Table of Contents
- Finding the Japanese Name of a Title
- Tips on finding videos with Japanese subtitle
- YouTube account dedicated to Japanese content
- How to Avoid Chinese Videos when Using Kanji
- Searching Tips for Each Video Category
- Popular Categories for Japanese Language Learners
- Additional Tips for More Effective Searching
- How to Find Curated Videos in HayaiLearn
Intro
YouTube offers a fantastic way to learn Japanese through engaging visuals and audio. But finding the right content can be tricky, especially if you're only using English search terms.
This comprehensive guide will help you find Japanese Youtube content more effectively. We'll show you how to search for the right keywords, avoid unrelated content, and refine your searches. This way you can find the videos you love.
Finding the Japanese Name of a Title
One way to learn Japanese effectively is to watch the content with Japanese audio. Knowing the Japanese title of the content you are looking for becomes crucial.
Here are some of the major ways you can find the Japanese titles when you only know the English one:
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Wikipedia - Wikipedia is a very useful website that allows you to find Japanese titles easily.
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MyAnimeList - also known as MAL, it is a social networking and cataloging website for anime and manga, managed by volunteers. Each anime's page features a section on the left labeled "alternative titles," where you can find the Japanese titles.
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Using ChatGPT - ChatGPT can also be a great way to find out the Japanese titles. Use a prompt like "what is the japanese title of demon slayer"
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Googling "<English name> in Japanese" - Sometimes the simplest method can give what you are looking for. Simply type "<English name> in Japanese" on Google and see if it can give you the Japanese name.
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Google translate - This is a last resort. While titles aren't always translated literally, there's still a good chance that some of the translation could match Japanese search results. You never know!
Tips on finding videos with Japanese subtitle
Without Japanese subtitles, trying to understand Japanese videos as a beginner or intermediate learner becomes a lot tougher.
To find Japanese subtitled videos, the 1st thing you should do is to use Youtube Search Filters.
After entering a search term, a filters icon would show up on the right side. Click Filters. Then under Features, click Subtitles/CC.
This first step ensures the video has a Youtube Closed Caption. But it doesn't guarantee that the caption is in Japanese. In some cases, you might get English captions instead if the video is dubbed in English.
The "subs" hack
If the content you're looking for is anime, movies, or tv shows, adding the keyword "subs" can help narrow down search results to actual episodes you want, as opposed to trailers, or commentaries.
Subs is short for subtitles. Traditionally, it refers to a video that has a subtitle. And in Youtube, if a title has the keyword "subs", it usually means that a manual subtitle is embedded/burned into the actual vidoe which cannot be turned off.
This is usually done only for popular tv shows and movies. So if that's what you want, adding that keyword can be relevant.
Verifying the subtitle
On the lower right corner of a video, you will see a button called CC. CC is short for closed captions which is another name for subtitles.
If the CC button is clickable, you can turn on subtitles (sometimes the CC is autogenerated so the subtitle quality might not be so good).
Some videos have multiple subtitles to choose from and can select them under the gear icon, followed by "Subtitles/CC"
YouTube account dedicated to Japanese content
YouTube sends recommendations based on your language, location, or previous watch history.
We can use this to our advantage to make the Youtube algorithm recommend only Japanese videos we're interested in immersing in.
For best results, create a YouTube account dedicated for Japanese immersion.
How to make another YouTube account under the same email address
One thing you should know is that you can create multiple YouTube accounts with the same email address. So, there's no need to create a new email just for a new Youtube account.
It's also pretty easy to switch between different accounts.
Here are the steps:
- Click your profile picture in the top right corner and go to "Settings"
- At the Your YouTube Channel (in the middle of the page), hit the "Add or manage your channel(s)"
- Enter the new YouTube account name and it is done!
Influencing the Youtube algorithm
After creating your Japanese immersion account, start searching for Japanese content you love using the tips in this article. Watch those videos and also remember to subscribe to the Japanese channels you enjoyed.
Soon enough, you'll be addicted to Youtube immersion in the world of Japanese Language.
Note: Everytime you begin Youtube immersion session, remember to pay attention to the avatar icon to know which account you're immersing from.
Set your location to Japan
A little known tip is that you can change your Youtube location settings to Japan. This also helps Youtube recommend native Japanese videos to you.
To do this, click your profile picture on the top right corner again and find "Location."
How to Avoid Chinese Videos when Using Kanji
When you search using only kanji characters on YouTube, you might end up with a lot of Chinese content because kanji, one of the three alphabets used in Japanese (along with hiragana and katakana), originally came from China. For example, "旅行," which means "travel" in English, is written using kanji.
