Why the Japanese Nintendo 3DS Is an Amazing Device for Learning Japanese

Take willpower out of the equation and create an immersive environment that forces you to use Japanese at all costs

All photos by the author

In my ongoing (and perhaps never-ending) quest to achieve full Japanese literacy, I’ve developed a reputation for being a digital flash card addict. However, effective as they are, flash cards alone are not enough to become fully literate in Japanese (as friends and colleagues often remind me). Going beyond textbooks and immersing yourself in native Japanese content is also a critical part of the learning process. Attempting to consume relevant native material (books, movies, video games, etc.), creating and drilling custom flash cards, and then reattempting to consume the same native content is a virtuous cycle that promotes knowledge acquisition and keeps motivation levels high.

Last year, I spent most of my immersion time reading and attempting to read Japanese books. This was a rewarding experience; however, books are a static medium. When the difficulty level spikes, you have no choice but to brute-force your way through pages of intimidating content. Doing so is necessary for improvement, but it can also be demotivating if you’re strapped for time. This year, I realized that certain video games…