8 Best Netflix Shows to Understand and Learn Japanese 2022

Are you looking for the best Japanese Netflix shows to understand Japanese? Well, Check out this curated list of Japanese shows that will help you learn Japanese better! Read further to know more.

We are all living in unprecedented times, thanks to the global pandemic that has kept us inside for months. However, looking at the bright side, these months have given us enough time to binge-watch all shows and learn new skills with ease and comfort. 

We have all left the rush behind. I have made these months quite fruitful for myself by learning Japanese without leaving the comforts of my sofa and blanket. 

Which are the best Netflix shows to understand Japanese?

• Terrace House
• Ainori Love Wagon: Asian Journey
• Midnight Diner: Tokyo Series
• Aggretsuko
• Rilakkuma and Kaoru
• How Do You Like Wednesday?
• Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light
• Atelier

Do you think this is boring? Wait till I tell you my secret way of learning Japanese; I am sure you will be following the same in no time. Now you can learn japanese with Netflix, so cool yeah?

Do you want to know how I am learning Japanese? I am watching the best Netflix shows to understand Japanese. Don’t believe me? 

• Related: Best Japanese Netflix Shows
• Related: Best Japanese-English Electronic Dictionaries

Check out these best Netflix shows to understand Japanese that can help you brush up on the language. 

Trust me, simply by streaming these popular shows, you can improve your Japanese listening skills, vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and everything else. 

Here are some of the best Netflix Shows to Understand Japanese:

Best Netflix Shows to Understand Japanese: Summary

Best Netflix Shows to Understand Japanese	Age Rating	Genre
Terrace House	18+	Wedding and Romance Reality Tv Show
Ainori Love Wagon: Asian Journey	16+	Wedding and Romance Reality Tv Show
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Series	18+	Tv show based on Manga
Aggretsuko	13+	Comedy, Anime
Rilakkuma and Kaoru	7+	Stop motion, Slice of Life
How Do You Like Wednesday?	13+	Tv Comedy
Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light	13+	Tv Drama
Atelier	7+	Tv Drama

Top Netflix Shows to Understand Japanese

Terrace House

Age: 18+ | Genre: Wedding and Romance Reality Tv Show | Rating: 8.2

This is an extremely popular Japanese reality series that keeps you hooked to the screen. It is one of the best netflix shows to understand Japanese of all times.

This reality show follows the lives of six young people who are strangers that enter a house and live together. Terrace house will help you learn Japanese very quickly.

As viewers, we can watch them go about their daily lives together. The show lets us see how these strangers adjust to each other and develop interpersonal skills. 

We can see them growing and living with each other, but it is not a merry ride. There are both good and bad things happening here, which makes it all the more interesting. 

The show is completely real and not at all scripted. The show uses a lot of everyday languages, and you will especially hear language that is used by the youngsters today. 

If you want to follow a natural and relaxing conversation, Terrace House is a must-watch. You can watch this show even without the subtitles.  

Related: Best Books to Learn Japanese for Beginners

Ainori Love Wagon: Asian Journey

Age: 16+ | Genre: Tv show based on Manga | Rating: 7.2

This is yet another wonderful show that you can watch to improve your Japanese. It is one of the  easy Japanese shows to watch that will be helpful for your J-vocab.

The first season of Ainori Love Wagon goes back to 1999. The show came back on Netflix in 2017 and there are now three seasons available on the entertainment platform. 

The show is, again, a reality-based show that follows the lives of seven strangers. These seven people travel around different parts of the world in a cute and cozy pink van. 

However, the show is not only about all the fascinating places; it has a goal and a purpose. The main purpose of the show is to find love. 

So, all the contestants need to find love in other contestants, declare their love, and then return to Japan together. This is one of the best Netflix shows to understand Japanese. 

hey also partake in different activities when they travel the world together. The show is a wonderful mixture of dating and travel. It is one of the best Netflix shows to understand Japanese.

This show, just like Terrace House, has a lot of common, everyday language. 

Midnight Diner: Tokyo Series

Age: 18+ | Genre: Wedding and Romance Reality Tv Show | Rating: 8.8

This is a show that is perfect for all the foodies out there. This is a show that follows the life of the owner of a small restaurant in Tokyo. 

The restaurant opens from midnight to 7 AM in the morning. The storyline is quite fascinating and it follows the stories of the customers who come to dine at his restaurant. 

In the show, you can see the customers sharing stories about their lives over their meals. You will find that each episode features the story of a different customer. This is a Japanese food show on Netflix that is a must-have.

The stories that you get to hear here are quite interesting. You can also learn Japanese by listening to these stories. Tokyo Diner is one of the best Netflix shows to understand Japanese.

Related: Check out these best Japanese scary stories that will scare you out of your wits!

