John and Friends in Tokyo
Tag along as John's friends help him tackle common daily tasks like shopping, paying the bills, going on dates, and more.
This fun series is presented entirely via dialog that is realistic but also easy to follow. It's a great way to become more familiar with the kinds of patterns you might hear among friends, including common speech contractions, hesitation words, good-natured teasing, and more. As always, our friendly notes help break down potentially tricky spots so that you can understand what you hear and incorporate it into your own speech. (Ongoing)
Episode 1
Fashion-challenged John asks for a little wardrobe help from friend Satoko.
Notes: This episode contains lots of useful planning vocabulary, like words that mean "in that case," "to begin with," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers |  |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 3130 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 531 |
Episode 2
As they navigate the shopping center, Satoko digs for information on John's dating life.
Notes: This episode contains a note on the use of the word ko to refer to adults, one on using nai with the suffix -sou, and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 1081 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 202 |
Pro
Episode 3
John explains what he's looking for and gets some help from a friendly salesperson.
Notes: This episode contains several examples of a way of making an ordinary verb more polite, as well as lots of good vocabulary and patterns related to clothing.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 594 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 108 |
Pro
Episode 4
John gets down to the business of trying on clothes as Satoko teases him.
Notes: This episode contains a note that explains how to use proverbs in sentences, as well as one on a pattern for suggesting a course of action.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 414 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 71 |
Pro
Episode 5
John and Satoko debate the merits of tight versus roomy clothing.
Notes: This episode has notes that look at several important patterns, including the -te aru pattern and the adjective stem + -me pattern.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 330 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 66 |
Pro
Episode 6
Done with their shopping, John and Satoko figure out where to eat.
Notes: This episode contains a long note on the use of -doori to mean "exactly in accordance with (the preceding noun)," a note on the kekkou that means "quite," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 220 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 39 |
Pro
Episode 7
John and Satoko pore over their menus.
Notes: This episode contains a note on a service-industry equivalent of desu, a way of saying something appears in print, and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 190 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 24 |
Pro
Episode 8
John and Satoko complete the task of deciding what to order.
Notes: This episode reviews the difference between kimeru and kimaru, looks at an unexpected use of a word that looks like it might mean "service," and more.
| Editions | Status | Total Readers | |
| With Sound Effects | Unread | 118 | |
| Voice Only | Unread | 18 |