I'm on lunch break again - Japanese study time!
I'm sometimes asked, is it really necessary to master Japanese in order to live in Japan? Is all the effort needed to learn Hiragana, Katakana and kanji really worth it?
Well, the answer to these questions could be yes or no, but your life in Japan will be very different depending on what you believe the answers are.
This past week I have restarted actively studying Japanese, and much of my spare time spent on the subway or walking to the shops is now spent with my iPhone, studying Japanese.
Why? Well, it's just over a year since I graduated from university (BA in Japanese Studies) and returned to Japan, and last week when watching a video I recorded last year I was shocked to notice that my Japanese is no better now than it was then.
The thing is, it is perfectly possible to live in Japan for years, and still not be able to speak Japanese. I have a friend who was here for 30 years, and when they left, they still couldn't manage much more than a 'konnichiwa'. They had chosen not to learn Japanese, and here in Tokyo it just wasn't an issue - so yes, you can live in Japan without any Japanese ability.
When I first came to Japan I spoke no Japanese. I lived with my girlfriend at the time who spoke perfect English. I was an English teacher. I hung out with friends who spoke English. I didn't need Japanese.
Five years later I returned to Japan once more - but this time I could understand and speak Japanese. And you know what? It was a different place! Gone was all the mystery and not understanding conversations that were happening all around me. I felt a part of what was going on. There were so many more opportunities. I could make so many more friends. I didn't have to rely on someone else translating for me.
Deciding to learn Japanese was the best thing I ever did.
It really has changed my life, and I would encourage anyone who is thinking of coming to Japan / living in Japan to learn it. Simple Japanese really isn't all that difficult. Hiragana and Katakana can both be learnt within a week. Whilst kanji may seem scary at first, they are actually amazing, incredibly helpful in letting you guess the meanings of words and phrases that you may never have seen before (although it's normal to have a love-hate relationship with them!) There are some great text books out there if you don't have the chance to meet Japanese people face-to-face, and of course now we have online tools like Edufire and Smart.fm, which make it a lot easier.
On the iPhone and Mac I'm using Anki (in the photo), a great spaced-repetition app that helps you learn new words and phrases really quickly.
I have so much more to learn, it's a never-ending effort, but there are so many benefits - it's all worth it.
So how about you? How do you study Japanese? Have you got any advice for others? Would love to hear!
Joseph
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