Mastering Complex Japanese Honorifics, Trilingual UIN Jakarta Student Bridges Academic Partnership With Yamagata University

JAKARTA, UIN Online News – Demonstrating the global competence of Indonesia’s younger generation, Asef Hidayatulloh, an English Literature student at the Faculty of Letters and Humanities (FAH), UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, has earned official recognition for his advanced Japanese language proficiency, achieving the prestigious Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N2 certification.

Raised in a multilingual family environment where foreign language fluency was part of daily household life, Asef developed his Japanese language skills through self-taught immersion, shadowing techniques, and daily interactions with Japanese-speaking neighbors. Today, his advanced linguistic capability serves as an essential bridge for international diplomacy at UIN Jakarta, where he accompanies visiting Japanese delegations as a bi-lingual interpreter in English and Japanese.go

For Japanese observers and language specialists, Asef’s approach to the language goes far beyond mechanical vocabulary acquisition. He emphasizes a deep respect for Japanese social pragmatics, particularly the intricate honorific system comprising Keigo (polite language), Sonkeigo (respectful language), and Kenjougo (humble language).

"Mastering Keigo, Sonkeigo, and Kenjougo is exceedingly nuanced," Asef explained. "It cannot be learned solely from textbooks because a single misspoken honorific can fundamentally alter your professional image and relationship with your conversational partner. Understanding social hierarchy and respect is key."

Despite challenges in maintaining Kanji literacy after moving away from his Japanese-speaking peers, Asef maintained high conversational fluency and listening comprehension, ultimately securing the JLPT N2 credential: the standard benchmark required by Japanese multinational corporations and higher education institutions.

Asef’s linguistic expertise has yielded tangible institutional impact for UIN Jakarta’s internationalization goals. Leveraging his fluency, he actively facilitated communication channels between the Faculty of Letters and Humanities and Yamagata University, opening doors for broader academic collaboration between Indonesia and Japan.

Looking toward the future, Asef plans to pursue his Master’s degree in Global Studies at Tokyo International University (TIU) upon graduating from UIN Jakarta.

"I am proud that learning Japanese—which initially started out of curiosity and informal practice—has created real benefits for the broader academic community," Asef reflected. "It opened institutional doors at UIN Jakarta to partner with Yamagata University, and I hope to deepen these bilateral ties when I pursue my graduate studies in Tokyo."

Through students like Asef Hidayatulloh, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta continues to foster a dynamic, multilingual student body capable of strengthening cultural, academic, and economic bridges between Indonesia and Japan.

Lastly, Asef sends his regard to all of the student: