English language school in the heart of the Japanese Alps, and English language learners sharing their experiences online. Teachers post regular items about teaching, learning tools, events in the school, their day to day experiences living & working in a foreign country. Students post on whatever takes their fancy - book reports, festivals in home towns, postcards from business trips etc. A little Brit of England in the guts of Japan!
My dream came true at last!
I am travelling around Morocco!!
I feel like travelling different countries each day. What a exotic, wonderful country!!
Especially I was really excited to see the sun rise at the Sahara Desert. The colours of the sand and sky were changing every moment. It was a unforgettable experience.
Teruki
Awesome headphones for any situation
I use my awesome headphones when I simply want to listen to music, or to study, but also on a train or on an airplane. The noise cancelling function it has works very well, so that any noise in a cafe, train or airplane won't bother me at all! However, this function might be dangerous if you use it while you are on a street, since you cannot notice bikes or other vehicles around you.
The quality of sound is also pretty good. It has strong bass, which is great for rock music. I chose the red ones, but there are many other color options. Also, since Beats is an Apple brand, they are very easy to connect to your device by Bluetooth.
Although they are an awesome product, there are some negative points. First, they are expensive - worth it, but at about Y40,000, beyond the pockets of most students. Second, when I wear them for a long time, my ears start to ache. They are not too tight, but somewhere squeezes my ears in an unnatural way.
Apple has released new color collections, as well as updated the product in 2022.
Why don't you try the? I strongly recommend them.
Posted for Yuto...following his final English lesson with Jim, as he is heading off to university.
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| Praying at our local shrine, New Year's |
People eat 'osechi' on New Year's Day too. It's a special meal with different foods, and each dish has a meaning. For example, black beans mean good health, and sweetened fish cake means a long life.
New Year's festival is important in Japan because it brings families together to share special wished for health & happiness.
Posted for Ceilidh
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| Jim, with an absolute "worldy" of a student in 2018 |
The inevitable scribbled note from a mum that your favourite student, who has made such awesome progress since her first lesson, which started & ended in a flood of tears/hiding behind mummy's leg/crayon throwing tantrum/hands in pockets refusal to enjoy a song & dance etc...now quitting to focus on 'juku' (cram school) or 'club activities' (only Despina Deguchi will ever win an Olympic Gold Medal from around here!) from next month.
Of course, all our departing students are welcome back with open arms - by which time 'romaji damage' has been permanently inflicted (you learnt how to read and spell phonetically accurately with me, but then want to end every word with a 'u' on the end...); you'll rely on an electronic dictionary to translate your every thought into incoherent word salads; you'll use AI to write any creative writing ideas you might have; you'll want to translate everything back & forwards through L1 and not even be able to say big numbers properly. You will have lost any idea of reading for fun; your fun intonation will have been flattened like a rib-eye before a BBQ, and you will be wondering why EIKEN is not recognised in the school you want to go to in Canada or Australia...and not be able to get an IELTS score good enough to get you a visa. Can we catch up for the years in juku/club activities? Methinks not.
I hate this time of year...am I young enough to wait for you to come back & rescue your English language learning any more? I'm afraid I don't think so...nor do I want to start another generation of learners from the floor (I'm old enough to be your mother's grandad - and my knees hurt). "I hate it when you leave"
Many people in Japan go to a shrine on January 1st because it is New Year's Day. This is when we celebrate New Year's Day, which is one of the most important celebrations of the year.
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| Osechi |
On the day, grandparents and relatives give money to me and my brother and sister. We watch 'Kohaku Utagassen', when many singers sing their songs on TV. We watch as a family in our grandparent's house, which is in Aomori. New Year's Day is fun, but it's important to meet and talk with grandparents and relatives. The day makes us enjoy the new year. All in all, it's a wonderful day and a great time for our family.
Posted for Hikari
In the early hours of 30th June 1966, a fire broke out at a miso manufacturing company in Shizuoka city. The accident almost destroyed the building. The bodies of four members of the managing director’s family were found in the burnt-out house. At that time, the police arrested Mr. Hakamata who was a live-in employee for murdering the family, setting fire to the home, and stealing 200,000 yen in cash. He initially denied murdering the family and robbery, but later he confessed following beatings and interrogations that lasted up to 12 hours a day. A year after Hakamata’s arrest, some clothes were found in a miso tank. Those clothes were bloodstained and were used to incriminate him.
During the trial, he maintained his innocence, but he was sentenced to death, and the sentence was finalized in 1980.
For years, however, Hakamata’s lawyer argued that the DNA recovered from the clothes did not match his. They also further suggested that police could fabricate the evidence.
