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Today's Contents:

1. The first bits: Things To Do, Ofuro Bar opened, World Cup train pass, Online Dictionary.
2. Course information.
3. Student Interview: Tserendamba Lkhagvasuven (AIJP)
4. Things Japanese: Surfing - the Atsumi Peninsula surf beaches
 5. Japan Guide: Neiraku Museum & Isuien Garden (Nara)
6. About The Yamasa Institute for Japanese Studies
7. Subscription Information

1. The first bits.

(a) Things to do:

  • Watch Japan's World Cup games (FREE!) with more than 10,000 fans!: Toyota stadium is showing all of Japan's World Cup games on a big screen especially installed at the stadium in Toyota. The screen, which must be one of the biggest in the world, will be showing Japan's next 2 group games on Sunday 9th of June, and Friday 14th of June. To get to the stadium, take the Aikan line from JR Okazaki station to Shin Toyota - this costs 490 Yen one way and takes around 25 minutes. Then follow the signs (or the groups of people) to the stadium which you can see from the station. Around 12-15,000 Japanese fans watched their opening game against Belgium on June 2nd and the atmosphere was fantastic. Ganbare Nippon!

  • Iai-do classes: Iai-do is form of swordsmanship which has continued to preserve the techniques that swordsmen had practiced before the Meiji Restoration in 1868. If you would like to take up the sport then there is a beginners class running until the end of July at Okazaki Central park every Wednesday from 7:00pm. The fee is 4,500 Yen and the class is open to anybody living and working in Okazaki. To apply, send a postcard with your name, age, address, occupation, and phone number to Iai-do Beginners Class, C/O Okazaki P.E. Association, 7 Mutsuna Honmachi, Okazaki 444. Phone (0564) 53-7644 for more information.

  • Flea Markets: The Central Japan Flea Market League has a number of events taking place in June, in and around Nagoya. See http://www.cjfleamarket.com for more details. Events this month are on June 16th and June 18th. There is also a flea market being held on Saturday June 22nd by the Cross Culture Circle, a volunteer group. The market will start at 10:00am at Domie Wakamatsu Shopping Center, located next to Minami Koen. There will be everything from clothing to daily household items and you might find some bargains.

  • Free Japanese Classes! Okazaki International Association holds free Japanese lessons taught by volunteers to non-Japanese living in Okazaki. Every Saturday from 2:30pm to 4:30pm at Tatsumigaoka-kaikan (3rd Floor), a 10 minute walk from Higashi Okazaki Station to Higashi Myodaiji cho. And also every 2nd, 3rd and 4th Thursday and Sunday of the month in Aoi Hall at Yamasa from 10:00am - 12:00am. Call 0564-23-6644 for more details.

  • Climb Mt Fuji: The annual pilgrimage to Japan's national icon has been pencilled in for the weekend of July 27th/28th. The Mt. Fuji climb will be open to everyone and really is an experience of a lifetime. The cost of the trip will be 12,200 Yen including 5% tax and this will include transport to and from Mt. Fuji and sake from Declan when you reach the top. Please see Declan Murphy in the International Office for more information.

    (b) Yamasa's bar - 'Ofuro' - finally opened!:

    After what seems an eternity the Ofuro bar has finally opened its doors, coincidentally on the day the Soccer World Cup began on May 31st. A big screen in the bar will be showing all the World Cup games during regular opening hours and is a good place to mix with Japanese as well as fellow students. Drinks are from 300 Yen and there are also snacks available. The Ofuro bar is open from Monday to Friday 5:00pm to 11:00pm, but the menu and opening hours will be expanded in the near future. If you want to watch games on Saturday's or Sunday's then the best place to go is Izakaya Janai in Higashi Okazaki. They will be showing all major matches being played during their opening hours of 5:00pm to 2:00am. The bar is a two minute walk from Higashi Okazaki train station. Make your way out of the north exit of the station, turn left and cross over the road. Continue straight on for about 80 metres and turn right down a small road before Daiwa Securities. Phone (0564) 23-7552 for more information.

    (c) 2002 Football Pass & Japan Rail Pass:

    During the Soccer World Cup JR is offering a 'football pass' which enables all those who hold a temporary visitor (tourist) visa to use all JR lines except the Nozomi Shinkansen and Narita Express for 5 consecutive days. The cost of the pass is 22,000 Yen and will be on sale from designated JTB, Nippon Travel Agency or Kinki Nippon Tourist stores until June 30th, for use up until July 4th.

