Welcome to the Fun Friday edition of the Learn Japanese Pod podcast — the show where we sit down with cool people doing cool things in Japan. In this episode, I talk with Wes Lang about the recent rise in bear encounters and attacks across Japan: the latest stats, what’s causing them, and what Japan is doing to prevent future incidents.
We also dive into Wes’s long experience as a master hiker. He was the first American to complete the Hyakumeizan, and he shares practical advice on how to prepare for the unlikely event of meeting a bear on the trail — including what to do, what not to do, and some useful bear-related vocabulary in Japanese.
I learned a lot from this interview with Wes, and I now feel slightly more prepared to go hiking — and hopefully avoid any battles with bears!
Wes is the creator of hikinginjapan.com, an authoritative resource with detailed information on hundreds of hikes and mountains across Japan. If you love hiking, Japanese nature, or just a good story, you won’t want to miss this one.
Top 10 Izakaya Japanese Phrases – Master Japanese Pub Culture
Top 10 Japanese Izakaya Phrases: Your Complete Guide to Japanese Pub Culture
Master these essential izakaya phrases and navigate Japan’s lively pub scene with confidence
A great way to discover local Japanese cuisine and culture, and try your Japanese out is to visit an Izakaya or Japanese style pub. This guide will teach you the top 10 most useful phrases to help you get the most out of partying at an Izakaya.
What is an Izakaya? Understanding Japan’s Beloved Pub Culture
Planning to visit Japan and immerse yourself in authentic local culture? An izakaya (居酒屋) – a traditional Japanese-style pub – offers the perfect opportunity to practice your Japanese while experiencing the country’s vibrant social scene.
Picture a lively restaurant filled with groups gathered around tables or traditional tatami mats, celebrating the end of a long workday. These popular watering holes typically cluster near train stations in major business districts, reaching peak energy on Friday nights when overworked salarymen and office workers unwind over beer and sake.
What makes izakayas truly special is their incredibly diverse menu of food and drinks, making them one of the best ways to sample Japan’s exceptional cuisine. Beyond the food, you’ll gain insight into Japanese dining etiquette – from proper seating arrangements to the art of pouring beer and correct chopstick placement. Don’t worry about making mistakes; once the sake flows, Japanese people relax and the evening’s focus shifts to pure enjoyment.
To help you navigate your izakaya adventure, we’ve compiled 10 essential phrases that will help you order food, connect with locals, and sound naturally fluent in Japanese.
Essential Izakaya Phrases for Ordering Drinks and Food
1. “Who’s Having Beer?” in Japanese
ビール飲む人？ (Biiru nomu hito?)
After being seated, it’s customary to order drinks before diving into the menu. The most popular choice is ビール (biiru) – beer – or 生 (nama) – draft beer.
Simply ask your group “ビールを飲む人？” (biiru o nomu hito?) meaning “Who’s drinking beer?” and count the raised hands.
Variations for Other Drinks:
ワインを飲む人？ (wain o nomu hito?) – Who’s drinking wine?
お水を飲む人？ (omizu o nomu hito?) – Who’s drinking water?
日本酒を飲む人？ (nihonshu o nomu hito?) – Who’s drinking sake?
Pro tip: When sharing bottles of sake or beer, always pour drinks for others, starting with the most senior person in your group. This is an important part of Japanese drinking etiquette.
Bonus phrase: Use お冷 (ohiya) as a polite way to order water at izakayas – this insider term will impress locals!
2. “For Now, We’ll Have Beer” in Japanese
とりあえず生 (Toriaezu nama)
Want to sound like a native Japanese speaker? This authentic phrase is rarely found in textbooks but constantly heard in izakayas.
とりあえず (toriaezu) means “well, for now…” while 生 (nama) means draft beer. Call this out to the staff (don’t be shy about volume in a bustling izakaya!) and you’ll be well on your way to earning your black belt in izakaya culture.
Using this phrase will genuinely impress your Japanese friends with your natural, fluent Japanese skills.
