Japanese Daily News
A daily Japanese news podcast designed for learners. Each episode covers a real news story with vocabulary breakdowns, grammar notes, and practice quizzes. Hosted by Maya.
エピソード
EP 087: 日本三大祭りの一つ「天神祭」が大阪で開催
Tonight in Osaka, one of Japan's three biggest festivals reaches its main night, with a parade of about one hundred boats on the river and three thousand fireworks. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 086: サッカー日本代表の次期監督に大岩剛氏が就任へ
Today's story is from the world of football. The Japan Football Association has chosen Go Oiwa as the next manager of the national team, with an unusual half-year handover plan. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 085: 皇居千鳥ヶ淵で夏の夜の「灯ろう流し」
This week, on two summer evenings, about two thousand glowing lanterns floated on the moat of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 084: 新型ロケット「イプシロンS」の燃焼試験が成功
Today's story is about space. Japan's new small rocket Epsilon S passed its last big engine test this morning, after two explosions had delayed the project for years. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 083: 神戸どうぶつ王国でマヌルネコの赤ちゃん5匹を公開
Five fluffy kittens of a rare wild cat have just made their public debut at an animal park in Kobe. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 082: スピードスケートの高木美帆さんに国民栄誉賞
Today's story comes from the world of sports. The Japanese government has officially decided to give the People's Honor Award to speed skater Miho Takagi, who won ten Olympic medals — the most ever by a Japanese female athlete. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 081: 夏の祝日「海の日」、全国の海がにぎわう
This week started with a national holiday in Japan — Marine Day, a day to thank the sea. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 080: 慶応大学のiPS脊髄損傷治療、最長4年で長期の安全性を確認
Today's story comes from medical science. Keio University reported that its clinical study transplanting cells made from iPS cells into spinal cord injury patients showed no serious side effects over the long term. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 079: 東京・池袋の「サンシャイン水族館」が『熱中症対策2026』を発表
Japan is having a very hot summer, and it's not only people who suffer. An aquarium in Tokyo has shared how it keeps its animals cool. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 078: 日本の小惑星探査機「はやぶさ2」が小惑星「トリフネ」のフライバイに成功
Today's story comes from space. Japan's asteroid probe Hayabusa2 just pulled off a high-speed, super-close flyby of a small asteroid nicknamed Torifune. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 077: 和歌山の「アドベンチャーワールド」でオウサマペンギンの赤ちゃんが誕生
Today's story is a cute one. A baby king penguin was just born at a theme park in Wakayama, and visitors can already come and see it. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 076: 日本初の「水素ハイブリッド電車」HYBARIが2027年度末に営業運転へ
Japan's first hydrogen-powered train is finally heading into passenger service. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 075: 高級ぶどう「ルビーロマン」が金沢で初競り、一房100万円
Today's story is a fun one about a very special grape called Ruby Roman, which just sold at auction in Kanazawa for a jaw-dropping price. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 074: 皇族の数を確保するための改正皇室典範が成立
Japan's parliament has revised the Imperial House Law for the first time in nearly eighty years, aiming to secure the number of imperial family members. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 073: 日本の広い範囲で梅雨明け、厳しい暑さに
The rainy season is ending early across much of Japan, and a serious heat wave is on the way, so today's story is about staying safe in the summer heat. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 072: 日本人で初めてノーベル生理学・医学賞を受賞した生物学者の利根川進さんが死去
Japan's first Nobel laureate in medicine, a biologist whose discovery changed how we understand the body, has passed away at eighty-six. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 071: 東京の夏の風物詩「隅田川花火大会」が今年も開催へ
One of Tokyo's most famous summer fireworks festivals is coming again this month. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 070: 国内のEV（電気自動車）乗用車の販売台数が前年同期比で2倍余に
Sales of electric cars in Japan have more than doubled in the first half of this year. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 069: 福井県の鯖江市西山動物園でレッサーパンダの双子が誕生
Here's some heart-warming news from a zoo in Fukui: red panda twins have been born there, the first red panda babies at that zoo in four years. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 068: 大リーグの大谷翔平が日米通算350号ホームランを達成
