Hi everyone, it's Mog! 😊
There's something that's been weighing on my mind for a while now, and I finally want to talk about it.
After five years of writing this blog, my monthly page views still haven't broken 200. 😭 I'm truly grateful for the handful of loyal readers who keep coming back — that means the world to me — but I'd be lying if I said the numbers don't get me down sometimes.
I asked an AI to help me figure out why, and the answer was pretty eye-opening: apparently, having English and Japanese mixed equally (about 50/50) on the blog is a big part of the problem. Google doesn't know whether to show my site to English speakers or Japanese speakers, so it ends up not showing it to either. Ouch.
Honestly? I've known about this since last year. But I had two reasons for keeping the Japanese — and I want to be transparent about both.
Reason #1: For Language Learners
This blog actually started through an app called HelloTalk, a language exchange platform. A lot of my readers found me there while learning Japanese, and I loved the idea that my posts could help them pick up some Japanese while also learning about Japanese culture. Removing the Japanese felt like leaving those readers behind.
Reason #2: I Wasn't Sure My English Was Right
Here's my little secret: I write everything in Japanese first, then use AI to translate it into English. So my English isn't always perfect — and I knew it. Having the Japanese right there meant readers could check my original meaning and let me know if something got lost in translation. That feedback has saved me *so many times*. I was honestly a little scared to lose that safety net.
Some of you might be thinking, *"Why not just write in English from the start?"* Trust me, I wish I could! But I work full-time, and squeezing out time to write as it is already feels like a juggling act. Writing directly in English would take way too long. 😅
So here's where I'm at: I'm seriously considering splitting future posts into a separate English page and Japanese page. That way, I can reach more people without losing either audience.
But before I make any changes, I really want to hear from *you*. 💬
If this blog became English-only, would you still want to read it?
Please share your thoughts — your opinion genuinely matters to me.
With love,
Mog 🌸
