Japanese New Year Activities 2013

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Japanese New Year Activities (Please arrange your program on your own.)

Let's celebrate New Year in Japan. From Monday, December 30th 2013 until Friday 3rd January 2014 Asahi Nihongo offers various New Year cultural activities. During this week you will have the unique chance to take part in many events and to get to know the Japanese intimately in their most important and most favored holiday season.

You can download your application form for "Japanese New Year Activities" here.

Japanese New Year Activities 2013:

Japanese New Year Seminar
Date: Monday, 30 Dec / Time: 10:00 / Fee: Free / Place: Asahi Nihongo

Tenjin Tour
Date: Monday, 30 Dec / Time: 13:00 / Fee: Free / Place: Tenjin

New Year Greeting Card
Date: Monday, 30 Dec / Time: 16:00 / Fee: 500 Yen / Place: Asahi Nihongo

Bonenkai Party
Date: Monday, 30 Dec / Time: 18:30 / Fee: 3500 Yen / Place: Tenjin

Nanzoin's Sleeping Buddha
Date: Tuesday, 31 Dec / Time: 11:00 / Fee: 3000 Yen / Place: Sasaguri-machi

New Year's Eve Soba
Date: Tuesday, 31 Dec / Time: 17:30 / Fee: Pay for yourself / Place: Tenjin

Rice Cake Ceremony
Date: Tuesday, 31 Dec / Time: 19:00 / Fee: Free / Place: Hakozaki-Gu

Hatsumode Dazaifu Tour
Date: Wednesday, 01 Jan / Time: 11:00 / Fee: 3500 Yen / Place: Dazaifu

First Onsen of 2014
Date: Wednesday, 01 Jan / Time: 16:00 / Fee: 700 Yen / Place: Yu no Hana

Yakiniku
Date: Wednesday, 01 Jan / Time: 17:30 / Fee: 3500 Yen / Place: Tenjin

"Jigoku Meguri" Tour
Date: Thursday, 02 Jan / Time: 09:00 / Fee: 9000 Yen / Place: Beppu

Yatai (Local Food Stands)
Date: Thursday, 02 Jan / Time: 18:30 / Fee: Pay for yourself / Place: Tenjin

Multi-Language Karaoke
Date: Thursday, 02 Jan / Time: 20:00 / Fee: 2500 Yen / Place: Tenjin

Sansha-mairi (Lunch is included)
Date: Friday, 03 Jan / Time: 11:00 / Fee: 2500 Yen / Place: East Fukuoka

New Year & Farewell Party
Date: Friday, 03 Jan / Time: 18:00 / Fee: 3500 Yen / Place: Fish Restaurant Zauo

Internship at Asahi Nihongo

Nice to meet you. My name is Saki, I am a student at Kagoshima University and currently doing an internship at Asahi Nihongo.

My major at university is Chemistry.

Last year, I went to Canada for working holiday because I am very interested in international relations. I hope I can use the experience I got in Japan and Canada to support Asahi Nihongo and its students.

My hobbies are football and making bread. See you all soon.

My name is Gautam,I am from India. I am studying in Kyushu Sangyo University. My major is ‘International Mnagement’.

My hobbies are playing table tennis and cooking.

After finishing my schooling I studied Japanese language for three years and started working in a Japanese travel agency as a Japanese interpreter. I worked there for two years but I wanted to improve my Japanese and work in Japan so I came here two years ago in Oct. 2011.

I am looking forward to experiencing work at a language school.

My name is Ding Yingmin, I am from China.

Now I am studying at Fukuoka University. I want to work in Japan after my graduation. I am doing an internship to gain some experience about work life in Japan.

I have been learning English since I was in primary school. I like to communicate with many people.

I didn’t use English for a long time since I came to Japan and I’m afraid that I can speak only a little or even forgot most of it.

However, I want to take part in the events at Asahi Nihongo, like the International Party. Thank you to everyone who helped me and I also want to help others. I want to promote my ability through the internship and gain experience.

OPENING DISCOUNT!

