JLPT

Today is the day for the annual JLPT, which is short for Japanese Language Proficiency Test.

I didn't realise how popular this test is in Singapore, until I went to pick up my sister (she was taking the test) from the test venue. There was probably a thousand people coming out of the exam halls... wow! Japanese must be a real popular language...

But then... JLPT level 3 doesn't really let you do much... if you really want to work using the language as a selling point, you need JLPT level 1... or at least level 2, if you are not going to be dealing extensively with people from Japan. And then, language proficiency is not everything. The most important part is not the language, but understanding the Japanese culture. And that requires not just living in Japan, but actually a lot of interaction with the Japanese.