Motivation

Ever since I was a child, I grew up watching anime shows with my two brothers. The highlight of my days used to be when we ate dinner and watch Dragon Ball, Yu- Yu Hakusho, and those other animes afterwards. I continued this interest through my primary and middle school years and read comics like Doraemon, Detective Conan, and One Piece, also watched a lot of anime. It was always interesting and appealing to me, the way Japanese illustrations were made and the creative stories that they tell.

In my later teenage years, I fell out of the habit of anime and manga due to my busy school schedule. I lost interest in the Japanese culture for a while, then my friend introduced me to Studio Ghibli. Then I fell in love once more with the creativity and values of the Japanese people. I also participated on a homestay exchange programme in Japan called Hippo Family where I stayed in the home of a Japanese family in Matsumoto, and joined a snow camp in Nagano. It was then where I truly felt great interest and admiration towards the Japanese culture, lifestyle, and art. I experienced how people are so kind, punctual, and cheerful in Japan. I got the chance to eat the delicious food, and walk around the temples. After those two weeks that I spent in Japan ended, I immediately wanted to come back.

This leads to why I want to study the language now. I want to go back to Japan, interact with the people there, and hopefully get the opportunity to live there for a while in the future.