1RUWK6HD/RRNRXW 
1RWinter 2014

Canadian Experience
Lethbridge University Study Abroad Program

My Lethbridge Stay
Hayato Matsuda
I went to Lethbridge in Canada to study for three weeks. I
only stayed there for three weeks, however I could learn a lot ofthings and experienced many things. First, I was surprised thatin other countries international students speak English fluently.
They expressed their opinion positively in English. I could not
express my opinion because I was too shy, however some of thestudents managed to answer questions in spite of not being goodat speaking English. I was impressed with their attitude and I
learned that I need a positive attitude for studying abroad.
Second, Canadian culture is different from the Japaneseculture. When I went shopping, a store clerk talked with me very
friendly. Furthermore, they made a joke. I thought that thiscustom is very unique and interesting. I also thought that thiswarm conversation would not happened very often in Japan. In
particular between a store clerk and a stranger. I was able todiscover interesting cultural difference because of going abroad
to study.
Finally, I recommend studying abroad because you will see abrave new world. There are a lot of encounters and surprises inanother country. You will be able to study with university
students who come from other countries. These experiences andthe stimulus will certainly give you courage and passion in yourlife. These things also improve your English skill. Studying
abroad will be a good opportunity to study English and grasp
the genuine meaning of “global”. I'm sure that this experience isvaluable because you will learn in a new world.

Yuki Adachi
I went to Canada in order to study English from August 31 to
September 21 of this year. I studied English in University of
Lethbridge. It was my first time to go abroad, so I was very
nervous. However, I could enjoy a lot of things.
First, I studied in EAP (English Academic Purpose) Program.
There were four classes; writing, reading, communication, andgrammar class. It was very interesting, because I could takeclasses with students from other countries. For example, there
were Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Saudi Arabian students. It
was good opportunity to study in these classes, because I had touse only English. I felt that it was a good learning environment.
Also, I talked with overseas students a lot, and I could makefriends. Now, I keep in touch with my friends on Facebook.
Second, there were a lot of activities. I went to Waterton
National Park with Hokkai Gakuen and Korean students. It was
nice view. I have never seen that kind of scenery in Japan. Also, I
took part in a few home parties. At the parties, I ate a lot of
Canadian food. It was so delicious. In addition, I went shoppingwith my peer partner. His name is Dan Lima. He introduced me
to the town of Lethbridge. I enjoyed many activities.
Finally, I enjoyed a lot of time with my homestay family. My
homestay family was very kind. They taught English andCanadian culture to me. Besides, when I could not understandEnglish, they spoke slowly so that I could understand what theysaid. In my free time, I watched movies outdoors. I was
surprised. I have never watched movies outdoors in Japan. I felt
a cultural gap between Japan and Canada. I spent a lot of timewith my homestay family.
It was a precious experience for me to go to Canada. I stayedin Canada for three weeks. I felt that it was too short. I want tostay longer next time.

2

No.11 Winter 2014

Life in Japan
Japanese Literature

Traditional Volunteer Activity

Novels have changed with time. The style of old novels isdifficult for contemporary Japanese. There are a lot of words,
phrases, and expressions that are not used today. Novels often
appear characteristic. Then there are many “pure literaturenovels.” It is that art is more important than amusement. Old
novelists are often writing irony and refer to a social problem.
In the past, some literary works were oppressed. For example
proletarian literature was oppressed by the Maintenance of the
Public Order Act. At that time, freedom of opinion and thought
were taken away from the people by the government. In theworst case, novelists were arrested by the police.
Currently, reading novels has become easy. There are somereasons. Pure literature has decreased and most Japanese novels
are for amusement. “Light novel” is one type of amusement
novel. There are some illustrations that target junior and seniorhigh school students. Beside, censorship of novels is prohibitedby the Constitution of Japan.
Today anybody can read anything, at any time. Now anovelist can write a story freely. However, even now somenovels' contents are pointed out to be inappropriate because thecontents have a bad influence on children. Generally, that is saidby adults. If that is the case, will there be censorship in the
future again? It will change the contents of novels and writing
styles too.
Suzuka Takahashi

