Author Archives: Doug Pineda Gutierrez

Something that I appreciated about the KCJS program is that there was only 2-3 first-year college students. Prior to the start of classes, I narrowly assumed that most people would be in a similar situation as me given that we … Continue reading →

It’s incredible that it’s actually over….  This summer has been my journey into a space where I can see just how little Japanese I know and how much there is to learn from now on. Accordingly, I don’t think I … Continue reading →

KCJSのプログラムが終わってから、日本語で書く機会が少なくなてきたので、ちょっと日本語で書こうと思います。 ある日、授業で宮沢賢治の勉強をした。宮沢賢治と言う作家は岩手県で生まれて、若くて三十七歳で亡くなった。賢治の「注文の多い料理店」や「春と修羅」といった名作が死後に愛されてきたけど、私の好きな宮沢賢治の作品は「雨にも負けず」と言う詩だ。 賢治が病気の間は家族に遺書を書いていて、色々なことに考えるはずだった。この「雨にも負けず」という詩は賢治の死の２年前に手帳の中に書いた詩で、死じゃなくて、生きることの理想について書いた。 「雨にも負けず・風にも負けず・雪にも夏の暑さにも負けぬ。。。」 私はその行目を読むと、自分が雨の日にも風の日にも行きたいところに大変に歩いて行って、打ち勝って、美しい景色を見ると、雨と風が心を洗ったに気づいたメージがする。

This week, we read and discussed the Tale of Princess Kaguya. Here’s a short summary the tale: There’s an old couple living in a small village, and the old man, on his daily trip to the mountains, harvests bamboo. One … Continue reading →

This week, we started the Hiyaku Textbook. I can’t judge a book by its cover, but this one surely has an aesthetic one. This textbook is intended to initiate the transition from beginner stages of learning Japanese to the intermediate … Continue reading →

For this week, I want to talk about what we studied as a class in the 2nd year Japanese section. I remember thinking “there’s no way we’re approaching the end of Genki already…”  Thinking back on it now, it doesn’t … Continue reading →

Hello all! This week, I am thinking about how learning a language can be incredibly beautiful, rewarding, and demoralizingly strenuous all at the same time. I have always heard that Japanese is among the most difficult of languages to learn … Continue reading →

Hello all! I’m Douglas Pineda Gutierrez (rising second year) and I am current doing the Kyoto Consortium of Japanese Studies Summer Program. Having taken first year Japanese during the Fall and Spring, I placed into the 2nd Year Japanese section. … Continue reading →