Why Japanese?

As a kid I was a casual consumer of Japanese culture, from Hayao Miyazaki's films to the Japanese artifacts at the Met to the fabric I used in sewing. Though inspired by these cultural objects, my knowledge of Japanese culture and language remained superficial. In the summer of 2016 I traveled with my family to Japan, and was able to see more clearly how little I knew, and how much I could gain from engaging more fully the language itself. Now being in college, I finally have the opportunity to get a Japanese language education, and be able to take in and understand Japanese culture from a more informed and knowledgable perspective.