In my art history survey courses last year I was introduced to the world of Japanese art. The incredible art and culture that stretches from the ancient past to contemporary times is fascinating to me, and encouraged me to pursue further exploration of the language and culture. Having no previous exposure to the language, this course has been the most challenging part of my course load this semester. Besides the daily homework and quizzes, this class requires an entirely new way of thinking- regarding both language and cultural customs. Overall, I am very excited to be learning Japanese and to eventually apply this knowledge to my studies in art history.