Why did you choose to learn Japanese?

[lllllllllllllllllllllllll]

I wanted to learn Nihongo because I like watching Japanese anime, variety shows, films and dramas, but I just never got the motivation to do so, probably because of the fact that fansubs are always there to do the translation for me.  :grin: But the past few months the fansub group doing the translation of the variety shows I watch is kinda slow and the episodes are already piling up, and I realized that I can't keep relying on fansubs to do the translation forever and now is the time for me to learn the language. Kinda silly reason to learn a language, isn't it? 

[jptrey06]

Just to play games that hasnt been translated yet. Im a big fan of Japanese games and bunch of new stuff from my favorite series looks like they arent going anywhere outside Japan. That will leave me with two options to work with: either wait for a fan translation (It takes more than a year to finish translating a game) or learn how to read japanese. The latter looks like my best option because im not even sure if those people are actually willing to translate those games.

[Baburra]

Like you, I just started by getting interested in their culture, especially their TV shows and I just want to understand them without the need for subtitles because I feel like a good amount of the tone and meaning tends to get lost in translation. Also, I want to travel there someday and by then I hope to have learned their language enough that I can communicate with the people there without much fumbling around as I don't think many people there speak English.

[apexa1]

I've always liked the look of katakana so when I saw it was available as a class in highschool I decided to take the class. One of the best decisions of my life.

[Litnax]

It started back in my Uni days. I needed an extra credit for the semester; it was either Japanese or German. Being an anime lover, the choice was obvious - Japanese. I had a great, fun sensei for the 1st semester, but the second sensei was a bit of a 'textbook' kind of person. My ultimate goal is to be able to watch Japanese anime or drama shows without the subs, although this is quite farfetched at this moment. Learning any new languages without being able to apply them in conversation or whatnot is not practical at all for me.

[Diprotodon]

My main area of specialization in college was horror, and I particularly like studying gothic/horror genres in cultures other than my own and exploring common themes. Spain and Japan have consistently produced work in the genre that I find really interesting and compelling, but the genre itself is not really popular enough to get consistently translated into English -- and I don't always trust that English translations appropriately get all of the subtleties across that I'm interested in studying.

I've gotten to the point in Spanish that I can read a novel, watch a movie, etc. (though I still struggle to have very complicated conversations because I second-guess my own knowledge a lot). I'd like to get to the same point in Japanese.

I'll be going to get my MA in literature soon, and after that hopefully going after my Ph. D and I'd like to be at that point by the time the latter comes around so I can carry out my own research thoroughly.

[OddVisions]

I chose to learn Japanese because it's one of the great many languages I just love to know. However, unlike many of these other languages, Japanese is one that's always around me. It's a language I am honestly easily able to immerse myself in. I think that's one of the many reasons I learned it but it is one of the main reasons.

[xShimusx]

Honestly, their culture intrigued me. Then I dove into anime and I've become an otaku. I can't even lie or hide it. I started to play fully Japanese beta games that would have no translated patches. I started to understand what symbols meant what and after years of anime I could understand the base spoken form of Japanese. I wouldn't say I could right it, but I can read Romaji just fine.

I think it's a lovely language, and very very complex. There are so many ways to say different things with the same words. I won't say English is different, but Japanese has so many layers with Hirogana and Katakanathat Romaji is the easiest way for me to understand it. Calligraphy is something else, as well. Their brush strokes are art in and of themselves.

[OddVisions]

Well, like a lot of people, it started with anime and manga. However, when I started to develop in different languages, it became apparent that I wanted to learn Japanese as well as other cultures to be more connected with the world as whole. I like to think the ability to understand one another might make the world a bit more peaceful.

[tsuenwan]

I'm from Hong Kong and the local sentiment towards Japan is so strong - Japanese restaurants are everywhere, and so is the music, fashion style... since I've always been around the culture for so long and I have a few Japanese friends I've been really motivated to learn the language well.

[AExAVF]

At first, I wanted to learn Nihongo because I am an anime fan.  However, my reasons have already evolved.  I am studying Nihongo because I have always been intrigued by the workaholic nature of the Japanese.  Even before I wanted to study the language, I have been already exposed to watching Japanese channels on cable television such as NHK and WOWOW.  In addition, NHK World shows 2-minute segments on the language.

[Hybridlullaby]

I have always loved Anime and Japanese culture, but I recently saw a few anime that are continued in games. I have been spoiled by the subtitles, but there are a lot of games and shows that just never got translated that I would love to play or be a part of. I want to learn so that I can play them and be able to visit Japan without a lot of difficulties.

[zurcminister]

I am not a speaker, but I am curious because I have a lot of friends in Japan.  What motivated those of you on this forum who speak Japanese to start learning the language? Was it hard at first? Why do you keep studying it?

Well I am just amazed by how the language is spoken and I absolutely love the culture and the whole of Japan so I have decided to go to Japan but before actually going there, I must learn the language to be able to experience Japan and its culture and enjoy it there. I am also amazed and a great fan of Japanese anime and movies and so I also sought to understand the things spoken in the shows I am watching. Another option is to learn the language and maybe get a job in there in the future because of the economic implications of doing so Japan being one of the most progressive countries in the world. Good luck to all of us and more power to all of us as well.