VANCOUVER JAPANESE LANGUAGE SCHOOL
Learning My Fourth Language and Discovering a Community
2014 – 2021
THE BEGINNING
A lot of people ask me, “Why Japanese?” The answer is simple: my love for art led me to Japanese calligraphy.
When I was seven years old, a friend told me I should try Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) since I loved drawing and creating. My parents agreed, and I started attending classes at the Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall (VJLS-JH) every Saturday. I was immediately mesmerized—the meticulous brush strokes, the balance between precision and artistic expression, the way each character carried both meaning and beauty.
After one year of calligraphy classes, the principal noticed my dedication and suggested I try learning the Japanese language itself. With no one in my family knowing Japanese or being familiar with any Asian languages, I was embarking on something entirely new. But I was eager to learn.
SEVEN YEARS OF STUDY
From 2014 to 2021, I studied Japanese at VJLS-JH, progressing through the fundamental stream and graduating in the summer of 2021. Learning Japanese opened up an entire world—not just a language, but a culture, a history, and a community I never knew existed in my own city.
The language itself was challenging. I had to master three writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. I had to learn grammatical structures completely different from English, French, or Russian. But every small victory—understanding my first full sentence, reading my first manga without a dictionary, having my first conversation entirely in Japanese—made the effort worthwhile.
Academic Recognition
Throughout my time at VJLS-JH, I received the Diligence Award multiple times (2015-2018), which was particularly meaningful to me since no one at home could help with my homework or test preparation. Every kanji I memorized, every grammar pattern I mastered, every vocabulary list I learned was the result of independent study and determination.
JALTA 22nd Speech Presentation (2020)
In January 2020, with the help and support of my wonderful teacher Kyoko-sensei from the VJLS Fundamental class, I participated in the 22nd JALTA Speech Presentation. I received an honorable certificate and had the privilege of being photographed with the Consul General of Japan in Vancouver, HATORI Takashi. This was a great honor and a memorable moment—standing before an audience and delivering a speech in my fourth language, representing the VJLS community.
DISCOVERING HISTORY
Learning Japanese led me down an unexpected path. As an avid history enthusiast, I began reading about different periods in Japanese and Canadian history. The more I learned about the Japanese Canadian community, the more I realized I was standing in the middle of a powerful story that few people knew. This led me to found the VJLS History Club in 2022, organizing volunteers for historic Powell Street walking tours and developing educational programs for schools.
Learn more about the VJLS History Club and how I’m preserving this community’s story