Do you know “Chihou Kouen”? This is Hokkai Gakuen
University's volunteer event. The team has about forty members
and I am one of those people. The Hokkai Gakuen University's
cultural clubs, such as a folk song society, jazz society, country&
western society, free formless jazz orchestra and theater club
make up our team.
We are making the rounds of regional elementary schools
which are not exposed to live music and drama. The elementary
schools we visit are different every year. This year, we are goingto the northeast of Hokkaido, “ Tsubetsu”, “Kitami”,“Kunneppu”, “Asahikawa”, and “Chippubetsu”. We all move bychartered bus. We have been practicing diligently for it thewhole time and to see the smiles of the children makes us
happy.
The theater club makes the original script for the event
which a child can easily understand. We all work together with
illumination and acoustic devices. The music clubs perform
famous and cheerful songs「Avril Lavigne/ Girlfriend」,「SMAP/ Sekaini Hitotsudakeno Hana」for example. Also we
perform famous animation medleys such as「My neighbor
TOTORO」,「Lupin the Third」and so on. It is hard for us
because we must make all the scores ourselves.
“Chihou Kouen” is a very traditional event for Hokkai
Gakuen University. It began in 1963 and this year is the 52ndtime. I'm honored to be able to participate in this team and I
will surely help make the event a success.
Maaya Saito

Marriage Celebration
A marriage celebration is a very cherished and happy time forall people. It is one of the important events in our life.
Nowadays, it is more unique than before.
In the Edo Era, there was a wedding reception called“shuugen”, but there was no word for a marriage. If a man and awoman became engaged, they held a wedding reception in theirhouse with their parents and relatives. Then, in the Meiji Era,
weddings according to Shinto rites started. It is similar to
today's marriage ceremony. Furthermore, after the war, it
became difficult to hold a wedding reception in private houses,
so marriage ceremonies began to be held in hotels and chapels.
Since the bubble economy, marriages became luxurious.
Marriage ceremonies are original nowadays. For instance, thebridegroom and bride procure BGM themselves, the bride doesa bouquet toss, and their friends show a movie of the history of
the bridegroom and bride. Besides, it was a tradition that thebride's sister served as a bridesmaid, but these days, the bride's
friend does. There is a custom in some places where in addition
to the bouquet toss, the bridegroom tosses broccoli to wish formany descendants. It is very unique.
Marriage celebration is a special event in all people's life. It isdeveloping more and more. Almost all people have a longing for
marriage and a marriage ceremony. Mostly, it is only once in a
lifetime, so people should make a memorable special marriage
celebration.
Miku Fujita

Education
These younger Japanese received education that was aimed atdevelopment and a free style. The curriculums are flexible. It iscalled a yutori education. They did not belong to a strict
generation, so it is called the “yutori” generation by Japanese.
They were born April 2nd in 1987 to April 1st in 1996, they are
18 to 27 years old now. I am 19 now, so I am part of thatgeneration. Our characteristics are said to be that we are afraidof mistakes and our feelings can easily be hurt. Of course all
people are not the same.
However, the Japanese government stopped this yutori
education because the children's scholastic ability was declining.
Now schools are increasing studying times and language activity.
Science and mathematics education are improving too. I have ayounger brother who is in the third grade of junior high school.
He studies very hard every day because the content is deep.
Now he is learning about subjects I studied when I was a highschool student. I was very shocked!
These days I am worried about the yutori generation because
18 to 27 year old people and I studied less than my brother's
generation. Do you think that my generation is wrong? I haveto do my best because I do not want other people to say, ‘youare of the yutori generation, so you do not do it!’ Yuri Murata

No.11 Winter 20143

iDebateBreakfast is important for health'
We are debating the resolution is ‘Breakfast is important for health’. We, on theaffirmative team, strongly support this resolution. I have 3 reasons: Smarter, tied
to being overweight and more energy. My first point is ‘Smarter’. Eating breakfast
provides an energy boost to the brain. According to the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition in 1998, people who eat breakfast have a tendency to memorize
more things than people who don't. My second point is ‘Tied to being
overweight’. If you skip breakfast, it is easier to get body fat. There are somestudies that have shown that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be
overweight than regular breakfast eaters. Also, breakfast skippers tend to eat more
food than usual at the next meal. My third point is ‘more energy’. Food literally
provides you with energy. When you start your day on nothing, you're running on
empty. But if you eat up, you've got what you need to make it through yourworkday. We have talked about smarter, tied to being overweight and more energy.
We have shown clearly that breakfast is important for health. For these reasons we
beg to propose.
Nana Suzuki

