Reading Japanese

Today I want to discuss the importance of reading in Japanese.

I have a language professor who is fond of emphasizing the importance of reading Japanese. Hardly a class goes by where he does not state that, "If you can learn to read Japanese and exercise that skill often, you will never forget this language."

Reading in general, regardless of the language, helps create lasting neurological connections in your brain. In Japanese, reading is a fantastic way to learn new words and Kanji. Really, I'm convinced that it is the only way to learn the language. Obviously, you do not want to neglect the spoken language, but to internalize Japanese, you need to do your time and grind through sentences, paragraphs, pages, and books of unfamiliar words and characters.

That's Japanese, a grind. No shortcut or detour is an adequate substitute for hours of reading and forcing your brain to internalize it. Find a book or short story that is at your level and get to work!