Ever since 2020, I’ve been deeply interested in Japanese culture, language, and technology.

Like many people, it started with anime and manga. At first it was just curiosity — watching shows, reading manga, listening to Japanese songs, and noticing how different the culture felt compared to what I was used to.

But over time, that interest slowly expanded into something much bigger.

More Than Just Anime

What initially attracted me was entertainment, but what kept me interested was everything beyond it.

I started exploring:

  • Japanese culture and traditions
  • the language itself
  • technology and innovation in Japan
  • work culture and education
  • advancements in robotics and AI

The more I learned, the more I started thinking:

“What if I actually go to Japan someday?”

At first, it was just a random thought.

Now it has become an actual goal.

The Biggest Barrier: Language

There’s one major entry point to Japan that cannot really be avoided:

The Japanese language.

Coming from a background of Hindi and English, Japanese felt completely different.

Not just the speaking style, but also:

  • sentence structure
  • grammar
  • politeness levels
  • kanji
  • hiragana and katakana
  • the overall way thoughts are expressed

At first it looked overwhelming.

Then it became interesting.

And eventually, it became something I genuinely wanted to learn seriously.

Funny Enough, College Helped

I was already planning to study Japanese on my own or join classes at some point.

Then something unexpected happened.

Japanese became available as an elective in college.

So naturally, I chose it.

And honestly, that decision helped me a lot.

It gave me:

  • a proper foundation
  • structured learning
  • consistency
  • motivation to practice regularly

Instead of learning randomly, I finally had a system.

My Current Goals

Right now, I have two major goals:

1. Score an A+ in Japanese in college

and

2. Clear the JLPT N5 with a good score

The long-term goal is even bigger:

  • getting placed in Japan
  • or pursuing my Master’s degree there

Why Japan Specifically?

One of the biggest reasons is technology.

Japan has always been at the forefront of innovation, especially in:

  • robotics
  • automation
  • embedded systems
  • intelligent hardware
  • AI integrated with edge systems

And honestly, that’s one of the areas I’m most interested in as a Computer Science student.

The idea of studying and working in an environment where advanced AI systems interact with real-world hardware is something I find genuinely exciting.

Final Thoughts

Learning Japanese is not just about learning another language for me anymore.

It feels like:

  • a long-term investment
  • a challenge
  • a gateway to opportunities
  • and a way to connect with a country I’ve admired for years

Right now, I’m still at the beginning of the journey.

But hopefully, one day:

日本へ行きます。

日本 - にほん (Nihon) - Japan
へ - え (pronounced “e”) - to
行きます  - いきます (ikimasu) - go

“I will go to Japan.”