Gambling should be banned
We are debating the resolution, “Gambling should be banned.” We, on theaffirmative team, strongly support this resolution. We have 3 reasons; addiction,
debt, and family problem. The first reason is addiction. If someone gets into agambling deeply once, it is difficult to stop doing gambling easily, and thisproblem is very serious. According to Sankei newspaper article, about 5 million
people are doubted as gambling addiction, compared to foreign countries. The
second point is debt. There is a person who loan money in order to do thegambling. There was a case of woman who addicted into the gambling: She loan 6
million yen for seven years. The third reason is family problem.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have talked about addiction, debt, and family andhave clearly shown that gambling should be banned. For these reasons, we beg topropose.
Hiroki MurakamiHousewives should be paid for their work.
We are debating the resolution is:“Housewives should be paid for their work.”
We on the affirmative team, strongly support this resolution. We have threereasons: housewife's right, positive images of women and family life and economic
empowerment. Our first point is “housewife's right.” According to Locke's
Political Philosophy, the philosophical basis of entitlement for pay is derived fromthe notion that if something comes into being as the product of an individual'slabor, then that individual is entitled to the profit and benefit of such a productbecause its existence was resultant of that individual's labor. That in this case thelabor is on services does not make any difference, the product of the housewife'slabor is that the children are looked after and domestic matters are all sorted. Thisis beneficial to society as housewives in addition to helping their own family arelikely to have the time to help out others — through volunteering, throughlooking after other's children after school and so on.
Our second point is “positive images of women and family life.” Paying
housewives promotes more positive images of women and family life. Genderstereotypes dictate that the woman's place is in the home and that that is aninferior position in the social hierarchy than that of the male's corporate
breadwinner status. The stereotype is particularly damaging to women's
expectations for themselves and the way society treats women. By paying
housewives for their work, a greater emphasis is placed on the role of the homekeeper and on the women that tend to this job.
Our third point is “economic empowerment.” One of the most importantfactors of oppression of women's rights, particularly in the developing world, isdependence. Women are often confined to the home by force, lack of opportunity
or social stigma, on behalf of their husbands. When she is not paid, a housewife
must rely on her husband for money, especially if she has children she is expected
to take care of. Economic empowerment allows further freedom for women incountries where women are confined to the home. We have talked about“Housewives should be paid for their work.” We beg to propose.
Yohei Nishimura

Housewives should not be paid for their work
We are debating the resolution “housewives should not be paid for their work.”We, on the affirmative team, strongly support this resolution. We have threereasons: family sphere, society, and non-profits or losses. Our first point is “family
sphere”. In the family sphere, contracts are based on personal obligation and thefamily unit as opposed to individual contraction of services. Individuals opt into
being a parent in a family unit on a voluntary basis and with no expectation orpretence of return for their services, except perhaps from their children in the
future. Remuneration is created in the form of a functioning, rewarding family
unit and family life and the products and services produced are of no quantifiable
monetary value nor can they be sold or do they create wealth. Because housewives
do not labour for anybody outside of their household, they should not be paid byanybody outside of their family. Moreover most of the work that housewives dowould have to be done by a member of the family unit regardless of whether
everyone was also engaged in monetized work — there would still need to be
washing, cleaning, shopping, etc. Our second point is “society.” By paying
housewives for their work, you create negative stereotypes about families andwomen by monetizing the role of home-keeper. Paying housewives for their work
re-enforces the very framework that is seen as oppressive on home-keepers. It
creates a system in which women are even more strongly expected to behousewives than they are now, rather than seeking out career jobs with upward
mobility. The result is that women are discouraged from seeking to fulfil their own
dreams by creating their own careers as they are more firmly chained to theirtraditional role. This is damaging to societal views of women and the family. Our
third point is “non-profits or losses.” On a very practical level, this policy could
never be implemented. As much as housewives are valuable members of society, it
is economically impossible to pay them wages. It is only possible to increase
somebody's pay if that person creates increased wealth. There is no direct increase
in wealth creation caused by housewives and therefore it would be impossible togain a direct or accurate valuation or mechanism of exchange for housewife pay.
We have talked about family sphere, society, and non-profits or losses, and haveclearly shown that housewives should not be paid for their work. For these reasons
we beg to propose.
Kaho Yoshida

