard to get a seat, especially during Fridays and weekends. Therefore being able to book seats in Japanese by phone is a useful skill. Another thing you will learn is the polite language commonly used by restaurant and service staff. This is called Keigo and is a very polite way of speaking in Japanese. It’s also quite tricky to master as it uses different phrases and vocabulary compared with casual speech. However, I would recommend learning just enough to be able to understand it so you can interact with hotel, restaurant or department store staff. You don’t need to learn to speak it perfectly, just understanding a little is enough. Most Japanese people have difficulty speaking proper Keigo! Check out the podcast lessons and accompanying files which will help you learn to speak the dialogs fluently. Main Dialogue (Japanese) A: 居酒屋忍者でございます。 B: 今晩の予約をしたいんですが。 A: はい、かしこまりました。何名様でいらっしゃいますか？ B: 4名でお願いしたいんですが。 A: 何時からご希望ですか？ B: 7時でお願いします。 A: 少々お待ちください。お待たせいたしました。 お席ご用意できます。お名前お伺いしてもよろしでしょうか？ B: アレックスです。 A: アレックス様ですね。 では本日7時から4名様でご予約させていただきます。 お待ちしております。 A: Izakaya Ninja de gozaimasu. – This is Izakaya Ninja B: Konban no yoyaku o shitain desu ga. – I’d like to make a booking for tonight. A: Hai, kashikomarimashita. Nanmei sama de irasshimasu ka？ – Yes, certainly. How many people are there in your party? B: Yonmei de onegai shitain desu ga. – I’d like (to book for) 4 people. A: Nanji kara gokibō desu ka. – What time would you like (to book)? B: Shichiji de onegai shimasu. – Seven o’clock please. A: Shōshō omachi kudasi. Omatasei itashimashita. Oseki go yōi dekimasu. Onamae oukagai shitemo yoroshi deshou ka. – One moment please. Thank you for waiting I have prepared your seats. May I have your name please? B: Arekkusu desu. – It’s Alex A: Arekkusu sama desu ne. Dewa honjitsu shichiji kara yonmei sama de goyoyaku sasete itadakimasu. Omachi shite orimasu. – OK, so that is Alex. So, I have prepared your booking for 7pm for 4 people today. We shall be waiting for you.

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #24 “How to book a table at a Japanese restaurant” For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this episode, Ami and Alex teach you how to speak Osaka dialect which is called Osaka Ben in Japanese. And for this lesson Ami sensei is our secret weapon as she is a native of Osaka city. Sometimes this is referred to as Kansai Ben however, Kansai is the larger region located in central Japanese that includes Osaka city, Kyoto, Nara, Wakayama, Shiga, Mie and Hyogo. And in turn, each of those areas have their own dialects. However, Ami sensei is from Osaka, and Osaka Ben is the dominant dialect that influences all the surrounding areas. Therefore we decided to go with Osaka Ben. Of course this lesson is not a comprehensive guide to Osaka Ben as that would fill a few books. However, this lesson will teach you the most common phrases, speech patterns and intonation that you will hear on the streets of Osaka. The main dialog is recorded by natives from Osaka including Ami so you’ll learn the authentic accent. We also included a dialog in standard Japanese so you can compare. Enjoy!

