MEJIROGAKUEN

VOL.51

Mejiro Exchange
Mejiro University (Undergraduate, Postgraduate)
Mejiro University College
Mejiro Kenshin Junior and Senior High School

Mejiro Gakuen
4-31-1 Nakaochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 161-8522 JAPAN
Tel. 03-5996-3131 http://www.mejiro.ac.jp

JUNE 2015

Study Trip to Australia
I went to Australia for ten days during spring vacation. My host family was
like a real family to me. At St. Aloysius, my friend there invited me to sit
next to her and eat with her group of friends. Every day I went to schoolby bus. I got used to going to school by myself in an unfamiliar city. WhenI got on the bus, I watched people carefully so that I could learn theirmanners. I noticed that some manners are different in Australia than inJapan. Australia respects all countries and cultures. I felt so proud toknow that many people there are interested in Japan.
Now, I am keeping in touch with my lovely host family. I hope that our
relationship continues for a long time. I think that I got better at English
and I am motivatedto study it harder.
Also, my horizons
were broadened
through experiencing
a different lifestyle.
I think this was thebest experience of
this study trip.

Yui (right) in art class

Yui Nagasaki
Senior 2

Group photo with the principal of St. Aloysius College

Mejiro Kenshin Sports Day
On the 12th of June, we participated in Mejiro
Kenshin Sports Day. It was held at the Tokyo
Metropolitan Gymnasium. It was really fun andeveryone tried their best to win the competition.
Generally, neither of us are very sporty people,
but Mejiro’s sports day was different. In New
Zealand, sports day is usually made up of athletic
sports, which we don’t really like, but this sports
festival was made up of events similar to games,

Taylor participating in the oonawatobi event

such as piggyback fights, so it was really fun.
The one sport that both of us enjoyed a lot was
the club activity relay. Different clubs dressed up
in different costumes that represented their club.
For example, the football club wore their normal
football uniform. This competition in particular
didn’t seem to be about winning and losing, butmore to do with the fun everyone was having.
An event we both took part in was near the
beginning, called oodama korogashi, which isan event where everyone works together in theirrespective coloured teams (red, white and blue)
to pass a giant blow up ball down a line andthen back to the front. The winning team was theone who was the fastest. We both had a lot of
fun participating. Another one was oonawatobi,
which we played with our classmates in ourhomeroom. The idea was to get fifteen people tojump together inside one huge skipping rope as
many times as they could.
The Mejiro Kenshin students were very supportiveand enthusiastic during every event, and becauseof that, the day was even more fun. Sports day as
a whole was a very good day and it will make agreat memory to bring back to New Zealand. It is
one of the many experiences from Japan that wewill never forget.
Taylor Kaaho & Cherry Guo
Takapuna Grammar School

Cherry (second from left) participatingin the eye of the typhoon event

Studying Abroad in JapanI arrived in Japan on
December the 28thand stayed until the
2 2 n d o f F e b r u a r y.
During my time I
have had an amazing
experience in Japanand have enjoyed livingin Tokyo. Where I livein Australia it is only asmall city, but I alreadyknew Tokyo was a very
big city. During mystay in Tokyo I havebeen to many places,such as Ueno Zoo,
Edo-Tokyo Museum,
many shrines, andDisneyland. I was able
to spend New Year’s
Day in Japan, which I
was very excited aboutbecause New Year’s
Day is very different
to the way people
i n A u s t r a l i a w o u l d Christina (right) making mochi with her host sisters
celebrate it. On New
Year’s Day my host family helped dress me up in a kimono and then we
spent the day at their local church. On this day I helped make mochi,
which I have never tried before. I think mochi is an interesting food toboth eat and make. I also ate osechi. For me it tasted weird, but I did
however find the arrangement of food very beautiful and interesting.
When I leave Japan I will miss the people because they are always
so kind and lovely to be around. I feel very lucky to be able to go on
exchange to Japan because it is such a beautiful country. I hope one day
soon I can return to Japan and visit all the friends that I have made during
my time at the school.
Christina Tooley
Ogilvie High School

My time in Japan has been fun. Because this was my first time to visit
Japan I was a little nervous, but my host family and the staff and students
at Mejiro Kenshin have been very kind and welcoming so it has been fun
and interesting. In Australia I do not study art, music and IT, so studying
these subjects in Japan has been an interesting experience. English
class has been fantastic as I enjoy talking to other students and helping
them learn English. Every day I practice Japanese at home, school andin special Japanese classes. This is sometimes difficult but is more
often than not very enjoyable. In Australia it is currently summer so at
first it was difficult to adjust to the cold Japanese winter but now I likethe cold very much! I have had the opportunity to visit lots of interesting
places. On school excursions, I have been to the Tokyo Metropolitan
Government Building and Asakusa. The Buddhist temple was very
interesting. Additionally, going to Disneyland, Sanrio Puroland, Odaiba
and Shibuya with my host family has been very fun. I also went to NHK
Studio Park with the members of the International Culture Club.
Trying Japanese food and experiencing Japanese culture first-hand havealso been definite highlights so far. I am excited to meet more people andimprove my Japanese when we return from winter break.
Emily Leggett
Somerville House

