After years of watching anime and dreaming of visiting Japan, I finally took the plunge. Here's the story of what pushed me to commit to actually learning the language.
The Spark
It started, like many things in my life, with anime. Not just any anime — Spirited Away was the first film that made me truly feel something I couldn't quite explain. The sounds of the language, the cadence, the way certain emotions seemed to be expressed so perfectly in Japanese that no English translation could capture them.
Years passed. I learned a handful of phrases. I could say こんにちは (konnichiwa) and ありがとう (arigatou), and I felt proud of that. But I wasn't learning — I was collecting party tricks.
The Turning Point
Last year, I visited a Japanese restaurant where the chef spoke almost no English. We managed with gestures and smiles, but I walked out feeling a profound sense of loss — not just a communication barrier, but a missed human connection.
That night, I downloaded Anki and made my first flashcard deck.
Why Japanese Specifically?
- The writing systems fascinate me — three completely different scripts used together
- The grammar is so unlike English that it feels like rewiring my brain
- The culture is incredibly rich and layered — there's always more to discover
- The media — manga, anime, games, films — there's an ocean of content waiting
My Commitment
I'm committing to 30 minutes every day. No excuses. This blog is my accountability partner — a place to track wins, admit failures, and hopefully inspire someone else who's standing at the same starting line I was.
始めましょう！ (Hajimemashou!) — Let's begin!