Ohazassu Podcast

Why do so many people dislike Tokyo? In this episode, I share my thoughts from Nagoya, where I’m filming at a park in the city on a lovely autumn day. Tokyo is so huge that it’s easy to judge the whole place by Shibuya Crossing and packed trains on the Yamanote Line. But just a few stations away, the city can feel completely different. I talk about why I think that gap catches so many visitors off...

G'day guys! In today's episode I'm chatting about how to save money in Japan (and honestly, anywhere). Japan can feel pretty cheap compared to Australia, but the little things sneak up on you if you're not paying attention. If you missed my last video, check out The Unexpected Expenses of Being an Expat in Japan: https://youtu.be/_eHqzvRXWOM Word of the day: ケチ (kechi), which means stingy or tig...

Moving to Japan? Here are the costs nobody warns you about. In this video I go through the unexpected expenses of life as an expat, from emergency flights home to wedding cash gifts. Japan's reputation as a cheap paradise is only half the story. These costs aren't sudden to Japanese people, they're just unknown to the rest of us. Every family is different, so if I've missed something, add it in th...

G'day guys! In today's episode I'm chatting about how to save money in Japan (and honestly, anywhere). Japan can feel pretty cheap compared to Australia, but the little things sneak up on you if you're not paying attention. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

Can you become fluent in Japanese in 3 months? Yeah, nah. I can 100% guarantee it's not happening. So how long DOES it take? In this video I give you my honest, very generalized timeline, based on my own experience and the years I've spent living and working in Japan. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

Learning kanji can feel impossible, especially when a single character can have four, five, even six different readings. In this episode I chat about a few things that helped me over the years: thinking of kanji as words rather than letters, how radicals start to make sense once you know your first hundred or so, why each new kanji makes the next one easier, and the little memory trick I used to s...

Is Nagoya the smartest place to stay in Japan? After about 15 years living here, I think it's one of the most overlooked travel bases in the country. From Nagoya you can reach Kyoto in about 35 minutes, Osaka in about 45, Tokyo in 1 hour 40, and places like Takayama and Matsumoto in around 2 hours. Hotels are usually cheaper than in Tokyo or Osaka, and you still get all the conveniences of a major...

Why does Japanese feel so hard, even after years of study? I break down 5 real reasons so you finally understand what you're actually up against. Coffee tangent and word of the day included. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

After 15 years living in Nagoya, Japan, I've picked up a few habits I never had back in Australia. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

Until around 2017, Twitter (now X) had a character limit of 140 characters. According to the info I've found, that number wasn't just pulled out of a hat; it was chosen because in the past you could tweet from your mobile phone, but there was an SMS limit of 160 characters. They allowed up to 20 characters headroom for the username and ended up with 140. In around 2017, the character limit was dou...

New fees come into effect on October 1, 2026. Please refer to official information below, go to your local immigration office, or consult a professional. Official Japan Govt Website: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/01_00644.html Official Japan Govt Poster (English): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001469199.pdf Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905...

I used to think most loanwords in Japanese came from English. All that changed in around year 9 or 10 when my teacher told me the word we just learned was from German. In this episode I cover a few of the other languages that Japanese has borrowed words from, along with an example or two from each. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/suppo...

That was probably the most amount of rain I've ever seen! Massive delays in Nagoya and surrounding cities today due to heavy rains. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

As an Aussie, I used to think we were the masters of abbreviation. Japan: Hold my beer! Let's check out just how much the Japanese abbreviate their words. It's pretty impressive! In some cases, they even abbreviate their abbreviations. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

Went for my annual health checkup today and thought I'd share a bit of info about the system and what I like about it compared to Australia. As always, there's a Word of the Day at the end of the video as well. Thanks for tuning in! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

Thanks to a recent comment on a previous video about the JLPT reading section, I remembered some additional advice. This mindset really helped me to get through this section without stressing on the details too much. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

Naomi over at  @japanisnowhome  on YouTube asked me this question the other day. Here's my answer. How about you? Do you plan on retiring where you currently are? Or will you move back home someday? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

In Japanese, "more/less than" can be tricky, well it sure was for me! Until I remembered 以 (i) as a symbol for "includes." Does it include or exclude the number mentioned? How about "just over/under" and other ways to express number ranges? Learn all about these while walking around the streets of Nagoya's Fushimi area. Wanna see the video? Check my YouTube channel and look for the same title the...

COVID changed something at work, and I don't know if it's coming back. On a recent Shinkansen ride from Nagoya to Odawara, I found myself reflecting on how much work life has changed over the last few years. Not just remote work or video calls, but the small things that used to happen naturally when people shared the same space. In this episode of Ohazassu, I share some thoughts from the train, ta...

Some days, YouTube analytics can feel… a bit toxic. In this video, I share why metrics like views, watch time, and subscriber counts started affecting my motivation more than I expected, and how it nearly took the fun out of creating. If you’ve ever felt discouraged by low views, stuck in the numbers, or questioning why you even started… you’re not alone. Wanna see the night walk in Sakae? It's on...

Shotengai, cafe culture differences, old signs and more. Full video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/v5q61tWjRZM Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

In this episode of Ohazassu, I share a story from my early days in Japan that still makes me laugh. What should have been a simple driver’s license conversion from Australia turned into a confusing experience at the testing center. The eye test was completely different from what I was used to, and without realizing it, I answered in a way that made things awkward fast. That led to a long and sligh...

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ohazassu-podcast--5905520/support .

Let's talk about the stereotype trap and how I fell right in it. After watching a recent video by Exjapter (link below) who talked about exceptions to rules in Japan, I had a flashback of when I moved here for the first time. I thought I knew Japan and the Japanese people, but soon after getting here I realized that I didn't. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/oha...