Shadowing Practice: Japan Travel Guide: Best Things To Do in Japan 2026 4K - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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[Music] what's going on everybody this is Island Hopper TV and today we're coming to you with the 21 best places to visit in Japan first up we're going to talk about how I want you to get around Japan and it is by the Shinkansen bullet train this is one of the fastest trains in the world traveling
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[Music] what's going on everybody this is Island Hopper TV and today we're coming to you with the 21 best places to visit in Japan first up we're going to talk about how I want you to get around Japan and it is by the Shinkansen bullet train this is one of the fastest trains in the world traveling
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almost 200 Miles an hour that means it can go from Tokyo to Sapporo in 3 hours also the three largest metropolitan areas Tokyo Nagoya and Osaka are all connected by the Shinkansen as well as Kyoto
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Nagano and Hiroshima and one of those views you're going to get is of Mount Fuji as you're going from Tokyo towards ngoya and this is a beautiful site you can also get off the train and explore around
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Mount Fuji going up to the top it does snow in the winter months so you usually will see it snowcapped but in the summer it's bare looking now if Snow's not your thing you can head down south
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to the islands around Okinawa now here you're going to have several different Tropical Islands with beautiful white sand beaches and Gatorade color blue water there's about 160 islands in
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the prefecture which is the southernmost part of Japan with the largest island being called Okinawa Island being about 70 Miles long and 7 Miles wide famous with the diving Community for its
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underwater Marine biodiversity it's also one of the five blue zones in the world where they have the highest concentration of centurians that's people who live to be over a hundred formerly known as the Ryoku islands it was turned over to Japan in 1972 it is a bit tucked away from
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the rest of Japan so if you do come down here I would say 3 to 5 days should be good enough here we are now in Kyoto which was the capital of Japan for 100 years beginning in 794 under the emperor
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kamu this was the original Imperial Court City so it was also the largest city in Japan for a long time nowadays it's famous in Japan for its significance of history with 3,000 temples and
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shrines all across Kyoto area some of the places to check out are going to Kinkaku-ji also Arashiyama bamboo forest in the area of arishima they have a few different sites you might want to explore
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so it's definitely worth it to come up here but there's so many different temples across here and religious sites definitely Kyoto would have to be the highest place on your list probably when you're coming to Japan you can't really miss Kyoto areas like the nijo castle you have kiso Dera you
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also have Fushimi inari taisha the population of Kyoto is 1.4 million people so it's definitely not as big as Osaka or Tokyo or even ngoya but it is still a very big city to get around also we made
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a full travel guide of Kyoto if you guys want to check that out I'll put the link below low now we're headed down south of Kyoto to Osaka you can easily get here by the Shen kensen bullet train it
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takes about 45 minutes to an hour and then once you're here in Osaka you'll realize this is a mega City it's got 18 million people in the metro area Osaka is famous for its history and here you
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can see the Osaka Castle also going down to the Waterfront where they have Doon bu and down here they have markets for shopping as well as many different restaurants this is really a nightlife
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area or even in the afternoon down here you'll find takoyaki that's one of the most famous Foods in Osaka you also have the donot which is a famous store it's like a mini mart you can go
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inside there you could take a tour along one of the boats that takes you around the river or the canal system here and then they have the tower that you can go up to the top of Osaka is
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probably one of my favorite cities if you were to compare Osaka and Tokyo I would probably lean towards Osaka and you would land at the airport in Kansa but here in this Tower you can get great
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views look at this how big Osaka is I mean it truly is a mega City we also did a full travel guide of Osaka I'll put the link Down Below in the comments for this one as well so if you guys
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are coming to Japan you definitely want to check out these thorough travel guides that we've done because we show all of the highlights in the main areas I think a lot of people come to Japan for
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the first time and they really only think about Tokyo they don't consider going down to Osaka but if you include Osaka Kyoto andKobe you really get a good experience down in Osaka that might even
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pass up for many of you what Tokyo brings to the table and speaking of KOBE we're actually headed right next door to Osaka so you have those three cities in this same area you also have Nara which
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we'll be talking about a little later on coob was really an industrial ship building City up until recently it's become more famous around the world because of Kobe beef as well as wagYu yes that's
