Japanese Podcast for Beginners (Nihongo con Teppei)

Teppei has built one of the most beloved Japanese learning podcasts on the internet, and the beginner edition is where most people start. With over 1,500 episodes and counting, this show delivers short, five-to-seven-minute bursts of natural Japanese spoken entirely in the target language from episode one. There is no English crutch here. Instead, Teppei relies on repetition, simple vocabulary, and an easygoing conversational tone to make the language accessible even if you are just getting started. The genius of the format is its simplicity. Each episode picks an everyday topic — mountains, umbrellas, favorite foods, curtains — and Teppei talks about it the way you might chat with a friend. He uses strategic repetition and occasionally drops in an English word when a concept truly needs clarifying, but mostly he trusts that consistent exposure will do the work. Listeners report understanding around 90% of episodes after about two years of regular study, which speaks to how well the difficulty curve is calibrated. Teppei also teaches Japanese on iTalki and offers AI-generated transcripts through Patreon for those who want to read along. The semiweekly release schedule means there is always fresh material, and the massive back catalog provides months of listening practice. His warmth and humor come through even when you cannot catch every word, making this a genuinely enjoyable part of a daily study routine rather than homework you dread.