Tofugu Comments: Why are you learning Japanese? | Tofugu.com
ao
· 2 years ago
lawl. i don't even know why i'm learning japanese. :x if i had a better reason. it would probably be funner... but i like it, anyway. and it'd be fun to go to japan some day. ;D
Kdipko
· 2 years ago
I've always been drawn to Japanese culture, and I think the language sounds beautiful. My major is either going to be History with emphasis on Japanese history, or emphasis on ancient history. I plan on studying abroad at Waseda University in two years, so I need to get started!
Stacia
· 2 years ago
I'm learning Japanese becasue, well...back when I was like, 11 I really liked Sailor Moon and when I started watching it in Japanese I wanted to be able to watch it without subtitles. NOW, however. It is TOTALLY different. The more I got to know about Japan as a country, especially the culture, the more interested I became. I love the place, despite the many insane differences. The language, culture and history is very beautiful and interesting to me. I've studied it at my high school for 3.5 years (dropping cuz the new sensei SUCKED). I've been to Japan once which was totally awesome, and now I plan on majoring in Japanese (alongside integrated media). I hope to be able to master the language someday.
Koji
· 2 years ago
Why am I learning Japanese? Well, a long long time ago it started off as a passing phase because a couple of my friends were learning it, but now its something that I can truly enjoy doing. Not only do I find entertainment in different areas of Japanese pop culture (i.e: movies, games, TV shows,game shows, etc.), but I also have practical uses for Japanese. I go to a school where there are lots of exchange students and nothing brings me joy as much as being able to explain things said in a conversation to the foreign kids so that they can understand it.
Not to mention the culture is pretty sweet as well. Everything I've read up on is interesting and tends to suck me in so I can find out what happened and how things were formed.
Even saying all this, the language itself is just awesome. It may come off to some people as fast, harsh, and awkward sounding sometimes, but to me its beautiful and fun.
Alec
· 2 years ago
I've seen a few times similar items from people saying what's a valid reason to learn Japanese and what's not a valid reason. I don't think it's anyone's place to say whether a reason is valid or not.
If someone loves Japanese porn and starts learning Japanese because they want to understand Japanese grunting, then that's fine! If it's a good enough reason to motivate them to learn a completely foreign language, more power to them. Same for anime or mange obsessives. Lots of people have started learning Japanese because of manga/anime and become fluent.
As for me, I also have Japanese family. It was interesting watching your video and learning that your mum doesn't speak much Japanese and you've not met your family in Japan. I'm in a pretty similar situation: my mum's half Japanese and hardly speaks any Japanese (「アイスクリーム欲しい」とか「トイレ行きたい」だけぐらい). I met my Japanese family and my grandma when I was a baby. When my grandma died we lost contact with the family in Japan. About 3 years ago when I went to Japan for the first time with my Japanese class, some relatives surprised me by turning up on the doorstep of my hotel! Since then I've met them and stayed with them a few times and we all get on well. My mum hasn't met them in about 17 years or so so I'm looking forward to our big reunion!
Wow, what a long comment. I hope you appreciate my quadraparagraphed comment loving!
Amy
· 2 years ago
Alright....I'll admit it: it was the anime. Before that I really had no interest in Japanese or really any Asian language to speak of, so that was what sparked my curiousity. Then I fell in love with the music, and the culture, and by the end of my first quarter of language study in college, I was so hooked there was not a paper to found amidst my other textbooks that didn't have kana and my very sad looking, early attempts at kanji scribbled in the margins. In the last few years I've also studied a little Chinese and Korean, and while both languages are fascinating and beautiful in their own way, something about Japanese and Japanese culture keeps me captivated. Something about it just clicks with me - the flow of the words and the way the grammar works, the elegance of the characters, the appreciation of simplicity and beauty and respect inherent in the culture....so many different things. I still watch anime...and now I'm able to read manga....but the most important reason why I learn Japanese is for love of the language itself =)
Nick
· 2 years ago
Started to learn it in school because i thought it might be interesting, i almost quit it but it was too late so i couldnt change my mind. Then i went with school to japan, i loved the people and the country and the general atmosphere of the country such as how safe it seems and trusting the people are. The simple and subtle things of the way life is lived in japan is what i like. I have never been a fan of anime, or the inane variety shows that are on the TV constantly, or the poorly lit poorly staged dramas. Infact, the adverts are by far the best part in my view. Also, the work ethics, although admirable, seem a bit intense with lack of holidays and people doing overtime and not getting paid for it but they wouldnt go on strike or anything because it wouldnt be fair on the customers or the rest of the company. At any rate, the trip encouraged me to keep learning japanese and i enjoy it now. The reason for me is to be able to talk with japanese friends that i made over there, and to be able to live and work thier comfortably and easily - seems as good a reason as any to me.
Nick
· 2 years ago
oh btw, i understand that u like the variety shows sorry to disagree with u about that but if i had the choice i'd rather go out with a group of japanese friends to a sushi place or summat like that. but i suppose they do have thier charm. I love programs like Have i got news for you, QI and Nevermind the buzzcocks. All british ones so i dont know if you will know them, nonetheless, they are hilarious and thats the kind of humour i like
koichi
· 2 years ago
haha no offense taken. Just because I like them doesn't mean everyone else has to. I also love some of the drama. Man, I can't believe there are people who can't get addicted to some of it!! jk, thanks for the comment.
Tiya
· 2 years ago
Yeah, I agree with Kdipko. I've kinda always been drawn to the Japanese language and culture too. Japanese really does sound beautiful to me :] The main reason I started learning it was because I liked to talk to people and I wanted to travel there one day and make friends. And if I wanted to go there one day I figured: [love of japan] + [love to talk to people] = [learn japanese :D ]
Antonio Pratas
· 2 years ago
"You want to see Naruto and Sasuke make hot hot steamy love without any subtitles blocking the way of their naked children bodies"
Best quote ever, lol.
I'm learning (or trying to learn) Japanese because I'm really fond of the japanese culture. The interest started in anime, but now I'm interested in the real stuff about Japan, the whole way of living of the Japanese, their habits and tastes. Blame a friend of mine for going there and talking about the trip a lot. I want to learn too because it's an awesome language, really beautiful and different from the most common. And sure, it's cool to brag about knowing Japanese, but that's on the end of the list =p
Cool new blog, congrats
Kizzy
· 2 years ago
The reason I wanna learn japanese is to be a teacher in japan ^^ Probably teach english to kids or teach an art class one day ^^ but no higher than elementry, cause My japanese is so broken and sucks that the highschoolers will make fun of me XD haha. And I love to draw manga, and the culture and food is so amazing! Id love to communicate with them ^-^ Not to mention the boys are hot haha j/k...kinda.. well! yes ^-^ I love your videos, they are so hilarious! ^_________^ I love your reasons for wanting to learn japanese...since..you kow...they make sence XD Now...im no japanese expert, but kids who learn from anime...omg I cant stand them XD oooh~ Otakus..I remember when I was one...haha.
Okay...I have to admit..Engrish is cute, BUT! Those otakus that use Japlish? I mean..come on... " OMG! Thats so Kawaii!!" or " Im gunna korosu you!" And not to mention the random, " Im gunna marry (insert anime character here) NYA~!!"
Erin
· 2 years ago
Kizzy's got nothing to say D:
Sexy Beam
· 2 years ago
I'm gonna marry Lelouch Lamperouge NYA~!
Just kidding! =)
Josh
· 2 years ago
I want to learn japanese because....of everything that has to do with it:jobs,food,tv,manga(even though I know koichi dosnt like it),and also I really really want to go to japan.And get a job as a translater for japanese and other languages.