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right it comes from right here in coob Japan so if you guys are into beef you got to try this very high-grade beef all right now we're taking the shin kensen up north to Tokyo this year is the
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capital and the largest city in Japan in fact it is one of the largest cities in the world with a metro population of 38 million people now as with many places in Japan English is not widely spoken
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definitely not widely spoken here in Tokyo so do make sure to download Google Translate before arrival you're also in one of the safest cities in the world because all across Japan very safe
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there are some areas in Shinjuku in the Kabukicho area just because it is a nightlife party area it's going to be a little bit less safe than other areas but either way compared to the rest of the
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world even kabucho is still very safe while here make sure you try some raw in head over to the Mei Temple this is a very beautiful garden and Temple area that you should explore you also have takida
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which is a street and this is really a place that's a daytime activity it's not a nighttime street so keep that in mind but then there's many different Gardens as you know Japanese
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Gardens are some of the most famous in the world and you can check those out all across Tokyo or anywhere really in Japan very beautiful Serene even right here in the heart of the Megatron
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of Tokyo then they have several different towers that you can go up to like the sky tree and then other Towers getting great views looking out towards Mount Fuji the areas that I
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would recommend that you stay are going to be in the Shibuya area maybe even out towards Shinjuku or Harajuku Ginza which is the most expensive area but really I would say there's so many different
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options all across Tokyo Metro and then if you go a little bit further south you come to eay which is a very beautiful area to explore and this is home to the most sacred temple in all of Japan
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so that's the Ise Temple if you guys want to check out that and in Japanese Ise means eyes so you get the idea of just how important eay really is they also have several different bays and temples out
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to seea that you can visit this is kind of like a fishing Village as well so do be sure to try some local sushi while here in Japan very very famous as you know now here we are Ine Cho this is on the
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west side of Japan on Honshu island facing towards the Sea of Japan they've got these beautiful homes right along the lake and the Waterfront here so a lot of people come out here for the charm but the
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word en in Japanese basically indicates natural or nature now here we are at a very unique place this here is Nara it's known for its temples the culture history shrines and deer Nara is
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about an hour to an hour and a half away from Osaka you you can either get here by train or you can take a car whatever you prefer but Nara is definitely one of those places if you want if
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you wanted to see the deer you would go to Nar Park many people come here because the deer are so friendly they'll come right up to you and eat out of your hand essentially but uh yeah you go out to the botanical garden and you can see very beautiful native plants including the Japanese
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Blue Oaks while here in Japan don't forget to check out the cherry blossoms obviously those are going in the spring Springtime and then if you wanted the fall and autumn colors I would aim for
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around late November headed down south a bit now we're here in hirosima it is famous as one of the atomic bomb sites and here they have the symbol of peace which is the atomic Dome they also have
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several temples this was one of the main cities in Japan especially for their military in World War II and that's why it was targeted and then just off the shore bit is an island called Miyajima
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which you can also check out they have a beautiful Temple and Shrine here now it is a Shinto Shrine it's important to know that Shinto is different than Buddhism it is actually the native religion of Japan dating back centuries so now we're going to go into the interior of honu this here is high
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up in the mountains this is Nagano for those of you who watch the Olympics the Winter Olympics that is back in 1998 you would have recognized the name but it's really beautiful up here they
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have a lot to see and do and the nature up here is really some of the best you'll find anywhere in Japan I mean you could see the forest and the temples and how everything just kind of Blends
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in and don't forget about the snow monkeys as you can see they're hanging out around the hot springs to stay warm during the cold temperatures of the winter but now we're headed up to the far north island of Hokkaido now up here you can see it's a very cold winter Tundra especially in the winter
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time but uh yeah Hokkaido is definitely an island that you can check out known for its beautiful Wilderness it's also got world class powder white snow delicious Seafood comes from up here they've
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got a nice indigenous culture history that you can evaluate and discover and it's really a short flight away from Tokyo you can also check out Tomita Farm as you could see this is a place you
