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!