Review of “Sashingo: Learning Japanese Through Photography”

Sashingo: Learn Japanese With Photography has an intriguing, straightforward concept that you can easily gather from its title. Players find themselves exploring a small-scale version of Shibuya, Tokyo, camera in hand. Though the freedom to roam is yours, your primary tool is a quaint little polaroid camera. As you snap photos, the game zeros in on specific objects, revealing their Japanese names along with their Hiragana or Katakana representations. While there aren’t specific objectives, it nudges you to uncover all the words scattered across the map and compile these snapshots into your personal album.

I’ve got to say, the laid-back style of Sashingo brings a fresh and amusing approach to picking up basic Japanese vocabulary. Players can opt for a mini exam mode where the game challenges you to locate objects based on given words. This blend of exploration and language learning is genuinely enjoyable. The game excels in its educational intent – words are enunciated clearly, and it includes an expansive manual for more advanced phrases that let you practice basic communication in Japanese. Compared to platforms like Duolingo, I felt a deeper engagement. Duolingo, while being a solid educational tool, lacks the element of fun that Sashingo offers. The game lets you learn at your own pace, not feeling as though you’re being graded, and you can freely select which vocabulary areas to focus on.

Despite my fondness for Japan, with several visits under my belt, the language barrier always presents a challenge. I’ve dabbled with Duolingo, and my partner has delved into several Japanese courses. The true test with language learning boils down to regular practice and the necessity to communicate in it. Sashingo, as engaging as it is, may not serve as the best starting point for those entirely new to Japanese. While it employs effective educational techniques to teach vocabulary, it lacks foundational interactive elements that demonstrate how the language functions in context. The manual attempts to cover more of these interactions, but it’s largely based on reading and listening, which doesn’t solidify learning as well as hands-on practice does.

Nevertheless, an unexpected delight was my partner’s enjoyment in observing and assisting as I played. Her basic knowledge from previous classes came in handy, identifying familiar objects like bicycles and traffic lights, while also discovering new terms for things like construction sites and cardboard boxes. It’s here where Sashingo truly shines—as a supplemental resource for expanding vocabulary and having fun with interactive practice. The ‘game’ elements, however, feel slightly underdeveloped. While you can explore various filters—purchasable after passing tests—the game lacks options for personal photographic expression. Features like a good zoom and focus exist, but you can’t tilt the camera or take selfies, making it lean more into the educational arena, which might not fully satisfy photography enthusiasts like myself.

Ultimately, Sashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography serves as a charming supplementary tool for those already on a Japanese language journey. Its adorable art style and the miniature Shibuya setting offer an enjoyable way to learn and discover new vocabulary, though it might not suffice as a standalone learning tool or fully-fledged photography game. Nonetheless, it’s a delightful companion to have on a flight to Japan, providing a way to grasp a few new words and phrases to use upon arrival.