If you miss the punch line to a Japanese joke, don't feel bad. It's simply unrealistic to use something as elusive as humor to measure your ability to understand a foreign language.
On the other hand, knowing what makes people laugh is a great incentive for language study.
Years ago, I found the lessons in my university's Japanese textbook rather dull, and set out to supplement them with more amusing materials.
I was reminded of those efforts last August, when I read the お悔やみ (okuyami, obituary) of veteran TV entertainer Takehiko Maeda (前田武彦), who had passed away at the age of 82. (Japan Times)
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