#2 Category 4: Why the US Government Says Japanese is the Hardest

[Introduction] Are you struggling to learn Japanese? You are not alone. According to the US government, Japanese is classified as a "Category 4" language—the most difficult for English speakers to master, requiring over 2,200 hours of study. But why is it so hard? In this episode, Dr. Fujita breaks down the four massive walls that learners face: the chaotic writing system, the backward word order, the social minefield of Honorifics (Keigo), and the high-context culture where "No" is rarely said out loud.

[What You'll Learn]

• The "Egyptian" Code: Why Japan uses three mixed writing systems (Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana) and how Kanji acts as a high-speed visual scanner.
• The Suspense of Grammar: Why the verb comes at the very end and how this structure demands patience and prevents interruptions.
• Keigo (Honorifics): Understanding the complex rituals where words change completely to measure social distance and status.
• Reading the Air: How to decode silence and vague answers like "I'll think about it" (which usually means "No").

[About the Podcast] Dr. Fujita, an AI Consultant based in Tokyo, analyzes the logic behind Japanese business and culture. This isn't a sightseeing guide—it's an intellectual journey to decode the "True Japan."

[Topics] Japanese Language, Learning Japanese, Kanji, Keigo, Honorifics, High Context Culture, Reading the Air, Linguistics, Japanese Culture, Category 4 Language