Aggretsuko

Age: 13+ | Genre: Comedy, Anime | Rating: 8.3

This may look like a cute show, but believe me, Aggretsuko is not just about a cute little panda. There is a deeper meaning behind this show that resonates with the lives of so many corporate workers. 

This Japanese series for beginners is focused on the main character, Retsuko, who is an adorable red-faced panda. 

The main character is a 25-year old worker who works for a boss with a sexist mentality. 

She is always stressed out at work, and to release all of that, Retsuko turns into a heavy metal karaoke singer at night. It is at this time that Retsuko turns into Aggretsuko and brings out the evils of the corporate world. 

Aggretsuko brings to us quite an interesting overlook of the Japanese work culture. It also sheds a light on the issues faced by women at their workplace. 

Aggretsuko provides a great base to learn Japanese while also ensuring that it acquaints you to the social issues of Japan. It is one of the best netflix shows to understand Japanese.

Related: Check out these Yurei ghost tales that will chill your spine!

Rilakkuma and Kaoru

Age: 7+ | Genre: Stop Motion, Slice of Life | Rating: 8.5

This is the first stop-motion animation of the extremely popular Japanese stationery mascot bear. It is one of the best Netflix shows to understand Japanese. 

The language used in the show is extremely easy and simple, and the conversations are also easy to follow. Language learning with Netflix Japan, is quite simple when watching this show.

You will find that the show has a lot of daily conversations that can help you strike a conversation yourself. 

The series is quite well-made and has a lot of whimsical factors to it. It also focuses on some of the most pressing issues that are faced by people in Japanese society and the workplace. 

Related: Check out these best Japanese manga recommendations that are fun to read!

How Do You Like Wednesday?

Age: 13+ | Genre: Comedy Tv | Rating: 8.5

How Do You Like Wednesday was originally aired on Hokkaido’s HTB, as well as in other regional TV channels. 

This is one of the Japanese comedy shows that is the longest-running series with about 240 episodes. This is one of the best Netflix shows to understand Japanese of all times in this genre.

The show aired consecutively for eight years. After this, there were also a number of special limited shows. The show focuses on adventures that span across Japan and the world. 

The travel journey leads to several quirky characters and sticky situations that keep you glued to the screen. Every episode has something quite interesting in it. 

There is one season where a cooking show makes the leads make everything from scratch, including the tableware. 

There is also another season that makes them go on the Shikoku pilgrimage. In this season, the leads were made to visit all 88 temples in only about five days.

Related: Here are some of the best Japanese novels that are worth reading!

Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light

Age: 13+ | Genre: Drama Tv | Rating: 7.5

This is quite a slow-paced show, even though it is a part of Final Fantasy. The entire process of bonding has been stretched out over eight episodes. 

It is not the most thrilling show that you will ever watch, but trust me, you will want to see the end of it regardless. 

The slow pace of the movie has an advantage for all those who are trying to learn the language. It makes understanding Japanese and the context a whole lot easier. 

The lead characters of the show are quite genuine and you will fall in love with them. Dad of light is one of the best Netflix shows to understand Japanese.

Atelier

Age: 7+ | Genre: Drama Tv | Rating: 7.5

Atelier is also known as Underwear in many regions. This is a Netflix original show and follows the life of the protagonist named Mayuko. 

Mayuko is a young college graduate who is trying to come to terms with high-end lingerie production. 

The story proceeds forward when our lead is hired by one of the most renowned fashion houses, Emotion, and how she tries to find her place there.

 It also focuses on the bond and relation she shares with Mayumi Nanjo, who is the creator of Emotion. The show is filled with a lot of drama and spans over 13 episodes. 

These episodes were released in 2015 and are available with subtitles in various languages. Atelier is one of the best Netflix shows to understand Japanese.

It’s one of the best shows to learn Japanese like a local. You can easily watch this show to enhance your Japanese language skills, while also being completely entertained by the hooking storyline. 

Which is the best Netflix show to understand Japanese?

I have watched uncountable Netflix shows, but the best one to learn Japanese is Terrace House because of its plot, ease to understand, and learning experience.

Terrace House is a reality Netflix show about weddings and romance. Six stranger women and men get into a single house to spend summer together. The first episode came out on 2 September 2015. It is available to watch on Netflix.

Grab your popcorn!

I love spending hours and hours in front of my laptop screen binge-watching the best Netflix shows. These shows really make me forget about time, especially on days when I am feeling super low and unmotivated. 

But, I recently found out that Netflix shows can be used for more than just entertainment purposes. I realized that I can use the best Japanese Netflix shows to understand Japanese. 

The Netflix shows I have listed here are all amazing to help you learn Japanese without much effort. So, these shows are like two mixed into one. 

You get to enjoy the shows while also fulfilling the dual purpose of learning Japanese. So, if you too want to learn the beautiful Japanese language, you really need to check out these best Netflix shows to understand  Japanese, today!