How to Visit Japan

I'm studying how to visit Japan.

Sorry, don't hold up hope. :-<

Ceased Adsense and Japanese Blog

Ceased Google Adsense.

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And I'm going to cease Japanese blog "Mum's The Word."
http://www.livejournal.com/users/kokoken9/

I started other Japanese blog. I don't have enough time to manage so many blogs, so I decided to shut down the blog which is not important.

Don't worry. I'm not going to cease this blog at least for the moment.

More Time...

I have too many things to do! I can't take enough time to write this blog!

...Sorry, it's a kind of excuse for failuring to manage my time. But I have to reduce the time devoted to write this blog.

I have works that are more important than writing English blog...

Coming-of-Age Day 2

Today's problem is "Areru Seijin Shiki." A part of new adults make noise during solemn Coming-of-Age Ceremony. In some cases new adults spoil ceremoneies.

Today, in Morioka, northern Japan, when mayor greeted at a solemn Coming-of-Age Ceremony, two new adults sitting in the front row let off firecrackers. According to Morioka city, one of them smelled of alcohol.

Such kind of trouble is reported by the media every year.

I believe that most young adults don't behave such way. I guess rare sensational cases are highly-publicized.

(End)

Coming-of-Age Day 1

The second Monday of January is "Seijin no Hi" (Coming-of-Age Day.) In Japan adult is 20 and over 20, not 18.

According to the National Holiday Act, the aim of the Coming-of-Age Day is "to make new adults aware that they become adults and to celebrate and cheer up the new adults who will live through for themselves."

Most new adults dress themselves up and attend "Seijin Shiki" (Coming-of-Age Ceremony.) Women wear haregi (colorful kimono.) Men wear suit.

(To be continued)

Kyusyu--My Experience of School Excursion 2

[The second day]

Oura Cathedral

Oura Cathedral (Catholic) is well known as the oldest church in Japan, which is built in 1864, It's designated as a national treasure. The cathedral worships 26 secret Christians who were killed in Nagasaki.

Glover Garden

After I visited Oura Cathedral, I went to Glover Garden, which was nearby the Cathedral. Glover Garden is former residences of Thomas Blake Glover (1838-1911,) a Scottish merchant.

Huis Ten Bosch (Nagasaki Prefecture)

Huis Ten Bosch was an amusement park that imitated Dutch town.

[The third day]

Went back.

Kyusyu--My Experience of School Excursion 1

When I was in high school, I went to Kyusyu, south-western Japan, as Syugaku Ryoko. Three days and two nights trip.

[ The first day ]

Mt. Aso (Kumamoto Prefecture)

Mt. Aso is one of the largest caldera volcano in the world. When I went to Mt. Aso on March, it was snowing. It's rare that it snows on March in Kumamoto, one of the warmest areas in Japan. Because of snow, I couldn't see the picturesque scenery of the mountain.

[The second day]

Dazaifu Shrine (Fukuoka Prefecture)

Dazaifu Shrine worships Michizane Sugawara (845-903,) "Gakumon no Kamisama (deity of learning.)" At that time, we are high school students who would take college entrance exams next year. So most students prayed to Michizane Sugawara to pass exams. But I was crank that I didn't.

(To be continued)

School Excursion in Japan

What's the best thing you remember in your school years? Many Japanese answer, "Syugaku Ryokou."

"Syugaku Ryoko" is translated into school excursion. But according to Wikipedia, it's only Japanese custom.
(http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BF%AE%E5%AD%A6%E6%97%85%E8%A1%8C)

Syugau Ryoko is performed by elementary school, junior high school, and high school. Elementary school students tend to go to nearby area. Junior high school and high school students tend to go to distant places for a few days. Some high school students even go abroad, for example, South Korea or China.

To many students in Japan, Syugaku Ryoko is a good chance to develop good relationship between their friends.

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I'm so crank that I think Syugaku Ryoko, which most Japanese love, should be abolished.

"Syugaku" means pursuing one's studies. "Ryoko" means excursion. So, "Syugaku Ryoko" literally means something like excursion to pursue one's studies.

But today, Sugaku Ryoko is excursion for play. Many schools incorporate amusement parks into their destination, for example, Tokyo Disneyland.

Juken Eigo (English for exams)

Speaking of Juken (entrance exams) and English, there was a word "Juken Eigo" (English for exams) in Japan. The word "Juken Eigo" is used when people describe English which are taught especially in high school. But it's not only high school students' problem.

Juken Eigo has a bad connotation. Many people think Juken Eigo has hindered the improvement of Japanese people's English skills.

The characteristics of Juken Eigo is such as below.

a) Laying stress on learning grammar
b) Reading-oriented learning activities
c) Memorizing abstract English terms, not words necessary for daily conversation

Grammar, reading skills, and memorizing abstract English terms are important. But in Juken Eigo conversation is not being laid stress on. Many people think that's the reason why most Japanese can't speak English, although they study English for years in school.

I heard that there are four English skills. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing . To communicate in English, I heard the most important skill is listening. The next is speaking. The next is reading. But Juken Eigo doesn't lay stress on listening, speaking, but reading.

However, high school students have to study Juken Eigo, because there are many reading and grammar problems on colleges' entrance exams.

English Learners in Japan and English Teachers in Japan 3

But as long as private English schools, things seem to be different.

I've heard one story.

A Japanese man managed a private English school.

One day, one man called the manager. The man said, "Does your English school employ native English teachers?" The manager said, "I'm sorry. No we don't." As soon as the manager reply, the man hang up the phone.

Another Japanese woman who also manage a private English school commented on the story. "Many people who want to go to private English schools emphasize on whether the school employ native teachers. But non-native English teachers have an advantage of teaching English from non-native's point of view. They understand problems of learning English as the second language."

I guess those who want to learn English at private English schools need down-to-earth English skills, rather than "Juken technique" (technique for passing entrance exams.) People can learn "Juken techinique" at cramming school, high shool, etc. But the schools where we can learn down-to-earth English skills are probably only private English schools. Many people seem to think that the best way to learn down-to-earth English skills is to learn from native.

I think both native teachers and non-native teachers have their advantage. English learners should take advantage of them.

(End)