POdcast: Japanese with Friends

Learning Japanese? Check.

Doing it with friends? Double check.

Successfully incorporating Japanese into work and life? Triple check that, yo.

Japanese With Friends is the podcast where we cover stories with friends about learning Japanese, experiences with the language, and everything that comes with being a foreigner in Japan. It is a collaborative effort between Risu Press and Japan Switch, in an effort to help encourage Japanese language learners to enjoy the process and figure out what they want to do in the future.

Japanese Jobs In America With Kasia From Ikigai Connections

June 30, 2021

Today we spoke with Kasia from Ikigai Connections about her program for job seekers in America looking specifically for Japanese jobs. We discuss important elements of looking for a Japanese job, from interviews to the JLPT level (often) required, and what you can do to position yourself to be highly employable to a Japanese company!

Brought to you by Risu Press and Japan Switch.

Dating, Relationships, and Family in Japan with John Lindmeier

June 14, 2021

Today we spoke with John Lindmeier, of One Coin English in Japan, about what it's like dating and having relationships in Japan as a foreigner. We talk about speaking Japanese with your partner, dating apps, and also what it's like to raise a bilingual child as a foreign parent.

Brought to you by Risu Press and Japan Switch.

Learning Japanese to Run a Business in Japan with Mike Doan

May 31, 2021

Today we spoke with Mike Doan (co-founder of Skydea in Tokyo, Japan and also owner of thebestjapan.com) about his experiences coming to the country, learning the language, and co-founding his own creative agency with a Japanese business partner. Growing up in the United States as a half Japanese American, he talks about what it's like to try and reconnect with the language, and how he has approached Japanese proficiency as a key part of being a business owner in Japan.

Brought to you by Risu Press and Japan Switch.

Starting Work at a Japanese Corporation with Colten Nahrebeski
May 24, 2021

Today we switched things up a bit, and had Tyson run questions past Colten about his experience finding a job in Japan from Canada, and onboarding into a Japanese company. You'll hear about the process from the Boston Career Forum, all the way through to what the first few months of onboarding were like at a major corporation in Tokyo. Brought to you by Risu Press and Japan Switch.

Learning Japanese as an Absolute Beginner with Jessica Brown
May 10, 2021

Today we spoke with Jessica Brown, who runs Nihongo Connection out of Scotland, about how people can begin learning Japanese and what it takes to make progress when you're starting from zero. She has years of experience helping foreigners become used to speaking in the language, and runs a large (and growing) community of passionate learners. Hear about her journey from knowing nothing about Japanese at all to being on a plane to Japan to be a teacher! Brought to you by Risu Press and Japan Switch.

Communicating in Japanese and Networking in Japan with Anthony Griffin
April 27, 2021

Anthony Griffin is a communications expert in Tokyo, and runs Saga Consulting. Today, we spoke with him about learning Japanese with a focus on communication, networking through your job in Japan, and how he strategically moved from Eikaiwa work into starting his own successful business. Brought to you by Risu Press and Japan Switch.

Learning Japanese and being a digital nomad in Japan with Cindy Bissig
April 19, 2021

Today we spoke with Cindy Bissig from Obsessed With Japan at obsessedwithjapan.com. We dive into tech and self employment in Japan, and what it takes to own a niche as a foreigner working in Tokyo. You'll hear about her experience learning Japanese, which allows her to fulfill her commitment to bringing value to her audiences inside and outside of Japan.

Presented by Risu Press - your home for Japanese learning materials, online courses, and for those who want to study in Japan and Japan Switch - your source of affordable online and offline Japanese lessons in Tokyo.

Tyson Batino and Hacking the JLPT
April 18, 2021

In today's episode, we get to learn how Tyson Batino "hacked" the JLPT to get the N1 certificate. 

Japanese With Friends – Experiences learning Japanese and living in Japan, with a focus on how foreigners can learn the language and live life their way in this country. Today we spoke with Tyson Batino, who runs japanswitch.com, bfftokyo.com, and onecoinenglish.com.

Presented by Risu Press - your home for Japanese learning materials, online courses, and for those who want to study in Japan and Japan Switch - your source of affordable online and offline Japanese lessons in Tokyo.

Who Runs the Show?

COLTEN NAHREBESKI

Colten is the owner of Risu Press. He is a Canadian marketer, who lived in Tokyo for over 6 years. Colten achieve JLPT N2 and worked in various industries in Japan. His background in learning Japanese was fundamental to his career progression, and he now runs Risu Press as a platform with a mission to connect foreigners with the opportunities and information they need to live their best life in Japan. His best-selling product, the JLPT Kanji Poster Set has been sold worldwide since 2014 and is on the walls of thousands of Japanese learners.

TYSON BATINO

Tyson is currently the co-founder and director of Japan Switch and popular One Coin English that has over 7000 students. In addition to creating a whole new market in the English language industry in Japan, he co-founded the media site BFF Tokyo as a hobby, which provides free in-depth guides on visas, jobs, learning Japanese, and anything related to thriving in Japan. He has lived in Japan for over 15 years and achieved JLPT N1 in 3.5 years. For more information, read his bio here

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