Asher Ramras, a former student of Japanese language who now works an Assistant Language Teacher with the JET program, talks about the challenges of learning Japanese


I started studying Japanese because I believe in attainable yet challenging goals. I lived and breathed new endeavors in my first year of high school. I can say with full confidence, however, that stepping out of my Romance-language-based comfort zone and into my ninth-grade Japanese class was the newest and most testing thing I would try that year. I soon realized that Japanese, the path of language study that I took on with full force, could open up numerous doors to historical and anthropological knowledge, current events, gastronomy, and travel. I had never encountered such an exciting challenge until I started studying Japanese.

Studying Japan has allowed me to experience what I believe to be some of the most important concepts of human existence: communication and connection. My journey of Japanese learning has lead to an enriched study of a wide range of other subjects, successful traveling, and invaluable friendships. For example, I have had discussions about Korean cinema studies with Japanese exchange students and have served Japanese tourists who were worried that they couldn’t place an order at Three Girl’s Bakery in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Also, I had the immense honor of receiving the Emperor and Empress of Japan at the University of British Columbia this past summer, an experience I will treasure forever.

I feel truly indebted to my first Japanese teacher, Tashibu Taeko Sensei, for her patience, persistence, passion and guidance. If it had not been for Sensei I would not have been able to reap the benefits of the conversations and human connections that I have as a result of studying Japanese.

I would like those who are thinking about studying Japanese to know that Japanese language study is a very deep subject: as you study Japanese you become an artist, with every stroke of every kanji character you learn; when you learn hiragana, you are tapping into the origins of Japanese poetry and verse; and with the profound wealth of expressions unique to the Japanese language one is also able to become familiar with the history and inner-workings of ancient and modern Japanese society. With this in mind it should become apparent that when you choose to take on the challenge of studying Japanese there is also an inherent commitment to gain a wider historical, cultural and aesthetic perspective throughout your course of learning. The Japanese language is the only one of its kind in the world. Studying Japanese is a one-of-a-kind experience and a highly respected commitment to learning.

(February 2010)