My choice to learn Japanese is not really an original one as it all began with anime… but I don’t think I have been this passionate about learning a language by myself.

I explained in my post about the Russian language how hard it can be to practice a language when you don’t have an easy access to resources, such as films or series. It is a good way to improve the oral comprehension (and even the written comprehension if there are subtitles) rather than listening to CDs, as the speed and the way to speak are closer to reality.

The fact that anime and Japanese films are available on Netflix is a good way to familiarise with the culture and the language.  It is a good start to get used to the sonorities, or to discover traditions and customs for example. That is how I started learning basic words and concepts that introduced me to the Japanese language.

Then again, it is also a fun way to start revising the vocabulary you learned. It is such a satisfactory feeling when you finally catch a word (or better, a sentence) that you didn’t even know the day before. As learning a language can be difficult and challenging, this little successes are a way to remember that you progress a bit more each day, so keep going!​

I actually don’t know where I will go with this… I did challenge myself by learning Japanese and I will do my best to at least reach a point where I can read, speak and understand basic words and sentences so I don’t get lost if I visit Japan… (yes, that is now on my travel list). I’ll keep you updated!

– The Fiery Heart

What does Japanese sound like?

If you want to listen to some Japanese music, here are some ideas:

“Umi no koe” [海の声] – Kenta Kiritani

“Happy end” [ハッピーエンド] – Black Number (+ cover by 粉ミルク)

“Lemon” – Kenshi Yonezu (+ cover by Kobasolo)

And of course, anime openings (there are really good ones!):

“Sparkle” [スパークル] – Radwimps

“Itsumo nando demo” [いつも何度でも] – Yumi Kimura

“Mata kimi ni aeru hi” [また君に会える日] – Shion Miyawaki

“Kisetsu wa tsugitsugi shindeiku” [季節は次々死んでいく] – Amazarachi

“Long Hope Philia” – Masaki Suda

“Kaze No Uta” [風ノ唄] – FLOW