Their argument was enough to persuade the Judge and Hakamata was released from jail in 2014 as remains on confirmed death row as a row prisoner and was granted a retrial.
In March 2023, the Tokyo High Court allowed a retrial to begin, and after a total 15 hearing, the court was acquitted. It had been 58 years and a month passed before he was innocent.
My friend and I participated Northern Lights tour three nights and we could see northern lights every nights!
Actually, northern lights were not green like a calendar first time. I had seen it white colour. But I could see green colour 2nd day. That is it takes some getting used to see northern lights.
Were going to Seattle via Vancouver tomorrow, then I'm visiting the museum of pop culture! I can't wait!
Best wishes,
Makiko
I still remember the two incidents.There were gas incidents that exploded in Matsumoto and in the Tokyo subway.Both incidents were caused by terrorists in a religious organization named Aum Shinrikyo.
In June 1994, the first one in Matsumoto happened and lawyers were targeted because Aum Shinrikyo was trying to build a branch and there was a dispute over the land contract. The 1st informer Mr. Kono was suspected of murder due to media feeding frenzy and poor investigation by police because we had never heard “Sarin”. At that time, one of his children was a student at same high school and I suspect that she had a really difficult time with an incorrect assumption about his father.
In March 1995, they attacked the Tokyo subway using Sarin. It was called “Tokyo Sarin Attack”. They targeted people in Kasumigaseki, where government ministries and the Metropolitan Police Office are situated.
A lawyer Sakamoto and his family perished prior to the sarin gas incident in Matsumoto. Sakamoto, the lawyer, was in charge of handling matters related to Aum Shinrikyo.Aum Shinrikyo always targets individuals and society that are against Aum Shinrikyo.
The most of criminals was already punished. However, some religious organizations from Aum Shinrikyo are still working. I am afraid what purpose the organizations have and what action they take in the future.
Manteo Mitchell is an American sprinter and bobsledder. As a sprinter, he competed in the 200m, 400m and 1,600 meters relay (4x400m).
At the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London, the accident happened.
Mitchell heard sounds of break. He felt the pain and he just wanted to lie down.
Unfortunately, he broke his leg during the semifinal round of the men’s Olympic 4x400 meter relay on 9 September. He broke his lower left leg bone, the fibula. Despite his bone was broken, he kept on running. He said, “It felt like somebody just snapped my leg in half.”
Mitchell looked back. He had slipped on the stairs a few days earlier, but he hadn’t had it checked out. He felt fine and didn't think much of it.
One of the sports doctors said, “He had enough adrenaline and endorphins to be able to keep running. He was feeling a lot less pain at that moment. If it’s a short distance and a high-level athlete, even with a broken fibula, someone can finish the race.”
In addition, the doctor said, “He had broken his femur, it would been nearly impossible for him to finish the race. He was lucky it was the fibula.”
Mitchell ended with a broken leg in 46.1 seconds. The U.S. team qualified for the finals and finished in the fastest time in the first round of the relay at the Olympics. On Friday, the U.S. team went on to win a silver medal, but the U.S. team has been stripped of the silver medal. The decision comes due to the doping case of one of the members of the team.
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| Centre Pompidou-Metz |
Honored as a Pritzker Prize winner, Ban was born in Tokyo in 1957, and had a youthful dream to play rugby at Waseda University. However, after a disastrous defeat in an important match, he shifted his attention to his second interest, architecture.
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| La Seine Musicale |
Not only those convenient houses, Ban designed many breathtakingly beautiful buildings, including the Centre Pompidou - Metz, La Seine Musicale, Toyota City Museum.
On December 4th, the Shimose Museum in Hiroshima, designed by Ban, was announced by UNESCO at the Prix Versailles 2024 as the World’s Most Beautiful Museum.
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| Shimose Museum |
Currently, over 30 projects, including the Noto disaster shelters as well as EXPO 2025 Osaka, have been directed by Shigeru Ban, the sleepless architect.
An airport in New Zealand recently introduced a restriction on hugging time.
Why do people need a hug?
People hug when greeting or saying farewell, mostly to show and express their feelings. Maybe they also hug because of their culture or habit, but it is true that hugs have positive effects phisically and psychologically.
A very scientific stimulation, such as light, slow strokingtriggers endorphons which induces calm & relaxed emotions. Hugs can also benefit our immune system. Scientists have found that huggers are less likely to catch colds than non-huggers.
Looking at this behaviour widely, not only humans but also monkeys and apes hug. We evolved. Do we do it for the same reasons? Maybe not, but nevertheless, hugs have a lot of positive effects. We may want to try it now! But be careful, hugging for too long can be stressful.
