How I Learned Fluent Japanese (With No STRESS!)

[@TokyoLens]

HOW'S YOUR JAPANESE JOURNEY? LET ME KNOW BELOW!! -- I'd love to hear what has worked for you!! Also 2 Exciting updates- a MASSSSSSIVE Thank you to Migaku who just cuz I said "love your stuff, gonna give you a shout out" - Gave us 50% off their lifetime plan!! migaku.com/TokyoLens -- Go give them some love!! and secondly.... FINALLY GOT THE LAST OF THE SHAMISEN PLUSHIES LISTED!! They are now on the merch shelf below the vid and on teespring!!

[@pamelagordon869]

@TokyoLens my Japanese isn't to great but can understand some word's when people talk on utube x

[@paulw3106]

Norm ... Did you learn Kanji in a particular order or as the symbols appeared in documents, videos, etc?

[@samanthaghostlady]

I started to learn with JapaneseSocietyNYC. very old videos, but I love the lady on there. Its not the Japanese writing style though, just the phrases enough to get by when I will be a tourist in Japan 18 months time.

[@kellyrowe4075]

I used these two apps on my iPad back in high school called Dr.Moku flash cards. They were super helpful with learning hiragana and katakana because they turned each character into a picture with a phrase that helped you learn and it had a nice quiz feature. I just checked and they are still on the App Store. The other thing kid me would do was to find the Japanese homepages for my favorite anime. Shows like precure that are mainly made with kids in mind had websites with simple flash games on them that helped me learn simple Japanese like a little kid would in Japan.

[@HardyPinto]

I started late in life (at 44y.o.). Learing the pronounciation is kind of easy because I am brazilian and our portuguese phonemes are not that far from the ones used in japanese. I am learning japanese as a foreign language at Kumon (yes, that Kumon) since 2019. My grammar is pretty OK and I can read some 500 kanji or so! The problem is that this course has no conversation at all... and then the second problem shows up. Brazil has the most japanese descendents in the world (it is the largest japanese community outside Japan!) but in Rio (where I live) there is not many japanese people (São Paulo and Paraná states are where most of them are). Besides that, most nikkei do not speak japanese at all (consequences of WWII, when our president declared illegal to speak in german or japanese). So I struggle to find anyone to talk japanese to. I tried iTalki, but I was so nervous talking to a japanese person that my japanese just disappeared... and even my english disappeared, which made the experience even more awkward.

[@scoobydoo5934]

So many other videos like this say “just go to Japan and immerse yourself!” as if that’s easy for the average person, so thank you for keeping this realistic!

[@TokyoLens]

It’s haaaaaaaaard to go immerse yourself But anyone can do daily baby steps And even drips can fill a bucket! Just stick with it I actually mark a calendar every day I work on something, trying to get a whole year with no unmarked days!

[@chriswhite4531]

It also doesn't always work - as noted above, I lived there for four years and I still can't communicate in Japanese.

[@flashgordon6510]

@@TokyoLens I love that idea! I think I'll do that too!

[@Globiworld2000]

If you live in country with many foreign people - do they speak fluently your language? Are They have to speak your language at work 8-10h a day? Usually they do- and been doing it for 10-20 years, yet there language skills are low.Why?Becasue they learn to live/work with that pidgin language ( simple basic,not gramitatically correct version of the language) and usually their job does not require lots of advanced communication. And above all- nobody correcting them and even if - they not adopt correct form( grammar,pronunciation) because it requires mental effort.

[@RoyaltonDrummer922]

Plus you have to have at least a baseline level of fluency to have any idea of what’s going on

[@nickp5005]

lived in tokyo for 2.5 years and been practicing japanese as much as i can. some days i feel like ive made a lot of progress then others it feels impossible. thanks for the video, giving me motivation not to give up.

[@TokyoLens]

You can do it!

[@LaineeeTravels]

I surprised myself with how comfortable I was using my (very very) basic Japanese on my last trip, and the reaction I got every time I tried gave me such a boost. Hopefully I will have improved even more by next March!

[@issohyatt]

Norm, I've been watching your videos since the pandemic and I have gained so much inspiration and motivation from you and your travels around Japan. I hope to one day learn Japanese well and have a chance to visit and talk with locals who otherwise I would not be able to communicate with, to learn about their culture or their local communities. You do all this and more and that's why I love your channel so much.

[@TokyoLens]

Thank you for the kindness!

[@With_Me_JAPAN]

Just like you, being hooked on the language and having strong goals which you really want to achieve might be a great motivation to succeed the language mastery! These are very informative tips and I would love to share them with anyone who is learning Japanese! Arigato😆

[@TokyoLens]

Thanks so much for the kind words! You’ve been teaching Japanese lessons lately right? Hope any of this helps! See you in the next one!!

