When the student is the teacher - reviewing a presentation

My last couple of evening classes with one of my private students have been a revelation. She's a very dedicated mid-wife/intensive care nurse at the wonderful Nagano Children's Hospital (in Azumino).

I've had a long association with the hospital, its staff & patients, as I've taught various groups of doctors, and nurses there over the last twenty-five years or so, as well as groups of their children (some of whom are doctors themselves now!)...and also classes to long-term in-patients in the charming little school they have there. That itself was a career changing experience for me & some of my lucky colleagues.

Makiko's presentation was on zoom, to a group of about 300 Indonesian care providers/NICU professionals. In English. She was dealing with a really tender topic - tiny tiny babies' management. She really is the experts' expert, from arguably the best premmie unit in Japan - she absolutely knows what she's talking about, and presented a powerful powerpoint with excellent on the job photos & graphics to highlight her crucial top tips for managing the precarious state of very premature babies - "premmies".

I was awed by the levels of layered care required, and provided - and the nature of such often surprised me. Obviously medical - but how to provide to an infant so small who doesn't actually have a 'skin'? What parameters to heat/light/oxygen saturation? Resistance eg a small incubator with walls to press against & stimulate muscle tone? Sleeping positions & constant observation. Honestly, labour of love & devoted professionalism.

I am never going to complain when students like Makiko tell me they're tired! No-brainer. Constant shift work & emotional drain, my job is change the subject, find something to enhance her use of English...stuff she can use next year when she will present at the Premmy Conference in Jakarta next year! Yep, she did such a good job they want her to present to the BIG room. And she'll steal hearts & win minds :)

Nagano's premature babies are in very,very good hands - actually not physically, but you know what I mean!

Eric Carle - a fan club member appreciates his artwork & stories

 I'd like to talk about Eric Carle, a famous children's author & illustrator.

Eric Carle was born in the United States in 1929. When he was six years old, his family moved back to Germany.

As a child, he loved nature & animals, and he often explored forests with his father. This experience influenced many of his books later.

At school, he especially enjoyed art classes. One of his teachers secretly showed reproduction paintings such as Picasso, Paul Klee & Kandinsky whose work had been banned by the Nazis. He was inspired by this teacher & studied commercial art at an academy.

When he was twenty-three, he returned to New York. He worked as a graphic designer, art director and illustrator. After meeting the picture book creator Leo Lionni, he became interested in children's books.

When he was thirty-eight, he illustrated his first book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?". This experience encouraged him to focus on creating picture books.

Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar

In 1969, he published his most famous book, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". The idea came to him while he was playing with a hole punch. Interestingly, the main character was originally going to be a worm, not a caterpillar!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been translated into more than seventy languages and it is loved by children around the world. Eric Carle went on to create more than seventy books.

I chose Eric Carle because I recently visited his exhibition in Tokyo. I love his artwork and its atmosphere. I was also interested in him because I remember reading about him in my English textbook when I was in junior high school. I enjoyed learning more about his life & artwork.

Posted for Nene.

Remembering a childhood place - Nishinomiya

When I was younger, we lived in Nishinomiya, in Hyogo, Kansai (central Japan). It's an interesting city.

We went there by my mother's car. It took four hours.

Nishinomiya is different now. In the past, there weren't English schools. Now there are some kindergartens. Nishinomiya now is very fun, because the annual high school baseball tournament is in the Hanshin Tiger's stadium.

Posted for Sawa

Jaz Santos vs The World - profile of the player

You may have heard the name Jaz. Her name is Jasmine Santos-Campbell. She is a famous football player who played in the World Cup.

When she was eleven years old, she approached some people and formed a team.

Their coach was Rhiannon. She taught them that the things a player does off the field are as important as the things they do on the field. Some players become role models for young people.

In the final against the Silverton Shiners, at her first tournament, Bramrock Stars FC, where Jaz is a captain, played fairly and fought as a team. The game finished 2-2, and finally they won it on penalties.

She trusts her team, building good relationships.

Posted for Ritsuko

Message to Jaz Santos

Hello Jaz, 

I read your story for Jaz Santos vs. the World.

I’ve been watching your football journey, and I really like your personality on and off the pitch.  After reading the book, I felt warm and encouraged. You are not afraid to challenge and try difficult plays. 

At the same time, you have problems in your personal life and you may struggle when things don’t go your way. 

Sometimes your choices and actions might not have been perfect, but I suppose there’s 

nothing we can do. I also made many mistakes in my life when the problems happened. In that situation, you and I did what we selected from many choices. I made choices and took action, but in the end, I often regret them and feel like I made the wrong decision. I believe that's just part of life. I’m starting to believe that we move forward through all of these experiences.