In this episode, Ami and Alex teach you how to speak Osaka dialect which is called Osaka Ben in Japanese. And for this lesson Ami sensei is our secret weapon as she is a native of Osaka city. Sometimes this is referred to as Kansai Ben however, Kansai is the larger region located in central Japanese that includes Osaka city, Kyoto, Nara, Wakayama, Shiga, Mie and Hyogo. And in turn, each of those areas have their own dialects. However, Ami sensei is from Osaka, and Osaka Ben is the dominant dialect that influences all the surrounding areas. Therefore we decided to go with Osaka Ben. Of course this lesson is not a comprehensive guide to Osaka Ben as that would fill a few books. However, this lesson will teach you the most common phrases, speech patterns and intonation that you will hear on the streets of Osaka. The main dialog is recorded by natives from Osaka including Ami so you’ll learn the authentic accent. We also included a dialog in standard Japanese so you can compare. Enjoy! Main Dialog – Osaka Ben (Japanese) A: めっちゃ久しぶりやん。最近どないしてんの? B: 相変わらずやで。そっちは? A: ぼちぼちやな。ま、頑張ってるで。 B: そうなんや。うちなんか全然あかんわ。 A: なんでなん? B: 彼氏と別れてん。 A: え、そうなん?知らんかった。俺やって全然彼女できへんで。 B: 付き合おか。 A: なんでやねん! Main Dialog – Osaka Dialect (English and pronunciation) A: Meccha hisashiburi yan. Saikin donain shiten no? –It’s been ages. How have you been recently? B: Aikawarazu ya de. Socchi wa? –Same as usual. About about you? A: Bochi bochi ya na. Ma, gannbatteru de. – So so I guess. Well, doing my best. B: Sō nan ya. Uchi nanka zenzen akan wa. – Really? I’m not good at all. A: Nande nan? – Why? B: Kareshi to wakareten. –I split up with my boyfriend. A: E? Sō nan? Shirankatta. Boku yatte, zenzen kanojo dekihen de. – Eh? Really? I didn’t know. I can never get a girlfriend. B: Tsuki aoka? –Wanna date? A: Nande yanen! – What the heck! Main Dialog – Standard Dialect Version Here is the same dialog written in standard Japanese. Can you spot the differences? A: めちゃめちゃ久しぶりじゃん。最近どうしてるの? Meccha hisashiburi jan. Saikin dō shiteru no. It’s been ages. How have you been recently? B: 相変わらずだよ。そっちは? Aikawarazu da yo. Socchi wa?Same as usual. About about you? A: 普通かな。ま、頑張ってるよ。 Futsuu ka na. Ma gambatteru yo. Same as usual. About about you? B: そうなんだ。私なんか全然だめだよ。 Sō nan da. Watashi nanka zenzen dame da yo. Really? I’m not good at all. A: どうして? Dō shite? Why? B: 彼氏と別れたの。 Kareshi to wakareta no. I split up with my boyfriend. A: え、そうなの?知らなかった。俺だって全然彼女できないよ。 E sō na no? Shiranakatta. Boku datte, zenzen kanojo dekinai yo. Eh? Really? I didn’t know. I can never get a girlfriend. B: 付き合おっか。 Tsuki aokka? Wanna date? A: なんでだよ! Nande da yo! What the heck! Extra Osaka Ben Phrases ちゃう – Chau – No / That’s not right ええ – Ee – Good / OK (ええやん、ええで、ええよ) アホ – Aho – Stupid なおす – Naosu – Put something away (Standard Japanese = to fix something) Random Phrase of the Week This week’s random phrase of the week is: ちゃうちゃう、チャウチャウちゃうんちゃう? Chau chau, chau chau chaun chau. No no, that’s not a Chow chow is it?! Let’s break it down like this… ちゃうちゃう 、 チャウチャウ ちゃうん ちゃう? No no, a chow chow dog , it is not , is it? Or in more natural English “No no, it’s not a Chow chow is it?!”

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #23 “Osaka Ben”. For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast, Ami and Alex answer all your Japanese study related questions. If you would like to get your question answered on the podcast go to http://learnjapanesepod.com/questions and fill in the form. It’s super quick and easy! Once you submit your question, we will try to answer it in the following “Ask us anything” podcast.

Have you been scratching your head trying to work out what “Yappari” means? Well, scratch your head no more! In this podcast Ami sensei and I (Alex) attempt to explain what Yappari means. We teach you the three main meanings of Yappari and how to use it naturally and fluently in conversation with your Japanese friends. For more information keep reading, listen to the podcast and download the show notes.

