Nihongo Master

S5E11: Study Saturday - I Must/Have To… (なければ・なくては〜ならない・いけない)

The grammar point we’re going to learn today is an absolute MUST for anyone serious about Japanese... Did you see what we did there?  There are more than a few ways to express “must” and “have to”, and this Study Saturday episode will break it down nice and easy for you! You definitely HAVE TO give this language series episode a listen to learn! Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Music: https://www.purple-planet.com ​ ​About Ni...

S5E10: How to Socialise in Japan

In this episode, as part of the “Life in Japan” theme, we chat about an interesting aspect of life in Japan: the socialising culture.  Some of you might be thinking, “how hard can socialising be?” Podcast host Azra soon realised it’s like stepping into a whole other social universe! When you move to a country that has a completely opposite approach to making friends and communicating, it can be more of a challenge than you think.  In the next few minutes, we’re going to look at a...

S5E9: Study Saturday - Helping Verbs Part II (てあげる・てくれる・てもらう)

This is the second part of helping verbs grammar, where we cover te ageru, te kureru and te morau. We combine a verb with another to give the sentence even more context. Similar to the first part, it’s a concept that’s unique to the Japanese language: giving and receiving.  The Study Saturday language series aims to bring bite-sized grammar pointers in a fun and simple way, just like Nihongo Master’s learning system! Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instag...

S5E8: 5 Underrated Ways to Have Fun Like A Local in Japan!

This list of fun locally loved activities is a sneak peek at the kind of life you can live in Japan! What is considered a fun, once-in-a-lifetime activity on your holiday isn’t something you’d do week after week when you’ve settled down here.  Podcast host Azra lists a few ways to have fun like a local, everything from cheap thrills to evening excitement! Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Music: https://www.purple-planet.com ​ ...

S5E7: Surprising Secrets About Japan Life, with YouTuber Cyber Bunny

Podcast host Azra is joined by Cyber Bunny in this special episode about life in Japan! Travelling to Japan and living in Japan are two very different experiences. It’s not until you’ve gone through them both yourself that you see what they are. In this special episode, podcast host Azra and Cyber Bunny, who both are living in Japan, exchange their stories, give Japanese language and cultural tips, and reveal a few secrets about Japan life! Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  W...

S5E6: Study Saturday - Helping Verbs Part I (ていく・てくる)

This week’s Study Saturday is the first of two parts on helping verbs!  Helping verbs give context to sentences by combining a verb with another. It’s like saying, “I’m going to the store...and coming back!”  We’re looking at te iku (ていく) and te kuru (てくる) for the first part of helping verbs! Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Music: https://www.purple-planet.com ​ ​About Nihongo Master Podcast A podcast for Japanese culture e...

S5E6: Study Saturday: Helping Verbs Part I (ていく・てくる)

This week’s Study Saturday is the first of two parts on helping verbs!  Helping verbs give context to sentences by combining a verb with another. It’s like saying, “I’m going to the store...and coming back!”  We’re looking at te iku (ていく) and te kuru (てくる) for the first part of helping verbs! Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Music: https://www.purple-planet.com​​About Nihongo Master PodcastA podcast for Japanese culture enthusiast...

S5E5: The 3 Best Types of Housing in Japan

In these next few minutes, we’re taking a look at our choices of housing in Japan! The place you settle down in is going to be your base for everything. So you’ve got your new job contract or school acceptance letter, and booked your one-way flight ticket. Put aside the dozen other things you gotta prepare and focus on this one: finding the right place to call home. Not a lot of people know this, but there are a few types of housing you can choose from in Japan. Today, we’re high...

S5E4: Study Saturday - It's Easy/Hard To... (やすい・にくい)

Find stuff easy or hard to do? Let’s learn how to say that in Japanese in this week’s Study Saturday, our podcast language series! Everything from expressing doing something that’s hard to something that’s easy — we’re going to break it down step-by-step for you.  On top of that, we practice the new grammar language with a few roleplaying scenarios! Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Music: https://www.purple-planet.com ​ ​Abou...

