Shadowing Practice: 【東京→大阪】完全個室の夜行バスに初めて乗車、こんなはずじゃなかった… - Learn English Speaking with Video

Hello, it's Yuuka!

I'm heading to Osaka now.

Today, I'll be taking a night bus called "Dream Sleeper." I'm going to try it out and see how it is.

Right now, I'm at Shinjuku Station, the departure point.

The current time is 10:39 PM, and the bus departs at 11:15 PM.

So, I have about 30 minutes left.

I came early just to be safe.

It's my first time, after all.

So, what exactly is the "Dream Sleeper"?

Well, it's a fully private, high-speed bus.

With a concept focused on comfort and relaxation, it has a variety of features.

It's known for changing the image of night buses, and it's even called a "hotel on wheels." As the name suggests, it's a bus where you can have sweet dreams (?).

Something like that, I guess.

Anyway, it’s designed for a great sleep experience.

This is the booking screen.

It cost me 20,000 yen one way!

It's more expensive than the bullet train, and it's also really hard to book.

I made this reservation about a month ago, and they don’t operate that often.

Some weeks, it’s only available on weekends, or just Friday and Saturday.

They only operate about half of the month.

It's really hard to get a reservation.

The bus stop is over there, where it says "Busta Shinjuku." Let's head there.

I have a lot of luggage today.

Since I'm going to Osaka, I brought lots of clothes, so my bags ended up being really heavy.

It's my first time taking a bus from Shinjuku Station, so I hope I can get on smoothly.

There it is, the Dream Sleeper!

It's so cute!

It even has "Dream Sleeper" written on it.

It's huge! It's bigger compared to other buses.

And to think it only seats 11 people, that's impressive.

It looks like you can bring luggage of a specific size, and larger bags go underneath.

Mine isn't that big, so it's within the allowed size, and I can bring it inside.

Thank you! Whoa, the aisle is so narrow...

B3. The private room is pretty small; I can't even stretch my arms out fully.

This side is the window, so you can see outside like this.

The view is really clear.

My voice echoes a lot, so I can't talk too much...

I'll be quiet.

On the door to the aisle, there's one hanger.

There are two room lights; one for the front and one for the back.

There's even an emergency SOS button, but I hope I won't need to use it.

I’ll make sure to stay healthy!

We're moving!

We're finally departing from Busta Shinjuku.

Wave goodbye!

At that moment, I made eye contact with the driver of the bus next to us, so I waved my hand like the Emperor.

The view is nice, but it feels a bit unsettling since people outside can see me too.

Maybe I'll calm down with a drink of water.

Alright, let's drink some water and relax.

Thank you for choosing Nara Kotsu today.

This bus is headed for...

Nankai Namba Express Bus Terminal, Osaka Station, Yamato-Saidaiji Station South Exit, and JR Nara Station.

This is a night express bus, the Dream Sleeper Tokyo-Osaka-Nara line.

The building you see in the center of the screen is the NTT Yoyogi Building. (Tour guide style) When I first came to Tokyo, I thought that was Tokyo Tower.

The final stop, JR Nara Station, will be at 8:10 AM.

The scheduled arrival time is 08:10.

The Zero-Gravity Seat, inspired by NASA’s theory, can be adjusted using the control buttons on the side of the seat.

The Zero-Gravity position, which offers the best sleep, can be set with the full-auto button on the lower side.

On the Dream Sleeper, there are plenty of amenities.

This is a wet towel.

It even has the logo on it; so cute!

Next is a toothbrush.

It even includes toothpaste inside.

So convenient!

This one is a bit hard to see, but it’s a face mask.

This is a steam hot eye mask.

As expected, with a fare of 20,000 yen, the lineup is quite luxurious.

Lastly, there are headphones and headphone covers provided as well.

Since it's my first time riding, I'm eagerly checking out every corner.

The bottle-like thing on my left side is apparently a Sharp Plasmacluster.

So cool! For everyone’s safety, please make sure to wear your seatbelt.

We appreciate your cooperation.

I was wondering why the seat felt uncomfortable, and it turns out I was sitting on the blanket.

No wonder my butt was feeling bumpy!

Now I can finally relax.

Compared to regular express buses, the ride is more comfortable, but there's one thing that bothers me.

