Koboyama Kofun - burial mound in Matsumoto

The Koboyama Kofun

layout of a Kofun

In ancient Japan, in the 3rd-7th centuries, many important Japanese warlords made burial mounds to  show their power. They used dirt to make them, and they put the body and precious things in it as well.

One of these historical tombs is in Matsumoto, Nagano. It is called Koboyama Kofun. It is the oldest kofun in east Japan. It was built in the 3rd century, but it is unknown who built it.

The Koboyama Kofun was rediscovered in 1974. At that time, local people mistook it as just a hill. During the WW2, some machine guns had been set up on the hill. Afterward, the Matsusho-Gakuen corporation bought the hill to build a school.When they surveyed the ground, they found that it was a special kofun for Japan.

The Koboyama Kofun is about 60m high, 66m long.The shape is like two squares together (see image). There was a traditional round mirror, three iron swords, 738 glass balls, an iron ax and a jewel ball.

We don't know who was buried here.Today, people come here to see 2000 cherry trees in blossom every spring. Most people do no realize what they are climbing!

Koboyama Kofun cherry blossoms

Yuto

Sightseeing and shopping in Ina

Sightseeing

There is a famous cherry blossom park in Ina city. You can enjoy many beautiful pink-red cherry blossoms in Spring. During the season, there are lots of traffic jams…especially weekends and daytime. So, you should go to there at night or weekday. There are many limited-time-only food stands.You will be satisfied with the flowers and foods at the same time.

In autumn, the park is also famous for the beautiful colored leaves.You should visit there each season. 

Please enjoy the beautiful view!

Shopping

Ina city is famous for Kanten(agar),Sake and Gohei-mocha. If you have no idea for souvenir, please remember these things. For example, you can take a tour of Kanten factory and Sake factory. These tours are very interesting and factories are so nice. So you will enjoy yourselves and get some special souvenirs there!

And...please don't forget to eat Gohei-mochi in the city! It's tasty!

Enjoy your stay in Ina!

Spring has come!?

Shidarezakura

There is a warm breeze. Some small birds are twittering around my house. They enjoy the mild weather in early spring too. Last week we had snow here, but now it is getting warmer. This warm and sunny climate will make bloom cherry blossoms.

Typical Japanese Spring weather is changeable. At first, people know the coming spring by gale-force winds. People call it “the first spring gale”. It is a signal of the coming spring. Beginning of the spring, cold, chilly, sometimes freezing days and warm days come alternately. From ancient times, the climate is called “Sankanshion”, which mean alternation of three cold and four warm days. I recognize that it makes sense every year.

People eagerly wait for the coming spring every year and they feel certain about it by the news of the blooming cherry blossoms. Now cherry blossoms are starting to bloom from western areas of Japan. It will soon be here.

Teruki♥

Minobusan Kuonji 身延山久遠寺 Shidarezakura 2012.4.11

April - a month in pictures at Luna

Thank you Damian for reminding me to make April's slideshow...it was such a great month. The sun came out to play, at long last, and with it the Cherry Blossom (good) & hay fever (awful). Goodbye wellingtons & shovels, hello short sleeves and sunglasses! Social highlight of the spring was our annual barbecue on the Susuki riverside; thank you everyone who came, cooked, ate & drank :)

Loads of fun in classes too, as you will see, with arts projects showing off some really creative ideas...readers getting stuck into their books, and learners learning how to use their indexes properly. Table-top games, dice games, iPad games, board games and any other kind of games you can think of too!



May will see our final month in our current premises; we love the space we enjoy but little else. We hope there will be as little disruption as possible to the regular class schedule, and we expect to be up & running next to Big Boy from June 10th. If anybody would like to help us with the big shift, please let us know - all hands on deck June 6, 8-9.

May will also see some of our students taking their Cambridge PET exams, and others getting ready for their FCE at the beginning of June. Important steps in several language learning careers.

BTW, the song is by Bob Geldof, a man I have a lot of respect for. Very sadly his daughter passed away in April.

A look back at classroom smiles through March 2014

What a wild month March was! Snow that we thought would never end and our carpets still wet after the thaw. Business as usual nevertheless in the learning zone, with some big paint jobs taking place in Damian's classroom. We planted a mystery garden (now showing signs of life in all but one planter) and said goodbye to long-term students - going to miss you guys!

Success rewarded as well, with certificates arriving for YLE, KET & CAE passes - well done you!

April is going to be a busy month, and apologies in advance for the state we might be in at the end of the month. Join us, meantime, April 13th from noon onwards for our Cherry Blossom Party (details oin our Facebook page). Have a superb April - we will!

Is it a video? Is it a picture? No, it's a gif...Kinotopic

I took the long way round to get to work this morning, as I wanted to have a peep at the cherry blossom before the massive crowds rock along to the castle this weekend - and before the rain due this afternoon.

I also wanted to try out a new app I found for my iPhone (no, not instamatic!). The app is called Kinotopic (details here) and what it essentially does is freeze a short 2-3 second video clip. Why bother? Good question...what the app then enables you to do is 'unfreeze' a portion or portions of the frame with a swipe of your finger, where a repetitive motion is then looped into the otherwise static picture. You can add other effects (as here, a grainy sepia effort - I really couldn't see very well, editing in the bright sunshine so it was potluck).

What do you think - would you like to try out Kinotopic?

Cherry Blossom BBQ - THIS SUNDAY (Apr 17th)

It's nearly here - Cherry Blossom time!

Last year it snowed but we still had a superb time - I know the mood is a bit more subdues this year and I feel a little guilty inviting everyone to come and have a party when others less fortunate in this country can't...However, it would be a shame to let a wonderful day go to waste, so come and get some fresh air, blow away the wintry cobwebs, meet new friends and old....throw a steak on the BBQ, eat too many snacks and get some sun. Who knows, we might even enjoy a couple of drinks :)

It is a BYO event - so please bring your own food and drink - it is a pot luck thing as well, so bring extra and share? We will provide a BBQ & a large awning for shade.

Time: from 12:00 (noon) til dusk
Place: Susuki River, on the Massho HS side, near the footbridge
Who: Everyone - children and friends very welcome
Price: Free, very cheap, and free!!!