Best Japanese Podcasts for Beginners to Advanced Learners in Japanese Learning
Last updated: February 8, 2026
Podcasts are honestly one of the best ways to immerse yourself in Japanese without feeling like you're sitting down for a formal study session. You can listen while commuting, cooking, or just zoning out on the couch. The best part? There are tons of Japanese podcasts designed specifically for learners at every level, from complete beginners who barely know hiragana to advanced students ready for natural conversations. I've spent way too much time testing these out, so here's what actually works.
Why Japanese podcasts actually help you learn
Can you learn Japanese by listening to podcasts? Yeah, you absolutely can, but here's the thing: podcasts work best when combined with other study methods.
- They're amazing for training your ear to recognize sounds, picking up natural rhythm and intonation, and building passive vocabulary. When you hear the same words and phrases repeatedly in different contexts, they start sticking without you even trying.
- Listening to podcasts also exposes you to how Japanese people actually talk, which is pretty different from textbook Japanese. You'll hear filler words, casual grammar, and real pronunciation patterns that make you sound way more natural when you speak.
- Plus, podcasts let you multitask. Is 30 minutes a day enough to learn Japanese? If you're listening to podcasts for 30 minutes daily while also doing active study like reading or using flashcards, you'll make solid progress. Just listening alone won't get you fluent, but it's a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Best Japanese podcasts for beginners
Nihongo con Teppei for Beginners
This podcast is basically the gold standard for beginner Japanese learners. Teppei speaks slowly and clearly, using simple vocabulary and basic grammar patterns. Each episode is around 5-10 minutes, which is perfect when you're just starting out and can't handle long listening sessions yet.
Is Nihongo con Teppei good? Honestly, yeah. Teppei has a friendly, encouraging vibe that makes you feel like you're chatting with a patient friend rather than sitting in a classroom. He repeats key phrases naturally and uses context to help you understand new words without switching to English. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and pretty much every podcast platform.
The beginner version uses vocabulary around JLPT N5-N4 level, so you'll recognize a lot of what he's saying if you've studied basic Japanese. There are hundreds of episodes available, so you won't run out of content anytime soon.
JapanesePod101
JapanesePod101 shows up on every list of best podcasts for learning Japanese, and there's a reason for that. They have literally thousands of episodes organized by skill level, from absolute beginner to advanced. Each episode includes dialogue, explanations in English, cultural notes, and breakdowns of grammar points.
The beginner lessons start with simple phrases like greetings and self-introductions, then gradually build up complexity. What's cool is they provide transcripts and lesson notes, which helps when you want to review what you heard. The free version gives you access to the beginner course, but premium membership unlocks the entire library plus extra features.
You can stream JapanesePod101 on Spotify or through their website and app. The episodes are structured like mini-lessons, usually around 10-20 minutes each.
Sakura Tips
Sakura Tips is another solid choice for beginners. The host speaks clearly and at a manageable pace, covering everyday topics like food, travel, and daily routines. Episodes are short, typically under 15 minutes, making them easy to fit into your day.
What I like about Sakura Tips is the focus on practical Japanese you'd actually use. The topics are relatable and the vocabulary is useful right away. It's available on most podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Best podcasts for intermediate learners
The Konnichiwa Podcast
This podcast features conversations between hosts discussing various topics in Japanese. The speech is more natural than beginner podcasts but still relatively clear. Episodes cover everything from Japanese culture and traditions to modern life in Japan.
The Konnichiwa Podcast works well for intermediate learners because you get exposure to multiple speakers and conversational Japanese. The back-and-forth dialogue helps you understand how real conversations flow, including interruptions, reactions, and casual speech.
Hapa Eikaiwa
Wait, hear me out. Hapa Eikaiwa is technically a podcast for Japanese people learning English, but it's conducted mostly in Japanese with some English mixed in. The host Jun explains English concepts in Japanese, which is actually perfect for intermediate Japanese learners.
You get natural Japanese explanations and the topics are interesting enough to keep you engaged. Plus, learning about English from a Japanese perspective gives you insight into how Japanese speakers think about language. Available on Spotify and other major platforms.
