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In Episode 15 of Nihongo to English, comedians Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (Goat VS Fish) bounce from “nee/knights who say Ni!” into a surprisingly deep dive on Japanese Valentine’s Day culture—including giri choco (obligation chocolate) and the panic of White Day reciprocity.

Then it’s Genki time: we crack open Genki (pages 66–68) and practice Japanese money + numbers, from yen bills vs coins (satsu / kouka) to counting up through ichi-man (10,000) and beyond—plus shopping-style price questions like “___ wa ikura desu ka?”

Also: big snow in Japan, travel whiplash (Japan → SF → NYC), “milk chocolate isn’t real chocolate” opinions, and a heartfelt thank-you to everyone listening.

📩 Email: nihongotoenglishnoshow@gmail.com

Follow us on socials + tell a friend who’s learning Japanese (or just loves chaos).

Keywords: giri choco, White Day, Japanese Valentine’s Day, Genki lesson, Japanese numbers, yen, satsu, kouka, ikura desu ka, ichi-man, oku

『Nihongo to English』第15話は、コメディアンの Michelle MaliZaki と Michael Allen（Goat VS Fish） が、「nee（ニ〜！）」「Knights who say Ni!」のくだりからスタートして、気づけば 日本のバレンタイン文化へ突入！

今回は 義理チョコ（giri choco / obligation chocolate） や ホワイトデーの“お返しプレッシャー”を、笑いながら（でもわりと真面目に）語ります。
さらに後半は Genkiタイム！ 『げんき（Genki）』66〜68ページを開いて、お金・数字・買い物の言い方を練習します。
「〜は いくらですか？」、さつ（紙幣）／こうか（硬貨）、そして いちまん（10,000） の「4ケタ区切り」に英語話者が混乱する話まで！

ほかにも：日本の大雪、旅行の移動（日本→サンフランシスコ→ニューヨーク）、チョコレートの強すぎるこだわり（ミルクチョコはチョコじゃない？）などなど、今回も脱線多めでお届けします。

📩 メール：nihongotoenglishnoshow@gmail.com

SNSでもぜひフォロー＆友だちにおすすめしてね！

キーワード： 義理チョコ／ホワイトデー／日本のバレンタイン／げんき（Genki）／日本語の数字／円／さつ／こうか／いくらですか／いちまん／おく

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

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🎙️ Nihongo To English No Show — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at NihongoToEnglishNoShow@gmail.com

📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes every 2nd, 12th & 22nd of the month!

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Episode 14 starts with a very LA problem: “It doesn’t rain enough to casually say ame ga yamu.” From there, Michael Allen and Michelle MaliZaki jump into Genki-style grammar and nuance—yamu vs yameru, tomaru vs tomeru, and what changes when the “stopping” happens by itself vs when you stop something (Superman stops the Shinkansen, obviously).

Then we go full language-nerd with a pronunciation breakdown of why Hi / Pi / Bi (ひ・ぴ・び) are in the same family—voicing, airflow, and how those sound shifts show up in real Japanese (hello, sanbyaku / roppyaku / happyaku / sanzen / hassen). We also cover sentence-ending particles ね / よ / よね, polite request phrases (～をください / ～をお願いします / ～をどうぞ), a sentimental Mt. Aso onsen-sake story, and a quick plug: we made a Twitch channel.

Hosts: Michael Allen, CPA + Michelle MaliZaki
Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

エピソード紹介（日本語・追記版）

第14回は「LAは雨が少なすぎて 雨がやむ を言う機会がない！」からスタート。Genkiの文法で やむ／やめる、とまる／とめる（自動詞・他動詞）を整理しつつ、文末の ね／よ／よね のニュアンスもチェック。

さらに今回は発音オタク回！ひ／ぴ／び（Hi / Pi / Bi） の関係を、息・声帯（有声音／無声音）からわかりやすく解説。数字の音変化 さんびゃく／ろっぴゃく／はっぴゃく／さんぜん／はっせん にもつながります。阿蘇（熊本）の温泉水で造られたお酒の思い出話、そして Twitch 開設のお知らせも。

ホスト: Michael Allen, CPA / Michelle MaliZaki
Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo To English No Show — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at NihongoToEnglishNoShow@gmail.com

📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes every 2nd, 12th & 22nd of the month!

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In this episode of Nihongo to English, hosts Michael Allen CPA and Michelle MaliZaki break down Japanese particle も (mo) from Genki I (Lesson 5)—how to use も to mean “also/too,” and how it can imply “among other things.” We also practice じゃないです (janai desu) vs ではないです (dewa nai desu) for saying “not” in Japanese, plus common beginner pitfalls (like stacking “also” and “too”).

Then we do what we do best: a comedian detour into pennies, “paying to do the work,” and the Flying Spaghetti Monster (Amen… Ramen).

If you’re studying Japanese with Genki—or you’re English-curious and like your learning with chaos—come hang out.

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

今回の Nihongo to English は、ホストの Michael Allen CPA と Michelle MaliZaki が Genki I（第5課） を使って 助詞「も」 を解説します。「も」＝ “also / too（〜も）” の基本用法に加えて、「ほかにも色々ある」という 含み（暗示） が出る使い方も練習。さらに、否定表現の 「じゃないです」 と 「ではないです」（カジュアル／ややフォーマル）の違いも整理しながら、初心者がつまずきやすいポイントを一緒に確認します。

…そして当然、話は脱線します。ペニーの話から「お金を払って自分で作業するのがアメリカンドリーム？」、さらには フライング・スパゲッティ・モンスター まで（Amen… Ramen）。

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo To English No Show — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at NihongoToEnglishNoShow@gmail.com

📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes every 2nd, 12th & 22nd of the month!

