Why learn Japanese

[Lupe]

I see that many people on this forum are into Japanese language. I don't have too much of an interest in it, but I would be interested to know how you can make money from it?

Is their bigger demand for Japanese speakers? or is it just because Japan is popular that Japanese language is popular?

[Jarrod]

I just started learning Japanese a few months ago. Why?

Actually I couldn't tell you for sure. I've been finding over the last few years I've been doing more and more things involving japanese. Japanese martial arts, japanese entertainment, japanese movies, japanese history, japanese culture (I think bowing over hand shakes rules).

So learning the language just feels like a natural progression for me.

But I'd say I'm probably an exception to the rule.

Oh and btw, learning a language seems to be ridiculously hard and I'm enjoying the challenge.

[abcZen]

I think a lot of people are interested in the culture (anime etc) and how different life is over there to anywhere else.

I have no interest to learn it personally though

[Brutha]

I think that a lot of people like Japanese culture. If you want to learn a language for economic reasons Mandarin is probably the better language.

[Xanafax]

I do like anime, and the names they have are so much better than ours, plus the traditional honour system is quite cool.

[Victor Vikingr]

My reasons are simple: it's a beautiful language, an interesting culture, and it's incredibly fun to learn a language in the first place.

[straysweeper]

I've been watching a lot of subtitles lately, and have had a strong desires to get the Rosetta Stone lately.

[EnduranceNinja]

For me I went to Japan and before I met my wife I really considered teaching English in Japan. You can make great money teaching English to the Japanese. That was many many years ago. I too want to relearn Japanese just because I still watch anime and Japanese horror films. After learning Japanese I think I want to learn Chinese next. Many people can make money if they are fluent in a language. Even my city we have a school for Japanese students that always needs help that know Japanese.

[NickHaslem]

One of my best friends and business partners just went over to Japan to teach English. He is loving it and having an awesome time. The people are really kind from what I have heard.

Maybe a lot of people are beginning to learn the language for this reason, and as others have said already, because they enjoy the culture and history.

Nick

[Cyllya]

My original reason was video games. My favorite series is developed in Japan, and only a small fraction of its games are ever released in English. Furthermore, video game translations are often a bit shoddy, and even in the case of perfect translations, something is always lost.

Now I'm a(n aspiring) game developer, trying to make the kinds of games that are popular over there, so I think I can expand my market base if I can make Japanese versions of the games.

[runningbird]

I think Alan Watts said that the English subjective-predicate structure makes us think that there is always a "doer" in front of the "doing". We always say "it is raining", but what is "it"? But in Japanese supposedly you can just say "rains". He claims this may be why westerners are in a more dual state of consciousness (self as separate from environment) while easterners are more in nondual (one hand clapping).

Can anyone who knows the language comment on this?

[newmark]

Originally Posted by Lupe

I see that many people on this forum are into Japanese language. I don't have too much of an interest in it, but I would be interested to know how you can make money from it?

Is their bigger demand for Japanese speakers? or is it just because Japan is popular that Japanese language is popular?

Why not learn Japanese? Learning a language is a wonderful thing to do.

[Kindred]

My strongest motivation learning Japanese has been for the growth experience of living in and understanding a different culture. However, once I get my bachelor degree in computer science, I want to work for a few years in Japan because the job offers there for foreigners are much better than the ones here in Canada. Not only that, but it makes my goal to experience the employee experience much more interesting.

Although my choice didn't have to be Japanese, I also have interests in Korean, Chinese, French, and German culture, but that's unrelated to this thread.

[Still Growing]

I studied Japanese in college for 4 years and also lived in Japan for 4 years.

I agree with others that I think people are interested in the Japanese culture and that is why people want to learn the language. The culture is unique and has been somewhat preserved due to sankin kotai period from 1635 to 1862. In this period Japan was closed to the outside world. During this time traders dealt more with China and the rest of the world.

Japan did go through some periods with heavy and intense westernization for survival however somehow Japan has found its own unique way to preserve their culture and to form it to the modern world.

When I travel in Korea, China or Germany there are many more competent English speakers than in Japan. I find that although there are more Japanese who speak English than Westerners who speak Japanese.

Japan is truly a unique country in that they are the size of Californica roughly but they have the second largest economy in the world. The average income in Japan is also higher than the US or most European countries.

Living in Tokyo feels like you're living in the future.

You should ask instead why more people don't want to learn Japanese...