Self-Introduction

It was about 50 years ago, when I (Naruse) was 20 years old. Triggered by a certain experience, I made a resolution: I wanted to be able to move freely between the world of Japanese and the world of English, to grow from a local Japanese person into a global one, and to dedicate my life to conducting as much research and practice as possible to achieve that. Since then, despite many twists and turns, I have lived my life while holding onto that thought.

After graduating from university, I once found employment at a trading company, but later I re-entered university and began to walk the path of language. Since then, I have worked with companies and organizations as a Japanese-English translator, writer, and editor; I have faced learners of English, Japanese, and translation as a teacher; I have read numerous books; I have thought about various things; and I have acquired knowledge and skills in English, Japanese, and translation. In the course of that life, I have organized my thoughts into my own writing. The result is the collection of works uploaded to this note. In that sense, what is posted here is the essence of my life's experience and studies to date.

I have no one I can call a teacher. I have never been to the UK or the US. I intentionally did not go. All of my English and translation studies to date have been self-taught while working in Japan. Because of this, I have piled up a great deal of wasted effort and detours. I suspect there are many things that have fallen through the cracks. However, on the other hand, I have the confidence that the knowledge, skills, and insights I have acquired so far are not mere imitations or fakes. Everything written here is me myself.

Even so, it took me 50 years just to get here. Self-study is indeed inefficient. If I, as I am now, could have been a teacher to my 20-year-old self 50 years ago, I could have acquired the same knowledge, skills, and insights in far less time and with far less effort. I truly wish I had a time machine.

The reason I am writing this note is that I wanted you all to acquire what I spent 50 years mastering in much less time and with less effort. Since you have a senior like me, you can just absorb the good parts and try not to imitate the bad parts. If you do that, you can proceed with your studies much more efficiently.

I am not a special person. I am just one Japanese person born and raised in the downtown area of Osaka, not particularly gifted with talent, who started studying English at the age of 20, never studied abroad, never received special education, and spent 50 years studying alone in a corner of Tokyo, and this is the level of knowledge and ability I have acquired. In other words, anyone can do at least this much.

Even in this day and age, there must be people who, like my 20-year-old self 50 years ago, strongly desire to be able to move freely between the world of Japanese and the world of English, and to grow from a small Japanese person into a big Japanese person.

As one who walks ahead of such people, I want to provide as much support and encouragement as I can. By doing so, I want to satisfy my own ego. That is the reason I am writing this note.

I myself will continue to study forever. Whether it is Japanese, English, translation, or knowledge, in order to be able to move freely between the world of Japanese and the world of English, and to grow from a small Japanese person into a big Japanese person, there is still a mountain of knowledge and skills to be acquired.

It has taken 50 years, and I am finally at the stage where the foundation of my knowledge and skills has solidified. I would like to continue to accumulate learning one by one over a long period of time. In that sense, I am your senior and at the same time your peer.

No matter how old you get, or what your current life is like, as long as a person makes an effort, they can continue to grow forever.

Everyone, let's do our best together.

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In "Kotosakiku | Yukio Naruse's Japanese-English Writing and Translation Classroom," I have uploaded many other pieces of content regarding Japan and the Japanese people, English, Japanese, translation, and more. The total number exceeds 1,000.

I have set up several magazines, so please be sure to check them out.