Scroll down for a long list of my recommended podcasts for learning Japanese! They are ordered by level from beginner to advanced.
I am very grateful for the existence of podcasts. I would recommend taking advantage of this form of content to any Japanese learner. Podcasts are an ideal way to get natural spoken Japanese input from native speakers. A variety of zero and low-cost content is in abundant supply, convenient to consume and can be used for extensive and intensive listening, which are important to language acquisition.
Learning Japanese (or any language) by listening can be roughly broken down into two types of listening, intensive listening and extensive listening. Intensive listening is a necessity for those at lower levels, including absolute beginner, but still has its place at higher levels. Extensive listening is more suited for learners who have built a sufficient foundation and are ready to listen unaided.
Good intensive listening materials will be like scripted classroom listening exercises (but this does not mean they’re boring). The content will be slightly above your level and demands that you listen closely. It involves listening to a short length of audio content, followed by a breakdown of the script into its parts, explanation of the grammar points, key vocabulary, line by line translations…
Note that almost any content could be used for intensive listening. Even if it is not accompanied by any instructional material, if it at least has a transcript, you can analyze it yourself, lookup any unfamiliar words and grammar, and try to piece together the meaning. The goal with intensive listening is to eventually be able to understand the content through study and repetition.
Extensive listening is where you understand 90% or more of the content and it is content that interests you [1]. Being interested is one of the keys. Another key is volume. Listening consistently for extended periods of time is what makes it extensive. I talk more about extensive listening, and learning Japanese from beginner to advanced, by listening in general here.
To be able to do extensive listening comfortably, you’ll first need to learn a fair bit of Japanese and do lot of intensive listening, which can also be done via an amazing podcast called Japanesepod101.com. It has the number one spot on my list of recommendations below and seems to stand alone as the one podcast that truly aims to teach Japanese from scratch using everyday conversations.
A big tip on how to get the most out of podcasts, especially at lower levels, is to read along with a transcript as you listen. You get both written and verbal input at the same time and if you can’t catch what is being said from the audio alone, the text disambiguates it. Also, you have something written to review and study at your own pace. I came across the following quote and it really stuck with me.
“Further research can be expected within the area of listening-while-reading, and I suspect that this may yet be shown to be a language learning ‘super-power’.”
Simon Bibby [2]
I write more about reading along with a transcript as you listen as well as the mechanics of listening and how to practice here. Not all podcasts make transcripts available. Some that do are free, others are available for a modest fee or donation. Of course it is nice to support your favorite podcasters, but its also good to know that platforms like YouTube and Spotify offer auto generated captions.
Last comments before the list. The first few are essentially podcasts that teach Japanese via English. As for the rest, in some cases hosts give English translations of more advanced words and expressions, but in general, the podcasts are in all Japanese. In terms of relative difficulty ranking, I did my best to be objective but there is certainly room for other opinions! Please move up and down the list as needed.
If you are looking for more options, try looking in the following places to discover more: Listen Notes, Podcast Ranking, and the usual, Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music.
Podcasts for Learning Japanese from Beginner to Advanced
Absolute Beginner
JapanesePod101.com
Links to show: Website, Spotify, Apple
Transcript: Yes, available with paid subscription.
Created by Peter Galante, JapanesePod101.com is my favorite podcast on this list and in my opinion, the absolute best. If you are serious about learning Japanese, I highly recommend you take advantage of all JapanesePod101.com has to offer. It’s so much more than just a podcast, its some of the best instructional content in Japanese available. It centers on learning through realistic dialogues. Without a doubt it made the biggest contribution in taking my Japanese from beginner to advanced. I’ll never be able to thank JapanesePod101.com enough for what they have done for me. The amazing thing about this service is that you can actually start from zero and it will be your constant companion all the way up to advanced. If you would like to know more about JapanesePod101.com, I have written about it in detail here.
Additional content: YouTube
Easy Japanese Grammar Lessons Links to show: Website, Podbay, Everand Show data: Listen Notes Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website. Produced by Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK, this a great introduction to Japanese for absolute beginners. It’s a series that follows, Anna, an exchange student from Thailand as she navigates living in Japan for the first time. The podcast centers on very short dialogues, only a few sentences, then a complete breakdown of each line of dialogue including grammar explanations is provided in English. I recommend following each episode along on the website.
Easy Japanese Conversation Lessons
Links to show: Website, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website.