3. “Cheers!” in Japanese
乾杯！ (Kanpai!)
When your drinks arrive, raise them high like victorious samurai warriors after battle and enthusiastically shout “Kanpai!” (乾杯) – the Japanese word for “Cheers!”
This celebratory moment marks the official start of your izakaya experience and sets a fun, convivial tone for the evening.
4. “Can I Have the Menu Please?” in Japanese
メニューお願いします (Menyū onegaishimasu)
Requesting the menu – or anything else – is simple with one of Japanese’s most versatile words: お願いします (onegaishimasu).
If you could only learn one Japanese phrase, this would be it. It essentially means “please” or “would you do this for me?” The formula is straightforward: state what you want + onegaishimasu.
5. “What Do You Recommend?” in Japanese
おすすめは？ (Osusume wa?)
While most izakaya menus feature helpful pictures, some present extensive options or complex kanji that can feel overwhelming.
The best strategy? Ask for recommendations with おすすめは？ (osusume wa?) This allows you to quickly order with minimal fuss while discovering off-menu specials or signature dishes the izakaya is famous for.
This phrase is particularly useful when ordering sake, given the vast variety available at most establishments.
6. “I’ll Have This Please” in Japanese
これください (Kore kudasai)
Here’s a foolproof ordering method: これ (kore) means “this” and ください (kudasai) means “please.”
Most izakayas provide photo menus, so simply point at what looks delicious and say “kore kudasai.” If you’re pointing at someone else’s meal, use “それください” (sore kudasai) – “that please.”
Bonus tip: This phrase works perfectly when shopping too – “kore kudasai” means “I’ll take this one please.”
7. “I’ll Have the Yakitori Platter for Now” in Japanese
とりあえず焼き鳥盛り合わせで (Toriaezu yakitori moriawase de)
Want to sample a variety of Japanese cuisine efficiently? Order a 盛り合わせ (moriawase) – an assortment or sampler platter.
The most popular option is 焼き鳥盛り合わせ (yakitori moriawase) – an assortment of grilled chicken skewers. You’ll find samplers for sushi, sashimi, and even Western items like sausage and cheese.
Sashimi Platter (Highly Recommended)
とりあえず刺身盛り合わせで (Toriaezu sashimi moriawase de)
Sashimi platters are perfect for sharing and provide an authentic taste of Japan’s finest cuisine.
8. “Excuse Me, Where’s the Bathroom?” in Japanese
すみません、お手洗いは？ (Sumimasen, otearai wa?)
This essential phrase will come in handy during your evening. The challenge? Understanding the directions over the noise of a packed Friday night izakaya!
Pro strategy: Walk in the direction the staff points, and don’t hesitate to ask again if you get lost. It happens to everyone!
9. “I’ll Have One More Glass of This Please” in Japanese
もう一杯同じ物ください (Mō ippai onaji mono kudasai)
This practical phrase lets you quickly reorder drinks. 一杯 (ippai) refers to one glass or cup of something.
Drink Counter Words:
一杯 (ippai) – one glass
二杯 (nihai) – two glasses
三杯 (sambai) – three glasses
四杯 (yonhai) – four glasses
五杯 (gohai) – five glasses
General Counter for Food Items:
一つ (hitotsu) – one
二つ (futatsu) – two
三つ (mittsu) – three
四つ (yottsu) – four
五つ (itsutsu) – five
Simplified Version:
もう一杯同じ物 (Mō ippai onaji mono) – “One more (glass)”
10. “Can I Have the Bill Please?” in Japanese
チェックお願いします (Chekku onegaishimasu)
When your evening winds down, you’ll need to settle the bill. You can say either チェックお願いします (chekku onegaishimasu) or お会計ください (okaikei kudasai).
Paying Your Bill: Important Notes
The staff may ask: ご一緒ですか？ (goissho desu ka?) – “Would you like to pay together?”
