Seiritsu International Education

"Good evening, folks.


We have breaking (satirical) news from the English Conversation Club at Seiritsu Gakuen: it was discovered that rabbit-dog hybrids in the form of a tired angel and a chicken as well as actual chickens were drawn on the whiteboard. There also seems to be a Chinese vampire/zombie/ghost called 殭屍, pronounced as goeng-si in Cantonese and キョンシー in Japanese, in the mix.


Below is evidence of the act:






According to Eyewitness Brent, there were five students present around the time the creatures were drawn.


Another eyewitness who wished to be anonymous but who was willing to say her name started with an “L” and ended in “-aurence” said that she may have seen some of the students who drew it. She added, “They were really talented.”

An expert was called in to analyze the picture. According to the expert, there is an actual arm visible in the picture. We did not realize that. She has calculated with 99.99% certainty that it’s a student’s arm due to the uniform.

If you have any information about who was responsible for these beautiful pictures, please contact us immediately. We love chickens, and it’s not because it is the year of the rooster.

Live in the Seiritsu headquarters, this is Teresa."

writer: staff  date: 11:20 AM | Life at Seiritsu

Hello everyone! Laurence here.


Setsubun is the last day before the beginning of spring in Japan. It is celebrated every year on February 3rd. Though the Japanese don’t celebrate the Lunar New Year nearly as much as Korea and China, Setsubun is associated with the idea of bringing luck for the year to come.


On that day, a member of the household puts on a Japanese demon mask and roasted soybeans are thrown at them in order to chase evil spirits from their home for the next year. This custom is called “mamemaki”.


Though performed by people of all ages, this custom is especially enjoyed by children, who love dressing up and running around. Some people also go to temples where this ritual takes place.


As with most customs, there are many different variations on how it is celebrated throughout the country and in individual households as well. Some people use peanuts instead of soybeans. Some people also put talismans (which can be made with sardine heads and holy leaves) on their door to keep bad spirits from entering their home.
Sushi rolls are also popular during Setsubun. A variation called ehomaki, or lucky direction rolls, are placed on a plate pointing to the lucky direction of that year.


As a foreigner living here, I love that Japan still embraces customs that go back hundreds of years. If you ask most people if they believed that evil spirits were going to enter their home if they didn’t perform mamemaki, they would probably say no. Yet, a lot of people still take the time to do it.


I hope to be able to perform mamemaki with someone one day!
See you next month,


Laurence Dube

writer: staff  date: 11:17 AM | Life at Seiritsu

It is a beautiful day here in Tokyo. We have a wonderful winter sky and just a touch of the coming of spring.





Speaking of spring.. Today, we are holding entrance exams for students who wish to enter our junior high school. There are many more students applying this year than in years past. The competition is a little bit fierce this time as the spots are limited.

Good luck to everyone and we look forward to seeing you in the new school year.

writer: staff  date: 9:04 AM | Life at Seiritsu