Another show produced by Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK. This a newer series than Easy Japanese Grammar Lessons and is also a great introduction to Japanese for absolute beginners. It is a series that follows, Tam, an exchange student from Vietnam as she navigates living in Japan for the first time. The podcast centers on very short dialogues, only a few sentences, then a complete breakdown of each line of dialogue including grammar explanations is provided in English. This series also has animated videos to go along with the dialogues. I recommend following each episode along on the website.
Japanese Grammar Tips
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No. Transcripts not needed.
This is a great free grammar resource in podcast form. Host Yuya provides detailed explanations in English of grammar points that you would find in beginner level textbooks, such as Genki. Yuya also provides several example sentences as well as guidance on the types of situations in which the grammar point would be used and situations in which it would be unnatural to use. In addition to grammar points some episodes are introductions to unique features of the Japanese language. This podcast is good for beginners and could be used alongside other beginner level podcasts as a supplement.
Learn Japanese Pod
Links to show: Website, Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes. Available free on the show website.
Learn Japanese Pod is great for beginners and centers on short dialogues in Japanese that employ useful grammar, words and expressions. Most episodes start with the target dialogue and then hosts Alex, Ami and Asuka breakdown what was said. They thoroughly dissect each sentence and provide explanations in English on each part. They discuss what various words and expressions mean and provide instruction on the grammar used. They also provide several additional example sentences, then they have an unscripted conversation in Japanese and try to make use of the grammar and/or expressions presented previously in the dialogue. One additional episode format is a discussion of a random (but useful) Japanese phrase.
Upper Beginner
This is approximately the point of transition between podcasts that teach Japanese via English and podcasts where you learn by listening to all Japanese content. On one hand, its probably never too early to start listening to more challenging content, but on the other hand it will probably be more effective to listen once you have built a bit of a foundation.
News in Slow Japanese with Sakura
Links to show: Podcast Site, Website, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, for paid subscribers on the show website.
Exactly as the title suggests, in each episode host Sakura reads a news story or discusses a topic in slow well enunciated Japanese. The idea is to give listeners a chance to catch every word, also episodes are deliberately short in length so that they can be used as shadowing practice. And, for many episodes, there is also a separate fast version as well, to practice listening at a more natural speed. If you just want to listen for free, I would recommend using the podcast site because it contains a large archive of content dating back to 2013.
Slow Japanese by Mochifika
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available to Patreon supporters.
Host Akari is a professional teacher and a proponent of the communicative method of language learning. She speaks slowly and clearly as she discusses various everyday topics accessible to lower-level learners. This is a good podcast for those who want to start listening to content in all Japanese without the help of translation. The episodes are fairly short. The idea is to first listen to just the audio, then try listening again while following along with the transcript.
Additional: YouTube
Simple Japanese Listening with Meg（めぐ）Smile
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website.
Host Meg is an online Japanese teacher. She does a really great job at crafting content aimed at lower-level learners. Especially early on, she delivers episodes called 3-minute Japanese (most episodes are indeed 3-4 minutes long). She speaks slowly and clearly as she talks about a variety of things, but the majority of episodes are actually her narrating charming fairy tales and stories about a girl named Hanako. Other episodes include accessible topics about daily life, stories from her own life, and easy news.
Sakura Tips
Links to show: Website, Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website.
Host Mari speaks slowly and clearly as she discusses a variety of topics, but often ones related to Japan, Japanese culture and life in Japan. Daily life activities and sometimes topics related to living a content life are also discussed. As she goes through the topic, she adds her thoughts on it or personal experience with it. The topics are all accessible, and the episodes are all fairly short which gives listeners an opportunity to just focus on absorbing the Japanese in a manageable amount. And a really great thing about this podcast is the volume of episodes!
Additional content: YouTube
Japanese with Shun
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, YouTube
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available to Patreon supporters.
This podcast is all in Japanese, but host Shun speaks very slowly and enunciates his words clearly. He even states the level of the podcast at the start of each episode, e.g., Genki Level 1. The topics range quite a bit, but the discussions are always in simple terms. Many discussions are about daily life things, some surround Japanese culture and society, while others are about more sophisticated and serious matters. Shun also talks about things he does in his daily life. He has traveled quite a bit and often shares memories and past travel experiences.
Oyasumi Japanese with Shun
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, YouTube
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available to Patreon supporters.
This is another podcast hosted by Shun. The idea is that it's an easy listening podcast to relax with before bedtime. This podcast is very similar to Japanese with Shun but seems to be more centered on two related themes. One theme is stories surrounding Shun's travel adventure experiences. The other is discussions about what he is currently doing in his daily life and how he is feeling. Shun is a very active person, always on the move, with lots of hobbies, so topics are still varied.
Momoko to Nihongo (Japanese Listening for Beginners & Intermediates) あさラジオ
Links to show: Apple, Spotify
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website.