To take part in the soccer tournament, you had some problems, such as gathering members and finance. However, you overcame these by coming up with great ideas and working together with your teammates. After your great work, you were able to join the tournament. In the end, you won the matches! That’s truly wonderful!!

If it were me, I think I might have given up quickly, so I truly think what you did is so amazing.

For the future, I believe you have great potential. You can reach a high level and succeed in football.

Keep pushing forward and enjoying the game!

A profile of Yayoi Kusama - Japanese artist (& influencer!)

Yayoi Kusama is a famous painter from Japan.

Yayoi Kusama

She was born into a wealthy family in Matsumoto in 1929. From the age of ten (in 1939), she began to suffer from hallucinations, such as the surrounding landscapes being covered with polka dots and flowers, and dogs talking to her. In order to escape from fear, she maintained her mental balance by copying the hallucination into a sketchbook.

She went to New York in search of freedom. In 1958. In New York, she won high praise for her 'net paintings' which continues to draw meshes on the canvas. In addition, she presented spatial works using mirrors with electric decorations, and created many works such as body painting & fashion shows.

She returned to Japan in 1973. She was away from the front stage for a while, but she was doing activities such as writing novels and poems.

"Cosmic Nature"
 at NY Botanical Gardens

Her painting was exhibited at the Venice Bienniale, Japan pavilion in 1993 and increased its international reputation.

Even now, polka dots are called "The Shape of the Universe" and continue to send message of infinit space and peace through museums & public art around the world.

Posted for Ayumi

Yuki reminsces about Okinawa

 When I was younger, we went to Okinawa in south japan for our vacation. They are little islands in the Sea of Japan. We wnt there by plane. It took two hours.

Yanbaru, Okinawa

Okinawa is different now. There was nature. There are cities now.

Okinawa today is a popular place, but I miss the peaceful forests that I visited as a child.

Posted for Yuki

Profile of a famous footballer - Honore Sawa

 Honare Sawa is a famous football player from Japan.

Honore Sawa

She started playing when she was six. When she was little, she played with boys on her brother's team. She played as a midfielder. She was number 10 on the national team.

Her best moment was winning the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011. She helped Japanese soccer become world champions.

She says that practice is hard, but playing with her team & winning game is fun. She wants to teach children for them to follow their dreams.  

Posted for Chinatsu

Journey in Denmark

 Late yesterday, I arrived in Copenhagen Denmark, and the hotel was comfortable for me. There was no issue with my room’s plumbing, and the area around the hotel seemed safe.

I woke up late and missed the hotel’s breakfast service. The bread I bought at a convenience store near the hotel was delicious, but tomorrow I'll take my time and enjoy the hotel breakfast. After eating the bread, I visited the canal side district of Nyhavn in the afternoon. There were fewer tourists in the afternoon, so visiting in the afternoon was probably a good decision. The houses along the canal were colorful, and I enjoyed my walk. It was a little cold today, so the walk warmed me up. The chocolate that I ate at ABC café for rest tasted so good.

Tomorrow, I'd like to go and look for a chair as Denmark is famous for its furniture. I’m looking for a chair that will make me feel comfortable and relaxed that can use for a long time and won’t get tired of.

This is what I want to do in Denmark.

* Taste various chocolate

* Go to shops where have dishes of Royal Copenhagen

* Visit Krongborg

I am going to talk to a local person to know his/her recommendations in Denmark.

Reminiscing about...Snap Cafe, HCMC, Vietnam

When I was younger, we often went to the Snap Cafe in Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam, for lunch. It's a
cafe which has a playing area.

Snap Cafe, Ho Chi Minh City

I think we walked there, but now I have to use the plane because I live in Japan.

Snap Cafe is not different now. The ice cream shop I loved is still there and playing area looked the same, when I went back there three years ago.

Snap Cafe today is a cool place for families. I hope it continues running.

Posted for Nanaha

Please welcome Lois, joining our staff this month

My name is Koishi, and I go by Lois. I’m originally from China, and before moving to Japan, I studied philosophy in Hong Kong and the United States. In my free time, I love reading, writing poetry, playing guitar, and spending time around plants and nature. 

I also really enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds and hearing their stories, so I’m looking forward to creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere where everyone can feel comfortable chatting together.

My cousin's wedding

I'm going to talk about when I attended my cousin's wedding. 