S5E3: 5 Surprising Culture Shocks in Japan

What are some of the most surprising culture shocks you can experience in Japan? Here are the 5 we shortlisted! Nothing can really prepare you 100% for the things you experience first-hand in Japan. Experiencing culture shock in Japan is not a particularly surprising thing — it’s even more surprising if you don’t.  Despite having a grasp of the Japanese language and mentally preparing for the overwhelming neon adverts, podcast host Azra was still shocked like everyone else. Find...

S1E3: 5 Surprising Culture Shocks in Japan

What are some of the most surprising culture shocks you can experience in Japan? Here are the 5 we shortlisted! Nothing can really prepare you 100% for the things you experience first-hand in Japan. Experiencing culture shock in Japan is not a particularly surprising thing — it’s even more surprising if you don’t.  Despite having a grasp of the Japanese language and mentally preparing for the overwhelming neon adverts, podcast host Azra was still shocked like everyone else. Find out ...

S5E2: Study Saturday - I've Decided To... (ことにする・にする・ことになる)

The first Study Saturday episode of Season 5 discusses how to express decision making with ことにする, にする and ことになる. For example, podcast host Azra decided to move to Japan three years ago.  Follow us on our Season 5 journey with the theme “Living in Japan”! Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Music: https://www.purple-planet.com ​ ​About Nihongo Master Podcast A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Broug...

S5E1: Top 3 Pros & Cons of Living in Japan

Welcome to Season 5’s theme: Living. We’ll look at everything there is to know about life in Japan. You can look forward to episodes discussing about culture shock, Japan life lessons, and even ones like a rundown on how to settle down in the Land of the Rising Sun. Today, we’re kicking this season off with 3 pros and 3 cons of living in Japan – just to ease into the theme. No country is perfect, just as no person is perfect. It’s when the good outweighs the bad that makes everythi...

S4E16: Travel To Japan...On A Budget

Season 4 is all about travel in Japan – bringing Japan ryoko tips and insights to you virtually while prepping you for your next trip to Japan. This week’s our last episode for the season with the ‘Japan Travel’ theme, and we’re wrapping it up with...Japan On A Budget!  In recent years, Japan travel is so popular that it inevitably affects the budget range for this type of travel. Gone are the chances of going to Japan without splurging all your savings...or so you thought.  It’s...

S4E15: Study Saturday - That's The Best! (一番・最も・最〜)

We’re looking at superlatives today. All the ways to say “the best”, “very”, “super”, “extremely” and everything else in between, we’re covering that in the next couple of minutes.  Today’s bite-sized grammar pointer is super easy, ridiculously quick to learn and basically the best for a laid-back study sesh.  Podcast host Azra promises you, by the end of this episode, you’ll be the best at the superlative form. Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram ...

S4E14: Unique Japanese Lodgings

We’ll be looking at the various types of unique accommodations you can find only in Japan! What’s the first and foremost thing you consider when planning for a trip? Okay, flights, sure. What’s the second thing? Accommodation!  We’ll highlight four: traditional ryokan and minshuku stays, cultural temple lodgings, futuristic capsule hotels and the entertainment-filled manga cafes.  Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Music: https:/...

S4E13: Study Saturday - The Te-Form

We’re going back to fundamentals, and what’s more fundamental in Japanese grammar than the te-form?  This is without a doubt one of the most important conjugations in Japanese grammar. Without the te-form, you won’t be able to really grasp some of the other Japanese grammar. It’s kind of like a level up token – as soon as you master this, you go from speaking short simple sentences to flawlessly and fluidly expressing your thoughts in clauses. So what exactly does the te-form do?...

S4E12: Japan’s Top 4 Quirky Travel Activities

Aside from sightseeing and eating, what are other Japan travel activities? We give you a shortlist of our favourite quirky ones: themed cafes, purikura, mario go-karting and cosplay! Japan is the land that keeps on giving when it comes to cultural insights and eye-opening history, but it’s no secret that this island nation is full of quirky activities you can only get here. So prepare your mental checklist of the ones you’ve done – for those who’ve been to Japan – or the ones you ...

S4E11: Study Saturday - It's Okay To... (てもいい)

This episode of Study Saturday covers everything you need to know about giving and asking for permission with “it’s okay to”.  In both statement and question form, this grammar language can save you a few minutes of language barrier and miscommunication.  Sure, a “daijoubu” can cover most situations, as discussed in our Season 1 Episode 1, but aren’t we all here to up our Nihongo game?  Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Music: h...