And I hope koichi will make more videos about japanese.Thats it. Ja mata.P.S:I do want to be a ninja. lol
Fred
· 2 years ago
Haha. A "why" question is usually a hard one. I personally wanted to learn Japanese because I was interested in Asian cultures. I noticed that Asian kids were smarter in school, so by learning about their culture, I thought I'd get smarter too. Just kidding! I hope I didn't offend anyone. No, but seriously, I thought the writing was cool and artistic. More or less, through cultural diffusion, I was introduced to anime, and Japanese imported electronics before I even knew they were Japanese. So when I looked into learning a new language, I thought of Japanese, since I was interested in its culture, both the "futuristic" one that is known, and the traditional culture. Plus, I looked into other languages and they're much more difficult to pronounce. I like learning new languages and new things about different cultures. Japanese will just be one I pay more attention to and hope to trully study in the future.
Eric
· 2 years ago
I like languages, but Spanish wasn't a big enough challenge for me. That's the long and the short of it. I *do* have an interest in the Japanese culture and I *am* learning about it, but unraveling the linguistic puzzle that is the Japanese language is my primary reason for learning it.
People talk about how great the differences are between Japanese and English, but the further I go in my studies, the more I find that the two are in some ways strikingly similar. It's really quite exhilarating. And each little epiphany keeps me coming back for more.
After I conquer Japanese, I'm think I'm going to tackle German next.
I'm learning japanese because of a few reasons. First, I like japan and it's culture. Second, I have 6 amazing japanese friends!, and I would love to have conversations with them in japanese. Also, I'm studying Computer Science at my university, so I figured I might learn the language so it can open more doors when job hunting. I regularly check job posting in japan for american companies and stuff. This next reason, isn't really a "good reason" i guess...but here it goes....I like the challenge lol...I can speak somali and french at a native speaker's level, (I'm from Africa, I grew up speaking both french and somali since i was 2 years old.) And I know english very well, I'm very fluent, and my friends said I don't have an accent whatsoever. So in conclusion, I figured...hey! a 4th laguage...now that's a challenge!
Chad
· 2 years ago
Greetings, My name is Chad, AKA Sanosuke. I began leraning Japanese since I was 5 years old. I practiced, since early childhood, Ninpo. So, I practiced Ninjutsu and Jujitsu( the art of the Ninja and of the samurai ). I lived in a very Japanese way. I had all the Japanese traditions I had to follow. I lived a lot with a Japanese like surrounding. To me, there were only the Japanese. My Sensei told me that learning Japanese is essentiel and would help me a lot in my training so I could memorize the names of the techniques. My accent is perfect now, thats my reason. So you casn say that I'm a "born Japanese guy". So I began learning, I came on this site by accident and I think its brilliant. I would like you to contact me on my email: cool_me_up@hotmail.com . I send my regards and wish you luck.
bryan
· 2 years ago
Japan is awesome. I'd recommend Hokkaido.
Jonathan
· 2 years ago
I want to learn Japanese becaue I think its a beautiful language, and I plan on going to Japan someday. Plus for me, it was a tough choice between Manderin Chinese or Japanese. I just had to go with Japanese.
Sam
· 2 years ago
She's speachless.
Sam
· 2 years ago
Well, back in 8th grade (when I was 14 years old), me and two other students in my class had an opertunity to stay in a village in Shikoku. All three of us then took a Japanese class for a few weeks to brush-up on some things. Well, at the end of our class, all me and this other guy could say "Eh, gu tenmorugen...?" The third person was like "Gu tenmorugen blah blah blah blah..." Yah, I would still like to learn Japanese. It's a very beautiful sounding language, and I have some friends in Kangoshima whome I would like to visite again someday.
Joanelle
· 2 years ago
Back when I was a Freshman in high school, I met a guy who was part Japanese, Chinese...[the list goes on] And he introduced me to manga [Inu-Yasha 0_o;] and I really enjoyed it, but I didn't understand the culture of Japan so I definitely didn't unstand the fuedal era. So I started google-ing things, but that wasn't enough. I ended up at Border's probably every other weekend looking through books on Japanese culture and language. I really liked the language, but they didn't offer it at my shool!![those fiends!] I was self taught for about 3 years[while learning Spanish] Until I finally got to college.:) This fall I will be taking my second semester of Japanese. I'm very proud of myself because I'd already taught myself most of the stuff my sensei taught in first semester Japanese.
Yes, I am a language nerd,but I still blame my friend for making me fall in love with Japanese culture.
Joanelle
· 2 years ago
Spanish wasn't really very challenging for me either. I wanted to learn I language that no one could easily dechiper.
Not many people in America can read Kana :D
Spanish and Japanese are surprising similar sometimes too.
Pan and パン :D
Hachi Gatsu
· 2 years ago
Like Koichi, I have a few reasons. At first, I was just a nerdy otaku who just wanted to know what the hell they were saying on the Japanese versions of the anime I watched, but I then became interested in the Japanese culture itself, from past to present. I'm currently in college, though I'm and English Major, I plan on teaching English in Japan, and perhaps working for an American company in Japan since I may be a "shoe-in" for that job at a local company looking to expand in Japan. But also, to go out of my norm. I grew up in the small, unexciting town in Wisconsin. The closest thing I've come to another country is Canada (or Wyoming lol). So being the sheltered white person I am, I'm lookikng to explore other places, like Japan.
Rock Martin
· 2 years ago
I hope to learn Japanese more extensively one day, for a few reasons(maybe wrong, but who knows): 1. I want to play great games that were only in Japan that US missed out on. 2. I would like to translate kanji that don't have furigana 3. I hope to translate hiragana-only sentences and paragraphs, because those seem much harder than those with Kanji and furigana. 4. I don't want to bug random people who know some Japanese to translate some stuff for me. 5. I don't understand Japanese comedy. I've watched a few clips of this guy named Jinnai Tomonori, but I can't speak Japanese so I wouldn't know what the guy was saying if there weren't subtitles. 6. I MIGHT visit Japan one day...
Leigh
· 2 years ago
The older I get the more my reasons "grow" (for lack of a better word) for studying Japanese! When I was in middle school (which is when I took in interest in the Japanese language/culture) my reason for wanting to learn Japanese was due to the fact that, at the time, there were not very many sites that provided translated lyrics and I didn't want to be the dumb American girl who walked down the street saying all sorts of god-awful things about myself (or the idiot girl going around confessing my undying love for strangers) just because I could mimic the sounds I heard! That and I had just discovered that Sailormoon wasn't originally an English speaking cartoon...(I think I lost a little of myself that day...)
However, now, aside from the fact that I do, in fact, work for a Japanese company and I feel awful when my co-workers have to speak in English simply because I am the only one without the knowledge and ability to speak Japanese, I study Japanese because I have been since I was 11 and I really find it to be an incredibly interesting culture (but darn -it-all if the actually language isn't so confusing "ha = wa, kanji have 100,000,000 meanings for one character, ect...") I study Japanese, now, because while it may not be the easiest thing I have ever done in my life, it's fun and rewarding when I understand what the heck my co-worker are saying and better yet when I am able to reply!
Franish
· 2 years ago
The reason I'm learning Japanese is because of my brother! We about 6 years apart, but we're really close and he loved Japanese culture. Anyway, my brother got inter because there was a police station right next door my house where a Japanese-American police officer worked. My brother the police officer became friends and he taught him a bit a of Japanese. Then, he started to look more into it, and most of the time it was somewhere close to me and I could hear him repeating stuff like "Sumimasen!". Soon I was repeating it and starting going to the internet and looking up the culture. After that I was hooked! BAM! That's my reason...kinda. D=
Chimiko
· 2 years ago
I don't actually know why. But I like it and I want to be able to speak and understand it. To converse and maybe go visit Japan one of these days. Umm.. Just thinking about it makes me excited. I'm a huge Jdorama-holic and I think that's where I started liking the language. I still watch it, but I don't think it's my only source of information. Nonetheless, I really enjoy listening to it and speaking it. It's very fun ^^.