Have you been scratching your head trying to work out what “Yappari” means? Well, scratch your head no more! In this podcast Ami sensei and I (Alex) attempt to explain what Yappari means. We teach you the three main meanings of Yappari and how to use it naturally and fluently in conversation with your Japanese friends. For more information keep reading, listen to the podcast and download the show notes. What does Yappari mean? 1. Yappari – I knew it! One common use of yappari expresses the fact that your assumptions or predictions were proved to be correct. It also means you were not surprised by a particular outcome. It might be translated into English as “I knew it”, “As I suspected…” or “…but of course…” Another way to think of it is as a phrase that emphasises IS or WAS, as in “It WAS you” or “He IS the culprit!” Here’s an example of how it can be used in conversation. Dialog 1 A: ねえ、最後のクッキー食べた？ Ne, saigo no kukkii tabeta? Hey, did you eat the last cookie? B: え… E… Um… A: ほら！何これ？クッキーでしょう？！ Hora! Nani kore? Kukki deshō?! Look! What’s this? It’s a cookie isn’t it?! B: だって、お腹減ってたから。 Datte, onaka heteta kara. But, I was hungry. A: やっぱり。 Yappari. I knew it! B: ごめんね。 Gomen ne. Sorry.   Here are some other examples that express the yappari in the same way. 彼が犯人だとずっと思ってて、やっぱりそうだった。 Kare wa hannin da to zutto omottete, yappari sō datta. I thought he was the criminal, and I knew it, he was.   もう一度やってみたけどやっぱり無理だった Mō ichido yatte mita kedo, yappari muri datta. I tried one more time, but as I suspected, it was impossible.   やっぱり彼女来なかった。 Yappari kanojo konakatta. I knew it, she didn’t come. 2. Yappari – Indeed it is! Another use of yappari emphasises the strength of your opinion. For example, I really do think that something is true. やっぱり温泉が好き Yappari onsen ga suki means I really do indeed love hot springs. English translations might include “indeed” or “of course”. Dialog 2 A: 日本で何が一番好き？ Nihon de nani ga ichiban suki? What do you most like about Japan? B: やっぱり温泉が好き。あみは？ Yappari onsen ga suki. Ami wa? I really do love hot springs. How about you Ami? A: たこ焼きかな。 Takoyaki kana? Takoyaki I guess. B: やっぱりね。 Yappari ne. I knew it.   Note: In this conversation we have two different examples of how yappari is used. Yappari onsen ga suki is the 2nd use of yappari which emphasises the point that the speaker does indeed like hot springs. After Ami says she likes Takoyaki, the reply is yappari which in this case is means “I knew it” as we learned with dialog 1. Here are some more examples of how yappari is used to mean “indeed” or “of course”: 2.1 やっぱり毎日日本語を勉強しなきゃ。 Yappari mainichi nihongo o benkyō shinakya. Of course, you have to study Japanese everyday.   2.2 やっぱり彼女が好き。 Yappari, kanojo ga suki. I DO like her / I do indeed like her / Of course, I like her.   2.3 和食と言えばやっぱり刺身。 Washoku to ieba yappari sashimi. If you are talking about Japanese food, of course it’s gotta be Sashimi. 3. Yappari – Ah, you know what? I changed my mind. The final use of yappari is used when you change your mind. It means something like “Ah, you know what? I changed my mind” or “Actually, let’s not”. Here’s an example in dialog form: Dialog 3 A: 明日なにする？ Ashita nani suru? What are you doing tomorrow? B: 公園に行くよ。やっぱりやめる。明日雨だ。 Kōen ni iku yo. Yappari, yameru. Ashita ame da. I’m going to the park. Actually, I won’t. It’s going to rain tomorrow.   Here are a couple of other examples: 3.1. やめようかな。やっぱりもうちょっと頑張る。 Yameyō kana. Yappari, mō chotto gambaru. I give up. You know what? I’ll try a little more.   3.2. ケーキ食べたい。やっぱりやめる、ダイエットしなきゃ。 Keeki tabetai. Yappari yameru, dietto shinakya. I want to eat a cake. Nope, I need to diet.   Random Phrase of the Week In every podcast we tech a random phrase to amuse and delight your Japanese friends. Here is this week’s random phrase: ウケる – Ukeru – That’s so funny. Ex.1 あのテレビ番組超ウケる Ano terebi bangumi chō ukeru. That TV program is so funny.   Ex. 2 あの漫才ウケる Ano manzai ukeru That comedy duo is so funny.