[@cmmama10]

Excited to find you @With_Me_Japan! I have subscribed and am excited to watch your videos!

[@publicpersona6517]

So learning Japanese basically kept you from becoming a delinquent 😉Really appreciate you sharing this with us, much more practical and doable than a lot of the advice out there!

[@Chuc503]

I've been studying Japanese for 16 years, and when I started the thing that really helped me was keeping a tiny pocket sized notebook with new words. For me writing it down helps me remember, including the situations where I found myself needing to understand that word.

[@simondesu1]

This is probably one of the best advice videos I’ve come across on the net. Just an additional point, something that totally shattered my confidence and when beginning to learn Japanese 20 years ago; something others can avoid. When starting out I found a book, “Japanese for Busy People,” with accompanying cassettes (yeah, it was that long ago) and was totally enjoying it. With a few sentences under my belt and feeling a bit cocky, I spoke them to a Japanese person I knew. “ that’s too formal.” She told me. So I got another book, Japanese for Dummies. Loved it and practiced it every day. “People don’t speak like that,” she told me. Another new book. Same result. After the same thing happening too many times I felt that Japanese was simply too cryptic for for me to learn and became scared to open my mouth in Japan. Some years later I met an American who had learned Japanese solely from manga and he sounded almost like a live manga character. His Japanese friends simply accepted that that was how he spoke Japanese. That taught me a big lesson; when just starting out, learn a style of speaking that YOU enjoy - be it academic, formal, casual or manga Japanese - and speak that way till you know enough to be your own judge of style. And avoid people who expect perfection from you when just a beginner. Took me years to gain a bit of confidence back. My confidence finally returned while spending a month in Tohoku, north Japan, after the 2011 disaster. I was there as a volunteer and had to speak any Japanese I knew, as most of the victims in shelters couldn’t speak English. They accepted and appreciated my attempts and usually understood what little Japanese I did know. After 18 years in Japan, I’ve come across people speaking every different one of the styles of Japanese I’d started out learning. What I was learning 20 years ago wasn’t wrong; the styles I was learning just didn’t impress on the person I was with at the time. So! Find reputable materials that you enjoy studying. Know that authors teach their own style of speaking but don’t even w concern yourself with that till you know enough about the language to be your own judge. Then you can easily adjust what you already know. I’ll add that the basics I learned in my first book, 20 years ago, have stuck with me to this day.

[@paulwalther5237]

It's been many years since I was a real beginner (I still sound like a beginner sometimes) but I think if I stuck to the stuff in my first two semesters textbooks - IE the basic grammar patterns, I never really ran into people saying oh we don't say it like that. At least not a lot. It was when I tried self learning more advanced grammar that people suddenly started saying that to me all the time. I wanted to scream at them that I knew this was less common grammar but if I didn't practice it I would just forget it so just chill please. But they won. I stopped using advanced grammar and it's mostly forgotten now.

[@AccordGG1]

i'm currently using duolingo. i can already tell that this definitely won't help with my conversational skills compared to actually using the language but it's VERY helpful in learning the basics. im enjoying it and i find myself spending hours doing lessons and learning hiragana. the goal is to get the basics down first and so far i can recognize half the hiragana(i just started a week ago). it's a slow progress and this is the hardest part. once i can recognize the characters i can't wait to try and understand anything written in japanese. i have the obsession you were talking about and it's a great source of drive.

[@JohnM...]

Can I recommend a few KZbin channels? Ask Japanese (just interviewing Japanese), Tanaka’s channel, Japanese from zero (which also has books to go along with the videos). I’ve been learning for a year, and I will NOT learn using anything like italki, because of social anxiety, but I’m using books, videos, music, and Jana charts and grammar charts. Good luck on your journey!

[@senyarizui9146]

I really like that you emphasize do what works for you. I want to add to that, don't let others discourage you from doing whatever that is. I watched too many Japanese language channels say how bad it was to learn with what I was using. Even though I was already frustrated with that thing too, I let all those other voices convince me to do something else. That really set me back. I had my own workaround to all the frustrations on that system and just stopped because I believed there was a better way. What I should've done was keep doing what I was doing but also add on to it.

[@TonyLudlow]

What a FANTASTIC video! Truly! I landed in Tokyo in 1988 with my wife and three little ones. I returned to the States in 1998. Life back in the States was stressful and completely without Japanese anything. I was working 60-hour weeks and had all the demands of fatherhood and life on top of that. In 2022, I finished my PhD and decided I'd try to relearn some of the Japanese I'd forgotten. I was so sad to realize just how much I'd forgotten in almost 25 years of not speaking or hearing Japanese. (I had the little red dictionary too!) I love the Yoshida Brothers! How cool that you actually KNOW them and play with them! Amazing! I recognized the Japanese aviation drama "Good Luck" in your video! A pilot's license in Japan? Get outta here!!! What an accomplishment! Again, your video is awesome in both content and presentation! It's perfect! Thank you so much!

