Learn by Movies: Learn by Music: Learn Japanese: Study Abroad Tips: HostFamily Opinions: Survival Guide: Interview - Mayumi: Interview - Sachiko: Why Japanese?

Why Japanese?

Yeah. You know you want to know. Everyone wants to know.

Once I tell people that I studied Japanese in high school, or that I work in Japan, everyone always wants to know why.

It's a valid question, yeah, I ask the same thing of other people I meet here. Actually. I like that question a lot... "why?" That's another story though.

Anyway, I would like to take the opportunity to explain this now. I wonder if you other Japan studiers had the same reasons for getting started. I'd like to hear from ya.

Anyway. I think my story is kinda typical (as far as Iowans studying Japanese can be anyway). When I was in high school, we had to pick one foreign language, and study it for two years consecutively if we wanted to go on to college. Or so we were told. Well, I bought it. So did everyone else I imagine. My school, in Iowa thank-you-very-much, offered Spanish, French, German, Latin, Japanese, and Russian.

I talked to some of my upper classmen friends, and everyone said they hated Spanish. Most people took it because they heard it was easy, and close enough to English that they didn’t have to study much. I wasn't about to spend my time studying something that wasn't fun... especially when I have a choice. Also, about half of the school studiend Spanish. The other half took French. Which I avoided for the same reasons.

Don't get me wrong. If I had the opportunity to learn another language now, I would probably chose Spanish. High school just wasn't the time or place for me, especially with all the negative energy surrounding the topic. I wanted to be study something with other students who wanted to study it. ,

Alright, I grew up in Iowa. Iowa is not exactly the most diverse place in the US. I didn't know any German or Russian people. It really is terrible, but I was insanely ignorant when I first got into high school. The only thing I knew about Germany was WWII Hitler and holocaust stype stuff, and the only thing I knew about Russia was Communism and the cold war. The American education system also made sure that I understood without a doubt that communism was evil. Heh. Thanks. Don't worry folks. I'm different now.

As for the others. No one speaks Latin. I didn't want to be a scientist.

That left Japanese right? Also, I was a gamer until college. Okay. So I was a gamer all the way through college. I would be one now if I owned a freakin’ television. Anyway. Most of the game companies back in the day came out of Japan. It's strange, but true. Really though, when I was in junior high school I thought that I wanted to be a video game programmer in Japan when I "grew up". Haha. No one could ever be so lucky!

What about Anime?

Yeah, there are a lot of people who get into Japanese because of Japanese animation, otherwise known as Anime. To be totally honest, I wasn't one of them! However, I got into anime quite heavily once I started studying Japanese. I got a part time job at Best Buy, and I happened to work in the Music/Software/Movies section. One day while I was slaving away stocking shelves full of movies, I came across a cartoon, and noticed that on the side it said something like 'Japanese language, English subtitles'... That was it, I bought it, watched it, and I was hooked.

How about class? Fun?_

Uh. Yeah class was fun. Who’s asking these dumb questions?

My high school Japanese teacher was awesome. Straight out of Japan, which was a bonus. If I remember correctly, the Spanish class had an American teacher, as did the German one. There is something just weird about that. I have to admit, our Japanese class was a lot of fun and games, and not too much studying… but I had the time of my life. I loved the class (one of the few I enjoyed in high school) and made good grades. In fact, all I wanted to do in College was major in Japanese and study abroad.

Well did you? Study abroad that is.

This is getting too long. Even I’m getting tired of writing it.

Okay. Time to speed things up. In high school I did 3 weeks abroad during a summer with YFU. That’s youth for understanding international exchange. The program is still around. Look them up if you wanna go to Japan. I did the host family thing, went to a Japanese high school for a while, and had a blast. At the time I didn’t understand jack in Japanese. I couldn’t even explain to my host mom that I wanted to go to the park. I thought I was a hot shot in school, but living in Japan and hearing real live high speed Japanese is a different story.

Oh yeah. The college thing. I tried to only major in Japanese in college, but my mom wouldn’t let me. She told me I wouldn’t get a job after I graduated. Well. I figured she was probably right, so thought for a while what I wanted to do.

I would have done Computer Science if there weren’t 3,492 credits of math required. I hate math. Luckily I found a Computer Information Systems degree in the business school at Indiana University.

I jumped in that program, and also decided to double major in Japanese as well. It took four and a half years, but it was worth it. I got in a year at Nanzan University in Nagoya as well, that was well worth it.

Then I after I graduated I got a job in Japan. Goal in. It’s still fun too. Learning Japanese is a good way to spend a few... well, your entire life. There is just something exhilarating about never quite completely understanding what the heck is going on…

That's it. For more information give me money and I'll write a book.

-Harvey

- Created 10/2002

Learn by Movies: Learn by Music: Learn Japanese: Study Abroad Tips: HostFamily Opinions: Survival Guide: Interview - Mayumi: Interview - Sachiko: Why Japanese?