The Japanese influence has been strongly felt in recent years not only because of their useful, unique, reliable and high tech products and inventions, but also because of their pop culture, such as the anime and manga. Their delicious cuisine has attracted a huge following all over the world. Furthermore, their economy has grown so strong that it has become the second largest in the world, next only to the United States. Considering how small Japan is, how limited its resources are and how they suffered and were broken during the Second World War 65 years ago, it is amazing how they have recovered and prospered in such short time. Maybe this is because of Japan's discipline, work ethics and values.

These facts are good reasons to learn the Japanese language to be able to know and have a better understanding of their culture, values and beliefs. One can never really understand another if they do not speak the same tongue. If these do not appeal enough to you, the following may let you see how learning Japanese can be an advantage.

· Knowing how to speak Japanese is beneficial to business and career.

As mentioned, Japan has one of the largest and strongest economies in the world. Many Japanese companies have spread their offices around the world. You may discover that many of your friends, colleagues and family may be working for Japanese firms. Knowing the Japanese language will open up new opportunities for work, as Japanese executives appreciate it if you speak and understand their language. Furthermore, you will come to have a better understanding, tolerance and admiration of the Japanese work ethics and business etiquette when you know their tongue.

If you do not work for a Japanese company, but a competitor instead, you will gain more confidence when dealing with your business adversary. You will also gain more respect from them. Whether you are in manufacturing, engineering, business, research or politics, speaking Japanese will give you an edge.

· Being able to speak the Japanese language will make a visit to Japan better.

If you have any plans or aspirations to pay Japan a visit in the future, now is the right time to learn the nation's language. If you know how to speak to the locals in their own tongue, your stay there would be easier and more enjoyable. Imagine yourself skiing their snowy slopes or basking in the beauty of their cherry blossoms in spring while sharing your thoughts to the locals in Japanese. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

· The Japanese language is not as difficult as you perceive.

Though it's a fact that their writing system is really complex with 3 different scripts, you can survive just knowing some basic Katakana and Hiragana characters. Likewise, Japanese grammar is simpler than English or other European languages. So when you get past the difference in syntax, learning Japanese is easy.

Japanese is a great language to learn. It will set you apart from many others as Japanese is not a common second language in the US or Europe.

Daniel C Howard is a language teacher living in Asia. He has over a decade of experience teaching all ages a variety of subjects. For free info and lessons on Japanese, please visit his blog here.

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