Unusual but Brilliant Ways to Improve Your Japanese (That Actually Work!)

Unusual Way to Learn Japanese?

The other day, I was watching a YouTube video of one of Japan’s most loved female comedian duos, Harisenbon, where they had a guest from South Korea: Si-kyung Sung.

You may know him from his foodie Netflix series “K-foodie Meets J-foodie” alongside Japan’s beloved Goro-san (from the drama Solitary Gourmet, acted by Yutaka Matsushige).

While watching, I couldn’t help but wonder: How did Si-kyung Sung become so fluent in Japanese?

His rich vocabulary, natural expressions, and ability to connect so effortlessly in conversation truly impressed me.

Then, on Harisenbon’s YouTube channel, he shared one of his learning methods. And it was rather unusual…

He studied Japanese through 漫談 (まんだん / mandan) – a traditional form of Japanese comic monologue. [Take a look here!]

Not anime. Not dramas. Not manga. Mandan!

What is 漫談 (mandan)?

漫談 is a form of stand-up style performance where a storyteller (often a comedian) talks alone on stage, weaving stories full of humour, cultural references, and wordplay. Unlike 落語 (らくご), which is more structured, 漫談 feels free-flowing and conversational.

Sung mentioned he watched a performance of 綾小路きみまろ (Kimimaro Ayanokōji), whose mandan performances are especially popular among older female audiences. Through this, he picked up:

• 日本のユーモア (Japanese humour)
• 色々な表現 (various expressions)
• 会話の間の取り方 (timing your pauses in conversation)

Pretty clever, isn’t it?

Watch the full video here (I highly recommend it for natural, polite Japanese conversation).

Yoshie’s Unusual Method

As for me, when improving my English listening and shadowing, I found myself watching YouTube channels like Eleanor Neale’s true crime storytelling. Her way of narrating stories—with suspense, detail, and flow—was the kind of storytelling skill I wanted to develop.

Now, I must admit, I’m not great with handling violent or scary content! But for some reason, this type of storytelling helped me sharpen my listening, intonation, and speaking skills.

🙏 If you know of any YouTube channel where they tell uplifting or fun stories instead of scary ones, do hit reply and let me know.

Other Unusual but Effective Ways to Boost Your Japanese

Here are some methods that might sound unusual but are surprisingly effective:

Learn from Japanese TV Commercials (CMs)

Japanese commercials are short, catchy, and packed with everyday expressions. They’re also great for learning emphasis, tone, and persuasive language.

How to use it:

1. Watch 1–2 CMs per day and repeat the lines out loud.
2. Notice patterns, tone changes, and filler words.
3. Try using the same phrasing in casual conversations.

Examples:

• 「やっぱり〇〇は最高！」 (As expected, 〇〇 is the best!)
  E.g. やっぱり風呂上がりのビールは最高！
• 「〇〇といえば、これが一番だね。」 (When it comes to 〇〇, this is the best, isn’t it?)
  E.g. 旅関係のYouTuberといえば、この人が一番だね。
• 「今なら〇〇だよ。」 (Right now, it’s 〇〇.)
  E.g. 今なら10%オフだよ。

Tip:

Pick commercials that match your interests—snacks, tech, lifestyle—so it’s fun and motivating.

Narrate Photos on Your Phone

Scroll through your photo gallery and describe the pictures out loud in Japanese. This works because photos are from your life, so the vocabulary and sentences are directly useful to you.

Example with a food photo:

• 「これ、昨日のランチ。めちゃくちゃ美味しかった！」 (This was yesterday’s lunch. It was super delicious!)
• 「これ、私の姪っ子。3歳になったばっかりなんだけど、最近おしゃべりが上手になってきて本当に可愛い。」 (This is my niece. She’s just turned three, and lately she’s started chatting away so well—absolutely adorable.)

This way, you build the language you’d actually use when telling someone about your day or sharing photos in conversation.

Re-create LINE Messages in Japanese

Take a real conversation you had on WhatsApp, Slack, or email and turn it into Japanese-style casual LINE messages.

Examples:

• 「今どこ？」 (Where are you now?)
• 「了解！またあとで連絡するね。」 (Got it! I’ll message you later.)
• 「お疲れさま！今日は大変だったね。」 (Thanks for your hard work! Today was tough, wasn’t it?)

This is brilliant because you’re practising phrases you will definitely use, not just hypothetical textbook ones.

Your Turn

Not all learning has to come from textbooks or JLPT prep. Sometimes it’s the unexpected approaches—like mandan, true-crime storytelling, or narrating your photos—that give your Japanese the spark it needs!

So, I’ll leave you with today’s challenge:

💪 Try one unusual method this week, and see how it changes the way you listen, speak, and connect in Japanese. Good luck!