Japanese Dramas to Learn Japanese
The world has been drawn into the Korean wave or K wave phenomenon. From K-Pop singers to K-drama, almost everyone has heard of or have seen at least one episode of some Korean show or even admired some of the dashing Korean boy band singers. Only recently, Netflix’s exciting and gory “Squid Game” was a worldwide success.
The increase in the global acceptance of South Korean culture since the 90’s initially driven by K-pop and K-dramas across Asia and finally evolving regionally to international spectacle can be attributed to the Internet, social media and the K-pop music videos on YouTube.
Japan has its own fair share of Japanese television dramas (J-drama) or dorama (ドラマ). Japan is undoubtedly known for manga and anime but all major TV networks in the country also produce a variety of drama series from horror, romance, comedy and more. One of the best ways to develop your Japanese listening skills and cultural awareness about Japan is through immersing yourself in Japanese television dramas.
Check out some of the popular J-dramas to practice and learn Japanese:
Tokyo Tarareba Girls – Tokyo Tarareba Musume, literally, ‘”Tokyo ‘What If’ Girls”, is based on a manga series by Akiko Higashimura. A 10-episode series adaptation was broadcast on Nippon TV in 2017 followed by a television special in 2020. The premise of the show is simple and it is pretty easy to follow even without the subtitles.
Erased – Boku dake ga Inai Machi, literally, “The Town Where Only I Am Missing”, is a manga series by Kei Sanbe. A live action film was released in 2016 followed by a live action-drama series released by Netflix in 2017. It’s easy to get caught up this murder mystery and time travel epic and pick up some useful Japanese vocabulary words in the process.
Shinya shokudō – literally meaning “Midnight Diner”, is a Japanese anthology TV series directed by Joji Matsuoka, based on a manga of the same name by Yarō Abe. The story focuses on a diner called Meshiya in Shinjuku district, Tokyo. Its chef known as “Master”, and the lives of his customers. It’s a great way to get to know some of the popular izakaya dishes and learn some philosophical life lessons.
Ore no Kazoku no Hanashi – literally meaning “Story of My Family” is a 2021 family comedy-drama with a modern twist to the more traditional Japanese cultural practices by featuring Noh performances. The series gives us a peak at the diversity of individuals and their relationships with other family members and they all come together amidst life’s adversities. This is for people with a more advanced grasp of the Japanese language.
