A big part of improving your Japanese skills is to integrate the language into other aspects of your life. Beyond textbooks and classrooms, Japanese dramas on Netflix can help you learn the language passively. You’d be surprised at the number of new vocabulary and grammar points that might not be covered under the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Plus, watching Japanese dramas can also help you improve your pronunciation and listening skills further.
If you’re a beginner, start with children’s shows like Miffy or Pokémon, but for intermediate and advanced learners, here are some Japanese dramas on Netflix to challenge your listening and reading skills. Here are our top ten recommendations of Japanese dramas on Netflix for you to check out.
Rebooting (2023)
Have you ever wanted to do it all over again? Well, in this drama, protagonist Asami Kondo does just that. Thanks to a freak accident after a night out with friends, Asami has been given a choice to either reincarnate as an ant eater or do her life all over again. Starting from birth, she has to live the same life until she’s 33 again in the hopes of getting everything back on track. It’s a fun show to watch when you just want to unwind. The conversations are easy to follow and often quite funny.
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Slice of life
- Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
- Japanese level: N3
Extremely Inappropriate! (2024)
This drama might be a bit more controversial than others, but it gives a peek into some of the toxicity of Japan’s Showa Era. Japanese culture isn’t what it used to be, or so says the protagonist, Ichiro Ogawa. A widower working as a gym teacher, Ichiro finds himself transported into 2024 one fateful day. How well will he be able to adjust to modern-day Japanese society? Will he change his ways, or will he fight back? You’ll have to watch this drama to find out. This show has a lot of jokes pertaining to Japan’s Showa Era, so it’s a great opportunity to widen your vocabulary.
- Genre: Comedy, Slice of life, Fantasy
- Where to watch: Netflix, UNext
- Japanese level: N2
Fictitious Girl’s Diary (2017)
This lighthearted slice-of-life drama centers around a nameless protagonist who goes about her life as an everyday office worker. Through her everyday routines, watch as she goes about her tasks and interactions with her officemates. Played by comedian Bakarhythm, this drama has tons of observational and dry humor, so be sure to listen closely!
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Slice of life
- Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
- Japanese level: N3
By the Age of 30 (2022)
Similar to Sex and the City, By the Age of 30 follows four female protagonists. Together, they navigate their careers and relationships through the highs and lows. From proposals to single motherhood in Japan, this drama gives viewers an insight into the lives of everyday working women in Tokyo. Expect to hear a lot of everyday Japanese that you can try to shadow when speaking to your friends.
- Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice of life, LGBTQ+
- Where to watch: Netflix, Abema
- Japanese level: N3
Death Office (2019)
The death office is where deceased people have to pass through to do all the necessary paperwork (in the Japanese administration way, of course) before going to the afterlife -or worse. You have different sections based on death, like by disease, by accident, from natural causes or suicide, etc. We follow the journey to the afterlife of Michiru, a kind and cheerful girl who finds herself helping the “customers” and the staff of the death office despite being dead herself.
This series is a slice of life with different characters for each episode, making it very easy to watch. Overly polite keigo (honorific speech) and one’s death cause won’t be a secret any more thanks to Shimura, the death office officer in charge of the whole bureau, and his god-like customer care.
- Genre: Crime, Mystery, Fantasy, Slice of life
- Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
- Japanese level: N3
Alice in Borderland (2020)
Three friends carelessly wandering in Shibuya find themselves trapped in a parallel world where they have to play deadly games against strangers to survive.
If you liked the Hunger Games movies, Liar Game manga or the recent K-drama Squid Game, you’ll enjoy Alice in Borderland for sure. This drama is an excellent tool for learning conversation dynamics or just casual daily conversation in Japanese vocabulary. If you have N3, you might not follow everything due to grammatical forms you only see in spoken language, but all the vocabulary shouldn’t be a problem.
Fun fact: Shibuya’s striking empty streets, including the Shibuya crossing you see at the beginning of the series, was actually done in an outdoor studio.