To make sure your search results are in Japanese, you can add a connecting letter like "に," "を," or "の" after the kanji. This simple adjustment helps YouTube understand that you’re looking for Japanese content.
Searching Tips for Each Video Category
Anime
There is an abundant amount of anime clips on the platform. However, to find effective learning materials from the anime you like, you should try to specify your search method.
1. Anime name in Japanese + episode number
If you want to see a specific episode of an anime series with the original Japanese audio, it is best to find out the Japanese name of the show, copy and paste the name, and add the episode number. This should yield the episode you want to check out.
Example 1:
Search intent: Naruto episode 10
Search term: ナルト 10話
話 means "episode" in Japanese.
Example 2:
Alternatively, just having the episode number is sometimes enough so you can search like below as well.
Search term: ナルト 10
2. Search by character names in Japanese
If the first method does not yield any results, which can happen quite often as it is stricter in Japan to upload anime episodes, an alternative is to search by the character names in Japanese. If the scenes you are looking for are iconic enough, it should give you the results you are looking for.
Search intent: Naruto Sasuke
Search term: ナルト サスケ
3. Search by the word 名言 (it means "quotes") + the anime name in Japanese
Another effective way to learn Japanese through your favorite anime is to learn through the famous lines that the characters spoke during the show. In English, they are called quotes, and in Japanese, they are called 名言.
Search intent: Naruto quotes
Search term: ナルト 名言
4. Search by anime name in English + subs
This is rather straightforward and could potentially give more results compared to the first three methods mentioned above. To make it useful for learning Japanese, add the word "subs" because it can give you the dubbed versions. In general, there is more content available when searching in English compared to Japanese because censorship is stricter in Japan.
Search term: Naruto subs
5. Type "anime" or "アニメ" and add "full episode"
By searching with "Anime", you can still find a lot of content and if you add "full episode", it can show you a lot of anime shows that have multiple episodes.
Search term: アニメ full episode
Drama / Jdrama
Searching for Japanese dramas on YouTube can be tricky as it may be even stricter to upload drama clips on YouTube. You can try to search with the name of the show in Japanese + episode number, but you will probably not see many results or any results at all.
1. Search by character names + the name of the show in Japanese
To combat the few to no search results, I recommend searching by the names of the characters + name of the show. This should give you some results.
Search intent: Mizuki (name of the protagonist) + For You in Full Blossom (name of the show)
Search term: 瑞稀 花ざかりの君たちへ
瑞稀 is the Japanese way to write the protagonist’s name, Mizuki. 花盛りの君たちへ is the Japanese title of the show, For You in Full Blossom.
2. Search the drama title by Romaji
To avoid being removed from YouTube, some people upload shows with romaji titles, which use the Latin alphabet to represent Japanese words.
Romaji transliterates hiragana, katakana, and kanji into Roman letters, aiding non-Japanese speakers. The Hepburn system, for instance, writes こんにちは as "konnichiwa." This method is also how Japanese people type on computers.
Search intent: For You in Full Blossom drama
Search term: Hanazakari no kimitachihe
Movies
Similar to TV shows, it can be equally difficult to find enough clips on YouTube when searched in Japanese.
1. Search the movie in English + subs
If the movie you are searching for had an international release, it could have an English title, so search for the movie with the title and add the word "subs." You might already be able to find a subbed version without having to add "subs," so try both just the English title and English title + subs.
Search term: Spirited Away subs
2. Search the movie in romaji
Similar to TV shows, romaji could yield more results.
3. Search for 日本の映画
This means Japanese Movies. Note the intentional addition of の to sway the algorithm to return Japanese videos instead of Chinese. Because otherwise, it'll be purely Kanji.
4. Search for アニメ映画
This means anime movies
Music
Japanese music is more widely uploaded to YouTube, so if you search thoroughly on the platform, you can usually find the songs you are looking for.
1. Search by the song name + add the word "歌詞付き"
If you are searching for a lyric video because you want to sing along by looking at the lyrics, you can search for the song with its Japanese name and add "歌詞付き." 歌詞 means "lyrics" and 付き means "with." This way, you can find videos that display lyrics.
Search intent: Far Away (song name in English) + lyrics
Search term: 遥か彼方 歌詞付き
遥か彼方 is the Japanese title of the song, Far Away.