The wedding was held in the city of Tokyo on a sunny day. The place was a very spacious and beautiful building. From there, I could see the bay and the morning sun was very beautiful. At the ceremony, my cousin and my cousin’s wife were wearing very beautiful dresses and tuxedos, and they were very bright.
I ate a lot of food at the wedding. I ate seafood salad, cold corn soup, beef steak, foie gras, stewed seafood, sorbet, cake, and so on . I also drank Sudachi's non-alcoholic cocktail. The colour was blue and it was very refreshing.

There were two entertainments for the wedding. The first is to guess the colour of the dress that the bride will change. We choose which dress the bride will wear with a penlight. The dress, which was originally white, has become a very beautiful blue dress. The result,l could not collect,but the dress looked very good on the bride and was beautiful. The second is dancing. My cousin's classmate danced in costume. It was very fun and exciting. Everyone in the audience was laughing.

It was a very fun wedding with a lot of food and everyone laughing.

Posted for Ayumi

Sherlock Holmes - The Sign of Three (a year later...)

One year later, things have changed a bit for the characters. John and Mary are very busy taking care of their baby. John still works as a doctor, but he spends more time with his family now. Mary has become a good mother. They felt worried before having the baby, but they are happier.

Sherlock is still solving many crimes. He has changed a little because he understands friendship more deeply now and cares more about other people’s feelings. For Sherlock, John and Mary are still his best friends and very important people to him.

Janine didn’t start dating the man in the white jacket and blue shirt at the end, but she is more confident now. She enjoys meeting new people.

Sholto survived the crime and now lives more carefully. He will continue to feel guilty about the deaths of young men in Afghanistan for the rest of his life. But after the wedding incident, he felt a little better and started to trust other people more.

Jonathan Small is in prison to atone for his crimes. But he never forgave Sholto and doesn’t regret trying to kill him.

Posted for Nene

A respected football player - Daizen Maeda (Celtic & Japan)

 I will introduce a football player I respect. On Friday, May 15th, JFA (Japan Football Association)
announced the national team members for the FIFA World Cup 2026, starting June 11. Daizen Maeda was selected as a member of the Japanese national team. You may have seen news recently that he scored a goal in the most recent match against Hearts, which helped secure the Scottish Premiership title.

In 2016, Maeda started his career at Matsumoto Yamaga FC. After joined Mito HollyHock on a loan deal, gaining valuable experience, he contributed to Matsumoto Yamaga’s championship victory and promotion to the J1 (first tier) League in 2018. He played for Maritimo in the Portuguese League and Yokohama F. Marinos, and is currently playing for Celtic in Scotland.

When 18-year-old Maeda joined Matsumoto Yamaga FC, he declared that his dream was to become a member of the Japanese national team. Almost all of the supporters didn't think it would ever happen and it would just end up as a dream. However, he made his dream come true. The ex-director of Matsumoto Yamaga FC said that Maeda remained humble and serious even after he became famous. I think that he put a lot of effort into getting to where he is today, and learned that it is important to say a dream and act to make dreams come true.

He and the national team are seriously aiming to win the FIFA World Cup 2026. I truly believe that dreams come true someday, and I want to fully cheer him and the team.

Postcard from the end of the line; O Shi station in Gunma

 

I found a rather unusual station in Golden Week, in Gunma - near Kusatsu onsen. It is no longer in use (it closed in 1971). However, it is still interesting!

The building behind the platform sign used to be three storeys high, into which iron ore was dumped from the local mine. Then, it was loaded into the wagons below, to be transported down the line through Naganohara for processing. 

There is some old rolling stock & the platform has been restored - there are no trains running now. Obsessives can get their stamps, and memorabilia in the quaint little museum which used to be the ticket office, with some really cheap prices for tickets to Niigata or Yokohama! There are some great black & white photos on display too.

I really liked this chance to see some of rural Japan's industrial past - before it gets too hot this summer!

Postcard from Canton, China

Hi Jim sensei,

I am on the business trip to China with Tomoko from April 12 to 16.

This photo when we went to Canton Fair on April 15 and had lunch there. There were a lot of people from various coutries!

See you again in the class.

Thanks! Chinatsu & Tomoko

 

Let's welcome Ana to Luna!

We are delighted to announce that Ana has joined our teaching team at Luna; please say hello when you see her & introduce yourself!

"Hi everyone! Nice to meet you

My name is Anastasiya, but you can call me Ana. I'm from the Netherlands, and I'm married to a Japanese person. I really enjoy living in Japan. I like visiting shrines, and my favorite food is sushi. My hobbies are cooking, baking sweets and traveling.


I also have experience working as an English tutor in Seoul, South Korea. I teach on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, so please feel free to say hello anytime! I'm looking forward to studying English with you~ ♪"

My cousin Shou

I’ll introduce my cousin,Shou.

