Ep.1 – 始まり【Japanese Podcast】

Yes starting today I'd like to begin the podcast Please take care of me Yes since today is our first podcast let me begin with a brief introduction Yes my name is Mai I originally lived in Tokyo but after marrying a Korean I now reside in Korea I work as an online Japanese language instructor Yes this is why I started this podcast —first of all I absolutely love talking I created this channel because I absolutely love chatting and wanted to have fun conversations with all of you who are listening to this podcast After that I decided to start a podcast so that foreign visitors could learn more about Japan Yes so from now on I plan to discuss various topics such as Japanese culture and everyday life as well as Japanese expressions I'd be delighted if you could enjoy listening to it thoroughly Yes now that my Japanese podcast is starting today I’d like to talk about theme of beginnings How do you approach starting something new Are you the type to act immediately when you have an idea Or do you prefer to plan things out before taking action Or perhaps you're the type who's really eager to start but can't bring yourself to act held back by worries anxiety or fear of past failures Hmm starting something new really does take courage doesn't it I'm not sure about myself—I do change a little depending on what I'm starting but fundamentally I tend to be a bit anxious so I always worry a little before getting anything started I often find myself worrying about future events that haven't even happened yet—what if this is my first time and I'm not cut out for it What if I fail What if it doesn't work out I've also had experiences where I couldn't bring myself to act despite wanting to But when it comes to something you truly want to do something that sparks a deep exciting thrill Excitement is that thrilling feeling—your heart races just at the thought of it you can't help but feel thrilled and happy When I feel that spark I charge ahead no matter what anyone says—I’m just going to start already Still there are so many things that naturally worry me that I find it hard to take action so I’d say that’s more often the case Incidentally my husband is the complete opposite of me in personality I'm going to do it Once I've made up my mind to start I don't let myself worry or feel anxious at all Keep pushing forward toward it—just do it no matter what That's the kind of person I am So he moves forward thinking carefully about how to achieve his goals of course having already made a plan Even as I keep moving forward I'm already confident in my progress so I don't really feel the need to say anything anxious or negative I truly think they're incredibly brave and the most action-oriented person I've ever met So naturally watching someone like him makes me think "That's impressive " but it also inspires me to learn how to act with the same confidence he has I think there are people who like me feel anxious or uneasy and find it hard to take action Then there are people like my husband—those who act the moment they decide to just jumping in and doing it right away I think there are definitely those types too I believe there are all kinds of people out there Today I'd like to share a proverbs that's perfect for when you're starting something new Idioms are short sayings passed down through generations conveying life wisdom or moral lessons There's a well-known proverb that says "The beginning is crucial " This means that the initial stage is extremely important That's why starting at the right moment is so crucial—it's a proverb emphasizing how vital it is to begin at the right time So whether you're starting to study something beginning a diet or taking on a new job The way you start and the feelings you have at the beginning greatly influence the outcome which is why the beginning is so crucial It's frequently used in everyday conversation especially when giving advice to someone The beginning is really crucial so you should think it through carefully—things like this are how we use it Another well-known proverb is that every journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step This proverb means that no matter how distant or large the goal you must begin by taking the very first step right in front of you That saying "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step " is one of my absolute favorites It truly gives you a much-needed push To accomplish something significant you must first start with the small everyday things around you It's teaching us that what matters most is steadily and patiently building progress one small step at a time Another well-known proverb is "When you feel like doing something that's the lucky day " Here "lucky day" means a favorable day So when you feel motivated to do something and decide yes I'll start this now That day is a good day that day is a lucky day —this proverb means you should act immediately These are truly meaningful words Whenever I see this proverb at the start of something it feels like it gives me a strong push forward As these proverbs and sayings illustrate the Japanese place great importance on beginnings For example what Japanese people truly cherish as a beginning is the New Year on January 1st On January 1st Japanese people visit shrines or temples for the first time in the new year to offer thanks to the gods It's a Japanese tradition to express gratitude for the past year and to wish for happiness in the new year that has just begun When Japanese people go to their first shrine visit of the year they often go with family friends or their romantic partner And when we go for our first visit of the year we draw lots buy charms and so on This fortune slip found at shrines and temples predicts one's luck for the year The best possible fortune is called "Daikichi " And the worst fortune is called "strong " right You draw one slip from among many omikuji Drawing a fortune slip is what we do you draw one and whatever fortune is written on it becomes your luck for the year I'd like to share a story about my omikuji experience which happened several years ago when I visited a shrine for the first time of the year I always draw an omikuji whenever I visit a shrine for the first time each year so of course I did it that time too I drew a fortune slip but when I bought it it said "strong" on it It's the worst possible fortune Even so I was totally shocked—wow seriously You're actually strong I mean I'd never really shown much strength before that point That's why it was such a shock and I couldn't come to terms with that reality I drew a fortune slip once more right there—this was my second time But once you draw a fortune slip that result becomes your luck for the entire year so I think drawing it twice probably isn't such a good idea It's just that I couldn't quite come to terms with the reality so I drew again When I looked at it right away it was strong once more It was powerful the second time around too The shock has doubled now I mean wow—never thought I'd see a