Sashingo: Learn Japanese With Photography offers exactly what its name suggests—a delightful dive into learning Japanese through the lens of a camera. In this game, you’re set in a tiny, scenic reconstruction of Shibuya, Tokyo, wielding nothing but a small polaroid camera. You’re left to roam freely, capturing images as you please. Once you snap a photo, the camera intelligently homes in on a single object in the frame, providing you with the Japanese term alongside its Hiragana or Katakana representation. While there’s no strict objective, the game encourages you to uncover and photograph every word scattered throughout the map, then compile them into your personal album.
I truly appreciate the relaxed exploration that Sashingo offers, paired with its innovative teaching method for imparting basic Japanese vocabulary. You have the option to challenge yourself with a mini-quiz, where the game displays a word and tasks you with tracking down the corresponding object. This approach cleverly blends the thrill of discovery with the tangible reward of language learning. The game excels in this educational endeavor. Words are clearly enunciated, and an expansive manual dives deeper into practical phrases you might use in basic Japanese conversation. Compared to a tool like Duolingo, Sashingo feels more engaging. While Duolingo serves as an efficient learning platform, it lacks the element of fun that Sashingo delivers. With Sashingo, learning and practicing vocabulary is in your hands, without the pressure of grades, allowing for a personalized learning experience.
Having traveled to Japan on several occasions, I remain fascinated by its culture, yet the language barrier persists. Despite using tools like Duolingo and my partner attending Japanese courses, mastering a language requires consistent practice and conversational use. This is where Sashingo finds itself in a tricky spot; it’s not necessarily the ideal starting point for learning Japanese. Although it employs sound educational techniques, it misses fundamental interactive dialogue that conveys how the Japanese language is applied in real life. The supplementary manual offers more context through reading and voice clips, but without reinforcement through gameplay, these lessons may not stick.
Surprisingly, my partner found enjoyment in watching me play, even partnering in the learning process. With her rudimentary Japanese knowledge from courses, she immediately recognized common objects like bottles, bikes, and cars, yet also found joy in identifying words rarely covered in class, like construction sites or garbage bins. In this capacity, Sashingo excels, bridging the gap as an auxiliary tool for expanding vocabulary and providing interactive practice. However, the gaming aspect feels somewhat underdeveloped. While you can experiment with various filters bought through passing tests, there’s limited room for expressing personal photographic style. The game offers robust zoom and focus features, but options like camera tilt or selfies are absent. This results in a somewhat detached experience for photography enthusiasts like myself.
For those already on the journey to learn Japanese, Sashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography could serve as a valuable complement. Its charming art and miniaturized Shibuya are appealing to explore, allowing you to amass a large vocabulary. However, it may not suffice as a standalone language learning tool or satisfy fans of photography-centric games. Nevertheless, it could be a delightful companion on your flight to Japan, helping you pick up a few words and phrases ready to be practiced on your arrival.
