Japanese with Ren

How to Use This Site

A short guide to getting the most out of every lesson โ€” whether you have 10 minutes or an hour.

Start where you actually are

What's actually inside a lesson

Every episode is built the same way. Here's what each part is for and why it's there.

  1. 1

    Watch & Transcript

    Watch the full video once for the story, not the grammar. Then rewatch with the bilingual transcript, toggling furigana on or off depending on your level.

  2. 2

    Vocabulary & Expressions

    Real words and phrases pulled straight from the video, each with a plain-language meaning, an example from the video, and โ€” for the trickier ones โ€” a note on exactly when to use it. Not textbook Japanese.

  3. 3

    Vocabulary Flashcards

    Shuffle through the episode's vocabulary, or export it to Anki if you want spaced repetition outside the site.

  4. 4

    Quiz & Fill-in-the-Blank

    Tests recognition first โ€” can you understand the phrase when you see it in context?

  5. 5

    Reverse Challenge

    The harder direction: producing Japanese from an English meaning, with no multiple choice to lean on. This is what actually builds speaking ability.

  6. 6

    AI Conversation Practice

    Copy the ready-made prompt into any AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) and have a short guided conversation using today's phrases โ€” you don't need to read Japanese to get started.

Short on time? Every episode has a 15-minute path built in โ€” Video โ†’ Vocabulary & Expressions โ†’ Flashcards โ†’ Quiz. Look for it near the top of the page.

A simple weekly routine

If you're not sure how to pace yourself, this routine works well for most learners. Pick one episode at your level and spread it across the week:

  • ยทDay 1 โ€” Watch the video and read the transcript once
  • ยทDay 2 โ€” Study the Vocabulary & Expressions section and the Flashcards
  • ยทDay 3 โ€” Quiz and Fill-in-the-Blank
  • ยทDay 4 โ€” Reverse Challenge and AI Conversation Practice
  • ยทDay 5 โ€” Redo the Quiz and Reverse Challenge from memory, no peeking, then leave a Japanese sentence in the YouTube comments

One episode a week, done properly, beats five episodes skimmed. Repetition โ€” not new content โ€” is what actually moves the needle.

Still not sure which episode to start with?

ใ€ŒไปŠๆ—ฅใฏใ„ใ„ๅคฉๆฐ—ใงใ™ใญใ€‚ใ€
If you can read this sentence and roughly understand it, you're ready for N5โ€“N4 episodes.

Otherwise, browse by level or theme and pick whatever looks interesting:

โ† Back to all episodes

Want to practice speaking Japanese?

Book a 30-minute Zoom conversation lesson with Ren โ€” ยฅ1,500 (tax included). Perfect for N5โ€“N3 learners who want to move beyond listening and start speaking.

Book a lesson โ†’