Very early on in this blog we looked at the many different reasons people choose to learn a foreign language and the best way to do it.

When I moved to Japan to live many years ago my grasp on the language was very basic, to say the least! But I was determined not to let language be a barrier and I wanted to experience everything that the country and its wonderful people had to offer.

For someone who loves sport, including this as one of the ways for me to learn Japanese became immediately obvious. And although I had played and watched many sports over the years, sumo wrestling was definitely not on the list.

Sumo is a Japanese style of wrestling and the national sport of the country. It originated in ancient times as a performance to entertain the Shinto gods and many of the original traditions are still used today.

I became fascinated with the sport and watched it both on television and when I could, attended tournaments (there are six every year, each one lasting 15 days). These are still amongst my most treasured memories of my time in Japan.

I grew to learn the names of the players, the rules they played by and the language of the game.  Okay, so I didn’t pick up every word being said but my point is that because I had an interest which became a passion, I had a willingness to learn.

If you find a good enough reason to learn your language of choice, it will make it easier and a lot more fun!