My Journey of Learning the Japanese Language

Many people, at some point in their life, feel the desire to learn a second or even third language. This urge can be sparked by various influences—media, friends from different countries, or simply a love for how a language sounds. The languages we choose to learn can vary widely. You might be drawn to Spanish because of its music or French because you enjoy French cinema.

However, learning a new language is no easy task. It requires significant time and dedication, and not everyone can commit to the often challenging process. For me, though, the learning itself was part of the fun. This is the story of how I fell in love with the Japanese language and taught myself, without any formal education.

An Early Discovery of Japanese Through Anime

I first encountered the Japanese language around the age of nine, introduced to it by my brother, who shared anime with me. The first show I watched was Detective Conan (also known as Case Closed). Although I had previously seen anime on television, such as Dragon Ball and Pokémon, I had not realized that these shows were originally in Japanese. Watching anime in its original language proved to be a novel experience, and I quickly became captivated by both anime and the Japanese language. However, it was only later that I began to place more focus on the language itself.

As time went on, I watched more anime, imitated the way characters spoke, and even sang Japanese songs, despite not understanding the lyrics. I would attempt to form sentences in my mind, experimenting with the language. Although some people around me ridiculed me for watching “cartoons” as a teenager, their opinions did not affect me. I found enjoyment in my pursuits and did not seek validation from others regarding my interests.

Starting the Learning Journey

By 2018, many years had passed since my initial exposure to the Japanese language, and it had become a subject of daily reflection. During this period, I developed a deeper interest in written media, such as books and manga. However, the challenge was that I could not read anything in Japanese, which forced me to rely on English translations. Reading in English, though, was not fulfilling my objective.

I thought to myself, “If I am going to read a translation of a Japanese work, I might as well read an English book.” This realization was somewhat unexpected, given that I enjoyed watching anime with English subtitles. Eventually, I came to understand that my interest was not limited to anime; rather, I genuinely appreciated the Japanese language itself.

This epiphany motivated me to commit fully to learning the language. At that time, I was living in Gazipur, where no Japanese language schools were available. Consequently, I made the decision to teach myself using resources available on the internet.

First Steps of Learning Japanese

Learning a new language online presents significant challenges. There are countless methods, resources, and approaches available, making it difficult to adhere to one unless an individual truly enjoys it. I experimented with various language-learning applications, but none of them sustained my interest for an extended period. They were either overly simplistic or resembled traditional textbooks, failing to provide sufficient depth.

Take Duolingo, for instance. While it is the most popular language-learning application, it proves nearly ineffective for Japanese beyond basic interactions. It does not adequately teach kanji, which is an essential component of mastering the written form of the language.

During this exploratory phase, I learned how hiragana and katakana function. These are two of the three alphabets used in Japanese. Hiragana is primarily utilized for native Japanese words and is the most commonly employed script, often paired with kanji. For example, the word “life” (人生) can be transcribed in hiragana as じんせい (jinsei).

Conversely, katakana is used for foreign or loan words. For instance, カフェ (café) is a term borrowed from French and is also a loanword in English.

Learning hiragana and katakana constitutes the easiest aspect of mastering Japanese. Memorization is the primary requirement, and numerous online resources are available to assist learners in this process. After grasping the fundamentals, I commenced my study of grammar, utilizing Tae Kim’s excellent resources, which are freely accessible online.

Then came kanji.

The Dread of Kanji and Slow Progress

Kanji, the third component of the Japanese writing system, consists of characters originally from Chinese. For many learners, including myself, kanji is where the challenge intensifies. To read comfortably in Japanese, one needs to know over 3,000 kanji characters. Initially, I thought this meant memorizing 3,000 individual symbols, which felt overwhelming. As a result, my progress stalled between 2018 and 2019.

However, kanji is not just about rote memorization. Each character represents a concept or idea and has various readings that correspond to its shape and meaning. For example, the kanji 満 (man) means “full,” and 月 (getsu) means “moon.” Thus, 満月 (mangetsu) means “full moon.” Once one understands the logic behind kanji, it is often possible to infer meanings even if one does not know every character.

There are also methods to break kanji down into smaller parts called radicals, but that is a more advanced topic. Initially, I allowed my fear of kanji to hinder my progress, but I soon discovered better ways to approach it.

Path to Fluency with AJATT

The early stages of learning a language are relatively simple, but the real difficulty comes later. Many learners give up after mastering the basics because they struggle to maintain consistency or find the process boring. I faced these challenges too in 2018-2019. Then, in 2020, I stumbled upon the AJATT (All Japanese All the Time) method.

AJATT encourages immersion by surrounding yourself with Japanese media. You replace your movies, books, and music with Japanese versions. Since I was already into Japanese media, this method was easy to adopt. But there was still the challenge of understanding more complex content without relying on translations.

Learning with Anki and Yomichan

Two tools, Anki and Yomichan, played a crucial role in my self-study. Anki is an open-source memorization tool that uses spaced repetition to help individuals retain information. I started using Anki decks with commonly used Japanese words and kanji, which assisted me in breaking through the beginner phase.

(Fun fact: “Anki” is a Japanese word that means “memorization,” written as 暗記 in kanji.)

Yomichan, a browser extension, facilitated the process of looking up words I did not know. By hovering over a word, I could instantly see its meaning and usage. Whenever I encountered a new word, I added it to Anki for memorization.

With these tools, kanji no longer intimidated me. I continued reading and learning, and over time, I became comfortable reading most materials in Japanese. While I still use Yomichan for unfamiliar words, it is no longer essential.

Visual Novels and the Joy of Reading

As my proficiency in Japanese improved, I began reading visual novels, which are narrative-driven video games characterized by substantial amounts of text. One of my favorite visual novels is Witch on the Holy Night (Mahoutsukai no Yoru), a work that captivated me with its remarkable presentation and music. For those interested, this visual novel is also available in English.

Reading visual novels and engaging in discussions about them with friends has been the highlight of my language-learning journey thus far.

Friends and Community

Throughout my language-learning journey, I connected with a community of fellow learners. One person in particular, known as Anemone, introduced me to a group where we used the AJATT method with a focus on visual novels. Through this community, I found friends who shared my passion for both learning Japanese and exploring Japanese media.

Some Random Tidbits

If you are interested in learning Japanese, the website Moeway offers an abundance of free tools and resources. I also learned a lot from renowned polyglot Steve Kaufmann, whose advice on language learning has been invaluable.

Here are a few Japanese words I find interesting:

- 木漏れ日 (komorebi): The dappled sunlight filtering through trees, a concept encapsulated in a single word.

- 魑魅魍魎 (chimimouryou): Meaning “evil spirits of rivers and mountains,” this word is an inside joke in my community for how dense it looks and sounds.

- 鬱 (utsu): The character for “depression,” which is also a bit of a joke because it is difficult to write by hand.

Final Thoughts

Learning Japanese has been a defining part of my life. Before, I was not sure what my true interests were. I pursued science in SSC and HSC because it was considered the best path, but I did not have a clear passion for it. Now, with Japanese, I have found a hobby and a sense of purpose. My goal is to achieve fluency, pass the N1 level exam, and work in translation or writing.

Finally, I would like to thank the international friends I have made along the way. Without their support, I would not be where I am today. I hope to visit them one day, using the skills I have gained to bridge the distance between us.

My journey in learning Japanese is ongoing, and I often share my progress privately. If you are interested in Japanese learning (or visual novels), feel free to reach out. I would love to connect with others who enjoy these interests as much as I do.