Summer 2026 JLPT registrations come to an end today, 04/07/2026.
And…
It’s time for the Bunpro community to come together and share what we are aiming for, where you have been, and a highlight of your Japanese learning experience.
I’ll take the liberty of going first (and throw in a bonus lowlight for your reading pleasure).
I signed up for the N1 exam. Hoping the climb comes to an end this July.
I passed N3 summer of 2024, and passed N2 winter of 2024. This year will be my first attempt at the N1, and have heard from many sources that the difference between N1 and N2 is incomparable to any other levels so… fingers crossed!
Let’s start with my lowlight:
After I had moved to Japan in the summer of 2023, I had purchased a 軽自動車 (kei car) and was still getting used to life in another country. One day I realized I had to get gas and, incidentally, was riding with my girlfriend at the time (broke up almost immediately following this event btw).
Well, I got out of the car at the gas station and looked at my options. A red handle, yellow handle, and green handle were available to me. I did my best at reading them, 2/3 were in katakana after all, but the mysterious green handle had the same symbol, 軽, that was used when referring to my car… Well, I noticed that one was also cheaper than the rest, and decided that this was what I was going to top up my motor vehicle with.
Let me tell you now, do NOT pick up that green handle my friends. I fueled up to the brim and started to drive back home. Even had the audacity to make a remark about it being “cheaper than I thought”. And then, my car began to cough, the engine seemingly choking up. That cough turned into a BANG and… my car was brought to an early end by a healthy helping of 軽由 (diesel fuel)… in the middle of a one lane bridge…
The aftermath was just as bad as you could expect. And all my coworkers were made aware of my mistake shortly after. What a beginning to life in Japan.
My highlight:
I was selected to represent an organization and ended up giving a speech with the Japanese ambassador to the United States at the time. It was broadcast on the NHK in Japan multiple times. Pretty cool experience, and I still have his business card for show.
Hoping to hear some cool stories about what fellow Bunpro disciples have gone through on their journey to Japanese mastery!
) So I brought back a huge thing of smarties and a box of gushers. In retrospect, those are some heinously ass choices for American candy, but whatever.
We sat around and had tea, and they told me to stop by whenever I’m in the area. It really is interactions like that that keep me going, even when studying feels a bit like slamming my head against a wall.
… Best way to get it to come back when you’re feeling low is to find a way to see your own improvement for yourself. And it’s never bad to reminisce on the reason why you join us all on this journey.