It’s common to pay separately in Japan. Respond with 別々 (betsu betsu) – “separately.”
Many modern izakayas feature electronic menus that automatically split bills among your group, making payment easier.
Important payment tips:
While most izakayas accept credit cards, smaller establishments (especially in rural areas) may be cash-only
Remember that Japan remains largely a cash-based society
Always carry sufficient yen when exploring local izakayas
Your Izakaya Adventure Awaits
Master these 10 essential phrases and you’ll navigate any izakaya experience with confidence. Whether you’re a Japanese language beginner or looking to polish your conversational skills, these expressions will help you connect with locals and fully enjoy Japan’s vibrant pub culture.
Ready to practice? Share your izakaya experiences or questions in the comments below – we’d love to hear about your adventures in Japanese dining!
🇯🇵 Planning a Trip to Japan? Get Our Complete Travel Japanese Guide
Mastering izakaya phrases is just the beginning of your Japanese adventure! Whether you’re navigating Tokyo’s bustling streets, ordering at restaurants, checking into hotels, or making friends with locals, our comprehensive Travel Japanese Guide gives you all the essential phrases you need.
What You’ll Learn:
✈️ Airport and transportation phrases to get around with ease
💬 Essential conversation starters to connect with locals
🚨 Emergency phrases (just in case!)
Don’t let the language barrier hold you back from experiencing the real Japan. Our guide includes audio pronunciations, cultural tips, and real-world scenarios to prepare you for every situation.
In this podcast Ami and I talk about what to do if you lose your wallet or other personal items when in Japan. The good news is that Japanese people are generally very law abiding and honest. Therefore, if someone finds your lost item, there is a good chance they will hand it in to the police and you will get it back.
If you do lose something, the best idea is to ring the place you think you left it and ask if it has been found. If you lose something on the train it’s best to go to the station master’s office and ask there. If you drop something in the street then you should go to a Koban or police box.
This lesson focuses on how to call the last place you were at to ask the staff if they found you things. Study the vocabulary list and dialogs below to learn how to do it.
Sumimasen, Kinō sochira de saifu o wasureta no desu ga.
Excuse me, I left a wallet there yesterday.
A:
何色のお財布ですか。
Nani iro no osaifu desu ka
What colour is the wallet?
B:
黒い革の財布です。
Kuroi kawa no saifu desu
It is a black leather wallet.
A:
少々お待ちください。届いていますよ。
Shōshō omachi kudasai. Todoite imasu yo.
One moment please. We have it.
B:
ありがとうございます。
Arigatō gozaimasu.
Thank you very much.
Dialog 02
A:
もしもし一番寿司でございます。
Moshi moshi, Ichibanzushi de gozaimasu.
Hello, this is Ichiban Sushi.
B:
すみません、昨日そちらでカバンを忘れたのですが。
Sumimasen, Kinō sochira de kaban o wasureta no desu ga.
Excuse me, I left a bag there yesterday.
A:
何色のおカバンですか。
Nani iro no okaban desu ka
What colour is the bag?
B:
赤い革のカバンです。
Akai kawa no kaban desu
It is a red leather bag.
A:
少々お待ちください。届いていますよ。
Shōshō omachi kudasai. Todoite imasu yo.
One moment please. We have it.
B:
ありがとうございます。
Arigatō gozaimasu.
Thank you very much.
Dialog 03
A:
もしもし六本木ヒルズでございます。
Moshi moshi, Roppongi Hiruzu de gozaimasu.
Hello, this is Roppongi Hills.
B:
すみません、昨日そちらで携帯電話を忘れたのですが。
Sumimasen, Kinō sochira de keitaidenwa o wasureta no desu ga.
Excuse me, I left a mobile phone there yesterday.
A:
携帯電話の機種はなんですか。
Keitaidenwa no kishu wa nan desu ka.
What type of phone is it?
B:
iPhone8です。
iPhone hachi desu.
It’s an iPhone 8.