[@TokyoLens]

I love your story! Thank you for sharing! And so glad that you could get something out of this video!!

[@Shxdow_is_bored]

Been learning japanese for a year and a half now. Will definitely use these tips aswell!

[@TokyoLens]

you got this for sure!

[@jwbrobst]

In my experience, the hardest part of Japanese to learn with the internet alone is around the 10 - 25% range, where you're past sentence structure, hiragana, katakana and a few kanji but not nearly fluent. There are thousands of KZbin videos about how to start learning Japanese, and there are even more resources to help once you're conversational (when you can really start listening to Japanese and immersing yourself). I feel like most people quit around that 10 - 25% range it just takes hard work and finding a great, in-depth learning tool to overcome-I think Norm's comparison to finding a camera you enjoy using is a great metaphor.

[@callinic999]

That's exactly where I'm stuck right now. It was "easy" at first because I needed to learn Hiragana and Katakana and some of the basic grammar. But I'm now stuck on what to spend my time with most. If I don't flashcard study Kanji, I won't be able to read. But if I don't read, memorizing Kanji won't stick as well. And if I spend my free time doing those, I'm missing out on listening practice. And then the lack of speaking practice when learning alone.

[@jwbrobst]

@ I’ve started the book “Remembering the Kanji” and so far I’m happy with it but I have a long way to go. My current plan is to continue with that book, keep my Duolingo streak, listen to simple Japanese podcasts, and play Animal Crossing in Japanese to speed up reading hiragana and katakana while learning a ton more everyday words.

[@callinic999]

@@jwbrobst I'll look that book up! Animal crossing is a great idea. If you want, we could add each other on Discord to send Japanese things back and forth sometimes? No pressure at all though.

[@vali69]

If you brute force your way through and just immerse immerse immerse, you'll find yourself looking back and thinking 'when did this whole thing start making sense?'. It's weird because you suddenly feel you know the language, even if you're still not there yet but you're comfortably past the point where you hardly understand what you're listening to. But ambiguity seems to be what most can't tolerate, but the thing is you can't become fluent unless you tolerate it as you'll never know all the words in Japanese nor those in your native language. This also relates to another thing I don't like people saying, that you need to learn the basics like grammar and a lot of vocab and while I do agree it's really helpful learning the basics of grammar for japanese specifically and how sentences are structured, everything else is pointless cause you'll just naturally acquire through immersion.

[@inkuing838]

The Migaku app is mindblowing. It's like Christmas for me! I wish I had this app when I started learning Japanese a decade ago. As a fellow long-time learner of Japanese, I totally agree with every piece of advice here. Gotta share this with my students!

[@Silvyrfir]

My jaw literally dropped while watching this and hearing of migaku for the first time. Definitely trying it out! 🙌

[@ButteredWaffle86]

How much? Surely it's not free...

[@DividedZone]

I've been self learning Japanese for about three years now and it's really cool to hear about how you started! Especially to see that you still have that dictionary from your teacher. I never knew about ごまかす or even realized I do that very thing in English without noticing. Watching that part of the video was a really "oh right, this is a thing!" moment and I'll definitely be taking that to heart for whenever I struggle remembering the right words in japanese!

[@bnsgokugreat]

I'm so happy that you mentioned "Let's learn Japanese Basic 1 Series." It's one of the most useful beginner free courses I have ever seen!

[@homeboyzer]

Long time lurker here, but I had to comment after seeing the parallels. Finding someone else that obsessed over learning hiragana to have it ingrained into their brain was shocking. So many of my notebooks and notes and papers from high school have all of the kana, a i u e o, ka ki ku ke ko, etc... written in both hiragana and katakana on the last pages/the back, and really it was that constant exposure that made me so comfortable with the language. Another funny story with the gomakasu section, in my most recent trip I had arrived at my accommodation after a long day of hiking and forgot what the word for electric kettle was so I said 「お湯を作る機械」(literally hot water making machine) and the host immediately understood what I was talking about and showed me where it was 😂😂 I've been learning Japanese casually for the lesser part of a decade now and am nowhere near being proficient, but the information in this video is solid. Will be sharing with my friends. Keep up the great work, Norm!

[@Gearfeathers]

Had to hop in as soon as I saw this posted. Always looking for more tips, since I’m long out of schooling. Thank you so much!

[@TokyoLens]

Love that early gang! Thank you!

[@christianilacqua7967]

I always love your videos! I'm 23, and I've been studying Japanese for the last 3 years. Even though I hardly think I can handle a conversation, lmao, thanks again for the tools and explanations!

