Shinkansen Day! (Oh, and White Day I guess)

Well, it’s nearly that time. Two days to go! I mean we’ve been waiting for so long and finally, finally it’s here. No, I’m actually not talking about the Shinkansen, although obviously I’m PSYCHED (how could I not be, with the countdown boards and the complementary ice cream cakes at lunch and announcements and so much okay seriously guys calm down.) It’s White Day! What’s that, you say? You know all about it already? Well, I didn’t when I first came to Japan, so today I’m doing a holiday intro because it’s still really interesting. I`m sure you`ve heard of Valentine`s Day, regardless of how you may feel about it, and maybe you`re savvy enough about Japan to have heard of White Day as well. If you`re a first year like me, however, you may not of have come across White Day before, nor the customs surrounding it, so here’s the low down.

Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) December 2015

This is just a reminder to all those that are interested in taking the
Japanese Language Proficiency Test for December 2015. The deadline for
registration is September 30th. If you’re interested in signing up, you can
go to the “MyJLPT” website and register. The
test fee is 5,500 yen and you can pay by credit card, bank transfer, or
through a convenience store.

The second chance for taking the JLPT in 2015 is: December 5th (Sunday)

If you’re taking the test and are in Ishikawa prefecture, the test will
be held at Hokuriku University.

Happy Tanabata! Wish upon a pair of (literally) star-crossed lovers

Greetings all! Hisashiburi!

Recently, you may have seen some colourful paper trailing lanterns hanging around, and if not, you might well see them soon. It`s Tanabata! Also known as the STAR FESTIVAL.

[Tubular Tanabata Streamers]

Tanabata “七夕” means `the Evening of the Seventh`, and it`s an East Asian festival that is celebrated in China as Qixi or Qiqiao, and in Korea as Chilseok. The exact date that Tanabata is celebrated varies by region in Japan, but the first festivities usually begin on July 7^th, and is held on various days in July and August.

Interested in Running This Blog?

Calling any and all current or incoming Ishikawa JETs!  The managing editor of the Ishikawa JET Blog will be leaving the JET Program this July, and as such we’ll need a new, dedicated, enthusiatic volunteer to take over starting at the end of July.

If you’re interested in this volunteer position, use the “Contact Us” tab above and send us a message telling us about yourself.

Thanks to everyone for keeping up with the blog this year.  Good luck in the 2015-2016 JET year and beyond!

Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Summer 2015

This is just a reminder to all those that are interested in taking the
Japanese Language Proficiency Test for Summer 2015. The deadline for
registration is April 30th. If you’re interested in signing up, you can
go to the “MyJLPT” website and register. The
test fee is 5,500 yen and you can pay by credit card, bank transfer, or
through a convenience store.

The day of the JLPT for Summer 2015 is: July 5th (Sunday)

Back to School: Dust Off Those Brains for Some Trivia!

One thing that surprised me about when I first came to Japan is the teachers’ custom of testing students as soon as they return to school from vacation.  Talk about harsh!  Those poor students barely have enough time to get used to school routines again when — BAM!  Test time.

Well, Ishikawa AJET decided to take a page from the Japanese Teacher’s Handbook this time around.  To welcome everyone back to another year of classes, we’re having a Pub Trivia night.  Here are the details:

My Interview With a REAL Junior High School Student!

Teaching at a junior high school, I often have the problem of surface-level communication with my students.  Sure, I’d like to have deep conversations, perhaps offer what little advice I have, or encourage a student if they’re going through a rough time in life.  What teacher doesn’t?  But when many of your students are still mastering the basics of the English language, (and I myself still struggle with communication in Japanese,) it’s difficult to step into the role of mentor as an ALT.

Cultural Gap: Greetings

For about the last month, since classes began in Janurary, I’ve entered my school every morning and faced a line of students standing shoulder to shoulder on each landing of the main stairwell.  As students or staff pass by, they all shout in unison, eyes straight ahead.  The noise is almost deafening on some mornings, assaulting the eardrums of passersby.

What’s this, you may wonder?  Angry students protesting?  Some kind of punishment?  Punk students trying to cause a scene?