Learn Japanese with My Neighbor Totoro

Anime by Japanese level › N5 to N4

How hard is the Japanese in My Neighbor Totoro?

Ikkimi rates My Neighbor Totoro at N5 to N4 (gentle, simple talk). What sets its level: a film, 1 h 26, children talking. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 1 is easier and 185 are harder.

Levels follow the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). They are Ikkimi’s estimate of how hard a show’s Japanese is to follow, from how fast people talk, how many unusual words there are and how clear the voices are. They are not official JLPT ratings.

Format, episodes, year and genres are from AniList’s entry.

The words in the title

The Japanese title, となりのトトロ, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

How to learn Japanese with My Neighbor Totoro

Ikkimi lists My Neighbor Totoro on Netflix. What each service carries varies by country. Ikkimi does not stream anything: you watch on your own account, in Chrome on a computer, and Ikkimi adds a Japanese line you can click on top of the player.

On Netflix

On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles in the player, where your country’s Netflix has them for this title, and Ikkimi makes the line clickable. If there are none, open the Ikkimi popup, choose Find Japanese subtitles, and search Jimaku’s catalogue or load a file from your computer.

1. Add Ikkimi to Chrome

   Get the extension from the Chrome Web Store and sign in.

2. Play the film

   Open My Neighbor Totoro on Netflix. The Japanese line appears on top of the video.

3. Click the words you keep hearing

   The video pauses and the word opens: kana, romaji, meaning, JLPT level and a recording by a native speaker where one exists (never a computer voice; otherwise the line from the show plays again). Keep three to five words an episode, the ones that come up again.

4. Review them later

   Kept words come back as flashcards on the Ikkimi website, with the scene and the line they came from, just before you would forget them.

The film runs about 1 h 26, so you can split it over a few evenings and rewatch the scenes you liked.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of My Neighbor Totoro, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N5Polar Bear Caféしろくまカフェslow, polite everyday talkCrunchyroll

Also N5 to N4

• N5 to N4Ponyo崖の上のポニョa film, small children talkingNetflix
• N5 to N4Pokémon Conciergeポケモンコンシェルジュshort episodes, polite talk at workNetflix
• N5 to N4Teasing Master Takagi-sanからかい上手の高木さんtwo speakers, short linesNetflixCrunchyroll

Harder

• N4Kiki’s Delivery Service魔女の宅急便a film, 1 h 43Netflix
• N4 to N3Spirited Away千と千尋の神隠しa film, some old-fashioned speechNetflix
• N4 to N3Dragon Ballドラゴンボールsimple adventure talk, shoutingCrunchyroll

See every N5 to N4 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is My Neighbor Totoro good for learning Japanese?

Yes. Ikkimi rates it N5 to N4 (gentle, simple talk). What sets its level: a film, 1 h 26, children talking. It is one of the easiest shows Ikkimi rates, and a good first show for a complete beginner.

What Japanese level is My Neighbor Totoro?

N5 to N4, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 1 is easier and 185 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch My Neighbor Totoro with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists My Neighbor Totoro on Netflix. What each service carries varies by country. On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles in the player where they are offered, and Ikkimi makes every word clickable.

What does the title となりのトトロ mean, word by word?

となり (tonari) means “next (to); adjoining; adjacent”.

How long is My Neighbor Totoro?

AniList lists My Neighbor Totoro as a film of about 1 h 26, released in 1988.

What should I watch after My Neighbor Totoro?

Shows a little harder, with genres in common: Kiki’s Delivery Service (N4), Spirited Away (N4 to N3) and Dragon Ball (N4 to N3).

Sources: show details from AniList; meanings from JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0); readings and word splits from kuromoji.js with IPADIC; JLPT word levels from Jonathan Waller’s unofficial lists. See Credits. Spotted a mistake? Tell us at hello@ikkimi.app.