Review of “Sashingo: Learn Japanese Through Photography”

Sashingo: Learn Japanese With Photography takes a refreshing stance on language learning by melding it seamlessly with the art of photography. Picture this: you wander through a pint-sized version of Shibuya, Tokyo, armed with nothing but a trusty polaroid camera. Your mission? To explore at your leisure, snapping photos that reveal Japanese words accompanied by their respective Hiragana or Katakana characters. While there aren’t any traditional objectives to tackle, you’re encouraged to embark on a quest to capture all the words scattered across the map and carefully compile them in your album.

What makes Sashingo stand out is its delightful blend of exploration and education. Players have the option to partake in a little ‘exam’ where they must locate specific objects based on a given word. It successfully merges the thrill of discovery with the practicality of learning a new language. The game excels at clearly pronouncing words for the player, and an extensive manual offers additional phrases to practice. This interactive approach feels more engaging than traditional language apps like Duolingo, which, while effective, often lack the element of fun. Sashingo gives players the freedom to choose which vocabulary to learn, making it a more personalized and less pressure-filled experience.

I’ve always been fascinated by Japan, having visited numerous times, but the language barrier is a constant challenge. My attempts with Duolingo and my partner’s Japanese courses have shown me that regular practice and active usage are key. That’s where Sashingo falters slightly; it isn’t the strongest starting point for learning Japanese from scratch. While it employs solid educational techniques, it misses out on some foundational aspects and interactions that help contextualize language use. The manual provides some depth with voice clips, but without reinforcement, the learning experience can feel incomplete.

Surprisingly, my partner found joy in watching me play, even lending a helping hand with her elementary Japanese knowledge from previous courses. Identifying everyday items like bottles and bicycles was a breeze for her, but she had fun expanding her vocabulary with terms like construction site or garbage bin. Here, Sashingo truly shines, providing an engaging supplementary tool for building your word bank while enjoying a leisurely, interactive experience. However, the gaming aspect itself feels a bit undeveloped. Although you can experiment with various filters, earned by passing tests, there’s limited scope for expressing unique photographic flair. While it offers smooth zoom and focus, it lacks the ability to tilt or take selfies, which might disappoint enthusiasts of photography games like myself.

In summary, Sashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography stands as a charming supplementary aid for those already on the path to mastering Japanese. Its adorable depiction of Shibuya is a joy to explore, offering a bounty of vocabulary to uncover. Although it might not suffice as a standalone tool or satisfy photography fans entirely, it offers an enjoyable way to brush up on your language skills en route to Japan, setting you up with handy words to use upon arrival.