👾 About Me
こんにちは！My name is Ayumi.
I’m a second-generation Japanese-American, computer scientist in California, USA, on a lifelong journey to embrace my Japanese heritage.
This blog started from a commitment to continuous learning and embracing my unique background. I explore learning strategies, multiculturalism, and my experiences as a second-generation Japanese-American. My goal is to help others feel less alone on their language-learning or heritage-exploring journey.
Other than studying Japanese language and culture, my other interests include finding balance in my life. This largely involves working towards excelling in my professional career while staying physical active, better understanding myself emotionally, and making time for hobbies and relationships (it’s a lot to juggle!).
Blogging is a new venture for me and I am most thankful for your patience and interest.
Check out other places I am around the web or contact me with any inquiries at ayumi@ichigonihongo.com.
📌 Why the blog?
I grew up speaking Japanese at home with my parents so I felt comfortable with casual speaking, but didn’t have much practice reading and writing Japanese. This is especially so because I spent most of my days in the American public school system, learning and speaking in English and interacting with my American friends. After growing up in predominately white communities and schools, tween/teenage me became slightly resentful of my Japanese heritage.
Why can’t I just be like the other kids?
It wasn’t until my later college years that I began to realize that I have a special opportunity to know two cultures and languages and that there are people out there who are genuinely interested in Japanese culture.
I created this blog to share my journey as I continue to learn more about Japanese culture and further practice my reading and writing skills. Although I am currently focused on starting my career as a computer scientist, I want to continue learning Japanese and better embrace the culture and my family’s heritage.
Thank you for coming along with me on this journey.
🌸 Why Ayumi?
I write under a pseudonym on the internet. This is partly for privacy reasons, but it also helps me see my past experiences from a different perspective.
“Ayumi” is a feminine Japanese given name, which is fitting as I am a woman of Japanese heritage.
One of the meanings of Ayumi is, “walking, step, progress.” I believe that learning is a lifelong endeavor, and we should take it one step at a time. Learning is not a race — we are not running towards some finish line against other people. We take the journey one step at a time. Yes, it is slower than running. But it allows us the time to enjoy and appreciate where we are and how far we’ve come. Ayumi is the embodiment of my belief that we should learn at our own pace, but continue for a long time.
🍓 What does the blog name mean?
There are two parts to the blog name: “Ichigo” and “Nihongo”.
“Nihongo” (日本語 / にほんご) is the Japanese word for “Japanese” (specifically, the “Japanese language”). I felt this was an important word to be in the blog name, for one of my main focuses is learning and getting better at the Japanese language.
There are a few reasons why I chose “Ichigo” to be part of the blog name:
- Ichigo is the Japanese word for strawberry. Strawberries have cultural significance in Japan, and I’ve bet you’ve seen them in one way or another. You’ve likely seen several strawberry-flavored drinks and snacks, in sandos (sweet sandwiches), or strawberry shortcake in media. I picked Ichigo because strawberries have a strong place in Japanese culture.
- You can also think of ichigo is being made up the words “ichi” (”one”) and “go” (”five”). The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) has five levels, everyone starts learning at N5 and the final and most difficult proficiency level is N1! In a way, having the numbers “one” and “five” in the name encompasses our language learning journey from N5 to N1.
- “Ichigo” is the first half of the four-character Japanese idiom “Ichi-go ichi-e” (一期一会) meaning “one time, one meeting.” It describes the concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. It teaches that no moment in life can be repeated, even routine activities are never replicated, and so every moment is a one-in-a-lifetime experience. The term reminds me to cherish my unique experiences and backgrounds, and that learning in any way, shape, or form, even if it continues for our entire lives, is a one-in-a-lifetime experience.
- It kind of rhymes with Nihongo 😆
I hope you find some inspiration and comfort in my corner of the internet. Happy learning! 🍓