We are celebrating the opening of our new school
SAVE 44% FOR # MONTHS
on our Japanese Summer Quadmester
Book now and pay only 200 000 Yen instead of 362 000 Yen
(Limited Time Only)
http://www.japanese-school-asahi.com/en/japanese-language-courses/seasonal-courses/525-japanese-summer-quadmester

Thank you for your cooperation

Almost 1 year has passed since from the earthquake of the northeast Pacific Ocean on March 11, 2011.
Many of your warm feelings were gathered into the donation bottle, which was placed at the school after that disaster.We sent the contribution to the Japanese Red Cross Society this time as well. This time the donation was 1992 yen and the total sum is 12,012 yen.
We saw many students from overseas including the students from Tasmania put their money into the donation bottle. Thank you for your co-operation.Although it's limited what we can do, we still wish people in disaster-stricken areas would run the normal life with smile as soon as possible.
We appreciate you put any small change you have in there. Every little bit counts!

2011

Hello, we are Yoshida and Katagiri, internship students.
On the 10th of August it was very hot.
On a such hot day, we went, together with Ruben and Jennifer, in total 4 internship students, to eat ramen for lunch! We went to a ramen store which Ruben recommended. It was called "Hakata Ramen Zen". He really recommended the 280 yen-ramen , so we ate it. We also talked in Japanese and English and we were enjoying the conversation. The ramen was good, and we were satisfied.
We all liked that price very much, since we didn't expect it to be that good. But we were also surprised that Jennifer used chopsticks very well, since it is not that easy to eat noodles with chopsticks. That was somekind of a surprise!

We had a nice time for lunch!

SOS Kinderdorf and Suginoya beer factory visit 24-7-2011!

Last Sunday we had an all German activity day! The Deutsch Japanische Gesellschaft Westjapan (German Japanese Society of Westjapan) had ready a day full activities for us that decided to join. You did not have to be exclusively Japanese or German to join, so together with some of our German students other nationalities were present too. We kicked off with a visit to the much need SOS Kinderdorf in Imazu. Here we were told why such a refugee village is necessary in light of recent events and what could be done to help. We also good a tour through the village to show what the organisation does. It was a touching experience and the village surely is a comfort to the children and families who have to take shelter there.

After this humbling experience it was time to eat and drown away our sorrows. A visit to the local Suginoya beer brewery was much anticipated. And upon entering what looked like an Old farm building the fun could begin. Beer as much as you can take and an endless supply of German foods took a toll from most of the people present. Expected but still surprising was that everyone`s level of German at the activity was really high! German chatter could be heard throughout the building and at some point Japanese people burst into enthusiastic versions of classical Schubert songs and a number of German drinking songs. A fun note to make about this is that there was allot of interaction with our students. A steady stream of buisness cards went into our hands and we left with our wallet full of introductions.

If you get a chance to join the DJG on one of their German activities please do! You won`t regret it. We would also like to thank everyone for being so kind and welcoming and making our German students feel a little bit at home and our international students welcomed.

Japanese elementry school! 13-7-2011

Yesterday Asahi Nihongo went with a number of students to a Japanese elementry school were we could interact with the teachers and schoolchildren from Takatori elementry school.

The trip was fun, the children were kawai and the activities and old style Japanese games that the children prepared for us were difficult!People struggled especially with the Japanese spinning top, but as you can see the children had no trouble with it. activities included caligraphy, origami and a game called Kendama.

Everyone had a great time and we want to thank everyone at the school for making this possible.

An alle Deutschen, Schweizer und Oesterreicher!

Sommer, Sonne, Sonntag...Was kann man da machen?
Die Deutsch-Japanische Gesellschaft Westjapan organisiert fuer den 24. Juli (Sonntag) ein ganz besonderes Sonntagsprogram fuer Euch. Wenn Ihr Deutsche, Schweizer oder Oesterreicher seid, ist es fuer Euch KOSTENLOS!!!!!! Zuerst besucht Ihr zusammen mit den Mitgiedern der DJG das SOS Kinderdorf in Imazu. Das ist eine prima Gelegenheit, um Eure Japanischkenntnisse anzuwenden.
Danach koennt Ihr fuer 2 Stunden in Sugiya, einer Brauerei, soviel Bier trinken und essen, wie Ihr wollt. Um 14 Uhr bringt Euch dann der Bus nach Itoshima auf einen Biomarkt. Danach geht es wieder zurueck, so dass ihr so um 16 Uhr wieder in Tenjin zurueck seid.

Es ist von A-Z alles gesorgt. Ihr braucht nur zu kommen!!!

