Naruto Action Figture.

You can study Japanese for many reasons. Japan has breathtaking landscapes, interesting people, a thriving economy, and an ancient culture. You will be hard pressed to pick your best reason, though this incomplete list will try to persuade you; and if it doesn’t, then perhaps a hop to Japan will persuade you. But first, the list.

Director Extraordinaire Akira Kurosawa

You have missed the art of extraordinary director Akira Kurosawa if you haven’t watched Throne of Blood, Seven Samurai, Dreams, and Ran. Any serious cinema buff need to watch these movies for their climactic scenes, gripping stories, beautiful landscapes, and the director’s attention to detail. Because these are all made in the director’s native language, you have to learn to speak Japanese in order to experience these movies’ timeless elegance.

Anime

You’ll likely think Japanese anime strange if you’re used to Disney and Pixar animations. The speech bubbles, over-the-top physical features, and onomatopoeic typography aside, it does possess engaging storylines and charming fantastical creatures. To enjoy the likes of Dragon Ball Z and Naruto, study Japanese.

The Japanese Art of Chindogu

Aside from origami, tea ceremony, and ikebana, Japan also boasts of chindogu. This is an art form of creating everyday items that result in humiliations, problems, and inconveniences, even with the noblest of intentions. As a matter of fact, these “unuseful” gadgets can be downright funny and ridiculous!

Do you need a hairguard to keep your hair away from your ramen? How about a hay fever hat – a tissue dispenser atop your head? These may actually be profitable, strangely enough. Study Japanese to speak to the inventors.

Japanese Cuisine

Japanese cuisine is a feast for the tastebuds, from wasabi to sushi. The presentation and preparation demand a perfectionist’s attention to detail and a lot of effort, although it seems very basic and simple on the surface. You must learn Japanese to quicken the learning process of how to cook like the Japanese. After all, you wish to study Japanese cooking, not bug your chef-mentor with incessant questions on what anko and umeshu are.

Japanese Street Fashion

If you want avant garde street fashion, then the place to go to is Japan. Even New York cannot rival the outlandish clothes young Japanese people wear on the streets of Tokyo! There are Lolitas, Kogals, Ganguros, and Bosozoku, to mention a few.

And if these reasons aren’t sufficient for you to study Japanese, go for the Japanese being the third largest Internet users, and Japan being the fastest rising economy in the world. You can benefit from Japan’s business opportunities.