Why I Want to Study Japanese

When I was three days old, I was abandoned on the steps of a hospital in south China. A year later, my American parents adopted me. The orphanage workers told them that I was probably half-Japanese, which is how I have always identified ethnically. In high school, I studied a lot of languages, including French, Spanish, German, Russian, and also Japanese. However, when I came to Columbia I did not have room for Japanese in my schedule, so I studied Ancient Greek instead. Now that I am a sophomore, I would like to pick up the language again - but I have forgotten how to read most kanji so I started at the beginner level.

I am really excited to learn Japanese because I like a lot of Japanese literature. Some of my favorite Japanese authors include: Haruki Murakami, Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, Kobo Abe, Ryuunosuke Akutagawa, and Yukio Mishima. I also like Japanese poetry and older Japanese books like The Pillow Book and The Tale of Genji. My favorite Japanese novel is Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami.

I enjoy watching Japanese films, especially those of Hayao Miyazaki and Akira Kurosawa. When I was younger I watched a lot of anime and read a lot of manga, but now I prefer to read novels. I write a lot of poetry, so I also read poets like Matsuo Bashou.

Because I am half-Chinese, I am interested in Sino-Japanese history and general Asian history, as well as the history of women's rights in Japan.

What I find most challenging about Japanese is the writing system, specifically kanji. This year, I'm excited to meet new friends in Japanese class and be exposed to Japanese culture. I have always identified as Japanese but I have never been able to speak and read Japanese fluently. I hope I can learn a lot more Japanese this year! :)