    (d) Online Kanji Dictionary now accessible:

    On Thursday 17th of January the programmers in the back office released the test version of Yamasa's OCJS Online Dictionary. This dictionary is published in English, Chinese (Traditional), Spanish, Korean, German and Czech and includes both a word dictionary and a Kanji dictionary in an online database. At the moment the only version you will be able to see is the test version, so the server will be very slow. It will give you a good idea of some of the resources that the OCJS project has been working on over the last 18 months, so if you have the time have a look at:

    http://www.yamasa.org/ocjs/kanjijiten/index.html

    (e) Radio Show:

    Radio Show

    Joseph Huang and teachers in FM Okazaki studio
    FM Okazaki

    Joseph Huang, who graduated from Yamasa recently, will continue his show on Monday nights from 9:30pm on FM Okazaki. If you would like to appear on the show or if you would like to request a song, make a dedication or send Joseph a message to be read out during his show please come to the International Office or fax Joseph directly on 0564 55-8764 (make sure you include his name and your own name on the fax).

    Streaming audio has now been restored. However due to the continued legal uncertainty concerning music copyright, we will not stream the audio whenever music is being played on the local airwaves (FM 76.3) - the only way we could restore the streaming audio during the talk and news components was to remove the background music which is popular in Japan. The URL for FM Okazaki is http://www.763.fm/live.html and you will need to download a player if you haven't already done so. Please note that music comprises about 1/3 of each program - if two songs are played consecutively then you may need to wait a few minutes before you can hear the station again.

    The programming of the station is a good way to practice your Japanese language listening skills. The program schedule for April to June is now online (in Japanese of course) in pdf format. Please note that it's a heavy file and will open inn a new window. You can download the document at http://64.56.185.232/pdf/fm0204_06.pdf

    (f) Jobs:

    A local company is interested in hiring a Japanese speaking foreigner with marketing experience to work as product manager handling a major project. The product range is from a major european manufacturer. The successful applicant should be degree qualified, fluent in English, have Japanese proficiency of upper intermediate or higher (equivalent of Level 2 minimum) and be committed to work for minimum of 2-3 years. For details contact Declan Murphy at the International Office.

    Recruitment ongoing for the following positions at Yamasa:

    see http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/english/careers.html for details and other vacancies, and contact careers@yamasa.org if you are interested in applying. Most are connected with web publishing and translation. Study Japanese for free in exchange for part-time work in the International Office. These are ongoing positions - we need people all year round, so please contact us if you are interested in positions later in the year as well.

    (g) Other bits:

    Jon Walden
    Admissions Coordinator, International Office
    The Yamasa Institute - Aichi Center for Japanese Studies
    1-2-1 Hanehigashimachi Okazaki
    Aichi Japan 444-0832

    Tel: +81 (0) 564 55 8111
    Fax: +81 (0) 564 55 8174 (admissions)
    Fax: +81 (0) 564 55 8113 (student affairs)
    Email: admissions@yamasa.org
    Email: newsletter@yamasa.org
    URL: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/
    URL: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/

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    2. Course Information

    Accommodation

    Until the middle of August all of Yamasa's accommodation is full and the only accommodation available between now and then is in the Rec World Hotel. Students applying for courses from June and July and wishing to stay in accommodation which is currently unavailable will be placed on a waiting list. There are usually some last-minute changes, so check with admissions@yamasa.org for information or see the availability file for details. Please note that accommodation is not reserved until we have recieved the tuition fees for your chosen course in full.

    Accommodation in apartments in the annexe of the Rec World Hotel (near Daijuji Temple) will be used whenever Yamasa's accommodation becomes full. The prices for the "1K-Single" and "2K-Shared" room options have been discounted and are now the same price as the Student Village. For more information on the apartments in the Rec World Hotel annexe, please see the following pages:

    http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/hotel.html (for accommodation description)
    http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/tankisei.html (for price list of accommodation)

    Message from Housing Office: Please also note that it is extremely important that you rank your accommodation preferences clearly. Upgrades are possible in the event of cancellations - so if your first preference is a single room in the village, select "Village single" as first choice, "Residence U" as your second choice and so on.

    Long-term Courses:

    Student Visa: Applications for October 2002: Applications are now being taken for the next student visa start date of October, the application deadline for which is June 20th 2002. If you need more information about these dates, please check the deadlines for the student visa listed in each course in the program catalogue. If you wish to apply for the October 2002 start please complete an application form online (see http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/programs/apply.html for details) or contact admissions@yamasa.org for more information.

    Short-term courses:

    Discovery Tour starting on August 23rd - itinerary at: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/programs/discovery_20020823.html Contact admissions@yamasa.org for details. There are still a few places available - join a very small private tour: There are still a number of places available - join a very small private tour: Includes Includes Tokyo Disneyland, Goza beach, Tokyo, Ueno Koen, Goza fish market, Obara washi, Hamanako, Dogashima, Shimoda Bay, Minami Izu, Onsen and Gourmet: Seafood, Kyoto - Ryoanji, Nijo Castle, Kiyomizudera, Jishu Jinja, Ago Bay, Tenryu Gorge, Komagane-take, Mindscape museum as well as many other locations.

    Other Discovery Tours all have vacancies - contact admissions@yamasa.org for further information. Tour dates for next year are available at http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/programs/discovery_dates.html

    All SILAC programs have space but accommodation is not available until August 8th, unless there are cancellations. Contact admissions@yamasa.org as soon as possible for information.

