I think I'm learning Japanese

I think I'm learning Japanese. I really think so. Yes tonight I'm going to nip on down to my local college and try out a Japanese for beginners course.

So why learn Japanese instead of say Spanish or French?

Well that's easy. Gojira, YMO, Samurai, Ninjas and Puffy AmiYumi don't come from Spain or France. These countries also don't have Bullet Trains, Mount Fuji, J-horror, Love Hotels or Panties in vending machines.

No contest.


A few years ago I made a short stopover in Tokyo whilst on the way to Australia. I thought it was an amazing place but felt so out of my depth. Everything was so confusing that I couldn't even figure out how to order a Big Mac! Anyhoo I'm keen to go back, so if I can learn even just a little bit of the language then it will help.


Hopefully I'll be able to pick up a few useful phrases. I will then try re-watching my Takashi Miike and Lone Wolf and Cub DVDs without subtitles. I could also get some additional insight from my Yukihiro Takahashi and Sketch Show CDs. Perhaps, most importantly of all, I might even be able to figure out what all those magazines with young girls on the cover are about.


Jonathan Woss's second series of Japanorama is currently screening on BBC 3. Good old Wossy can be a bit of a tit at times but he certainly knows his stuff and is no doubt a regular visitor to J-List - a site from which you can purchase the fine products pictured in this post.


For more Japanese games, anime, magazines, music and movies try play-asia

Enough, it's time to say sayonara with a bit of Puffy...

Boogie Woogie #5 - Puffy AmiYumi