podcast
Learn Japanese Pod is 4 Years Old!
Learn Japanese Pod is four years old! Happy birthday to us! Four years, three apartments, two mac books and one relationship later, here we are still making podcasts for all you eager students of Japanese. I had no idea LJP would become such a great place to meet people interested Japanese and Japan. We’ve made some great friends and had a great deal of fun along the way.
Learn Japanese Pod started out under the vaguest and most pathetic of plans: “I guess I’ll just do it for a laugh”. So here’s to vague and pathetic plans. And here’s to all of you who listened to the podcast and supported it. Without your help, support, comments and general correspondences LJP would only be a mere shadow of itself and not the gargantuan, green, Tokyo skyscraper munching monster it has become.
As we are on the thankyous, a huge thank you to:
Beb: She made the podcast possible. Let’s face it, you only listen because of her don’t you?
Waka sensei: She spent countless hours recording podcasts, checking the show notes were OK and generally being cute.
Karamoon: He was the tech guy and ideas man for us. On one occassion he single-handedly saved the forums from digital oblivion.
Daniel and Yuki: They’re a cute couple. Daniel has been our audio engineer and Yuki has appeared on various shows teaching us Japanese.
You: yes YOU! Not you! YOU! Another huge shout out to all of you who listened to the show and are interested in Japanese culture.
This list is endless but for those of you who haven’t been mentioned you know who you are. Thank you, thank you, thank you and that’s three thank yous!
Here’s to another four years.
Fun Friday for 9th October 2009
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Today’s podcast was recorded at Ocean’s Table in Lumine Est in Shinjuku. A huge thank you to Miki, Jim and Sandra who joined me on today’s podcast and made it as hilarious as ever. I humbly bow in your general direction.
Here are some points mentioned in the podcast.
Serial Trial Lesson Enthusiast
Miki told us that she has become a serial trial lesson enthusiast. This means she goes around various schools and culture centers trying out their free first introductory lessons. So far she has tried vocal training and intends to do Tahitian dance next. She said it is a good way to meet people she would not normally meet. I look forward to future reports from her.
Poster Competition
Sandra’s poster competition is underway. Please check out her blog at Japandra to find out how you can be the proud owner of a JR “Do it at home” poster. In the podcast, she also told us about an interesting cafe in Kashiwa where you get the order of the person who came before you. Check out the podcast for more on that.
We’re Still Here
Luckily, Yukki’s friend’s friend’s mother’s acquaintance’s mate who works in the secret underground government bunker somewhere in Japan was wrong about an earthquake predicted for tonight. Tokyo was supposed to be rubble after the 9th and happily the earthquake to end all earthquakes decided to stay in bed. This was a little story continued from last week’s Fun Friday.
Other News and Points of Business
Don’t forget the next Learn Japanese Pod Get Together on Sunday 18th October at The Pink Cow in Shibuya. We are doing it in conjunction with the Japanese Lounge event which will be featuring tradition Japanese musical performances. This is a great chance to make friends, learn Japanese and experience the culture. Details are here.
Joseph Tame, we’re calling you out! Let’s do a podcast together. If you don’t know who Joseph Tame is, please check out his great website and podcasts at Pokya.
Check out the Forums. Leave your comments, ideas, suggestions, questions and anything else you care to share with our growing community of Japanese learners.
Finally we have a new lesson which will be posted on Monday so stay podcasted to Learn Japanese Pod.
Featured music in podcast- Radwimps “Iin desu ka?”
Follow us on Twitter
Have a great weekend!
Learn Japanese Pod Update
It’s hot out side, the cicadas are making a racket, girls are dressed in Yukatas and letting off fireworks. It’s summer in Japan and perhaps one of the best excuses to slack off from posting anything on Learn Japanese Pod. Well, that’s the story I’m going with. However I thought I should post an update into what’s going on here at the Learn Japanese Pod Professional Recording Studio Language Learning Complex also referred to as “my kitchen”.
I think a quote from the Presidents of the United States Of America is fitting. “Moving to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches”. It’s true as I am traveling to Yamanashi famous for peaches, beautiful lakes and of course Mount Fuji. I’m going to stay at the Solar Cafe which is part of the Earth Embassy, an organic farm and center for learning about Permaculture and sustainable lifestyles. I’ll be helping out my friend and owner Jake to do some farming, build a house and work on the Earthship project that fell by the way side recently. But I’m also going there to escape Tokyo for a while and recharge the batteries. The Solar Cafe has a spectacular view of Mount Fuji and some awesome hiking and biking trails. It’s going to be fun.
Also if you feel like paying us a visit then come along by all means. There’s a lot to do around there and the more the merrier. Don’t forget we are also doing the Learn Japanese Pod Party here on 29th and 30th August.