Gay couples should be allowed to marry
We are debating the resolution:“Gay couples should be allowed to marry.” We,on affirmative team, strongly support this resolution. We have 2 reasons: thepurpose of marriage and legal states. Our first point is “Purpose of marriage.” Themain purpose of marriage is not having a baby. According to Margaret Hilary
Marshall, the 24th chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court,
essentiality for marriage is a monopolistic and indissoluble relationship, not having
a baby. Moreover, allowing only straight marriage can support deleterious fixed
thinking that the same sex marriage is unrespectable because it is essentiallyunstable and inferior to straight one. Our second point is “Legal states.” Manyrights are not given to same sex couples under the current law. For example, they
don't have right to inherit, be with their partners in an ambulance, and get social
securities and allowance for spouse. Straight couples naturally have these rights,
but same sex ones don't have just because of their gender. This is definitely
discrimination. We have talked about purpose of marriage and legal states. We
have shown clearly that gay couples should be allowed to marry. We beg topropose.
Reina Kusajima

Advertising is harmful
We are debating the resolution:“Advertising is harmful.” We on the negative
team strongly oppose this resolution. We have 3 reasons: fairness, promoting andcomparison. Our first point is “fairness.” Advertising is the only public method forthe medium and small sized business. Advertising makes competition between
companies fair. For example, advertising is helpful to give publicity to the good
product without being seized with the size of the company. Furthermore, you
cannot find really good products when the freedom of advertisement limits,because the product of the big company is outstanding. Our second point is“promoting.” Advertising promotes a good product surely and disturbs the sale ofa bad product. By the fast food advertisement, companies change their message intheir advertisement to promote the sale of healthier products. This is because it is
not good for companies to be seen as harming consumers. In addition, there are a
few advertisements of the cigarette, and the restriction of the alcohol
advertisement becomes severe. Our third point is “comparison.” Advertising helps
us choose the product. For instance, one product advertises a new function, andother one advertises low price. We can do better shopping, because advertisements
give us the detailed information of the product. Furthermore, we can compare
products without going stores by advertisements. We have talked about fairness,promoting and comparison. We have shown opposite views of advertising isharmful. For these reasons we beg to oppose.
Haruka Hoshiba

4

No.11 Winter 2014

Women and Marriage in Japan- Then and Now
by Madoka Okazaki
Ideas about marriage have been changing in Japan since theend of World War II. About 60 years ago, people thought“women have to marry”. Marriage was happiness for women.
At the same time, marriage seemed like a duty for women.
After marriage, women were expected to become housewives
and they did not go out to work. Also, marriage by
arrangement was very popular. It was the natural way to getmarried so the average age of marriage was lower than it thesedays. In the 1940s, men got married at the age of 26 andwomen got married at the age of 23.
Now, people think “women do not have to marry”. Some
women keep on working without getting married. Aftermarriage, women can go back to their work. Also, marriage
by arrangement is not so popular today, and only about 1%of couples do it. Most people marry for love. Almost all
women search for a marriage partner by themselves. In
addition, the number of couples that do common-law
marriage is increasing. In a common-law marriage, couples
not register their marriage. For the above reasons, the averageage of marriage is high. Currently, men get married at the ageof 30 and women get married at 28.
The way of thinking about marriage has been changing
since the 1940s and 1950s. I think marriage is an important
issue for women, and women should think about this topic.

The Giants- Past and Present
by Tomoki Nishishita
The fortunes of the Tokyo Giants have changed a lot in thelast decade. In 2004, Mr. Horiuchi was manager of theGiants. At this time, the Giants were very weak. In 2004 and2005, the Giants were 3rd and 5th. The Giants had some badpoints. Firstly, the manager, Mr. Horiuchi, didn't care about
defense. Recently, a variety of teams, not only Japanese
professional baseball teams but also major league baseballteams, have prioritized defense. That's why Mr. Horiuchi's
strategy was very bad. Secondly, Mr. Horiuchi recruited a lotof homerun hitters from other teams. Actually, these batters
hit a lot of homeruns but their batting averages were notgood. The Giants couldn't win by homeruns alone. The
Giants needed batters with high hitting averages.
In 2006, the manager of the Giants changed. Mr. Hara
assumed the position of manager of the Giants. Mr. Harachanged some of Mr. Horiuchi's Giants bad points. Firstly,
Mr. Hara prioritized defense and hired quality pitchers.
Secondly, Mr. Hara prioritized developing new talent. As aresult, the Giants won the league in three consecutive seasons
twice from 2007 to 2009 and from 2012 to 2014. Now, theGiants are very strong. As long as the manager of Giants is
Mr. Hara, I can enjoy watching a strong team.

Then aThe Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
by Hikaru Kukuda
Since I was 6 years old, my favorite baseball team has been
the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. I became an
enthusiastic fan of the Fighters after I went to the Sapporo
Dome and watched a baseball game there. Until 2003 they
were in Tokyo and their name was Nippon-Ham fighters andTokyo Dome was their home ground. However, it was sharedwith Yomiuri Giants. The Giants were the most popular teamin Tokyo but the Fighters were not so popular. The main
reason that they were not such a popular team was they were aweak team and always in B class, so I didn't know muchabout them.
In 2004, Nippon-Ham Fighters came to Sapporo andchanged the team name to Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
At first, they were not such a popular team in Hokkaido but
there were many star players in the Fighters. Because of theirperformances, the Fighters rapidly became a popular andstrong team. They were an A class team 8 times in 11 years.
Inaba Atsunori is one of the leading players in the Fighters.
He recorded 2,167 hits in his career. Another leading player is
Kaneko Makoto. He has spent all his career of 21 years in theFighters. However, they both announced that they would
retire after this season. I feel very sad about this. However, I
think it is a generation change and positive event for theteam. I hope that the Fighters become the Pacific League
champions next season.

Changes in English Education in Japanby Megumi Kawano

I have studied English for nine years. When I was in theseventh grade, I started studying English. My junior highschool's English class taught us English grammar and English
words by using a textbook. An ALT sometimes came to ourschool and we did many activities using English, for example,
singing a song or playing games and it was interesting for me.
When I was a senior high school student, we studied English
by listening, speaking, reading and writing. At the time, we
studied English in Japanese by translation. We had to study
3080 English words. In our speaking class, we communicatedwith classmates using English.
However, English education in Japan has been changing.
For example, many students will start studying English with

No.11 Winter 20145

nd Nowan ALT in third grade, and students in the upper grades of
elementary school will now study the content of seventh
grader's English. It is not only the curriculum which haschanged, but also the teacher's educational style. Teachers are
now expected to teach students in English. The new system ofEnglish education will be introduced in senior high schoolfrom 2015, so students will have to study a lot more English
words than in my junior and senior high school days.
Nowadays, English is important for people all over the world
and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology has changed the education system toimprove the old one and face up to Japan's new global
challenges

Bicyclesby Kutsuzawa Nami

Bicycles have a long history. At first, they were made inGermany in 1813 and they were made of wood. They weremoved by kicking so they moved at low speeds. That wascalled Draisine in Germany. In 1839, pedal system bicycles
were made in Scotland. Compared with the previous ones,
they became much faster. In 1870, bicycles that had a big
front wheel were made in England. There were called Penny
Farthings, and they had high saddles so they were difficult to
ride. In 1879, a new style of bicycle was made in England, andtheir designs were closer to modern ones. They were of highquality in terms of safety and speed, and they were easy to
ride. In 1889, tires that included air were invented in Ireland
so bicycles became even more useful vehicles than before.
These days, bicycles are changing greatly. To begin with, inJapan, many people use bicycles because most of them arereasonable in price, but one new kind of bicycle, themountain bike is so expensive and the most expensive one
costs around twenty thousand dollars. It has high-quality
gears and it uses luxury materials. There are many brands ofhigh-class bicycles all over the world. Rich people tend to buy
them. In summary, bicycles are useful and popular vehicles
now, and will continue to be in the future.

