Mercedez Clewis is a Japanese to English localization editor and proofreader as well as a pop culture writer and critic with websites like, Anime Feminist, But Why Tho, and the Anime News Network. She also has previous worked with Siliconera, … Continue reading →
Jul 25, 2021 • Subscribe
More like this
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E03 – Jenn O’Donnell – Mindful Study, Translating/Localizing, Job Hunting in Japan
Jenn O’Donnell is a Japanese to English translator and project manager based in Osaka. By day she works as a Localization Director for a video game company and…
How to Japanese Podcast – 号外 – Pre-JET Japanese Triage
Extra extra, read- er, hear all about it! Special edition of the How to Japanese Podcast! This is an audio version of a presentation I gave to departing…
Tokyo Mew Mew (with Mercedez Clewis)
Covers all of Tokyo Mew Mew and Tokyo Mew Mew a la Mode Reiko Yoshida and Mia Ikumi.In the early 2000s, this series about a team of five…
Tokyo Mew Mew, Air Gear, Bleach, Cardcaptor Sakura, Escaflowne
Translation Chat 13 – Mercedez Clewis chats about Super Cub
Mercedez (Meru) Clewis talks about the amazing work of the English subtitle translation for the anime Super Cub.
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E07 – Jason Coskrey – Immersion, Sports Writing in Japan
Jason Coskrey is a sports writer for The Japan Times. He previously worked at the Birmingham Post Herald and the Marietta Daily Journal before moving to Japan in…
How to Japanese Podcast – S03E01 – Emergency Murakami Podcast
We have the title for the new Murakami novel due out on April 13! It’s the same title as a 1980 novella that Murakami disavowed as a “failed…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E17 – Molly Des Jardin – Japanese the Spoken Language, Meiji Era Writing, 全集
Molly Des Jardin is a language and computer nerd who came to study Japanese, and later book and media history of modern Japan. She quickly got sucked into…
How to Japanese Podcast – Episode 45 – コロケーション
I finally managed to see John Wick: Chapter 4. It only came out in Japan in September, six months after it’s initial release. In the newsletter this month,…
How to Japanese Podcast – Episode 41 – Kanji
I have such good memories of the Fourth of July 2021. It was a perfect day in Chicago. Clear and warm but not hot, and when the sun…
How to Japanese Podcast – Episode 44 – スミマセン
In the newsletter this month, I took a look at 非外来語のカタカナ表記 (non-gairaigo katakana notation), which is a complicated way of saying “katakana used to write words that are…
Writing Prompt: How did you learn Japanese?
This was actually one that I just came up with myself, but I figured I’d frame this as a prompt anyways since it fits. I know that many…
号外 - How to Japanese Podcast Season 2
New episodes every Sunday/Monday
How to Japanese Podcast – Episode 42 – のだ
I remember vividly learning how to use んだ in Japanese. My third year teacher did a section on storytelling/explaining, and she had us tell different stories over and…
How to Japanese Podcast – S03E02 – The Murakami Season
Well, I’ve had a week to mull over the title announcement for the new Murakami novel, and I’m still just as stunned as I was last week. Here’s…
How to Japanese Podcast – S03E03 – Murakami’s Origin Story
This week, I take a look at Murakami’s famous origin story with the help of writer and translator Matt Schley. We looked at ten different accounts of the…
To Understand Japanese History, Study China
One aspect of Japanology I’ve neglected so far is the role of China. I’ve only touched on it here and there throughout JP’s articles. But if you are…
To Understand Japanese History, Study China
One aspect of Japanology I’ve neglected so far is the role of China. I’ve only touched on it here and there throughout JP’s articles. But if you are…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E20 – Instinctual Nattō and Introversion
On the final episode this season, I talk about the importance of celebrating your little victories as you study a language. And in Japanese, I think about how…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E06 – Performative Adjectives and 系
Adjectives in Japanese are not always what they appear to be! I think part of this is because they function as what I call “performative adjectives.” One of…
How to Japanese Podcast – S03E05 – Murakami Bibliography – 1979-1987
This week on the podcast I’m taking a close look at Murakami’s complete bibliography for the first eight years of his career. See my Google Sheet version of…
How to Japanese Podcast – S03E06 – Murakami Bibliography – 1988-2005
This week is the second part of my look at Murakami’s complete bibliography. See my Google Sheet version of all this information and follow along with the podcast…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E04 – Tourist Mindset and ノーダメージ
You don’t have to go very far to be a tourist, and looking at the world with that mindset can also be helpful for language study. In this…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E16 – Pools and 趣味
What’s something that surprised you about Japan that was completely ordinary? For me it was the access to swimming pools. Living in Japan changed my relationship with swimming…
How to Japanese Podcast – S03E04 – Murakami Novel Power Rankings
It’s finally time – here are my Murakami Novel Power Rankings! I spent the last two months re-reading Murakami’s novels, and I feel prepared to put them in…
How to Japanese Podcast – Episode 43 – それが
Ahoy! Here’s the podcast, kanjilubbers! This month I’m talking about the message behind the message, inspired in part by my high school calculus teacher, Dr. Collins. Check out…
How to Japanese Podcast – S03E07 – Murakami Bibliography – 2006-2023
This week is the third part of my look at Murakami’s complete bibliography. See my Google Sheet version of all this information and follow along with the podcast…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E20 – Instinctual Nattō and Introversion
On the final episode this season, I talk about the importance of celebrating your little victories as you study a language. And in Japanese, I think about how…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E09 – Morgan Giles – Reading Japanese, Translation, MEXT Scholarship
Morgan Giles is a Japanese translator based in London. She’s translated a number of different writers, including Kanehara Hitomi, Furukawa Hideo, and the National Book Award-winning Tokyo Ueno…
How to Japanese Podcast – S03E09 – Immediate Reactions to Murakami’s New Novel
Good God, that’s Murakami Haruki’s music! 街とその不確かな壁 (The City and Its Uncertain Walls/The Town and Its Uncertain Wall) launched today in Japan, and holy moly, it’s a wild…
Best Places to Study Japanese in Japan
Where is the best place to study Japanese in Japan? Find out in this week's GaijinPot video.
