My Story
私の話 — The person behind the blog
Tyler
Software dev by day · Japanese learner by obsession
I'm a software developer who fell down the Japanese learning rabbit hole in January 2025. This blog is my public accountability journal — somewhere to document what's working, what isn't, and the fascinating things I discover along the way.
I have no particular talent for languages. I struggled with French in high school. But Japanese has something French never had for me: an entire universe of culture, media, and art that I desperately want to access in its original form.
The domain name is intentional. iamlearningjapanese.com — present tense, ongoing. This isn't about having learned. It's about the process of learning. The stumbles are part of the story.
Progress at a Glance
現在の進捗
My Learning Philosophy
学習哲学
Consistency over intensity
30 focused minutes every day beats a 3-hour session once a week. The Anki streak doesn't lie.
Enjoyment is non-negotiable
If I'm not having at least some fun, I'll quit. Finding media I actually love keeps me coming back.
Output early, output often
Writing broken Japanese is embarrassing. It's also how you get better. Waiting for perfection is a trap.
Culture is the context
Language and culture are inseparable. The more I understand Japanese society, the more the language makes sense.
My Toolbox
使っているツール