From these points, it is understandable that many people spend their time at an airport before saying good-bye, but it is possible that the airport rule is doing travellers a favour in minimising the stress of parting.
Posted for Yuto
A recent topic with one of my classes was where they get their news from. The responses were predictably depressing & illustrated an almost non-existent exposure to anything & anywhere outside their algorythms on Youtube/school club/Spotify/Instagram. None of them had apparently EVER read a newspaper.
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| Guardian reader |
I am trying to get my daughter & high school students interested in reading it - but it is a bit daunting in terms of length and depth. The items are recent and varied, from headlines to opinion pieces; book & film reviews, recipes, and other looks at 'culture'...there's almost no sport and the position wrt conflict/politics/religion etc is factual & unbiased.
The pages that I've used with my student body = the Global Report. This 'Top 20" if you like, of news items from around the world takes my learners to all kinds of places they've never considered & news issues they're completely unaware of. I really want to trigger interest in the wider world, a wider horizon for my young adults to at least be aware of, if not interested and want to find out more - even if that's just looking for a country on the map.
I've gamified the 4 pages using Wordwall, making a reading comprehension challenge. Students match a short headline (mine) to wherever in the world the news item is from (headlined in the magazine). I've tried to paraphrase using synonyms for unfamiliar/unknown vocabulary, and asked students so far to work together.
Due to copyright, I can't share the pages from the magazine, but I hope you'll get the idea, and maybe even get a subscription for your school/home?
Here's the quiz for Nov 9: https://wordwall.net/resource/82519867
Here's the quiz for Nov 15: https://wordwall.net/resource/83219932
Here's the quiz for Nov 22: https://wordwall.net/resource/83257721
Here's a sample for Nov 29:
In Japan, universal health insurance coverage allows everyone to access health services. 30% of medical expenses are paid by us, while the remaining 70% are financed by insurance payments made by the general public.
One of the advantages of Japan's healthcare system is that we can access it without hesitation and recover before it becomes severe. I often feel unwell as I get older but feel reassured that I can access health services all the time.
However, it has some disadvantages. The initial disadvantage is the expense of insurance premiums. It is gradually increasing because of Japan's aging society and access to healthcare services is rising. The second disadvantage is the slow progress of advanced medical technology and/or specialty care because private practice is not readily accessible.
To improve the initial disadvantage, it is recommended to shift to generic to minimize medication costs. I am unable to come up with innovative ways to improve health services, but I expect that the excess or unnecessary medication will be improved because the insurance card will be shifted to ID card called “My Number Card” and it can see when/what people get health service and what medication is done.
Ningen Shikkaku is a semi-autobiographical novel, set in Japan in 1948, following the life of Yozo, who has some feelings about discomfort and isolation against society and distortions between others through his whole life.
Hi knack of pretending to be a fool somewhat attracts people. However, he is always afraid of strangers. Travelling through his life, his weaknesses are revealed. The reader cannot stop comparing themself with Yozo and exposure to ugly parts of humanity. You may sometimes feel disappointed with or hidden emotions but realise our warmthof humanity.
It is an interesting journey and worth a read.
Posted for Yuto
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| Two halves of the 'gap fill' |
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| Exercise complete |
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| Four-in-a-row template |
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| Game over! |
An absolutely shocking experience trying to check into a hotel that I'd booked weeks before the long weekend, so I could try to see three beautiful castles in northern Ehime...
An aggressive, rude and downright nasty man greeted me at the front desk of Hotel Ohta in Ozu, demanding to see my passport for a photocopy to be made. No, sorry mate, I live here - and I'm a bit tired, as I've travelled from Fukuoka in a rush to get here on the last train. Response = he brandished a probably well-used laminated copy of some guidance dated 2002 that non-residents need to prove their identity...and told me to get out!
Me not budging, but Mr. Jobsworth in fury-mode stomping about ranting (but flipping a switch to check in apparently Japanese guests without asking for any proof of ID or residence in Japan - how would anyone know!?)...it's pretty hard to get a Japanese credit card which I used for my booking, by the way, even if you have lived here for 20 years...Maybe these other guests live in Singapoer, matey?
Long story short, this unsavoury individual spat the dummy rudely whilst talking to my wife (on my phone, with battery in the red after a day's work & an evening's travel) eventually calling her a 'noisy old crone' and hanging up on her. Unbelievable. So she called the cops (answered in Matsuyama - miles away, on a Sunday night, middle of a long weekend - they won't be up to much!) while I tried to stink out the lobby with my refusal to go anywhere. Incidentally, once that check-in paper signed, regardless of what else happens, the contract to stay has been established - particularly if you've paid in advance. Yes, my booking was on their computer. Stand your ground, travellers - there are NO police rules natioanl or local requiring copies be made of ANY documents.
