Python and language learning: How did Python help me get the JLPT N1

In April 2026, Japan added a JLPT N2 language requirement for some Engineer/Specialist visas. Most IT engineers are exempt, but these tighter rules highlight that Japanese proficiency is increasingly important for living and working in Japan.

This talk presents my wrestling with the Japanese language and how, from being an international student frustrated that I could only speak English, I, ten years later, led an engineering team in a mostly Japanese-led firm. What did I learn during this time? How has language learning evolved with the arrival of LLMs? And how can we use the king of scripting languages, Python, to customize our studies? I will talk about my experience, open-source Python libraries (genanki, lute-v3), and trending projects like Understand-Anything.