Let me add that I'm sorry for your loss.

I enjoy looking at the Edo period and the art which surrounds this. I have a particular interest in Irezumi, which are Japanese tattoo's, in parrticular I would like to get a full body suit.

"Jisatsu" basically means the same in etymological terms as the word "suicide"

-Satsu / -Cide = killing

Ji- / Sui- = self

Some computers need special programs to accept kanji, or else it just appears as a series of squares -- which is annoying!!!

You mean a IME? i don't know much about that but maybe is just that some computers have it built-in when you buy it

Not sure. I know they can be downloaded but after my computer broke and I was trying to download one that had succeeded before, and it wouldn't again.

If you run Windows, you can load any available IME if you have the install CD.��I have English, Japanese, and Korean on my PC.

I've been a japanophile since first grade. I've taken 3 years of Japanese, listen j-pop/rock, do origami and sumi-e (watercolors and calligraphy, read japanese novels, and love manga and anime. I also like Japanese mythology, history, medical research, movies, and video games. I want to go to Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Yokohama etc.

i have a freind who absolouteley loves anime and manga he's really good at drawing them as well

What singers do you like?

I like Ayumi Hamazaki -- especially "Dearest",
Hikaru Utada -- especially "Sakura Drops" and that song that became the theme to "Detective Conan" for a while,
Hirai Ken.

I loved Hirai's rendition of "The old Grandfather Clock", translated into Japanese.

Hell, I even like Sakamoto Kyuu

And also have a soundtrack collection of various Ghibli movies, and 35th Anniversary Collection of Lupin III soundtrack, and a One Piece soundtrack, all of which I really like to listen to as well.

The Japanese are without a doubt one of the most fascinating people still in existence.

I'm very interested in japanese culture, always have been, I'm not interested in anime/manga though, it is more the way of life and philosophy/religion, also I have a fascination for some of the rituals especially the tea ceremony.  I like the architecture, the art, the language, and japanese guys are sooooooo damn gorgeous!   

I signed up twice to learn japanese and both times the course got cancelled

I'm also very interested in China and Malaysia.

I am fairly interested in Japanese culture. It's interesting and has some intriguing contrasts in comparison to most Western Cultures. A lot of the contrasts are positive (in my opinion) such as more appreciation for art and respect for the elderly.

I took Japanese 1 this year- I'm looking for penpals to practice with, if anyone is interested?.....
I learned tons.  初めまして。私はアチナです。十六歳です。アメリカジン� �す。ドゾオよろしく。
きのは水曜日です。私は本を読んで、イスクリムを食べて� �およぎました。
Apologies if any of the wrong kanji or kana appear.  My computer program automatically converts any hiragana I write to kanji or katakana most of the time, and sometimes it makes mistakes.  I hope the symbols show up, but if not, here's the romaji version: Hajimemashite.  Watashi wa Achina (I usually spell my name Atina when I write it in katakana, but my computer automatically changes it to Achina) desu.  Juu roku sai desu.  Amerikajin desu.  Dozoo yoroshiku.
Kino wa suiyoobi desu.  Watashi wa hon wo yonde, isu kurimu wo tabete, oyogimashita.
Which should translate, if I did it correctly, to:  Hello.  I'm Athene.  I'm 16.  I'm American.  Please take care of me (traditional Japanese greeting).  Yesterday was Tuesday.  I read a book, ate ice cream, and swam.

So, basically I'm capable of very simple conversations, asking for directions, talking about my day, and asking someone on a date (we had a whole chapter on dating!  Seriously!)
Next year I'm taking Japanese 2; the high school I go to doesn't offer any further courses, so after that I'm going to the University for further lessons.  I expect to be fluent by the time I graduate from college, at which point I intend to go teach English to Japanese high school students for a year to make some quick money.  My sensei says they pay a LOT of money for native english speakers to teach.

You're lucky. My school system is making major cuts on High School classes. The only languages we'll have this upcoming school year will be Spanish and American Sign Language.

I know a few Japanese words and phrases myself. For example:

Baka
Daijobu
Champuru
Touge

Japanese is actually the ONLY language class my school offers- before this year, they didn't offer language classes at all.  They were told they were "too small" to hire a language teacher.  There's only about 120-150 students there.
I'd love to take an ASL class.  Maybe sometime in college......

I know baka and daijobu, but I don't know the other two words.  What do they mean?
I learned a new one recently:  がんばれ (Ganbare).

It's really fun watching movies and things now, knowing more of the language....  I can catch at least one word in most sentences, and sometimes the whole sentence, if it's short.  I was watching the reality show "I survived a Japanese game show", and before each commercial break the host says the same thing- "Minna isshoni!  Majide!"  Majide is the name of the show, and I got so excited, because I understood what he was saying!  "Minna" is "everyone", "isshoni" means "together"- he was asking the audience to say the show's name with him, "Everyone together!"
It's this kind of thing that makes me love learning new languages so much.    That moment where you realize you can understand something that was unintelligible to you before.