Review of “Sashingo: Learn Japanese Through Photography”

“Sashingo: Learn Japanese With Photography” brings to the table a refreshing concept straight from its title. Imagine being placed into a tiny replica of Shibuya, Tokyo, where your main companion is a polaroid camera. You’re given the freedom to wander and explore, with the camera zooming in on specific objects you capture and labeling them with their Japanese names alongside Hiragana or Katakana lettering. The main aim? Gather these snapshots into your album and uncover all the Japanese words sprinkled throughout the map.

The game employs a relaxed, explorative style that cleverly blends learning with play. There’s an option to test yourself by tracking down objects linked to given words—an engaging fusion of adventure and education. Unlike the regimens of traditional language platforms, Sashingo makes Japanese accessible and delightful, prompting you to learn at your pace. It speaks the words clearly and includes a comprehensive manual, covering useful phrases that you can use in basic conversation. In many ways, it feels more interactive than something like Duolingo. While the latter is useful, “fun” wouldn’t be high on the descriptive list. Sashingo, on the other hand, feels tailored to enhance your vocabulary without the stress of exams—you dictate your learning journey.

Having visited Japan multiple times, I’ve always been enchanted by its culture, yet the language remains a hurdle. I’ve dabbled with Duolingo, while my partner’s delved into several courses. Daily practice and speaking are essential to mastering a language, and here lies Sashingo’s slight shortcoming—it doesn’t quite stand alone as the perfect entry point for beginners. While it does adopt beneficial teaching techniques, it skimps on fundamental interactions that demonstrate the language in context. The manual helps somewhat, but it’s still a format of reading and listening to phrases, which doesn’t quite embed itself through gameplay.

To my surprise, my partner, with her beginner-level Japanese, enjoyed watching me navigate the game and became involved in identifying and learning new words. Her experience with traditional courses helped her recognize basic items, but she also appreciated learning terms her classes hadn’t covered, like words for ‘construction site’ or ‘cardboard box.’ Here, Sashingo excels as both an entertaining vocabulary booster and a practical, interactive experience. Yet, its photographic elements are somewhat underdeveloped—a variety of filters becomes available after passing tests, but it lacks personal expression. Basic elements like zoom and focus are there, but no camera tilting or selfie options. For photography enthusiasts, it feels more like an educational tool than a full-fledged photographic game.

Overall, “Sashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography” may not replace comprehensive language courses or satisfy hardcore photography fans, but it serves well as an adjunct to Japanese studies. Its charming depiction of Shibuya and playful word-collecting makes it a delightful and beneficial companion, especially for a flight to Japan, offering you some handy phrases for navigating the bustling streets.