Why learn Japanese? The reasons are numerous. First, Japan is the 7th largest country by population. Becoming fluent will open a world of opportunities, and introduce you to new careers such as tourism, international finance, journalism, and especially the technology field. Japanese is a very popular language for Westerners to learn, and acts a gateway to Asia, and Asian cultures. Did you know, for example, that the 3rd most used language on the internet is Japanese? If you have an internet-based business, just think of the customer base you’d have if you learned Japanese! And don’t worry. It’s not nearly the scary challenge that people think it is. It’s very different from English…but different doesn’t mean difficult, does it? Learning Japanese can be simple and fun. I’ll show you! Although there are four alphabets in Japanese — yes, four! — you don’t have to learn them all right from the start. You might begin with learning a few kanji (those elegant Chinese characters) at a time, and slowly build up a vocabulary of them. Or you might wait on kanji and learn one of the letter-based alphabets like katakana or hiragana. So, how can you learn Japanese in an easy, fun way? Yes. Think about playing some computer game that might take place in Ancient Rome. You could well be learning lots of history as you play the game. So, you’d be learning, and you’d be having fun, right? I doubt there’s such a game for learning Japanese, but we can find similar methods. For example…

You can learn Japanese from Anime and Manga. Though related, these two terms mean different things. Manga are comic books, whereas Anime is the actual animation of the comic book. It’s often a term for the style of art used in those productions, too. And since Anime is fun to watch, and Manga are fun to read, it makes for a great entry point for you to begin learning some Japanese. Another bonus to learning from Anime and Manga is the fairly limited vocabulary used in these forms. They don’t talk politics or about the economy, after all. The topic matters are limited and many phrases are repeated. It’s a good, simplified structure for learning language. Start watching and learning. and you’ll be surprised how much Japanese you’ll be able to catch! Another fun way to learn Japanese is from Music and Movies. Here’s how it works. If you watch enough Japanese television, you will start to notice patterns. That’s all speech really is, anyway. Patterns of sounds that contain meaning. For example, every time two characters first meet on a Japanese show, you might notice they say, “O ha yo go za i ma su”. After a while, you’d begin to realize, “Hmm, I guess I should say that, too, when I first meet someone. It must be a greeting.” This is how you learned English. You gathered the meaning of things slowly, by hearing and mimicking what other speakers do. Which movies do I recommend? Well, it could be fun to start with the Tom Cruise movie, “The Last Samurai.” After all, it’s about an American who finds himself in Japan and forced to learn the language. You’ll be picking up some Japanese, too! Flash cards rule! I know, flashcards sounds very….grade-schoolish. But the fact is, they are an extremely efficient way of keeping track of what you’ve learned, and what you have problems with. And in time, as you master your cards, you’ll be mastering the language. You can buy flashcards in the bookstore or online, but honestly, the best thing to do is make them yourself, as you progress through the language. Here’s what to do: Buy some blank index cards for $1 or so. Cut them in half, so that they are squares, 3 inches or so per side. On one side of the card, write your new Japanese phrase. On the other side, write the English equivalent. Be sure to write as very literal translation of it, as well. And try to write phrases, as opposed to words, as much as possible. Why? because words aren’t all that helpful, really. People don’t speak with words. They speak with phrases. So, start with simple phrases, like, “I like ____ .” Or, “May I have ____ ?” This is the best way to learn via flashcards. Finally, try to find a Japanese speaker willing to help you. You might trade help in English for help with Japanese. You can correct each other’s pronunciation, and practice simple conversations. And the friendship that will develop is another one of those intangible “fun factors” that can really make the difference as you try to learn Japanese!