Because it’s a Saturday, and because I just know you need the inspiration, I’ve put together twelve images that will surely inspire you to jump on the kanji train. Choo choo. Kanji train coming in for a landing (yeah, the kanji train flies). Using the absolutely awesome online voluntary sweatshop-wage labor tool Mechanical Turk, I’ve been able to procure some inspiration for you. What I did was simple: I put a job up, asking people to write something that was both inspirational and kanji-related, and then take a picture of themselves. Of course, that got all sorts of interesting, and very uninspiring results, but at the very least it should give you a case of the chuckles.

This guy obviously hearts kanji. You can tell by the way he’s smiling so… wait a second…

Yes! Yes! Yes! What else is there to say about this one? Oh man.

What a frickin’ sweet beard this guy has. If that beard isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is.

Yes you can.

This dude is reading dictionaries for fun on a Friday night. Sweet!

This person totally went all out.

It’s funny because… well, just read it.

Props for the haiku. Unprops for the talking about Papt. Not cool man, not cool.

Nice face, miss!

This isn’t ChatRoulette, is it?

Do his thumbs up makes you inspired?

This guy believes in you. His stare says “I believe in you… and I may murder you in your sleep if you don’t study.”

So, if clown-wig guy, hard for kanji guy, or devil mask man didn’t totally inspire you to dive head first into kanji study now, I don’t know what will. Then again, maybe it isn’t only about inspiration? Maybe part of it is working hard and motivating yourself? Nah. It’s definitely clowns that got me to learn kanji. Happy Saturday, everyone.

Oh Mechanical Turk, I love you.

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