Easy Japanese: Conversation Lessons | NHK WORLD-JAPAN

NHK Easy Japanese comes from Japan's national public broadcaster, and that pedigree shows in the production quality and pedagogical structure. The course follows Tam, a fictional university student from overseas, through everyday situations in Japan -- from moving into a new apartment to navigating campus life, shopping, and socializing. Each of the 48 episodes runs about 10 minutes and focuses on one specific conversational scenario, introducing a handful of key phrases and grammar points within a natural dialogue. The Japanese is spoken clearly with English translations and explanations provided throughout. What makes this podcast particularly valuable for beginners is its practical focus. Rather than abstract grammar drills, every lesson is built around a situation you would genuinely encounter in Japan. The show covers making requests, expressing preferences, describing experiences, comparing options, and talking about future plans. Cultural insights woven into the end of each episode add context that textbooks often skip. With a 4.6-star rating from over 115 reviews, listeners appreciate the professional production and immediately useful content. While the podcast completed its run in 2020 with 48 lessons, the entire catalog remains freely available and works as a self-contained beginner course. NHK also offers companion materials on their website. For learners who want a polished, structured introduction to conversational Japanese from a trusted source, this is hard to beat.