Tarun Eswar: Japanese Language & Culture Blog
Junior Staff Writer Isabella Palit '24
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While students at Mass Academy enjoy STEM, they all have other hobbies and interests. For junior Tarun Eswar, his hobby has grown into an award-winning blog.
His blog, 365 to Japan, details his journey about learning the Japanese language and culture. The same skills that allow him to read and write technical literature also help him research interesting topics about Japan.
The blog started in 2021 in preparation for a trip to Japan, but his interest in the language began long before that.
“When I was in 6th or 7th grade my dad came back from a business trip in Japan and brought back a few souvenirs,” said Eswar. These souvenirs sparked a curiosity in Eswar to learn more about the country and eventually the language itself.
Today, Eswar’s blog is growing more and more. A variety of topics are discussed, from “Public Transit: Japanese Vs. The US” to “Off The Beaten Path: Frost-Covered Trees Of Zao.” Even more Mass Academy-esque topics are included, with one of Eswar’s more recent posts detailing “Coding In Japanese.”
Eswar’s favorite blog post is “Japan’s Power Grid Issue.”
“It [Japan’s power grid issue] was something I wasn't really expecting. No one expects any flaws with Japan, but there are many unexpected issues,” he said.
For this reason, Eswar’s blog holds importance; he brings attention to troubles the rest of the world are oblivious to, due to our impossible flawless perception of Japan. The blog works to educate both the audience and Eswar himself, giving the blog posts a sense of community and friendliness that is hard to find on the internet.
Another of Eswar’s passions is poetry, specifically writing haikus – a style of Japanese poetry. Currently, Eswar is hosting a haiku contest on his blog, after finding “that contests specifically tailored to Japanese haiku are few and far between.”
This summer, Eswar will have the opportunity to spend two months in Japan with a host family. He hopes to improve his Japanese during his time there, especially with the more day-to-day conversations that are difficult to replicate in a class. Because of all the care and effort he puts into his blog, he will be prepared for the culture and current events of Japan. He still plans on continuing the blog after he returns from his trip, and we all look forward to what he writes about next.
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