The new year is about to begin. Here in Japan, there are pictures and signs everywhere with pictures of tigers on them. This is because the year 2022 will be the year of the Tiger according to the Chinese zodiac.
Whether you follow zodiacs and similar stuff or not, we think you can agree that we hope the new year will be like the Tiger and everyone can try to work towards the greater good.
Happy new year!
I know in some Japanese households Christmas isn't as celebrated as New Years is. If it is, it's usually spent on dates, with friends, or eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. Last year I had a Japanese style Christmas and had KFC, it was delicious.
This year I am sad to not be able to see my family at Christmas. In the UK, Christmas is about spending time with family and eating lots of food with them. To keep my spirits up, I have been doing lots of Christmas activities.
This year I made a gingerbread house and created a Christmas wreath. It was my first time doing both of these activities and it was really fun.
How do you spend the holidays?
With the winter holidays arriving everyone is getting excited to spend some time relaxing and maybe even doing a little bit of fun stuff. While we have some restrictions compared to previous years, students are creative and resilient and they are looking forward to the break.
The school will be closed from December 26th to January 4th.
For everyone overseas and here in Japan too, we hope you have a very wonderful holiday season!
See you in the next year!
How is everyone? It's getting cold!
I have recently been exploring the area near my flat and I have found a little café inside a temple in Ikebukuro. It is called ぼうず and they make coffees and green tea, you can also get some traditional Japanese desserts. I bought sesame and soy dango with a matcha latte last week and it was delicious!
The temple is really pretty and in the garden there are trees and plants with lots of red autumn leaves. There was also an orange cat in the garden when I last visited the café. You can sit outside and look at the plants and leaves or you can sit inside which is warm and cozy. I like to sit outside for a breath of fresh air.
If you are in Ikebukuro, I would really recommend this café! It is beautiful and all the staff are friendly.
It looks like our eSports club has done really well lately and they will be entering some kind of national tournament. Way to go, everyone!!
Hello everyone,
My name is Olivia and I am your new Assistant Language Teacher.
I come from England. I was born in London, the capital of England. Now my family lives in the countryside, close to a forest where there is lots of wildlife like ducks and muntjac deer.
I studied French and Italian at the University of Bristol. I chose to study this because I really like learning about different languages and cultures. As part of my university degree, I lived in France and Italy for a year. In France, I lived in Paris and I worked for the airline company Air France. Paris is a really interesting place to live and there are lots of gorgeous parks and gardens to explore. In Italy, I lived in Florence which is famous for its art museums and beautiful architecture. The food is also very delicious. When travelling is possible, I would really recommend you try and visit France and Italy to eat lots of yummy food and see some incredible art.
This is my first time in Japan and I am very excited to learn about Japanese culture and language. I would really like to participate in cultural events and maybe even pick up a new hobby! I have not yet had the opportunity to go anywhere in Tokyo or Japan so please give me some recommendations!
I look forward to speaking English with you!
Kind regards,
Olivia
At the Musee de l'Orangerie where lots of Monet paintings are in Paris.
At my local train station in the winter.
Seiritsu Gakuen is a private co-educational high school created in 1925 and it is located in Tokyo, Japan.