He’s the son of mother’s brother. He was only six when I was born, so he’s been more like a brother to me than a coupon. He is twenty six years old now.When we meet, we always play sports and games,which makes me happy.

He was born in Chiba prefecture, and he studied electronics in high school and enjoyed playing tennis club.He was very good at tennis and participated in the prefectural tournament. On holidays, he walks with his pet and plays sports with me when I was junior high school student. He started work when he was eighteen years old as a mechanic.

I think he is good-looking. He's quite tall with beautiful black hair, he’s cool and gentle and has beautiful dark brown eyes. I think that he is a really kind character. He is always smiling and always tries to help someone who is in trouble. He works hard and he plays hard, he is always cheerful. That’s why he’s always popular because he has friends around him.

His current lifestyle is really good. He still works as a mechanic, and is married to a nice woman. He also enjoys traveling in Japan with his wife. He wants to do his best until the end, even if it’s difficult. So I’m proud of him.

Posted for Ayumi

Jim's awayday in Tokyo - challenging examiners

Limited thinking time for Speaking Examiners to consider lexical resource components (words!) into CEFR bands...if only there were a website for that? https://lnkd.in/gH_AYdaQ

Speaking Examiners vs CEFR on Wordwall

Interesting disagreement about 'brass' - common in Japan as it is a 'club activity' in JHS/HS (brass band)...and in Yorkshire our number one obsession (money!), and my age group who loved The Pretenders/Chrissie Hynde! High end phrasal verb 'brassed off', idiom 'brass neck', or 'top brass'.

Here's the link https://lnkd.in/gn5efxzT - if you can beat the high score & live in Japan/teach English, get in touch about joining the SE team ;)

Thank you to Chris & the JP040 SE team for your patience with my attempts to spice up/gamify certification & re-invent the assessment wheel. 

Visiting Matsumoto - local advice

Let me introduce Matsumoto city!

Firstly, Matsumoto castle: it was built in the medieval age. You can rent traditional clothes like yukata, and take a photo with a samurai!

Nakamachi is the next place to visit. You can enjoy beautiful views and eat delicious food, like crepes & pancakes. You can also drink fresh spring water from one of the many wells.

Soba is a traditional Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. You can eat it hot or cold with soy sauce & wasabi.

Nawate Street is another beautiful place to visit. There is a big frog statue. You can take photos, drink coffee, and visit the nearby shrine.

You will want to visit Matsumoto. Now, enjoy your visit.

Posted for Ceilidh 

Teaching - and assessing - Young Learners

Calling all teachers of Young Learners in Kanto...here's a great opportunity for you to share your teaching skills, add some internationally recognised PD to your CV. And top up your bank account from time to time. Bingo?!

Cambridge Assessment English's most active Centre in Japan, Kawaijuku JP026, needs YOU! Training for Speaking Examiners to deliver & assess the Young Learners suite of speaking tests is only being run once this year in Tokyo over the July 11-12 weekend - so get cracking with signing up before all the seats are snaffled up > details https://lnkd.in/gH_-Fte3 Please check you meet Minimum Professional Requirements - applicants must reside in Japan & be eligible to work ie have the relevant visa....and enjoy teaching children!

Breaks my heart to have to say that Luna is no longer a Cambridge Centre for Young Learners (nor any other exam) as we basically saved this brand in Japan. 

My big sister Fuu

I have an older sister who was born one year before me. She and I used to go same school until high school. I moved after that and she keeps to live in Miyagi. She said “ I don’t want to leave from hometown! “ But I can’t really understand that one. We are totally different in our preferences, personalities, and ways of thinking.
She studied in the nutrition department at university and now works as a nutritionist at a kindergarten in Sendai.

She loves eating, but it seems like she doesn’t really enjoy cooking, even though she’s a nutritionist!

She looks positive and optimistic, but I think she is actually a little conservative and responsible, and she doesn’t prefer big changes.

To be honest, we didn’t used to get along very well.We fought a lot when we were children.However, as we grew up and started living apart, I realized that this is just the right distance for us. Now we message and call each other, and we can enjoy spending fun time together more than before.

I hope we can keep this natural relationship.

Cross-posting from LinkedIn - Speaking Examiner training

It's taken a few days to get my voice back!March 28th - training for Cambridge Assessment English speaking examiners (SEs) at A2 & B1 levels in Tokyo was such a popular ticket that Kawaijuku JP026 doubled the registration and were STILL over-subscribed.

