Genki I File

The first time you open it, the page is a forest of squiggles. Hiragana stares back at you like a secret code. But then, slowly, you learn to decipher it: あ is “a,” い is “i.” Your pen scratches across the margin of the workbook, and for the first time, your hand writes something that isn’t English.

Ganbatte kudasai. You’re on your way.

You’re learning how to say yourself in a whole new way. Genki I

The dialogues are charmingly mundane. Yamada-san is always late. Takeshi loves sushi. Mary-san is from America. You find yourself whispering the phrases while making coffee: Ohayou gozaimasu. Sumimasen. Onegai shimasu. The first time you open it, the page

By the time you reach the last chapter, the rabbit and the bear don’t look like strangers anymore. They look like old friends. And you realize you’re not just studying a language. Ganbatte kudasai

Here’s a short, evocative piece written for someone using Genki I —the classic Japanese textbook for beginners. It captures the feeling of starting that journey. The First Step

“My name is…” — Watashi no namae wa…