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Today's Contents:
1. The first bits: The Bar!, New homepage, "Rabbit with a mallet", OIA Seminar, Day trip to Nara
1. The first bits.
(a) Campus bar:
A completion date of October seems unlikely
at this point in time and the bar is expected to open during November
or December. Although certain (Australian) members of the International Office are
still proclaiming to be 'on a diet', there is a good chance you will
see one or more of these hardened 'dieters' propping up the bar when
it does open (take anything you hear to the contrary with a large
(barrel full) pinch of salt...........). The Director of the Office is already dreaming of his first on-campus Guiness.
(b) Ummmm - when is the new homepage coming out...??? :
If we can keep Declan, Mieko, Mun, Brett, Shihkuei, Tomas, Tatsuya, Joseph, Zara, Mun, Kelly, and Erina from falling asleep
at their workstations, then the new(ish) website should be launched September 30th. So whats new?
The obvious new stuff will be the programs for next year, a lot more information in Chinese, Korean and German, and some new directories on the yamasa.org site
including extensive travel and cultural information. The main change though will be the gradual introduction of the following:
Study Support including;
1. A new online Dictionary (includes a Kanji Dictionary, and a Link Generator that
allows text to be copy/pasted into a database which then automatically provides hyperlinks to all Kanji in the dictionary),
2. The first stage of the much awaited Online Center for Japanese Studies (which will provide review lessons via video on
demand and include testing, feedback from teachers),
3. Online preparation for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and JETRO Business Japanese
Proficiency Test (including sample questions, online tests, exam preparation information),
4. Bulletin Boards (private or open discussion boards with
teachers, peer-to-peer discussion boards with other students - if you are a graduate, then it should also help you keep in
touch with friends you made at Yamasa).
Daily Life assistance including;
5. Part-time Work information (list of jobs available in local area),
6. Language Exchanges (Japanese people interested in helping you
practise your Japanese in exchange for conversation practise in your language),
7. Travel Information (including cheap tickets, places
recommended by other students to go to, discount accommodation etc),
8. the Radio Station (Downloads of music and interviews with
lyrics/transcripts. Some extra Japanese study for you
...but more about that in the "How do I get a password" section later in the month.
(c) "Rabbit with a mallet" ???
You might have already noticed the "rabbit with a mallet" in the top right corner of the homepage.
The September banner was contributed by
Roger Fung - homepage, a student in the
AIJP from Hong Kong. We will change it each month and for some festival and holiday dates.
The Chinese also have a very similar festivity during the mid-autumn period,
known as the 'mid-autumn festival'. It is held on the fifteenth night of the
eigth month of the lunar calendar.
Looking at the night skies lately, I have been able to see the moon better
and better (well, either the skies are clearing up for Autumn or I am being
less of a nerd and am actually going out for my recommended daily dose of
fresh air). Looking at the moon, I have came up with this month's title
graphic design.
The rabbit is pounding on rice, making 'mochi' for the Jugo-ya festival. The
'Tsukiyo no Usagi', or The Rabbit on the Moon, is a well-known legend
amongst Japanese people; it is also...
Continued at "http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/link_september.html"
d) OIA Overnight English Conversation Seminar:
From Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th of September the
Okazaki International Association is holding an English Conversation Seminar. Make new friends and get
acquainted with people from other cultures. On Saturday morning you will leave
Okazaki city hall by bus at 9.00am and will go to Yagai Kyoiku center (an outdoor education center run by the Aichi
prefectural government) where you will have lunch and a barbeque in the evening, with activities
throughout the day. On the Sunday there will breakfast, lunch and some 'recreation' before you return to Okazaki
City Hall at 3.00pm. There are a limited number of places available, so if you would like to take part please
contact Ken Uchida in Student Services as soon as possible. The fee is 3,000 Yen and accommodation is provided
on Saturday night at Yagai Kyoiku Center.
e) Day trip to Nara:
How would you like spend Saturday September 15th in Nara??? For less than the cost of the cheapest JR train ticket, you get all transport from your
accommodation to Nara and return, as well as all entry fees and transport within Nara. We visit Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, the Neiraku Art Museum & Isui-en Garden, the
site of the Heijo Palace and Yakushiji temple. A busy day with an early start - but the group size is small (maximum of 9), and you get to see Nara without the summer heat, and
just before the Autumn tourist crush. The fee is 5,600 Yen. To reserve your place pay Ms Yoko Hikosaka at
Student Services on the ground floor of the Yamasa II building.
