Why I Chose to Study Japanese

I am a foodie who loves all different kinds of cuisines, especially Asian cuisines. I love Japanese food the most among Asian cuisines, except that Chinese food is always my favorite among all cuisines. Sashimi and Yakiniku are my top choices when going to Japanese restaurants. (Bonus: if you like Yakiniku, I would highly recommend Takashi as the best go-to place for beef Yakiniku in New York and Torishin as the best for chicken Yakiniku.)

Besides Japanese food, I am also a big fan of Japanese cosmetic products from call brands such as SK II, Decorte, Pola and so on to unknown brands, including aesthetic products from Ya-Man to Exideal. 

I also watch a lot of Japanese movies and TV series. My favorite Japanese TV series in 2016 is 僕のヤバイ妻 (My Dangerous Wife). If you haven't seen it, have a try and you will probably fall in love with it. By the way, Yoshino Kimura (木村佳乃) who cast Maria Mochizuki in the series is my favorite Japanese actress.

Although I neither read Japanese comic books nor play video games, I actually grew up with a bunch of Japanese anime and cartoons. Just to name a few: Crayon Shin-Chan, Doraemon, Chibi Maruko Chan, Detective Conan, 5 Centimeters Per Second, Slam Dunk, Gin Tama, Naruto, Digimon Adventure, Death Note, Sailor Moon, Dragan Ball Z, Astro Boy, Dragon Quest, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Even now I still watch Crayon Shin-Chan, Doraemon, Chibi Maruko Chan, Detective Conan and 5 Centimeters Per Second lol.

Japanese music is also adorable. In addition, I am also very interested in Japanese literature especially those with the themes of eroticism, horror, crime, mortality, love, humanity, and nature of life. My favorite Japanese writer is Keigo Higashino (東野 圭吾).

All in all, these are why I chose to study Japanese --- because I love so many different parts of Japanese culture and I want to gain a better understanding of everything related to Japan that I have a passion for right now. 

Regarding the first four weeks, the largest difficulty for me is to catch up with the pace because I started to take the class from nearly the end of the second week. 

がんばってください！