Send us a text

In Episode 12 of Nihongo to English No Show, Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (CPA / comedic performance artist) bounce between English + 日本語 (nihongo) and dive into the Genki textbook to tackle one of the most confusing beginner topics: kore / sore / are / dore — plus the matching sets kono / sono / ano / dono and koko / soko / asoko / doko.

Along the way: an audition callback mix-up, Michael’s Goat vs Fish early-morning livestream “motivational” routine (is it a cult? 👀), Michelle’s daily bass practice (quietly, so the family doesn’t complain), a local Japanese-English language exchange, and a dangerously chewy mochi donut detour that turns into peak vocabulary chaos: momo (peach), mochi, mochimasu, mochimono, okanemochi and more.

If you’re studying Japanese (or English!) and want fun, real conversation + Genki-based learning, this one’s for you.

Listen, like, subscribe, and share!
Questions or vocab requests: email us at nihongo.englishnoshow@gmail.com

第12話は「これ・それ・あれ・どれ」問題！『げんき』を使って “this/that” の言い方（この・その・あの・どの／ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ）をゆるっと練習します。途中でモチドーナツの「もも・もち・もちます」ダジャレ祭り、Goat vs Fishの朝活トーク、そしてミシェルのベース練習話も！英語と日本語で会話しながら一緒に学びましょう。

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo To English No Show — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at NihongoToEnglishNoShow@gmail.com

📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes every 2nd, 12th & 22nd of the month!

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In Episode 11 of Nihongo to English (No Show), hosts Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen tumble into Japanese shopping phrases, beginner-friendly Genki vocabulary practice, and a chaotic-but-useful roleplay that goes from the store… to the restaurant… to “wait, why is Mary going to the bathroom?” 😄

You’ll hear practice with essentials like kore / sore / dore, common shopping & everyday nouns (wallet, bag, shoes, notebook, pen), and the most important question of all: “How much?” (いくら / ikura). Plus: a mini rabbit-hole on asteroid vs meteorite vocabulary, and a hilarious riff on Japanese “firsts of the year” like kaizome (first shopping) and hatsuyume (first dream).

📩 Have a question for Michelle & Michael? Email: nihongo to english no show at gmail.com
✅ Subscribe for more bilingual banter + practical Japanese/English learning moments.
👋 またね / Hatcha ne!

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo To English No Show — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at NihongoToEnglishNoShow@gmail.com

📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes every 2nd, 12th & 22nd of the month!

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Welcome to 2026 — and our first 初笑い (hatsu warai), the first laugh of the New Year 🎍

Nihongo to English hits Episode 10 with Japanese New Year traditions, language mix-ups, and joyful confusion.

We talk oshōgatsu, bonenkai, and shinnenkai, New Year foods, long tamago jokes, karuta vs. hanafuda, and why the Japanese New Year lasts more than one day. Along the way, we confuse similar-sounding words, invent new ones, and laugh a lot.

Then it’s classic Genki-style chaos:
Japanese numbers, phone numbers, telling time, time zones, awkward role play, and the mystery of analog clocks — in two languages.

Also in this episode:
• Hatsu warai (first laugh of the year)
• Bibimbap pronunciation debates - provided by @vividkitchen_global on IG

• Japanese New Year resolutions
• Tokyo vs. New York time
• Snacks, food labels, and eating only after the podcast ends

A bilingual Japanese–English comedy podcast that’s lightly educational, very conversational, and proudly unpolished.

2026年最初の**初笑い（はつわらい）**エピソード！

第10回の「Nihongo to English」では、お正月（お正月・忘年会・新年会）の話から始まり、日本語と英語が入り混じった会話、言い間違い、食べ物トーク、そして時間・数字・ロールプレイまで、ゆるく楽しく脱線します。

勉強というより、笑いながら「なんとなく分かる」バイリンガル・ポッドキャストです。

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo To English No Show — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at NihongoToEnglishNoShow@gmail.com

📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes every 2nd, 12th & 22nd of the month!

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🎧 Episode 9 Description

Is a stripe the same as a border?
(No. Definitely no.)

In Episode 9 of Nihongo to English, comedians Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen CPA tumble into classic Japanese–English confusion while debating stripes, borders, and why English sounds so confident even when it’s wrong. Along the way, they snack on zebra popcorn, wander into euphemisms, sake cups, gift-giving customs, and — eventually — make their way back to studying Japanese.

This episode loosely follows Genki Book 1, Chapter 1, Pages 49-51, but as always, digressions are encouraged. Whether you’re learning Japanese, brushing up on English, or just here for the chaos, you’re in the right place.

Episodes drop on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of every month.
Listen, laugh, and accidentally learn something.

🎵 Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo To English No Show — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at NihongoToEnglishNoShow@gmail.com

📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes every 2nd, 12th & 22nd of the month!

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In this episode of Nihongo to English (No Show), Michelle and Michael learn Japanese the way adults actually do — through real conversation, mistakes, and a little sake.

We dive into Genki textbook Japanese (pages 46–48), including school years (〜年生), age counters (〜歳), and the confusing but essential grammar pattern 〜ようになる (“to become able to do”). Along the way, we untangle passive vs ability forms like taberareru and nommeru, and why they trip up English speakers.

Cultural detours include Japanese drinking age vs America, the image of the drunk salaryman, why “leftovers” (残り物) sound strangely negative in Japanese, and how Minecraft, Black Friday shopping, and adult learning habits somehow all connect.

If you’re learning Japanese, brushing up after years away, or just curious how Japanese is actually spoken outside the classroom, this episode is for you.

Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZaki

Support the show

🎙️ Nihongo To English No Show — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).
💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at NihongoToEnglishNoShow@gmail.com

📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes every 2nd, 12th & 22nd of the month!