strong result twice in a row Of course it was my first time and certainly didn't expect two consecutive strong outcomes It's only just started the new year after all It's barely been a short while into the new year and already we've had two strong earthquakes Isn't that incredibly shocking And I was quite down but then I accepted the reality Oh I get it Okay My luck this year is strong Got it And so I've made my decision I drew today twice but that year was incredibly fun—truly unforgettable So in the end it turned out really well That's why it's now a story I can laugh about and talk about openly And now as I was just sharing my first shrine visit story Just as with this first visit of the year Japanese has many words that begin with the kanji for "first " signifying something new For example the first sunrise of the year The first sunrise of the year refers to the very first sunrise of that year We call this the first sunrise Then there's the first dream The first dream seen in the year is called a first dream When the new year begins many people go to see the first sunrise After all I think Japan has a deep-rooted culture of valuing new beginnings like the start of a new year After that when it says "start " it's the new fiscal year in April In Japan schools and companies begin their new fiscal year in April That's why events like school and company entrance ceremonies are held every year in April April has a special character meaning a fresh start different from the New Year It's like the image of starting a brand-new life For example at school will I make good friends Or what will my homeroom teacher be like And if it's a company what kind of person would the boss be I wonder if senior colleagues will be intimidating Or what kind of people will my coworkers be like It's kind of like starting in April while carrying all sorts of excitement nervous anticipation and even anxiety—these mixed emotions you know I still clearly remember my first day working part-time That day is truly unforgettable to this day I started working part-time when I was a freshman in high school I worked at McDonald's You all know McDonald's right Does it sound like "mcdonalds" when pronounced in English I can't speak English well so I'm not sure about the correct pronunciation but it's a famous fast food chain In Japanese it's called McDonald's I used to visit the shop frequently as a customer even before starting the part-time job It was always extremely busy with lots of customers That's why knowing it beforehand I was already extremely excited before even starting I was worried it would be overwhelming—what if I can't handle it what if I make a mistake —and that's how I started the first day weighed down by all these anxieties But the regular staff and part-time workers were truly kind and patiently taught me everything step by step Thanks to that I was able to enjoy my work Of course I was incredibly nervous and my heart was racing but as I was gently and patiently guided the anxiety gradually eased My紧张 gradually eased and in the second half I was able to work with real enjoyment McDonald's is strict when it comes to customer service—you actually learn how to do it properly there That's why they receive proper training on the importance of greetings the value of serving customers with a smile and similar essential aspects That's why I think I learned the fundamentals of customer service at McDonald 's It was my very first part-time job so I was extremely nervous at first I had all sorts of worries but I'm really glad I made the decision to start working at McDonald's back then—it was the right first step I had a truly wonderful experience I became very close with my coworkers spent lots of time exploring different places together and had many enjoyable conversations— it was so much fun So how many years was it in the end You really worked there for a long time I worked part-time at McDonald's for about five years What I truly realized through this experience is that it's not about doing something perfectly but rather about having the willingness to start and that mindset is what truly matters You always worry before starting that you can't afford to fail or that you have to get everything perfect But realistically you can't expect to get it perfectly right from the start can you There's simply no one who can do it perfectly from the beginning Everyone makes mistakes learns from them keeps gaining experience and gradually grows closer to perfection The most important thing is just having the determination to start no matter what I think all of you have probably tried something new or taken on a challenge recently—what’s something new you’ve started doing lately Or is there something you're thinking about starting right now Some people might still feel anxious and worried making it hard to take action But since you're listening to this Japanese podcast right now I imagine some of you listening might be people who've just started learning Japanese When you first start listening to podcasts many people find it hard to understand at first But I truly believe that continuing to listen to podcasts is incredibly important I mentioned earlier during my introduction but I currently live in South Korea which is why I'm studying Korean I am also a language learner Yes that's right—I listen to a Korean-language podcast every day but the first time I tried it I didn't understand a single word I couldn't understand a thing I was even worse at Korean back then so comprehending anything was completely impossible That's why without Japanese subtitles I couldn't even tell what the topic was about I didn't understand a thing he was saying but I kept listening every single day anyway I didn't get it but I listened I'd immediately listen to the new episode as soon as it was uploaded and I'd replay the same episode over and over again not just once As I kept doing that my skills gradually improved and one day without even trying Korean just naturally flowed into my ears I couldn't focus on what they were saying until then I was really concentrating hard trying to catch every word as I listened to the podcast Since a certain day I've naturally started hearing Korean without even trying to focus on it It's truly fascinating how people's ears gradually get used to things Now we can almost fully understand it That's why I truly believe it's essential to keep steadily and consistently working on it every single day from the very beginning So I think everyone studying Japanese might sometimes feel like giving up There may even be times when you think "This is too hard—I'm just going to quit " But you've already overcome the hardest part—taking that first step—so here you are today So I truly hope you'll continue persevering step by step without giving up Yes of course I'll keep going steadily step by step from now on too So let's strive together while enjoying the journey Yes then today we talked about the beginning Thank you so much for listening to the end See you in the next podcast Bye-bye