Sonia Leung | Memory, Moment, Machida - Part 1: Conquering Level 1
Short nonfiction from the coalitionist mixed bag.
Machida (町田市), west of Tokyo, was the major city near Higashi-rinkan in Sagamihara, Kanagawa prefecture, where I lived on and off from 2006 to 2008. The landmark of Higashi-rinkan, a sleepy, small residential district, was Old Hickory. It is an Italian restaurant in a standalone red barn building off the station; you cannot miss it. And who does not enjoy a quaint restaurant with delicious Italian fare? The rustic wood interior mixed with American Norman Rockwell art creates a cozy atmosphere for diners to enjoy their handmade pizzas, salads, pumpkin soup, lasagna, and paella. Yes, all the above. And yes, that red barn was all I remember about that placid suburb, a place that belongs in a muted movie.
Machida, on the other hand, was like Tokyo: vibrant, modern, and diverse. It was where I found an international center with unofficial Japanese classes given by volunteers who were retired ‘salarymen’ and senior housewives. These older Japanese men and women would come one or two or three afternoons during the week, and they would each take a table, and at the beginning of each month, we (the foreigners of any country and any walks of life) could pick a table to join in. The more liberal seniors would let you choose what you want to study, and they would give you their best guidance. So, it was more like a study group with a tutor whose only qualification was being Japanese.
Luckily, I met Ms. Kyoko Itami. Itami sensei was in her sixties, the archetype of the most admirable Japanese women, like the nation’s beloved former Empress Michiko, where elegance seemed to be her middle name. But Itami sensei was also passionate and approachable, eager to know us and care about our daily lives. She was a keen student herself and often asked about our countries and jobs. Limited by domesticity all her life, she returned to her girl self. She strived to extend her worldview by conversing with us to fulfill her girlhood curiosity and desire to be a world citizen. Her support to us in our Japanese study was equally intense and invaluable.
In early 2006, I first learned Japanese in Tokushima, Shikoku, for about four months. After that, I returned to Hong Kong. During the eight months I lived in Hong Kong, I hardly used Japanese and did not practice it, so it was natural that I forgot the language.
I went back to Japan at the end of 2006 and started studying with Itami sensei in February 2007. Three of us participated at her table, and we decided to begin by doing a final review of the first book of Minna no Nihongo (everyone’s Japanese) for beginners and then move on to the more advanced second volume.
When April came, a mainland Chinese guy named Yang joined our group. There was a Japanese Language Proficiency Test from the lowest Level 4 to the highest Level 1 that many of us, the foreigners learning Japanese, would take. Yang took Level 2, the second highest, and failed a year ago. After a month of studying with us, Yang suggested we study Level 2 exam materials. We agreed and proceeded right away.
Two months later, a Korean young man named Lee joined us. Having passed the Level 2 exam, Lee aimed to take the Level 1 exam this year (2007).
Lee, Yang, and I became friends. Lee asked Yang to skip retaking Level 2 and go straight for Level 1 with him. Yang was initially reluctant but found it to make sense because studying with capable people could be enormously helpful. The prospect of saving one year and the exam fees was too good to ignore, so Yang said yes.
Afterward, the two worked on me. ‘Let’s take the Level 1 exam together,’ they often urged me, adding firmly, ‘You will be fine, Sonia.’
I had only self-studied Japanese for about one and a half years and had yet to take the lowest Level 4. The exam was only half a year away, but the two seemed confident in me. Usually, it took at least four years of study to enter such a challenging assessment test, as passing it meant that your Japanese was as good as a university student. With such qualifications, you could be exempted from Japanese classes when you enter a university. Passing Level 1 also meant you would have a better chance of finding a job in Japan if you so wished. Or if you were already working there, it would give you better pay. That was how significant the exam was.
Therefore, I was both excited and nervous when Lee and Yang tried hard to persuade me to take the exam with them. After giving it extensive thought, I made up my mind and decided to give it a go. ‘If they believed in me that much, I should have some faith in myself, too.’
My decision thrilled the two. We revealed our plans to Itami sensei, and she was delighted, especially for me. She agreed with Lee and Yang about my ability but did not try to coax me like the two because she did not want to pressure me. After our discussions and planning, we started studying for the Level 1 exam in mid-July. Even though August was summer vacation, the kind and enthusiastic Itami sensei continued to guide us, giving us her full support.
Over the next four months, I studied using the Level 2 and Level 1 grammar, characters, and vocabulary workbooks. We shared our essays in hopes of improving them and focused on practicing our listening skills in the classes leading up to the exam day.
The exam day was 2 December 2007. We had three tests in one day: Writing/Vocabulary, Listening, and Reading/Grammar.
I received my result on 2 February 2008. With a total score of 298 over 400, I passed.
Lee passed with higher scores. Unfortunately, Yang failed.
Nevertheless, I invited Itami sensei, Lee, and Yang to Old Hickory in Higashi-rinkan. Both Lee and Yang brought their spouses. Itami sensei loosened considerably, which was not insignificant for an older Japanese lady who behaved discreetly all her life and hardly ever disclosed her feelings, even among family members. But that night, the six of us had a blast. Fantastic food, fantastic friends—who could resist?
Sonia Leung is the author of three unique and compelling books. Don't Cry, Phoenix (2020), an English-Chinese bilingual poetry collection accompanied by a CD of ten original songs; the critically acclaimed autobiography The Girl Who Dreamed: A Hong Kong Memoir of Triumph Against the Odds (2024) and its Chinese version, 《 追夢的少女 》 (2025). Sonia's prizes, including Hong Kong's Top Story 2015 and 2016, and Wordview 2013, a UK-based annual global poetry competition, have garnered international recognition. Sonia's upcoming book, Three-Inch Heaven: Stories of Rural Chinese Women and Girls, is a collection of short fiction based on true stories.