Reason for taking Japanese

Before attending Columbia University, I was a competitive video game player that specialized in a genre of games that is traditionally dominated by the Japanese community. Through playing these games, and international tournaments, I have met people around the world that I would love to communicate with on a much more personal and cohesive level. It is also a desire of mine to frequently travel to Japan, and knowing the native tongue will make vacationing there a more fun and fluid experience.