These are the PDF show note for podcast #22 “What does Yappari mean?” For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast Ami and Alex teach you some really useful phrases and vocabulary to start conversations in Japanese. For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

This podcast episode is about various phrases you can use to start up a conversation in Japanese. It is important to remember that each conversation is unique and how you start one depends on who you are talking to and the situation. However, in this episode you will hear some of the most common phrases you are likely to hear used by Japanese people. One final thing to remember is that this episode focuses on casual conversations between friends. Here is a full vocabulary list taken from the podcast Japanese Pronunciation English 久しぶり Hisashiburi Long time no see 元気？ Genki? How you doing? 相変わらず Aikawarazu …as usual バタバタしてる Batabata shiteru Really busy / hectic 夏バテ Natsubate Exhaustion from the summer つらい Tsurai Tough 最近どう？ Saikin dō? How’ve you been? すごく暑い Sugoku Atsui Very hot すごく寒い Sugoku Samui Very cold 熱中症 Necchūshō Heat stroke 風邪をひいちゃった Kaze o hiichatta I caught a cold インフルエンザ Infuruenza Influenza 気をつけてね Ki o tsukete ne Take care   Podcast Dialog 1 A: 久しぶり元気？ Hisashiburi genki Long time no see, you good? B: 元気だよ。あみは？ Genki da yo. Ami wa? I’m good. And you Ami? A: 相変わらずバタバタしているよ。最近どう？ Aikawarazu batabata shiteru yo. Saikin dō? Busy as usual. How’ve you been? B: そうだね。ちょっと夏バテがつらい。 Sō da ne. Chotto natsubate ga tsurai. Well, I’ve been suffering due to the summer heat. A: 最近はすごく暑いよね。熱中症にならないように気をつけてね。 Saikin wa sugoku atsui yo ne. Necchūshō ni naranai yō ni ki o tsukete ne. It’s been really hot recently hasn’t it? Be careful not to get heat stroke. B: はーい！ Haai Sure. Dialog 2 A: 久しぶり元気？ Hisashiburi genki Long time no see, you good? B: 元気だよ。あみは？ Genki da yo. Ami wa? I’m good. And you Ami? A: 相変わらずバタバタしているよ。最近どう？ Aikawarazu batabata shiteru yo. Saikin dō? Busy as usual. How’ve you been? B: そうだね。ちょっと風邪をひいちゃったよ。 Sō da ne. Chotto kaze o hiichatta yo. Well, I caught a cold. A: 最近はすごく寒いよね。インフルエンザにならないように気をつけてね。 Saikin wa sugoku samui yo ne. Infuruenza ni naranai yō ni ki o tsukete ne. It’s been really cold recently hasn’t it? Be careful not to get influenza. B: はーい！ Haai Sure.

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #21 “Japanese conversation starters” For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

A great way to practice your Japanese speaking skills and to get to know people in Japan is to talk about free time and hobbies. In a casual setting you may be asked what you do in your free time by Japanese people. So this lesson will teach you the basics of how to ask and answer questions about hobbies. But first of all, listen to the audio podcast which goes through all the points in this lesson. For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

