If this sounds like you, how about listening to podcasts?

This article will give you ideas for learning Japanese using podcasts.
You can actually listen to shows and episodes of various categories in easy-to-understand Japanese.
Find your favorite shows and episodes and have fun learning Japanese!

About Podcasts

Podcasts let you listen to audio content over the internet. It's like listening to the radio with special features:

1. With internet access, you can listen to the shows and episodes anytime, anywhere.
2. The shows and episodes cover a variety of categories and are created by all sorts of people.
3. Old programs and episodes remain, so you can listen to them over and over again.

You can listen to podcasts while you're doing something else, like commuting to work or school, doing housework, or jogging.
What's more, you'll hear natural Japanese that you won't find in a textbook, or listen to stories about topics that interest you, in Japanese.

Websites and Apps for Listening to Podcasts

For example, the following apps and websites let you listen for free.
There might be other websites and apps that are easy for you to use, too.

Spotify　Android app / iOS app /  Website​　
*Apps require registration and login.

Apple Podcasts　iOS app / Website

How to Find Shows and Episodes

Try searching a podcast website or app with the following keywords:
Search in Japanese or English to find various shows and episodes.


"Japanese" / "にほんご"
"Easy Japanese" / "やさしい日本語"

"Study Japanese" / "日本語 勉強"
"Japanese Learning" / "日本語 学習"

"Japanese Listening" / "日本語 リスニング"
"Japanese Listening Comprehension" / "日本語 聴解 (ちょうかい)"

"Japanese Conversation" / "日本語 おしゃべり"
"Japanese Chat" / "日本語 雑談 (ざつだん)"

"Japanese Culture" / "日本語 日本文化"
"Japanese Movies(*)" / "日本語 映画"
(*Enter any keyword you like. E.g. Travel. Food. Anime.)


Let's try Spotify.
Search "にほんご" (Japanese) to find various shows, like the following. (As of January 2026)

Website screenshots

Android app screenshots

How to Choose Programs and Episodes

Read the program information before opening the episode.

The following information will let you know that it will help you study Japanese.

"Japanese podcast for people studying Japanese"
"Beginner" "Intermediate" "Advanced"
"Full transcripts"
"Japanese spoken slowly" "Japanese spoken naturally"

How to Study Using Podcasts

・Don't worry about understanding 100%. Understanding just a little is OK.
・Listen every day, a little bit at a time.
　(E.g. Listen 5-10 minutes per day.  / Listen to one episode a day.)
・Take notes of words and phrases that you like.
・Listen to the same episode at least twice.
(E.g. First listen while walking, then listen again the next day while concentrating. / Listen without stopping the recording the first time, then listen again while taking notes of words you don't understand. Look up the words after you're finished listening.)

Some websites and apps let you change the audio speed.
This is useful when you want to listen to it spoken slowly.