So drop me a line at info(at)learnjapanesepod(dot)com. You can also check out the Earth Embassy and Solar Cafe Facebook group or the Earth Embassy homepage for more info.
We’ll also be putting up a few podcasts soon so stay tuned! Take care and have an awesome summer!
#94 Maji de
In this week’s show, Waka sensei taught us a really useful phrase you hear a lot these days which is まじmaji. It comes from まじめ-majime which means serious. Remember that this is very casual Japanese and should only be used between friends. It’s not very suitable for work. In a more formal situation you might use 本当に – hontou ni which means “really” or “very”. Check out the show notes below or download the PDF to see how まじ is used.
Show notes for lesson#94：まじで
まじで- maji de – Seriously/Very
1.
A: 明日仕事やめるよ。
B: まじで？
A: Ashita shigoto yameru yo
B: Maji de?
A: I’m quitting work tomorrow
B: Really? (Seriously?)
2.
A:彼はどう？
B: まじむかつく
A: Kare wa dou?
B: Maji mukatsuku
A: What’s he like?
B: Really annoying
3.
A:このケーキはどう？
B: まじやばい
A: Kono keeki wa dou?
B: Maji yabai
A: How’s this cake?
B: It’s seriously delicious
Random Phrase of the week
明日は皆既日食なんだって
ashita wa kaikinisshoku nan datte
They say there’s a total solar eclipse tomorrow
Learn Japanese Pod, ©Alex Brooke, 2009
iPhone Podcast reviews
The iPhone now lets you write a review on apps and podcasts you have downloaded. We would like to get your reviews posted from the iphone. Check this link on how to write reviews for apps and podcasts like ours. This is our first review.
Ouch, Mr Kloranfm! I’ll have to take issue with some of the points in this review.
The “guests” mostly consist of drunk girls they bring into the studio.
First off, they weren’t drunk girls, well not very, plus I had had waaay more to drink than they had. Also, it’s not a studio, it’s a crappy kitchen. The very idea we would record something in a studio goes against our principles of doing anything properly. Which leads me onto the next point.
It’s a shame because if they were organized and professional they might actually have a good podcast.
Oh the slander continues. How could this reviewer insinuate we should be organized and professional when our motto is “disorganized amateurs”?! As we say, if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing any old how. I’ve been called a few things in my time but professional and organized is not one of them. How dare you sir! Unshaken by this review, we promise to keep bringing you the same badly recorded, amateurish podcast as before!
Anyway, please check out the review feature on the iPhone if you have one and send us another crappy review.
A shout out to Ady for giving us the heads up on this one.
Fun Friday for 3rd July 2009
We kicked off this week’s Fun Friday with some awesome rap from Kenjiman. Check out his Myspace page for some excellent tunes and incredible rapping from Tokyo. (If you are a band in Japan, please contact us at info(at)learnjapanesepod(dot)com if you would like your music to be considered for our podcast)
The festival season was today’s theme which is starting in Japan. Waka sensei and myself will be checking out as many summer events as we can in Japan and reporting you about it stay tuned. Check out our festival calendars for Kanto and Kansai to find some great events to attend.
We also talked about the latest Eco convenience store located in Kyoto which doesn’t sell plastic bottles or provide plastic shopping bags for customers. It’s the first of its kind in Japan and we will be waiting to see if the idea spreads. Waka sensei suggested that plastic manufacturers had try to protect the “pet bottle” in Japan which is why this idea hadn’t taken off sooner. I suggested that plastic bottle making ninjas would soon put a stop to this. Waka sensei didn’t agree…
A big shout out to Dennis for sending this photo of an ad to ask people to smoke more responsibly.
The interesting thing is, in the UK you have posters telling you to quit smoking whereas in Japan they tell you how to be a good smoker. And being good is not disturbing those around you. The tide is slowly turning in Japan as more and more public areas are designated as smoke free areas. I’m not sure what will happen when they take the last cigarette away from the hassled and stressed salaryman. Japan could have a revolt on their hands.
Again thanks to Dennis for the picture. Please send us your own Japan related pictures, comments, questions and suggestions to info(at)learnjapanesepod(dot)com or alternatively leave a comment at the end of this post. DOMO!
Learn English at Learn Japanese Pod?!
Recently we have been getting emails from Japanese people listening to the Learn Japanese Pod podcast to learn English. This was a development I didn’t see coming but it makes sense.
