Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki: Tokyo vs Kansai Podcast

Welcome to Episode 14 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki shares another classic mishap from her foreign intern: he proudly texted his family back home "I'm living in a MANSION in Japan!" and they FREAKED OUT — "Did you suddenly get rich?!" "Did you find a wife?!" "Did you become a CEO?!" Because in English, "man...

Welcome to Episode 13 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki shares another classic mishap from her foreign intern: at his first onsen in Hakone, he tried to jump straight into the bathtub like a pool — and an old man yelled "Wash your body first!" Then he tried to soak his towel in the water, and got scolded a SECOND time! "That ojisan is a god,&qu...

Welcome to Episode 12 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki shares another classic mishap from her foreign intern: at his first izakaya visit, the staff brought a small dish to his table without him ordering anything — and at checkout, he was charged 500 yen for it! "Why do I have to pay for food I didn't order?!" he panicked. Haruka breaks down one...

Welcome to Episode 11 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki shares another mishap from her foreign intern: he ate ramen elegantly and silently like a French dish — and the ramen shop owner came over worried, asking "Is it not tasty?" Because in Japan, silent eating sends the WRONG message. Haruka breaks down one of the most fascinating contradictions in...

Welcome to Episode 10 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki's foreign intern returns with another classic mishap: he answered "daijoubu desu" to EVERY question his boss asked — "Can you handle this project?" "Want to grab lunch?" "Need help?" All "daijoubu desu." His boss finally said, "I can't tell i...

Welcome to Episode 9 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki shares a classic Tokyo-vs-Kansai miscommunication: she replied "ikeraa iku wa" (I'll come if I can) to a Tokyo friend's invitation — only to find out 3 days later that her friend already booked the restaurant! In Kansai, "I'll come if I can" almost always means "I'...

elcome to Episode 8 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki's foreign intern returns with yet another mishap: he's been using "Sorry," "Thank you," and "Excuse me" all in English at the Japanese office — and refuses to believe Saki when she tells him all three situations can be handled with one single Japanese word: 「すみませ...

Welcome to Episode 7 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki's foreign intern strikes again at a birthday party — he shouted "FIGHT!" when the birthday girl picked up the cake knife, and the whole room froze like a horror scene! To him, it was encouragement. To everyone else… it sounded like a threat. Haruka breaks down the real Japanese way of cheeri...

Welcome to Episode 6 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki's foreign intern coworker returns with another hilarious mishap: during a meeting, he whispered "Saki, you're being noisy" when she was just doing what every Japanese person does — giving aizuchi (conversational reactions). To him, it sounded like constant interruption. Haruka breaks dow...

Welcome to Episode 5 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki shares a very Japanese moment: at her first lunch with a senior coworker, she pulled her wallet in and out THREE times trying to figure out who should pay! When the senior offered to treat her, she instinctively refused — and that refusal was actually the polite thing to do. Haruka breaks down two essenti...

Welcome to Episode 4 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki shares another funny mishap from her foreign intern coworker: he sent "I'm coming! 今から会社に来ます！" on LINE — a direct translation from English that left everyone confused! Haruka breaks down one of the biggest hidden differences between English and Japanese: while English picks verbs b...

Welcome to Episode 3 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki shares a very relatable rookie mistake: while on a business call, she accidentally told a client "buchou ga irasshaimasu" — a polite-sounding phrase that actually elevated her own boss to an outsider! Haruka breaks down one of the biggest traps for both Japanese learners and new employees: the d...

Welcome to Episode 2 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, Saki tells us about a foreign intern at her office whose Japanese is really good… except he starts almost every sentence with "watashi wa". It sounds a little "off" to Japanese ears — but why? Haruka breaks down one of the biggest secrets of natural Japanese: speakers drop the subject and l...

Welcome to Episode 1 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙 In this episode, we talk about our new lives as working adults and a funny communication breakdown that happened to Saki at the office because of her Kansai dialect (the word "naosu"). 【Today's Vocabulary / 今日の言葉】 ・訛り (なまり) - accent/dialect ・通じる (つうじる) - to be understood / get through ・なん...