Learn Japanese for more than just anime.

Don’t get me wrong, learning Japanese so you can watch anime is a great reason to learn. I only have anecdotal evidence, but I’m sure it might be the number one reason people start learning Japanese. I posit, however, that you will miss out on a lot if you solely learn for just anime.

The obvious other things you can do once you get a grasp of Japanese is read manga, Japanese comic books, and play a plethora of Japanese games in their native Japanese, without subs or dubs. Of course, getting to a level where you can turn off subs and forego the English translation of the hot Japanese game you downloaded or bought for your PS4 isn’t something that’s easy to do, despite what any one of the self-acclaimed language gurus teach you.

So what else is there when learning Japanese?

If you are young, there is literally everything. I mean young enough to still be in school. Starting at this age means you can become fluent as you jump into adulthood, or at least before your 30s. And over the 25 years I’ve taught Japanese, I’ve seen many Japanese language students just like you marry a Japanese woman, and occasionally a Japanese man, although not as common. I myself have been married to an amazing Japanese woman for nearly 28 years, and I only rarely watch anime.

Okay, so maybe marriage isn’t something you’re interested in now or forever, or you’re already married. Another amazing benefit of speaking Japanese is Japanese friends. It only takes one cool Japanese person to really make Japanese learning a million times more exciting. Heck, maybe you can even watch anime together with a watch party, or just stream it on Discord or whatever’s popular these days. Then when you are confused, they can help you.

Japanese food, Japanese culture, Japanese music, or literally anything you love in English or your native language, you can find in Japanese. If you are a fan of a particular game, then you can find Japanese people streaming it. If you are into photography or want to learn, then find some Japanese people that teach it and subscribe. If you add Japanese to your life in bigger ways than just passive watching of anime, you will be living Japanese instead of observing it.

One final thing. YouTube and TikTok are filled with Japanese people. TikTok for me personally has been an amazingly fun escape with the language I love, Korean. I follow couples that play pranks on each other, Korean people that rescue cats, and, as creepy as it sounds to some, if I find a TikToker that is speaking at length in a live video before I go to bed, I will stream them until I fall asleep, the entire time hearing natural Korean and sharpening my natural listening skills. Just avoid the people whose only goal is to get presents or get you to subscribe to their Instagram, and you’ll have a blast.

So keep watching anime, but learn Japanese for more than just anime. Learn it for life.