This... Even though my bag fits within the allowed size, when I put it by my feet, there's hardly any space left.

I wanted to stretch my legs, so I stepped outside my room to explore the bus.

This is the powder room.

It’s at the very back of the bus.

There's a staircase in the middle of the bus, and if you go down, you'll find the restroom.

The restroom is very clean, but it is a bit cramped.

Well, I’m not planning on using it anyway.

There's a convenience store in the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal lounge, so I stocked up on supplies there.

Bus party? Dream Sleeper party?

Let’s get started!

Today’s set list is beer and Jagarico, of course.

The convenience store gets really crowded before departure, so I recommend stocking up early for peace of mind.

I spilled a bit of beer, but there's no tissue in the room, so bringing your own pocket tissues is a must.

When it comes to price, the Shinkansen wins.

But beer is delicious.

And I’m going to dig into Jagarico too.

There's a table in front of the seat, so you can eat your bento, or place your phone on it to watch videos.

It’s super convenient.

As for the ride's shake, personally, I found it a bit more intense than I expected.

Since I usually drive myself, I forgot that I get motion sickness.

I should have brought motion sickness medicine.

Oh well. But I can just use alcohol to fend off the nausea, so it's fine.

Death. It’s been a while since someone else was driving, so it's really nice.

100

We're about to get on the Tomei Expressway.

101

I found a booklet that explains the Dream Sleeper in detail.

102

There's even Wi-Fi on the bus.

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You can stream YouTube videos without any problems, so it's great for falling asleep to.

104

And here’s what it looks like.

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After about an hour of driving, we’ve reached the area near Atsugi.

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Because it's late at night, there aren't many cars on the road.

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Express buses are taller, so the view is different and really fun.

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But we still have 7 hours to go...

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Hoping my back doesn't explode...

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Praying. We’ve arrived at the Ashigara Service Area.

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We’re taking a short break here.

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There's no announcement like "We're taking a break" to avoid waking up sleeping passengers, so it's a bit tricky to figure out when to get off the bus.

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Oh no, the bus is leaving in 3 minutes.

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I need to hurry...

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I stayed on the bus for the first 5 minutes, so I didn’t have time to visit the convenience store.

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Regret. Break's over, and the bus is on the move again.

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I'm going to close the curtains and get ready for bed.

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There are only 11 seats on the Dream Sleeper, so there aren't many passengers, and the washroom isn't that crowded.

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Once the curtains are closed, it's a private room.

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They also have soap, sanitizing wipes, and other things here.

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Brushing your teeth while the bus is moving is good for your core.

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A nice workout before bed!

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It doesn’t even feel like I’m on a bus.

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It's more like a net cafe.

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But because of the intense shaking, sensitive sleepers might not be able to fall asleep.

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The door to the room doesn't have a lock, so sometimes it opens and closes due to the motion.

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Since it's a good opportunity, I'll use the hot eye mask to sleep.

128

Earplugs or AirPods would help, making it easier to sleep.

129

Well then, good night.

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Good morning.

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It's starting to get bright outside.

132

Not sure where we are, but I'm guessing it's Japan.

133

There are rice fields everywhere, so it's completely different from when we left Shinjuku.

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I’m going to return the seat to its upright position.

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I just realized that the footrest goes up.

136

This way, the bag won't be in the way.

137

After sleeping in such a cramped space, my whole body is stiff.

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I didn't notice, but the pillow attached to the seat can be adjusted.

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Because of the shaking, my head kept moving back and forth while I was sleeping.

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So I wish I had a neck pillow like on planes.

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I'm more of a morning bath person, so I'll use the body wipes I brought to freshen up.

142

Even just doing this makes me feel refreshed, so I highly recommend it.

143

I also use these when I sleep in my car, so they're essential for overnight trips.

144

I just got a glimpse, and it looks like we're near Higashi-Osaka Kita Interchange.

145

Before I knew it, we were in Osaka, so I'll start packing up.

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I was debating whether to sleep until the very last minute, but after a poll, I decided to pack up early.

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Though packing is just folding the blanket, I'll take it easy and enjoy the scenery.

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By the way, this water is free.

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A pretty nice service.

150

Tastes better than regular water.

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The scenery is starting to look more Osaka-like.

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Or maybe it's just because the signs say Osaka.