A:
少々お待ちください。届いていますよ。
Shōshō omachi kudasai. Todoite imasu yo.
One moment please. We have it.
B:
ありがとうございます。
Arigatō gozaimasu.
Thank you very much.
Extra Phrases
Let’s study some other phrases related to lost items:
1) 申し訳ありませんが財布は届いてないようです。
Mōshi wake arimasen ga saifu wa todoite inai yō desu.
I’m very sorry but it seems your wallet hasn’t been handed in.
2) 連絡先を教えていただけたら見つかり次第ご連絡します。
Renrakusaki o oshiete itadaketara mitsukari shidai gorenraku shimasu.
If you give me your contact details we’ll contact you the moment it is found.
3) 忘れ物
Wasuremono
Lost items
4) 紛失届け
Fun shitsu todoke
A form to fill out at the police station for lost items
Cultural Points
The Japanese are generally quite law abiding and honest. Most times, if found, your lost items will be returned.
If you lose something on the train go to the nearest 駅長室 Eki Chō shitsu – Station master’s office and tell them what you lost and on which train it was on. They’ll ring ahead to the next station or terminal station to see if they can locate your items.
You can also go to any 交番 Koban police box to report lost or stolen items. For lost items you would write out a form called a 紛失届け Fun shitsu todoke
Random Phrase Of The Week
あたまが真っ白
Atama ga masshiro
When you mind goes completely blank or you are lost for words.
留守番電話を残す時いつもあたまが真っ白
Rusuban denwa o nokosu toki ni atama ga masshiro
When I leave a message on an answering machine my mind goes completely blank
Welcome to Learn Japanese Pod and the Fun Friday episode where we temporarily put down our Japanese textbooks and talk about Japanese culture and anything else to do with Japan that floats into our heads. In this episode, Ami sensei and I talked about our favorite Japanese bands. I kinda showed my age with some of my selection with some old classic Japanese bands most older people know. But Ami Sensei also likes some of those old classics too so we have a lot of music in common that we like.
So here is a break down of some of the music we talked about.
1. Utada Hikaru – Fantome
If you don’t know who Utada Hikaru is, you must have been living in a cave. She is a diva megastar of Japanese pop and has a long career spanning all the way back to the late 90s. Her latest album is Fantome and features quite an eclectic range of styles on the album. It’s definitely worth a listen and for me Utada is one of those go-to classic J-Pop stars you should have in your Japanese music collection.
2. Kick The Can Crew – Super original
I hadn’t heard of Kick the Can Crew until Ami introduced them to me on the podcast. And on the first listen I really liked them. Japanese are masters of importing foreign culture and recreating it with their own unique interpretation. And rap is no exception. Japanese rap has come into its own and is considered to be a unique and innovative genre. If you like Kick the Can Crew and want to check out more great Japanese rap bands then you won’t go wrong with Rip Slyme and Dragon Ash.
3. Super Fly – Ai O Komete Hanataba O
Super Fly is often called the Janis Joplin of J-Pop. She sings a mix of J-pop and rock and has a wide range and present vocal stle which is a refreshing break from your typical female Japanese singer. She has some pretty solid albums and songs out there and one of my favorites is 愛をこめて花束を Ai o komete hanataba – a song that really showcases some great song writing and powerful singing. That’ll definitely get your toes tapping.
4. Wednesday Campanella – Diablo
Wednesday Campanella is a Japanese pop group headed by the super talented KOM_I, a singer and rapper with an hilarious sense of humour and a very original and creative style. In terms of genre it mixes rap, hop hop, electronic music and J-pop. Their videos are also pretty funny and worth a listen.
5. Okuda Tamio – Marshmallow
Okuda Tamio is a singer song writer, guitarist and producer. He was formerly in a band called Unicorn which was pretty famous in Japan. He later quit to follow his own career. If you ask most Japanese people they will have heard of him and is also known for producing the hit band Puffy. The reason I like him is simple. In a word: guitar. As a nerdy guitarist I love the way he produces rock and gets an incredibly fat guitar sounds. Worth a listen!