A great way to practice your Japanese speaking skills and to get to know people in Japan is to talk about free time and hobbies. In a casual setting you may be asked what you do in your free time by Japanese people. So this lesson will teach you the basics of how to ask and answer questions about hobbies. But first of all, listen to the audio podcast which goes through all the points in this lesson. You can also listen to the audio drills which include just the Japanese dialogs without English to practice your listening and speaking skills. Podcast Dialogs for talking about hobbies Here are four example dialogs from the podcast that give you various examples on how to hold a conversation in natural Japanese about hobbies and free time. Hobbies Dialog 1 A: 趣味は何？ Shumi wa nani? What’s your hobby? B: そうだね、ギターかな。 Sō da ne. Gitaa kana. Well…guitar I guess. A: そっか。最初のきっかけは？ Sokka. Saisho no kikkake wa? Really? How did you get in to it? B: ロックを聴くことが好きだからやってみようかなと思って。 Rokku wo kiku koto ga suki dakara yatte miyō kana to omotte. I like listening to rock so I thought I would give it a go. A: どのぐらいやってる？ Dono gurai yatteru? How long have you been doing it? B: ２０年。 Ni jū nen. 20 years. A: すごいね。しょっちゅうやってるの？ Sugoi ne. Shocchū yatteru no? Wow, do you do it often? B: 毎日。 Mai nichi. Every day. A: へえ～。 Heh. Really? Hobbies Dialog 2 A: 趣味は何？ Shumi wa nani? What’s your hobby? B: そうだね、ジョギングかな。 Sō da ne. Jogingu kana. Well…jogging I guess. A: そっか。最初のきっかけは？ Sokka. Saisho no kikkake wa? Really? How did you get in to it? B: 運動することが好きだからやってみようかなと思って。 Undō suru koto ga suki da kara yatte miyō kana to omotte. I like exercising so I thought I would give it a go. A: どのぐらいやってる？ Dono gurai yatteru? How long have you been doing it? B: 1年。 Ichi nen. 1 year. A: すごいね。しょっちゅうやってるの？ Sugoi ne. Shocchū yatteru no? Wow, do you do it often? B: 週に２回。 Shū ni ni kai. Two times a week. A: へえ～。 Heh. Really?   Hobbies Dialog 3 A: 趣味は何？ Shumi wa nani? What’s your hobby? B: そうだね、読書かな。 Sō da ne. Dokusho kana. Well…reading I guess. A: そっか。最初のきっかけは？ Sokka. Saisho no kikkake wa? Really? How did you get in to it? B: 本を読むことが好きだからやってみようかなと思って。 Hon o yomu koto ga suki da kara yatte miyō kana to omotte. I like reading books so I thought I would give it a go. A: どのぐらいやってる？ Dono gurai yatteru? How long have you been doing it? B: ６ヶ月。 Rokka getsu. 6 months. A: すごいね。しょっちゅうやってるの？ Sugoi ne. Shocchū yatteru no? Wow, do you do it often? B: 時間がある時に。 Jikan ga aru toki ni. When I have time. A: へえ～。 Heh. Really?   