Nihongo Con Teppei (and Teppei Beginner): A Beginner's Listening Resource Guide
Nihongo Con Teppei is a free, single-host Japanese podcast. In each episode, the teacher Teppei talks in natural Japanese about one everyday topic.1 For a JLPT N5 or N4 learner building listening stamina, it is one of the most accessible ways to hear real spoken Japanese in short, daily doses.2
Overview
The Teppei podcasts are a family of solo shows rather than a single feed. The real entry point is the spinoff published as "Japanese podcast for beginners (Nihongo con Teppei)," commonly called Teppei Beginner. The main "Nihongo Con Teppei" series sits one band higher.13 Both share the same format: one host, one topic, no co-presenter, and free access.12
This guide explains the series family, gives a calibrated difficulty rating, and gives a concrete way to work through the shows by level.
Who Teppei is and what the podcast is
The host is Teppei, a Japanese teacher. The beginner show is credited to and authored by him across every episode listing.1 Tofugu's review identifies him as a Japanese teacher on iTalki, though the official pages confirm only the name.2
Each episode is a single host speaking Japanese in a solo monologue, covering one topic, with little or no background audio.12 The format is deliberately simple, and the show describes itself on its own platforms as a large listening resource for learners of Japanese.4
The beginner show publishes several episodes per week, often nearly daily, and remains actively updated.1 Tofugu characterizes Teppei's overall output across his channels as almost a podcast a day.5
The podcast is free; its platforms note that it is sustained by listener support through Patreon and Ko-fi.64 You can listen through the major directories and an RSS feed: Apple Podcasts,7 Spotify,6 and the official site with Android and RSS subscription options.1
Episode numbering grows continuously, so any total you see is already out of date. The one fixed number is the original main run, which concluded at episode #700 and is now preserved as a named back-catalogue show.4
The Teppei series family
Teppei runs several channels, so a beginner can lose time guessing which feed to follow. The table below maps the shows a learner is most likely to encounter.
| Show | Calibrated level | Episode length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teppei Beginner ("Japanese podcast for beginners") | ≈ N5 | ~3–5 min | Actively updated12 |
| Nihongo con Teppei (main series) | ≈ N4–N3 | ~10–20 min | Original run concluded35 |
| Nihongo con Teppei Original Archives 1-700 | ≈ N4–N3 | ~10–20 min | Archived, 700 episodes4 |
| Nihongo con Teppei Z | ≈ N4–N3 | ~10–20 min | Continuation of the main series5 |
Teppei Beginner is the true starting point: short episodes, accessible vocabulary, and ongoing updates.1762 The main "Nihongo con Teppei" is the intermediate-level solo show. Its original run has concluded and is preserved as "Nihongo con Teppei Original Archives 1-700," a fixed catalogue of 700 episodes.345
Nihongo con Teppei Z continues the main series after that original run. It sits in the same difficulty band and covers the same kinds of topics, so it is an extension rather than a new level.58
Teppei also runs further channels and collaborations, including intermediate and advanced solo series and collaborative episodes with other speakers.182 His hub page lists the full set of channels.48 These are useful context for the family, but a beginner does not need to track them.
Format and difficulty
Episode length and cadence
Length is the clearest practical difference between the two shows. Teppei Beginner episodes run roughly 3 to 5 minutes. The Spotify feed shows beginner episodes around three minutes, and Tofugu's beginner review reports episodes about four minutes long.62
Main-series episodes run longer, roughly 10 to 20 minutes. The main-series Apple page shows most episodes in the 8-to-18-minute range, and Tofugu notes that many clock in around 20 minutes.35
Both feeds release several times per week, often nearly daily. Teppei's combined output is described as almost a podcast a day.15
Calibrated difficulty rating
The register is casual, conversational monologue: a single host talking naturally about everyday topics, not a scripted or formal delivery.12 In topic vocabulary and grammar, Teppei Beginner aligns roughly with JLPT N5, and the main series aligns roughly with JLPT N4 to N3.1325
These N5 and N4–N3 bands describe register and topic vocabulary. They are this guide's editorial calibration, not official ratings. The podcasts are graded by how Teppei speaks and what he speaks about, not mapped to an official JLPT syllabus.13
No source provides a measured speech rate for either show, so this guide gives no number. The beginner episodes are easier to understand because they use simple vocabulary, one topic per episode, and repetition of the key word and related vocabulary. A single speaker delivers them clearly, with little or no background audio.2
A common expectation is that the show is "slowed-down Japanese." That is not accurate, and correcting it early saves frustration.