6. Dry and Heavy – New Creation
Back in the 90s, reggae hit Japan in a big way and the Japanese reggae scene was born. Today you have some really big reggae music events in Japan including the Reggae Sun Splash festival. One really solid Japanese reggae band I love is “Dry and heavy” which has an incredibly well produced and tight sound. One thing I have found is their albums age really well so they are always a good go to band of summer parties and something to listen to on the beach.
7. Urufuruzu – Osaka Strut
ウルフルズUrufuruzu are a rock band from Osaka and “Osaka Strut” is one of their big hits. The band is headed by the charismatic Tortoise Matsumoto who has also tried his hand at acting. They enjoyed their biggest initial success with the song “Guts Da Ze”, a song you should attempt only when you have achieved your black belt in Karaoke.
8. Southern All stars
Southern All Stars are perhaps one of the most, if not, the most famous band in Japan. They have a long career stretching back to the late 70s and are still active now performing live and having their music featured in adverts and on TV. They have over 15 number one hits and, in short, are a legendary band. Go check them out, there’s a lot of music to choose from!
9. Begin
Begin are one of my favorite bands for their great song writing and singing. Their music is influenced by the culture and history of Okinawa. You can hear the traditional San Shin in a lot of their music. It’s a 3 stringed guitar unique to Okinawa. Their most well known songs are “San shin no hana” and “Shimanchu nu takara”.
10. Mr Children
Mr. Children (ミスターチルドレン Misutā Chirudoren)is rock group from Japan who are another mega group with a career going back to the early 90s. Known more commonly as “Misu-Chiru” (ミスチル), they are a band just about everyone has heard of in Japan. They have a large discography and an impressive share of number one hits. All I can say is, do a google search and see where that takes you as they have a fair bit of music out there.
If you are interested in studying Japanese and traveling to Japan, then I have just the thing for you. It’s my new Audio Travel Japanese Course which will teach you all the vocabulary, phrases, listening skills and speaking fluency you need to navigate your trip to Japan. I wanted to make this because I keep getting emails from members asking about phrases related to travel, directions, shopping and generally navigating Japan.
Travel Course Contents
The course focuses on teaching you essential vocabulary, phrases and grammar for things such as asking directions, ordering sushi, shopping and even how to have a bath at an onsen (hot spring). It will also include:
Over 30 audio mp3 lessons on travel topics for Japan
Japanese vocabulary lists, dialogs in PDF format
Extra drill audio files to practice listening and speaking fluency
Anki files for each lesson to drill vocabulary
Lessons on culture and recommendations on places to visit
A comment section where you can ask me questions or talk to the other students
Also all the content is downloadable so you can study it anywhere and any time you like at your own pace.
Travel Japanese Course Sample
Here’s a screen shot showing you what it will look like when you log in:
Travel Course Opening Schedule
Here’s the thing, it’s not quite ready yet. So in order to show you how fast I am progressing in getting this course finished for you I made this progress graph. The thick red line shows what I have done and the think red one shows the predicted ETA of the project. I also posted this to publicly embarrass myself into finishing it earlier.
Latest Travel Course News
Please visit regularly to see news updates as well as how far I have progressed on the graph. If you would like to sign up early to get in on this course then please go to Dojo.LearnJapanesePod.com and sign up for a free account. If you sign up there you can get access to the other free courses to test drive the other free online courses. I will send you an email when the premium course is ready. You have no obligation to buy and can unsubscribe at any time.
NEWS UPDATE
19th March 2017 – Hoorah! We have a three day weekend in Japan so I will be mixing more episodes for the new premium course.
In this podcast, Yoshiko and I (Alex) talk about etiquette for eating out and drinking with friends at an Izakaya, Hanami party or similar events. If you listen to this podcast you will learn some insider cultural knowledge which will help you to give you your black belt in partying with your Japanese friends.