Hobbies Dialog 4 A: 趣味は何？ Shumi wa nani? What’s your hobby? B: そうだね、カメラかな。 Sō da ne. Kamera kana. Well…photography I guess. A: そっか。最初のきっかけは？ Sokka. Saisho no kikkake wa? Really? How did you get in to it? B: 写真を撮ることが好きだからやってみようかなと思って。 Shashin o toru koto ga suki da kara yatte miyō kana to omotte. I like taking photos so I thought I would give it a go. A: どのぐらいやってる？ Dono gurai yatteru? How long have you been doing it? B: 一ヶ月。 Ikka getsu. 1 month. A: すごいね。しょっちゅうやってるの？ Sugoi ne. Shocchū yatteru no? Wow, do you do it often? B: 毎週末。 Mai shūmatsu Every weekend. A: へえ～。 Heh. Really?   Sentences patterns to talk about your hobby in Japanese Let’s start off with some simple and casual examples of how to talk about hobbies in Japanese. Japanese Pronunciation English 趣味はなに？空手。 Shumi wa nani?Karate What’s your hobby?Karate. 趣味はなに？ジョギング。 Shumi wa nani?Jogingu What’s your hobby?Jogging. 趣味はなに？テニス。 Shumi wa nani?Tenisu What’s your hobby?Tennis. 趣味はなに？サッカー。 Shumi wa nani?Sakkaa What’s your hobby?Football If you want to say it more politely you would say: Japanaese Pronunciation English 趣味はなんですか。趣味は空手です。 Shumi wa nan desu ka?Shumi wa Karate desu. What is your hobby?My hobby is Karate. Another way to describe what you like doing in your free time is this: Your hobby + SUKI DESU which means you like doing something. Japanese Pronunciation English ジョギングが好きです Jogingu ga suki desu. I like jogging. ハイキングが好きです Haikingi ga suki desu. I like hiking. テニスが好きです Tenisu ga suki desu. I like tennis. サッカーが好きです Sakkaa ga suki desu I like football. More phrases to ask about people’s hobbies in Japanese Here are some extra phrases you can use to ask someone what their hobby is. Japanese Pronunciation English 趣味あるの？ Shumi aru no? Do you have a hobby? 暇な時に何をするの？ Hima na toki ni nani o suru? What do you do in your free time? 何をするのが好き？ Nani o suru no ga suki? What do you like doing? 最近ハマってることある？ Saikin hammatteru koto wa? Recently what are you into? Another useful pattern you can use to talk about your hobbies is this: 趣味は + NOUN + を + VERB + ことです。 SHUMI WA +NOUN + O +VERB + KOTO DESU. My hobby is doing something 趣味は本を読むことです – Hon o yomu koto desu – My hobby is reading books. Hon is “book” and yomu is the verb “to read”. If you put KOTO after the verb it’s a little like an -ING verb in English. So 本を読む means “to read books” but 本を読むこと is a little like “reading books”. Here are some more examples: 趣味は映画を見ることです。 My hobby is watching movies. Shumi wa eiga o miru koto desu. 趣味は音楽を聴くことです。 My hobby i