TheAlchemyFreak
· 2 years ago
I first started learning Japanese because my sensei at karate had us learn some of the words. After that, I became interested. Since I had already been an anime fan, I started learning everything I could. I saw lots of aspects of Japanese culture and I loved every bit of it. Now that I'm going into college, I have lots of things I want to accomplish after I graduate. I want to move to Japan after college. Don't ask me why. I have my reasons.
白いカラス
· 2 years ago
I don't know if you care about my posting here, but anyways :P
I want to learn Japanese, because, and please don't laugh, I want to live in Japan (which I in return want to do because of the culture, because I adore the cuisine, Japanese movies, comedy, ninjas etc etc) In addition, I wanna be accepted as an equal human being whenever I go there. Now, I know, as a blonde, tall, white gaijin, that is as good as impossible, but I DO believe that I have a better chance of being accepted as more-than-just-a-foreigner, if I learn about finer cultural points, language, etc ad infinitum.
Looking forward to high-school if my grades come out right, so i can exchange to Japan. Lots of love ~白いカラス
Sasuke
· 2 years ago
I've always wanted to learn Japanese because I wanna move to Japan and get a job designing for Nintendo because Shigeru Miyamoto is my idol and If I ever got the chance to meet him (and other cool people in Japan) I don't wanna make an ass of myself.
O-O-taku
· 2 years ago
I am learning Japanese for the worst reason possible... Not only am I an Anime fan/Otaku, but I have no friends who also like Anime. That's right. I'm learning Japanese so I can impress MYSELF!!! I sit there, watching my Anime alone, and getting excited everytime I can understand a passage of dialogue. Then, when this excitment dies down, I have no one to tell about it but MYSELF!!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I'm the most pathetic Otaku Dork on the planet! YAY!!!
misa
· 2 years ago
I'm not sure why I started learning and I'm not completely sure why I keep going. I am interested in the Japanese culture, language, and fashion. I also just love language. The more languages you know the more people you can meet and talk too (I think is one of the reasons why I stick with it).
I wanted to ask in regards about not knowing all parts of the culture, is what about keigo or honorifics and humble expressions. I know that much of the young generation does not know this part of the language and it's not in much use anymore. I don't think that doesn't mean you don't know the language.. Mostly because there are things in the English language that we do not use today, but is still a part of the English language.
After Japanese, I started to learn German, however, I didn't have much available to German as I do Japanese. I also learned a bit of American Sign Language and Korean, but English and Japanese are the two main ones that I have a grasp on.
Zane
· 2 years ago
Since China's economic boom, my dad has been pestering me to learn Chinese so that one day I am able to go there and if necessary, get a job and settle down. To his dismay I never tried to pursue his ambition as China itself fasinates me, however the language doesn't. Whilst looking through Chinese websites to see if I could find a nice place to start off the language (when I thought I may aswell give it a try) I luckily stumbled upon a website that mentioned Japanese being half-chinese in a little side note. This note did not seem to have such a big impact on me then, but two weeks later during a registration period in the morning, the teacher started to read out a notice mentioning that there would be a Japanese class after schools for one hour. I was a bit hesitant at first as I had no idea what Japan or Japanese was like but two of my friends believed it would be a worthwhile experience and they were all raring to go. Realising I had nothing else to do on those days, I decided an hour away from home might not be a bad thing after all. Upon attending my first Japanese lesson, I was hesitant at first as I had heard that the teacher was not an actual teacher but someone who had recently come back from Japan. My doubts were confirmed, the teacher was teaching us Japanese from a "teach yourself Japanese" textbook which in my experience were not the best books to learn from, however, I thought positively and held out his lessons for a few weeks to show I was interested. Once I had got to a point where the lessons were too petty for me to carry on (as he could not answer my questions nor could he speak fluent Japanese in many aspects of conversations) I decided it would be best for me to leave. However, whilst I was at those lessons, the language started to grow on me without my knowledge. Now wanting to pursue Japanese as a self-learner (as there are no Japanese teachers in my area) I had to find a way to convince my dad that it was worth me learning and worth him funding. Upon showing him that website and many others my father saw it was linked to Chinese in some manner and finally agreed to letting me learn it, now the only obstacle left was my mother. She believed that it would be a waste of time to learn it as I would have no gain from it whatsoever, but once I showed her how some of their culture mixes with ours (ours being Pakistani) she was convinced to let me go ahead with it (probably dad nagging her to let me do it though :/). Anywho, by the time I had done all the convincing and the thinking, it turned out that exams were around the corner and I didnt have enough time to learn another language. As a result Japanese was postponed and was completely forgot about until one day I stumbled upon tofugu.com and read all its wonderous information. Now I am back on track (thanks guys and Erin) and have started to learn Japanese from the beginning, starting from reading Tofugu each time you guys release some lovely new info and memorising the katakana and hiragana charts (hopefully getting the Genki collection soon ^-^).
Hopefully, this will be a good addition to english, urdu, broken spanish, pahari and punjabi. If anyone knows where I can get extra help to learn Japanese, please dont hesitate to contact me on adamulhaq@hotmail.com, I am usually around and will get back to you asap but please state your reason to adding me otherwise it is a bit worrying.
As a final note I think the people at tofugu deserve a big thumbs up/big smile/badge/medal/new godzilla mask from me, you're doing an awesome job, keep it up :D
P.S when do we get our newsletters...i can't wait that long :x
Zane
· 2 years ago
That last smilie was meant to be a more confused smilie, so I will change it to a crying smilie, like so: ;-; That previous constipated smilie was not intended :/
Shinji Kinomoto
· 2 years ago
I started learning Japanese for the wrong reasons. I am a big anime and manga fan, so I wanted to have a better understanding of what I was watching. Over time I came to appreciate the language more. I have learned a lot from my two years of study in the language. The thing that keeps me interested in hopes to become close to fluent one day is that the language and culture itself reflects a lot of my own personal beliefs.
One aspect that I feel deeply connected to is being humble. I absolutely hate how most people I know say how good they are at “x”. I hate people who brag. To me it shows how insecure they are. I know when people see me studying and ask if I’m good, I always say I have a long way to go, and they sometimes continue that I should give myself more credit for what I do. I don’t like to. The same can be said for any other skill that I have and people praise…I don’t like boasting about something even if I know I am good.
There are a lot of other aspects of Japanese that make me more interested in it as I continue my studies, but the humbleness of the language has made me feel more connected to the culture then my own.
One more thing I like about Japanese. I love the Osaka-ben. :D Not just in anime, but real life. There is a 40 year old grad student at the University I attend who is from Osaka and I enjoy learning differences in the dialect. The dialect is very interesting and amusing. He’s a nice guy and I like trying to implement a little of the Osaka-ben when I talk to him. It’s fun to implement the stuff in my skits for Japanese class as well. My instructor seems impressed and amused when I use the Osaka-ben in skits. However he doesn’t like it to be used in writing or talking to him, which I understand and respect.
