Japanese with Manu

About Japanese with Manu

Hello, I am Manu, and I have been teaching Japanese since 2010. I know the struggles of studying Japanese as a non-native speaker first hand. I have poured my heart and soul into providing my students with the best lessons and study material for a hasslefree learning experience - as well as this podcast :) I am your tour guide. I’m here to give you insider information and show you new sides of the country you probably haven’t heard of before! My own learning journey started with the Nintendo game Super Mario Land. When I was eight years old I read the Club Nintendo magazine and learned that Super Mario was created by Shigeru Miyamoto, a Japanese video game designer. He was my idol back then, and I wanted to marry him. That didn’t happen, but my husband did end up being Japanese. Next, I started watching anime in Japanese. But the subtitles weren’t enough for me and so I started taking Japanese lessons in 2004. However, I was disappointed with the way that Japanese was being taught, and by some of my teachers’ difficulties explaining things to me. I knew there was another way, so I began teaching Japanese myself in 2010, first in German and since 2019 also in English. I live in the Japanese countryside, in the little-known prefecture of Fukui. Even most Japanese people do not know that it is the birthplace of Japan’s most popular rice, koshihikari. If you ever visit Fukui, let me know! I teach Japanese a little differently than you might expect. I have a lot of fun with my students. Within just two months, they learn hiragana, katakana, basic Japanese grammar and their first kanji. After the first class, students tell me, “Now I finally get it! It makes so much more sense now that you’ve explained it simply and clearly like that!” With my explanations I help you avoid the mistakes I made when I was learning Japanese, by structuring explanations in a way that will finally make sense! Looking forward to helping you improve your Japanese with my podcast :) よろしく (yoroshiku - Best regards), マヌ Manu

Publisher

Manuela Ito-Loidl

Category

education · leisure · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Jan 2025

Latest episode

20 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Sept 2026

   The Silver Week

   You might have heard about the Golden Week in May, but did you know that there is also a Silver Week? It's pretty rare - this time is only the third time it happend, due to certain conditions. In this episode I talk about the several public holidays that make up this 5 day off period, how they came into existence, what happens/what people do and all the vocabulary you need to know. You can study Japanese with me by: Booking one-on-one lessons https://japanesewithmanu.com/courses Getting my book "Reading Japanese For Beginners" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DV4NQ3YF Signing up for my newsletter and automatically get a pdf file with all the notes/vocabulary/kanji for every new episode: https://japanesewithmanu.com/newsletter

2. 

   14 Feb 2026

   Meishin - Superstition in Japan

   Superstitions are part of every culture, also in Japan. In this episode I tell you about some of the most widespread superstitions of the Land of the Rising Sun. Most of them are completely different than what you know from your culture. I'll explain every single one of them, including words, phrases and grammar. Would you want to receive the notes/transcript? Simply sign up for my newsletter and receive them in your inbox :) Here's the link: https://www.japanesewithmanu.com/newsletter Do you want to get my book "Reading Japanese for Beginners?" You can order it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DV4NQ3YF It's available on all Amazon marketplaces.

3. 

   23 Dec 2025

   Gift-giving in Japan(ese)

   Giving gifts is a pivotal part of Japanese culture, not only during Christmas. Of course that is also reflected in the Japanese language. In this episode you learn all the grammar and vocabulary for giving and receiving (even if you don't know any Japanese yet), and when it is wise to not give gifts. In the second part of this epsiode, I talk about how Christmas is celebrated in Japan, including useful vocabulary. In the end, you will receive a small present from me :) See/hear you soon - merikuri, yours Manu Sign up for my newsletter and receive the notes from this episode (and 5 free videos for beginners): www.japanesewithmanu.com/newsletter

4. 

   21 Oct 2025

   Koromogae - seasonal wardrobe change

   Today's episode is about koromogae 衣替え the seasonal change of clothing First, I talk about the historical background up till the present, then I will teach you some useful vocabulary that is then used in several example sentences and dialolgues perfect for this topic. I have included sentences and dialogues for beginners and a little more advanced Japanese language learners. In case you want my notes for this episode, sign up for my newsletter. This way, you will also get a free 5 video introduction into the Japanese language, including grammar and the writing system: www.japanesewithmanu.com/newsletter

5. 

   6 Oct 2025

   Tsukimi - The Moon Viewing Celebration

   Learn everything you need to know about the Japanese Moon Viewing celebration. Its historical background, why the Japanese see a rabbit on the moon, when and how you celebrate it - and what people in Japan eat and drink. Would you like the notes and vocabulary list for this episode? Sign up for my newsletter https://japanesewithmanu.com/newsletter and receive it automatically every time I publish a new episode!

6. 

   7 Jul 2025

   Tanabata - the Star Festival

   Manu teaches listeners about Tanabata, the Japanese Star Festival, exploring its background, vocabulary, kanji, and useful sentences for understanding this summer tradition in Japan.

7. 

   27 May 2025

   Tabi no hi - travel day

   Manu discusses Japan's Travel Day on May 16th, sharing background information, essential vocabulary, kanji, and beginner-friendly sentences for travel-related conversations.

8. 

   27 Jan 2025

   How to introduce yourself in Japanese

   Manuela Ito-Loidl teaches listeners how to introduce themselves in Japanese, covering simple to formal greetings and essential language elements.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

364

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 30 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

33

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

0

Contact Japanese with Manu

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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