Host Momoko speaks slowly and discusses a variety of topics surrounding Japanese culture, life in Japan, stories from her personal life, and there are several episodes entitled Happy News in which, as the name suggests, she talks about positive news stories from Japan. A few episodes are 5-minute grammar tutorials. The key feature of this podcast is that Momoko will first say something in Japanese, then provide the English translation, then she says it once again in Japanese.
Additional content: YouTube - a few videos, mostly vlogs.
Thinking out loud in Japanese
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available to Patreon supporters.
Host Mel has a soft and relaxing voice. She talks about various everyday topics and things from her life in the USA. In earlier episodes she just talks about a given topic for a few minutes, but in later episodes she reads a script a bit slowly once, then reads it again at regular speed. She also does a fair amount of interview episodes with non-native speakers. On the show jacket it says “easy, simple Japanese with Genki 1 and 2 grammar”. Most episodes are short, so it’s good for upper-level beginners to review grammar and hear it spoken in a real context.
Japanese podcast for beginners (Nihongo con Teppei)
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Auto generated transcripts available to Patreon supporters.
This is a great podcast for extensive listening for upper-level beginners. Host Teppei provides short episodes in which he speaks slowly and discusses everyday topics, mainly from his daily life. I think Teppei does a really good job making the show accessible to beginners, but note that the show is in all Japanese, so it’s not for complete beginners who do not yet have any knowledge of the language. However, if you do have a bit of a beginner level foundation in Japanese, rejoice! You will enjoy this podcast. Teppei speaks in simple terms and uses lots of grammar and vocabulary found in beginner Japanese courses, so by listening you will have ample opportunity to test your understanding.
Lower Intermediate
にほんごのたね Nihongo no Tane with Yumi
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, YouTube
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available to paid Makoto+ members.
Hosted by Yumi of the The Japanese Page, in this podcast Yumi speaks slowly and clearly and mainly discusses stories from her everyday life in Florida and trips she takes. She will describe how she feels and her impressions of the various situations and often contrasts Japanese culture with American and other cultures. Other episode topics are varied, such as maintaining general physical health, discussions of Japanese words and expressions, news from Japan, and general philosophical musings.
日本語で北海道生活 for Japanese learners
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No, but for each episode, in the show notes, there is a short write-up that closely mirrors the monologue and explanations of vocabulary used in the episode are given.
This is a delightful podcast from host Miwa, a professional Japanese teacher living in Hokkaido. There are several great things to highlight about this show, one is the news focus. Most episodes are centered on local contemporaneous news stories from Hokkaido. Miwa speaks slowly and clearly as she presents the news in a concise way that is accessible to lower-level learners, but also presents lots of vocabulary, which is another great thing about this show. I find that I pick up lots of new words as I listen. And yet another great thing is Miwa’s explanation of the vocabulary, she explains the meaning of words using simpler Japanese, which I think is highly beneficial, rather than just giving the English translation. This speaks to Miwa’s skill as a teacher.
Japanese with Noriko
Links to show: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, archived season transcripts are available free on the show website. Current season transcripts are available to Japanese Together community members and Patreon supporters.
Host Noriko covers many topics on the show. She even says that as she goes about her daily life, she takes notes of interesting things she can talk about on the podcast. Notable themes are stories from her travels throughout Europe (Noriko lives in Northern Ireland), interesting places in Japan, and language learning challenges and strategies. She often does guests interviews with other teachers and hosts from other Japanese language learning podcasts.
Nihongo with あこ Nihongo Picnic
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website.
All episodes are tagged, beginner, intermediate or advanced. Host Ako, a Japanese teacher, speaks slowly in beginner episodes and progressively faster in the higher levels, but she always speaks clearly and the Japanese used is not too difficult, so even advanced episodes are accessible to lower-level learners. She discusses modern Japan and daily life, Japanese culture, and stories for her daily life. Especially in earlier episodes, there are lots of interviews with various people who all have different hobbies.
Japanese GO 日本語ゴー
Links to show: Apple, Spotify (new show), Listen Notes (old show archive)
Show data: Listen Notes (old show archive)
Transcript: No.
This podcast is hosted by Fumi. She has a very soft, relaxing voice and speaks fairly slowly and clearly. Most episodes center on a discussion of a given topic often related to things she does in her daily life, habits, and experiences. Some episodes focus on Japanese culture and customs. One recurring episode type is called “chit-chat” in which Fumi just talks about whatever happens to be on her mind at the time of recording the episode, almost like a stream of consciousness.