Baseball star Shohei Ohtani has set another milestone, reaching three hundred fifty career home runs across Japan and the major leagues. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 067: 京都の夏の風物詩「祇園祭」が本番へ
In Kyoto, one of Japan's most famous festivals, the Gion Festival, is reaching its peak this month, and its giant floats have just been built. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 066: 三菱UFJの時価総額が初めて日本一に
Japan's biggest banking group has just become the country's most valuable company for the first time, passing Toyota. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 065: 広島市の安佐動物公園で初めてチーターの赤ちゃんが誕生
Here's some happy news from a zoo in Hiroshima: for the very first time, a cheetah has given birth to four cubs there. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 064: 選挙中のSNSの偽情報対策の改正法が成立
Japan's parliament has just passed a new law to fight fake information on social media during elections. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 063: 和歌山・白浜のアドベンチャーワールドがコウテイペンギン19羽の名前を募集
Here's a cute animal story from western Japan. A theme park is asking everyone to help name its emperor penguins. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 062: 2026年7月の飲食料品の値上げは2566品目
Tonight, a look at Japan's rising food prices, and the global forces pushing them up. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 061: 東京・浅草寺で夏の風物詩「四万六千日・ほおずき市」
Here's a bright summer story from Tokyo: an old festival where a temple fills up with little orange plants and the gentle sound of wind chimes. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 060: 使わなくなったスマホやパソコンを宅配便・引っ越し業者が回収
Here's a story about turning old gadgets into treasure: Japan is testing a new way to collect used phones and computers using delivery trucks. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 059: 富山市ファミリーパークで、国の特別天然記念物ニホンライチョウのひな7羽がふ化
Here's a heartwarming animal story from central Japan. At a park in Toyama, seven chicks of a very rare mountain bird have just hatched. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 058: 大型で非常に強い台風9号が沖縄・先島諸島に接近
A large, very powerful typhoon is bearing down on Okinawa's southern islands right now. Today's story is about the warnings and what people there are being told to do. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 057: 東京の夏の風物詩「第49回 隅田川花火大会」が7月25日に開催
Summer in Japan means festivals and fireworks. Today's story is about one of Tokyo's most famous fireworks festivals, coming up later this month. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 056: 日本を出るときに払う「出国税」が7月1日から3000円に 1000円から3倍に値上げ、観光地の混雑対策の財源へ
Here's a story for anyone who travels abroad: from this month, the tax you pay when you leave Japan has gone up. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 055: 近畿・中国・九州北部で梅雨明け 気象庁が発表、平年より11日早く これから本格的な夏へ、熱中症に注意
Here's a weather story that tells you summer has truly arrived. In much of western Japan, the long rainy season has just ended, earlier than usual, and hot days are on the way. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 054: 探査機「はやぶさ2」が小惑星「トリフネ」に無事フライバイ成功
Here's a story from space. Japan's asteroid probe just flew right past a small asteroid, and the mission also helps develop technology to protect the Earth. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 053: 夏の「土用の丑の日」は今年7月26日 うなぎを食べる習慣に向け、スーパーやお店で予約が始まる
Here's a tasty summer story. Japan has a special midsummer day when people eat eel to beat the heat. This year that day is coming soon, and shops have started taking reservations. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 052: リニア中央新幹線、静岡県の知事が県内での着工を容認 大井川の水めぐる問題に区切り、2036年の開業へ前進
There's big news about the maglev bullet train. The governor of Shizuoka has finally approved construction in his prefecture, and the whole project can now move forward. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 051: 2026年の富士山の登山シーズンが始まる、今年から全ルートで一人4000円が必要に 安全のための新ルール
Japan's climbing season for Mount Fuji has just begun, and this year every route has new rules — including a fee for everyone who climbs. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 050: 2026年の路線価が発表、全国平均が2.9%上昇で現行方式で過去最大の伸び 地方やリゾート地にも波及
Japan's National Tax Agency just released this year's official land values, and prices rose nationwide by the most in over a decade. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 049: すみだ水族館で今年生まれたペンギンの赤ちゃん2羽が、今日から順番に「プールデビュー」
At an aquarium in Tokyo, two baby penguins born this spring are about to swim in front of visitors for the very first time. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 048: 大企業の今年の夏のボーナスが平均100万円を超え、初めて大台突破で過去最高に 経団連第1回集計
