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Today's Contents:

1. The first bits: Mt Fuji Trip, Summer Festivals, Student Village internet connection.
2. Course information.
3. Staff Interview: Ken Uchida (Administrator - Student Affairs)
4. Things Japanese: Fireworks
5. About The Yamasa Institute for Japanese Studies
6. Subscription Information

Tel: +81 (0) 564 55 8111
Fax:  +81 (0) 564 55 8174 (admissions)
Fax: +81 (0) 564 55 8113 (student affairs)
Email: Admissions
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:

During July all of Yamasa's accommodation is at capacity. Students applying for courses from August may have to stay in the Rec World Hotel for some or all of their stay. In August there are a very limited number of vacancies in the student village and studio apartments. From September there a number of vacancies in the Student Village and Villa studio apartments but space in Residence U and K is limited. There are usually some last-minute changes, so check with Admissions for information or see the availability file for details.

Accommodation in apartments in the annexe of the Rec World Hotel (near Daijuji temple) will be used whenever Yamasa accommodation becomes full. The prices for the "1K-Single" and "2K-Shared" room options have been discounted and are now the same price as per 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, the "Hotel single" as your second choice and so on.

Long-term Courses:

Student Visa: Applications for April 2002: Applications for the student visa beginning in April 2002 are now being taken. (Applications for the October 2001 student visa have now closed and no more applications can be accepted). If you are not sure about the deadlines, please check the deadlines for the student visa listed in each course in the program catalogue. If you wish to apply for the next start-date of April 2002 please complete an application form online (see program catalog for details: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/programs/apply.html) or contact Admissions for more information. The application deadline for the April 2002 student visa start is December 20th 2001.

Short-term courses:

Discovery tour starting on September 7th - itinerary at: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/programs/discovery_tour20010907.html Contact admissions@yamasa.org for details. There are still a few places available - join a very small private tour: Includes Tsumago and Magome (Japanese alps) tour, Tenryu Gorge, Mount Komaga-take, all the best parts of Fuji and the surrounding area including the Five Lakes, Narusawa Ice Cave, Fugaku Wind Cave and Shiraito-no-taki. Also a tour of the Asahi Brewery, Atsuta Jingu and Tokugawa Art Museum as well as many other locations.

Other Discovery Tours all have vacancies - contact Admissions for further information. Tour dates for this year are August 24th, September 7th, October 19th and December 14th.

All SILAC programs have space but accommodation is limited. Contact Admissions as soon as possible for information.

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Ken Uchida

3. STAFF INTERVIEW: Ken Uchida (Administrator - Student Affairs)

Ken Uchida works as an administrator in Student Affairs at Yamasa.

Jon: Uchida-san, I have been receiving requests from a number of students wanting to know more about the mysterious man who sits next to Toh Sensei in student affairs - do you think you could spare a minute to give the students a little insight into your mysterious world?
Ken: I'd love to....
J: How long have you been gracing Yamasa with your prescence?
K: By October this year, I will have been working here for exactly 12 months.
J: Do you have to travel far to come to work?
K: No, I'm lucky in that I live close to Yamasa.

J: But you still drive your car to work as opposed to walk or come by bicycle, even though you live close by?
K: I know it sounds lazy but you wouldn't believe how close to Yamasa some of the staff here live and they still drive!

J: Um er, Yes I think I know what you're talking about... Many people are dying to know what your job entails?

Continued at http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/english/newsletter/staff_int_13.html

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4. Things Japanese: Hanabi!!! (Fireworks)

Around this last time last year, Euan (the previous newsletter editor) wrote a short, but informative, article on the fireworks and the festival which took place in Okazaki. As it is that time of year again when the country gears itself for large displays I thought it would be a good idea to take a closer look at Japan's firework phenomenon. Fireworks first reached Japan's shores in the late sixteenth century, when they were brought over by Portuguese sailors. During the Edo period (1600-1868), craftsmen specializing in making fireworks emerged, and fireworks displays became a common sight during the summertime.

From late July to late August, there are fireworks displays all over Japan. A tradition that goes back several centuries in Japan, fireworks festivals have become an integral part of the Japanese calendar. Every major city and Japan has a display and thousands of other smaller towns and cities also put on a festival bringing to over 5,000 the number of displays around the country. About 250 of these are classed as 'large scale' events and about a fifth of these take place in, and around, Tokyo. The most famous display.........

Continued at http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/english/newsletter/things_japanese_16.html

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5. 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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6. 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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