Comprehensibility here comes from simple vocabulary, one topic, and repetition, not from heavy slowing. Tofugu's beginner review puts it plainly: Teppei "doesn't really slow his speech much," and instead "simply speaks clearly, only really pausing around the title or any other key phrases."2 For the main series, his delivery is described as ranging from slightly slowed to normal speed.5 Treat it as natural but simplified Japanese, clearly enunciated.
The JLPT caveat
This material trains comprehension of natural, real-speech Japanese at a conversational pace. That is a different skill from the JLPT listening section.25
JLPT listening audio is comparatively slow, carefully enunciated, and largely free of contractions. Passing a JLPT level is not the same as comfortably following Teppei or a real conversation, and the reverse holds too.
Standardized-test audio is slower and cleaner than how people actually talk. Train both skills: use JLPT-style material for the exam, and use a podcast like Teppei for the conversational pace and contractions the test smooths over.
How to use it
In order vs. random
Episodes are largely standalone, with one topic each, so there is no strict required order. Dipping in at random works.12 The single-host format still rewards volume: listening to one voice over many episodes builds familiarity with his pacing and recurring vocabulary faster. That is the comprehensible-input payoff of a solo show.2
A concrete progression works best by level. Start with Teppei Beginner and listen in volume. Once the beginner episodes feel easy, graduate to the main series and its Z continuation.25 For the concluded main run, the archived "Original Archives 1-700" gives a stable, ordered back-catalogue to work through end to end.4
Fitting it into a daily routine
The short length is the feature, not a compromise. A 3-to-5-minute beginner episode fits into a small daily gap, which makes the show easy to turn into a daily habit.62
That short format pairs well with an active-versus-passive listening approach. For a new episode, use a focused, active listen. Aim to catch the topic word and follow the thread. For review, use a passive background listen of an already-heard episode.
Good to know
"Beginner" does not mean "absolute beginner"
The "beginner" label still assumes some grammar and core vocabulary. The show is made accessible through simple vocabulary, one topic, and repetition. But it is delivered in natural Japanese with little slowing, so it is not a zero-knowledge resource.2 A genuine false beginner will get more from it after picking up some foundational grammar and starter vocabulary first.
Where to find it
The podcast is available free on the major directories: Apple Podcasts,7 Spotify,6 and the official site with its RSS feed, which also offers Android and RSS subscription options.1 Teppei's hub site lists the full set of channels for anyone who wants the wider family.8 Because the show is free and the episode count keeps growing, treat any specific count or price you see as a snapshot rather than a fixed figure.14
When to move on
The signal to move on is comfort plus impatience: when comprehension of the beginner episodes is high and the pace starts to feel slow, step up. The natural next stops are the main series and Teppei Z in the N4 to N3 band, or another harder podcast such as Sakura Tips or YuYu Nihongo.35
See also
- Why Spoken Japanese Sounds Like One Long Word: Breaking the "All Sounds Run Together" Wall
- Japanese Speech Rate: How Fast Do Native Speakers Actually Talk?
- The Daily Listening Loop: A 30-Minute Japanese Routine
- Casual Speech (タメ口): How Native Speakers Actually Talk
- Finding i+1 Input at Each Japanese Level: A Sourcing Guide from N5 to N1