S4E10: Shop Till You Drop! (A Virtual Japan Shopping Spree)

Let’s chat about something pretty close to most ladies’ hearts: shopping!  Japan is one of the best countries to shop in, with unique styles originating from the country itself and thousands of local shops offering them at various prices.  Podcast host Azra will virtually walk you through a shopping experience in Japan, all the while dropping some Japanese phrases and essential words that’ll help you navigate Japan’s shopping universe!   Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Web...

S4E9: Japan Travel Tips, With A Side of Anime (ft. TikTokker Gino Kei)

Podcast host Azra is joined by @TikTok-er Gino Kei (@heyginosan on Instagram) for a fun chat about Japan travel, Japanese culture and anime — ending it off with a mini-lesson for all!   Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Music: https://www.purple-planet.com ​ ​About Nihongo Master Podcast A podcast for Japanese culture enthusiasts and language learners. Brought to you by Nihongo Master, an e-learning site focused on helping learners at ...

S4E8: Study Saturday #16 - I Hope/It'll Be Good If...

We look at how to say “I hope…” or “It’ll be good if…” You know, like I hope this global pandemic goes away soon so we can all go back to normal life and travel again…

S4E8: Study Saturday - I Hope/It'll Be Good If...

We look at how to say “I hope…” or “It’ll be good if…” You know, like I hope this global pandemic goes away soon so we can all go back to normal life and travel again…

S4E8: Study Saturday - I Hope/It'll Be Good If... (といい・ばいい・たらいい・ならいい)

We look at how to say “I hope…” or “It’ll be good if…” You know, like I hope this global pandemic goes away soon so we can all go back to normal life and travel again… This week’s Study Saturday episode uses the grammar language of Study Saturday #12 — so tune to that one first if you haven’t!    Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Music: https://www.purple-planet.com ​ ​About Nihongo Master Podcast A podcast for Japanese culture enthus...

S4E7: Sakura Spotting

Goodbye winter, hello spring! As we speak, the beautiful pale pink flowers we all know and love are taking over the landscape of Japan! Since a lot of us aren’t able to visit The Land of the Rising Sun this spring due to the pandemic, podcast host Azra is bringing Japanese spring to you!  They’re no ordinary flora — they have quite the background in terms of significance and symbolism in Japanese culture. Sakura is a thing of the past, present and future of Japan.  From being the...

S4E6: Study Saturday #15 - Directions

We cover some of the basics in this Study Saturday: directions!

S4E6: Study Saturday - Directions

We cover some of the basics in this Study Saturday: directions! Podcast host Azra feels like, no matter what stage we’re at in our learning journey, directions are something best to constantly revise. Let’s all agree that this is a key essential in your Japanese language travelling kit. Who knows, there are some directional expressions you don’t really know how to make full use of!    Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Music: https://www...

S4E5: Of Bullet Trains & Rails

In this episode, we won’t be virtually travelling to any particular city in Japan but rather focusing on the means of going from one to the other.  Transportation in Japan, particularly the train system, has been complimented time and time again to be one of the world’s most efficient.  Podcast host Azra said, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited by the thought of a bullet train zipping me from one end of the nation to the other before I first came to Japan.” We’ll have a bri...

S4E4: Study Saturday #14 - Too Much/Not Enough!

This episode of Study Saturday will guide you through all the language you need to navigate through the excessive and insufficient!

S4E4: Study Saturday - Too Much/Not Enough!

This episode of Study Saturday will guide you through all the language you need to navigate through the excessive and insufficient!

S4E4: Study Saturday - Too Much/Not Enough! (すぎる・足りない・十分がない)

This episode of Study Saturday will guide you through all the language you need to navigate through the excessive and insufficient! Podcast host Azra had a few struggles with expressing something’s too much and not enough when she first came to Japan, so she decided to turn her experience into something others can learn from! So if you want to express something that is too much or not enough, as well as request for something more or less because of it, here’s a bite-sized language...

S4E3: Munch Away At These Japan Eateries!

Move aside ramen-ya and kaitenzushi — we’re here for the other unique types of Japanese eateries! If you’ve listened to Season 1’s Episode 6, The Munchies, you’re already caught up with a few highlighted Japanese food. Today, we’re not about that — we’re looking at the types of restaurants you can find here. We’ll touch on the top four unique types of eateries today: izakaya, ryotei & kappo, cook-it-yourself and family restaurants.   Start Learning with Nihongo Master!  Website...

