issue 16

iJapanese Newsletter

24th November 2014

A trip to Japan! - Already planned a visit to Japan?
Japan is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. It is a unique blend of traditional ancient temples and buildings
from the past to co-exist seamlessly with the modern achievements of high-rise buildings in architecture and technology.
Here are some attractions you should think about!
For City Lovers
Each city has a unique character depending on their history orindustry and all have their distinctive charms. However there is
nowhere as exciting as Tokyo which offers a seeminglyunlimited choice of shopping, entertainment and dining forvisitors. Tokyo is the capital of Japan with a large population,
always crowded with lots of new things going on. It might makeyou overwhelmed and dizzy but once you get used to it, youwill be absolutely fascinated with the vibe.
Tokyo satisfies all shop lovers from the luxury shops in Ginza toforefront trends in Omote Sandoo to Harajuku for young stars.
For Nature Lovers
There is plenty of beautiful places where you can enjoy naturein Japan. For snow lovers, Niseko (Hokkaido) is the best place togo skiing or snowboarding where it has perfect powder snow
with fantastic views.
For beach lovers, Okinakwa offers pure white sand beaches
and beautiful diving spots, wherewater temperatures never go below
20 degrees even in mid-winter.
If you are a Ghibli lover also likenature, you must go to Yakushima(Kagoshima), whose forest formed
the setting of the much loved film
‘Princess Mononoke’!
For History Lovers
Kyoto is one of the few places where you can feel Japanese
ancient history in the modern city. There are approx 2000
Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in Kyoto. You’ll find truemasterpieces of religious architecture, such as Kinkaku-ji(Golden Pavilion), Kiyomizu-dera as best known for its wooden
stage with stunning views. Yasaka Jinja shrine runs Gion Matsuri
which is one of the most famous festival in Japan.

If you are lucky, you
might even bumpinto a Geisha or
Maiko in the Gion
district!

For Sushi Lovers
Go to Tsukiji Market,
the world's largest
fish market in Tokyo, and try sushi for breakfast! There arerestaurants both in the inner and outer market area, which are
typically open from 5am to around noon.
If you want to enjoy sushi without it costing, Kaiten zushi (Sushitrain) is a welcoming treat for you where fresh sushi rotates
through the restaurant on a conveyor belt. Most of the plates
run from about 100 – 500 yen per plate based on the platecolour. As the sushi passes by you on the conveyor belt, youcan just grab any plates or you can use touch screen for aspecific order. That’s actually quite fun!

For Gadget, Games & Anime Lovers (For Otaku)
Of course, Akihabara... Holy Land of Geek!
Akihabara (Tokyo) has been known as the biggest “ElectricTown” in the world also grown into the spiritual home of Japan's
Otaku (geeks) culture. Akihabara is not only known because ofits shops, but also has become the forefront of cultural trends
like Cosplay (people dressed like their manga or anime heroes),
Maid Cafe(coffee shops where ladies wearing maid clothing
serve you coffee).

By Noriko

BOONEN KAIEND OF YEAR

Combining Aussie
and Japanese style
BBQ that will bring adelicious array offoods for all of us toenjoy and share!

BBQ PARTYDATE:TIME:PLACE :
COST:
RSVP:

All students are welcome to bring friends!

iJapanese Newsletter issue 16

Page 2 of 4Student from iJapaneseInterview with Brandon Leong san
1.Tell us a little about yourself and what you do?
Hi everyone, my name’s Brandon. I am currently a 4th year
student at Latrobe University studying law and international
relations.
2. What is your impression of Japan?
Earlier this year I was very fortunate to be able to visit Japanand explore the amazing country. While I had an idea of what
to expect from watching anime, I was still astounded by thescenery and food; an endless number of picturesque sights
coupled with incredible food made for a fantastic trip. I willdefinitely be visiting Japan again!

5. At iJapanese, what do you enjoy most?
The most enjoyable aspect about iJapanese is the enjoyableand fun atmosphere. Every week I look forward to coming toclass and learning more whilst being able to have a laugh with
my classmates and teachers.

3. Why do you study Japanese?
I decided to start learning Japanese mainly due to my interest
in anime. My ultimate goal is to be able to understand whatthe characters say without subtitles, so I have long journeyahead of me. However with Ayano sensei and Noriko sensei
behind me I’m sure it will be an enjoyable one.
4. How do you find your study of Japanese?
I’ve previously studied French and Chinese, and in comparison
to those two languages I’ve found learning Japanese much
more enjoyable and easier. That’s not to say Japanese is easy
to learn; on the contrary it’s probably just as difficult as Chinese
because of the characters. However studying something you
truly have a passion for certainly helps you remember things!

ありがとうございました！

Introducing Our New Teacher
Hajimemashite!!
My name is Yumiko, and I’m a new teacher at iJapanese
Language & Culture School.
I’m from Chiba in Japan. It’s located next to Tokyo and known
for Tokyo Disney Land. I don’t remember how many times I’ve
been there. But it’s always fun and exciting!!
I came to Melbourne a couple of weeks ago…Yes, I have justmoved here!!
Why Melbourne? I will tell you some of my reasons.
・I’m a coffee person. - Melbourne is the coffee capital ofAustralia.
・I like arts. - There are many interesting museums and galleries
in this city.
・I love watching tennis matches. - I used to play tennis when I
was a child. I cannot wait to watch Australian Open 2015.
・I wanted to be a teacher in Australia, especially at
iJapanese. - This is the biggest reason!!

