Ogenki desuka?

So why Japanese?

People often chuckle when they hear that Z's foreign language is Japanese, like it is crazy or something. Maybe it is a little strange. But for our family it really works.

I took Spanish when I was in school and actually spoke it some because I had many native Spanish speaking friends. But what I really wanted to learn was Japanese. I tried some on my own in my early twenties but I didn't get too far. I was doing karate then and so I could count in Japanese and knew how to say certain things like "Round house kick" and "palm to the face." But those kind of phrases have very limited uses. ;)

I have also always been interested in Japanese anime (cartoons), I remember loving Speed Racer when I was only 4 or 5. Then I went onto Macross and other giant robot shows. In my late teens I started working for a comic book store and spent pretty much my whole minimun wage paycheck on comics and anime. I was amazed by Akira and loved Ranma 1/2.

It was this time that I was heavily into karate that I was reading The Book of Five Rings by Musashi and Bushido and some Chinese classics like Art of War. I did have some Chinese influence. I did some kung-fu and was a practicing Buddhist in my late teens and early twenties. And in karate we practiced some Zen buddhism.

I just fell in love with the Japanese culture and the Japanese state of mind. I know I idealized it but that is okay, I think it added a lot to my life and I enjoyed reading everything I could on the subject. I started collecting rare books on Japanese culture including anything by Lafcadio Hearn. My collection is small but I love the books that I have found.

When I had Z and started getting into educational theory I happened to find this amazing book on the Japanese educational system (from the 1980's) at my local library called The Japanese Educational Challenge. I loved this book and took many notes and re-read it about four times. I incorporated a lot of what I learned in that book into my homeschooling method, especially the idea of purity of and commitment to effort.

When Z was 3 1/2 we hosted our first foreign exchange student from Japan. He only stayed with us for two weeks, much too short a time. But in those two weeks I got to feel so close to him like he was my own son, and I was so proud of him. In my eyes he was definitely the best in his group - the sweetest, most respectful, and cutest. :) Z loved him so much.

Then over Christmas we had a wonderful girl stay with us, she is thinking of coming back to America to go to college here when she graduates from high school and I have invited her to stay with us.

Our spring break we had another girl and then the summer Z was 4 1/2 we had one more, a very sweet and pretty young girl who Z really bonded with.

Z is also very much into Japanese culture. She has taken shotokan karate and I have taught her some of my style. She loves Sailormoon and Ranma and anything by Miyazaki (we own all the Studio Ghibli DVDs) she also has her own manga collection and first started reading manga - like Sailor Moonand Fruits Basket. In fact she was reading these books from right to left before she was potty trained.

When many people think of Japan they think of the food, especially sushi. While I didn't have my fist sushi until I was 20, Z was eating it as soon as she started on soild food. On of her first books was My First Book of Sushi by Amy Wilson. I remember the funny looks we would get at the sushi bars when we would order our three year old some yellow tail or eel or her favorite tamago. Actually we still get looks because her new favorite is salmon roe (eggs).

My husband and I also like to cook lots of different ethnic food at home and Z has taken homemade bento box lunches to the park with her.

So given our background and love of martial arts, manga, anime, Japanese foods and our Japanese friends is it any wonder that Z would ask to learn Japanese?

We were just super lucky to find a teacher that would take us both. Domo arrigato K!