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E08 – Roomshare.jp and のり弁
Living with Japanese roommates in Tokyo was the highlight of my time in Japan. I found those roommates on the website Roomshare.jp, a great site that I introduce…
How to Japanese Podcast – S03E08 – Predictions for Murakami’s New Novel
It’s the final podcast before publication of the new Murakami novel! I go over some Murakami vocabulary, predictions I have for the novel, and some comments about potential…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E11 – Brian Epstein – Patent Law, Working with Japanese Clients, Japanese Emails
Brian Epstein is a patent attorney with Modal Law who has been working with Japanese clients and patent attorneys for his 14-year career. He started his own practice…
How To Stop Being a Weeb, a 12 Step Program
Weebs or Weeaboo are defined by a lack of social boundaries, social skills, and an unhealthy obsession with Japanese media culture. The label is meant to be derogatory,…
Localizing Japanese Video Games (Mel Ok of Ace Honyaku)
On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Japanese to English translator/localizer Mel Ok tells about localizing Japanese video games and how he got into the translation/localization industry.…
Hakuhodo Foundation 12th Japanese Language Exchange Program...
Hakuhodo Foundation 12th Japanese Language Exchange Program Applications now ...
How to Use Japanese Counters
You can count on us to make Japanese counters easy! Let's sum of the basics with real-world examples.
How to TikTok in Japanese
I’m catching up with my Japan Times articles. I had an article about Japanese TikTok accounts at the end of May: “Immerse yourself in the creativity and language…
How NOT to Learn Japanese
Learn Japanese with Yuta: https://bit.ly/3jowd6P Support me on Patreon: https://goo.gl/aiWNd5 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThatYuta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatyuta/ Facebook: https://bit.ly/381qpHS Blog: http://www.yutaaoki.com/blog/
How to Speak Japanese Naturally
Learn Japanese with Yuta: https://bit.ly/3OY3G5c Support me on Patreon: https://goo.gl/aiWNd5 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThatYuta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatyuta/ Facebook: https://bit.ly/381qpHS Blog: http://www.yutaaoki.com/blog/
How to Read Japanese Folktales
Japanese folktales have layers that require some thought to fully understand. Of course, Grimm’s fairy tales and even the Bible require reflection too. Context matters for understanding any…
Pass the JLPT! How to Study JLPT Grammar
Unlike kanji and vocabulary, studying JLPT grammar requires context and a deeper understanding of the language. Here's how to study!
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E19 – Jens Petersen – Japanese in Sweden, Music and Art, Job Fairs
Jens Petersen has been working in real estate in Tokyo for over 13 years. He initially found interest in Japanese independent music. In recent years his interest has…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E19 – Jens Petersen – Japanese in Sweden, Music and Art, Job Fairs
Jens Petersen has been working in real estate in Tokyo for over 13 years. He initially found interest in Japanese independent music. In recent years his interest has…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E18 – 都道府県 and 貪る
There is an official order to the 都道府県 (todōfuken, prefectures) in Japan. I share some thoughts about it and in Japanese discuss the importance of learning how to…
JLPT Kanji: How to Study Kanji for Your Level
There are far too many kanji to study them all! That's why you need to break it down and only focus on the JLPT Kanji for your level.
How to Learn Japanese with Songs
Learn Japanese with Yuta: https://bit.ly/3TKTo8h Support me on Patreon: https://goo.gl/aiWNd5 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThatYuta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatyuta/ Facebook: https://bit.ly/381qpHS Blog: http://www.yutaaoki.com/blog/
How to be Sarcastic in Japanese
Learn Japanese with Yuta: https://bit.ly/41x1x3t Support me on Patreon: https://goo.gl/aiWNd5 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThatYuta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatyuta/ Facebook: https://bit.ly/381qpHS Blog: http://www.yutaaoki.com/blog/
Study Group – Fighters trying to study
Hey guys what is up welcome back to my blog I’m so thankful that you guys took the time out of your day to read my blog post.…
Understanding Femininity: How to Balance it in Character Writing
Despite the title this is not a post which will unravel the mysteries of women. I am a man, I do not understand women. But I do understand…