What are you Japanese study goals for 2017? Do you want to learn the basics of Japanese? Would you like to learn phrases for traveling in Japan? Would you like to learn how to read manga or understand Anime? Perhaps you want to learn something specific like Japanese for getting an IT job or gaming.
Whatever it is I would love to hear what YOUR Japanese study goals are. Now here’s what I want you to do. Write a comment below with the following 3 points:
What is your Japanese study goal?
What steps will you take to achieve it?
What is your deadline to achieve it?
That’s it! If you write that down below, we can start a discussion on how to achieve it in more detail.
Good luck and I look forward to getting your comments.
Fun Friday is back, Hoorah! And if you don’t know what Fun Friday is, it is a podcast where we temporarily put down our textbooks and talk about life, the universe and everything related to life in Japan. In this episode, Yoshiko joined me to review 2016. We talked about our experiences and the major news events of the last year in Japan. I added links to the topics we covered in the podcast. Enjoy!
Hi, this is Alex from learn Japanese and I would like your help in filling out this survey. I want to know why you want to study Japan which will help me to improve the site and podcasts I am making. Just take the survey below and when you are finished you can see what other people selected.
Then, please leave a comment below and I will mention it on the podcast. That’s it!
So, why are you interested in learning Japanese? Are you studying it in college? Do you like traveling? Manga? Anime? Do you want to be a ninja?
(You can click as many boxes as you like)
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Please leave a comment below and I will mention it on my next podcast.
In this podcast, you will learn how to ask for help in natural, fluent Japanese. Check out the audio dialogues and audio lesson to learn how to get assistance in Japanese. Enjoy!
Main Podcast
Japanese Dialogues
Main Dialogue
A: ちょっといい? Chotto ii?
Can I bother you for a minute?
B: うん。どうした? Un. Dō shita
Sure, what’s up?
A: このパソコンを全部会議室 へ運びたいんだけど手を貸
してくれる? Kono pasokon o zenbu kaigishitsu e hakobitain dakedo te o kashite kureru?
I want to take all these PCs to the meeting room. Could you lend me a hand?
Hoorah! It’s my 2nd vlog and I’ve got a fantastic free resource for you if you are starting to study kanji and not sure where to start.
It’s a free downloadable PDF entitled 外国人のための生活漢字 / Kanji for daily life for foreigners It contains 82 pages of examples and quizzes that teach you the very basic kanji for everyday life in Japan. There are 13 chapters that cover basic kanji for topics such as going to the doctor, shopping, travel, disasters and emergencies and more.
It also contains pictures, sentence examples, exercises and review quizzes to teach and consolidate your kanji knowledge. Therefore, it’s a great free self contained Japanese course perfect for beginnings in kanji. In terms of level, it’s probably good for students who are studying the N4 or N3 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. However, there’s no reason why complete beginners couldn’t use it. You will have to be able to read Hiragana to understand the basic readings of the kanji as there is no romaji pronunciation in the PDF.
I would recommend downloading and then printing it on double sided A4 paper and then binding it into a booklet for easy storage and portability. You could also use it with your Japanese teacher at school as a beginner’s kanji course.
The other thing I like about this text is the high frequency and practical nature of the kanji. That means you are definitely going to encounter the kanji in real life on a recurring basis. That makes it more useful and easier to remember.
So, try download it and see what you think. If you do download it, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below or sending an email.
In this podcast, Asuka and I teach you some useful classroom Japanese phrases so you can interact with your teacher and understand more. We teach you how to ask questions about vocabulary and sentences. In fact, I wish I had known all this when I started to study Japanese in Tokyo all those years ago. It would have helped me learn vocabulary a lot more quickly. We also teach you how to speak in a respectful way to your Sensei. And of course you can catch up with the rest of our random banter about what’s been going on with Asuka and I recently. Check out the podcast!