S4E2: Study Saturday - I Need...

Our 13th Study Saturday guides you through how to express what you “need” in life!

S4E2: Study Saturday #13 - I Need...

Our 13th Study Saturday guides you through how to express what you “need” in life!

S4E2: Study Saturday - I Need... (必要がある・要る)

Our 13th Study Saturday guides you through how to express what you “need” in life! In our fifth Study Saturday, which is Season 2’s Episode 10, we discussed how to say “I want”, so it’s only right that we cover needs today. After all, we need to know the difference between what we desire and what we require.  And as part of Season 4’s theme, we’ll have the whole episode geared towards travel — vocab, roleplaying scenarios, all of it.  But don’t worry, this grammar language isn’t...

S4E1: Travel to Japan - The Basic Bucket List

We’re happy to introduce you Season 4’s theme: travel! And to kick it off, let’s look at what should be on your Japan bucket list! This season is all about the biggest thing a lot of us are really dying to do right now but impossible to thanks to the global pandemic: travel. But we’re not going to talk about general travel, we’re talking about Japan travel! There’s the standard “visit these specific places” and “eat local food”, and the list goes on to more than 50 things to do! B...

S3E14: The Spirit of 気

In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we dig deep into the meaning and usage of the Japanese word “気”, along with 9 essential phrases. We’ll look at how “ki” is used in conveying difficult thoughts and emotions in the Japanese language.  Regardless of what language we’re speaking in, our inner being, our soul, brings up a lot of opportunities for conversation. Especially in this day and age where the “mind over matter” mentality is at its peak. Podcast host Azra says, “You d...

EP 41 - The Spirit of 気

In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we dig deep into the meaning and usage of the Japanese word “気”, along with 9 essential phrases.

S3E13: Study Saturday #12 - If...

In the 12th Study Saturday brings you four ways to express the conditional form, “if”.

EP 40 - Study Saturday #12: If...

In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, the 12th Study Saturday brings you four ways to express the conditional form, “if”.

S3E13: Study Saturday - If...

In the 12th Study Saturday brings you four ways to express the conditional form, “if”.

S3E13: Study Saturday - If... (と・ば・たら・なら)

In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, the 12th Study Saturday brings you four ways to express the conditional form, “if”. There are many ifs in life, and in Japanese, the various if’s requires a different grammar point.  Oh, if only it was as simple as in English where there’s only one way. In Japanese, there are four ways to express conditional. Yes, four!  Don’t get put off by the idea just yet! That’s where the Nihongo Master’s learning system comes in and saves the day: ...

EP 40 - Study Saturday#12: If...

S3E12: Idol Culture

In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the idol culture in Japan! Idols are like celebrities but on a whole other spectrum.  It’s no denying that Japan’s music scene has been dominated by the likes of J-pop, Japanese popular music — everywhere you go in the country, you’ll see a banner promoting a girl group’s latest album or a boy group advert for a brand’s newest product. But what exactly is idol culture and how is it different from the rest of the world?  We...

EP 39 - Idol Culture

In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the idol culture in Japan!

EP 38 - Study Saturday #11: More/Less Than...

In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about making comparisons using more or less than as part of our Study Saturday language learning series!

S3E11: Study Saturday #11 - More/Less Than...

We talk about making comparisons using more or less than as part of our Study Saturday language learning series!

S3E11: Study Saturday - More/Less Than...

We talk about making comparisons using more or less than as part of our Study Saturday language learning series!

S3E11: Study Saturday - More/Less Than... (のほうが..より・より・ほど)

In this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about making comparisons using more or less than as part of our Study Saturday language learning series! Ever needed to make a comparison before? I do it on a daily — whether it’s to say that taking the train is faster than the bus or if coffee’s better than tea. Regardless of what type of comparison you’re making, we can all agree that it’s a pretty common daily occurrence and we must definitely learn how to say it in Japanese, r...

EP 37 - Love Is in the Air! (Romantic Holidays in Japan)

For this episode of Nihongo Master podcast, we talk about the top romantic holidays in Japan!