最近日本人の方からメールが届いて、英語を勉強するためにLearn Japaneseを聞いていらっしゃるそうです。ちょっとおかしいかなと思ったけれども考えると分かります。
Most of the podcasts we do are aimed at beginner or low intermediate Japanese language learners and as a result we translate everything we teach into English. Japanese people and other non native English speakers have been listening our podcasts to hear the banter bewteen Waka sensei and myself in order to learn natural English conversations. Here’s an email I got from Kaori san (below)
ポッドキャストのレベルはだいたい初級と中級レベルです。そして日本語の会話を全部英語に翻訳します。日本語の例文の間に私と和歌先生のくだらない話が多いです。自然な英語を勉強するために日本人や英語母国語じゃない方はこの話を聞いていらっしゃるそうです。かおりさんという方から下記のメールをもらいました。
私は今英語を勉強しています。英語の勉強は難しいですT_Tそして英語の勉強のサイトを探していたところ、このサイトを見つけました。learn japaneseという名前なので、英語ではないのかなと最初は思いましたが、このサイトでたくさんの英語が聞けますし、ここでの英語を聞いたり読んだりすると、自然な英会話や表現を覚えることができることを発見したのでとても気に入っています。
I’m studying English now, it’s very hard. I found this site while looking for a site to study English. With a name like “Learn Japanese” I didn’t think I’d be able to learn English. However, you can hear a lot of English on the site as well as read it so you can learn a lot of natural English conversations and phrases. So I like it a lot.
So I am hoping she is not the only Japanese person to listen to this podcast. If that is the case then maybe we can set up a language exchange bewteen native Japanese and English speakers. I know that the forums are lacking in Japanese members partly because the majority of the posts are written in English. I suppose if I could do this podcast from scratch I should have done the English – Japanese language exchange podcast.
In the mean time, thanks for listening and let’s see if we can’t get an English – Japanese language exchange going.
このようなメールをもらうととてもうれしいです。そして日本人と英語を話せる人と英語ー日本語交流をしようかなと思いました。今のところ掲示板のほとんどは英語で書いてるせいか日本人のメンバーはあんまりいません。
これからもっと日本語で書いて日本人のメンバーが増えるように頑張ります！是非Learn Japanese Podの掲示板のメンバーになってください！ Learn Japanese Pod 掲示板はこちら
#93 Mendokusai
In today’s lesson, Waka sensei told us how to say “it’s a hassle” in Japanese which is “めんどくさい” or Mendokusai. We also got a very interesting email from Kaori, a student of English who listens to Learn Japanese Pod. She told us that she in fact listens to the podcast to study English. Apparently she is not the only non native English speaker who is listening to this podcast to learn English. I’m hoping we can attract more Japanese people to the site so we can start some language exchanges on the Forums.Check out this letter from Kaori san,
Show notes for lesson#93:面倒くさい
1.
A: 宿題した？
B: 面倒くさいから、明日やるよ。
A: Shukudai shita ?
B: Mendokusai kara, ashita yaru yo
A: Did you do your homework ?
B: It’s a hassle so I’ll do it tomorrow
2.
A:部屋を掃除しなさい。
B: 面倒くさい。後でもいい？
A:今やりなさい！
B:は〜い。
A: Heya wo souji shinasai
B: Mendokusai. Ato demo ii ?
A: Ima yarinasai
B: Ha~i
A: Clean your room
B: It’s a hassle. Can I do it later?
A: Do it now!
B: Ok
QUIZ
How do you say :
1. It’s a hassle
2. Clean your room
3. It’s a hassle so I’ll do it tomorrow
Quiz Answers:
1. mendokusai!
2. Heya wo souji shinasai!
3. Mendokusai kara ashita yaru yo
Random Phrase of the week
焼きもち焼いてんの？
Yakimocho yaiten no?
You’re jealous aren’t you
Learn Japanese Pod, ©Alex Brooke, 2009
Fun Friday for 26th June 2009
Holy okonomiyaki, it’s Fun Friday podcasting at you from a humid Shibuya with me Alex and the lovely Waka sensei. If you don’t know what Fun Friday is, it’s a podcast with music, chat, news and other general hilarity from Japan.
In this week’s show we covered quite a few topics including the weather, haiku, the economy and a story about a crazy guy who has been stealing garden ornaments. The poor man said he stole the ornaments, took them home and then he talked to them as he was lonely. Maybe not as original as most traveling gnome pranks but more bizarrely entertaining. (Original article here)
The featured bands in this week’s show were Natccu, a talented singer song writer who will be touring the UK soon. Check here site for details.
At the end of the show we played some Yugo Sato, a unique blues guitarist and singer from Tokyo. Yugo Sato was introduced to me by my good friend Ethan Green, creator of Tokyo Werewolf, a website that covers the underground music scene in Japan. Someone give this talented man a job.
