We’re excited to announce that Julian Rice, founder of Rice Games and director of Shujinkou® (主人公), will be speaking at Learn Japanese Through Gaming!, a free online event hosted by the Japan America Society of San Diego (JASSD) and promoted by the Japan Society of Northern California.
What if learning Japanese could be part of a game you genuinely enjoy playing?
During this session, Julian will discuss the development of Shujinkou, a dungeon-crawling JRPG that combines traditional role-playing gameplay with optional Japanese language learning.
Drawing from his experiences studying Japanese and developing Shujinkou over seven years, Julian will explore how language learning can be incorporated naturally into gameplay, how game design can influence motivation and engagement, and what developers can do to make educational experiences more approachable without compromising entertainment.
The event will also include a moderated discussion and live audience Q&A, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions about Shujinkou, game development, Japanese language learning, and more!
Event Details
- Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026 (US) / Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (Japan)
- Time: 5:00–6:00 PM PST / 10:00–11:00 AM JST
- Location: Online via Zoom
- Admission: Free (registration required)
- Host: Japan America Society of San Diego
Register and Learn More
Free Registration (Luma): https://luma.com/1ly10nmo
Official Event Page — Japan America Society of San Diego:
https://www.jassd.org/programsevents/learn-japanese-through-gaming
Partner Event Page — Japan Society of Northern California:
About the Speaker
Julian Rice – Founder & CEO, Rice Games Inc.
Julian Rice is the founder and CEO of Rice Games Inc. and the director, producer, designer, and lead programmer of Shujinkou® (主人公). Born in Taipei and raised across Taiwan, California, and Hong Kong, Julian studied Linguistics & Computer Science and Japanese at UCLA, with a specialization in Entrepreneurship. He currently resides in Tokyo, Japan, where he previously worked as a full-stack engineer at BizReach Inc. while developing Shujinkou.
Released in 2025 after seven years of development, Shujinkou has received critical recognition, including a 90 Metacritic score on PlayStation 5, an RPGFan Editor’s Choice award, and a nomination for Best Hidden Gem at the New York Game Awards.
Beyond game development, Julian has spoken at Waseda University about game-based Japanese learning and continues to explore how video games can help connect players with Japanese language and culture.
Whether you’re interested in Japanese language learning, educational game design, or simply curious about the story behind Shujinkou, we’d love to have you join us!
‼️ Registration is free and open to everyone. We hope to see you there ‼️
Team @ Rice Games