Japan's big companies just posted their highest summer bonuses on record, topping one million yen on average for the first time ever. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 047: 埼玉・飯能のムーミンバレーパークで夏の水遊びイベント開幕、「ニョロニョロ」のスコールで涼しく
At a Moomin theme park in Saitama, near Tokyo, a summer water event began yesterday. After a rumble of thunder, a sudden downpour falls from above, and everyone cools off. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 046: 神奈川・藤沢市がGPS発信機付きライフジャケットの無料貸出を開始、海水浴場では全国初
The city of Fujisawa, near Tokyo, has started lending out life jackets with built-in GPS trackers at its beaches this summer. For a public beach in Japan, it's a first. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 045: 神奈川・平塚で「湘南ひらつか七夕まつり」が今日開幕、3日間で日本有数の夏祭り
In Hiratsuka, a city in Kanagawa near Tokyo, one of Japan's biggest star festivals opens today, with about a hundred giant paper decorations lining the streets. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 044: 気象庁が40度以上の日を「酷暑日」と決定、今年の夏の天気予報から使用
Japan's weather agency has created a new word for days when the temperature climbs past forty degrees, and forecasts will start using it this summer. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 043: 東京・日本科学未来館で「大南極展」開幕、南極観測70年を記念
A big new exhibition about Antarctica opens in Tokyo today, celebrating seventy years of Japanese research at the South Pole. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 042: 2025年の出生数が過去最少の67万人、出生率も過去最低の1.14に
Japan's government has announced that the number of babies born last year fell to a new record low. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 041: 明日から京都で祇園祭が始まる、1か月続く日本有数の夏祭り
Tomorrow, one of Japan's most famous summer festivals begins in Kyoto. It runs for the whole month of July. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 040: 横浜の米軍根岸住宅地区が79年ぶりに日本へ返還、市は跡地活用を検討
After seventy-nine years, the Negishi Housing Area used by the U.S. military in Yokohama has been returned to Japan. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 039: 明日7月1日、富士山が山開き、今年も全ルートで入山料4000円
Tomorrow, July first, the climbing season opens on Mount Fuji, and this year again every route charges an entry fee. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 038: 日本がワールドカップでブラジルに逆転負け、近鉄京都線が全線再開、九州南部で激しい雨のおそれ
Japan loses to Brazil at the World Cup after leading, the Kintetsu Kyoto Line reopens fully, and heavy rain threatens southern Kyushu. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 037: 沖縄が梅雨明け、ワールドカップ決勝トーナメントの32チーム決定、京都駅で電車が脱線
Okinawa's rainy season ends, the thirty-two teams for the World Cup knockout round are decided with Japan set to face Brazil, and a train derails at Kyoto Station with no injuries. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 036: ワールドカップの32チームが決定、狛江市長選で松原氏が3選、自衛隊が南鳥島にミサイル配備
The thirty-two teams for the World Cup knockout round are set, Mr. Matsubara wins a third term as mayor of Komae, and the Self-Defense Forces deploy missiles to Minami-Torishima island. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 035: 台風8号が関東に上陸、阪神が4日ぶりに試合、東京市場で半導体株が下落
Typhoon number eight makes landfall in the Kanto region, the Hanshin baseball team finally plays after four days of rain, and semiconductor stocks fall sharply in Tokyo. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 034: 両陛下がベルギーから帰国、2つの台風が関東に接近、東京の小学校で火事
The Emperor and Empress return home from Belgium, two typhoons approach the Kanto region, and a fire breaks out at a Tokyo elementary school. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 033: 青森県でM6地震、新幹線が中断、日経平均が反発、モロッコがワールドカップで勝利
An earthquake hits Aomori Prefecture, bullet trains are stopped, the stock market bounces back, and Morocco wins a World Cup game. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 032: 台風7号が沖縄に接近、任天堂の株価が下落、小児がん薬が足りなくなる
Three big stories: Typhoon number seven is heading toward Okinawa, Nintendo's stock price is falling, and there's a shortage of childhood cancer medicines. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 031: ベルギーの国王夫妻が来日、皇居で晩餐会
The King and Queen of Belgium are visiting Japan, and the Emperor and Empress held a special dinner for them. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 030: 高校生の就職が好調、仕事の数が過去最高に
For high-school students looking for work, this is the best job market on record — there are more openings than ever. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 029: 中国がタングステンの輸出を制限、日本に影響
