In this week of the KoreKara Podcast, we have a conversation with Matt from the Matt Vs. Japan Youtube Channel and co-founder of the Mass Immersion Approach. On his channel he mostly talks about different techniques to learn languages, but in this episode we’re going to be trying to learn more about who he is as a person. With mattvsjapan, we talk about why he hasn’t moved to Japan yet, his love/hate relationship with Japan and Japanese, his ambitions for his YouTube channel and potentially Japanese media, as well as funny stories from when he was still going to college and studying Japanese. We’re going to be splitting the podcasts into two parts, so make sure to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to catch Part 2 of the podcast. In Part 1 we talk a lot about Japan, Japanese, Japanese People, and his efforts in studying languages, whereas in Part 2 we talk a lot about the Mass Immersion Approach and where he wants to take with his company and team. Hope you guys enjoy the podcast!

We start off the episode by first talking about why he has decided to live in Oregon for the past couple of years, given the fact that he's dedicated such a huge amount of time of his life towards Japanese. Although he's studied abroad in Gunma Prefecture briefly when he first started learning Japanese, he spent the majority of his time learning Japanese in Oregon. We learn about how hobbies like meditation and his families have kept in Oregon, although he does intend to move to Japan at some point if it weren't for Corona. Matt shares more about his personal life, including stories of how he met his Japanese girlfriend and whether or not that dating a Japanese person has improved his Japanese at all.

We hear more about his stories while he was in college, such as whether or not he's ever flexed on other gaijin, useless Anki cards that he's made in the past, and whether or not there are still things he feels like he wants to master within Japanese. As some of you may know from some of Matt's other videos, he often goes up to Japanese people that he sees on the street so that he can practice Japanese. Matt shares some funny stories of some encounters with Japanese people, and stories of mistaking people for being Japanese as well.

Looking back on his time at Portland State University, although he didn't graduate, he still found some of the classes useful, although most of the Japanese classes were not particularly challenging. He intended on studying abroad at Meiji University, but decided not to in a sort of realization that he was dedicating his life to something that he didn't feel that strongly about anymore at that point in time.

In the next episode, we learn more about who Matt Vs. Japan is as a persona and learn more about his development as a person. Matt shares his vision for what the Mass Immersion Approach is going to be and also his trials and tribulations in running a business for the first time. Make sure to subscribe and hit the notification bell to get the next episode!

Mass Immersion Approach: https://massimmersionapproach.com

Matt vs. Japan Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/mattvsjapan

Matt's Twitter: https://www.youtube.com/mattvsjapan

Glossary:

【全米で住みやすい街】 Best places to live in America

まめちしき【豆知識】Trivia Facts

ぼさつ【菩薩】 Bodhisattva (Meditation Term)

【バイキング】Buffet

きゅうじたい【旧字体】WWII Kanji

ちゅうにびょう【中二病】2nd year of junior high sickness

あくたがわりゅうのすけしょう【芥川龍之介賞】Akutagawa Prize

ひまつ【飛沫】Droplet

ひまつかんせん【飛沫感染】Droplet Infection

はんどう【反動】Reaction

【きっかけ】Impetus, catalyst

Books/Authors Mentioned:

ノルウェイの森 - 春樹村上 (Norwegian Wood - Murakami Haruki)

火花 - 又吉直樹 (Hibana - Matayo Shinaoki)

Jay Rubin - Japanese - English Translator

#14 Matt Vs. Japan Pt 1 - Life Outside Japanese Expertise