2. To find the official music video, search by the song name in Japanese and add "music video"
Interestingly, for most of the J-pop or anime songs you may have heard of, the music videos are often uploaded with "music video" in English in the title, not in Japanese. This is likely because the uploaders anticipate that users from other countries will want to find the songs with their music videos. If you cannot find the music video by typing "music video" in English, try using the Japanese translation "ミュージックビデオ."
Search term: 遥か彼方 music video Search term: 遥か彼方 mv
MV is short for music video
3. To find live footage, simply add "ライブ" after putting the song name in Japanese
ライブ means "live" in Japanese.
Search intent: Far Away + live
Search term: 遥か彼方 ライブ
4. To find cover versions, you can either search by "cover," "カバー," or "歌ってみた"
カバー means "cover" in Japanese, and 歌ってみた means "I sang" or "singing." 歌ってみた is a very common phrase used when people upload a cover song.
Example 1:
Search intent: Far Away + cover
Search term: 遥か彼方 カバー
What you want to search: "Far Away + cover" How it can be searched in Japanese: "遥か彼方 カバー"
Example 2:
Search intent: Far Away + singing
Search term: 遥か彼方 歌ってみた
Video games
1. Search by the video game name in Japanese
The most common way is to search for the game in Japanese, but if you don't see many results, try searching for the game in English.
Search intent: The Legend of Zelda (name of a game series)
Search term: ゼルダの伝説
2. Search the game name in Japanese and add "名言"
If you are searching for a specific cut scene, you might find it by searching for the name of the game in Japanese and adding the word "名言." 名言 means "quotes" in Japanese.
Search intent: The Legend of Zelda + quotes
Search term: ゼルダの伝説 名言
3. If you want to find video game streaming content, use the word "実況" + the name of the game in Japanese
Video game streaming involves broadcasting live gameplay online and interacting with viewers in real-time through chats. It is also very popular in Japan. 実況 translates to "streaming."
Search intent: The Legend of Zelda + streaming
Search term: ゼルダの伝説 実況
4. Video game name + 話/章
Similar to searching with anime episodes, games often have compiled cutscenes for each chapter. So including the 話 or 章 keyword would be helpful.
Search intent: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles Episodes
Search term: 鬼滅の刃 カミ血風譚 話
Vlog/lifestyle videos
Many Japanese YouTubers also upload their vlog/lifestyle videos, and these are great for getting a glimpse of everyday Japanese life.
1. Search by your favorite Japanese YouTuber + add "vlog"
Popular YouTubers often have secondary channels, and these are often vlog-themed (unless their main channel’s theme is vlogging). Japanese YouTubers frequently use the word "vlog" in English directly in their titles, so you should be able to find their content easily.
Search intent: Hikakin (name of a Japanese YouTuber) + vlog
Search term: ヒカキン vlog
2. Simply search by ブイログ
Although it is rare for anyone to use the translated word for vlog, "ブイログ," if you type this word and search on YouTube, it can show many vlog-themed Japanese videos. This way, you can find vlog videos across different channels.
Search intent: vlog
Search term: ブイログ
3. We also have a Day in the Life of XXXX videos
"Day in the Life of XXXX" has become a trendy video topic where people showcase different professions or experiences they are going through. This is also very popular in Japan. For example, if there is a profession you would like to learn more about in Japan, you can search for it by the name of the occupation + the phrase "の1日." の1日 can be translated as "day in the life of."
Search intent: Day in the life of a Software Engineer
Search term: ソフトウェアエンジニアの1日
ソフトウェアエンジニア means Software Engineer in Japanese.
4. How to find travel videos
The Japanese word for travel is "旅行." As I explained earlier, if you are only using Kanji to search for something, it is best to add a connecting letter like に, を or の to prevent YouTube from showing you Chinese content.
Search intent: trip
Search term: 旅行に
Prank Videos
Prank videos have always been popular in Japan, whether on cable TV or YouTube. ドッキリ is the closest translation to pranks. イタズラ is also used sometimes, but it means more like mischievous acts.
Search intent: prank
Search term: ドッキリ
Search term: イタズラ
Reality shows
Although reality shows are not the most popular genre of shows in Japan, there are some successful shows that you might have heard of before including Terrace House. To find these reality shows, you can simply use the translated word for the reality shows "リアリティショー"
Search intent: Reality shows
Search term: リアリティショー
Learning content
1. Learning Japanese
To find videos that are specifically about teaching Japanese on YouTube, you can type "Learning Japanese" or "日本語の勉強," which means "learning Japanese." This should give you some results.
