Fascinating language of one of the world's largest economy and the best path into an utterly refined an complex culture. Japanese is a very difficult language to read and write, but it is very rewarding and can be put to many cultural and professional uses.
Introduction :
Usefulness :
Many Japanese do not speak English at all, and those who do are often not all that fluent. This gives the foreigner who speaks Japanese immense advantage when dealing with the Japanese, both for business and tourism in Japan. The entry it provides in the sophisticated Japanese culture can be its own reward. All who visited Japan report a highly interesting country whose main default is high costs of travelling. Those who with to practice Japanese in the confort of their home can rely on a wealth of movies, books, mangas and websites (see below for more). Finally, if you work in the tourism industry, a command of Japanese is an invaluable asset when dealing with the large flow of Japanese tourists.
Chic factor :
Very high. Japanese is known as a complex and difficult language and if you master it - people will assume you are are smart. Furthermore, Japan is widely perceived as a highly refined civilization with some incredibly sophisticated cultural institutions. Speaking Japanese gives you extra patina from the mere association with this world of tea ceremonies, philosophical martial arts and refined foods.
Countries :
Spoken throughout the islands of Japan as well as small communities of expatriates in the US, Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan and Hawaii.
Speakers : 125 million
Economic importance :
Japan is the world's second largest economy and ships millions of high quality products all over the world, such as cars and electronics. The Japanese roam the world as investors and tourists. They are generally pleasant people to deal with and speaking their language is definitely a big asset if you deal with them in your job.
Travel :
Japan is one of the most fascinating countries on the planet and you could spend a lifetime exploring it. Japan has everything from snow covered mountains to sparkling beaches, heaving metropolises to quaint villages, all enjoyed with a unique alienness like nothing else on earth, and unbelievable hospitality from the locals.
Variations :
Quite pronounced throughout Japan due to the mountainous terrain of the country. Japanese people from opposite ends of the islands may not be able to converse with each other using their local dialects. All Japanese do know a standard language that is taught in schools and used in the media so whatever Japanese you learn, you will be understood throughout Japan. Comprehending a local dialect response however, will be altogether more difficult.
Culture :
Mastering Japan will open you the doors to a rich and rewarding culture.
The Japanese make tons of high quality movies in various genres.
Yakusa movies usually features Japanese gangster working in mafia organization and waging bloody gang wars with edged weapons.
Chambarra movies revolve around sword-wielding characters, usually masterless samurais ("Ronins") who roam the countryside like Western characters to redress wrondoings. There are many subgenres, some of which quite famous such as the "Baby Cart" and "Zatoichi" series.
Fantastic Japanese cinema produce many, many ghosts stories, some of which like "The Ring" or "The Grudge" where remade in Hollywood. If you like fear, there is no shortage of those for you to watch and practice your Japanese.
Mangas put off many Western adults but they are a serious thing in Japan and definitely worth of attention.
Japan is famous for highly original cultural institution such as fine cooking undertaken with religious precision, martial arts with a philosophical background such as Aikido, playing the game of Go or arranging stones, plants or cut flowers in arrangements that recall natural landscapes.
Don't instantly dismiss Japanese animation, comics and computer games, which are entirely different from their western counterparts and provide great insights into Japanese life as well as language practice. Japan's two national daily newspapers have the highest number of readers of any newspapers in the world. Japanese literature, particularly poetry, is well worth reading, though older texts can be difficult due to written language reforms. Japanese filmography is terrible in the extreme, music very hit and miss, and television usually incomprehensible.
