Hmmn... has been talking about his renewed verve to study Japanese. I learned Japanese there as a kid, I've learned Mandarin since, and studied many other languages as well. So why did I learn Japanese there, while others I know have lived there 17 years and only know how to say "ikura desu ka?" Many reasons, beginning with desire, social contacts, openness, and optimism. As a kid you don't know it's hard... :)

I was 10 years old. Before we moved there, my parents bought some books and we tried to learn some Japanese as a family around the dinner table. Needless to say, we didn't learn crap. ;) My next memory is walking around a supermarket in Tokyo with the daughter of my parents' expat friends (Maya Ravindranath). We got a sample from one of the little tables, and I asked her how to say it's good. She told me to reply "oishii."

But my first real sentence in Japanese was this: "Hyaku-en kashite..." This was the basis for my entire knowledge of the Japanese language. I don't know how it went exactly, but the other kids in my school (Nishimachi) always went to the corner store to get candy & snacks after school... They were always borrowing money from each other, so I picked this up and just started saying it in Japanese whenever I needed to borrow money... Soon this progressed to "Keshi kashite..." and "Empitsu kashite..." It was really very simple for my mind to absorb these quick phrases.

By this time, I was learning a bunch of nouns and some basic verbs in class. Basic school things, parts of the body, etc. I also got to know the train stations and some other words like ofuro and foods and stuff. But the key was that everything I learned, I turned right around and said to my friends. Even if I was speaking English, I usually used all the nouns I had learned in Japanese if I could. Why? Because all of them made fun of me for not understanding what they were talking about. We were in 5th grade, so of course they all thought it was hilarious to call me stupid in Japanese right in front of me... Here's how I think it usually went:

Hey, man... You're soooo baka. <all laugh> What? Omae baka dayo... Cho~baka...! <more laughs> What does baka mean??

So finally, I would get real pissed and turn to whoever seemed most likely to reply, usually my friend Tetsu, and ask what the hell they were saying. After about the 3rd time, he would let me in on it, and I never forgot a word learned like that!

So here's my basic theory on learning Japanese:

First, in the beginning, keep it simple. I don't mean "kore wa pen desu"... I mean "hyaku-en kashite..." You have to know the simple simple sentences you can use every day. And, you have to actually use them whenever you come to that situation. It doesn't matter if you're speaking English! Just insert Japanese words and phrases. Switch back and forth... Just start using it whenever you can.

Second, try to act, sound, and think Japanese. Forget everything, because YOU ARE NOW JAPANESE! You are a freaky albino Japanese, but that's it. Imagine that you're some weird gaijin that grew up there (I knew some), so you have just as much right to speak it as everyone else, even if they shun or don't accept you... You must pronounce everything exactly like they do, with the same facial expressions, mannerisms, everything... This is how you get it right. And don't worry if your mouth betrays you in the beginning — just say things more slowly, but make sure it sounds as absolutely correct as you can make it. Take time to make sure you pronounce aiueo and rarirurero exactly like they do... If you do it well enough, your English will start to sound weird too.

Third, when you encounter something in the grammar or idiom that confuses you, grill someone about it until you understand, then use it. If they can't explain, you need to ask for examples. When do you use it? In what situations? If you can't understand it, in my opinion it's probably just one of those things that people get used to using in a certain way, and that's all there is to it. Just use it in the same way, and eventually it will just sound right... ;) Your amazing brain will eventually just get it, so don't stress over those bits, just use them the way they do...

Fourth, watch Japanese TV and try to catch whatever you can, even though it'll suck. Try to make out characters and words on the screen as well. When you get tired, just close your eyes and rest with the TV still on... Limit your English TV viewing to once every week or two. Try to spend significant amounts of time (at least 2-3 hours) just bathing in Japanese language, with absolutely no English to be heard...

And for the first 5 years or so, that's just about it. :) Learning reading and writing are really almost a separate thing in my opinion. You'll be doing it at the same time, but I think that in terms of learning to speak fluently, the above points are absolutely the most important...

I have a lot of opinions about this, so please ask me if you're someone trying to learn and you have questions or get stuck somewhere... I'd always be glad to help! :)