Hello everyone.

Thank you Nicolas san for creating a wonderful website for all learners of Japanese language. This website has the most comprehensive list of Kanji that you can use to prepare for Japanese language proficiency exam.

Since this is my first time posting here, I would like to briefly summarize my background. I am originally from Japan, and initially moved to Southern California to go to college after finishing high school. I have lived here for over 10 years (long time, I know!), have been tutoring Japanese on a part-time basis for eight years.

I’ve met many people who are truly fascinated by Japanese language, history and culture here in Southern California. Japanese is definitely one of the most popular languages as you can also find countless Japanese language websites. People in America learn Japanese for both personal enrichment and career advancement. There are two reasons my student almost always give me when I ask them why they are learning Japanese.

Japan is one of the most advanced countries in the world. Companies such as Panasonics, Honda, Toyota, Toshiba are all from Japan, and their products are used by millions of people around the world. There are many other Japanese companies successfully exporting their products to the international market. As Japanese companies continue to grow in global market, you are more likely to work with Japanese people. Naturally fluency in Japanese language makes you more competitive in the job market. The US economy has been stagnant, so some of my students are looking into applying for English teacher positions in Japan.

There is another obvious reason, which makes Japanese a popular foreign language. Japanese has a long history and its fantastically rich culture has been admired worldwide. Sushi is actually very popular in where I live. I was shocked to see people eating raw fish when I first moved here. There are many Japanese restaurants and grocery stores here, so people are introduced to fascinatingly unique Japanese culture in our daily lives in Southern California.

I can come up with many other reasons that make Japanese language and culture special, but I am going to end here. I am looking forward to posting more articles about Japanese language and culture! Thanks for reading.:>

Please share with us why you are learning Japanese in the comment section below!

About the Author

Hi My name is Yumi! I am originally from Japan and have lived in Southern California for many years. I have been tutoring my native language on a part-time basis. I look forward to contributing articles about Japanese language and culture. If you have any questions, please feel free to write me. 🙂

Yumi is the owner of the Yumi to Lesson website which helps students to learn Japanese (http://www.yumitolesson.com/)