Learn Japanese Through Gaming! (Partner Program)

​What if the best way to learn Japanese was a game you actually want to play? Join the Japan America Society of San Diego for a free online conversation with Julian Rice, the indie developer behind Shujinkou® (主人公), a 3D dungeon role-playing game (RPG) that blends classic Japanese RPG gameplay with Japanese language learning.

​Born in Taipei, but raised in San Diego, California for over 10 years, Julian first began studying Japanese while attending high school in Taiwan before going on to study linguistics, computer science, and Japanese at UCLA. Julian’s own struggles with language shaped how he designed Shujinkou, the first major commercial title developed by Rice Games. In Shujinkou, players use orbs marked with hiragana, katakana, and kanji to fight enemies, and the game’s elemental system draws on the kanji for the days of the week. This is a real game first, with different modes for people to enjoy regardless of whether they want to learn Japanese or just play a fun game!

​In this session, Julian will share how he approached designing a fun and entertaining game around language learning, what he has learned about motivation and engagement, and how computer games can make Japanese more approachable for new language learners. Which came first: the game or the lesson? Come find out.