[@TokyoLens]

You can do it!

[@stancox7573]

Thank you. You have just prompted me to restart my Japanese learning after sort of giving up. My best advice is that if you can find an evening class near you then it is well worth it. That and the point about using the language all the time is key. It's amazing how quickly you forget if you stop. Also Lucas!!!! I wasnt expecting to see him pop up :)

[@kyoko8100]

That confidence explanation immediately reminded me of Natsuki. And he’s an absolute legend 😂❤

[@souravghosh5040]

Hey Norm! Finally here in Tokyo now! Been watching your videos since like 3 years now, and it inspired me to work hard and get into UTokyo! I'm looking to learn Japanese too, and have in fact taken classes within the university for it! Hopefully with the tricks you have mentioned in this video I'll learn enough to be able to work here too!! I hope I get to bump into you sometime! Also, do visit Todai if you find time! It's amazing in here!

[@TokyoLens]

I spent quite a bit of time at TODAI back in 2007-2008 Amazing university and space in general

[@joshuamstark]

Norm, been wanting to know this! Thank you!

[@OG_Coleslaw]

Great video as always but really needed this one! I start learning japanese then get discourage because it gets overwhelming and/or dont know where/how to start. This really helped make it more bite size and easier to tackle. Thank you for this!!

[@ricefieldrecords]

For me, having a hobby and a passion that I want to do in Japan has been the biggest driver in my improvement as a speaker of the language. My abilities are still weak, but native Japanese speakers always stretch to meet me halfway (interjecting English) because they sense my sincerity. Risk taking, enthusiasm, and the willingness to laugh at oneself are also key drivers to language improvement when you are speaking Japanese in Japan.

[@tammi6771]

Such good advice and tips. I took Japanese back in college. We weren't allowed to speak English for the first half of class. While it could be overwhelming it really helped. Unfortunately I didn't keep up, but have recently started practicing again. This video will help so much!

[@Loyal-cat]

In the 1990s, I took a business traveller Japanese class. It was just simple phrases with no reading lessons. I loved the classes and I found it helped when I travelled to Japan in 1998. I would practice my new Japanese phrases everyday. I would greet my cat in Japanese. Thanks for the great video and you have provided the spark to learn more phrases and begin learning how to read Japanese.

[@Pranavsoni2151]

20:30 the bloopers are so good.😂❤ Respect your hard work sir.🫡🙇‍♂️

[@masamiju]

Norm the amazing thing is the first two steps are really similar to how I started out as well! That's where I'm stuck at right now, making really slow progress. Thanks for the video, I'd love to reach a jouzu level like you. And congrats/thanks for such a cool sponsorship!

[@WorldofJess]

Thank you so much for such a thorough video. I will be visiting Japan for the first time April of next year and I really want to be able to communicate with locals but I’m glad I found your video so thorough I subscribed instantly thank you so much.

[@dairenn]

You named Pimsleur. Congratulations: your video is absolutely Spot on. I had been trying to learn Japanese since 1997. Yes, 1997. Failed for years. Then I launched my "learn Japanese or Die Trying" effort in 2019 and did a few things: a) studied with a tutor online, b) studied kana with apps (including how to write it) c) WaniKani (because kanji is the key to unlocking Everything, and the sooner a person figures that out, the better) and d) Pimsleur. Because that "watashi ha nihongo ga waka lee ma sen" crap sounds horrific. Thanks for putting this video together. The "socialize with the people actually using the language" is a Critical point, also. Because honestly, it's why everyone struggles with language acquisition. Japanese will tell you the biggest reason they're not very good at it was because they only learned how to pass the tests and didn't really have any reason to really use the language in real life from an English-speaking country. Inversely, learning Japanese without using it is trying to become a master chef by reading a book but Never stepping into the kitchen and picking up a chef's knife. Last but not least, but "buy yourself an out" when you forget a word or phrase strategy is one that I came up with too because I noticed that Japanese is a Super High Context language. So much so that I cannot even finish asking a question before the person listening has Already figured out what I'm trying to ask and responds. On one hand, it's nice because I feel like I am doing the "fake it 'til you make it" thing in Genius Mode. On the other hand, I always walk away from the conversation shaking my head like, "you know... I SHOULD have asked that question this other way." But hey I guess if I am catching my own mistakes and correcting my own typos, that's progress, right? BTW, uber jealous that you figured out to go flying here Japan. That's been my other life-long dream of mine. I'm 44, but maybe there's still time yet.

[@morlock2086]

Wow. I've never been this early before. Thanks for the tips. I hope to return to Japan someday and would like to be able to converse with the locals a bit better.

[@TokyoLens]

I got big love for that early squad!!