Main Podcast
Japanese Dialogues
Vocabulary
Japanese
Pronunciation
English
先生
Sensei
Teacher
ちょっと
Chotto
A little
質問
Shitsumon
Question
どうぞ
Dōzo
Please go ahead
…てどういう意味ですか
…te dō iu imi desu ka
What does … mean?
…という意味です。
…to iu imi desu
It means…
…でどんな文章が作るんですか？
…de donna bunshō ga tsukurun desu ka
What kind of sentence can you make with…
食事
Shokuji
Food
残す
Nokosu
To leave something
彼女
Kanojo
Girlfriend
振る
Furu
To shake / to dump someone
使える
Tsukaeru
To be able to use something
君
Kimi
You (casual)
指輪
Yubiwa
Ring
Main Dialog 1 (Japanese)
Student:
先生、ちょっと質問があります。
Sensei, chotto shitsumon ga arimasu.
Teacher:
はい、どうぞ。
Hai dōzo.
Student:
「もったいない」ってどういう意味ですか？
Mottainai tte dō iu imi desu ka.
Teacher:
それはtoo good to wasteという意味です。
Sore wa too good to waste to iu imi desu.
Student:
「もったいない」で、どんな文章が作れるんですか？
Mottainai de donna bunshō ga tsukurun desu ka.
Teacher:
食事を残すなんてもったいない。
Shokuji o nokosu nante mottainai.
Student:
そのように使うんですね。わかりました。ありがとうございます。
Sono yō ni tsukaun desu ne. Wakarimashita. Arigatō gozaimasu.
Main Dialog (English)
Student:
(Teacher) Could I just ask a question?
Teacher:
Yes, go ahead.
Student:
What does “Mottainai” mean?
Teacher:
“Mottainai” means too good to waste.
Student:
How do you use “Mottainai” in a sentence?
Teacher:
Leaving food is a waste (mottainai).
Student:
That’s how you use it! I understand. Thank you.
Random Phrase – Mottainai – It’s a waste
Here are some extra examples of this week’s random phrase which is “Mottainai” which means it’s such a waste.
1) 彼女を振ったなんてもったいない！
Kanojo futta nante mottainai
It was such a shame (waste) that you dumped your girlfriend!
2) もう新しいパソコン買うの？もったいないな、まだ使えるのに。
mō atarashii pasokon kau no. mottainai na, mada tsukaeru noni.
You’re buying a new PC already? That’s a waste, you can still use the old one.
So, after some delays, Pokemon Go has finally come to Japan. And…
It…was…nuts…
Being completely out of it and knowing next to nothing about Pokemon Go, my suspicions were first aroused when walking into Yoyogi park. There, congregating under a tree was a crowd of mostly young guys with backpacks, staring at their phones, the kind of guys you could tell hadn’t been outside or in a park in a long time.
Slightly confused as to what they were doing, I decided to think nothing of it and head to the main fountain area in the middle of the park. But there was no escape. There they were, a huge army of backpacking, nerdy t-shirt wearing Japanese Pokemon hunters. I counted at least 100 but I wouldn’t be surprised if over the course of the day more than 1000 people turned up.
In all my years living in Japan, I have never seen anything like it before. The only time I have seen crowds like this were at festivals or large outdoor gigs.
Is this a new digital-social phenomenon, or just a tamagochi flash in the pan? It will be interesting to see.
In this video, Tomoe will teach you some useful slang related to the internet, email and texting. These phrases are actually used by Japanese people in real life so they are definitely worth learning. Check out the list below to see what they mean and don’t forget to watch the video.
Are you planning to study Japanese in a classroom environment? Perhaps you are taking a class at college. Maybe you have enrolled in night school or your Japanese friends are going to teach you. If so, you’ll need some basic phrases to help you when studying with a Japanese teacher.
When I studied Japanese at university in Japan, the following phrase below and in the video were absolutely essential to me. This was partly because the other students in my school didn’t speak English well and my Japanese teacher enforced a Japanese only speaking environment.
