The Leaves of Words”Kotoba”: Why We Learn Languages

Be proud of yourself. Your words are still growing, and that is a beautiful thing. But have you ever wondered—why do we learn languages?

What is “Kotoba”?

In this world, English is a common language, while Japanese and others are local languages. In Japan, the word for language is “Kotoba.” If you look at the characters, it literally means “leaves of words.”

This beautiful metaphor originates from the philosophy of Ki no Tsurayuki, a famous Japanese poet from over 1,000 years ago. He believed that our hearts are the “seeds.” Just as a seed grows into a tree, our inner feelings and thoughts branch out to become thousands of leaves—the words we speak.

This teaches us that words are never just empty sounds. Instead, every word is a living part of our inner self, flourishing from the roots of our emotions.

Facing the World

Life is full of challenges. From the moment we are born, we have to make many choices. Sometimes, we just want to run away.

In those difficult times, I remember a phrase a friend once gave me: “No more through people.” For a long time, English was a struggle for me. But through this phrase, I realized something important: To learn a language is to learn about the person speaking it.

A Gift of Seeds

My friend left me many “seeds” of words. I cannot imagine how much patience and effort it took for him to share them so quietly and kindly. He gave me words about:

• Peace of mind
• Connecting with others
• Warm greetings

These words are invisible gifts, but they stay inside me. Every time we talked, it felt like he was planting seeds. Now, those seeds are growing roots and slowly turning into trees and plants.

Our Role

I believe our role as humans is to protect and grow the “seeds of words” we receive from others.

To my friend, I want to say: “I’ve been happy to share this moment with you.”

It brings me great joy to see the seeds you planted bloom in different places.
I hope the world will be filled with peace and happiness.