Nintendo

by Hayato Matsuda

Many people all over the world enjoy video games today.
In particular, Nintendo is the most famous video gamecompany in the world. How did they become world famous?
First, the origin of Nintendo dates back to the Meiji era. The

founder name's was Fusajiro Yamaguchi. He began
to produce Hanafuda, and the old company
produced the first playing cards in Japan. The
company was set up as a toy company in the Showaera, however the company name was Marufuku, notNintendo. They succeeded in producing the firstplastic playing cards in Japan. Afterwards, they
developed attractive video game machines called“Family Computer” in 1983 and an incredibly interesting
game called “Super Mario Bros” in 1985. They also developed
two attractive video game machines:“Nintendo 64” and“Nintendo Gamecube” in the Heisei era, but Sony
“Playstation” and “Playstation 2” sold much better than bothof their game machines.
Finally, Nintendo became world famous and their products
fascinate a lot of people now because they have made highquality games and lovable characters. They also developed
epoch-making game machines (DS, Wii, 3DS, Wii U);
especially DS sold 153.99 million units and Wii sold 101.15
units in the world. However, Nintendo is struggling to makea profit today because their newest game machines didn't sell
well so now they are trying to sell more interesting video
games like “SSB” in order to sell more new game machines(3DS and Wii U). Despite the challenges, I am sure Nintendo
will be successful in the future.

Air travel

by Chihiro Kitamura
Air travel has been changing considerably over the lasttwenty years. In the past, we almost always used only JAL or
ANA in Japan, and we could use these airlines comfortably.
One reason was because both airlines provided goodentertainment and services. For example, we could enjoy
watching some TV programs, and listen to music or radio in
our seat. Also, we could choose drinks we liked and receive
them for free. It cost a lot of money to take their flights, but
we travelled in great style and went where we wanted to go
faster than by train or other means of transportation.
Now, we can travel even more conveniently. Low-costcarriers, called LCCs, appeared in Japan in 2012, so we can
now choose from a variety of airlines, for example, Sky Mark,Air Do, Peach, Vanilla Air, and of course we can still choose
JAL and ANA. Due to this, we can travel more cheaply
because these LCC airlines stopped free in-flight service, andhave more seats than JAL and ANA. LCC airlines were able todecrease the cost of flying. Furthermore, it is getting easier togo abroad because there are more routes appearing with theseairlines. It is also getting easier to make reservations because we
can book our flights on the internet, moreover, we can evencheck-in on the internet! Now we can book flights whenever
and wherever we like. In sum, air travel is very convenient now
and it will continue to develop in the future too.

6

No.11 Winter 2014

Great Inventions
Moment Recovery Bed

Do you wish you could reduce the hours you sleep? If so, then here is the solution
to your problem: The Moment Recovery Bed. Easy to use and effective, the Moment
Recovery Bed has a lot of great functions.
The moment recovery bed is a unique device with which people can get recovery
and healing immediately. It looks like an oxygen capsule, but it is really a simple andstylish design. This great bed is made out of the most advanced materials and is a
comfortable bed. It has diverse functions. First, the Moment Recovery Bed can giveoff aromas. Aromas make the users happy, healing and recovering them. Second, it
can minutely examine your body. If the Moment Recover Bed discovers a serious
disease, it recommends that you go to the hospital. Lastly, users can choose theirfavorite dreams.
The Moment Recover Bed is easy to use. First, turn on the power. Second decide
the time to wake up. Lastly, users only sleeps. Therefore, when sleepers get up, they
will be fully recovered.
Takumi Shiraishi

Bed is an alarm clock bed.
The Don't Oversleep Bed is a special device that wakes you up. It looks a normal
bed, but it is really an alarm clock in a bed. When it is time to get up, it wakes you up
by vibration. This amazing alarm clock bed is made out of wood, so the feeling in the
bed is very good.
The Don't Oversleep Bed is easy to use. First, plug in the bed. Second, turn on the
power. Then set the time you want to get up and go to sleep. The next morning, it
wakes you up. If you buy the Don't Oversleep Bed, you will not oversleep anymore.
Ayame Saito

Travel Walker

I like cars and I often drive. Today, various cars are available, but I sometimes feelthey are inconvenient. For example, fuel is expensive and there are many accidents. If
the development of the car advances, it will become more convenient.
I thought that I wanted a more convenient thing. Therefore, I want cell a phone toproject into space. For example, I often drive a car, but I get a call and I cannot answer
the telephone while driving, but this fantastic car can answer it.
This car automatically works with one button. In addition, accidents never happen
and it is superior in safety. The fuel is hydrogen, so it is kind to the earth. If such athing spreads, accident will decrease.
Shohei Oikawa