Advanced Japanese podcasts for serious learners
Rebuild.fm
This is a tech podcast hosted by Japanese developers talking about programming, startups, and technology. The conversation is completely natural, fast-paced, and uses specialized vocabulary. If you're into tech and want to challenge yourself with native-level content, this is perfect.
Rebuild.fm doesn't slow down or simplify anything for learners. You're getting authentic Japanese as spoken between friends discussing topics they're passionate about. Episodes can run pretty long, sometimes over an hour, so they're great for extended listening practice.
NHK Radio News
NHK offers podcast versions of their radio news broadcasts. The Japanese is formal, clearly articulated, and covers current events. This is excellent for advanced learners who want to build vocabulary around news, politics, economics, and social issues.
News Japanese uses specific grammar patterns and vocabulary that's different from conversational Japanese. Understanding news broadcasts is a major milestone in Japanese learning. NHK makes these available for free through their website and various podcast apps.
All-levels Japanese learning podcasts
Let's Talk in Japanese
This podcast offers episodes at multiple levels, so you can choose based on your current ability. The host speaks clearly and covers a wide range of topics. Each episode focuses on practical conversation skills and real-life situations.
The level variety makes this podcast useful as you progress. You can start with beginner episodes and gradually work your way up to more challenging content without switching to a completely different podcast, but the topics might appear to be textbook-like.
Learn Japanese Pod
Learn Japanese Pod provides structured lessons with clear explanations. Episodes include dialogue practice, vocabulary building, and grammar points. The format is educational but engaging, with real-world applications for everything you learn.
Transcripts are available for most episodes, which helps when you want to review or look up words you didn't catch. The podcast covers beginner through intermediate levels with different series for different skill ranges.
Where to find these podcasts for learning Japanese
Most of these podcasts are available on Spotify, which makes them super accessible. Spotify's interface is clean and you can download episodes for offline listening. Apple Podcasts is another major platform where you'll find pretty much all of these shows.
Some Japanese podcasts also post on YouTube, which can be helpful because you sometimes get visual aids or Japanese subtitles. YouTube also lets you slow down playback speed if needed, though I'd recommend trying to listen at normal speed as much as possible.
Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, and other podcast apps also carry most of these shows. Pick whatever platform you're already comfortable with.
How to use podcasts for Japanese learning
Just passively listening while completely zoned out won't do much for your Japanese. You need some level of active engagement.
- Try to catch words you know, piece together meaning from context, and pay attention to how sentences are structured.
- Repetition helps a ton. Listen to the same episode multiple times. The first time, you might catch maybe 30% of what's said. Second time, you'll recognize more words. Third time, you'll start understanding the overall flow and catching details you missed before.
- Using transcripts when available is super helpful. Listen first without the transcript, then read along while listening, then listen again without it. This reinforces both your listening and reading skills.
- Taking notes on new vocabulary or phrases you hear repeatedly can help cement them in your memory. When you hear the same word across multiple episodes, that's your cue that it's common and worth learning.
- The combination of podcasts for listening practice, reading for kanji and grammar reinforcement, and active speaking practice creates a well-rounded approach. Each method strengthens different skills.
- Create a listening routine that works for you. Maybe you listen to beginner podcasts in the morning when you're fresh and can focus, then switch to background listening with easier content later in the day.
- Mix up your podcast choices to avoid burnout. Rotate between educational podcasts designed for learners and more natural content aimed at native speakers. The variety keeps things interesting and exposes you to different speaking styles.
Anyway, if you want to level up your Japanese learning beyond just podcasts, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words instantly while watching Japanese shows or reading articles. You can create flashcards directly from content you're interested in, which makes immersion learning way more practical. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.
You can't drop listening comprehension if you're preparing for JLPT
If you're searching for podcasts to prepare for JLPT, you may need a more targeted approach. While listening to podcasts extensively can train your ear in the long run, you actually need content directly related to the test as well, for example, the past listening section of the exam paper, and there are podcasts explaining JLPT-related grammar and words as well. After all, podcasts are just resources for learners to integrate into a systematic studying plan.
If you consume media in Japanese, and you understand at least some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. Period.
Listen extensively, and intensively.