About an hour later, I can hear him on the phone in his cubicle stage left, giving it the humble 'hai, hai, wakarimashita' routine = somebody just ripped him a new bumhole. My guess was the local koban (police box). Without any hint of apology, just my name (I had one now, I was 'gaijin' earlier) grunted and a room key grudgingly dangled over the counter. No eye contact or hint of humility - let alone customer care!
I had checked out other accommodation options whilst sitting there on the naughty step; nearest was 64km away by car. Figured I could find a bench at the station if needs be. I'd come all this way, probably only chance in a lifetime, and I wanted to see the castle!
The lights were flickering off at the castle by the time I'd yomped there (having dumped belongings in the room); and all the local restaurants were very closed by the time I'd yomped back again. Bento it was.
And the room? Not worth the effort - labelled non-smoking when I booked, but obviously not. It stank. Tiny, and I didn't dare sit on the chair - looked like someone had given birth on it. Absolutely disgusting.
Harrison Ford was born in the United Stated on July 13, 1942.
After working for a local theater compnay, he moved to Los Angeles to become an actor. He made his debut in 1966 and appeared in many films, but he took a break from acting because of dissatisfaction and doubts about his way of becoming an actor.
After that, he studied by himself and became a carpenter. He thought of an opportunity to be active as an actor while renovating house and making furniture. After that, he was introduced to Fred Roth, whom he met through carpentry, and appeared in the movie "American Graffiti". He was a ppreciated for his positive attitude, such as coming up with various ideas for his his role, and gained the trust of derector George Lucas, and was also noticed by Francis Ford Coppola, who was also the producer of the film, and continued to appear in many films.
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| Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Star Wars |
After that, he appeared in many films, such as Working Girl" and "Patriot Game", and he explanded his career as an actor by appearing in a wide range of genres from romantic comedy to suspense. In addition, in 1993, he achieved great box office success in the role of Richard Kimble, the main character in the film "The Fugitive", and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award, establishing himself as a Hollywood money-making star. I
In May 2023, the Honorary Palme D'Or was awarded to him at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival.
Posted for Ayumi
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| Naka River yatai |
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| No hawkers |
There were dozens & dozens yatai lining the Naka River, offering all sorts of Japanese fare, from yakitori to ramen & okonomiyaki. There were queues for each and every one, and happy customers bellying up to the counters eagerly. Drinks in full flow and the scene quietly buzzing - but unlike Shinjuku not a pimp in sight & no sign of scampilly clad maids; nor the throaty jostling of Osaka with elbows out. Instead, a really orderly and patient excitement.
I found a seat with my boss for ramen, and got chatting with a Danish traveller - we got told off for talking too much/not eating & drinking fast enough (a yatai faux pas!) so I'll do better next time. The munchies were great, masters super friendly and the beers...just right :)
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| Fish face |
I really enjoyed my evenings out in Hakata - place has a really welcoming vibe. Nobody in a rush, the food is great and you can walk to anywhere you want to get to. If you need to get any further the new subway lines will get you there quickly, if the extensive bus network won't. I can't wait to come back...
Utada Hikaru is one of the most famous singers in Japan.
She was born in New York in 1983, and lives in London now. She debuted in 1998 when she was only fifteen years old. She became quickly popular because of her beautiful & unique voice. So her first single "Automatic" sold more than two million copies and her first album "First Love" topped the Japanese album sales chart.
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| Hikaru Utada |
Her songs were were getting more & more famous. Therefore, "Flavor of Life", which was released in 2007, recorded first place of degital songs sales in the world. She also received a prize named 'Artist of the Year' in japan Gold Disc Grand Prize. However, in 2010, she suddenly declared a pause. Nobody knew the reasons. It made many people sad and they though she might not come back.
Then, in 2016, she suddenly started her activities again. Actually, she married and gave birth to her baby. "Fantome, which was first released when she came back was recorded first place in Billboard Japan. It show how she is loved by many Japanese people.
Today, Utada Hikaru's songs are used by many daramas, animes, and movies. She and her songs are loved by many people all over the world.
Posted for Akane
I was very surprised to see loads & loads of cyclists around the entrance to the castle - they'd just finished stage one of the Tour de Kyushu, with media interviews and team selfies & groupies everywhere...I didn't recognise anyone! Probably impossible to get a room in town tonight - glad I didn't need to. The approach across the Riverwalk is enticing.
Luna QR
Point your mobile phone at this http://www.at-ml.jp/59329 |