Emily (top row, third from right) with the International Culture Club

Studying Abroad in New Zealand
I have been studying in New Zealand for about 10 months. At first I had
trouble speaking English and understanding what people were saying to me,
but I was able to improve my English through talking with my friends andhost family.
My host family was very kind and funny. They helped me with many things,

Tessei during his trip to Hobbiton

including schoolwork and planning a trip to the South Island and Hobbiton.
Also, they spoke slowly to make it easier for me to understand, especially myhost mother. She helped me with my homework and English conversation
practice, and my host father always told jokes.
I made lots of friends from other countries, such as Korea and Germany,
at Takapuna Grammar School. They are very kind, funny and good people.
In PE class I made many Kiwi friends. They are very interesting and goodfriends. Everyone came to talk to me. They told me about delicious foodand amusement places in New Zealand, and took me to many good places.
The Night Market was the most fun out of the places we went. It is a market
which is held on Sunday evening and sells delicious food from many
countries. The market became my favourite place, so I went there often on
Sunday evenings.
For my last two weeks I went to NZIE language school because my classes
at Takapuna Grammar School finished in October. Studying at the language
school was very interesting because we made a movie in English and went
to a nearby beach during class. It was a lot of fun. I think the language
school was helpful because my English improved.
I wasn’t interested in going abroad until last year, but I have come to likeforeign countries. If I have the chance to go to a foreign country again I wantto speak more English and make friends.
Tessei Kawashima
Senior 3

Studying Abroad in Canada
I went to study abroadin Vancouver, Canada
for two months. I had
a great time. I went
to West Vancouver
Secondary School andmade a lot of friendst h e re . T h e re w e remany students fromother countries, so I
heard many languages
and became interested
in languages otherthan English. My
Kento with friends in Canada
friends were very kindto me because they talked to me when I first arrived. They invited me togo out with them many times. I am very thankful to them.
I am thankful to my host family, too. They were very kind to me, and I
was able to experience a lot of things that I can’t do in Japan because ofthem. One thing was experiencing Halloween in Canada. I went trick-ortreating in the neighborhood and was able to get many sweets. Anotherthing was my host family took me to Seattle in the U.S. I was surprised bythis because I didn't think I could go to the U.S. since I was in Canada. I
thought it would be very difficult to get there, but they arranged it for me.
I was very grateful to them and felt very happy.
I think if I didn't have good friends and a nice host family, I wouldn't haveenjoyed studying abroad in Canada. Because of them, I could spend avery good time there and make great memories. I think two months wasvery short. If I could go there one more time, I would choose one year, but
I will never forget my two short months in Canada.
Kento Otsuka
Senior 3

I studied abroad at
Rockridge Secondary
School in Vancouver,
Canada for about twomonths. It was a very
marvelous experience
for me. My host sistercame to Mejiro Kenshin
first, so I had spoken
English before I left
Japan, but when I
arrived in Canada, I felt
so nervous that I couldn't
speak English well.
Narumi (left) with her host family
My host family was so
nice and their food was so good. They were always kind to me. We
sometimes played games together and often watched movies together.
They took me to a lot of places that I wanted to go. We went skiing,
downtown, the theater, a planetarium and other places. It was very fun.
At school, I could make friends right away because my host sister
introduced me to her friends. I studied art, cooking, P.E., social studies,math, and other things. I had difficulty in understanding what my teacher
was saying at first, but I got used to it. I was able to make friends from
Canada, China, Korea and other countries. We went to many places
together, such as downtown, a café, and our friend's place. I also went
to a sleep over. On Halloween, I went to my friend's house with my hostsister and friends. We ate food, played a game, and watched a movie.
After that we went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. It was amemorable experience for me.
Doing a homestay, going to a Canadian school, taking the bus by myself,talking with my friends and going to many places are all memories that I
will never forget.
My experience in Canada made me realize that learning and speaking
English is fun.

