Are you able to make next week's Ocha and Chat Weekly Live Call? Vote in the poll below. There were some technical difficulties which left me on a live call alone for 25 minutes (I almost had to talk to my wife!). But in the end we had a chat about going to Japan, including hiking the nakasendo, playing competitive card games and visiting Aomori ken. Ocha and Chat: 〜たい (want to do) Verb (ます-stem) + たいですDōshi (masu-sutemu) + tai desu - たべます → たべたいです tabemasu → tabetai desu (want to eat) - いきます → いきたいです ikimasu → ikitai desu (want to go) Example Verbs (Action Words) 食べる 食べます 食べたいです tabetai desu want to eat 飲む 飲みます 飲みたいです nomitai desu want to drink 行く 行きます 行きたいです ikitai desu want to go 見る 見ます 見たいです mitai desu want to see 買う 買います 買いたいです kaitai desu want to buy 話す 話します 話したいです hanashitai desu want to talk 勉強する 勉強します 勉強したいです benkyō shitai desu want to study する します したいです shitai desu want to do Example Places (〜に / 〜へ) 日本 Nihon Japan 東京 Tōkyō Tokyo 京都 Kyōto Kyoto カフェ kafe café レストラン resutoran restaurant うち uchi home がっこう gakkō school こうえん kōen park デパート depāto department store えき eki station Example Sentences (Model Answers) - 日本に行きたいです。 Nihon ni ikitai desu. - カフェでコーヒーを飲みたいです。喫茶店　きっさてん　kissaten Kafe de kōhī o nomitai desu. - 東京で買いものをしたいです。 Tōkyō de kaimono o shitai desu. - レストランでラーメンを食べたいです。 Resutoran de rāmen o tabetai desu. - うちで日本語を勉強したいです。 Uchi de Nihongo o benkyō shitai desu. 🗣️ Ocha & Chat Pair Practice (Short Script) A: こんにちは。 Konnichiwa. なにをしたいですか。 Nani o shitai desu ka. B: こんにちは。 Konnichiwa. わたしは カフェでコーヒーを飲みたい です。 Watashi wa kafe de kōhī o nomitai desu. {A}-さんは？ {A}-san wa? A: わたしは 日本にまた行きたい です。 Watashi wa Nihon ni mata ikitai desu. B: いいですね！ ii desu ne! そうですよね。 Sentence ending in level of emphasis: Sou desu. Sou desu ne Sou desu yo Sou da ze

Huge congratulations to Ev san（エヴァルゼグ） — who has officially reached Daimyō level! 👏✨ Reaching Daimyō reflects steady effort, curiosity, and a genuine love of Japanese language and culture. It also marks someone as a leader within our community, helping make this space welcoming, fun, and motivating for others. 🗾❄️ Province Claimed: 蝦夷（えぞ）— Yezo Ev san has claimed Yezo, the historical name for modern-day Hokkaidō. Yezo is famous for: breathtaking natural beauty wide open landscapes and seasons and some of Japan’s most delicious food From fresh seafood to rich regional dishes, it’s a province that celebrates both nature and nourishment — a perfect reflection of Ev’s appreciation for what Japan has to offer beyond the big cities. A thoughtful and fitting choice. 🈶 Mini Japanese 大名（だいみょう） – Daimyō 蝦夷（えぞ） – Yezo 北海道（ほっかいどう） – Hokkaidō おめでとうございます！ – Congratulations! 👉 エヴァルゼグさん、大名レベル到達おめでとうございます！ 🌱 What This Represents Claiming Yezo symbolises strength, independence, and respect for nature. Ev’s journey shows how consistent effort and genuine interest lead to meaningful progress. Please join me in congratulating エヴァルゼグさん 🎉 Who will be the next Daimyō to rise? @Ev Ginguene おめでとうございます！

Introduce yourself and share a pic of something Japanese you own or something Japanese that you're interested in! Feel free to explain why you want to learn Japanese or what you like about Japan. Also, feel free to post any Japanese language questions you have. I'd be glad to answer them! As for me, I love learning Judo. Have you ever tried it? And I love Japanese literature, such as Kokoro by Natsume Soseki. Have you read any Japanese novels? I also really enjoyed Cowboy Bebop when it came out! Not the live action Netflix version! To start learning, I highly recommend Your 50 First Sentences Course: https://www.skool.com/japanese/classroom/fe1c2853?md=60ee3552d26e4ffcb910a86675e10f95 Arigatou, Joe Sensei.

