Japanese Studies Personal Statement Examples

A one-day introductory Japanese course as part of my school's Gifted and Talented programme was where I began. I came away intrigued and determined to find out more about this truly unique country and its customs...
Japanese language and culture captivated me when my interest was sparked by exposure to manga and anime. That interest has become a deep fascination, motivating my study of all things Japanese for several years now...
My initial contact with Japanese came through literature. When I first read the short stories of Ryunosuke Akutagawa I was moved, since even when translated, the picture of Japanese society was remarkable in its richness and diversity...
Trying to find your own path in life is not an easy feat. Looking back, I can say that I have unconsciously found mine in the 5th grade. Although it may seem atypical, I discovered my attraction to the East-Asian world by chance, when I stumbled across an episode from the Japanese “anime Inuyasha”, which intrigued me and motivated me to delve further into that unknown territory...
England and Japan are two immensely contrasting worlds: this distinctiveness is why the undeniable magic of Japanese culture has always attracted me to study its oriental societies and traditions. I have been enthralled by the Japanese language since I was a young teenager; reading 'Japanese for Busy People' at school and trying to note down homework reminders in Kanji, anything to incorporate Japanese into my daily life...
Since primary school I have loved the idea of gaining fluency in other languages, which open up other parts of the world to me and are a gateway to new takes on events and ways of thinking. One recent example is the Brexit debate and decision which I followed through English-speaking news sources such as The Telegraph, as well as Deutsche Welle and Tagesschau...
I am applying to study Japanese as I aspire to become as close to fluent in Japanese as possible, and develop a sophisticated understanding of Japanese culture. My interest in Japan began with anime, which I began watching aged 12...
Two months ago, my family was approached by a Japanese tourist. Aware that I knew Japanese, my uncle got me to interpret and when I spoke in the language, the tourist smiled. I was thrilled to be able to speak Japanese outside of a study setting and we ended up exchanging addresses...
My initial interest in the Japanese language began with a fascination for the kanji. At the time, whilst holding scarce knowledge about the language, I found myself attracted to this completely alien writing system which looked like an art form...
Through Japanese animation and manga, I found that the language resembles a puzzle. It is constructed of three scripts, all with epochal influences. This occurs most noticeably in Kanji with the adoption of the same characters and meanings as Chinese, my first language, all the while having different pronunciations...