Yumiko Aiba
I had a hunch that it would be reallyexciting if I could be a teacher at
iJapanese.
Now I’ve seen many students
enjoying learning Japanese here
and I know my hunch was right!!
I love traveling by myself. Because Ican have a lot of opportunities to talk with local people andknow their cultures. Also it’s always fun for me to learn newlanguage. (Yes, it’s difficult... but you know it’s really fun!!)I’m looking forward to talking with you and knowing more
about Australia.
Let’s explore Japanese & have fun together!!

www.iJapanese.com.au

Page 3 of 4

Special Holiday Courses
We are finishing this year’s course but it doesn't mean you cannot continuing study during the holidays!
We have arranged our ‘Holiday Conversation Classes’ which will run over the Christmas and New Year break.
In addition if you are interested in private lessons, please contact us to arrange a time and day.

Group Conversation class schedule is as follows:

Level
Beginner
1 and 2

8th Dec, Mon
5:50pm -7:20pm

11th Dec, Thu
5:50pm -7:20pm

16th Dec, Tue
5:50pm -7:20pm

18th Dec, Thu
5:50pm -7:20pm

10th Dec, Wed
5:50pm -7:20pm

11th Dec, Thu
5:50pm -7:20pm

15th Dec, Mon
5:50pm -7:20pm

17th Dec, Wed
5:50pm -7:20pm

8th Dec, Mon
5:50pm -7:20pm

10th Dec, Wed
5:50pm -7:20pm

15th Dec, Mon5:50pm -7:20pm

16th Dec, Tue
5:50pm -7:20pm

LevelBeginner
3 and 4Level
Pre-intermediate

SUMMER INTENSIVE BEGINNER COURSE
8th Dec - 5th Jan (5weeks)

Monday : 10:00am - 3:00pm (4h)Japanese Coffee Culture
Melbourne has been chosen as having the BEST coffee in theworld . People’s love of coffee is what drives this lively coffee
culture in the streets of Melbourne.
Japanese people also love their coffee, Yet their new coffee
trend is less about the coffee and more about the art, “LatteArt”.

He creates artistic 3D latte designs using the froth from yourcoffee. So impressive I think I would rather not drink it. Hispassion lies in his love of hospitality, wanting to surprise hiscustomers of an experience not soon forgotten, he createscute little creatures emerging from their cups of coffee
captivating men and womenof all ages.

Latte art has been around since the early
80’s, so perhaps quite common whenordering your coffee latte from a coffee
shop and you receive a typical rosetta orlove heart shape.
In Japan there is a totally revolutionary way in latte art designthat creates an experience receiving your latte and it’s called‘3D Latte Art’.
Let me introduce you to “Kohei Matsuno” a well-known 3D
Latter Artist and barista.

By Phillip

www.iJapanese.com.au

Page 4 of 4

Hatsuyume - First dream of the year
Do you remember what your first dreamof this year was? (I think most of you say‘No’. Me neither!) I think you don’t careabout it, do you?
In the past in Japan, as the first dreamof the year was believed to influence
one’s luck for the whole year, somepeople still care about what theydream. Today I would like to introduce
about first dream of the year.
The dream that one sees between the night of New Year’s andthe night of the 2nd January is called ‘Hatsuyume’. As thecommon saying “Ichi-Fuji, ni-taka, san-nasubi” (1st Fuji, 2ndhawks, 3rd eggplants) suggests, it is believed to be good luck todream of these three things.
This is because the three things resemble the following
words:Fuji with “buji” meaning safety or peace, Taka with“takai” meaning high and Nasubi with “koto o nasu” whichmeans things are achieved, accomplished.
In order to make sure they can have a good dream, people
used to place under the pillows pictures of Shichifukujin - theseven gods of fortune, and a picture of tapir, inspiring animal
that is thought to eat up bad dreams.

Please think about these three things before you sleep on the
New Year’s night and please let me know if you saw one ofthem (or all of them!!)Shichifukujin-As elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto,andnative beliefs merged to create a syncretistic fusion of religion
in Japan,they are gods believed to bring good fortune.
*From the left top,clockwise
1. Daikokuten(the god of wealth)2. Juroojin(the god of wisdom)
3. Bishamonten(the god of warriors)
4. Fukurokujyu(the god ofhappiness,wealth and longevity)
5. Hotei(the god of abundance
and good health)
6. Benzaiten(the goddess ofknowledge, art and beauty)
7. Ebisu(the god of fishery andmerchants)

By Ayano

Noriko’s Thought
Trip to Japan, you should also try Ryokan that Japanese traditional styleaccommodation. A ryokan is for travelers who wish to experience Japaneseculture and enjoy the comforts of Japanese hospitality and service, such as onsen(hot springs), traditional gardens, tatami rooms, and cuisine served on beautiful
plates to your room.
Japan has four distinct seasons and temperate climate. Since Japan is wide
range of latitude, the weather can be very different between north part andsouth part. So if you go at right season, you will be able to enjoy skiing in northarea and then go down to south area to enjoy scuba diving in the one trip!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for learning with us. We hope
you have enjoyed all of our lessons.
From all of us at iJapanese we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
We look forward to seeing you all during the new Term in 2015!

来年もよろしくおねがいします！
iJapanese Language & Culture School
Suite 3 Mezzanine Level, 257 Collins Street
0401 886 629
Info@ijapanese.com.au