Participants rubbed shoulders with colleagues from JHS & HS settings, ALTs as well as homeroom teachers; language school & Eikaiwa teachers; university teachers/lecturers/assistant professors from across the Greater Tokyo area + a journeyman from Osaka. PhDs, Masters, DELTAs & CELTAs in abundance + a blizzard of different passports & previous teaching experiences...all of which went into the mix so that we can deliver these speaking tests to globally recognised standards & assess with analytical confidence.

Great to see some SEs getting back into the team after being sidelined by work elsewhere, and others joining us from Centres overseas &/or stepping up to add new levels having proven their own "Can Do". And the newbies realising they were in the right place, just stuff was a lot harder than imagined?

March 29th - Certification - is 'prove it' day. Many learnings to take in during training, a chance to fine tune interlocution chops & table management/non-verbal skills...and thoroughly apply detailed assessment criteria to two individual performances in a paired format, quickly.

As usual, I learned a lot. Inevitable, in a room of 32 teachers, each of whom has 3,000+ classroom hours under his/her belt - that's a LOT of experience :)
Frequently bailed out by my TL colleague Damian Gowland, and corrected by our superb SE Personnal Manager Keiko Ohashi & big TY to all participants for staying the course & coming out smiling!

Can't wait to start processing applications for B1 & B2 training, Tokyo, July 11-12. Find all the details (and apply soon - this session is bound to be much sought after!) https://lnkd.in/g-i8U6MW

Postcard from...Nagurumi Castle ruins, Gunma

 This is an outstanding preservation job on a hilltop castle (site), perched over the Tone River, in Gunma prefecture. The overgrowth has been cleared away, and the site of buildings & fortifications gentrified & identified, clearly identiable with really good signage.

Although the actual footprint of the site is quite small, it sits on a significant ridge with natural (steep!) defensive features, which were enhanced with cross-contour ditches. These have been bridged, which makes this an easy stroll of exploration. The view from the tip overlooking the valley is stunning, and I imagine this location would have been very difficult to overwhelm.

The connections with Sanada, of Ueda Castle fame, is quite something, given it's a long hour's drive around the mountains via the Agatsuma valley today and chilly enough even as spring is breaking.

This information from JCastle info:

Originally a fortification on this site was built by the Numata in defense of Numata Castle. The present fortifications date to Sanada Masayuki who fortified them to launch his attacks on Numata Castle. As an ally of the Takeda, Sanada Masayuki took control of the area by taking Iwabitsu Castle, Nagurumi Castle and finally Numata Castle in 1580. This area was heavily disputed between the Sanada and the Hojo until 1589 when Hideyoshi ended hostilities by giving the area, including Nagurumi Castle, to Sanada and the remainder to the Hojo. This decision did not sit well with the Hojo commander Inomata Kuninori who attacked and took Nagurumi Castle in late 1589. This was the famous spark that set off Hideyoshi's campaign to end the Hojo. Hideyoshi defetaed the Hojo the following year (1590) thus unifying all Japan. The Sanada were given Numata castle and Nagurumi was abandoned.

Please visit that great website for more castle info & places to explore!

I want to follow the BFG’s example! ~Talking About the Amazing BFG~

 

The BFG is different from the other giants.
First, he doesn’t eat people. Even when he is very hungry, he keeps eating snozzcumbers, which taste very terrible. He hates their taste, but he still eats them because he does not want to hurt people.

Also, while the other giants are violence, but the BFG is kind. He catches dreams and sends good dreams to people so that they can sleep happily at night. This shows his warm heart.

In the end of story, the BFG works together with Sophie and talks to the Queen of England about the man-eating giants. With the Queen’s help, the giants are caught, and people can live in peace.

If I were the BFG, I might not be able to eat bad food when I was very hungry. The BFG is amazing because he values his kindness to protect people more than his hungry.

Like the BFG, I’m going to resist hungry, eat vegetables (though vegetables have greater taste than snozzcumbers!), and try to my diet :)

What “Shopaholic” shows us

 

Due to quickly growth of Internet, we can buy something online very easy. We do not have to give real cash to shop staff, so it is difficult to feel how much money we really used. Because of this, people may spend more money. There are full of goods from all over the world, I think that many people can become ‘’ Shopaholic’’ like a Beckey.

I almost become a Shopaholic. I loved collecting goods of Pokémon, and I was exited everywhere I pressed the ‘’buy’’ button. I can’t stop myself. Next month, I saw my credit card bill and I was very surprised and scared. The bill showed me clearly the result of my actions. I learned that it is important to look back at what we spend money and think if it was really needed. （Even so, there are times when I feel like I can’t control myself to say , “I want that.” The internet is scary!!! ）

In the story, Beckey keep shopping and ignoring credit card bills and letter from the bank. I think this is a bad habit. In the end, Beckey tries to pay back her own debt, but she loses many important things such as trust from friends and family. One wrong choice, I feel that I might have become like Becky. This story teaches us to think carefully about how to use our limited money.