So, I created this video to help you when you get stuck and you don’t understand what’s going on in your Japanese class. My advice would be to listen to and repeat the phrases in this video as many times as you can so you can say them without thinking. Learn these phrases well young Japanese student Jedi, they will serve you well and they definitely helped me when I was studying in university.
In this video Yoshiko and Alex talk about what they did the night before which included Alex missing the last train and Yoshiko going on a date. Find out how to talk about all of this in natural Japanese in the transcript below with English translations. [responsive_vid]
Watch the other Street Japanese Videos 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07
A: kinō wa osokatta no
B: sō sō. shuuden nakkata kara takushii de kaetta yo
A: e, mottainai
B: wakatteru. yoshiko wa
A: watashi wa kono aida no ikemen to deeto shiteta yo
A: Were you up late last night?
B: Yeah, I missed the last train so I took a taxi back.
A: Eh? What a waste!
B: I know. How about you Yoshiko?
A: I went on a date with that hot guy (we talked about before)
Notes:
終電 shuuden – The last train
When in Tokyo and other cities in Japan, be careful not to miss the last train or 終電 shuuden
as it is called. Generally speaking the only transport that runs 24 hours a day is taxis.
In this video Alex oversleeps and is late for an appointment with Yoshiko. Yoshiko forgives him, almost and they decide to go to go get some coffee together. This is the 6th in the series of Street Japanese videos which teach you natural Japanese as it is really spoken in Japan. All the videos connect together in order to create a longer conversation so watch them all![responsive_vid]
Watch the other Street Japanese Videos 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06
A: arekkusu osoi B: gomen, nidone shichatta A: shō ga nai naa B: toriaezu sutaba ikō
A: Alex, you’re late!
B: Sorry. I overslept.
A: Oh well, it can’t be helped I guess
B: So for now, let’s go to Starbucks.
Notes:
二度寝 – nidone – to oversleep / fall asleep again
Ni do ne literally means 2 times sleep. It refers to when you wake up but then fall asleep again. In this case, Alex woke up, fell asleep which is why he was late for the appointment. To say you overslept in Japanese you can say 寝坊する nebō suru
ちゃった – chatta – verb ending to show regret
…chatta means you did something with a slight feeling of regret. For example, 日本語のテキストを忘れちゃった nihongo no tekisuto wo wasurechatta – I completely forgot my Japanese textbook. In the case of this dialog 二度寝しちゃった nidone shichatta – I completely overslept
とりあえず – toriaezu – for the mean time let’s…
The great thing about Japanese are these one word phrases that have so much meaning embedded within them and toriaezu is one on them. It’s a non-committal suggestion to try and do something. Use tend to use toriaezu when deciding to order food and drinks like this:
とりあえずコーヒーで – toriaezu koohii de
For now I’ll have a coffee
とりあえず生 – toriaezu nama
For now, I’ll have a (draft) beer
Minimal use of words to convey meaning based on context
Another fantastic thing about Japanese is the minimal amount of words you can use to convey meaning. However this is based on the context of the conversation. And this is demonstrated nicely when Yoshiko says to Alex:
アレックス遅い – arekkusu osoi
This literally means “Alex, late”. On the face of it, that doesn’t make so much sense. However, if we take into account the context, Alex just rushed up to Yoshiko looking apologetic and she shouts at Alex, you can be pretty sure she is saying “Alex YOU ARE late”.
Yoshiko could have also said:
アレックス遅い, 怒ってるよ！ Arekkusu osoi. okotteru yo.
This literally means Alex late, really angry. So that’s quite minimal but you can be pretty sure it means “Alex YOU ARE late. I AM really angry.”
So there you have it, you can use less words to say more in Japanese. The only thing you have to be careful about is the confusing vagueness of the language. So make sure you understand the situation so you can understand the conversation.
This is video number 5 in our series of street Japanese videos which teach you natural daily conversation, phrases and slang. In this video, Alex and Yoshiko talk about dating and hunting for boyfriends and girlfriends.
Watch the other Street Japanese Videos 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05
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