Nihongo con Teppei Z & Nihongo con Teppei Original Archives
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, Website (Nihongo con Teppei Z), Spotify, Apple, Website (Nihongo con Teppei Original Archives)
Show data: Listen Notes (Nihongo con Teppei Z), Listen Notes (Nihongo con Teppei Original Archives)
Transcript: Auto generated transcripts available to Patreon supporters.
This is a great intermediate level podcast for extensive listening. Each episode host Teppei talks about his little daily adventures (this particular phrasing was from one fan’s review of the show). The topics are broad, but are usually centered on daily life, particularly Teppei’s daily life. He also often discusses the process of language learning and stresses two key points: language learning requires a huge amount of input, and review of the same topics over and over. Teppei doesn’t just stress these points, his podcast is built on them. He provides a huge volume of input to consume, and periodically returns to discuss the same topics. In general, episodes are not too long and the speaking pace is moderate.
Japanese for Beginners Podcast hosted by Mika Sensei
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No.
Host Mika speaks slowly and clearly as she discusses accessible topics mainly related to her personal life. She talks about things that interest her, such as pro wrestling, her daily experiences as well as life experiences. Mika seems well travelled so many episodes are discussions of her travel experiences and impressions of other countries. She also touches on life in Japan, Japanese culture and things unique to Japan.
Let’s Talk in Japanese
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website.
This is a great podcast hosted by Tomo, a professional Japanese teacher. It’s great for many reasons, but one of which is that it really exemplifies a podcast made for learners. Since Tomo is a teacher, there is more of a focus on language instruction than in other podcasts. One of the interesting things is that each episode is marked with a JLPT level, N5-N1, indicating its difficulty. Tomo speaks slowly or more quickly and adjusts word choice depending on the level. Topics include Japanese culture, life in Japan, contrasts between Japan and Taiwan, features of the Japanese language, popular culture, and some things from Tomo’s personal life, particularly his interest in manga. Topics are often simpler for lower levels and sometimes, a news story for example, is explained at various levels, e.g. N4, N3, N2, all in one episode.
Japanese with K
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available to paid members on the show website and Patreon supporters.
Host K (Keiichiro) speaks fairly slowly as he discusses various topics. The topics range, but some common themes include Japanese history and traditional culture, modern Japanese society, news from Japan and K’s impressions of the various places he visits. K seems like a very genuine person. One of the best parts of his podcast is that episodes are fairly long, but it’s easy to listen at length because K makes an effort to speak in simple terms, which makes the content accessible to even lower-level learners.
Nihongo for You
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website.
This is a nice podcast hosted by Akari. Quite a bit of content if free, but the majority is for paid subscribers. The commentary here is only in reference to the free content. In earlier episodes, Akari speaks slowly and clearly. She talks about a topic in Japanese for a few minutes, then she provides a complete English translation of what she said in Japanese. The transcripts are available free on the website, so it’s good content for intensive listening. In later episodes, she speaks a little quicker and it’s Japanese only, no English translations. Topics are varied and Akari uses lots of interesting vocabulary. I find that I pick up quite a few words from her shows. Even though this show is less advanced than some others on the list, I feel like it’s richer in Japanese vocabulary.
The Bite Size Japanese Podcast
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, YouTube
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available to Patreon supporters.
This podcast centers on host Layla’s life and Japanese culture. She speaks clearly and a little slower than regular speed. She is quite open about her life as she discusses her current happenings, strategies she has used to make improvements in her life, and life philosophies. Layla is also an English learner. She often shares language learning strategies that have helped her. She also talks about Japan, Japanese culture, and shares her opinions on various aspects of modern Japanese life.
Azumi’s Easy Japanese Small Talk
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Recited news articles can be accessed free on NHK News Web Easy.
Episodes are centered on news articles from NHK News Web Easy. Host Azumi reads an article out loud, then afterwords she goes over the article and breaks down the words and grammar used. She explains part in Japanese and part in English. Note, if you listen to earlier episodes, articles were not read aloud be rather summarized in Azumi’s own words. I like this podcast because the content is based on news articles, and since the articles are from NHK News Web Easy, it’s accessible to lower-level learners. For extra practice, you may want to try reading the article yourself first, then listen to Azumi read it afterwards and explain the content, or vice versa (read after listening).
Additional content: Website, YouTube
YUYUの日本語Podcast
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, YouTube
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available to Patreon supporters.