These reasons and many more, are why I continue my study of Japanese. ^^
Me
· 2 years ago
My original reason for learning japanese was a pretty bad one: My friends started getting into anime and japanese, and I jumped right on the bandwagon. But then when I started reading the culture notes in my textbook, I started to realize how unique japanese society was compared to the rest of the world. I'd been to japan a couple times before (my mom's japanese) but I had never really appreciated how different everything was over there. Knowing what my aunts found so funny was also an another attractive motive. I'm not competent in the least (I've only been studying for a little over a year) but I feel like I'm a lot closer to my mom now that I have an idea of what kind of place she grew up in. Of course, I also feel resentful that she didn't speak to me in japanese when I was a kid so I wouldn't have to go through all of the confusing chapters on grammar, but I can't change that I guess... Ha...no one's commented in a while...this post probably won't even get read. Oh well...it's kind of therapeutic, actually.
Chris
· 2 years ago
When I was four, I met a Japanese woman while taking my cat to the vet, and we had an interesting conversation. Since then, I've been totally enamored with Japan. I can't really say that when I was younger I actively attempted to learn Japanese, but seeing as I want to live in Japan (or teach Japanese in America), I need to start learning, and now is a good time for me. Wish me luck!
lala
· 2 years ago
I dislike the fact that people believe there is such a large barrier between culture. To break the culture barrier i thought it might be necessary to learn some of the widely spoken languages in my region. Such as Japanese. However, that is not the reason, i'm really obsessed with Kanji, and they way the language works. It's quite fun to learn, but i have such a long way to go.
marisela
· 2 years ago
well, i like anime and dramas and all that good stuff but i love the culture from the eddo period to the current so i want to go to Japan and maybe teach english or something like that .....that is why i am learning japanese
Carcinogen
· 2 years ago
Narutofags and their "OMG KAWAII DESU NE?!?!?!" attitudes are so friggin' annoying. People like them are the reason I quit watching anime. I hope they choke on certain pieces of overrated pretzel candies that taste like sawdust =\
I myself want to learn a language that used another alphabet, and Japanese seems a bit more practical for the things I do. Could be beneficial as well, as learning all those characters will be great for improving my memory. Besides, I could learn a lesson or two from the culture.
Breiniak
· 1 year ago
I have everything it takes to become a NINJA. I have acquired every skill except for knowledge in the Japanese language. ^^
Irene
· 1 year ago
good reasons, bad reasons... who is there to judge what is good or bad? :p as long as you are having fun doing it and being at least a bit serious about it. maybe even learning a few more words than baka and honto ni etc. otherwise you can hardly call it learning a language. anyway, my reason... I wanna marry Oguri Shun! so I will have to be able to understand him first and then impress him with my skills ;) honestly though, I wanna go into tourism, media, journalism or something like that (not 100% sure yet) abroad and the country/language/culture that was most appealing to me was Japan. I'm only in my 1st year of college so it'll take a while, but I got time :)
Danielle
· 1 year ago
My fascination with Japan actually started because of Gwen Stefani and her Harajuku Girls. I know that sounds incredibly lame, but I just thought that they looked so cool. I start learning the language though when my friend got me hooked on Korean and Japanese music. I just really love the culture and how different it is from everything else.
I was learning Spanish in school but I just was not into it at all. Its totally the opposite for me with Japanese. I get all excited when theres a special on Japan on the travel network, and I write hiragana all over the margins on my tests at school.
Ive been learning on my own for almost 6 months. I'm only in highschool and they only offer the same old languages that everyone else does T___T
Davitta
· 1 year ago
I started learning Japanese because of anime and manga. (Mostly DBZ and Tenchi Muyo) Hopefully I can progress more so I can be able to watch movies and anime without subtitles. I also started learning because of the music, fashion, and food. I just really like the culture and I think its a wonderful language. I hope to go to Japan someday. ^_^
Samantha
· 1 year ago
Haha I saw you on youtube. I started learning Japanese because I have always been interested in the country and it's culture and I do hope to move there in the future. It sounds like you dont want many people to learn the language because you think they are doing it for the wrong reason? Hmmm I say if you are interest in Japanese than why not?! So what if people learn it to "show off" I doubt them types will get very far with =] I did find it easy when i first started but as i advanced it became really hard, I shall keep going though.. P.s I was wondering were you got that panda hat from?!
Tomususan
· 1 year ago
Why ? 1. To watch Anime in Raw version 2. To read Manga in Raw version 3.To tak to Japanese people in japanese 4. To travel to Japan And Some others reasons ^^.
AnimeFan
· 9 months ago
I started learning Japanese so i am able to watch anime without English subtitles and to be able to play Japanese-language video games without waiting for the English version arrives. My knowledge of Japanese language might also come in handy if in the future i work at a company that has business with Japanese clients/companies.
TannerGrovyle
· 9 months ago
The reason I started learning Japanese was because of how beautiful of a language it was. I just love how all the words seem to roll off the tongue. It's such a fun language to speak and I enjoy it! ^..^
Of course, I do have my bad reasons as well. I love watching anime in Japanese, but I only use the raw Japanese to test and suppliment what I already know.
That aside, I love Japanese because it's a fun and exciting language to learn! When I get certain honorifics, words, phrases and kanji well ingrained in my memory, it feels so rewarding! I enjoy learning Japanese because it's beautiful, I enjoy it, it's a fun language to learn, and then there's that wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you FINALLY get that important phrase or that kanji character memorized!
V.S.
· 8 months ago
My reason for learning Japanese? Like the Himalayas: Because it's there, and because the view from the top is breathtaking (i.e. actually being to understand what you've admired for so long). What can I say? It just seems to make sense to me, artistically, esthetically; It feels like one of those expensive pairs of eel-skin shoes ($500) that look gorgeous, and FEEL amazing.
My other reason beside culture would have to be the food. Simply put, even the most expensive and refined dishes taste homely. What other culture has high class food that LOOKS high class, but feels like good, healthy, home cooking (my favorite kind of cuisine). Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to polish off a few mochi.
Facebook User
· 7 months ago
I have a couple reasons:
1. I lived in Japan when I was between 10 and 13 years old. I feel I wasted my time there because I was too young and stubborn to appreciate it. Over the years that appreciation has grown and now I want to at least make it up to myself for not becoming more involved in the culture surrounding me at the time.
2. I want to travel to Japan again and be able to interact without being a complete idiot. I want to be able to communicate and at least make it look like I've made an effort to learn rather than just be the baka gaijin that thinks everyone else should speak my language.
3. I want to be able to see Naruto and Sasuke make hot hot steamy love without any subtitles blocking the way of their naked children bodies.
Ok, that one isn't entirely true. But, as someone that likes anime and manga I'd like to be able to watch without subs and read without corny English translations.
jennifer
· 7 months ago
Grrr. yes, it was manga that made me think of Japanese. is it really all that bad? I'm a 22 year old girl who loves F.M.A., Death note and more. But that's not the only reason- though i giver manga most credit because without it, i wouldn't be learning it at all. I also fit in with all your top reason list- but the manga! oh the manga!!!
and though i love you videos and blog, i have to admit, I'm learning on my own. i have no teacher or class to get it from. (I live in Tillamook, no one teaches anything but Spanish and they butcher it...) and i know you don't agree with that- heck I'm with you, i wish i had the cash and time to go to a class a few hours away- but could try to love us fools who still try hard without them? My one year old son and I listen to c.d.'s and so much more its so fun to spend time with him learning! and now when i watch anime i don't always need to read what they are saying!!! ...oups, let that one slip.
well- i guess I'm the sort of person that bugs you. i love manga- and i learn on my own, and i use 5 min. a day Japanese c.d.s (even though we all know it takes way more then that- i just use it to help me along with what i do) but even if i bug ya- i still love your videos! keep it up please!!!
Beka Dominguez
· 7 months ago
why i´am learning japanese ?..mmm exceleten question...
