Four Weeks Into Japanese Class

 I just finished the 4th week of my Japanese class, and it has been an incredibly enjoyable experience. We have learned many different things, such as greetings, the number tree, how to introduce ourselves to others, the form of Japanese language known as hiragana, and much more. Hiragana has been a bit of a challenge, but I am slowly getting better. This class has been a fulfilling experience, and I have really enjoyed it. 

Sukiyaki Review

I looked up the most streamed Japanese songs on spotify, and one of the highest streamed songs was Sukiyaki, by Kyu Sakamoto. It was first released in Japan in 1961 before being released in the US in 1963. It is a very calm and peaceful song with slow vocals and soothing instrumentals. There is also whistling in the background which I found very cool. The song is about finding hope in times of trouble, which was especially relevant to Japan during that time with the tragic post-war experience occurring in the country at that time. While the music is calm, the lyrics are rather sad. Overall, this song was very impactful in both Japan and the United States

My Thoughts on Totoro

When I was growing up, my grandmother, who is from Japan, always liked showing me different Japanese films. She showed me many different ones, but my favorite was always My Neighbor Totoro. It is an incredibly entertaining film and we watched it many many times. I went back and rewatched some of it with subtitles, and it was felt like a return to childhood for me. I hadn't watched the film in a long time, but I really enjoyed it and also felt more of an appreciation for the lessons it teaches about being kind to your family and the importance of nature. I have learned through my exploration of Japanese culture that nature is incredibly important in Japan, and I think that is very cool. Overall, I really enjoyed rewatching the film and felt that it was not only entertaining, but also communicated a very cool message. 

Why I chose to learn Japanese

I am an arts and letters major, which means that I have to take a language. I chose to learn Japanese because I am 25% Japanese but I have never really taken the time to study the language thoroughly. I visited Japan last summer, and it was my 3rd time being there but my first since 2018. I really struggled to communicate with others while I was there, and I feel that my experience in Japan would have been much better had I known the language more. I am very excited for the class, most specifically learning how to read hiragana and katakana so I don't have to rely on english translations. I am also excited to learn about study abroad opportunities in Japan as I am very interested in studying abroad over the summer. Overall, I'm very excited for this class and the opportunity to develop skills with the Japanese language.