Host Yusuke is a Japanese teacher living in Mexico. He speaks fairly slowly and seems very open and friendly. Even if you never meet him, you’ll get to know a lot about him as he often talks about his life in Mexico, activities he does with his wife, his life as a teacher, podcaster and youtuber, his current endeavors, his school days in Japan… He expresses his feelings and opinions even on difficult topics, but also discusses lighter things like anime and video games. There is also a fair amount of discussion about Japan in general, including history, mythology, and modern life. As you can tell, topics are quite wide ranging.
Haru no Nihongo
Links to show: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website.
Host Haruka speaks slowly and clearly. Her episodes are about Japanese culture, food, life in Japan, stories from her personal life, and current events. She also talks about her interest in anime and video games. She is open and sometimes talks about the funny things people do and the funny things she does. She speaks in straightforward, casual manner and uses fairly simple terms so its easy to focus and follow along with what she is saying.
Additional content: Many podcasts are accompanied by a YouTube video which gives you an added visual of things Haruka discusses. Many are vlogs of her travels.
Everyday Japanese Podcast with Sayuri Saying
Links to show: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, for paid members, see website.
Host Sayuri speaks fairly slowly and discusses everyday topics. She talks about her daily life, interesting places she visits and interesting experiences she has. She also discusses life in Japan more broadly and recent trends. Sometimes she will talk about little known experiences that you can have in Japan, or lesser know facts about modern Japan, so it is quite informative. She also often conducts guest interviews with hosts of other Japanese language learning podcasts.
Additional content: Many podcasts are accompanied by a YouTube video which gives you an added visual of things Sayuri discusses. There are also other videos such as vlogs and conversations with other creators.
Easy Japanese Podcast
Links to show: Apple, Spotify, YouTube
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, for paid members on YouTube and Patreon.
Hosts Masa and Asami are a husband-and-wife team living in a small traditional town in Nagano, Japan. One of the main themes of the show is the nuances between words that are similar in Japanese, which is a very helpful topic for Japanese learners. They make a good effort to use only Japanese to explain difficult words. They also present a lot of Japanese culture and holidays, and talk about their daily life, such as the meals they cook and activities they do with their young child.
Additional content: Most episodes are accompanied by a YouTube Video. There are also many archived live-streamed videos which are much longer in length than regular episodes.
Intermediate
Thinking in Japanese Podcast
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, transcripts and vocabulary lists are available to Patreon supporters.
Host Iisaku speaks slowly and clearly as he discusses many interesting topics, the overwhelming majority of which center on discussions of topics and findings from modern psychology. The next largest category of topics is related to language acquisition, the challenges learners face and how to overcome them. There are also a few episodes related to health and wellness, and episodes focusing on elements particular to the Japanese language. What differentiates this podcast the most is that Iisaku spends very little time talking about himself and daily life. The focus is on the above-mentioned topics. One of the key features of this podcast is the attention paid to vocabulary.
Nあ～ casual nihongo ほんまの日本語
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes. Available free on the show website.
This is a great podcast for learning hosted by Dai, a young Japanese teacher. At the start of each episode Dai gives a short monologue in which he speaks slowly and clearly. After the monologue comes the key feature of the podcast, which is a conversation between Dai and a friend in casual Japanese. The casual unscripted conversation will push your listening comprehension, but importantly they are accompanied by transcripts. After the conversation is played for the first time, there is a listening comprehension quiz followed by a breakdown of some of the key words and phrases. English translations are provided to help with explanations, but overall, the podcast is mostly in Japanese. After the breakdown, the conversation is played again. The balance between real Japanese conversation and language instruction is a great feature of this podcast.
The Miku Real Japanese Podcast | Japanese conversation | Japanese culture
Links to show: Apple, Spotify, Buzzsprout
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, for paid members, see show website.
Host Miku’s podcast mainly centers on contemplations and introspection about life that one tends to have around age 30. She discusses personal growth, living the life you want to live, being at peace with yourself, accepting the past… I really like that the topics are more adult oriented. It’s nice to have the opportunity to hear the associated vocabulary and expressions. Miku also talks a little bit about various places in Japan, what it’s like living in Japan, and does lots of conversations with other creators.
Additional content: Miku’s YouTube channel is mostly separate from the podcast. There are various types of videos, for example about grammar, vlogs, and conversations with other creators.
日本語の聴解のためのPodcast –あかね的日本語教室 (Podcast for Japanese Listening Comprehension – Akane’s Japanese Class)
Links to show: Apple, Spotify, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website.
Host Akane’s podcast is mainly about daily life activities, daily life worries, and the cultural aspects of life and work in Japan. She speaks slowly and clearly. She is careful to enunciate her words and sometimes uses slight pauses between words so you can hear a clear separation. When she uses a more advanced grammar point, she explains it. Akane is very genuine, and it is easy to like her. I am sure you will enjoy her content.