Well like every one else here,, they have there reasons... And these are my reasons of why i´am learnign japanese...
1.- I love the japanese culture, food, anime,history. music ..( and no is not becouse of anime that i began with japanese lessons )
2.- Sense i can remember I always had much interest by the country of the raising sun.
3.- i want to go to Japan.. to see by my self that beutiful country, to enter that sugoi !! atmosphere.. ( at list to feel that i´am almost japanese lol)
4.- Japan is the most funniest country in the world.. love people, and love the shows so extravagant !!
5.- becouse it gives me such a heritage to know such greatest country.
Anyway.. yes I´am a Japan lover jhahahaha !! So that is my reasons .. and yes i study every day ..and no not with anime .. with really books.. Really i think is really amaizing your videos and you website.. I really appreciated you shear such passion ^^
Arigatou Gozaimasu ^^ Yoroshiku
koichi
· 7 months ago
You should take a look at eduFire for classes - really great for folks who aren't near big cities and the like
That guy, over there >>
· 7 months ago
I grew up in a rural town, and went to school in what my town calls the "county" district. So basically, I went to a school that most of the denizens of a HICK town considered poor, backwards, and rustic. So, of course, I didn't get the opportunity to learn Japanese as a second language in high school. I do intend to learn Japanese, though. I got into Japanese culture the same way that most kids did.
Pokémon.
Unlike other kids, I stayed interested in it, and used what little resources I had in a poor town to learn about aspects of Japan's culture OTHER than Death Note and Naruto. I'm currently attending a classes at my town's community college, trying to get enough basic credits to go to the University of Oregon, so that I can get into U of O's Japanese language program. I'd like to go to Japan, and I've heard that one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to get there is by teaching English. SO, according to my current plans, my reason for learning Japanese in the future is to be able to go to Japan, and learn first hand what it is like to live there. Anime is cool, and videogames are fun, but culture has substance.
the answer
· 6 months ago
you FOOLS!
eroge and nasu, the main story writer for type-moon!
IT'S GIVEN ME ENOUGH OBSESSIVE DRIVE TO SPEND MORE THAN 3 HOURS A DAY STUDYING KANJI USING MNEMOSYNE PROJECT
GO NOW!
qwerty123
· 6 months ago
lol
i don't remember why i started to learn japanese. i know only one thing, i really hate manga and anime, because of their retarted reality. i like to watch japanese doramas. i think its one of the best way to see how japanese society is built. now, when i asking myself why i'm learning japanese i often understanding that the main reason are japanese people, their inner world, thoughts. sounds maybe a kinda stupid, but its true. /sorry for my english ;(
BarbJ
· 6 months ago
I grew up near San Fransisco and was exposed to some Japanese culture as a young child. I remember I had a beautiful doll about 10" tall on a wooden stand. She was a lovely Japanese lady in a silk kimono and she had a box of about 8 or 10 wigs to change her look. I loved that doll, unfortunately my parents let me bring her to a Bowling Alley and someone stole her.
In fourth grade we had a Japan Festival at school and I loved that too. First time I had kamaboko and I couldn't get enough!
Now I'm quite grown up, bordering on old, lol. I love Japanese food, and have learned to cook some. I make a good miso soup with fresh dashi.
Also I have gotten into the hobby of Nishikigoi and some day would like to go to Japan to visit some Koi breeders. It would be nice to be able to talk to them with out sounding like an idiot. Plus I could then tell if my guide is really telling me what the breeder is saying. heh.
Learning a new language is great for keeping the mind sharp and I also like the way Japanese sounds. I've been doing IKnow online now for a while, and plan to take a course at the local junior college this summer.
I do like some anime too, I really like stuff from CLAMP. Most is more entertaining than what's on my local TV. Plus I like the original voice actors, they seem to be better actors. Why is it when an anime is dubbed into English they pick voice actors who sound like surfer dudes on Valium? lol.
Anyway those are some of my reasons. Mostly because I want to visit Japan someday soon.
Henke
· 5 months ago
I've worked in the video game industry for over twelve years and have had a great deal of exposure to this particular aspect of Japanese culture during that time. Some colleagues actually worked briefly with Shigeru Miyamoto!
However, whilst the Sega, Nintendo and Sony influence has always been there, it was probably a fascination with Japanese toys that sowed the seed of wanting to learn the language. Sure, I watched some anime, loved Gojira - heck, I even build Gunpla now and again and I'm in my 30s but a real desire didn't germinate properly until about eighteen months ago when I became quite interested in the woodblock artists Hiroshige, Hokusai and others of the same period. I found the simplicity quite beautiful compared to Western art of a similar timeframe.
This appreciation also quickly transferred into the architecture and other aspects of Japan and Japanese life. I liked the old co-existing quite happily with the ultra new. One of my favourite websites for vicariously "living" the modern Japanese experience is dannychoo.com. He deals with your standard otaku stuff but also provides very informative and detailed articles on what life is actually like for him in Japan. Occasionally, Mr. Choo offers up a motivational piece and it was one such blog entry which asserted "What's stopping you learning Japanese?" that I could only truthfully answer with "nothing".
The supposed "impenetrability", the obvious "difficulty" and the sheer "alien" nature of the Japanese language to a native English speaker were all excuses I had used in the past, even though a nagging yearning to at least be able to decipher some of those "funny" symbols remained.
So about six months ago, I started to learn with the ultimate goal to see Mount Fuji, Sakurajima and the Inland Sea in the flesh at some point in my life and actually feel confident enough with the language so I could appreciate the surroundings rather than worry about navigating myself round the country. Whilst many people do this, and I'm sure the Japanese would be very helpful to a wandering foreigner, the thought of not having a clue fills me with a bit of dread!
I don't have much time to study and I'm doing it by myself but even though complex Japanese sentences are a bit of mystery to even look at , as long as I had three trusty books that I've been using as study aids with me, that apprehension would be greatly diminished. Given ten minutes or so, I can work out things to a standard that is acceptable to me at this point. My learning isn't really structured - particularly when It comes to Kanji, I tend to learn about the symbols that interest me rather than ploughing through the JLPT lists for example but often this overlaps. Making sense of Japanese place names is my favourite approach at present - I find it curiously satisfying!
However, I stumbled upon this page after a search for particle help and finding the handy chart!
Anyway, that's my story. Apologies for the length.
USaverageguy
· 4 months ago
Are you kidding? Why do I want to learn Japanese? It's the women. They are beautiful!!! I know that is a shallow reason but I love the way they look and the way they act. But the truth is, every Nihonjin I have met, male or female, has been generous and kind to me. Japanese culture is so beautiful and I want to learn more about it. How can you learn about someone unless you can speak with them? Is there a better way to learn about Japan than to learn the language then spend time in Japan? If there is please let me know.
GJB995
· 4 months ago
sadly anime is what got me into japanese culture, but then I started learning about languege, culture,ect and now I'm kinda adicted
and there is a lot to learn at the speed I am going I will probably sound like a todler in a few decades
Haley C.
· 4 months ago
I want to learn Japanese because I simply love languages. In high school I went up to spanish 5 and for awhile I could read spanish almost perfectly without a dictionary to help me. I also took one class of French in HS because I wanted to see how similiar the two languages were and if I could learn it easier being that I have already been taught another language. I'm starting college soon and they offer Japanese and I think it would be something new to try. My greatest wish would to be able to be fluent in a couple of languages, I'm not sure if it will ever happen, but it would be fun to try. Also, the only anime type show that I like is Avatar:The Last Airbender, so I am definitly not doing it to watch shows without subtitles :P
chibic
· 3 months ago
lol I wish I had even ONE japanese in my family D8 whan I was like 10 I really wanted to be a ninja >.> (and I'm a girl lol) I'm learning japanese becouse I love everything about it: language,history,manga/anime/cosplay/games ectectact I even like japanese's boyz more >3 and I want to become a mangaka (yea I know its not possible) but I'm dreaming of it since the day I could draw.
