My Russian Language Learning History

2026-06-01

Studying Russian in Japan

Russian is, of course, one of the official languages of the United Nations and a major world language. NHK has long offered Russian language programs, and Russian literature constitutes a vast and fertile world of its own.

Knowing Russian also has unexpected benefits—for example, being able to read news from the Russian Embassy in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

How I Began Learning Russian

As far as textbooks are concerned, there is only one choice for me:

• NHK CD Book: New Introduction to Russian

The explanations are careful, and the grammar coverage is thorough. It is an excellent textbook.

And yet—even with this book—I have given up four times.

The problem is not the structure or quality of the textbook. Rather, it seems to stem from the intrinsic difficulty of the language itself.

The Significance of Learning Russian

Russia remains a major power. In intellectual history, it produced Roman Jakobson, a key figure in structuralism. In literature, it gave us giants such as Tolstoy and Pushkin. The sheer number of long novels alone suggests how vast a world would open up if one could read Russian.

Russian is taught at many universities in Japan, including Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Osaka University, Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, and Tenri University. As a neighboring country, Russia also feels geographically close, which perhaps broadens the base of interest.

Reading the experiences of the writer Masaru Satō makes friendships with Russians seem intellectually stimulating. Satō once described the strict instruction he received while studying Russian at the British Army School of Languages—a passage that captures the difficulty of the language:

“Over the next six months, your goal is to master the basic grammar and vocabulary of Russian. Every day you will memorize 25 to 27 Russian words and 5 to 7 phrases. I will provide all translations in advance. You must memorize them. There will be a vocabulary test once a week. If you score below 90 out of 100 twice in a row, you will be interviewed. If it happens three times, you will be dismissed. Language learning requires aptitude. Russian, in particular, is difficult for English speakers. If you lack aptitude, no amount of effort will make mastery possible. In that case, it would be better for you, for this school, and for the British Army to transfer to another field as soon as possible.”

(Masaru Satō, A Gentleman’s Agreement: My British Story, Shinchosha, 2012, p.200)

Looking Ahead

Before the invasion of Ukraine, I had hoped to travel to Russia and was studying with that goal in mind. Since those events, however, travel has become more difficult, and my motivation has declined accordingly.

Still, despite four failures, Russian continues to attract me. Perhaps that in itself says something about the language.