 

A Giant to be respected

 Virtually all Giants love to eat people and eat people every night.  One night, fourteen boys and eighteen girls disappeared from their beds at school. However, the only Big Friendly Giant doesn’t eat people in Giant Country, and he eats a strange vegetable called a snozzcumber to relieve hunger though it tastes terrible, and he really hates it. Delicious things like apples and oranges don’t grow in Giant County.

It may be quite easy for the BFG to eat people to satisfy his hunger. However, it is important and wonderful that he didn't do anything that he thought was wrong.

I see a similar situation in our development for our customers. We supply goods in North America, South America, the U.K., Europe, Australia, and New Zealand mainly. The U.K. and Europe have a very high eco-consciousness, and their products use minimal plastic, but the U.S. is the opposite. The plastic parts are much cheaper than the non-plastic parts, but the U.K. and Europe take wonderful action to save our future. I respect them who do something that makes the future better though it causes some impact in cost, efficiency etc.

Is shopping a good way to feel happy?

 I don’t think shopping is a good way to feel. 

I understand that it is easy to feel happy if we go shopping, but good feeling is not maintained for a long time. Our material desires have no limits. For example, when we buy clothes, accessories, or small gifts for ourselves, we may feel more confident or satisfied. 

This is why some people use shopping as a way to reduce stress or improve their feeling. Sometimes, I do shopping when I feel stressed. 

On the other hand, people might feel regret if they spend too much money or buy things they do not really need. Shopping can be addictive, and some people cannot stop even if they want to. Many people suffer from this problem for many years. 

It is often said that true happiness comes from experiences rather than things. Such as spending time with family and friends, achieving goals, learning new skills, or helping others. These activities can improve our feeling of happiness in the long term. If shopping is done not to satisfy our own desires but for the sake of others, I believe it can have a very positive effect on our feelings.

In conclusion, shopping can make us happy for a short time, but it should not be our main happiness. Buying small things is okay, but true happiness comes from people we care about, good experiences, and growing for our skills. 

I know the good way to spend money for my feelings, but I cannot stop my material desire!!

Ayumu Hirano - profile of a famous sportsperson

Ayumu Hirano is a professional snowboarder and skateboarder. He was born in Niigata on November 29th, 1998. He started snowboarding when he was four. His older brother also snowboarded & skateboarded, which inspired him. He became famous quickly, because of his high jumps and difficult tricks in the halfpipe.

He competed in the Sochi Winter Olympics when he was only fifteen and won a silver medal. He became one of the youngest medallists in Olympic snowboarding history. In 2018, he competed again at the Preong Chang Olympics and won another silver medal.

Besides the Olympics, he has won many medals at the X Games, which is a famous competition for extreme sports. He is know for performing very difficult tricks including the "triple cork" that only a few people can do.

In the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, he finally won a gold medal for the men's halfpipe. He competed in this year's World Cup, but he couldn't land well and was injured. However, he competed in the Olympics this month and finished in seventh place.

Posted for Renka

Visit Matsumoto - Hikari's top tips

Visitors can rent Yukata

If you come to Matsumoto, you'll definitely enjoy visiting Matsumoto Castle. It was built in the medieval age. Before there, you can rent traditional Japanese clothes, "Yukata". You can experience something rare, such as taking a photo with a samurai. Getting there by rickshaw is fun. In winter, there is an ice festival and the castle is light up. In summer, you can listen to traditional Japanese drums in the castle grounds.

Shopping is good in Nakamachi Street. You'll enjoy eating food & buying Japanese handicrafts. you can eat lots of desserts and foods, for example deicious crepes, pancakes, and traditional Matsumoto food, caramelised crickets & bee larvae. You can drink from a fresh-water spring.

If you're a first-time visitor to Matsumoto, don't miss out on eating soba. It is a dish of traditional Japanese noodles maade from buck wheat. You can learn how to make it too, in a class. It can be eaten hot or cold. Cold, with leeks, soy sauce & wasabi. Eat it hot with wild mountain vegetables or tempura, shiitake or matsutake mushrooms.

For those who only have a short time in Matsumoto, why not go to Nakamachi Street? There is a statue of big frogs at the entrance to the street. They are named Metoba, Gonta. When you visit there, you should take a photo with them. You can drink coffee while seeing beautiful nature. There is a shrine. You will want to wish for good luck.