[@dutchiedonuts]

You perfectly break it down. Thanks so much. Definitely will make it much easier for me to learn. Again, thanks. 😊

[@stevewenzel7659]

Thanks for the video Norm, and thanks for the offer from Migaku as well! I've downloaded and started the lessons this afternoon! I'm looking forward to more trips to Japan after my first very short experience in early September. I don't expect to become perfectly fluent, I'm the wrong side of 50yo, but it should improve the already astounding experience a lot. Cheers from Australia! 👍

[@Galistia]

That little book and practice papers sound like what I've been looking for to start learning Japanese. Like you mentioned, a lot of guides out there are completely overwhelming, so I've been stuck on where I'd feel comfortable to start.

[@hidden_origin_dnb]

I learn Kanji with Anki and RTK deck. It's really fun but once you stop the cards pile up and i get demotivated because the number is so high. But this video got me motivated again to make it a part of daily routine. I'm sitting at 450 Kanji reviews in Anki but i will start tackling them, thanks for giving me the boost i needed.

[@lallison2825]

Oh this is very useful thank you! I started learning because I had a job in Japan... in 2020. Needless to say it's atrophied a bit since. I need to pick that up again.

[@UnicornWarLord77]

Love the advice, will be so helpful for young learners..... Hey, it's me, 37 year old California lady with a kid and job and struggling. His advice is AMAZING but from someone's perspective learning as a total adult just remember to have fun, take it slow and learn what you can when you can. Don't be discouraged you're not learning like the teens and single young folks with time. If I can learn so can you :D

[@patamax3769]

I feel like this is pretty spot on for other languages as well. It took me 3.5 years of learning Japanese but my process of learning is pretty much similar to the steps you mentioned through out the video. Specifically the 笑って誤魔化すpart, it’s such a powerful tool that enable you to play conversation catch ball with your friend. Now I have N1, speak comfortably and even worked in Japan for a while. I’m learning Chinese now with a similar approach and I even get to help a lot of Japanese with their Chinese too 😂

[@sophiablow3422]

So useful. I really want to learn japaneses this year, this advice really helps ❤

[@JoshuaTeo]

Thanks for all the learning tips. Gotto start practicing them. ありがとうございます先生。

[@sheilaellvira5198]

Making it part of your daily life really works. It’s how I brushed up on my German. I’ve been trying to do so with my Japanese but I still feel intimidated by it. I struggle to pace myself and end up wanting to do too much too fast. I’m hoping to get that under control.

[@RememberSaiya]

Du schaffst das schon, deutsch ist eine ziemlich verwirrende Sprache. Selbst für eine Muttersprachlerin wie mich. Japanisch steht ebenfalls auf meiner To Do Liste.

[@sheilaellvira5198]

@@RememberSaiya Danke! 😊 Deutsch lernen war eigentlich nicht so schlimm. Ich bin Holländerin und unsere Sprachen sind oft sehr ähnlich. Bin nur schüchtern und hatte mich nicht getraut es zu benutzen, deswegen hatte ich viel vergessen. Mein Deutsch ist heutzutage nicht perfekt aber ich kann mich verständlich machen. Japanisch ist viel schwieriger für mich aber ich hoffe es irgendwann zu schaffen es zu lernen! Hoffentlich wird es auch für Dich klappen! 😁

[@zoahms]

OMG I used Pimsleur’s too! And I can relate to your copying whole sets or sentences to learn intonation with! Great video.

[@ScottK-r9j]

Thank you so much for this. I study daily and have recently hit a wall with progression, some missing links were highlighted in your video, really appreciate the content and your delivery haha. Thanks again.

[@KyrosTherrund]

I greatly appreciate your videos Norm. This is the first actual legitimate video I've found on learning Japanese. There are so many fake videos out there you wouldn't believe. I am grateful for you. I am truly inspired by you and your travels. They have fueled my interest and motivation for one day living in Japan. I hope to meet with you one day and thank you in person. Keep up the great work my friend! I hope to see you soon. 🙂

[@solarbirdyz]

Your experience in your level 1 is like.. _exactly_ the same as mine. I still have notebooks of just... so many hiragana and katakana. xD Also, I can't stress enough how right you are about getting the shapes of the sounds right first, because I literally had cases in shops and restaurants where I'd chat with staff looking in other directions and then they'd turn around and physically jump with surprise because I wasn't Japanese. And that was entirely about getting the basic sounds right from the start. Also! Anyone going to Japan with some Japanese but you don't think enough, I have a story for you: I had just joined up with a mostly-Canadian and American group of people, but one with a couple of Japanese reps, in Japan. I mentioned at the beginning I spoke basic Japanese, even though everything was being done in English. One of the Japanese people stepped over to me a little while and asked in Japanese where I'd studied, and I answered in Japanese, saying I'd studied a lot on my own then took classes at SCC, a local college. And she looked surprised and said, "ooooh, your Japanese is _really good_! You make your own sentences!" ...which is when I really learned exactly how low the bar was. The bar, it is low. It is _very low_. xD Genuinely, they are surprised and seem a little pleased that you're trying and it's like @TokyoLens says - they will try to help, and all you have to do is let them.

