13 Japan-based TikTok Creators to Learn Japanese

In search for Tiktokers in Japan? TikTok is one of the most downloadable apps in the world. It gives you rapid-fire, bite-sized content that makes the whole experience addictive. There’s even research going on about how Chinese-based social media platform affects our attention span. Getting sucked through videos and videos of #FoodTok hours? Totally relatable.

But TikTok’s algorithm still factors in your location too. If you’re in the United States, you’re likely to see content by creators who live and publish there. This is nice because you’re more likely to understand the content you see, but what if you want to branch out? Most of the time, you’ve got to go looking by yourself if you want to come across foreign content. 

That’s why we’ve decided to make a list of some Japan-based Tiktok creators that will help you learn Japanese. If you’re trying to learn about or live in Japan, these are the Tiktokers to follow. We’ve split up the content into three categories: Educational, entertainment and lifestyle. Educational content centers on learning Japanese. Entertainment is just for your enjoyment, and Lifestyle is all about living in Japan. A lot of them also have YouTube Channels, if you’d like to watch their video content!

Jump To

• nathaliekitahara
• japanesewitherika
• cotoacademy
• japanese_native_class
• thepaperpat
• jesseogn
• maydaysan
• tokyo_foods
• mr_yabatan
• shibakoma
• whatthepato
• asianskills
• tokyogirl92

Tiktokers in Japan to Follow for Japanese Language

@nathaliekitahara if u translate these words on google it won’t tell u the real meaning 🥲 @katrinareika #japanese101 #tiktokjapan #japanese #learnjapanese ♬ Kawaii – Yusei

1. nathaliekitahara

No-frills TikTok videos about much-undiscussed corner of the Japanese language is the very heart of Nathaie Kitahara’s content. The bilingual discusses about Japanese lingo that makes you think, “Why have I never thought about that?” Some of our favorites include her revelation on words in Japanese that she thought “had the same meaning as English”, which includes bin, cider and claim, and her popular “Japanese words I teach to my friends” series. Don’t be surprised to occasionally see her sister hopping into one of her videos to discuss everything related to anime and manga.

@japanesewitherika How we bow at work 🇯🇵✨ #japanese #japan #foryou #fyp #japaneseculture ♬ A Good Day – HIRAIDAI

On top of that, she makes Tiktok videos about basic Japanese phrases that will actually come up in casual comprehensions. She also makes content with her sister, especially on their YouTube channel!

2. japanesewitherika

In one of her TikTok videos, Erika discusses the different bowing angles you, a figurative Japanese employee, have to make for different client-business scenarios. As a Japanese woman working in the hotel industry, she’s your go-to creator for an in-depth guide on Japanese working culture.

She does a lot of easy “How to say” videos, which covers all the basic phrases to talk in Japanese for beginners and intermediate learners. She’s very good at explaining when and how to use the phrases she teaches and is very clear in what they mean. She also makes content about handwriting, grammar, and conversational sentences.

@cotoacademy #PepsiApplePieChallenge #japan #tokyo #japaneselanguage #learnontiktok ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE – Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

3. cotoacademy

Yes, Coto Academ has a TIkTok account. Our videos go over some basic grammar, taught by a team of native teachers, with spoken and written examples. We mainly cover JLPT N4 and N3 grammar, but expect some videos going over common Japanese expressions and instructional content on how to write kanji.

@japanese_native_class Study Japanese #studyjapanesewithme#estudiarjapones#aprenderjapones#ninhongo#nihongobenkyou#اليابانية#시골일상#conbiniinjapan#jlpt#япониия#japanesevibe ♬ 春を告げる – yama

4. japanese_native_class

Boasting 200 thousand (and counting) followers, the creator makes tons of entertaining skits about Japanese culture and phrases. His videos are simple but effective: he’d introduce a phrase, show the examples of its use, say the words slowly and repeat.

His videos usually feature his too-adorable little brother, and it’s clear that he enjoys the brother-duo dynamic just a much as his audience. Whille the Japanese Tiktoker he does have a YouTube Channel, it hasn’t had an upload since 2021, unfortunately.

Tiktokers in Japan to Follow for Entertainment

@thepaperpat And who do they come crying to? 🤦🏾‍♂️ #teacherlife ♬ original sound – Jill

5. thepaperpat

Patrick Smith, known better as Mr. Patrick by his bouyant kindergarten students, shares his experience of carrying multiple labels in Japan: an English teacher, a foreigner living in Japan and a Black man. The highlight of his TikTok videos for us? His reenactment of the alias “Bobby” who has a penchant for toruble and his never-ending defense for buying a caramel latte every morning — much to his students’ disapproval.

In addition to entertaining half a million fans with lighthearted, comedic content, Smith wants to wield his platforms, as a content creator and educator for meaningful conversations about xenophobia, racism and living in Japan as a foreigner. The videos don’t have a focus on being educational, more just for comedy, but you can still learn a lot about Japan from his content.

@maydaysan #japan ♬ original sound – maydaysan

6. Maydaysan

“Here’s a cap if you take my videos seriously,” reads Mason Dayot’s bio, the man behind @maydaysan. The Canadian-turned-ontent creator is a natural-born comedian, and he proves his talent through hilarious skits about everyday stereotypes in Japan.

