Abstract
I have been applying the sumo-themed gamification "Nihongo Banzuke" in my Japanese class since 2016 Fall Semester to motivate my students. This gamification allows students to level up as sumo wrestlers by earning points from tasks they complete inside and outside of the classroom. According to my survey, it succeeded in motivating a few students and making them more interested in Japanese culture. However, a significant gap remained between engaged students and disengaged students' level of commitment to the game. In 2017 Spring Semester, I modified some elements of the game and examined how it affected students' motivation and their learning strategies.