[@Haro79]

This was perfect timing I just got back from Japan and am starting to learn Japanese seriously and this really helped 🙏🙇‍♂️

[@sarabaldeschwieler7763]

Thanks Norm I needed a kick in the pants to go do my Japanese lesson today. I’m very much at level -1 on my Japanese journey but I’m already finding it fun. It’s just hard to stay motivated outside a Japanese speaking environment. I’ll be following some of your tips and recommendations with gratitude. ❤

[@Williamottelucas]

I just love your approach. You have absolutely the right mindset (that I struggle to get into). Regarding kanji, the biggest barrier I found to learning them was the difficulty in looking them up in a dictionary the way you would an English word. As a result, I developed a system to reduce each kanji on sight to a 4-digit alpha-numerical code that allows you to look them up in an instant. That's the area I felt compelled to express my nerdishness and obsession!

[@yossisureta2578]

Omg you made this vid so well that not just I learned so much like ‘comfort’ over ‘perfection’ but it was also such an entertainment😂 Migaku looks really useful, I must check it out!! Btw, somehow your ‘I dropped the battery’ face got me lol

[@lorrdy7640]

I think I really needed this video rn. I try to learn Japanese for almost a year by now and just don't get any progress done. I will try to use your tips, thank you.

[@kt-bj5yd]

migaku is the greatest thing ive heard about in months, i gave up learning japanese completely because i HATED anki and all the janky ways i used to mimic what migaku does. jobsmacked and excited to use migaku immediately!

[@CorneliaMack]

Thank you for the information ! I am german and I live in the US . I need to get the confident to speak Japanese like I had when I moved to the US. All your videos are amazing ❤

[@sergioferreirs69]

THANK YOU!!!! I'm not a textbook learner, watching movies or T.V. sort of helped but only after I learned the language (Portuguese). I seem to learn better from doing ie; writing and reading. I've seen KZbin videos of how to learn Japanese by using textbooks or the same thing and it never appealed to me. I am using Duolingo and sort of got somewhere but only after 2 years!! When you mentioned practice sheets a massive lightbulb went on above my head! As soon as your video ended and went in search of some and found Hiragana practise sheets immediately. I've downloaded the PDF's and when I need just print a new one to practice on. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[@chandlerking7909]

I've had the idea of learning Japanese in the back of my mind for months now and finally just decided to do a quick KZbin search and find some tips. Been watching you for a while so knew you'd have a well explained video on it when you were at the top of my search. Took me until the end to realize this was just posted!! feels like it might be a sign haha.

[@shannondore]

I'm glad you put this video out. I got a learn spanish cd set for Christmas one year, and I listened and listened and tried, but I couldn't get it. I watch a lot of content creators in Japan (lovely Norm included), and I've picked up some Japanese quickly. I just need to hunker down and study the language more. Thanks for the tips, Norm.❤

[@alexduncan9941]

"You, me, beer." I didn't think I'd be having such a strong lightbulb moment at 5am, but here we are. I've been learning Japanese since January to prep for a holiday next year, and I've been stressing about not being sufficiently fluent by the time I get there. Your Chinese friend from college is now one of my heroes. Ima Tokyo to Osaka wo tanoshimi desu.

[@cheriestl]

Yes! Great video! I taught French years ago. I don’t keep up with it, and I can feel it slipping away.

[@Shinjuku_Samurai]

Thanks for sharing what worked for you! That Migaku offer looks AMAZING! Looks to be exactly what I was looking for! Thank you! 🙏

[@DAGG0]

I've had to wear my sunglasses to watch that video 😎 damn this quality is on a whole nother level!

[@cascadiancreative]

Thanks! I just downloaded Migaku and took advantage of your channel's discount! This video was just the push I needed to improve my very transactional level Japanese! I recently learned how to say "I'm full" on my last trip because the kind hosts at the ryoken I stayed at would not stop giving me food 😂

[@TokyoLens]

What a beautiful problem to have!! 🥰

[@martinloo]

Good stuff as always. I started lessons around May. slow going but i'm getting a handle on stuff. mainly just trying to find my daily grind being the main struggle. I"m still only averaging learning once or twice a week which is nowhere near enough. But hoping to practice more going full immersion on my trip next week!

