Natsumatsuri
08/27/2021
Culture
Today, I’ll talk about Japanese “Natsumatsuri”(summer festival). From July to August, there is opened many summer festivals everywhere in Japan. People usually go to the festivals wearing “Yukata”. It is Japanese traditional summer clothe. “Yukata” is also worn after taking bath in Japan at Hotel and “Ryokan”. It’s made by cool material and very comfortable. Wearing “Yukata”, people put on special…
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ぴえん（Pien）
08/27/2021
Vocabulary
I am gaining weight recently …“Pien”
“Pien”
Have you heard of this word?
Today’s Japanese word is “Pien“.
This word is been gaining traction among young people in Japan.
You can use it when you are sad or happy. It’s not a serious word. Just a casual expression.
It’s commonly seen on SNS, often followed by this emoji
Let me explain how to use thi…
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Today’s Japanese word：’うっかり’
08/24/2021
Vocabulary
Hello. Today’s Japanese word is “Ukkari”. Have you forgotten something or done anything carelessly? You can express such situations by using “Ukkari”.
Examples:
・うっかりレストランにかさをわすれてしまった。
I carelessly left my umbrella at the restaurant.
・テレビを見ていたら、うっかりジュースをこぼしてしまった。
I was watching TV when I spilled juice by mistake.
・A：「どうしてこんなまちがいをしたんですか。」
“Why did you make a mistake…
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Tips for surviving HOT SUMMER in Japan
08/16/2021
Tips
How are you doing? It's summer vacation time at NILS.
You might know that Japan is very hot and humid during summer.
How do people deal with this weather?
We will give you some tips on surviving hot summer in Japan.
Tip 1 --- Furin（風鈴(ふうりん) ）
As we mentioned earlier, we like to listen to Furin, the windchimes to make us feel cool.
Tip 2 --- Ice cream and shaved ice
Y…
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お盆-Obon
08/13/2021
Culture
Obon
Hello, everyone. We are in the middle of Obon holiday. Have you heard of Obon? It’s a ceremony to welcome our ancestors’ spirits to this world and show our appreciation.
I am going to describe what we normally do during this holiday.
First of all, we go to the cemetery to clean our family grave, decorate it with flowers and food, and then pray. A plant called ほおづき(Hozuki-Japan…
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Students Interview Results
08/11/2021
News
I interviewed students today about their daily routines. If you are interested in going to Japan,
you might find this information useful.
Daily routine for morning students
07:00 Wake up
08:40 Go to school
12:05 Leave school
14:00 Part time job
18:00 Finish working
20:00 Bath…
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暑中お見舞い申し上げます。－Shochuuomimai moushiagemasu－
08/10/2021
Vocabulary
Have you heard “Shochuuomimai moushiagemasu”?
This is a common summer greeting in Japan. Between the end of the rainy season and the beginning of August, Japanese people exchange cards to inquire the health of their family and friends.
They also share what’s going on in their lives.
These cards are meant to convey the best wishes for the recipient’s health during the hottest months.
&nb…
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花火-HANABI-
08/06/2021
Culture
Today, I would like to introduce one of Japan’s summer traditions – “fireworks”. Japanese people enjoy going to fireworks shows which are held all over Japan during summer.
One of the most famous fireworks festivals is Chikugo River Fireworks Festival in Kurume City (a neighboring city to the home of our Ogori NILS campus), Fukuoka Prefecture. This historic Chikugo River Fireworks Festival has …
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Shingakusetsumeikai
08/04/2021
News
On July 14, NILS students and many others attended “Shingakusetsumeikai” at Kurume Plaza Hotel. What is this Shingakusetsumeikai?
It is an information session for Japanese language school students to learn about vocational schools and colleges. After entering NILS, students learn Japanese for two years, and most go onto college or vocational schools. How do they determine which school to …
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Today’s Japanese Phrase：´おかげさまで´
08/04/2021
Vocabulary
I hope you are all doing well under this heat wave. Let’s study 「おかげさまで」today.
You can use this phrase to mean “fortunately”.
Example:
A: So, Michael, how did the presentation go this morning?
B: Fortunately, the presentation was a great success.
A: How was your vacation?
B: Fortunately, the weather was great.
You can also use Okagesamade to mean “thank goodness”.
Example:
…
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