Kurdish Man Teaches Himself Japanese, Writes 1,235-Page Grammar Book

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Whenever Mohammed Qasim Qadr grew exhausted from studying Japanese, he turned to a simple chart he had prepared to track his progress. Looking at the lessons he had already completed gave him the motivation to begin again.

That habit of returning to unfinished work eventually helped the 38-year-old Kurdish language enthusiast complete a book of approximately 1,235 pages devoted entirely to Japanese grammar, despite having left formal education after the eighth grade.

For Qadr, the project began with a childhood fascination with Japan and a desire to understand its language.

"The reason I created this book is that, since childhood, I have had a strong interest in Japan and wanted to learn the Japanese language," he told Kurdistan24.

His journey, however, was anything but straightforward.

Qadr recalled spending years studying intermittently, repeatedly abandoning his lessons when difficult questions arose and he could find nobody to answer them.

Sometimes those interruptions lasted a considerable time. Yet his interest in the language never disappeared.

As internet access and technology developed in Kurdistan, his circumstances gradually improved. Online resources offered answers to questions that had once prevented him from progressing, allowing him to resume studying with greater confidence.

An Education Cut Short

Qadr's educational journey was complicated by a medical condition that affected his eyesight and required repeated treatment.

He attended school until the eighth grade but could not continue because of eye operations and the medical attention he needed, including regular eye drops.

Despite leaving school early, he remains appreciative of the education he received.

"Thank God, I left school as a literate person, not an illiterate one," he said.

Qadr explained that he has xeroderma pigmentosum, a rare medical condition that appeared when he was approximately one year and seven months old.

He described the condition as affecting his sensitivity to sunlight, requiring precautions whenever he goes outdoors.

On sunny days, he wears a hat and sunglasses to protect himself from exposure. Nevertheless, he emphasized that the condition has not otherwise prevented him from pursuing his interests.

Without the opportunity to continue formal schooling, Qadr developed his knowledge through independent learning, gradually building the understanding necessary to undertake an extensive writing project.

Building a Book Through Persistence

His completed work, titled Nihongo Manabu, meaning "Learning Japanese," contains approximately 1,235 pages focusing on Japanese grammar.

Rather than presenting the achievement as the result of uninterrupted study, Qadr recalled the numerous occasions when exhaustion and uncertainty forced him to stop.

The chart he prepared became an important source of motivation.

Whenever he completed several lessons and felt unable to continue, he would return to the chart to remind himself of the progress he had already made.

"It really took a long time to complete, but I kept going," he said.

Each return marked another stage in a project that required patience and repeated efforts to overcome periods of discouragement.

For Qadr, completing the grammar book was particularly meaningful because his understanding of Japanese had been developed through self-study rather than a conventional educational program.

Finding an Audience on TikTok

His interest in Japanese has also developed into online teaching.

Qadr produces Japanese-language lessons on TikTok, introducing viewers to the language and sharing the knowledge he has acquired through years of personal study.

He sometimes begins with a Japanese greeting before welcoming his audience to another lesson.

Initially, he had modest expectations for his videos, believing they might attract only 100 or 200 views.

The response surprised him.

His lessons began receiving considerably more views, likes and followers than he had anticipated, giving his educational work an audience beyond his original expectations.

Although he did not provide precise audience figures, Qadr expressed gratitude for the reception his videos had received.

The experience has given him another way to share the subject that first captured his imagination as a child.

His story is also one of repeated beginnings. He did not complete his education as originally intended, and his attempts to learn Japanese were interrupted many times.

Yet through independent study, changing technology and the small act of returning to his progress chart, he gradually turned a childhood ambition into an extensive book and a series of lessons for others.

For Qadr, the achievement lies not only in the number of pages he has written, but in the years of learning that made those pages possible.