(f) Jobs:
Recruitment ongoing for the following
positions:
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 Tel: +81 (0) 564 55 8111
2. Course information.
3. Student Interview: Steffen Lehmann (AIJP - Germany)
4. Japan Guide: Takisanji Temple
5. About The Yamasa Institute for Japanese Studies
6. Subscription Information
The building of Yamasa's on-campus bar continues at pace (some
people saying a snails pace) and the former 'ofuro' (bath house) is now starting to
resemble something like a place where you might be able to have a drink.
The exterior is only a few weeks away from completion and from then on
it is just a matter of putting a few chairs and stools inside with a
couple of beer taps and a fully fitted and stocked bar.
Construction of Yamasa's on-campus bar continues... 
and last but not least,
9. Coupons (Includes discount coupons to local shops/stores etc)
Contributed by Roger Fung: The night of the 15th of September, or 'Jugo-ya' (Fifteenth night) is a time
when the Japanese go out and appreciate the beauty of the mid-autumn full
moon. Such activity is known as 'O-tsuki-mi' (moon viewing). 'Mochi' (rice
dumplings), watermelons, chestnuts and numerous autumn fruits are offered to
the bright, full moon. Such offerings are arranged on small, decorative
stands and are placed near the windows of Japanese homes.
September - 200 x 73 pixels. 3760 bytes.
Director of Studies for the Online Center
Japanese teachers for the Online Center (2 positions filled, 1
remaining)
Native-speaker Korean speaking interns
Native-speaker German speaking interns
Native-speaker Spanish speaking interns
Contact Admissions if you have any questions.
Admissions Coordinator
The
Yamasa Institute Aichi Center for Japanese Studies
1-2-1 Hanehigashimachi
Okazaki
Aichi Japan 444-0832
Fax: +81
(0) 564 55 8174 (admissions)
Fax: +81 (0) 564 55 8113 (student
affairs)
Email: Admissions
Email:
URL: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/
URL: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/
2. Course Information
Accommodation:
During September Yamasa's accommodation is close to capacity. From October there are no vacancies in Residence U and K or Yamasa Villa 1. There are no apartments free in Villas 3 and 4 until late October and Yamasa 2 is also full during this period. There are limited rooms available in the Student Village. Students applying for courses from October 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 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 October 19th - Contact Admissions 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 October 19th and December 14th.
All SILAC programs have space but accommodation is limited. Contact Admissions as soon as possible for information.
3. Student Interview: Steffen Lehmann (AIJP - Germany)
 |
| Steffen Lehmann |
Steffen has been studying from October 2000 on the AIJP program.
Jon: Steffen, you're finishing at Yamasa this week, can I get a quick interview before you go?
Steffen: Yeh sure.
J: Are you feeling sad to be leaving after nearly a year in Okazaki.
S: A little bit, but I won't be leaving Japan, I'm going to be working for a firm in Yokohama, programming new software, from September 5th for four months.
J: And after that?
S: I'm going to Canada from next April to study Commerce and Administration which is a continuation of what I have already studied in Germany.
J: How does Japanese fit into your Commerce and Business background?
S: When I started studying at University I thought it would be useful to learn another language. I considered Chinese as well as Japanese but I was more interested in Japan and the culture than China. Also Japan was easier to find schools and information through the internet than China.
J: So you found Yamasa through the internet.
S: That's right. From the homepage I found all the information I needed about accommodation, courses and visas. I visited a language school in Osaka that was on the 11th floor of an office building and though they had plenty of classes, it didn't have the campus feel of Yamasa.
J: Apart from the campus feel, what are your other impressions of Yamasa and Okazaki.
S: I think it's in the homepage somewhere but it's true that...
Continued at
http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/english/newsletter/student_int_17.html
4. Japan Guide: Takisanji Temple
 |
| Sanmon Gate |
In the first few centuries after its original construction, the Buddha of Healing was worshipped here and the temple was called Kishoji Temple. The temple of that era would have been.....
Click here to continue
(Includes
Video)
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
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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