How This Guy Learned Fluent Japanese By Age 21: Matt vs Japan

Are you longing to really sink your teeth into learning a new language? Not just to a conversational level, but to a super high standard? 

You're not alone. While many of us are happy to simply talk without bumbling through the conversation, others want to perfect their language skills.

Easier said than done! So, let's look at one American who mastered Japanese at just 21 years of age.

In this article, you'll discover how popular YouTuber Matt, from Matt vs Japan, learned to speak near-native level Japanese.

And in the process, you'll uncover the fascinating reasons why Matt would change some of his early language learning ideas if he could go back in time. 

If you prefer watching videos, hit play to watch the video version of this post. Otherwise, keep scrolling to read the article version.

Fluent Japanese In Five Years

Let's start with the fact that Matt's fluent Japanese didn't happen overnight. By age 21, he'd studied the language for at least five years. 

Like many Japanese learners, Matt got hooked on Anime as a young teen. But it wasn't only the visuals and the storylines; Matt was fascinated by the audio, too.

Something about the sound of the language really pulled me in. It sounded elegant and beautiful and just instantly made me extremely interested in the culture and I wanted to learn more.

Matt vs Japan

Matt followed up on his passion by taking a three-week school trip to Japan and fell head-over-heels in love with the country. Somehow, he knew right then that his future lay in Japan and Japanese.

That's when Matt really started his full-on method of studying the Japanese language.

First, he transferred into the Japanese Language class in high school. Then, Matt devoured every textbook he laid eyes on and even entered summer school to pull ahead of his classmates. 

Lesson One: Take The Initiative With Your Learning

Matt's story so far points to a super-common trait among high achievers, like English with Lucy, Steve Kaufmann or Luca Lampariello — taking the initiative and jumping in head first. 

If you want to learn languages to a high level, don't follow the norm. Take the initiative and find ways of learning that suit your style.  

But dedication comes at a cost

Eventually,  Matt signed up for a Study Abroad programme to Japan to have the Japanese High School Experience he'd watched so many times on Anime. Sounds cool, right?

But it's at this point that older-and-wiser Matt develops a hankering to shake his younger self. 

Why? Because young Matt was shy, uncertain, and dedicated to learning Japanese above all else. So, instead of trying to talk and make friends, Matt buried his nose in his books, wanting to perfect his skills before he put them to the test in public.

Looking back on that depressing time, he says:

I couldn't make any real friends because I couldn't communicate with them. I didn't speak Japanese well enough; they didn't speak English. They didn't want to take the time to sit and talk to me like I was a baby. So it seemed like reading novels and watching Anime was more productive than trying to talk to people.

Matt vs Japan

Of course, Matt's not the first language learner to fall into that trap. Arieh Smith, aka Xiaoma, had a similar experience when he studied Mandarin in Beijing. 

Six months of loneliness and increasing isolation forced 17-year-old Matt back to America early. But, looking back, he learned another vital lesson.

Lesson Two: Enjoy People And Culture Too!

Make the most of the experiences around you. Perfection doesn't have to come at the expense of everything else. 

In hindsight, I would have put studying Japanese aside for a bit and just enjoyed the study abroad experience more, knowing that I would have the rest of my life to get good at Japanese. 

Matt vs Japan

Successful learners don’t give up

It would have been easy for Matt vs Japan to abandon his Japanese studies when he got back to the States. 

Still, he'd invested all his dreams in the Japanese language up to this point. Throwing in the towel now seemed like a waste of all that effort. If he didn't keep going, he'd rapidly lose everything he'd learned.

Forgetting, he says, didn't feel like an option because he'd already spent so much time, effort and passion. So, Matt made the momentous decision to carry on. That's where his genuine love for the Japanese language and culture made the difference. 

The 17-year-old summed it up  in an out-pouring on YouTube at the time: 

I don’t care, this is all that matters, this is it! It wasn’t a conscious thing; it just came from somewhere really deep. It was just like a lightning bolt hit me. 

Matt vs Japan

Lesson Three: It’s Not Easy!

Language learning is complex, and getting to a high level takes a long time. 

So, fire up your passion — it'll keep you going when times get tough. If Matt hadn't had that deep-seated yearning for Japanese, he wouldn't be where he is today. 

Matt’s method: All Japanese, all the time

Matt went headlong into the “learn like a child does” method for language learning and immersed himself in the Japanese language. Children are surrounded by language, and they practice it constantly.

Matt took a hardcore approach to immersion, throwing himself into watching Anime and listening to music and to people talking on Japanese radio. He read books, devoured Japanese books and spent hours learning vocabulary using the Anki flashcards.  

Even though it led to feeling excluded in Japan, Matt doubled down on input learning when he returned to the States.  

Lesson Four: Input Is Crucial

Consider using an input method for language learning. Work with your natural interests to listen, watch, read and practice, so you don't get bored or tempted to give up.

When you spend a lot of time listening and reading, your comprehension skyrockets.

But when do you learn to speak?

Matt started College and was determined not to repeat his mistakes. 

So, with thousands of input hours under his belt, Matt deliberately sought out and joined the Japanese community at his university. 

Socialising and speaking made all the difference to his advanced learning experience.

Because I had such a strong foundation of input as soon as I started speaking I started to get fluent very quickly because my brain had seen all the patterns so many times it only took a little bit of practice to activate all the knowledge that I had.

Matt vs Japan

Speaking wasn't automatically effortless, of course. But Matt got obsessed with meeting Japanese people and surprising them with his fluent Japanese. 

Having those conversations hundreds of times over became a crucial next step in his learning journey. You tend to have the same sorts of conversations when you meet strangers, so you perfect your responses in time. 

Matt would try every possibility in one conversation, analyse how it went and try a new variation next time. Eventually, he found the perfect conversational formula to amaze Japanese natives — a real confidence booster for learning and speaking high-level Japanese. 

Lesson Five: Input Boosts Speaking

Reading, writing and hearing so much of the language helps you understand most of what's being said. You have a vast reservoir of knowledge (words, phrases, grammar and syntax), so it doesn't take long to learn how to have a conversation.

In fact, learning to speak after input is far quicker and easier than trying to start talking right from the beginning when you know next to nothing of the language.

That's why the StoryLearning method is all about immersing yourself in a new language by reading stories.

Matt vs Japan: A Language Learning Journey Of Determination

You have what it takes!

If you're desperate to learn a new language, you already have what it takes to succeed. 

You've got the intention and the ambition. 

Now it's time to take control of your learning. Decide what you want and go for it. Don't give up. 

When you decide that input is a core way for you to learn Japanese or any other language, StoryLearning is here to help. 

StoryLearning's Uncovered courses and engaging books of original short stories will give you plenty of fascinating input at your level. With the right resources and your determination and initiative, you've got a recipe for success. 

Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.