Additional content: Akane’s YouTube channel is separate from the podcast although there is plenty of crossover between the two. The YouTube channel focuses more on instructional content, mainly useful words and phrases used in various situations. She presents daily life interactions with people such as going to a bookstore and the types of questions you might get asked by the shop attendants.
Casual Japanese with Mizuki
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No.
Host Mizuki is a free-spirited young man who engages in various pursuits to earn income and gain new skills. He also partakes in various leisure activities. He speaks very casually and at a regular speed. The podcast mainly centers on varied stories from his daily life, but there are some Japanese culture discussions as well. Mizuki is very open and expresses himself freely. He often shares how he feels about things and discusses his reflections, musings, and life philosophies.
少しゆっくり日本語 Listening Practice with Native Japanese
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, YouTube
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes. Free and paid transcripts available via Patreon.
Host Ryusuke is a little older than many other hosts and accordingly has more life experience. He shares his experiences and his thoughts on society. He is fairly liberal with sharing his opinions whether positive or negative. Many other podcasts talk about the positive aspects of Japanese society, but this podcast is more focused on critical opinions, so it may be an interesting counterpoint. Ryusuku is a language learner too. He gives some tips on language learning and what he does. He is encouraging towards people coming to Japan and gives advice on nice places to visit.
Upper Intermediate
Let’s learn Japanese from small talk!
Links to show: Apple, Spotify, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No, but for each episode there is a short description of the content and a very detailed vocabulary list available free on the show website.
This podcast is hosted by Mizuho and Kayuko. They started the podcast towards the end of their time at university. They talk about graduation, job hunting, being a junior employee in Japan and job rotations. Most episodes are about various parts of modern Japanese culture and trends in Japan. They also talk about what's happening in their lives and anime they they're currently watching and recommend. The podcast is half introduction to Japan from the perspective of young Japanese people and half everyday talk between two friends.
きまぐれ日本語 Casual Japanese
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No, but on the show website there is a write-up about the content of each episode accompanied by a vocabulary list.
Originally hosted by Yuka and Ayaka while they were still in high school, the show is now hosted by Yuka and Jonathan. The topic of a given episode is based around a question, usually from a listener. The format is somewhat interesting because it seems like they search for and find the question on a Japanese web forum (possible Chiebukuro), then they read the best answer for that question. After they read the answer, they break down the words and expressions used, then they have a free discussion about the topic. I like that effort is made to provide a bit of language instruction. The audio can be a bit challenging to understand, but overall you’ll hear natural conversation between two young people.
日本語ザツダン Nihongo That’s Dan
Links to show: Apple, Spotify, Website
Transcript: Yes, available free on the show website.
Hosts Tatsuya and Chiyoshi are a young husband-and-wife team who live in Hokkaido and work from home. As the show’s name suggests, it really is just idle talk between two young Japanese people, which allows you to get an idea of how young people talk casually to one another and the casual expressions they use. They talk about various daily life things, life in Hokkaido, trips they take, and share their philosophical musings on various topics. Note, they speak softly so you might need to turn your headphones up and pay close attention.
IchibanTalk
Links to show: Apple, Spotify, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No, but a bullet style summary of the topics discussed with the guest in each episode is available on the show website.
Ichiban Talk is an interview podcast in which host Tatsumi talks with various Japanese people living outside of Japan in various parts of the world. The range of interviewees is extremely diverse. You get an inside look at the lives of people from all walks of life, at varying stages of life, doing different kinds of work and undertaking various challenges. One of my favorite parts is hearing about how people manage the challenges of living abroad and how it has impacted their lives. This podcast is a personal favorite of mine. Thank you, Tatsumi!
Disfruta aprendiento にほんご/Japanese Tokyo Pitch Accent
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Transcript: No.
News is the most prominent feature of this podcast. In many episodes, the host* selects stories from actual Japanese news outlets and reads them aloud. She speaks a bit slower than regular speed and is careful to select stories written in relatively easy to understand Japanese. Common themes are weather and earthquakes, in fact she talks a lot about disaster preparedness. Another common theme is topics related to living a healthy life. Other topics discussed are Japanese society, culture, living in Japan, and Japanese language usage tips. *Perhaps I never listened close enough, but I don’t know the host’s name!
Japanese with Teppei and Noriko
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No.
