There’s no doubt that indulging Japanese media is an effective (and fun) way to improve your language skills. But with so many options available, it could be tricky knowing which ones are best for study, and how to make best use of them as language learning tools. Here’s how to use Japanese drama to learn Japanese and improve your Japanese comprehension, listening, and speaking skills.
Benefits of using Japanese drama to learn Japanese
The merit of using Japanese drama to learn Japanese is that you will hear native Japanese that people use in daily conversation. While other forms of entertainment, such as music and anime, are also helpful for learning vocabulary, nothing beats dramas for practical conversation skills.
Japanese dramas are short (usually 40-50 minutes in length), so they’re easy to incorporate into your daily study habits. Dramas also tend to use more common expressions, regardless of genre. You’ll hear a variety of alternative expressions related to school, work, relationships, outings with friends, and more. You’ll also hear different types of speech, such as keigo (honorific language) and gendered expressions.
Just like any kind of study, you won’t improve overnight. Even this requires commitment and consistency. I recommend watching one episode every day if you can, while dedicating at least three of those days to using the study tips below.
The difference between Japanese dramas and anime
Disclaimer: I’m not bashing anime or saying you shouldn’t watch it to learn Japanese. Many people have significantly improved their vocabulary range by watching popular anime series. However, there are significant differences between anime and Japanese dramas that do matter in terms of studying Japanese for real-life application.
The first difference is content. Naturally, as cartoons, many popular anime are loaded with crazy, fantastical elements that people (usually!) don’t talk about in daily life. Monsters and demons, superpowers, and adventures through magical lands are certainly fun to watch, but won’t really teach you much about handling workplace situations.
Then you have the speakers. Anime characters are voiced by professional voice actors who speak with exaggerated tones and expressions. Real-world Japanese, however, can be more difficult to pick up. It’s not uncommon to hear of students who understood everything they heard in an anime, yet struggled to understand Japanese friends and teachers when they spoke. [3]
(If you’re a fan of anime, manga, or fantasy in general, you may be pleased to learn that there are a number of Japanese dramas based on popular genre series).
How to select a Japanese drama to learn Japanese
While it’s great to watch a variety of shows and dramas just for fun, you should be intentional when using Japanese drama to learn Japanese. Here are some tips for selecting a good study drama.
First, select a genre that actually interests you. An article on a Japanese study blog, 外国人におすすめのドラマを活用した日本語勉強法 (Japanese Study Methods Using Recommended Dramas for Foreigners) recommends picking a series you’ll enjoy enough to go back and watch again, as you will need to watch it more than once for effective study. [1]
Next, pay attention to small details, such as settings and characters. Things like location, age, and gender will affect what type of Japanese you will hear. For example, Japanese dramas set in countryside towns may use a different dialect. (Ama-chan, a popular drama from 2013 about a young ama, or female free diver, notably used the Tohoku dialect). [4] Historical dramas will have plenty of old and outdated expressions. Elderly characters may also speak differently, and men and women tend to use gendered speech.
Finally, decide what level of Japanese you want to practice (beginner, intermediate, advanced), and select one based on a storyline that reflects your level and goals.
Pick A Japanese drama that reflects your level
For the following section, please consider your level as how well you can understand a drama without subtitles in your native language. Of course, any level can enjoy any of the genres below, but for the purpose of effective study, aim for a drama that you can understand at least 50-60% without native language subtitles. (You will be using Japanese subtitles).
Beginner
The article above recommends comedy for beginners. Comedy dramas (especially romance comedies) usually have easy-to-understand plots with plenty of funny dialogues to keep you entertained, making episodes easy to follow along with and watch multiple times. (Of course, if you’re not a fan of comedy general, picking something that interests you will have the same effect). I also recommend slice-of-life and family dramas.
Intermediate
Intermediate learners can benefit from comedies and slice-of-life dramas as well. But now you can expand your range to include more complex jokes (such as wordplay and Japanese puns) and topics. You may also be able to enjoy mysteries with simple plots. Although not technically dramas, you may be able to understand variety shows, as well.
