Anxiety has long been known to impact the processes of second language acquisition in salient ways (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986; Dörnyei & Ryan, 2015). Anxiety is clearly one of the most important emotional issues that face L2 learners, and research is needed to understand its impact. The current study sought to investigate 2 Japanese university students’ emotive states through language learner diaries and semi-structured interviews. The duration of the study is one semester (5-6 weeks) for each participant, and the research specifically examines the influence of anxiety on the participants’ language learning experiences, the influence of key persons, and their overseas experiences. The results revealed that some key factors such as adequate comprehension and frequent interaction with foreigners were necessary to overcome their language learning anxiety. Attendees to the presentation will be able to gain insights into both positive and negative factors that can affect anxiety for L2 learners.