Uebersicht
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Datum:.......24.07.2011 (Sonntag)
Treffpunkt:..9:15 Vor der Asahi Schule
Ende:........16:30 Vor der Asahi Schule
Preis:.......4000 Yen (Fuer Deutsche, Schweizer und Oesterreicher kostenlos)
Kontakt: alexander_binner@asahinihongo.com

Programm
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09:15 Treffpunkt voer Asahi Nihongo
09:30 Abfahrt mit dem Bus an der Haltestelle Japanbank
10:30 SOS Kinderdorf in Imazu
11:45 Abfahrt vom SOS Kinderdorf
12:00 Ankunft an der Brauerei Suginoya (All you can eat and drink fuer 2 Stunden)
14:00 Abfahrt zum Biomarkt Itosaisai
16:00 Ankunft in Fukuoka

Links:
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SOS Kinderdorf Map = http://bit.ly/ipbsZ2
Brewery Suginoya = http://suginoya.co.jp/
Biomarkt Itosaisai = http://www.ja-itoshima.or.jp/itosaisai/

Thank you for your donation♪

In our lobby, we have a small donation jar for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku area soon after the disaster.
Many students donated and so as the staff. The donation also included the winnings of 'Janken game' at the 'Hanami'Party. All donations were sent directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society. The total amount was 10020Yen this time.

Thank you for your cooperation! We still have a donation jar in the school lobby. We appreciate it if you'd donate small coins, such as 1Yen, 5Yen and 10Yen to this jar.

It is said that wealthy people do charity and donate a lot because they know the rules of money energy flow to become rich. They know money is a sort of energy and when they spend their money for charity or donations, the energy flows much better so that they become richer.

Would you like to become rich? Why don't you try by donating?

A hair stylist? A barber? or A mad cutter?

We've got a few house plants in the school. One of them is getting big and the leaves are getting long in this season. One afternoon one student asked the staff if they can borrow the scissors. We handed out the scissors to the student. Then what Philipp-san and Michael-san did was cut the dried parts of the tree leaves.
One student joked it and said "What you are doing is like women", but they said back "No,this is what men's job!" We don't know which is correct but the tree seems tidy and refreshed. Thank you Philipp-san and Michael-san.

Everybody likes 'Okonomiyaki'♪

Last Friday we had a small lunch party at the school. As usual Junko-san made Okonomiyaki, which is crispy outside and soft inside. It seemed a happy surprise for students because we hadn't let them know in advance.

Other staff brought sweets called 'Rare doughnuts' for souvenir from Ohita-pref.
They are shaped like doughnuts, which consist of sponge cake and mousse on the top so that you taste rare.

It was a small party but big fun!

Music Festival & Beach Party @ Noko Island

The annual Sun Splash concert marks the unofficial start to summer in Fukuoka. Sun Splash is an all day party on the beach at Nokonoshima Camp Ground, featuring a fantastic mix of live acts & DJs playing Reggae, Latin and Rock, and some of Fukuoka's favorite restaurants and bars serving up food and drink in the island setting. Sun Splash is a great way to get away from the noise of the city and celebrate the arrival of summer. Come on out and party on the beach.
For more information click here >>>> http://nokoisland.com/

Welcome back to Asahi Nihongo!

We have many repeat students at Asahi Nihongo. Jan-san from Germany is one of them. He comes to study Japanese here once a year and it's the 4th time this time. When he first stepped into the school, every staff and teacher welcomed him and said 'Jan-san, Hisashiburi (long time no see)' or 'Okaerinasai (welcome home)'.

And we have interviewed him:
Q: Where are you from?
Jan-san: I'm from Nuremberg, Germany.

Q:Did you feel hesitant about coming to Japan this time due to the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station accident?
Jan-san: No, because I know Fukuoka is safe. Fukuoka is more than 1000km away from Fukushima. I also checked the faults and plates in Japan, saw the wind blows to the north-east towards America, and also the Japan Alps block the wind blowing from the east to the west like Kyushu area. As a result it's no problem for me to come to Japan.

Q:How about your family? Did they want to stop you from coming to Japan?
Jan-san: I showed them where Fukushima is and where Fukuoka is and how far it is between these 2 prefectures So they understand Fukuoka is OK. But they requested that I stay in Fukuoka and not go to other places.

Q:Why are you interested in Japan?
Jan-san:I wanted to come to Japan when I was 6, and at last I could visit Japan 4 years ago. I'm interested in Japanese culture, which is dense to learn.

Q:What especially would you like to do this time besides studying Japanese?
Jan-san:I've been looking for accessory parts shops to buy for my business in Germany.

Thank you , Jan-san. It was nice to talk with you.

Do you have YOUR shoes?

I have observed a strange phenomena in Fukuoka;　the mysterious abandonment of shoes.