If you have time and money, you can go abroad many times. However, it isdifficult to make time and money for travel. At such time, you should use the “TheTravel Walker”. What is it? It can take you around the world, but you don't have tohave a plane ticket, pay money, or take a plane. You can experience travel in your own
home.
It uses two items, glasses and a walking mat. When you use it, you put on theglasses and turn on the swatch, and you choose where you want to go. Next, you walkon the walking mat. The glasses display your chosen place and you can walk aroundthere. Therefore, you are able to experience being abroad. However, it has a bad side,
you can't go shopping, but don't worry. We can offer many items from around theworld on Internet.
If you want to go abroad, you can. It takes only a short time but you can get agood experience. In addition, you can have a chance to buy good items cheaper thanin other places. Therefore, you should try it, and I think you will definitely come tolike it!
Ryoma Kanauchi

Almighty Robot

Voice Remote Control

Fantastic Car

Do you like robots? If there is an Almighty Robot in your house, what can it do?
This robot is very smart and convenient. By only talking to the robot, it will do all thehousework.
This Almighty Robot can wash the dishes, do the laundry, fold the clothes, clean
the room, cook, and more. This robot can also talk with you.
The Almighty Robot comes with Apple's iOS operating system installed in it. Like
the Siri system used to speak to on iPhone, This robot can speak like a human. If you
say, “play music”, this system can be made to play music. If you say “show me a map”
this robot can show you a map. Of course, this robot can also use a phone. Even if I
don't understand things, this robot takes care of searching the Internet. I think it isgreat to mix the iPhone with a robot.
Keisuke Ichikawa

I always watch TV in my house at dinner time. When a commercial comes on, thevolume gets louder. I don't like it. Therefore, I invented the Voice Remote Control.
You can operate the volume and channels by your voice.
It looks like a common TV remote controller, but it is slimmer and thinner.
However, there is a limit to the space and distance that it can be used. You have toremember this while using it. This is useful when it is difficult to see the display
button on the remote control in a dark room.
With the Voice Remote Control, it is possible to operate with your voice the TV aswell as the air conditioning unit. By eliminating the button, the operation is going tobe easy for older people. I think that it will spread all over the world.

Shintaro Hirata

Lose No Time Room

A Very Fast Car

I often think that I don't have enough time in my life. That's why I think that it's
great if there is such an invention.
In my mind, this room is in an entirely different dimension from this world. While
we are in this room, time doesn't pass in the world where we are. Ten minutes here iszero minutes in the world where we are usually. I don't understand the structure
though, but scientific power is certainly related.
For instance, it will be said that I enter the room at 10:00 a.m. Then I go out of theroom after I spent an hour. Then the hand on the watch is still pointing at 10:00. Thisroom is very convenient for the person who doesn't have much time. However,overuse is dangerous. This is because you unnoticeably get old!
Kazuki Yunome

The Perfect Umbrella

Do you think that there should be an umbrella that keeps your clothes dry in therain? If so, then here is the solution to your problem: the Perfect Umbrella. Thisumbrella is for people who don't want to get wet in the rain.
This umbrella is different from a common umbrella. When you open the umbrella,
you will understand the difference. The difference is that clear vinyl falls from the edgeof the umbrella. The clear vinyl surrounds the person using the umbrella.
The Perfect Umbrella is easy to use. First, push the Open button on the umbrella.
Second, pull the cord to release the clear vinyl. Then you are surrounded by theumbrella. Even if the wind blows, your clothes don't get wet with rain. This is the
Perfect Umbrella!
Yuki Yoshida

When I was child, I always watched car races on TV. I often wanted to drive afaster car than a racing car. Therefore, I invented the car which is the fastest in theworld. If you drive the car, you can get the pleasure of the best.
It looks like Concorde. I checked this car in Nürburgring Nordschleife. This car
was the fastest machine in the test. This car has a sequential transmission. Therefore, it
helps with smooth shift changes. The engine is a V-12 cylinder super charger engine.
The maximum output is 612 HP. It has brakes made by Brembo, bucket seats madeby Takata, and a muffler made by HKS as standard equipment. Turning ability is veryhigh.
In the future, I will sell this car in Japan and join the Super GT race with this car.
Someday, I want to invent a hybrid version of this car and offer the ecology andirresistible car for the people.
Kouya Ishihara

