On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Tony answers the question: How did you become so familiar with Japan? About Tony Vega Tony Vega is a writer, editor, and podcaster. He has lived in Japan as both a student and participant of the JET Programme. He possesses an M.A. in Japanese language and linguistics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Tony is the creator of Japankyo.com and he produces both the Japan Station and Ichimon Japan podcasts. Aside from his work on JapanKyo.com, he is the editor in chief of Wasabi magazine and the producer of the Transmissions from Hawaii podcast. Tony enjoys pizza, sushi, burritos, puns, and overanalyzing absurd things. Topics Discussed Learning about Japan and the Japanese language Tips for becoming knowledgeable about Japan and the Japanese language The importance of persistence and patience The importance of staying humble The importance of learning the Japanese language in order to better understand all aspects of Japan Graduate school And much more! Support on Patreon If you enjoy Japan Station and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. For a minimum pledge of $1 a month you'll get early access to all JapanKyo podcasts, bonus content, and more. And for $3 a month, you'll get access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and all of its fascinating quirks. Also, all pledges get a shout-out on the show and my undying gratitude. Thank you in advance! Support Japan Station on Patreon Links, Videos, Etc. If you enjoyed this solo episode, then you'll probably enjoy episode 33 of Japan Stationi. Learning Japanese While Legally Blind (Tony Vega) | Japan Station 33 Here are the Japan Station episodes that were mentioned in this episode. The Japanese Intelligence Community & Espionage (Dr. Richard Samuels) | Japan Station 34 Pregnancy & Marriage in Low-Fertility Japan (Dr. Amanda C. Seaman) | Japan Station 48 If you're interested in checking out Lang-8, you can use the link below. Lang-8.com If you would like to support the show by picking up some merchandise, make sure to visit KimitoDesigns.com. KimitoDesigns.com Special Thanks Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi) To listen to more of Yunomi's music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel. Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R. Featured image: JapanKyo.com Featured image: Courtesy of Romulus Hillsborough/Tuttle Publishing Follow Japankyo on Social Media Facebook (@JapankyoNews) Twitter (@JapankyoNews) Full Show Notes Get full show notes at www.japanstationpodcast.com