After mother tongue, learnign any other tongue, I guess all language learning is translation.
I have Hatuki Murakami's The CIty and its Uncertain Walls in English and will have the Japanese version tomorrow. I asked chatgpt for the best way to learn Japanese fast.
🌱 Step 1: Read in English first (for comprehension)
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Purpose: Understand the meaning, tone, and emotional flow of each scene.
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How: Read one paragraph or scene at a time, making sure you fully understand what’s happening.
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Tip: Note any phrases or emotions that stand out — Murakami often has subtle shifts in tone or mood that are great to track.
✍️ Step 2: Translate it yourself
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Purpose: Practice expressing the same meaning in Japanese.
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How:
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Write your own Japanese version of a short section (even 1–2 sentences).
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Don’t worry about being perfect — focus on natural expression and meaning.
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Tools: Use a Japanese dictionary (like Jisho.org) instead of a translator at first; it helps you learn word nuances.
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Goal: Think, “How would a Japanese person say this naturally?” rather than literal translation.
📖 Step 3: Compare with Murakami’s original
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Find the same passage in the Japanese book.
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Compare:
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Vocabulary choices
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Sentence structure
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The rhythm and feeling of his phrasing
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Notice where your translation differs — that’s where you learn the most.
🧠Ask yourself:
Why did Murakami choose this word or this phrasing?
Does his Japanese sound more poetic, abstract, or direct than mine?
🗣️ Step 4: Read aloud
Murakami’s writing has a distinctive rhythm in Japanese. Reading aloud helps you:
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Improve pronunciation
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Feel sentence flow
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Absorb natural phrasing and intonation
You can even record yourself and compare to audiobook versions if available.
🪞 Step 5: Keep a bilingual journal
After each session, write:
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A few lines in English (what you learned or felt)
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The same in Japanese, using words or grammar from the passage
This helps move what you read into active usage — your own Japanese.
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