I have, on three separate occasions, seen shoes in a public place with no one around them and no indication of why the shoes were in that place. I understand that in Japan people should take off　their shoes when they enter a house or some buildings, but these shoes are not near homes or buildings.

I always try to think about a situation that I would take off my shoes and not need to put them back on. And I can't find one.

This picture is from a small park with bike parking near Hakata station.


I think they are cute boots. If I didn't have big feet in Japan, I might have tried them on. But, I went home with MY SHOES ON.

Have you ever abandoned shoes? If yes, why?

Whose birthday was it yesterday?

The 25th of December is very famous all over the world as Jesus Christ's birthday. Yesterday, the 8th of April was Buddha's birthday and it is said Flower Festival (Hana-matsuri in Japanese).
The birthday festival is based on a legend colorful flowers and honeydew fell from the sky when Buddha was born.

In Japan, Buddha's birth is also celebrated according to the Buddhist calendar but is not a national holiday. On this day, all temples hold Hana-matsuri. Japanese people pour ama-cha (a beverage prepared from a variety of hydrangea) on small Buddha statues decorated with flowers, as if bathing a newborn baby.

If you go to a temple on that day, maybe you can experience to pour ama-cha.

Our Heartfelt Sympathies to Tohoku Japan

On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake in Japanese recorded history struck the Tohoko region in northeastern Japan. There was a great tsunami set off by the earthquake and tens of thousands of people lost their lives or their loved ones. The Japanese authorities have confirmed over 10,000 people have died and thousands are still missing.

In the midst of this natural disaster, there is nuclear disaster as a nuclear plant in Fukushima damaged by the quake had a quasi-meltdown. People around the plant have been evacuated and people in the northeast are concerned about the longterm effects of the dangerous leak.

We deeply hope that the victims will receive the help they need, the support they deserve, and everyone affected will reflect on the importance of the lessons learned from this catastophic event and the strength of the people that have survived it.

Support the people of Tohoku and Japan!
In our lobby, we have a small jar. Please put any small change you have in there, we will donate it to the Japanese Red Cross.

Every little bit counts!

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TV interview!!!

On the 28 th March, Ritter English Teacher Mauricio had a TV interview with TNC at Asahi Nihongo asking "What are your favorite Japanese word?" He wasn't nervous actually he enjoyed the TV interview and the TV crew member's enjoyed it too!!!

I didn't know Mauricio's favorite Japanese words, so we have to check the TV show! This interview will be shown on the 7 th of April from 5:00 p.m. at chanel8.Don't miss it!

Not All Vending Machines are Bad!

My friend and I lived in Tokyo for years, so we thought we'd seen everything surprising that Japan could offer. But last week, Japan got us again.

My friend was looking for a bottle of water, which was hard to find amid the cigarette and sweet drink machines. We spotted a brightly colored vending machine standing on it's own. And behold, it was a BANANA vending machine!!

Yes! I said a BANANA VENDING MACHINE! There were ONLY bananas in it!

Most were in singles wrapped in plastic and a few were in bunches also wrapped in plastic. And I NEEDED ONE!!

I wanted to be able to say I have eaten a banana from a vending machine. So I put my money in and put my finger on the button to choose a number, though I don't know why there are individual numbers for each item on the rack, as it is all bananas. The only difference is between bunches and singles, but nevermind that!!

Then, my friend and I thought in unison, "Wait. If it falls, won't it bruise the banana?" I pressed the button anyway and to my delight a small plastic lift descended to carry my banana.... almost to the bottom where it dropped it at the last second.

Sigh, almost a good job banana engineer, almost...

Despite the last minute let down(pun intended), the banana was minimally bruised and tasted fantastic! So remember in the middle of Tenjin's fast pace and quick beauty market, someone is still concerned about your health.

You should look for the banana vending machine, it's where you'd least expect it.

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We are OK!

There was a huge earthquake and 'tsunami' in Tohoku & Kanto Aea in Japan yesterday. That news ran all over the world, and our ex-students and related people worried about us and gave an e-mail. Thank you for your sympathy, but Fukuoka is far away enough from the earthquake center so our school and Fukuoka are OK.
We experienced the earthquake before in Fukuoka, which was not serious like this time so that we know a little bit how people feel there. Afterquakes have occurred which cause more damage. It's too hard to listen to the news because the situation is getting worse by the minute.

Maybe it's time to think about not only what we can do for them, but what the most important with the limited life time.

We really wish aftershocks and tsunami stop and people in disaster area recover from this situation.