DUDE you should totally do that comedy-thing I have watched all your video's they are awasome funny and all so treu<3 thats the power of a comedian ;3 good luck.
Franzeska
· 3 months ago
Once upon a time, I desperately wanted to read the novels or manga of a bunch of anime series that changed the original plots significantly. (Well, ok, actually, back before that, I was required to take Japanese in school--no kidding--and I thought it was a huge pain in the ass and a waste of time, but I digress.) There was no market for any of that stuff and no way it was ever getting translated, plus most of it was too hard or too long to have decent fan translations (fan translations, yes; readable, accurate fan translations, no).
Funny thing, by the time I actually got around to taking some intensive Japanese classes, all of that stuff I'd wanted to read had been licensed. Now, most of it is available at my local Barnes and Noble. Who would have thought...
Now I'm learning Japanese because there are these other, harder, more obscure things I want to read/watch. There's no market for them and no way they're ever getting translated... (What?)
fdsfdaafsd
· 2 months ago
I want to learn Japanese through anime. Originally I just want to know what the words people are saying at least halve the time. My goal keeps changing and maybe I don't know why I even want to learn the language right now. I truly believe through time that that true goal will open up to me. For now I have fun and enjoy Japanese at least for now. Strangely I want to prove that you can learn Japanese through anime. People are skepticcal of me but through time I will prove anime will win out on me. More importantly Japanese has become 2nd nature to me. It feels almost like the 2nd language I never had but experience everyday. I understand alittle everyday and begin to unravel worlds in my mind. I sit in this chair everyday mostly because I have nothing to do. I want the full on experience. I hope everybody the best of luck and hope you don't fail like me. I missed 6 months of Japanese but I'm here to keep doing it and hope everybody can go to Japan all Fluent like I will someday.
All Comments
and it'd be fun to go to japan some day. ;D
Not to mention the culture is pretty sweet as well. Everything I've read up on is interesting and tends to suck me in so I can find out what happened and how things were formed.
Even saying all this, the language itself is just awesome. It may come off to some people as fast, harsh, and awkward sounding sometimes, but to me its beautiful and fun.
If someone loves Japanese porn and starts learning Japanese because they want to understand Japanese grunting, then that's fine! If it's a good enough reason to motivate them to learn a completely foreign language, more power to them. Same for anime or mange obsessives. Lots of people have started learning Japanese because of manga/anime and become fluent.
As for me, I also have Japanese family. It was interesting watching your video and learning that your mum doesn't speak much Japanese and you've not met your family in Japan. I'm in a pretty similar situation: my mum's half Japanese and hardly speaks any Japanese (「アイスクリーム欲しい」とか「トイレ行きたい」だけぐらい). I met my Japanese family and my grandma when I was a baby. When my grandma died we lost contact with the family in Japan. About 3 years ago when I went to Japan for the first time with my Japanese class, some relatives surprised me by turning up on the doorstep of my hotel! Since then I've met them and stayed with them a few times and we all get on well. My mum hasn't met them in about 17 years or so so I'm looking forward to our big reunion!
Wow, what a long comment. I hope you appreciate my quadraparagraphed comment loving!
In the last few years I've also studied a little Chinese and Korean, and while both languages are fascinating and beautiful in their own way, something about Japanese and Japanese culture keeps me captivated. Something about it just clicks with me - the flow of the words and the way the grammar works, the elegance of the characters, the appreciation of simplicity and beauty and respect inherent in the culture....so many different things.
I still watch anime...and now I'm able to read manga....but the most important reason why I learn Japanese is for love of the language itself =)
I've kinda always been drawn to the Japanese language and culture too.
Japanese really does sound beautiful to me :]
The main reason I started learning it was because I liked to talk to people and I wanted to travel there one day and make friends.
And if I wanted to go there one day I figured:
[love of japan] + [love to talk to people] = [learn japanese :D ]
Best quote ever, lol.
I'm learning (or trying to learn) Japanese because I'm really fond of the japanese culture. The interest started in anime, but now I'm interested in the real stuff about Japan, the whole way of living of the Japanese, their habits and tastes. Blame a friend of mine for going there and talking about the trip a lot. I want to learn too because it's an awesome language, really beautiful and different from the most common. And sure, it's cool to brag about knowing Japanese, but that's on the end of the list =p
Cool new blog, congrats
Okay...I have to admit..Engrish is cute, BUT! Those otakus that use Japlish? I mean..come on... " OMG! Thats so Kawaii!!" or " Im gunna korosu you!" And not to mention the random, " Im gunna marry (insert anime character here) NYA~!!"
Just kidding! =)
And I hope koichi will make more videos about japanese.Thats it.
Ja mata.P.S:I do want to be a ninja. lol
People talk about how great the differences are between Japanese and English, but the further I go in my studies, the more I find that the two are in some ways strikingly similar. It's really quite exhilarating. And each little epiphany keeps me coming back for more.
After I conquer Japanese, I'm think I'm going to tackle German next.
それで、私が日本語を学んでいる理由はどう？アニメや漫画などの関係ないけど、何だかちょっとヲタクっぽくない？ 笑
My name is Chad, AKA Sanosuke. I began leraning Japanese since I was 5 years old. I practiced, since early childhood, Ninpo. So, I practiced Ninjutsu and Jujitsu( the art of the Ninja and of the samurai ). I lived in a very Japanese way. I had all the Japanese traditions I had to follow. I lived a lot with a Japanese like surrounding. To me, there were only the Japanese. My Sensei told me that learning Japanese is essentiel and would help me a lot in my training so I could memorize the names of the techniques. My accent is perfect now, thats my reason. So you casn say that I'm a "born Japanese guy". So I began learning, I came on this site by accident and I think its brilliant. I would like you to contact me on my email: cool_me_up@hotmail.com . I send my regards and wish you luck.
Yah, I would still like to learn Japanese. It's a very beautiful sounding language, and I have some friends in Kangoshima whome I would like to visite again someday.
I was self taught for about 3 years[while learning Spanish] Until I finally got to college.:) This fall I will be taking my second semester of Japanese. I'm very proud of myself because I'd already taught myself most of the stuff my sensei taught in first semester Japanese.
Yes, I am a language nerd,but I still blame my friend for making me fall in love with Japanese culture.
Not many people in America can read Kana :D
Spanish and Japanese are surprising similar sometimes too.
Pan and パン :D
1. I want to play great games that were only in Japan that US missed out on.
2. I would like to translate kanji that don't have furigana
3. I hope to translate hiragana-only sentences and paragraphs, because those seem much harder than those with Kanji and furigana.
4. I don't want to bug random people who know some Japanese to translate some stuff for me.
5. I don't understand Japanese comedy. I've watched a few clips of this guy named Jinnai Tomonori, but I can't speak Japanese so I wouldn't know what the guy was saying if there weren't subtitles.
6. I MIGHT visit Japan one day...
However, now, aside from the fact that I do, in fact, work for a Japanese company and I feel awful when my co-workers have to speak in English simply because I am the only one without the knowledge and ability to speak Japanese, I study Japanese because I have been since I was 11 and I really find it to be an incredibly interesting culture (but darn -it-all if the actually language isn't so confusing "ha = wa, kanji have 100,000,000 meanings for one character, ect...") I study Japanese, now, because while it may not be the easiest thing I have ever done in my life, it's fun and rewarding when I understand what the heck my co-worker are saying and better yet when I am able to reply!
