Japanese with Shun
A Japanese teacher uses travel vlogs and simple monologues to create comprehensible input for beginner to intermediate learners.
This channel offers two main formats for Japanese learners: first-person travel vlogs from locations like Thailand, and audio-style podcasts on everyday topics. Both are delivered in slow, deliberate Japanese designed as comprehensible input for beginners, with the vlogs featuring on-screen vocabulary support. The content is explicitly structured around the grammar and vocabulary found in the Genki 1 and 2 textbooks.
“Unlike many classroom-style lessons, Shun uses his own travels and daily life as the curriculum, creating a parasocial, immersive learning experience. The focus is strictly on listening comprehension through comprehensible input, rather than explicit grammar instruction in English.”
Who hosts this show
Shunsuke Otani, known as Shun, is a Japanese teacher who creates immersion content for learners at the JLPT N5 to N3 levels. His YouTube channel and podcast, "Japanese with Shun," feature travel vlogs and simple discussions where he speaks slowly and clearly, primarily using grammar from the popular Genki textbook series. On his course website, he states he is a certified professional Japanese teacher who has taught over 15,000 lessons.
Credentials & credits
- Certified Professional Japanese Teacher
- Taught over 15,000 lessons
- Host of "Japanese with Shun" podcast (5M+ downloads)
- YouTuber (250k+ Subscribers)
Other ventures
- N5 Perfect Master Immersion Program
- Private Japanese Classes
- Patreon for podcast transcripts
- Japonin Online School
- 7-Day JapaFit Bootcamp
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01Thailand's WILDEST Festival is SO MUCH FUN | Easy Japanese Listening (N5-N4)Jun 27, 2026 · 25 min
- 02【N5-N4】#149 Spare Time / Oyasumi Japanese Podcast for BeginnersJun 26, 2026 · 12 min
- 03A Baby Elephant hugged Me!! / Easy Japanese Listening (N5-N4)Jun 24, 2026 · 35 min
- 04I Spent a Day at a COCONUT FARM in Thailand 🥥 (N5-N4 Japanese)Jun 20, 2026 · 26 min
- 05【N5-N4】Ep268 Colds / Japanese Podcast for BeginnersJun 19, 2026 · 13 min
- 06I went to a Water Park in Thailand 🌊 Easy Japanese Listening (N5-N4)Jun 17, 2026 · 32 min
Notable episodes
- 01Thailand's WILDEST Festival is SO MUCH FUN | Easy Japanese Listening (N5-N4)
A prime example of the immersive, high-energy travel vlog format, showcasing the Songkran festival and the channel's signature on-screen vocabulary teaching style.
- 02A Baby Elephant hugged Me!! / Easy Japanese Listening (N5-N4)
Highlights the personal, narrative style of the vlogs, combining travel adventure with ethical animal tourism and language learning.
- 03【N5-N4】#149 Spare Time / Oyasumi Japanese Podcast for Beginners
Demonstrates the alternative podcast-style format, focusing on a single concept ('sukima jikan') in a calm, monologue-driven episode perfect for listening practice.
What you'll be asked on this show
Vlogs are shot in a first-person POV style, making the viewer feel like a travel companion. Podcast episodes are calm, solo monologues, often with a 'good night' theme. Shun speaks clearly and slowly, and his vlogs feature on-screen text displaying Japanese words, their readings, and English translations.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
- “How was your day?”
- “How was your weekend?”
- “When and where do you listen to this podcast?”
- “What do you do to spend your spare time?”
- “Does your country have a festival like this?”
- “Would you like to try it?”
Signature segments
- · On-screen vocabulary with English translations and pronunciation
- · First-person (POV) travel vlogs
- · Podcast intro: 'Oyasumi, Shun to Nihongo'
- · Concluding vocabulary summary in podcasts
- · Speaking pace aligned with Genki 1 & 2 textbooks
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show is primarily a solo-hosted vlog and monologue series. While occasional collaboration episodes exist, guests are not a regular feature of the main formats.
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The channel is self-sponsored, primarily functioning as a marketing funnel for the host's own digital products. These include the "N5 Perfect Master Immersion Program" course, private lessons, and a Patreon subscription for podcast transcripts.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch this show
People also ask
- What is the host's real name?
- The host's name is Shunsuke Otani.
- What is the format of the show?
- The channel features two main formats: first-person travel vlogs and audio-style podcasts. Both are delivered in slow, easy-to-understand Japanese.
- What level of Japanese is this for?
- The content is aimed at beginner to lower-intermediate learners, specifically those studying for the JLPT N5, N4, and N3, and often uses grammar from the Genki textbooks.
- Where can I find transcripts for the podcast?
- Transcripts for the podcast episodes are available for paying subscribers on his Patreon page.
- Is this channel still active?
- Yes, new episodes are released multiple times per week.
- What are the Genki textbooks?
- Genki is a popular series of textbooks and workbooks widely used in beginner Japanese language courses at universities and schools around the world.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Japanese with Shun on Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [02]Japanese with Shun on YouTubeyoutube.com
- [03]Master N5 Japanese Immersion Programjapanesewithshun.thinkific.com
- [04]Japanese with Shun on Patreonpatreon.com
- [05]Japanese with Shun - RedCircleredcircle.com
- [06]10 best podcasts to learn Japanese in 2026 - Preplypreply.com
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