[@CheetazMaster]

great video, and as a fellow Canadian living abroad and having to learn another language and culture... you are sooooo right. the best way to learn any new language is.... to live it. incorporate it into your life.

[@AGoogleUser-im2xw]

I like that norms videos feel personified, in a way. I feel like the way that he addresses these videos makes me feel more involved than simply watching a video

[@BethDoublekickChick]

I agree that learning Hiragana is the first and most important step, I'm glad I discovered that naturally. Excellent advice! My son, is currently travelling Japan, from Australia, he was so proud when he heard his first "nihongo jouzu", a little language goes a long way 😊

[@joseki8046]

Started learning Japanese 1 week ago because of the amount of content I consume in that language, and now you drop this. I'll take it as a sign of going strong!

[@Lasaaxcegbgdz]

Don’t give up. Or after a couple years you will regret it so so much.

[@treborarts]

Love the confidence brother! I’ve followed you a lot over the years. Whether it was piloting or just taking us off the path and meeting locals. Being an actor now in Tokyo I need to up my game. Here’s hoping for me!

[@ErikSEK]

This came just at the right time for me, I'm about to pick up Japanese again (already have N4). Definitely going to give Migaku a try, I was searching for something like this to improve my vocabulary.

[@abdurrahmanm6048]

I "WAKARIMASHTA" 😅Your points in how to start learning Japanese, really intend to do it tho. Thanks again norm, never disappointed ❤✌🏻

[@ryankramer8779]

Technically, with what I know about the verb, I think your Japanglish sentence should sound more like "Your points "WAKARIMASHITA" to me in how to start learning Japanese" 😅

[@skytwist]

I greatly appreciate this. Been nibbling away at it and creating my own book and "tests" and have absolutely no problem hacking my way through communications. I'll soon be free of a few projects and your digs will help me recenter on my Japanese studies. I'll hit you up with a few links, etc., and harness some of that torrential energy.

[@BradyStudiesJapanese]

Thank you for this! Definitely encouraging to me. There's times when I feel like I'm doing great and times when I feel like I've learned nothing for months... Thanks for the encouragement and tips! Also, love your videos, have only seen the apartment ones before, so glad I stumbled across this one.

[@prometheuszero9]

どうもありがとう！I've started learning Japanese recently in a casual, stress-free way. At this point I've got hiragana down and I'm getting close to having katakana down as well. I'm only learning kanji on a case-by-case basis right now, basically just when they're used in common words or phrases. I've also slowly but surely started subscribing to various KZbinrs whose videos seem especially helpful. And while it's obviously important to follow and watch content by native speakers, it's also very helpful to find videos from people who learned Japanese as a second language like you, because they've experienced language learning in the same way that I am right now. That's all a very longwinded way of saying that I liked this video and found it helpful. Thanks!

[@moniquecolan3917]

I have been waiting for this,,. glad now you posted something about it,, love love❤❤

[@Metdiva1]

Norm, I really appreciate this dropping into my feed today. I decided when I saw your "what will you learn in 1,000 days challenge" that learning a new language would be my challenge, and that Japanese would be the perfect challenge. I'm on my own with learning, so my progress has been slow. However, hiragana and some basic Kanji are becoming more comfortable and I'm starting to recognize simple words and the basic gist of short sentences and conversations. Occasionally, I find myself thinking in Japanese a bit as I'll randomly identify an object with Japanese instead of English. Progress! Katakana has proven more challenging for me to get comfortable with. I guess it's basics time for that! Duolingo has been what I started with, and I recently discovered JapanesePod 101, which should level up my game immensely. Thank you for setting me up for one of the best adventures. 😊

[@ericpannecke]

Thanks so much for sharing this! Your passion for learning Japanese is truly inspiring. Just like you, I'm hooked on the language and have strong goals that I’m eager to achieve. Your video has reignited my motivation to start again. in the past i made a Gameboy style Hiragana Learning game it is free on itch ... Let’s master Japanese 😊📚🎌

[@MaryGeorge-u5m]

Your content is always top-notch and well-researched!

[@ic7846]

Aside from the great tips you gave, the thing you mentioned that helped me out the most is just telling me to have fun and to not worry> The biggest hurdle for me in studying is feeling like I'm not studying correctly or that I should be doing more which ultimately makes me feel bad about myself and results in me not studying enough. I have to thank my girlfriend and her friends and family (who don't speak English) as well as my Eikaiwa students for challenging me and teaching me so much useful Japanese!

[@hachi7646]

I've been teaching myself Japanese for around 3 years on and off now? And this advice is perfect, I always recommend the same things to friends. I've been living in Japan for year now and though I'm still an English teacher, I for the most part can get through life without much difficulty! Just finding things fun to study is important, the first few things I finished reading were full of useless vocabulary to daily life but full of criminology terms and fantasy terms, yet, I read more because I enjoyed it!

