Why I chose to learn Japanese

Hello everyone! My name is Janet, and I am a senior at Columbia University majoring in East Asian Languages and Cultures. I chose to learn Japanese for several reasons. First, because I spent my first ten years in Korea, I am fluent in Korean. I heard that people who are fluent in Korean tend to have an easier time learning Japanese because Korean and Japanese share the same grammar structure, and many words tend to sound similar in Korean and in Japanese. So, I thought that since I like learning new languages, I might as well as begin to learn Japanese before graduating from college. Second, learning Japanese is also relevant to my major. I hope to continue learning Japanese and someday be able to read essays and articles in Japanese. Finally, I had an opportunity to travel to Japan this May, and after visiting many places in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka and making new friends in Japan, I grew more interested in learning about the history and culture of Japan, as well as learning about the cultural differences between the East Asian countries. As I experienced first-hand from learning Chinese, I find learning the language of the country of interest essential in understanding its history and culture more fully and deeply.