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    3. Student Interview: Tserendamba Lkhagvasuven (AIJP)

    Tserendamba Lkhagvasuven
    Tserendamba Lkhagvasuven
    This weeks interview was done by Shihkuei Huang, a former student at Yamasa, and now working full time in the International Office.

    Tserendamba (Suren) comes from Ulanbator, Mongolia, and has been studying at Yamasa since April. Right now, she is in G class of the AIJP course. Because her room is just opposite my apartment, and there are not many students from Mongolia at Yamasa, I decided to interview her for this weeks newsletter. I went to her room in Yamasa Villa 2........

    Huang: (knock on the door) Excuse me, is there anybody here?
    Suren: Sure, what's up? (She is watching a Korean video with her friend, Nou-san)
    H: I would like to interview you for this week's newsletter.
    S: Really!!
    H: We haven't done an interview with anybody from Mongolia before. Actually my ancestors who followed Genghis Khan 800 years ago also came from Mongolia so we might even be related in some way.

    H: How did you find out about Yamasa?
    S: Through my husband. He knew the previous Vice President Mr Ito and, through his recommendations, I was being able to study here.
    H: Husband!..............

    Continued at http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/english/newsletter/student_int_28.html

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    4. Things Japanese: Surfing - the Atsumi Peninsula surf beaches.

    Atsumi
    Akabane Beach
    Click to enlarge
    "Surfing in Japan? Are you serious?" is something I frequently hear when I mention summer activities. Its true that the quality of surf (even in prime conditions) will not usually be able to match waves in Bali, Australia, Hawaii or other well known spots. However if you do want to surf, and don't have enough spare change to fly overseas for the weekend, then fortunately there are some good surf beaches around.

    In Aichi Prefecture, the place to catch waves is on the southern shore of the Atsumi Peninsula. Every summer (actually from Spring right though to Autumn) the long stretch of Pacific Ocean beaches here attract surfers from all over Japan. Surfing competitions are a regular feature, with Akabane beach enjoying perhaps the best reputation for decent waves.

    The long Atsumi peninsula separates the ocean from the.......................

    Continued at http://www.yamasa.org/japan/english/destinations/aichi/atsumi.html

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    5. Japan Guide: Neiraku Museum & Isuien Garden

    front garden
    Isuien Front Garden
    The Neiraku Museum and Isuien Garden is one of the destinations we will be visiting during the "weekend in Nara" tour on June 22-23. This tour is part of our 2002 Summer tour schedule. (Contact Declan Murphy for details). It is a good place to take a break from temple viewing and to experience the tranquility and unique landscape of a traditional Japanese garden. It is a bit off the main tourist path, nestled in a residential neighborhod just west of Todaiji's Nandaimon (Great Southern Gate). In contrast to the busy crowds near Todaiji, the Isuien Gardens are quiet and relaxing. The gardens may not be the easiest destination to find in Nara, but it is well worth the effort.

    The approach to the garden is along a gravel driveway leading to the main house. The Neiraku Museum is located to the left of the driveway and the Isuien Gardens is hidden behind a bamboo fence on the right. Tickets are sold in the vestibule of the main house, next to the garden entrance. The Isuien Garden is located along the Yoshiki River and is the only Japanese garden of its kind in Nara. It represents the height of garden engineering of the Meiji Period (1868 - 1912). In fact, Isuien is actually a combination of two distinct promenade-style gardens connected by a narrow path. The front garden lies to the west (right side of the entrance) and the rear garden lies to the east.

    Continued at http://www.yamasa.org/japan/english/destinations/nara/neiraku.html

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    6. ABOUT THE YAMASA INSTITUTE'S AICHI CENTER FOR JAPANESE STUDIES

    The Yamasa Institute is committed to providing high-quality education in the Japanese language. We are a non-profit organization, a part of the Hattori Group. We are accredited by Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education - APJLE, accreditation number B302 - and "the only Institute in the Mikawa region with the appropriate programs, systems, curriculum and facilities required for quality Japanese language education" according to the Ministry of Justice. Further, in recognition of the excellent quality of our programs, we are in the top tier of 'Appropriately Authorized Japanese Language Education Institutes' - in fact, the only school in the Mikawa area with this prestigious recommendation. For full details see the accreditation section on the homepage at http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/accreditation.html

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    7. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

    You are being sent this newsletter because at some time you contacted the Yamasa Institute's Aichi Center for Japanese Studies through email, or you contacted an internet-based Japanese language information service which forwarded your email to us. If you do not want to receive further issues of this newsletter, please send a message to unsubscribe@yamasa.org with the word "unsubscribe" in the title. We apologize for any inconvenience.

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    (c) 2002 The Yamasa Institute Aichi Center for Japanese Studies
    1-2-1 Hanehigashi-machi Okazaki Aichi Japan 444-0832
    Tel: +81 (0) 564 55 8111 Fax: +81 (0) 564 55 8113
    URL: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/
    Email: admissions@yamasa.org