Another great podcast hosted jointly by Teppei and Noriko. This show conjures the image of a relaxed conversation between friends over coffee. Teppei and Noriko’s speaking pace is faster than their respective intermediate podcasts, it’s regular native speed, but still not too fast. They often talk about what is happening in their work and life, but they also engage in philosophical musings and discuss hypotheticals, but it’s always lighthearted and makes for easy listening. I would say there is also a bit of unintentional manzai in their conversations. Manzai is a style of Japanese comedy, so you may find yourself smiling as you listen to the show.
ひいきびいき
Links to show: Internet Archive
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No.
This podcast ended a while ago, but it was a longtime favorite of many Japanese learners and you can still listen to it on platforms such as the Internet Archive. The title, ひいきびいき, is an interesting word that translates as “each person supporting (patronizing) their own favorite”. As such, hosts Daiichi and Haruka talk about things that they like and things that interest them. I like this podcast because the hosts can talk at length about everyday things and occurrences in an interesting way. Although the show is intended for a native Japanese audience, since the hosts talk slowly and the topics are not too challenging, it makes for great extensive listening content for upper intermediate learners and a good challenge for intermediate learners.
Advanced
Perhaps an easy gateway into more advanced Japanese is audio dramas. It’s like listening to a manga. The Japanese is often not too difficult, and it is professionally produced so the sound quality and enunciation is very clear. Astro Radio (listed below) is one example.
Japanese Language Podcast 日本語って by Eriko Juku
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: Yes, available via YouTube. Transcripts are shown in the form of slideshow that is timed with the progression of the episode.
This is a wonderful podcast in many ways. Eriko is a sophisticated Japanese teacher who is very passionate about the Japanese language, and it shows. She uses lots of interesting words and expressions that showcase the richness of the language. It is said that a language is a reflection of the culture that speaks it; Eriko demonstrates this beautifully. Many episodes are centered on unique Japanese words and expressions, others about life learnings and leading a full and fulfilling life, and she talks about things from her daily life as well. You are sure to learn a lot from this podcast, it’s one of my personal favorites.
Additional content: Various types of language learning videos on YouTube, as well as livestreams which are about 1 hour.
Japanese Podcast for Advanced Learners
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No.
Host Fumiko is a sophisticated Japanese teacher who delivers episodes heavily centered on modern Japanese language and its use. Different grammar points are discussed in each episode, especially grammar tested at the upper JLPT levels. Japanese history and culture are discussed in some episodes, but often in how they relate to the development of modern Japanese language. This podcast has the feeling of a very sophisticated Japanese class that I think upper-level adult learners will really enjoy. When I first started listening, I remember that I had to listen very closely because it really pushed my listening skills (and tested my grammar knowledge!)
アストロ・ラジオ ・天文バラエティ番組 (Astro Radio)
Links to show: Website, Apple
Transcript: No.
This is a wonderful podcast and a personal favorite. The show centers around the theme of astronomy, but for the most part it is a series of original radio dramas. Host Ayuko’s beautiful voice is wonderful to hear as she does episode preambles, narration, and character voices. Astro Radio is produced for a native Japanese audience, but Ayuko’s monologues and the dramas are still accessible even to intermediate learners. The show had a 10-year run starting in 2007, so it’s a little older than other shows on this list, but the dramas are intriguing and were professionally produced, so you’ll surely still enjoy the listening experience. Note, I was at an intermediate level when I first started listening and could probably only understand about 50%, but still thoroughly enjoyed the content, particularly the drama entitled, The Secret of Lapis.
JLPT N1 日本語ききはじめ
Links to show: Apple, Spotify
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No, but for each episode several keywords used are given in the show notes.
This is a wonderful podcast hosted by Professor Ito of Hyogo University. In each episode, he discusses one or two topics from the news. But it’s more that just the news, he takes it a step further and explains the cultural and historical background of the events. It’s extremely interesting content and I find that I learn a lot of things in addition to practicing my listening. Professor Ito makes an effort to use slightly easier Japanese that what’s in the news, which makes it an excellent stepping stone to native level content.
日本語声出し同好会｜Shadow ＆ Repeat in Japanese! with しろくろパパ
Links to show: Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No, but there is usually a link to the key sentence.
This show is best suited for advanced learners. Host Shirokuro Papa speaks rather quickly, possibly even faster than the average native speaker, so it makes for good practice just keeping up with the speaking speed. I find myself having to listen very closely to catch everything. However, the key feature of the show is shadow and repeat. Shirokuro Papa reads out a sentence, with pauses, so that listeners can repeat it. Some episodes are long, while others are just a few minutes and focus on the shadow and repeat. In longer episodes, before introducing the key sentence Shirokuro Papa will talk for a few minutes, usually about what is happening in his daily life and happenings with his students.
