Have you ever watched the cute high school romance between Kotoko and Naoki in “Mischievous Kiss: Love in TOKYO,” or perhaps real-life love stories in “Love Stories From Fukuoka” is more your style? Well, in either case, wouldn’t knowing a few words in Japanese multiply your enjoyment of the shows you love to watch?
We break down and translate five great-to-know Japanese phrases below. Try practicing them with friends and you’ll be a pro soon enough!
In “Tokyo Girls Update,” viewers are introduced to the latest trends in Japan culture, such as girl fashion, cosplay, anime and more! The show starts with MC Hikari Shiina introducing herself. She uses the simple greeting, “Hello, everyone.” No need to be shy – let’s wave hello back, too!
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
After saying hello, Hikari Shiina usually starts the show by sharing her name, “I am Hikari Shiina.”
Tip: Don’t forget to replace Hikari Shiina with your own name!
In Episode 3 of “Tokyo Girls Update,” Hikari welcomes her friend, a model named Ai Matsumoto, as a guest to report on fashion while shopping together. They greet each other happily and Hikari says, “Long time no see.”
Hikari and Ai visit a cosmetic store at “109,” a famous shopping mall that is popular among teenage girls in Tokyo. When they see all the different products, they can’t help but respond with “Kawaii” about everything. Can you count how many times “Kawaii” is used in Episode 3?
In Episode 4 of “Tokyo Girls Update,” the four-member girl group “Silent Siren” is the guest accompanying Hikari as they go to a game center in Tokyo. This is their first time meeting, so Hikari is more formal and polite while greeting them. She looks forward to working together and says, “Thank you in advance.”
Which phrase do you think you’ll use most often? Tell us in the comments!
Remember to check out the language-learning topics in Discussions to chat with fellow community members on interesting topics, such as “Local Food and Drinks,” “Mistranslations” and “Words Learned From Dramas.”
Some titles on Viki are not available in certain regions of the world. But Qualified Contributors (QCs) can view and contribute to most titles. Read this blog post to learn how to become a QC.