Advanced
Advanced learners may consider more niche genres to learn technical words, uncommon expressions, and honorific speech. I recommend historical, medical, and legal dramas, as well as mysteries and crime-solving dramas with complex storylines. Although not technically dramas, documentaries are great options, too.
Genre/Topic Recommendations in a Nutshell:
- Beginner: comedy (no wordplay), slice of life, family, educational
- Intermediate: comedy (with wordplay), work place, variety, some fantasy, some mystery (with easy plots)
- Advanced: niche/abstract topics, legal, medical, historical, crime-solving, complicated mysteries
Note: Are you Intermediate or Advanced?
For many people, it’s easier to distinguish the division between beginner and intermediate, versus intermediate and advanced. For the purpose of this article, consider intermediate as the level where you can understand some business speech and most daily life topics. Advanced is where you can understand business speech (including keigo), as well as some graduate-level academics, history, politics, and abstract concepts (such as art).
Practical study methods using Japanese drama to learn Japanese
Here is my recommended order of study when using Japanese drama to learn Japanese. Keep in mind you will watch your selected drama or episode three or four times, so pick one that interests you to avoid getting bored! Each time you rewatch it, you will focus on something new.
Round One: Vocabulary Practice With Japanese Subtitles
The first time you watch your series, use Japanese subtitles to help you understand the story, as well as introduce new words. For beginners, you may want to watch it with subtitles in your native language first before moving on to Japanese subtitles. For intermediate and advanced learners, I recommend sticking to the Japanese subtitles as much as possible. Only switch to your native language if an overly-complicated scene hinders your understanding of the plot. But once you understand, switch right back to Japanese!
Watching Japanese dramas with subtitles in our native language can sometimes make us lazy, to the point we stop paying attention to the Japanese without even noticing! Watching with Japanese subtitles, however, prevents over-reliance on instant comprehension. Your brain has to work a little harder to process and translate the speech in your head, and if you don’t know a word, the subtitles won’t bail you out. When this happens, pause the video and look it up! I recommend using the imiwa? app. You can also create vocabulary lists and organize new words by category or drama.
Round Two: Listening Practice Without Subtitles
The second time, watch it again with no subtitles at all. This will be a test of your listening skills. Since you’ve already watched it once, you should already understand the plot, and may even remember some lines. Pay attention to grammatical structures, which can be more difficult to follow without translations or a script. Also note the speakers’ tone, as well as gendered and honorific speech.
Round Three: Shadowing for Natural Speech
In our final round, we’re going to practice speaking with shadowing, or repeating the dialogue out loud. You don’t have to repeat every single line, of course, but aim to practice dialogues that use difficult grammar patterns, common expressions, and honorific/workplace speech. This is a good way to train your brain to remember patterns not only passively, but to actively produce them. I also recommend practicing long sentences and paying attention to conjunctions and particles to learn how to formulate complex sentences.
The following shadowing method comes from the article, 日本語おすすめの聞く練習のやりかた (Recommended Japanese Listening Practice). [5]
Set your video to display Japanese subtitles. Pick a scene, and pause before the actor speaks, but where subtitles are visible. Read them out loud to the best of your ability. (Extra points if you record yourself and play it back). Next, play the video and listen carefully. Then pause again, consciously imitating the speaker, focusing on intonation, accent, etc. Repeat as often as you need until it feels and sounds natural. This helps perfect tone and accent, as well as familiarize yourself with speech variations that differ by mood, attitude, gender, and situation.
Another conversation practice method I like to use is role play response. I mentioned this in my previous article, Learn to Speak Japanese (Without Going to Japan). Roleplay as one of the characters, and change the dialogue by giving alternative responses to the conversation. While this may be more difficult to measure on your own in terms of correcting yourself, it’s a good opportunity to practice thinking in Japanese and formulating different responses. If you want to correct yourself, you can always record yourself and check it later!
