Bite Size Japanese Podcast (Intermediate) - Ep9: 私のお正月の過ごしの仕方
This episode is the most culturally dense entry in the Bite size Japanese catalog. Layla walks through the full sequence of a traditional Japanese New Year — 大掃除 (year-end cleaning), 餅つき (rice cake pounding), 紅白歌合戦 (the annual singing contest), 年越しそば (year-crossing soba noodles), 初詣 (first shrine visit), お雑煮 (New Year soup), お福茶 (lucky tea with plum), お年玉 (money gifts for children), and the extended family drinking sessions that can last from 11am to 5pm. Every custom is explained in plain N4 Japanese, and Layla's own family story (Yamaguchi prefecture, grandparents' house, her grandfather and father cooking breakfast on January 1st) makes the culture feel lived rather than described. For self-learners who want to understand what "Oshogatsu" actually means beyond the textbook definition, this episode is the definitive primer.
Five grammar structures carry the episode. First, 〜によって for "depending on" — 地域によって違います (it depends on the region). Second, 〜と言って / 〜という for naming and defining — 年越しそばと言って (called "toshikoshi soba"); 初詣（はつもうで）と言います (it's called "hatsumoude"). Third, 〜まいります as a humble verb form — お墓に参ります (go to the grave, humble). Fourth, 〜てあげる / 〜てくれる for giving/receiving — お年玉をくれます (they give New Year's money). Fifth, 〜ながら for "while doing" — テレビを見ながら (while watching TV). Every sentence is a self-contained cultural explanation you can steal for your own descriptions of holidays.
The episode also models how Japanese speakers explain their own culture to foreigners — the constant code-switching between Japanese terms and English explanations, the use of という to introduce each new concept, and the way Layla pre-empts listener questions ("聞いたことありますか？" = have you heard of this?). For self-learners who need to explain their own culture in Japanese, this episode is a masterclass in the "introduce → explain → give personal example" narrative pattern. Also note the extended New Year vocabulary list: 大掃除、餅、紅白歌合戦、年越しそば、初詣、お墓参り、お雑煮、お福茶、お年玉 — this is the densest single-episode vocabulary set in the entire podcast.
📚 Grammar Breakdown
Meaning: "By means of / depending on / due to." Noun + によって — describes how a result varies depending on a condition, or marks the agent of a passive action.
In Text: 地域（ちいき）によって違います = It differs by region; 場所によって違います = it differs by location.
Note: N4. によって is the standard spoken and written way to say "depending on X" — the condition is not a tool, it's a variable that changes the outcome. Self-learners often reach for で when they mean によって, but で marks the means ("by bus"), while によって marks the varying condition ("depending on X, Y changes"). Shadow 「Noun + によって + different result」 as a unit; it's the cultural-comparison grammar that every traveler needs.
Meaning: "Called / named / that is." The pattern という links a name, label, or description to what it describes.
In Text: 年越しそばと言って (called "toshikoshi soba"); 初詣（はつもうで）と言います (it's called "hatsumoude"); 紅白歌合戦という日本のテレビ (a Japanese TV show called "Kouhaku Uta Gassen"); お福茶（おふくちゃ）と言います (we call it "ofukucha").
Note: N4. という is the "quote frame" and "name frame" in one: A という B = "B called A" or "B that is A." Self-learners who know という only as a quotation tool miss its role as a name-labeler. The pattern っていう (casual) is the spoken default. Shadow っていう言葉がある / っていう感じがする; these are two of the most frequent spoken-Japanese sentence patterns.
Meaning: "To go (humbly)." The humble form of 行く (to go) and 来る (to come), used when the speaker is referring to their own action toward someone of higher status.
In Text: お墓に参ります = to go to the grave (humble); 参る means polite way to say "to go".
Note: N4. 参る (まいる) is the humble equivalent of 行く and 来る. It is used when the speaker is lowering themselves relative to the listener or to the people they are visiting (ancestors at a grave). Self-learners rarely need to produce humble language, but recognizing 参る is essential for understanding Japanese speakers who use it to show respect. Shadow the お + Verb-stem + する / いたす pattern as the standard humble form.
Meaning: "To do for me / to do for someone." Verb て-form + くれる marks that someone does something for the speaker's benefit; てあげる marks that the speaker does something for someone else.
In Text: お年玉をくれると思います = I think they'll give me New Year's money; お母さんが子供にお金をあげます = Mother gives money to the children; お世話になった人に = to people who took care of me.
Note: N4. The くれる / あげる / もらう triangle is one of the most important grammar systems in Japanese. くれる = someone does X for me/us; あげる = I do X for someone; もらう = I receive X from someone. Self-learners often confuse the direction: くれる is inward (toward the speaker), あげる is outward (away from the speaker). Shadow the 「Person + が + Person + に + Verb て-form + くれる/あげる」 pattern.
Meaning: "While doing ~." Verb stem (連用形) + ながら — marks two actions happening simultaneously in the same subject.
In Text: テレビを見ながら = while watching TV; お酒を飲みながら = while drinking sake; 話しながら = while talking.
Note: N4. ながら is the closest thing Japanese has to English "while doing" and is essential for describing habit-overlay. The key restriction: both clauses must share the same subject. 「雨が降りながら散歩しました」 is wrong. The stem form is required: 見ながら (not 見ってから). Self-learners often hesitate at ながら because they try to "form it correctly" mid-sentence. Shadow the テレビを見ながら + verb chain; it's the backbone of how Japanese speakers describe routines where one action provides the backdrop for another.