Canadian English teacher-turned-digital marketer Mason Dayot is behind @maydaysan, where he does exaggerated, comedy sketches of everyday situations or stereotypes in Japan. One minute he’s an ojisan (old man) and, on the next scrole, he’s your cookie-cutter high school girl in Japan. He’s perfect at nailing impressions of Japan-based vloggers, like his alter ego “Pablo in Japan” (a parody of popular creator Paolo).

@tokyo_foods 行ってみたいと思ったら保存を忘れずに！一緒に行きたい友達にシェア！予約方法はコメント欄に書いておくね。#東京グルメ #赤坂グルメ #夏グルメ ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – 東京グルメ

7. tokyo_foods

Tokyo_foods is pretty self-explanatory. They take you all around Tokyo, introducing you to various restaurants, dishes, and izakaya. The content is snappy, the food looks delicious, and they let you know exactly where the food is. If you’re looking for food recommendations in Japan, you should give them a follow! Note that their videos are fully in Japanese, so if you’re not super familiar with the language maybe give them a pass. You could still watch them of course, the food alone makes them worth checking out, and you can try to absorb what they say. Though the fast pace of their videos can make it hard to keep up.

@mr_yabatan こんな大事な日にまさかのニキビ！？🥺 Pimple panic! with 松坂桃李 & 広瀬すず#流浪の月 #広瀬すず #松坂桃李 #ミスターヤバタン #PR ♬ original sound – ミスターヤバタン

8. mr_yabatan

Mr. Yabatan is a very different creator from a lot of the others on this list. For one, his content is only in Japanese. He speaks very fluent Japanese in his videos and is able to converse with a lot of Japanese people. Don’t worry though, his videos are subtitled very well, showing both the Japanese and English. His content mainly involves him going around Japan, visiting various places and celebrating various holidays. What makes him so special is his infectious enthusiasism. In every video, he’s very energetic and cheery, and it makes his content fun to watch.

@shibakoma どの顔が好き❓️ #柴犬 #dog #fyp ♬ Cute Emoji Song (pls like original video thanku) – sezymkaaa

9. shibakoma

We cant leave this section without featuring at least one #PetsofTikTok. Komari, a three-year-old Japanese Shia inu, is all you need to cure a bad day. Watch the cute shiba choose her pair of sunglasses for the day or pose in a Disney character filter, You’ll see her cheeky owner putting her paws to the copy machine and playing Tic-tac-toe.

Tiktokers in Japan to Follow for Lifestyle

@jesseogn 3 Food places you need to try in Japan! #japanesefood #japanfood #onigiri #omurice #foodlover ♬ Love You So – The King Khan & BBQ Show

10. jesseogn

Jesse makes TikTok videos that highlight interesting features of Japan. He visits restaurants, do food tours and give reviews of iconic and lesser-known tourist spots.. He also makes content visiting anime-themed places like a Naruto theme park or a One Piece restaurant.

Most recently, he’s been doing Q&A sessions with random strangers in Japan. He’s done the popular “What song are you listening to?” series and straight-up ask Japanese people how much do they make in a month.

@whatthepato 711 Japan ft. shunchan 🍓 #711japan #tokyo #foodtok ♬ 踊り子 – Vaundy

11. whatthepato

Patricia, better known with her username @whathtepato, is a Japan-based content creator who used to work in a Japanese company. Now, her channel is dedicated in exploring Japan, from trying out the latest seasonal kinako mochi ice cream to discovering Seven-Eleven’s latest almond milk option for their coffee.

Her TIkTok videos aren’t just about surface-level cool things in Japan, though. As someone who used to be an employee in Japan, Patricia loves to share insights about the Japanese working culture that often comes with rigid expectations. On the other spectrum, you’ll find her doing short street interviews with Japanese people on topics like body weight, dating and personal hygiene.

@asianskills Rating different ramen in Japan #ramen #ramennoodles #ratingthings ♬ Italian Dinner Party – Italian Restaurant Music of Italy

12. asianskills

The self-procraimed “CEO of Japa content” highlights tidbits on Japanese culture and cool places in and around Tokyo. He also has a popular series where he shows how much you can buy with a certain amount of Japanee yen. He’s very interactive with his viewers, often replying to them on any questions they may have with a video.

@tokyogirl92 btw those blouses i got were $2 and $4, both made in japan 🥹 #japanvlog #tokyolife #whatidoinaday #fyp ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic

13. tokyogirl92

Alisa, better known as @tokyogirl92, balances her life between Tokyo and Los Angeles. When she’s back in her home country (she’s born and raised in Japanese), she’s most probably taking you on a day in her life with her family. From going to their favorite omakase sushi restaurant to taking her mom to a staycation in a five-star hotel, she’s the pinnacle of what it’s like to explore the higher end, finer side of Tokyo.

Don’t think that she’s all about luxury travelling. The down-to-earth marketer loves to show her favorite McDonald’s lunch menu and Japanese candies.