Big congratulations to Jordan（ジョウダン） — who has officially reached Daimyō level! 👏✨ Jordan has earned his place not just through effort, but by contributing to the spirit of learning together. He was one of the attendees at the first ever Ocha and Chat Weekly Live Call. 🗾🌊 Province Claimed: 伊豆（いず）— Izu Including the 伊豆七島（いずしちとう）— The Seven Isles of Izu Jordan has claimed Izu, a province known for: rugged coastlines volcanic islands hot springs and its deep connection to the sea By claiming Izu and the Seven Isles of Izu, Jordan becomes guardian of one of Japan’s most dramatic and beautiful regions — a place shaped by nature, resilience, and isolation. A strong and fitting choice. 🈶 Mini Japanese 大名（だいみょう） – Daimyō 伊豆（いず） – Izu 伊豆七島（いずしちとう） – The Seven Isles of Izu おめでとうございます！ – Congratulations! 👉 ジョウダンさん、大名レベル到達おめでとうございます！ 🌱 What This Represents Daimyō are not just learners — they are pillars of the community. Please join me in congratulating ジョウダンさん 🎉 @Jordan Keener Who will be the next Daimyō to rise? Which province would you claim? おめでとうございます！

In about 48 hours is our Ocha & Chat Weekly Live Call. 🗓️ Topic: What Do You Want to Do in Japan? For our next Ocha & Chat, we’ll talk about things we want to do in Japan — travel, food, culture, experiences, anything! This is a great topic because you can speak naturally using 〜たいです (want to do). 🧠 Mini Lesson: 〜たいです “I want to do …” To say what you want to do, use: 👉 Verb (ます-form) → drop ます → add たいです Examples: 行きます → 行きたいです ikimasu → ikitai desu I want to go 食べます → 食べたいです tabemasu → tabetai desu I want to eat 見ます → 見たいです mimasu → mitai desu I want to see ✏️ Simple Example Sentences 日本に行きたいです。 Nihon ni ikitai desu. I want to go to Japan. 寿司を食べたいです。 Sushi o tabetai desu. I want to eat sushi. 神社に行きたいです。 Jinja ni ikitai desu. I want to go to a shrine. 日本語を話したいです。 Nihongo o hanashitai desu. I want to speak Japanese. 🗣️ Example Dialogue ① A: 日本に行きたいですか。 Nihon ni ikitai desu ka? Do you want to go to Japan? B: はい、行きたいです。 Hai, ikitai desu. Yes, I do. A: 日本で何をしたいですか。 Nihon de nani o shitai desu ka? What do you want to do in Japan? B: ラーメンを食べたいです。 Rāmen o tabetai desu. I want to eat ramen. 🗣️ Example Dialogue ② A: 日本で一番何をしたいですか。 Nihon de ichiban nani o shitai desu ka? What do you want to do most in Japan? B: 東京に行きたいです。 Tōkyō ni ikitai desu. I want to go to Tokyo. A: どうしてですか。 Dōshite desu ka? Why? B: アニメが好きだからです。 Anime ga suki dakara desu. Because I like anime. 📘 Useful Vocabulary 行く（いく） – iku – to go 食べる（たべる） – taberu – to eat 見る（みる） – miru – to see 買う（かう） – kau – to buy 神社（じんじゃ） – jinja – shrine 旅行（りょこう） – ryokō – travel 日本（にほん） – Nihon – Japan 🫵 Your Practice (Before the Call) Try writing 1–2 sentences: 日本で＿＿＿をしたいです。 Nihon de ___ o shitai desu. 日本に行ったら、＿＿＿をしたいです。 Nihon ni ittara, ___ o shitai desu. Example: 日本で温泉に行きたいです。 Nihon de onsen ni ikitai desu. Post below if you want feedback 😊 Looking forward to chatting with you at Ocha & Chat ☕🇯🇵