こんにちは〜 I've looked at different signs in Japan that were written in Katakana. Here are a few examples:
This is from a ski resort, you can clearly read the Katakana phrases ゲレンデコースand then (nai in Kanji), which translates directly to "Within Gerende Course" (Comes from German Gelände). The first part of the second phrase is also in Katakana which reads ブッシュ(Bush/bushes), kanji (段差 = step, level difference, uneven drop/bump), and finally hiragana あり(meaning "there is"). So in total the sign warns riders to watch out for "stumps, bushes, and bumps/drop offs" that may be withinn the slope!
This is another sign I found, very easy to read now that we know Katakana! エレベーター, directly translating to elevator. Now I'm confident to navigate and read signs in Japan especially if it's in Katakana since we can just translate it into english and understand. Hiragana and Kanji is going to take more time memorizing words and meanings..
Growing up, my dad had a ton of influence on the sports and hobbies I like today. He introduced me to skiing, downhill mountain biking, fishing, golf, basketball, volleyball, and baseball at a young age, and we would often play, practice, and enjoy it together. For highschool, I ultimately decided to focus on volleyball, because I felt like it was the sport where I had the most natural talent and fun. However, skiing and downhill mountain biking are my two favorite sports as of now. Outside of sports, my dad is also a big car enthusiast and an avid driver, and that passion definitely passed down to me. I grew up around cars and long drives, and over time I developed the same love for driving and car culture.
One of my favorite anime is Demon Slayer or Kimetsuno Yaiba (鬼滅の刃). I remember watching season 1 on Netflix during Covid in highschool. Ever since then, I've been an avid fan. Although people around me told me that I should read the manga, I avoided it because I loved the animation and visual aspects of the anime. Kimetsuno Yaiba, follows Kamado Tanjro "かまどたんじろ" a young boy who is suddently thrust into the world of demon slayers and ultimately joins the Demon Slayer Corps after his family is attacked by demons and he is left alone with his half-demon younger sister Nezuko "かまどねずこ”.
Over the weekend, I watched the most recent movie "Infinity Castle Arc" or "鬼滅の刃 無限城編". Although released last year, I never got the chance to watch the movie until last weekend.
The movie was especially gravitating since it dealt with characters' pasts and some of their ultimate endings. It was an emotional but very exciting movie because we finally figured out some of the backstories behind major characters. My favorite character Akaza (Demon name), or Hakuji (Human name) was the most pivotal character in this film because from previous episodes and movies, we only saw him as a powerful antagonist, but this movie reveals the tragic history that shaped who he became, which made his story far more heartbreaking and meaningful. For those who have not watched Demon slayer, or the Infinity Castle Arc movie yet, I definitely recommend you do!
For this assignment I chose a video of YOASOBI's song "Racing Into The Night" or (Yoru ni Kakeru / "夜に駆ける") that was performed in 2025 at OVO Arena Wembley in London. This J-pop hit has been my favorite Japanese song since its release in 2019. Even before I understood any of the language, I was immediately drawn to the sounds and different aspects of the song. Growing up, I've always been a Indie/R&B and EDM fan and this song is the perfect blend between the two genres.
YOASOBI is composed of two members: Ayase, the composer and producer who creates the beats and music and Ikura (real name Lilas Ikuta), who is the lead vocal and singer. Their songs are usually very upbeat and often have a cinematic feel to it which I believe helped them gain masdsive popularity in Japan and across the globe. Another famous song that YOASOBI released was called "Idol" or (アイド ) gained huge traction as it served as the opening theme to the first season of the 2023 Japanese anime series Oshi no Ko (推しの子).
Although it is still very difficult to listen to and understand many of the phrases and words used in songs, I can still very faintly recognize some of the words and sounds I've learned. Additionally, before and after the song, Ayase and Ikura speaks to eachother and talks to the crowd, and when doing so there are certain greetings and phrases that I could immediately catch and understand.
Ayase also says "Kiite" a lot, which I know is "listen" so I'm assuming he is saying please have fun listening and enjoy. So, although still extremely lacking, little things like this help reinforce the idea that my ear is slowly adapting to the language, which makes me hopeful and excited to learn more about Japan, the language and culture.