Now you will want to visit Matsumoto. Enjoy your trip to Matsumoto.

Posted for Hikari

☻My best friend☻

 My best friend and I are both twenty four years old. We met last year of high school in Matsumoto when we were eighteen years old. We studied in the same class.She is smart and kind. When I did not undestand something, she always helped me.

 After we graduated from high school. She moved to Tokyo.We could not meet face to face because of COVID 19, but we sometimes play video games on the internet.

Now she works Tatsuno city in Nagano prefecture. We often go traveling or have lunch. A few weeks ago, we went to Lake Suwa together☻

*This is a photo taken at that time. I'm on the right, and my friend is on the left. 📷️

I love her and I am very happy that she is my friend !!

A Precious Friend in My Life

I met her at high school. We were in the same class and chose art class. 

We went to the art class room together every class. She was really good at painting.  I like her art.

We discovered we were same author fans, Osamu Dazai. We went too a cinema to watch his movies. 

After graduating, we spent a lot of time together. She had many ideas and ways of thinking that I didn’t.

She especially loves cooking. I went to her home to eat her dishes. She also was good at making sweets. At Valentine's day, I asked her to help me bake chocolate cookies. Finally, I could make lovely cookies. 

We don't meet often after we were married, but we text or call, and talk a lot such as family, job and children. 

Talking with her makes me feel calm, and I always enjoy it.

 

My best friend Mariko

Mariko and I were neighbours.  We met when we were four years old.  In the first grade of elementary school, we went roller skating together and had fun times.

After her mother died of an illness when she was nine years old, her fathr did his best to raise his children and his business. However, I think she had times to feel sad.

When she was thirty years old, she met a man who we could trust and respect.  I was very glad that she got married to him.

We meet once or twice a month to talk each other while playing with her son.

Are All Animals Equal on Animal Farm?

 I don’t think life on Animal Farm is fair for all the animals.  

At the beginning of the story, all the animals believed they were in an equal society. They thought the human was not good for them. So, they worked together to kick out Mr. Jones, and they hoped that everyone would share the work. For a short period of time, it seemed like everything might get better.

However, as time was passed, the pigs started to take more and more power. They said that pigs were the “smartest” animals, so they should make the decisions. At first, the other animals accepted this, but soon the pigs began to act like leaders. They got better food, they slept in beds, and they did not work as hard as the other animals.

The pigs also changed the rules. For example, they rewrote the commandments so their actions look correctly. They used Squealer to spread propaganda and made the other animals believe that everything was fine, even when it was not. The animals like Boxer worked extremely hard, but they never got respect for their work.

In the end, the pigs became almost the same as the humans the animals had tried to escape from. They walked on two legs, drank alcohol, and made deals with humans. The other animals were tired, hungry, and confused, but they were unable to fight the pigs because they had no power or education.

For these reasons, life on Animal Farm is not fair for all the animals. Only the pigs enjoyed a good life, while the rest of the animals cannot feel freedom. 

The animals of Animal Farm were not equal

I think life on Animal Farm is not fair for all the animals.

At the beginning of the story, all animals are equal. They work together and share the same dream. They believe that life will be better without humans. The rules of the farm say that all animals are the same and should live in peace and fairness.

However, this fair life did not continue. As time went on, the pigs became more powerful than the other animals. They made important decisions and changed the rules little by little. The pigs began to live a comfortable life. They ate more food, slept in beds like a human.

Other animals, such as horses and sheep, continued to work very hard every day. They believed the pigs and did not question them. Boxer was a typical example. He worked harder than anyone else and always trusted the pigs. When Boxer got injured, the pigs said that he was taken to a hospital. However, in reality, he was taken to a Horse Slaughterer, and his body never came back to the farm. After his death, the pigs made up a story about him. They said he died happily and praise them. They used his death to make people believe they are good leaders.

This shows that life on Animal Farm is very unfair. Even the most loyal and hardworking animal is used and then thrown away.

  

Appropriate shopping

 When I was in my twenties, I would go to Shinjuku once every few months to buy clothes. I would walk around all day, carefully consider what I liked, and buy the things I loved. I really enjoyed looking at clothes in different stores. I can understand how Sophie felt happy at shopping.

I have gotten into the habit of prioritizing my shopping within the limits that don't disrupt my daily life. Because of this, it was difficult for me before to spend money that did not match my income. This book and my ex-husband helped me fully understand that some people will spend any money they have on hand immediately and go shopping even when they have no reliable income.

For those who struggle with managing money, it may be beneficial to minimize the amount of money they have or to offer them fun activities other than spending money. This book also taught me that it's nearly impossible to make more money easily.Hitting the lottery is a miracle that may happen once in a lifetime. I should enjoy the lottery with the extra cash in my pocket.