153

Feels like it.

154

Thank you for your hard work.

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Were you able to rest comfortably?

156

We will soon arrive at the Nankai Namba Express Bus Terminal.

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Once the bus arrives, the crew will provide instructions.

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Please remain in your room until then.

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There's this yakitori place called Shokiya here that I've been to before.

160

While getting ready to leave, I noticed there were pajamas here.

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I’ll wear them as a keepsake, so they don't go to waste.

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But the location is hard to find.

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A brown pajama.

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It was actually quite comfy.

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We're almost there, but I’m glad I made some last-minute memories.

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Peace out. Drinking water in this pajama tasted even better.

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We’re now arriving at Osaka Station.

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Please make sure you have all your belongings before you leave.

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Thank you for using Nara Kotsu’s Dream Sleeper Tokyo-Osaka-Nara service today.

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We hope you have a great day.

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I’ve safely arrived at Osaka Station.

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The Dream Sleeper took almost 8 hours, but I managed to sleep soundly, so it only felt like 3 hours.

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It was fine while sleeping, but when I was awake, the shaking was a bit much, so I got a little bus sick.

174

But compared to regular night buses, it was amazing, like the ultimate in bus travel.

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However, for me, the Shinkansen is faster, and when I take the bus, I usually go for cost-efficiency.

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So, since Dream Sleeper is pricier than the Shinkansen, finding the right time to use it is tricky.

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But it was a great experience.

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It's perfect for those who have plans early in the morning, or those who want to sleep during transit.

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I’m heading to Universal Studios Japan now.

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Of course, by myself! (sadly) Since I'm here in Osaka, I’ll enjoy sightseeing as well.

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Thank you for watching until the end today.

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Please subscribe to the channel, leave a comment, and give it a thumbs up if you liked it!

183

If this video gets a good response, I might do more videos featuring different kinds of transportation.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 183 sentences and 1977 words to shadow. The speech runs for 19:23. The speaker talks slowly, about 102 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
shake verb	/ˈʃeɪk/	To cause (something) to move rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.
compare verb	/kəmˈpɛɚ/	To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it…
arrive verb	/əˈɹaɪv/	To reach; to get to a certain place.
mask noun	/mæsk/	A cover, or partial cover, for the face, used for disguise or protection.
convenience noun	/kənˈvinjəns/	The quality of being convenient.
intense adjective	/ɪnˈtɛns/	Of a characteristic: extreme or very high or strong in degree; severe; also, excessive, towering.
passenger noun	/ˈpæs.ɪn.d͡ʒɚ/	One who rides or travels in a vehicle, but who does not operate it and is not a member of the crew.
asleep adjective	/əˈsliːp/	In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting.
stretch verb	/stɹɛt͡ʃ/	To lengthen by pulling.
tissue noun	/ˈtɪʃ.(j)u/	Thin, woven, gauzelike fabric.
relax verb	/ɹɪˈlæks/	To make something loose.
departure noun	/dɪˈpɑː(ɹ)tjə(ɹ)/	The act of departing or something that has departed.
convenient adjective	/kənˈviː.niənt/	Serving to reduce a difficulty, or accessible with minimum difficulty; expedient.
adjust verb	/əˈd͡ʒʌst/	To modify.
blanket noun	/ˈblæŋ.kɪt/	A heavy, loosely woven fabric, usually large and woollen, used for warmth while sleeping or resting.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
check out verb	To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
end up verb	To bring to a conclusion.
figure out verb	To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
get off verb	To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it.
go down verb	To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.
go up verb	To move upwards.
move back verb	To reschedule (something) to a later date or time.
stock up verb	To acquire or increase stock or inventory.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 54 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I'll, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: bath /bɑːθ/, bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, thumb /ˈθʌm/, smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shake /ˈʃeɪk/, tissue /ˈtɪʃ.(j)u/, reservation /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/, efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/
Long words — get the stress right: reservation /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/, efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/, cooperation /koʊˌɑ.pəˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, automobile /ˈɔː.tə.məˌbil/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like shake, compare, arrive.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is headed · can be adjusted · can be set
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	It's been · we've reached · We've arrived
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was wondering · was driving · was sleeping
Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two things	more expensive than · more intense than · better than

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?