I'm a huge Jdorama-holic and I think that's where I started liking the language. I still watch it, but I don't think it's my only source of information. Nonetheless, I really enjoy listening to it and speaking it. It's very fun ^^.
I want to learn Japanese, because, and please don't laugh, I want to live in Japan (which I in return want to do because of the culture, because I adore the cuisine, Japanese movies, comedy, ninjas etc etc) In addition, I wanna be accepted as an equal human being whenever I go there. Now, I know, as a blonde, tall, white gaijin, that is as good as impossible, but I DO believe that I have a better chance of being accepted as more-than-just-a-foreigner, if I learn about finer cultural points, language, etc ad infinitum.
Looking forward to high-school if my grades come out right, so i can exchange to Japan.
Lots of love
~白いカラス
I wanted to ask in regards about not knowing all parts of the culture, is what about keigo or honorifics and humble expressions. I know that much of the young generation does not know this part of the language and it's not in much use anymore. I don't think that doesn't mean you don't know the language.. Mostly because there are things in the English language that we do not use today, but is still a part of the English language.
After Japanese, I started to learn German, however, I didn't have much available to German as I do Japanese. I also learned a bit of American Sign Language and Korean, but English and Japanese are the two main ones that I have a grasp on.
Whilst looking through Chinese websites to see if I could find a nice place to start off the language (when I thought I may aswell give it a try) I luckily stumbled upon a website that mentioned Japanese being half-chinese in a little side note. This note did not seem to have such a big impact on me then, but two weeks later during a registration period in the morning, the teacher started to read out a notice mentioning that there would be a Japanese class after schools for one hour. I was a bit hesitant at first as I had no idea what Japan or Japanese was like but two of my friends believed it would be a worthwhile experience and they were all raring to go. Realising I had nothing else to do on those days, I decided an hour away from home might not be a bad thing after all. Upon attending my first Japanese lesson, I was hesitant at first as I had heard that the teacher was not an actual teacher but someone who had recently come back from Japan. My doubts were confirmed, the teacher was teaching us Japanese from a "teach yourself Japanese" textbook which in my experience were not the best books to learn from, however, I thought positively and held out his lessons for a few weeks to show I was interested. Once I had got to a point where the lessons were too petty for me to carry on (as he could not answer my questions nor could he speak fluent Japanese in many aspects of conversations) I decided it would be best for me to leave. However, whilst I was at those lessons, the language started to grow on me without my knowledge. Now wanting to pursue Japanese as a self-learner (as there are no Japanese teachers in my area) I had to find a way to convince my dad that it was worth me learning and worth him funding. Upon showing him that website and many others my father saw it was linked to Chinese in some manner and finally agreed to letting me learn it, now the only obstacle left was my mother. She believed that it would be a waste of time to learn it as I would have no gain from it whatsoever, but once I showed her how some of their culture mixes with ours (ours being Pakistani) she was convinced to let me go ahead with it (probably dad nagging her to let me do it though :/).
Anywho, by the time I had done all the convincing and the thinking, it turned out that exams were around the corner and I didnt have enough time to learn another language. As a result Japanese was postponed and was completely forgot about until one day I stumbled upon tofugu.com and read all its wonderous information. Now I am back on track (thanks guys and Erin) and have started to learn Japanese from the beginning, starting from reading Tofugu each time you guys release some lovely new info and memorising the katakana and hiragana charts (hopefully getting the Genki collection soon ^-^).
Hopefully, this will be a good addition to english, urdu, broken spanish, pahari and punjabi. If anyone knows where I can get extra help to learn Japanese, please dont hesitate to contact me on adamulhaq@hotmail.com, I am usually around and will get back to you asap but please state your reason to adding me otherwise it is a bit worrying.
As a final note I think the people at tofugu deserve a big thumbs up/big smile/badge/medal/new godzilla mask from me, you're doing an awesome job, keep it up :D
P.S when do we get our newsletters...i can't wait that long :x
That previous constipated smilie was not intended :/
One aspect that I feel deeply connected to is being humble. I absolutely hate how most people I know say how good they are at “x”. I hate people who brag. To me it shows how insecure they are. I know when people see me studying and ask if I’m good, I always say I have a long way to go, and they sometimes continue that I should give myself more credit for what I do. I don’t like to. The same can be said for any other skill that I have and people praise…I don’t like boasting about something even if I know I am good.
There are a lot of other aspects of Japanese that make me more interested in it as I continue my studies, but the humbleness of the language has made me feel more connected to the culture then my own.
One more thing I like about Japanese. I love the Osaka-ben. :D Not just in anime, but real life. There is a 40 year old grad student at the University I attend who is from Osaka and I enjoy learning differences in the dialect. The dialect is very interesting and amusing. He’s a nice guy and I like trying to implement a little of the Osaka-ben when I talk to him. It’s fun to implement the stuff in my skits for Japanese class as well. My instructor seems impressed and amused when I use the Osaka-ben in skits. However he doesn’t like it to be used in writing or talking to him, which I understand and respect.
These reasons and many more, are why I continue my study of Japanese. ^^
Ha...no one's commented in a while...this post probably won't even get read.
Oh well...it's kind of therapeutic, actually.
I myself want to learn a language that used another alphabet, and Japanese seems a bit more practical for the things I do. Could be beneficial as well, as learning all those characters will be great for improving my memory. Besides, I could learn a lesson or two from the culture.
as long as you are having fun doing it and being at least a bit serious about it. maybe even learning a few more words than baka and honto ni etc. otherwise you can hardly call it learning a language.
anyway, my reason... I wanna marry Oguri Shun! so I will have to be able to understand him first and then impress him with my skills ;)
honestly though, I wanna go into tourism, media, journalism or something like that (not 100% sure yet) abroad and the country/language/culture that was most appealing to me was Japan. I'm only in my 1st year of college so it'll take a while, but I got time :)
I was learning Spanish in school but I just was not into it at all. Its totally the opposite for me with Japanese. I get all excited when theres a special on Japan on the travel network, and I write hiragana all over the margins on my tests at school.
Ive been learning on my own for almost 6 months. I'm only in highschool and they only offer the same old languages that everyone else does T___T
It sounds like you dont want many people to learn the language because you think they are doing it for the wrong reason? Hmmm I say if you are interest in Japanese than why not?! So what if people learn it to "show off" I doubt them types will get very far with =]
I did find it easy when i first started but as i advanced it became really hard, I shall keep going though..
P.s I was wondering were you got that panda hat from?!
1. To watch Anime in Raw version
2. To read Manga in Raw version
3.To tak to Japanese people in japanese
4. To travel to Japan
And Some others reasons ^^.
Of course, I do have my bad reasons as well. I love watching anime in Japanese, but I only use the raw Japanese to test and suppliment what I already know.
That aside, I love Japanese because it's a fun and exciting language to learn! When I get certain honorifics, words, phrases and kanji well ingrained in my memory, it feels so rewarding! I enjoy learning Japanese because it's beautiful, I enjoy it, it's a fun language to learn, and then there's that wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you FINALLY get that important phrase or that kanji character memorized!
What can I say? It just seems to make sense to me, artistically, esthetically; It feels like one of those expensive pairs of eel-skin shoes ($500) that look gorgeous, and FEEL amazing.
My other reason beside culture would have to be the food. Simply put, even the most expensive and refined dishes taste homely. What other culture has high class food that LOOKS high class, but feels like good, healthy, home cooking (my favorite kind of cuisine).
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to polish off a few mochi.
