Inspired by anime, Najaf youth flock to Japanese language courses

NAJAF — Interest in Japanese language courses has surged among young men and women in Najaf, where students gather at the Stagers Language Center in Al-Amir neighborhood to learn the language under the guidance of Najaf native Zainab Al-Hamami.

Al-Hamami, who realized her childhood dream of learning Japanese, transitioned into teaching after mastering the language. Inspired by Japanese animation, or anime, she described the unexpected popularity of the courses as a pleasant surprise, revealing a thriving community of Japanese language enthusiasts in the city.

“My journey with the Japanese language began in childhood,” Al-Hamami told 964media. “Like many others, I was deeply influenced by anime and Japanese culture. I decided to learn the language and succeeded, initially through online resources.”

Al-Hamami detailed her self-taught approach, which involved studying basics, watching series, and reading Japanese books. She remains committed to advancing her skills and hopes to secure a Japanese scholarship.

“My ambition is to teach a large number of young people the Japanese language and to see Najaf residents deeply engage with it, especially as Japanese companies establish a presence in the city,” she added.

She also reflected on the challenges of teaching Japanese compared to Arabic. “Arabic letters follow a single pattern, making sentences straightforward to construct. Japanese, however, uses three distinct writing systems: hiragana for phonetic symbols, katakana for foreign words, and kanji, which incorporates Chinese characters. The differences are significant between the two languages.”

Ahmed Mohammed, one of the students, shared his motivation for joining the course. “I’ve always wanted to learn Japanese because of my love for anime, especially works by the godfather of anime, Hayao Miyazaki. His works left a deep impression on me as a child.”

Miyazaki, a celebrated animator and director, is known for acclaimed films such as “Princess Mononoke” (1997), “Spirited Away” (2001), and “Howl’s Moving Castle” (2004), which explore themes like environmentalism, pacifism, and human complexity.

Mohammed also noted the influence of Japanese goods in Iraq and the unique appeal of kanji characters as driving factors behind his fascination with the language.

“The presence of other youth interested in learning Japanese surprised and delighted me,” Mohammed said. “I was worried no one would show up for this course, but it was a wonderful surprise to see so many others share the same passion.”