Why I chose to learn Japanese

I chose to learn Japanese not only because of my language requirement but also because of my family heritage. My father is a Japanese-American although he has never lived in Japan. I really value the opportunity to learn the Japanese language and culture since the ability to communicate in Japanese will be extremely helpful when traveling around Japan. I was struck by the beautiful shrines in Kyoto and hope to study at the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies during my junior year here at Columbia University.