I studied abroad for about
three months in Delta,
Canada. It was a very niceexperience for me because
Canada was so different
from Japan.
At school, I studied math,science, ESL, food, P.E.,
and planning. I had fourclasses each day from
Monday to Friday. Eachclass was 90 minutes long.
I didn’t have school on
Saturdays and Sundays.
I also didn’t have school
one Friday a month. It wascalled Pro-D day. On thatday, events for international
students were held. I went
to a camp, Playland andother places. It was fun.
Nanami (right) with her host family
Usually school started at
8:30 but two Wednesdays
a month it started at 9:30. These were called collab days. Therefore I had
a lot of holidays in Canada. It made me happy.
There were four people in my homestay family: my father, my mother, andtwo younger sisters. They were very kind to me and taught me English
when I made mistakes. I liked my homestay father’s meals. He cooked
Italian and Mexican well. They were delicious. Studying abroad wasgood for me because I could learn not only English, but also about othercultures. I want to go there again.

I went to Vancouver,
Canada for twomonths. I was very
glad when my hostfamily came to pickme up at the airport. I
spoke in Japanese at
first because I was not
used to speaking in
English, but I gradually
started using English
in conversation.
I spent the first few
days with my hostReo (front) with friends from Soccer Academy
brother. On the firstday, I played soccer with him. Then, on the second day, I started classes
at Sentinel Secondary School. There weren’t many Japanese students
in the school, but the experience of interacting with people from othercountries was very good. My English communication ability improved
because of all the communication I had with the people in my classes.
Soccer Academy was especially exciting for me. Playing soccer withfriends from other countries felt a little weird at first, but it was fun
because everyone was so good. I have very good memories of all thethings I did in Canada. My best memory is playing soccer with people
from other countries. I want to thank everyone who helped make myexchange so incredible.

Nanami Watanabe
Senior 2

Reo Harada
Senior 2

Narumi Ogata
Senior 2

Internship Program

Mizuki (center) celebrating her birthday with students

Somerville House, Brisbane, Australia
This internship was the first time in my life to go
abroad. I went to Somerville House, which is a
girls’ school in Brisbane, where I supported Year
6 to 12 students in Japanese classes. WhenI arrived in Brisbane, I couldn't speak English
well because I was shy, but the teachers andstudents were extremely kind. Soon after I
started working at the school I was able to talkto everyone. All of the Japanese teachers andMizuki (left) with students wearing yukata

students at Somerville House were interested
in Japanese culture, fashion and TV shows. I
helped to make resources and exams, and do
activities with them. I also had the chance toteach them how to wear yukata, a light kimono
worn in summer. That was a nice experience
for me. On holidays I tried to go to Australian
festivals whenever I had the chance. Because
there are many different nationalities in Australia,
I could go to many kinds of festivals. It was sofun. I will never forget this experience and I want
to go back to Brisbane to meet the teachersand students again. Some of them will come to
Japan later this year so I will definitely go to meetthem then.
Mizuki Hagiwara
Alumnus, Department of Japanese andJapanese Language Education
Mejiro University

University Life in Japan
chance to enter a tutor circle
Last year I graduated highwhere you are partnered withschool in Sweden and had
a Japanese student that wants
decided that I did not want toto learn your mother tongue
immediately start university but
in return for helping you learn
instead travel abroad.
Japanese. It is a great way
Since I studied Japanese duringof learning more about the
my high school years andlanguage and the differences
wanted to continue my studies
in each other’s culture. Anotherafterwards, I decided to comeway you can meet otherto Japan and take a course
students is to hang out in thein Japanese. JALP (Japanesecafeteria where many students
Language Program) at Mejiro
always are. It is really fun to
University seemed like a greatmeet new people and at thecourse where I could reallysame time learn Japanese.
learn Japanese with ambitious
By speaking Japanese withstudents and good teachers. I
other students you can gain
chose to study at a university
more knowledge of how the
because I wanted to have thelanguage is actually used.
opportunity to meet Japanese
I have only been here for two
students and be sure that themonths so far but I have hadcourse was serious with its
Johanna (left) with her classmatesa wonderful time meeting new
education.
After taking the placement test I was placed in the N3 level class. I think the people and improving my Japanese. So far, I have learned a lot and haveclasses are very good and all my teachers are great. The difficulty level of made some great memories. I hope that for the remainder of my stay I will
the classes is very good, with the right amount of challenge without making continue to have just as much of a great time as I am having now.
them incomprehensible. I am also very glad that I can take preparation
Johanna Stenmark
classes for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and the Examination forJapanese Language Program (JALP)
Japanese University Admission for International Students. My favourite class is
Mejiro University"Understanding Japan". In this class we get to learn a lot of Japanese culture
which is very interesting. All of my classes are in Japanese, so every day I canVOL. 51 JUNE 2015
improve my Japanese comprehension, if only by a little.
Mejiro Exchange is published biannually by Mejiro Gakuen.
Not only are my goals for studying Japanese being fulfilled, but also my wish
Views expressed in the ME do not necessarily reflect thoseof Mejiro Gakuen. Comments and submissions invited.
to meet Japanese student. The International Exchange Center offers you the