11 Japanese Drama Recommendations by Level and Genre
Here are some recommended Japanese dramas for study, based on content and language level. I include some currently popular series that you can watch on Netflix, as well as some other oldies-but-goodies. (These may be harder to find online but I promise, they’re worth it!)
Available on Netflix
1. Followers
Genre: Slice of life, romance, drama
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
This Netflix original follows the lives of several Tokyo women who cross paths after a viral social media post. It’s set in Tokyo, so you’ll hear plenty of standard Japanese, and may even pick up some social media slang!
2. Dad of Light
Genre: Family, drama
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
In this adorable family drama, a father and son rekindle their bond by playing online RPG, Final Fantasy XIV.
3. Kotaro Lives Alone (コタローは1人暮らし) (2021)
Genre: Slice of life
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
A single manga author befriends his five-year-old neighbor, Kotaro, who happens to live alone. Based on manga series, Kotaro wa Hitorigurashi by Mami Tsumura.
4. Midnight Diner and Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (2009, 2019)
Genre: Slice of life, drama
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
A mysterious chef listens to the interesting stories of his customers. Each episode tells a different story, so you can easily rewatch your favorites. Speech levels may vary, so I recommend it for all levels.
5. Alice in Borderland (2020)
Genre: Survival, thriller
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
A recently popular survival series based on a manga. A gamer finds himself in an abandoned city and is forced to compete in a survival game. (Think Squid Game or Battle Royale).
Not On Netflix (But Definitely Worth Watching If You Can!)
6. Nihonjin No Shiranai Nihongo (日本人の知らない日本語/Japanese That Japanese People Don’t Know)
Genre: Comedy, school, language
Level: All
This fun story explores the difficulties of language learning as a foreign student. Each episode teaches a new Japanese lesson. Because lessons vary in difficulty, I recommend this series for all levels.
7. Hanzawa Naoki (半沢直樹) (2013, 2020)
Genre: Financial, business
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
This popular drama follows a banker aiming to climb the ranks of one of the top banks in the country. Plenty of business speech and financial lingo.
8. 99.9: Keiji Senmon Bengoshi (99.9刑事専門弁護士/99.9 Criminal Lawyer) (2016)
Genre: Crime, legal
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
This drama explores Japan’s crime scene and its 99.9% conviction rate. Each episode features an exciting mystery, full of advanced vocabulary.
9. Ouroboros (2015)
Genre: Mystery, crime, suspense, thriller
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Two men from two completely different worlds (one is a detective, the other runs a mafia) join forces to solve a murder mystery. Great for intermediate and advanced learners.
10. Kekkon Dekinai Otoko (結婚できない男/The Man Who Can’t Get Married) (2006)
Genre: Comedy, romance, slice of life
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
This personal favorite follows a single man who struggles with personal and romantic relationships, continually rejecting his family’s pressure to marry. While beginners may enjoy, the main character tends to ramble at length about a variety of niche topics, so intermediate and advanced learners may get more out of it.
11. Densha Otoko (電車男/Train Man) (2005)
Genre: Comedy, romance
Level: All
A classic series based on an allegedly true story of an otaku man who saves a woman from a harasser on the train. [7] It follows their developing relationship through his anonymous forum posts and interactions with a variety of other otaku. Good for all levels.
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Sources
[1] 外国人におすすめのドラマを活用した日本語勉強法. Japan Working Holiday & Study Abroad
[2] 日本語勉強中の外国人におすすめの日本のドラマ10選｜勉強に役立つ日本ドラマとは？無料動画配信も. 日本語/幼児教育 覚書
[3] 日本語の勉強に外国人にオススメのドラマ！上達の近道とは？. WBS話題ビジネスサテライト
[4] 「あまちゃん」のじぇじぇ（jjj）! だけじゃない [驚き方言いろいろ]. 日刊Spa
[5] 日本語おすすめの聞く練習のやりかた. Kaji
[6] ドラマを使った語彙・漢字学習. Princeton.edu
[7] Densha Otoko. Wikipedia
