Most of us have likely experienced the challenges of learning Japanese. Whether it’s memorizing a seemingly infinite number of kanji, the multitudes of readings each character has or simply just not conjugating correctly, there’s too many pitfalls to count. Luckily, a solution now exists and it’s way more fun than pulling out those Anki cards.
Learning Japanese Through Video Games
The name of the game is Shashingo and it’s made by a development team called Autumn Pioneer based out of Sheffield, England. While the Steam version of the game has been out since February, they’ve just quietly launched a Nintendo Switch version last week and it’s perfect for taking your Japanese lessons on the go.
How To Play Shashingo
Shashingo is an educational yet entertaining game about learning Japanese through virtual photography. In the game you wield a camera that allows you to take virtual pictures of almost everything on the digitized streets of Japan. Taking a photo generates something that looks like a polaroid photo on the front and a flashcard on the back. You can then keep your photos in an album where stickers can be used to mark your progress. If you’ve mastered it, you can place a gold star on it. Or if you think you need more practice you can put a purple exclamation mark on it instead. Lastly, your favorite words and images can also be marked with an adorable heart sticker. These touches of personalization will go a long way in helping you remember.
Aside from the photo-taking and scrapbooking of Japanese words, there are also lessons built into the game which will help you take the vocabulary that you’ve just learnt and turn it into sentences and phrases that you can use in daily life. Overall, it seems like Shashingo has all the makings of a typical Japanese lesson or study session, with added interactivity.
Where To Get Shashingo
Shashingo is currently available on Steam or on the Nintendo Switch. You can follow the game on X to stay informed of any future updates to the game.
