welcome to the goldfish archives
いらっしゃいませ
my name is elena. i am a high school student studying, amongst other things, japanese language. since i began studying i have developed a curiosity in regards to how japan's unique history has lead its social infrastructure, traditional sciences, language, and culture to develop in the ways that they have. unfortunately, i find that most literature written on japan and its culture that is easily accessible to a non-japanese audience tends towards mysticism, presenting japan as an otherworldly country, intellectual curiosity disregarded in favour of blind worship. this does a disservice to both the audience, whom are subjected to a fairy-tale version of events, and to the japanese, whose culture is reduced to easily marketable elements that are divorced from the rich history that informs them. my aim here is to take a holistic view towards japanese culture and history, looking at a variety of sources and topics to reach a greater understanding of japan as it stands today. i will focus primarily on linguistics, as i am studying the language, so hopefully this blog will be a useful tool for other japanese learners hoping to further their understanding. i hope you'll join me on this journey!