I was not good at English itself until my first year of high school. However, one thing made me like English gradually. It is a “Haratan” .The trigger of creating Haratan came from a high school teacher who promoted the creation of mistake notebooks.

Haratan is a notebook that summarizes mistakes, named in imitation of a reference book called “Yumetan”. For example, I wrote down words or sentences that I got wrong in mock exams or regular tests, or words that appeared for the first time in textbooks. For me, Haratan is like a strategy book for the game of English, and I enjoyed playing the game when I was writing Haratan.

Haratan was helpful in various tests. In fact, the content written on Haratan was also used in the University Entrance common Test and the secondary examination of the Hirosaki University . It is no exaggeration to say that I was able to enter Hirosaki University thanks to Haratan.

After entering the university, I found it difficult to speak English after conversing with international students in the English Lounge.

English is still difficult.

From now on, I want to learn English that I can actually use rather than English for entrance exams.

When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to interact with a student from Taiwan. She was very interested in Japanese culture and asked me questions about it almost every day. One day, she asked me, “What’s the difference between a yukata and a kimono?” I froze for a moment, unsure how to explain it. I could only give her a simple answer, like “Yukata is worn in summer,” but I couldn’t provide any detailed explanation about kimonos. She then asked more questions, such as, “Why is yukata worn in summer?” and “In what situations do people wear kimonos?” With each question, I realized how little I actually knew about my own culture.

This experience motivated me to learn more about Japanese traditions. Through my research, I discovered that yukata is typically worn during casual summer events like festivals and fireworks displays. It is made from light, breathable fabric, making it suitable for the hot season. On the other hand, kimonos are more formal and are often worn on special occasions, with different styles and materials suited to the season or level of formality. Learning this made me feel more confident about explaining the differences to my Taiwanese friend.

From this experience, I realized that being Japanese doesn’t automatically mean I fully understand my culture. Explaining Japanese culture in English not only helped me practice the language but also gave me a chance to rediscover and deepen my knowledge of my own traditions. My interaction with the Taiwanese student was a valuable experience that broadened my perspective and encouraged me to embrace cultural exchange.