Search term: Learning Japanese
Search term: 日本語の勉強
2. Academic content
If you want to take a peek at an academic lecture offered in Japan, you can search using "講義," which means "lectures" in Japanese. To specify your search, you can add the Japanese name of the subject you are looking for (e.g., Chemistry, Physics, etc.) and search like "物理 (Physics in Japanese) + 講義." Do not forget to add a connecting letter as well. In this case, a letter of の should be used as の means "of" in Japanese.
Search intent: Physics + lecture
Search term: 物理の講義
物理 is the Japanese translation for Physics.
Interview
If you want to learn how Japanese job interviews or interviews with famous people are done, there are different words you need to use to get your desired results.
1. Search with "面接" to find Japanese interviews
面接 is the literal translation for interview and if you use this word, you will see all sorts of job interviews. To make it more specific for company interviews, you can also use the word, "会社" which means companies in Japanese.
Search intent: Company + interviews
Search term: 会社の面接
会社 means company in Japanese.
2. Search with "取材" or "対談" to find celebrity interviews
When it comes to celebrity interviews, 取材 is the more suitable word to be used and 対談 is for when one celebrity is interviewing another celebrity. So if you have a specific Japanese person you have in mind, try searching by their name + 取材 or 対談
Search intent: Honda Keisuke (name of a Japanese celebrity) + interviews
Search term: 本田圭佑 + の取材
Search term: 本田圭佑 + の対談
本田圭佑 is how it is written in Japanese for the celebrity, Honda Keisuke.
Shorts
Shorts are popular in Japan as well. You can search for them using "topic + ショート" (which means shorts in Japanese).
Search intent: Food + shorts
Search term: ご飯 + ショート
ご飯 is the direct translation of food
Popular Categories for Japanese Language Learners
Here are more popular topics among learners. I’ve included keywords you can use to further narrow down your search, along with their translations.
News
Search for "ニュース" (news) or "日本のニュース" (Japanese news). NHK, a Japanese public broadcaster, has an official YouTube channel, "NHKニュース."
Search intent: News, Japanese news, or NHK news
Search term: ニュース
Search term: 日本のニュース
Search term: NHKニュース
Cooking
Search for "料理" (dish), "レシピ" (recipe), or "クッキング" (cooking).
Search intent: Dish, recipe or cooking + sukiyaki (a Japanese dish)
Search term: 料理に, レシピ or クッキング + すき焼き
すき焼き is how it is spelled in Japanese for the dish, sukiyaki.
Travel
Search for "旅行" (travel), "トラベル" (travel), or "観光" (sightseeing).
Search intent: travel, traveling or sightseeing + Okinawa (a region name in Japan)
Search term: 旅行に, トラベル or 観光に 沖縄
沖縄 is how you write Okinawa in Japanese.
Technology
Search for "テクノロジー" (technology), "ガジェット" (gadget), or "ガジェット レビュー" (gadget review).
Culture
Search for "日本文化" (Japanese culture), "伝統" (tradition), or "お祭り" (festival).
日本文化 + a connecting letter (に, を, の, etc.) or 伝統 + a connecting letter (に, を, の, etc.) or お祭り + add the region/city/town name of where the festival takes place
Fitness
Search for "フィットネス" (fitness), "トレーニング" (training) or "エクササイズ" (exercise)
Fashion
Search for "ファッション" (fashion) or "メイク" (makeup).
Additional Tips for More Effective Searching
- Combine Keywords: Use combinations of keywords to narrow down your search. For example:
- anime full episode
アニメ フルエピソード
- game commentary [Game name]
ゲーム実況 [Game name]
- Utilize Filters: Apply YouTube's search filters to organize videos by upload date, view count, or length to locate the most relevant content. If you know the content you want to watch is long (eg. an episode), then filter by length "Over 20 minutes"
- Browse Playlists: Search for playlists curated by other users, which often compile related videos. Or if you see a video you like, you can check the channel and see their relevant playlists.
- Follow Channels: Subscribe to well-known Japanese channels that regularly post content related to your interests.
How to Find Curated Videos in HayaiLearn
Finally, HayaiLearn also curates videos based on different categories. If you go to our Videos section, you find 9 categories below.
- Film & Animation
- Music
- Travel & Events
- Gaming
- People & Blogs
- Comedy
- Entertainment
- Howto & Style
- Education
When you watch a video on HayaiLearn, for example this short clip about Luffy from One Piece introducing himself, you'll see an AI explanation of the subtitle on the right side of the video.
It makes it easier for users to understand the context of the phrases and their meanings without having to search and leave the video page. Go learn the meanings of your favorite anime characters’ lines using HayaiLearn today!