We also talked about the latest goings on at Learn Japanese Pod which involve tidying up the site and a new set of articles and lessons which will be posted on the main site. Here’s what it looks like:
Monday – J-Slang
Weekly lessons on slang and the street Japanese you usually don’t find in text books
Tuesday – Main Lesson
As always we will be bringing you the main podcast lesson on Tuesdays
Wednesday -Kanji
We are thinking of doing some sort of weekly kanji lesson. Still thinking about the details but that should be coming up in the next week or so
Thursday – Japan guide
We will try to post some kind of travel guide and reviews at least twice a month for those interested in exploring Japan
Friday – Fun Friday
Of course. Did we really need to tell you that?
If you have any questions or comments either leave a comment at the bottom of this post or send us an email at info[at]learnjapanesepod[dot]com
#91 Yori
In today’s lesson Waka sensei teaches us how to use the word 「より」yori which means “more than”. We will deal with other uses of より in a future podcast.
よりdoes have a few other uses. For example, when finishing a letter and you want to write “from Alex” you would write 「アレックスより」Alex yori. There are one or two other exotic uses but I’ll leave that to a future podcast. If you have any questions or ideas, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post. Your feedback is always very welcome.
Although totally unrelated to today’s grammar point, we also talked a little about Okinawa town which you can find in Saszuka in western Tokyo. It’s an awesome little street with some delicious Okinawan restaurants and supermarkets stocking specialty produce. Enjoy!
Show notes for lesson#91: Yori – More than
Today’s target grammar – より
A より B はいい
A yori B wa ii
A is better than B
Example sentences
1. インドは日本より大きい
indo wa nihon yori ookii
India is bigger than Japan
2. MatrixはStar Warsより面白い
Matrix wa Star Wars yori omoshiroi
Matrix is more interesting than Star Wars
3. 彼は昔より背が高い
kare wa mukashi yori segatakai
He is taller than before
4. 思ったよりテストが難しかった
omotta yori tesuto ga musukashikatta
The test was harder than I thought ( it would be )
5. より効果的な勉強方法を探す
yori koukatekina benkyou houhou wo sagasu
Conversations
1.
A: 日本とインド、どっちが大きい？
B: インドは日本より大きいよ
A: nihon to indo, docchi ga ookii
B: indou wa nihon yori ookii yo
A: Which is bigger, India or Japan?
B: India is bigger than Japan
2.
A: Star Wars 面白いよね
B: そうだね。でけどMatrixはStar Warsより面白いよ。
A: Star Was wa omoshiroi yo ne
B: Sou da ne. dakedo, Matrix wa Star Wars yori omoshiroi yo
A: Star Wars is really interesting isn’t it?
B: Yeah, but Matrix is more interesting than Star Wars
3.
A: 彼は昔より背が高くなったな
B: そうね。
A: kare was mukashi yori sega takakunatta na
B: sou ne. gasshiri shiteru shi
A: He’s taller than before
B: Yeah, that’s right
4.
A: テストどうだった？
B: 思ったより難しかった
A: Tesuto dou data?
B: omotta yori musukashikatta
A: How was the test?
B: Harder than I thought
5.
A: 先生、最近の成績がだめなんです。
B: じゃ、より効果的な勉強方法を探しましょう。
A: sensei, seiseki ga dame nan desu
B: ja, yori koukatekina benkyou houhou wo sagashimashou
A: (Teacher), my test results are no good
B: Well, let’s find a more effective method of study then
Quiz
How would you say in Japanese:
1) China is bigger than New Zealand
2) “Kung Fu Panda” is more interesting than “Shrek”
3) He is fatter than before
4) The lesson was harder than I thought
Answers on the next page
5
Answers
1) 中国はニュージーランドより大きい
2) Kung Fu Pandaは Shrekより面白い
3) 彼は昔より太った
4) 思ったよりレッスンは難しかった
Random phrase of the week
穴があれば入りたい
ana ga areba hairitai
I’m so embarrassed (lit. if there is a hole I want to go into it)
Learn Japanese Pod, ©Alex Brooke, 2009
#87 Desho
“Desho” is a must know phrase in Japanese and is sprinkled liberally throughout daily conversations in Japan. Check out the MP3 and show notes to find out what it means and how to use it.
#86 Whether OR Not
In this week’s lesson, Waka sensei teachers us how to say “whether or not” in Japanese. This is used a lot in daily conversation.
#85 You Should
In this lesson we learn how to say you should do something in Japanese. This is a very useful phrase for everyday conversational Japanese.
#84 Panashi
In this lesson we learn how to use “panashi”. Listen to the MP3 and check out the show notes to see what it means.
#82 Japanese Verbs For Wearing Clothes
In this lesson we’ll be studying some verbs for wearing clothes in Japanese.
#81 Bikkuri
In this lesson we learn how to use the word “bikkuri” which means surprising or I’m shocked/surprised.
#80 Datte
In this week’s lesson we learn how to use the phrase “datte” which means “but…” amongst other things. Check out the podcast to learn more.
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