China is limiting exports of a metal called tungsten, and that's a worry for Japanese makers of phones and chips. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 028: 民泊のルールが変わります、近所のトラブル増えて
Japan is changing the rules for private lodging — renting out homes to travelers — after a rise in trouble with the neighbors. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 027: 日本銀行が金利を1%に上げました
The Bank of Japan has raised its interest rate to one percent — something we haven't seen in a very long time. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 026: 鶏肉の値段が過去最高に、円安が原因
The price of chicken in Japan has climbed to its highest level on record — and a weaker yen is a big part of the reason. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 025: 群馬・埼玉で震度5弱の地震、津波の心配なし
On the evening of the sixteenth, a strong earthquake hit the Kanto region near Tokyo. Two prefectures felt a level five-weak quake, but there was no danger of a tsunami. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 024: サッカーW杯、日本がオランダと2対2で引き分け
Japan played its first match at the World Cup, against one of the strongest teams in the world, the Netherlands — and came from behind twice to earn a hard-fought draw. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 023: 全日本大学野球、関西大が54年ぶり優勝
In college baseball, the team from Kansai University won the national championship — their first title in fifty-four years. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 022: スペースX、史上最大のIPOで上場
Yesterday, Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX went public on the American stock market, and it raised about twelve trillion yen — the largest amount in history. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 021: イランへの攻撃中止で、株価が大きく上がる
Tokyo's stock market had a huge day — Japan's main stock index jumped more than twenty-five hundred yen at one point, after an announcement from Washington eased fears about a conflict in the Middle East. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 020: 日本の多くの場所で梅雨入り
日本の多くの場所で梅雨入り Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 019: サッカーワールドカップ、あす開幕
The soccer World Cup kicks off tomorrow in North America — and this one is the biggest in history. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 018: 任天堂が「ニンテンドーダイレクト」を放送
Tonight, Nintendo is holding one of its famous Direct broadcasts, where they reveal new games to fans all around the world. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 017: 6月4日〜10日は「歯と口の健康週間」
This week, from the fourth to the tenth, is Japan's Dental and Oral Health Week. It's a yearly reminder to take good care of your teeth. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 016: 梅雨の花、あじさいが見ごろ
Right now, all across Japan, hydrangeas are in full bloom. These round clusters of blue, purple, and pink flowers are the signature sight of the rainy season. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 015: 奈良「飛鳥・藤原の宮都」世界遺産へ勧告
Some big cultural news from Nara: a group of ancient palace and tomb sites called Asuka-Fujiwara looks set to become a World Heritage Site. A UNESCO advisory group has just recommended it for the list. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 014: 6月5日は「環境の日」
It's a day to stop and think about the planet and how we treat it. In fact, all of June is treated as a month for the environment here. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 013: 九州北部・中国・近畿が梅雨入り
The rainy season has officially begun in western Japan. The weather agency says northern Kyushu, the Chugoku region, and the Kansai area have all entered the rainy season. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 012: サッカー日本代表 ワールドカップへメキシコで合宿
Japan's national soccer team has arrived in Mexico to get ready for this year's World Cup. They held their first practice in hot, humid weather, over thirty degrees. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 011: 台風6号が日本に近づく 大雨と強い風に注意
A powerful storm, Typhoon Number Six, is moving toward Japan. Its name is Jangmi. It is bringing heavy rain and strong winds, from the southwest all the way up toward Tokyo. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.
EP 010: 6月1日は「衣替え」の日
June first is the day people switch to their summer clothes. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 009: 名探偵コナンの映画、大ヒット
The new Detective Conan movie has become a huge hit in Japan. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
EP 008: 渋谷区、6月1日からポイ捨てに2000円
From June first, Tokyo's Shibuya Ward will fine people two thousand yen for littering. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.
