Why I chose to study Japanese

Over the last few years while studying at Columbia, I have become increasingly interested in Asian cultures, primarily those of China, Japan, and India. I have always loved the food, music, and people of these regions but I was never formally immersed in any of the cultures otherwise. Last year was the first time I had ever been exposed to the world of anime, with a popular show called Death Note. This show opened up a whole new world of animated entertainment for me and I was hooked. So far, my favorite anime to date has been Haikyuu (ハイキュー!!）, a show about volleyball in Japan. The show actually got me to want to play volleyball for Columbia's men's team, which I am currently pursuing! Anyways, aside from delicious sushi, I have recently been very interested in Japanese culture and language. I think the spoken and written forms of Japanese are all beautiful and they are definitely a skill I wish to acquire in the next couple years or so. I have never been off the North American continent before, but I know that my first destination in Japan. I am hoping to take an intensive summer language course in Japan after I graduate this coming spring, and who knows what else lies beyond that!