Holistic cultural experience

Johan Huizinga once wrote: „If we are to preserve culture we must continue to create it.“ I am majoring in Heritage Studies because I love the old and ancient. I strongly believe that in order to understand people, we need to understand their culture, and thus, their traditions. I had been studying Japanese on and off for 3 years before I came to Meiji Academy. When I saw that they offered a traditional class add-on to their standard Japanese classes I was hooked and knew it was the school I wanted to go with. It was a good choice. My Japanese classes helped me to become more confident in speaking, whereas my traditional culture classes helped me grasp the world behind the language. I also added some Kanji classes because I realised the immense meaning behind them. Believe it or not, there is a huge difference between studying Kanji in your local library or having a Japanese person explain them and their story to you. I can say that I have benefitted greatly from studying at Meiji Academy and can recommend it to others who wish to get a deeper insight into the Japanese culture.