1. I lived in Japan when I was between 10 and 13 years old. I feel I wasted my time there because I was too young and stubborn to appreciate it. Over the years that appreciation has grown and now I want to at least make it up to myself for not becoming more involved in the culture surrounding me at the time.
2. I want to travel to Japan again and be able to interact without being a complete idiot. I want to be able to communicate and at least make it look like I've made an effort to learn rather than just be the baka gaijin that thinks everyone else should speak my language.
3. I want to be able to see Naruto and Sasuke make hot hot steamy love without any subtitles blocking the way of their naked children bodies.
Ok, that one isn't entirely true. But, as someone that likes anime and manga I'd like to be able to watch without subs and read without corny English translations.
But that's not the only reason- though i giver manga most credit because without it, i wouldn't be learning it at all. I also fit in with all your top reason list- but the manga! oh the manga!!!
and though i love you videos and blog, i have to admit, I'm learning on my own. i have no teacher or class to get it from. (I live in Tillamook, no one teaches anything but Spanish and they butcher it...)
and i know you don't agree with that- heck I'm with you, i wish i had the cash and time to go to a class a few hours away- but could try to love us fools who still try hard without them? My one year old son and I listen to c.d.'s and so much more its so fun to spend time with him learning! and now when i watch anime i don't always need to read what they are saying!!! ...oups, let that one slip.
well- i guess I'm the sort of person that bugs you. i love manga- and i learn on my own, and i use 5 min. a day Japanese c.d.s (even though we all know it takes way more then that- i just use it to help me along with what i do)
but even if i bug ya- i still love your videos! keep it up please!!!
Well like every one else here,, they have there reasons...
And these are my reasons of why i´am learnign japanese...
1.- I love the japanese culture, food, anime,history. music ..( and no is not becouse of anime that i began with japanese lessons )
2.- Sense i can remember I always had much interest by the country of the raising sun.
3.- i want to go to Japan.. to see by my self that beutiful country, to enter that sugoi !! atmosphere..
( at list to feel that i´am almost japanese lol)
4.- Japan is the most funniest country in the world.. love people, and love the shows
so extravagant !!
5.- becouse it gives me such a heritage to know such greatest country.
Anyway.. yes I´am a Japan lover jhahahaha !!
So that is my reasons .. and yes i study every day ..and no not with anime .. with really books..
Really i think is really amaizing your videos and you website..
I really appreciated you shear such passion ^^
Arigatou Gozaimasu ^^
Yoroshiku
aren't near big cities and the like
Pokémon.
Unlike other kids, I stayed interested in it, and used what little resources I had in a poor town to learn about aspects of Japan's culture OTHER than Death Note and Naruto. I'm currently attending a classes at my town's community college, trying to get enough basic credits to go to the University of Oregon, so that I can get into U of O's Japanese language program. I'd like to go to Japan, and I've heard that one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to get there is by teaching English. SO, according to my current plans, my reason for learning Japanese in the future is to be able to go to Japan, and learn first hand what it is like to live there. Anime is cool, and videogames are fun, but culture has substance.
eroge and nasu, the main story writer for type-moon!
IT'S GIVEN ME ENOUGH OBSESSIVE DRIVE TO SPEND MORE THAN 3 HOURS A DAY STUDYING KANJI USING MNEMOSYNE PROJECT
GO NOW!
i don't remember why i started to learn japanese. i know only one thing, i really hate manga and anime, because of their retarted reality. i like to watch japanese doramas. i think its one of the best way to see how japanese society is built. now, when i asking myself why i'm learning japanese i often understanding that the main reason are japanese people, their inner world, thoughts. sounds maybe a kinda stupid, but its true.
/sorry for my english ;(
In fourth grade we had a Japan Festival at school and I loved that too. First time I had kamaboko and I couldn't get enough!
Now I'm quite grown up, bordering on old, lol. I love Japanese food, and have learned to cook some. I make a good miso soup with fresh dashi.
Also I have gotten into the hobby of Nishikigoi and some day would like to go to Japan to visit some Koi breeders. It would be nice to be able to talk to them with out sounding like an idiot. Plus I could then tell if my guide is really telling me what the breeder is saying. heh.
Learning a new language is great for keeping the mind sharp and I also like the way Japanese sounds. I've been doing IKnow online now for a while, and plan to take a course at the local junior college this summer.
I do like some anime too, I really like stuff from CLAMP. Most is more entertaining than what's on my local TV. Plus I like the original voice actors, they seem to be better actors.
Why is it when an anime is dubbed into English they pick voice actors who sound like surfer dudes on Valium? lol.
Anyway those are some of my reasons. Mostly because I want to visit Japan someday soon.
However, whilst the Sega, Nintendo and Sony influence has always been there, it was probably a fascination with Japanese toys that sowed the seed of wanting to learn the language. Sure, I watched some anime, loved Gojira - heck, I even build Gunpla now and again and I'm in my 30s but a real desire didn't germinate properly until about eighteen months ago when I became quite interested in the woodblock artists Hiroshige, Hokusai and others of the same period. I found the simplicity quite beautiful compared to Western art of a similar timeframe.
This appreciation also quickly transferred into the architecture and other aspects of Japan and Japanese life. I liked the old co-existing quite happily with the ultra new. One of my favourite websites for vicariously "living" the modern Japanese experience is dannychoo.com. He deals with your standard otaku stuff but also provides very informative and detailed articles on what life is actually like for him in Japan. Occasionally, Mr. Choo offers up a motivational piece and it was one such blog entry which asserted "What's stopping you learning Japanese?" that I could only truthfully answer with "nothing".
The supposed "impenetrability", the obvious "difficulty" and the sheer "alien" nature of the Japanese language to a native English speaker were all excuses I had used in the past, even though a nagging yearning to at least be able to decipher some of those "funny" symbols remained.
So about six months ago, I started to learn with the ultimate goal to see Mount Fuji, Sakurajima and the Inland Sea in the flesh at some point in my life and actually feel confident enough with the language so I could appreciate the surroundings rather than worry about navigating myself round the country. Whilst many people do this, and I'm sure the Japanese would be very helpful to a wandering foreigner, the thought of not having a clue fills me with a bit of dread!
I don't have much time to study and I'm doing it by myself but even though complex Japanese sentences are a bit of mystery to even look at , as long as I had three trusty books that I've been using as study aids with me, that apprehension would be greatly diminished. Given ten minutes or so, I can work out things to a standard that is acceptable to me at this point. My learning isn't really structured - particularly when It comes to Kanji, I tend to learn about the symbols that interest me rather than ploughing through the JLPT lists for example but often this overlaps. Making sense of Japanese place names is my favourite approach at present - I find it curiously satisfying!
However, I stumbled upon this page after a search for particle help and finding the handy chart!
Anyway, that's my story. Apologies for the length.
and there is a lot to learn at the speed I am going I will probably sound like a todler in a few decades
whan I was like 10 I really wanted to be a ninja >.> (and I'm a girl lol)
I'm learning japanese becouse I love everything about it: language,history,manga/anime/cosplay/games ectectact
I even like japanese's boyz more >3
and I want to become a mangaka (yea I know its not possible)
but I'm dreaming of it since the day I could draw.
DUDE you should totally do that comedy-thing
I have watched all your video's they are awasome funny and all so treu<3
thats the power of a comedian ;3
good luck.
Funny thing, by the time I actually got around to taking some intensive Japanese classes, all of that stuff I'd wanted to read had been licensed. Now, most of it is available at my local Barnes and Noble. Who would have thought...
Now I'm learning Japanese because there are these other, harder, more obscure things I want to read/watch. There's no market for them and no way they're ever getting translated... (What?)