Sashingo: Learn Japanese With Photography offers a straightforward concept that’s pretty clear from its name. In this game, you find yourself exploring a miniaturized version of Shibuya, Tokyo, with just a camera in your hands. The game leaves exploring up to you, but all you have is a small polaroid camera. Each time you snap a picture, the camera zooms in on a specific object and presents both the Japanese term and its Hiragana or Katakana forms. While there aren’t any set objectives, you are encouraged to uncover all the Japanese words scattered across the map and compile them in your photo album.
The open-ended design of Sashingo adds a delightful twist to learning basic Japanese vocabulary. The game includes a feature where you can take a minor exam: it displays a word and challenges you to find the corresponding object. This innovative blend of exploration and language learning is executed quite well. Words are pronounced clearly, and there’s an ample manual that delves into practical phrases, letting you engage in simple Japanese conversation. Compared to Duolingo, which is undoubtedly a solid educational resource, Sashingo offers a more engaging and self-directed learning experience. It doesn’t impose pressure like a test, allowing you the freedom to choose and expand your vocabulary at your own pace.
Even though Japan fascinates me and I’ve visited several times, mastering the language remains a steep hill. I’ve tried Duolingo, and my partner has attended numerous Japanese classes. The real obstacle in language acquisition is daily practice and the necessity to speak it regularly, which is often the only reliable way to enhance skills. Sashingo, however, doesn’t quite serve as a thorough introduction to learning Japanese. While it does employ appropriate educational techniques, it misses out on providing foundational interactions that illustrate how Japanese is spoken in context. Although the manual offers more comprehensive lessons through reading and voice clips, the game itself doesn’t reinforce these lessons, which makes retaining this knowledge tricky.
Interestingly, my partner thoroughly enjoyed helping me through the game, aiding in memorizing new words. With her very basic Japanese knowledge from courses, she easily recognized everyday items like bottles, bicycles, and cars, yet was thrilled to learn words not typically covered in class, such as construction site and garbage bin. Here lies Sashingo’s true value—as a supplementary tool for expanding vocabulary and a lively way to practice language skills. However, as a game, it almost feels slightly unfinished. While you can use various filters after passing tests, the options to express your photographic creativity are limited. For instance, the game offers good zoom and focus capabilities, but lacks options like tilting the camera or taking selfies. This restricts the game’s appeal for photography enthusiasts like me, skewing it more toward an educational tool.
Sashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography could serve as an excellent addition if you’re already on the path to learning Japanese. Its charming art style and miniature Shibuya setting are delightful to explore and uncover numerous words. However, it falls short as a comprehensive language-learning tool and as a photography game. Nonetheless, it’s a delightful way to pick up some phrases and vocabulary on a flight to Japan, which you can then try out when you land.