Telling your students to "Go Away!"

 

Go away, kids!

A risky strategy if you want to get paid next month!

My kindy classes fell on Feb 3rd, which is 'setsubun' festival in Japan this year. It's an occassion when children throw (soy) beans at a monster (usually the oldest bloke in the house) shouting 'oni wa soto' - literally, go away monster.

The idea is to shoo away bad luck/evil spirits from the house, and to invite good luck in through the open door. I am sure many cultures have similar mid-winter superstitions/traditions (what are they?).

Monster mash

Who doesn't like making masks?! I wanted two different ones so I could divide my class into 2 groups, to shout at each other by the end of the lesson. Content was reviewing/recognising some letters of the alphabet & following colouring directions. We had not done a Hallowe'en theme last year - for several reasons including I think it is a cultural imposition & inappropriate! But the Super Simple Song "Go Away" from Halloween fits this task rather snuggly, so first time of hearing, my monsters quickly got the idea and could use their new English phrase at home on demand :)

What do you think? Monsters banished?!

My great cousin Hiroko

 I like my cousin Hiroko. She's my father's older brother's middle daughter. She is seven years older than me. I often played with her when I was a child, but we spend less time together  since she got married.

She is very active ! She likes to travel. When she was young, she went to India to volunteer at Mother Theresa's House, by herself. She plays Japanese drums with her daughter until recently.

She is tall and has brown eyes.

 One thing I love about her is her sociable, cheerful, and sunny personality, so she can change any atmosphere cheerfully.

She has a son and a daughter. Her son got a job this year, and her daughter will become university student from this April. So she  will become active again. She's trying a challenge 100km walking now!

Assumptions - a hand game that tanked!

We make assumptions all the time - mine was to expect my young students to be able to take turns. How old do you need to be before you can manage this 'simple' chant with hands in a stack?

One potato, two potatoes seemed so simple, but boy was it a hard to achieve! Understanding the 'drill' was a hard sell. It's not a familiar chant to Japanese kids. Sticking to the beat, one at a time, was anathema.

Taking turns with a partner vs 'me first' or 'mine on top to win' strategies...

Moving a hand from bottom to top, a new concept...

Keeping up with the speed & remembering English numbers...

Including all group members, not pushing, don't want to stand up...so many variables I'd not factored into this quick & easy hand game!

This group having a second go, a week after trying for the first time. A bit of familiarity helped, but I think you can see for yourself how complex this little game is for little ones! A learning opportunity, no?!

Task based learning - is it?!

As I keep saying, I'm not an expert! I'm not sure if this classroom activity actually meets the methodological definition of "Task Based Learning" (TBL) or not...but it felt like a task, looked like a task, and resulted in something tangible which the students really enjoyed doing...so, whatever it might be labelled, it was a win in the classroom.

I went to see a presentation about TBL on Sunday, at the ETJ event in Tokyo. Another one of many presentations that was 'talk to the people around you' variety...very frustrating as I want to learn from someone whose abstract suggested knowledge would be imparted. Instead, I'm floundering with other audience members unknown on a vague topic with no idea what the outcome should be. After that, given a task which I was 100% unable to do. The first was annoying, the second actually made me think that as a student, I'd be angry & humiliated in this sitution.

Both these situations made me think about where my learners were on Saturday afternoon. 

• They know each other well
• They have the language they need (I know)
• They have practiced , because they wanted to
• They can manage the tech (app on my iPad) intuitively (I know)
• They're a bit shy & reluctant to speak up (I know)
• They want to do something 'safe'... within their capabilities
• Very different artistic 'skills'

The 'task' had been a follow up to 'finishing' their graded reader -  draw a picture of your favourite animal as homework. This takes the 'performance anxiety' out of drawing, and can be done in 2 minutes or half an hour (not a classroom time management problem waiting for perfection or "I'm done"). The language aspect = answer some questions about your animal. The result had been one word responses (predictable) which we 'repaired' together, building full sentences & reviewing structures from the reader on the way (so, it did involve grammar, it did involved syntax, it did involve spelling).

I've posted before about using Chatterkids, and the benefits of anonymising student output...here are the results of my students using each others' work to personalise their work. They controlled the device, blinged up their work, re-recorded if they wanted to & agreed with each other when they were done. As you can see & hear, I think a great pay off which got a lot more language flowing than I know they'd usually not be keen to do :)

Students get to keep their work - parents can also see the outcomes as we shared to their Google Classroom. Genuinely happy faces...what do you think? Task based learning?