- Genre: Survival, Suspense, Mystery
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Japanese level: N3~N2
What Did You Eat Yesterday? (2019)
What Did You Eat Yesterday? is about two things: home cooking recipes and the joy and struggle of gay couples in modern-day Japan. Vocabulary is centered on cooking techniques and everything related to the gay scene in Tokyo while having a decent amount of daily and work-related conversations.
A warning for LGBTQ+ viewers, this show tends to over-exaggerate with its characters, but that (hopefully) doesn’t take away its enjoyableness.
- Genre: LGBTQ+, Romance, Comedy, Cooking
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Japanese level: N4~N3
The Ingenuity of the Househusband (2021)
Tatsu was a legendary yakuza, feared and respected until he suddenly disappeared from gangster society to become the most meticulous, dedicated, detail-focused househusband.
From the same series as the anime version, also on Netflix, The Way of the Househusband is more focused on Tatsu’s life and personal story. On the other hand, the Ingenuity of the Househusband is only about tackling chores and housework tasks.
In addition to acquiring vocabulary for your daily Japanese life, you will learn how to remove burning stains on your pans, clean your cloudy and hazy bathroom mirror, and which recycle bin a pen goes into in Japanese.
Plus, there are only nine episodes so far—more reason to watch it ASAP.
- Genre: Comedy, Slice of life
- Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
- Japanese level: N5~N4
Suteki na Sen Taxi (2014)
Edawakare is the driver of a very special taxi. Indeed, his cab is made to bring you back at whatever point in time so you can choose a different path in your life or fix a mistake—with a fee, of course.
On top of showing you some introductory sentences for taking a taxi in Japan, this short series of only 12 episodes will teach you through the misfortunes of Edawakare multiple customers how to avoid the worst mistake while in Japan.
Japanese learners will notice the play on words with 選択 and タクシー, literally translated as the “choice taxi.”
- Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Slice of life
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Japanese level: N2
Wakako Zake (2015)
Are you tired of the old salaryman Goro enjoying meals during his work trips in the Solitary Gourmet drama series? Or did you binge Midnight Diner and are looking for more than just Japanese recipes and Shinjuku night stories? If so, Wakako Zake (Wakako’s alcohol) is the show you are looking for.
Wakako Murasaki is a young and dynamic office lady (OL in Japanese). She has an assistant and is very successful at the age of 26, but she has a secret she can’t reveal, especially not to her male colleagues and superiors.
So every evening, on her way from work, she enjoys a different drink and a different meal at a different place every night.
Unlike the two other Japanese dramas mentioned above, Wakako Zake is all about discovering places, mainly in Tokyo, that offer drinks and food while educating you about the type of sake (alcohol) that goes with which dish. Everything is described, from texture to taste to colors, in the same way as Solitary Gourmet, but with a female voice-over. Something you rarely find in Japanese textbooks!
- Genre: Gourmet, Educational
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Japanese level: N3
Bonus Japanese Drama:
Omameda Towako and Her Three Ex-Husbands/My Dear Exes (2021)
If you’re really looking to test your listening skills, then try watching Omameda Towako and Her Three Ex-Husbands. Towako has had her share of marital troubles, which have ended in three divorces, but she continues to move forward by raising her teenage daughter Uta as a single mother. This slice-of-life drama features fast-paced conversations about anything and everything in between. Praised for its punchy writing and unique storyline, you won’t want to miss a beat.
- Genre: Romance, Comedy, Slice of life
- Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
- Japanese level: N2
What are you watching on Netflix Japan? Let us know in the comments!
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This article offers a fantastic selection of Japanese dramas on Netflix for language learners! Watching these shows is a fun and immersive way to improve listening skills, pick up conversational phrases, and gain cultural insights. I appreciate the mix of genres, from historical dramas to contemporary stories, giving learners a well-rounded experience. It’s a helpful resource for anyone studying Japanese and looking to combine entertainment with education.