[@seankrug4995]

Great video! Lived in Japan 10 years and my wife is Japanese. I agree with what you stated, will need to check out the manga app you recommended. Thanks!

[@jobstraveller8735]

Great video! I'm 7 months into learning Japanese as a new language and your video certainly encourages me to do well! Love from Malaysia.

[@vikymedina4953]

I loved this video!! My native lenguage is spanish, I'm using Duo to learn japanese and decided to start with Hiragana. Small lessons every day and I enjoy they, so it keeps me motivated. Defenitely will try Migaku. Thanks for the tips!! xoxo

[@itmebakadesu]

Great video, Norm! I studied for 3 years and had a lot of immersion with Japanese friends and well, being in Japan a lot. I haven't used it as much recently, but trying to get back into it again now, retention has been one of my bigger struggles. Hope everyone else is managing their Japanese well!

[@Jason-ml2px]

I’m glad you posted this. I found your account about a year ago and prior had been interested in Japan for most of my life. I always let work and other stuff come in the way of me properly learning. I did almost a lot of what you did. I emerged myself with goals and such starting this past January and my level of retention skyrocketed because of regular practice and having friends to speak to in it. I just got back from my first trip to Japan a few weeks ago (you responded to my comment about Shinjuku on another video haha), but nothing beat the feeling of actually being able to communicate and connect with local through their native tongue. Was I great? Definitely not lol, but I was able to get by and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I will continue learning and I believe anyone who is interested in starting should 100% follow the tips you gave. It’s very solid advice.

[@TokyoLens]

Amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing that!!

[@bork0992]

It's been a while since I've been able to sit and watch but this one popped up at the perfect time :) another great video

[@springbay1]

I may not be actively learning Japanese, but I appreciate your constant positivity and encouragement. ❤

[@ecgjovaag]

Thanks so much for your videos, I enjoy them! My wife is Japanese and we moved to Tokyo six months ago for an emergency family situation. I've been trying to get better with my Japanese, but saying it's difficult for me is an understatement. I'm taking two classes a week in Kawasaki and an online Nihon-go club Saturday mornings. I'll definitely try some of your suggestions here. Cheers!

[@aaronconte819]

As a foreigner, one-year-in living in Japan and still struggling with Japanese, I find your video really inspirational. It gives me back some motivation and a better mindset to persevere on learning. Thank you so much!

[@TokyoLens]

You can do it!

[@XiaoAdams-h7g]

Thank you for this, I’ve been struggling with this topic.

[@jakeconnelly2441]

+1 for the Pimsleur stuff. They have been the biggest part of my learning that has stuck with me longer than anything else (I'm way out of practice and wasn't that good to begin with, lol).

[@ExtraPainful]

7:31 You're right! My co-worker that's Japanese really tries to give me a lot of options on how to say "bye" and "cya later" and she helps with the sounds. LOL!

[@sdstreiker]

fantastic advice. 素晴らしの勧告

[@AlanVByrnes]

Thanks and appreciate very much Norm I really feel I can learn the different ways of Japan from you and Sherry and the others especially when you give easy and helpful books like you have and the stories you talk about thanks again for this one was very fun to watch also 🤝🤝🤝

[@MatthewLydon-d3m]

You have a real gift for making things easy to understand.

[@TokyoLens]

that's such an incredibly kind comment~ Thank you so much

[@patrycjawrobel5444]

This is super helpful. I always wanted to start learning Japanese but never knew where to start.

[@jorgeavilaSV]

I have 1 month living here in Japan and I will be here for 2 years, so thanks for your tips, I’m learning the basics and I expect one day I can write here more confident about my Japanese experience

[@dragonair3885]

Great to see your video and to hear you say Japanese, it is like so smooth and in a well mannered tone.

[@TokyoLens]

Appreciate it!! 😊

[@EmoCheesecake]

One of the most useful tools I've been using is anki, really good repetition without overwhelming yourself. Really good video and lot of great ways to progress and practice

[@cmmama10]

May I ask what anki is?

[@Durronko]

I cannot agree more! Your last point is the most important in my eyes: Just do it. It's ok and expected to make mistakes. Personally, I like learning but loath studying. So from experience, it takes forever but it's possible to become conversational on a good level just by trying to speak and accepting to learn from the mistakes that will happen.

[@JepandJapan]

This is just gold. Great advice. Better than the other videos about learning Japanese. I wanna share mine. I did the writing on paper the basics of hiragana katakana and the easier N4, N5 but I did app based kanji for N3 and beyond (free Anki flashcards) because they were too many😎🤣 but shadowing is really one great advice right here, copy exactly how you say it and you’ll reach far enough on your japanese learning journey.