School Activity Report

Today's Phrase

Happy new year! Wishing you all the best in 2023.

Let you know how to celebrate our Japanese-style new year for you!
Let’s try to read what they are!

 

① ねんがじょう 年賀状 Season’s greeting card for new year.

Here is a Japanese style New year’s card, called 年賀状(Nengajo)

Amazing handmade by NILS staff members. What a lovely card♡
We usually use postcards as greeting cards, you can buy one at post offices or even convenience stores.
Make it colorful!
We send it to our family and friends.
Guess, how many cards I wrote this year?
Hehehe, One hundred!
Yeah, I totally spent my days writing cards,,, hoo.
Are you saying, Why don’t you use copy machine??
Never.

② えと 干支 The eto are zodiacal animals that form a 12-year cycle. They are from Chinese calendar.

The rabbit is called うさぎ in Japanese.

The symbol for 2023 is Rabbit!

Do you know what animals we have in Chinese calendar?
Name them and comment, please.

The most famous of Rabbit in Japan nowadays is・・・

You know,MA〇ZE〇sisters. Maybe writing ANIME characters in your card would be a good idea.

Anyway, do anyone know why those animals are symbols for the new year?

 

③ かがみもち It’s Japanese rice cake, a decoration for new year.

かがみもち(kagami-mochi)

WHAT is this?
It is funny we stick small-sized hand fan and orange on the top of MOCHI.
Seems god is coming, yeah we decollate it for new year and welcome good fortune. We NEED it!
You can’t believe these are traditionally handmade. I remember my grandmother was making it every winter.
But now, you can get full-customed new year decorations at stores
Do you have this kind of tradition in your country?

 

④ しめなわ Ornamaent

しめ縄飾り(Shimenawa-kazari)

Made with leaves, it’s a kind of Christmas ornament, but it’s so humble there are not so many colors on it. We decorate it outside houses. You will see them even on cars!!lol

Some people decorate it on cars. Why?

Because wishing their family members and them safe year!

 

⑤ おせち Osechi

A lot of food is packed in a multi-tiered box like a bento-bako and eaten with the family on New Year’s Day (January 1 to 3).

It is said that the reason for making osechi is to have mothers free from housework.

We wish you a year filled with peace, good health, and lots of happiness!

We would like to share our ideas with you. Let’s talk about cultural differences.

Comment and share our blogs, thank you!

 

We will update our blog, Face book, and Instagram soon.

↓↓Please click here for more information and new update!↓↓

https://www.nilsjapan.com/programs/

 

Visiting Japanese high school!

Last week, NILS took a student to Hitotsuba high school.

It was one of NILS school activities that offers International students to experience Japanese real society and community.

We’ve found that there are so many talented students there. Some of them are professional dancers and the team came first in the world dance colosseum (WDC)!

Our student, she is a teacher in Spain. She participated the high school class and has learned a lot of things especially the difference in education between Spain and Japan.

She also experienced intercultural exchange through high school students.

I believe it was great time for her in talking with them. We will provide more better activities for our future international students.

Join NILS program, I am sure you will enjoy learning real Japanese culture through us!

Here is her testimonial.

The other day, NILL Japanese Language School took me to a private high school.
I was very happy because it was the first time I visited a Japanese school.
The teachers taught me the classrooms and the rest area.
At that time, there were students attending classes and students who were resting.
Students who were resting read magazines, ate sweets and practiced Kanji writing. Everyone was free to do what they wanted.

In the next class the English teacher taught grammar. The students listened to the teacher’s explanation in silence. I could confirm that Japanese students are quiet and very formal.
I spoke with students in another classroom “especially about Spain” When the students asked me several questions, I was a little surprised because the students knew very well about Spain.

Thanks to Tsuboi-san from NILS Japanese Language School and the high school staff I had the opportunity to visit a Japanese high school and talk to their students.
It was a good experience.
Thank you all

先日、NILS日本語学校は私立高校を見学に連れて行ってもらいました。

日本の学校を訪れたのは初めてだったので、とても幸せでした。

先生がクラスと休憩所を教えてもらいました。

そのときには授業に出席している学生も、休憩している学生もいました。

休憩をとっている学生は雑誌を読んだり、お菓子を食べたり、漢字の書き方を練習したりしていました。皆はしたいことを自由にしました。

その隣にある教室で英語の先生は英語の文法を教えていました。学生達が先生の説明を静かに聞いていました。日本人学生はおとなしくて真面目な学生だと確認できました。

べつのクラスで学生とちょっと話しました。「特にスペインのことについて」学生は私にざまざまな質問を聞くと学生がスペインのことをよく知っているので私はちょっとおどろきました。

NILS日本語学校の坪井さんと高校のスタフのおかげで見学と学生と話す機会があってとても良かったです。

いい経験でした。(原文まま)

いけばな Flower arrangement

One of our school activities, we experienced flower arrangement.

The art of flower arranging began about 1400 years ago with the beginning of Buddhism in Japan. People wishing to honor Buddha with gifts of flowers wanted them arranged artistically. The first style was the Rikka style.

These arrangements were formal and difficult to compose. Rikka was perfected about 500 years ago in the Muromachi Era. Buddhist priests used an even simpler style, and Kado, the study of flower arranging, became more popular than ever. The first book on Kado was published in 1470.

 

Harmony is the goal of the art of flower arranging, and the basis for arrangements is the triad of Heaven-Earth-Human.

 

I was very surprised when teacher said my arrangement was good. It was my first time.

Flower arrangement was good fun.