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would go in the springtime with these beautiful flowers rolling over the hills this is really a picturesque place as you can see lots of different flowers blooming and then they also have Sapporo
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which is famous for beer usually most people that's what they think about but there's a lot of stuff to discover here in Sapporo here on Hokkaido Island including some of the food Cuisine that you
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won't find in other places around Japan definitely try the seafood they've got fish cakes they've got iura which is a salmon row and then succulent crab meat comes from here so lots of seafood
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headed back down to Honshu here we are at Hakone now while here you can check out some of the shrines as well as explore in onon for those of you who've never done a Japanese onen Hot Spring
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Massage it could be a unique experience that you won't find anywhere else in the world maybe Sweden has something similar but then again it's still not going to be like they have here in Japan but
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definitely Hakone with the views of Mount Fuji such a beautiful place and of course the shrine on the lake you can see right here another one of those Shinto shrines now we're actually going to
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head over to Kamakura this actually is famous for it's Buddha um but it is just south of Tokyo it's a political Center for medieval Japan modern day Kamakura is now really a resort town so people
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come here to just chill out and relax and now we're going to head back over hu towards the West Coast this year is kazawa now this is a Seaside Japanese City and it is also a political sitter
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of the medieval Japan and nowadays it is known for its Buddhist Zen temples as well as Shinto shrines just in case you're wondering the main difference between Shinto and Buddhism is Buddhism is more
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concerned with the soul and the afterlife while Shintoism is more concerned with spirituality of this world and this life and this area is called Nico they have the Nikko National Park here lots of waterfalls up here it's about an hour to an hour and a half Northwest of Tokyo uh so
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definitely coming up here for nature if you're a nature lover this is where you want to go you can see the streams and the forest really dense just so beautiful as you can see right here now we're
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going to actually go down to the far southern part of the main four Islands this here is Fukuoka it is on the island of caiu interesting story is when I first came to Japan my very first time this is
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where I went which is really cool so uh putting fukoka on the list the number one place to go on the southernmost Island don't underestimate this Southern Island there's lots to do down
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here and if you enjoyed this video please watch our kiyoto or Osaka video next [Music]
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Why practice speaking with this video?
The video titled "Japan Travel Guide: Best Things To Do in Japan 2026 4K" serves as an excellent resource for english speaking practice, especially for those interested in travel-related vocabulary and cultural context. By engaging with this content, learners can enhance their speaking skills while learning about popular destinations in Japan. The host articulates various attractions such as the Shinkansen bullet train and iconic cities like Kyoto and Osaka, providing real-world conversational scenarios that are beneficial for IELTS speaking practice. The video’s engaging narration encourages viewers to mimic the speaker, which is a crucial element of the shadowing technique. This method is effective for improving fluency, pronunciation, and overall confidence in speaking.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
While observing the speaker, several key structures and expressions can be identified that are useful for learners:
- Comparative Structures: The speaker often compares cities, saying things like "Osaka is probably one of my favorite cities." This structure is beneficial for describing preferences and making comparisons.
- Use of the Present Continuous: Phrases like "we’re coming to you" and "you’re going to have several different Tropical Islands" illustrate the present continuous tense. This is useful for learners to describe ongoing actions and future plans.
- Imperatives and Suggestions: The speaker frequently uses imperative verbs: "try some local sushi while here in Japan." This structure is excellent for giving recommendations or advice.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While the host speaks clearly, there are certain words and phrases that might present pronunciation challenges:
- Shinkansen: Ensure to articulate this term accurately, as it refers to the bullet train. Breaking it into syllables can enhance clarity.
- Kyoto: Many learners might stumble on this word due to its unique vowel sounds. Practicing its proper pronunciation will help in conversational settings.
- Fushimi Inari Taisha: This landmark can be a tongue twister. It’s a great idea to rehearse this phrase multiple times for better fluency, especially in discussions about cultural sites.
Overall, utilizing this video not only provides learners with cultural insights but also serves as an effective tool for engaging with new vocabulary and practicing their speaking skills. Integrating a shadowing app or visiting a shadowing site can supplement this practice by enabling learners to hear and repeat content in real-time, further enhancing their command over the English language.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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