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #20 “Talking about your hobbies in Japanese” For more fun Japanese language podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast Matthew and I talked about our favorite Japan travel tips, hacks and experiences. We discussed various topics including interesting places to visit, taking ferries in Japan, how to save money and the recent issues with AirBnb. Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, please consider making a donation to Matthew’s go Fun Me campaign to help with the costs of the current cancer treatment he is undergoing now. Any donation no matter how small is much appreciated. Please feel free to leave your comments, questions and ideas below.

In this podcast Ami and Alex teach you absolutely everything you need to know about the delicious Japanese street snack Takoyaki!

How to eat Takoyaki Delicious Takoyaki with toppings Food is one of our most popular subjects to talk about so in this podcast Ami sensei and I (Alex) introduce you to one of Kansai’s most loved street snacks, the honorable Takoyaki. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to order and prepare takoyaki yourself with the correct ingredients and utensils. We also talk about the history of takoyaki, why it became so famous plus our recommendations for the best Takoyaki restaurants in Japan. So get ready for a takoyaki extravaganza! Takoyaki Vocabulary Here is a full vocabulary list taken from the podcast Japanese Pronunciation English ご注文 Gochuumon Your order いかがでしょうか Ikaga deshō Is it OK? / Are you ready? たこやき Takoyaki Takoyaki (Octopus fry) お願いします Onegaishimasu Please かしこまりました Kashikomarimashita Certainly すみません Sumimasen Excuse me 作り方 Tsukurikata How to make something 教えて Oshiete Teach me いただけませんか Itadakemasenka Would you please? まず Mazu First その後 Sono ato After that その次に Sono tsugi ni Next 最後に Saigo ni Finally 生地 Kiji Batter 鉄板 Teppan Iron pan 入れます Iremasu Put in 他 Hoka Other 好きな Sukina Something you like 具材 Guzai Ingredients 焼きながら Yakinagara While cooking 千枚通し Senmaidooshi Long needle like implement for cooking takoyaki ひっくり返します Hikkuri kaeshimasu Turn something over 熱い Atsui Hot 気をつけて Ki o tsukete Take care 食べてください Tabete kudasai Please eat なるほど Naruhodo I see ありがとうございます Arigatō gozaimasu Thank you very much Takoyaki Conversation A: ご注文はいかがでしょうか。 Gochuumon wa ikaga deshou ka Are you ready to order? B: たこやきをお願いします。 Takoyaki o onegaishimasu I’d like takoyaki please. A: かしこまりました。 Kashikomarimashita Certainly. B: あの、すみませんがたこやきの作り方を教えていただけませんか。 Ano, sumimasen ga, takoyaki no tsukurikata o oshiete kudasai. Um, excuse me but would you mind telling me how to make takoyaki? A: まず、生地を鉄板に入れます。 Mazu, kiji o teppan ni iremasu. First put the batter in the iron pan. B: 生地を鉄板に入れます。 Kiji o teppan ni iremasu. Put the batter in the pan. A: そのあと、たこを入れます。 Sono ato, tako o iremasu. After that, put in the octopus. B: たこを入れます。 Tako o iremasu. Put in the octopus. A: その次に、他の好きな具材を入れます。 Sono tsugi, hoka no suki na guzai o iremasu. After that, put in the ingredients you like. B: 具材を入れます。 Guzai o iremasu. Put in the ingredients. What is Takoyaki? Takoyaki Ingredients Takoyaki is a speciality dish from Osaka and is usually eaten as a casual fast food. Imagine golf sized balls of baked dough, crispy on the outside and piping hot in the middle. What are the basic ingredients of Takoyaki? The dough is made from water, flour and eggs and you add dashi, salt and soy sauce to taste. It also has slices of tako which is octopus. Yaki means cooked or baked which is why we say we say Takoyaki. It kind of tastes a little like Okonomiyaki so it’s savory with a range of interesting flavors and umami. How do you cook Takoyaki? An electric Takoyaki set We start with a takoyaki teppan which is a hot plate to cook the batter in. The hot plate has semi spherical indents which you pour the batter into. You basically drown the whole plate in runny takoyaki batter. Then add those slices of tako. You then sprinkle on other ingredients including benishouga which is pickled red ginger, chopped green onions and tenkasu which are little scraps of tempura. Then as it starts to cook you use what’s called a 千枚通し Senmaidooshi to constantly flip over the batter as it turns into little takoyaki balls. And then finally you garnish it with mayonnaise, Takoyaki sauce which is like Worcestershire sauce, aonori which is green laver and Katsuo bushi which is dried flakes of bonito fish. But there are other flavours too, sometimes they’ll add cheese or mochi. When do you usually eat Takoyaki? You usually pick them up as a snack from a takoyaki stand on the street. But you can also order them in Izakayas with other food. Some restaurants let you make them yourself using the takoyaki teppan which is fun. But usually you’ll get them at a food stall at a matsuri and they usually come in sets of 6 or 8. Where can you buy Takoyaki? The Dotonbori area of Osaka If you are in Japan, you could buy Takoyaki in almost any city. However, if you want to do it in style, in the home of the Takoyaki, I would recommend the Dotonbori area of Osaka. It’s a very popular tourist destination packed with amazing restaurants, Izakayas and bars. It’s famous for its huge colourful illuminated signs, entertainment and nightlife. All the shops run along the Dotonbori canal where it gets its name. So it’s great for food and just strolling down the river. There are hundreds of places where you can get Takoyaki but one place I really like is くれおー る They’re actually a chain of restaurants that serve famous Osaka dishes including Okonomiyaki. I would recommend going to the Dotonbori shop as it has seats overlooking the river. It’s a little touristy but if you can get a good seat, the view of the river is really nice especially at night. And the Takoyaki themselves are perhaps some of the best I’ve e