Cooking Japanese breakfast

One of school activities, we experienced cooking tamago-yaki (rolled egg) and miso-soup.

Following is a comment from our student.

  

I have really enjoyed making the three layers omelette in a rectangular frying pan. That was a challenge. The teacher was very kind, helpful and professional.

うすいさん, also made a beautiful omelette.

おいしかったです!:)楽しかったです!:)すごかったです!:)

うすい先生、ありがとうございました!?

Look forward to next school activity!

  

 

コンペイトウ作り~Making Kompeito

今回はポルトガルから伝来したコンペイトウ作りを体験してきました!あの小さな一粒が出来上がるまでになんと2週間はかかるそうです。カラフルな色のものや、ほうじ茶やコーヒー味のコンペイトウもあってたくさん試食してきました!

  

On this week’s trip we went on the train to an exhibit in Fukuoka. This exhibit was sponsored by one of Japan’s largest candy manufacturers, that has been in the industry since 1907.

  

We learned of the history of this candy, called compeito, originally confeito. This activity stimulated my knowledge of early European interaction with the Japanese, regarding the time period, evangalism, weapons, and sugar.

It was fun!

拳法体験~Kempo

毎日暑い日が続いていますが、今回は軽い運動をしてリフレッシュしよう!ということで拳法を体験して来ました!

空手の型にも繋がる所作や、いざというときの護身術まで道場の先生からじっくり教えて頂きました!

Today’s class was very fun! It was a very good introduction, and I’m glad we got a chance to learn the basic moves.

  

The teacher was very patient, and also looked very cool when he did his demos!

I thought the timing was also good, as the class was long enough for us to get the experience, but brief enough to just be an overview. Overall, I thought it was a good activity.

ありがとうございます。

 

 

Cooking Ramen~ラーメン作り体験

博多と言えばラーメン!ということで、ラーメンと餃子作りの体験に行きました♪

粉から作るのは初めてで、最後に自分たちの作ったラーメンと餃子をおいしく頂きました!

今回は日本語で感想を送ってきてくれた学生もいました!日本に来たのも初めてで、まだ勉強始めたばかりですが、NILSで勉強してどんどん上達しています!

先生と友達と私は料理教室へ行きました。料理教室は広くてきれいでし。料理教室でレニーさんと私は一緒にラメンと餃子をしました。それでは私たち を食べました。ラメンと餃子はおいしいです。私はラメンと餃子が好きです。私は料理をするのが好きです。木曜日は本当に楽しいです。

The ramen/gyoza cooking class was so fun and informative! The instructor was very clear, and everyone was very involved. Sometimes, many kids in the room would not quiet down, yet the instructor was still very patient.

 

We were walked through the whole process of making the food, which was a very unique experience. I think this is a good activity that is enjoyable and also directly related to Japanese culture.

博多湾ナイトクルーズ~Night cruise

今回のActivityは博多湾ナイトクルーズに行ってきました♪

あいにく、小雨が降っていましたが、乗船後しばらくすると雨が止み、博多湾から福岡の観光スポットを一望できました!

More importantly, thanks a lot for the activity. It was something quite unexpected and very interesting. Fukuoka has some interesting sights, only available by boat. I can mention that, luckily, I have traveled quite a bit and have had similar boat sightseeing in different parts of the world such as Chicago, Miami, Buenos Aires, Venice. Fukuoka is surely among the most beautiful cities I’ve had the opportunity to visit.

The activity itself was very well planned, thanks a lot. For a moment it seemed that we might have to stay inside the covered part of the boat (because of the rain) but luck was on our side. Also, it was great timing! not too late, not too early. I specially liked the part where we got to see the Tower, Canal City (from the actual canal) and how we almost made it to the open sea.

The music was spot on too. I wanted to comment on Japanese but maybe my skills are not as good as I’d like. That and I have found it quite challenging to write Japanese on my computer keyboard (for some reason I can’t quite pin point).

I know it can be difficult to communicate with students that speak almost no Japanese at all, and I really appreciate it.

Thanks again for a great activity and I am looking forward for the next one.

 

マリンワールド見学~Marine world

福岡も梅雨入りして蒸し暑い日が続きますね…。今回は昨年3月にリニューアルオープンした、マリンワールド海の中道に行ってきました。水族館としてももちろんですが、周りには海浜公園、サイクリングコースなどもあり、私もお気に入りの場所の一つです。

We went to aquarium. Aquariums creatures were very pretty and made me interested.

All of the show and animal was satisfying but for me.

Dolphin show was the best for me.

 

Making Kumihimo 組みひも体験

今回は映画「君の名は」にも登場した組みひもでブレスレットを作るActivityに参加しました!

参加した学生のほとんどが「君の名は」を見ていたようです。日本のアニメを通して日本文化に興味を

持っている方が多いんですね♪

On June 20th we had the opportunity to try making some souvenirs by braiding strings made of threads. I was very excited for this one, since I had never done anything like that before.

The procedure was actually very easy to follow: it’s a bit mechanic, as you have to repeat the same movements until you reach the free end of the string, but I found it super relaxing and I could have kept braiding for hours! It is really enjoyable.

 

I made a nice bracelet out of my strings that surely will remind me of the lovely time I spent here in Fukuoka.

6月20日に糸を組み合わせて織った紐を編んだ体験しました。したことはなかったから、楽しみにしていました。

同じ運動を繰り返すから作り方は簡単です。たぶん少し機械的な運動かもしれませんが、とても落ち着きました。できれば何度も編み続けました。

編んでいた紐でブレスをもらいました。このブレスを見るときっと福岡にいたときを思い出します。

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