Ananya Donapati's Journey to Japanese Fluency and Beyond

Ananya Donapati, a U.S. influencer, shares language learning advice with her large social media following. Her content includes tips for learning both English and Japanese, with headlines like "English words that you could use to beat native speakers hollow" and "five essential Japanese words you should know."

Donapati, 25, is self-taught and passed the most advanced Japanese-Language Proficiency Test without ever studying in Japan. In a recent interview, she shared her top tips for learning Japanese, which she believes are applicable to other languages as well.

When asked to introduce herself, Donapati explained that she was born in India and moved to the United States with her parents. She grew up in Silicon Valley, California, and after graduating from university, worked in marketing at Amazon before moving to Japan in 2023. She then worked for an investment startup before launching her own Japanese language learning support website.

Donapati's interest in Japanese culture began with a manga called "Alice in the Country of Hearts." She loved the art style and the unique use of shading. This led her to read many other manga, borrowing volumes from libraries. Through these stories, she became fascinated by Japanese culture and the lives of Japanese high school girls. This sparked her desire to learn the language.

She began studying Japanese at 12 or 13, using smartphone apps and English-language blogs. When asked about the difficulty of learning Japanese, she emphasized that the fun of learning outweighed any challenges. She started with hiragana and katakana, using flashcards and blogs with illustrations to memorize the characters.

To learn grammar, she used free English-language blogs. She also utilized Niconico Live, where she would engage in conversations with hosts, forcing her to quickly formulate sentences. Additionally, she used a social media platform to video call Japanese speakers, asking them to correct her Japanese. She also practiced "shadowing" by repeating words from Japanese dramas.

Donapati believes her success came from continuous immersion and enjoyment. She wanted to learn like a baby, absorbing the language from her surroundings. She found that textbooks alone weren't enough for natural speech.

To stay motivated, she constantly reminded herself of her goals, even during everyday activities. A visit to Japan during high school further fueled her passion.

She left her job at Amazon to pursue her dream of working in a field that connects Japan and the United States. She felt she wasn't living her own life and wanted to be more involved with Japan. Her ultimate goal is to start her own business and contribute to Japan's economy.

For Donapati, learning a foreign language has the power to transform lives. She believes it can lead to cultural immersion and personal growth, and recommends it to anyone seeking change.