Ever thought of learning the Japanese language, but feeling intimidated by the challenge?
With so many new characters to learn and vocabulary to memorize, not to mention the complex grammar and the often fast-paced conversations, is it worth dedicating the time to pursue it?
Personally, as someone who has hesitated to take on the language for decades, entering Japanese enabled me to discover a world of possibilities. Who knows, it might do the same for you.
But what exactly can you get from learning Japanese? Especially as we see more and more people taking up the language from the East?
1. Japanese Culture Is Rich and Amazing
Almost everywhere in the world, you can witness the influence of Japanese culture whether you like it or not. From anime and manga to pop music and food, there’s no way you won’t notice it in your everyday life.
Now imagine if you knew Japanese – it will create a world of difference in your life. You start to appreciate your next visit to the sushi store. You can understand and feel the lyrics of Japanese songs. You will discover new things as you get exposed to Japanese culture.
Also, as you travel to Japan, your experience there will be multiple times more richer than if you hadn’t studied the language. Regardless of what level you end up with when you set foot on the country.
Of course, a richer experience is not a necessity when traveling to Japan. But some people value having the best experience in their travels and they want to make the most out of their stay. If you’re one of them, then you should at least consider studying some basic Japanese that you will use during the travel.
2. Japan Is Loaded with Career Opportunities
If you wish to stand out from the crowd, learning Japanese can open you up to career opportunities, such as working at a Japanese company, teaching English in Japan, and doing business with the Japanese.
Japanese is one of those uncommon languages that people learn, which creates a wonderful advantage for you. Speaking a language that’s hard to learn will make you in-demand at work and in various industries.
Not to mention, as a young and aspiring student with high ambitions, you can develop your edge by studying in Japan. The country is one of the best when it comes to education, which sets you up for a lucrative career.
Japan is excellent particularly when it comes to anything related to technology – AI, computers, automobiles, animation, as well as the application of technology to sectors such as agriculture and finance. You can therefore align your career towards any of these industries, combined with your proficiency of the language, to make yourself a precious asset in the eyes of prospects.
3. It Makes You Mentally Sharper and Healthier
As with any other languages, learning Japanese will exercise your brain and make it sharper. It has been proven to provide several cognitive benefits, such as improving your ability to multitask, developing a broader perspective, and even potentially increasing your IQ.
There also comes the satisfaction and confidence boost as a result of pursuing a foreign language and accomplishing your goals.
As a language learner myself, I’ve felt the cognitive benefits of language learning, particularly because of the challenges I constantly face and overcome. Although it’s frustrating at times to not understand some sentences during my study, they force my mind to think and figure out the answer.
4. Japanese Is Related to Several Languages
Being a tough language it is to learn, when you succeed with Japanese it will serve as a stepping stone to several languages.
Japanese is unique because it has features like the Subject-Object-Verb format, having three sets of alphabet (Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji), and several endings including honorifics.
By chance, I find these features to be present in other languages, such as Korean (SOV) and Mandarin Chinese (Kanji). If ever you step onto these languages later on, you can have a head start as they won’t be new anymore when you encounter them.
This is particularly beneficial if you like to collect languages (i.e. becoming a multlingual or polyglot). I remember being fascinated at first with Kanji, since they resemble Chinese characters. It led me to think that I could simultaneously learn Chinese since I will get exposed to these characters.
5. You Will Understand Japanese People More (And Make Friends)
Having cultural differences with the Japanese will become less of a problem as you pursue the Japanese language. You will have a broader view of why Japan, its culture, and people act the way they do.
Given this background knowledge, you may potentially find it easier to converse with natives as you can already understand what they’re saying. You in turn can then reply back because you’ll know the right words to utter.
This could lead to impressing Japanese people, as they actually appreciate you learning their language. You can then make new Japanese friends, which further makes your study more meaningful and worthwhile, which then feeds your confidence to keep going.
Want to Give Japanese a Shot?
Japanese can be a worthwhile language to learn despite its difficulties. Depending on your preferences and life circumstances, you may find the benefits outweighing the downsides (or vice versa).
Whether you find it appealing to consume Japanese content easier, or grow a fruitful career in Japanese industries, or simply to add one new Japanese friend, this should make you stop and consider.
Even better, if you find a combination of these to be exciting, that might already be a sign…
A sign to finally take on Japanese!
