Resource Review: Tokini Andy
A calligrapher writes the Chinese character 舞
When I began learning Japanese in college, I often found myself bored with the slow pace, so I self-studied extra material over the summer. However, I had to move very quickly to meet my goal of testing out of both intermediate courses. I knew I would need some extra help, so I searched online for resources. I stumbled across the YouTube channel Tokini Andy and clicked on a video, having no idea that it would turn out to be one of the greatest Japanese resources I ever found.
What are his videos like?
I'm most familiar with his video series’ on the Genki and Quartet textbooks, so I'll focus on these. During my period of self-study, I was using the Genki 1 and 2 textbooks, so I was thrilled to discover his playlists covering every single chapter of the series! Each video is about one hour long, focusing on the grammar points of one chapter. Tokini Andy provides concise, easily understandable explanations which make his videos especially useful for beginners.
As an American who studied his way to N1* and now lives in Japan, Andy is well aware of the challenges Japanese presents to English natives. This is why his explanations of the nuances behind every grammar point are especially helpful. He even includes extra vocabulary and kanji for those wishing to move at a faster pace!
💡Tip: For those who find the extra material overwhelming, try focusing on one grammar point a day to ensure thorough understanding of each example. The more vocab you memorize early on, the better!
In my opinion, the best part of his videos is the short stories and dialogues he includes to provide the listeners with extra context. The Genki series in particular has a tendency to include either overly complex explanations, or very brief explanations with few examples. This is why Tokini Andy’s approach is so helpful — it fills in a lot of gaps left by the textbooks while providing realistic, daily life examples.
What about the podcast?
Tokini gatari is an intermediate-level podcast in which Andy and his wife, Yuki (a native Japanese woman) discuss a variety of daily-life topics, such as travel, food, and holidays. Each episode averages around 20-30 minutes, so it is not too overwhelming. The vocabulary is mostly familiar for the N3 level*, and new words are typically easy to figure out either from context or from Yuki and Andy’s explanations. This is an excellent resource for N4-N3 learners looking to improve their native listening skills without stepping too far out of their comfort zone!
💡Pro tip: Many students tend to neglect their listening skills and focus too much on reading (such as looking for news articles or manga). However, podcasts and vlogs provide some of the best listening practice on specific topics, allowing you to expand your vocabulary and stay engaged in the content. The key is to keep learning fun!
Final thoughts
Overall, Tokini Andy is an excellent resource for grammar explanations, vocabulary, kanji, and listening practice for learners at every level. His videos on the Genki textbooks are excellent for beginners, and the Quartet series expands into intermediate and advanced material. His podcast, Tokini gatari, allows intermediate listeners to learn native phrases and natural conversation without diving head-first into native content. This channel is truly a gem for Japanese learners, and a unique find in a sea of native Japanese teachers who may not understand an English native’s perspective. Check the channel out below!
*JLPT levels are explained in another article.