One thing I like about learning a foreign language like Japanese is the way it helps you to learn how your own brain works. If you’re like me, you might find that Japanese words are hard to memorize the first time you encounter them. Names can be especially hard — back in college I had a male Japanese friend who was named Yoshinari, but to this day I’m not sure if it was Yoshinori or Yoshitsune or Yoshihide. It may sound a bit counter-intuitive, but one way to make Japanese names easier to remember is to learn them in kanji. When you know that the name of Fuyutsuki from Evangelion means “winter moon,” memorizing that name only takes two “bytes” in your brain, rather than nine for the name if stored in the Roman alphabet. The more synaptic “hooks” you create, the easier it is to memorize new words and concepts, so it gets easier the more you learn. Whether you want to learn the basics of Japanese — hiragana and katakana, and maybe some elementary kanji — or are ready to start a more serious program of study, J-List always has great Japanese study aids in stock for you. Click here to view all our study products, or here to see the top 50 study-related items.
Fuyutsuki or 冬月, which is easier to remember?