日本語を大切にしたい。Slow and Polite Japanese.
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, YouTube
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No.
This is a really unique podcast by host Konchi, one of the older podcasters on this list. Perhaps the following description from Konchi says it best 「あれこれ感じながら思いつくままにしゃべらせてもらいます。」"While feeling this way and that way, I talk as things come to my mind.” Basically, he goes about his daily life and talks about what he observes. He also talks about how various experiences make him feel and he compares today’s modern society with the world when he was younger. His speech is like his inner monologue but spoken out loud, which makes for interesting commentary. At about episode 150, Konchi starts filming what he sees, and the podcast is essentially a voiceover which he posts on YouTube.
Native
If you are an advanced learner looking for native level content, of course one of the best things to do is to search in Japanese for podcasts made for native speakers and find ones that interest you. But if you are looking for recommendations just the same, perhaps the following may interest you.
ピーとのふしぎなガレージ
Links to show: YouTube
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No.
This is such a great show! The goal of every Japanese learner should be to be to get to a level of proficiency that allows them to understand and enjoy this podcast. First, let me recommend that you listen via YouTube because you get full episodes which are all around 50 minutes long. This is a positively charming podcast brought to you by Mitsubishi Jidousha. The episodes chronicle the time travelling adventures of Shinichi, a regular guy and his friend, Professor N, an intrepid space alien with acquaintances from all over the world and all different periods of history. The podcast is extremely entertaining and also educational. The producers have done a wonderful job with it, and I hope it never ends.
Additional content: Wikipedia
中田大学 Nakata University
Links to show: YouTube
Transcript: No.
This is technically a YouTube channel, but it can be listened to as a podcast, that is certainly what I do. Host Atsuhiko Nakata discusses really wide-ranging topics including contemporary topics from recent news. For example, he discusses history, society, philosophy, health, technology and finance to name just a few. Atsuhiko is also a comedian so you can imagine that his delivery is quite entertaining, although the pace is quite fast. What I like the most is that the topics and news discussed are ones in which I am interested. I can easily hear a lot about them in English, but it is hard to find an accessible outlet in Japanese. Nakata University provides this outlet.
バービーとおしんり研究所
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Amazon
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No.
Host Barbie is a well-known personality in Japan’s entertainment industry, particularly comedy. The show centers on exploration of what people have found to be the truths of life. The show is always co-hosted by a guest host. Barbie and the guest host talk casually about their own lives and philosophies, but they also often have audience members call in to have live discussions of their truths. I started listening to this podcast because I wanted to hear casual adult Japanese conversation. I wanted to hear how adults speak to one another and what topics they discuss, this podcast certainly delivers on that. Note that it is professionally produced by TBS, who also produces many other podcasts, here is a link to their catalog.
Tokyo Midtown Presents: The Lifestyle Museum with Peter Barakan
Links to show: Website, Spotify, Apple
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No.
This is a very long-standing podcast aimed at a native Japanese speaking audience but is still accessible to more advanced learners. The podcast is aptly named ‘The Lifestyle Museum’, a place where you can learn about a variety of disciplines and various lifestyles of the people that engage in them. Each episode, host Peter Barakan and assistant Sachiko Shibata interview professionals from all walks of life who discuss their work and careers. The guests are mostly artists, designers, musicians, and authors, but there are others from the journalism, economics, and scientific disciplines.
SBS Japanese – SBSの日本語放送
Links to show: Spotify, Apple, Website
Show data: Listen Notes
Transcript: No.
This is a news podcast from Australia. As you might expect, a lot of the content is about current events in Australia, and it does seem intended for Japanese people living there. Particularly there is a lot of information provided about life in Australia and things you should know or may be interested to know about if you are not from there. But overall, there really is a lot of variety in this podcast which gives listeners a well-rounded view of Japanese words and phrases used in discussions of various topics. For example, there are contemporary news specials covering art, music, technology, politics, sports and international stories. There are also plenty of special interviews.
Most podcasts mentioned above are totally free to listen to. In several cases you can support your favorite podcaster(s) in various ways, Patreon, buy me a coffee, ko-fi, taking their private lessons… In the end learning Japanese can be done relatively inexpensively, but if you are looking to accelerate your learning and invest in yourself, I have written about the cost to learn Japanese here.
References
[1] Waring, R. (2010). Starting Extensive Listening. Rob Waring’s Websites. Personal website. Retrieved from The Internet Archive.
[2] Bibby, S. (2021). Listening in the Language Classroom: The Case for Extensive Listening. Kobe Shoin Women’s University.