S TAFF
Lookout, no.11
Editor-in-Chief

The change your voice tie

Do you have a problem with your voice? If so, then here is the solution to yourproblem: the change your voice tie. This is very easy to use and it is effective.
The change your voice tie is a special device that gives you various voices. For
example, you can have the voice of a favorite actor, a character, or the voice of awomen. It looks like an ordinary red tie, but it is really a small, strange voice machine.
The change your voice tie is easy to use. First, you record a voice with the tie.
Second, you select a voice that you have recorded. Then choose the type of voice you
would like to use. Soon, you can change your voice at any time. Kouta Sugawara

The Don't Oversleep Bed

Do you wish you could not oversleep? If so, the here is the solution to yourproblem: the Don't Oversleep Bed. Easy to use and effective, the Don't Oversleep

Winter 2014◆◆◆

Publisher:

B. Bricklin Zeff◆◆◆
Faculty of Humanities
Hokkai-Gakuen University

Printed by i-Word◆◆◆
The views expressed in Lookout
belong to the individual contributors,
and do not necessarily reflect theviews of the editors or HGU.

No.11 Winter 20147

My Favorite PlaceMy Favorite Place to Relax in Sapporo
My favorite place is my house's bathroom. My house's bathroom is wide, well-lit, andhas an instantaneous water heater. There are several reasons why I enjoy my house'sbathroom.
First, it's very comfortable and so it makes me feel relaxed. The hotter the better for me.
My house's bathroom smells of soap and this makes me feel calm. In addition, it's very
quiet so, I can relax. I often take a bath when I am very tired and I don't think about
anything while taking a bath. After taking a bath, I often eat ice cream or yogurt, which I
really enjoy.
I like to go to a public bath and a hot spring, but I seldom go there because I have nomoney, they are far from my house, and these places are noisy. I go to a public bath morethan a hot spring. I often take a sauna bath, but my house's bathroom is free. Moreover, I
don't have to leave the house.
After taking a public bath, I always drink a coffee milk, which is always very cold. I
really enjoy taking a public bath. Recently, I often take a shower, but I would rather take abath than have a shower. For the reasons explained above, I think my house's bathroom isthe best place for me to relax.
Fumiya Karaki

My Favorite Place to Relax in Sapporo
My favorite place in Sapporo is the hiking course in Maruyama Park. The second time I
went there was when I was a high school student. I was very tired from examination study.
However, when I went there, I forgot that I was tired, because it was filled with fresh air,and was very quiet as if nobody was there. As a result, I came to enjoy going there.
This small forest is located a little far from my home. I recommend that you get off the
train at Maruyama Station on the Tozai Line. After a 5-minute walk, you will see thenarrow entrance to the hiking course. When you walk along this hiking course, you will be
surprised that it is located in the central area of Sapporo. This park is filled with great cedar
trees and many beautiful flowers. Also, there is a clear and elongated river near the tree way.
This river makes you feel cool, even during summer.
You can also see pretty animals there. There are many Ezo squirrels, and also many thinpine cones that Ezo squirrels gnaw on. Someday, I want to take a picture of these squirrels.
At end of this hiking course, you can choose to go to Maruyama zoo, or to climb
Maruyama Mountain. Maruyama Mountain is a mountain that we can easily climb to its
summit. From the top of this mountain, you can see the whole of Odori Park, crowded
streets, and the wonderful blue sky if it is sunny.
As described above, Maruyama Park relaxes me because it is quiet, cool, and has manysmall and cute animals.
Hiroki Matsushita

My Favorite Place to Relax in Sapporo
My favorite place to relax is a park called Akan Land in Kushiro. It is a famous park for
locals. It is a 5-minute drive from my house and is near a small mountain, so there is muchbeautiful nature around there. In this essay, I will describe this place in detail.
First, it has huge and amusing playground equipment for children there. This is biggest
playground equipment in Akan town, so local children often come there. Therefore, it islively. When I was a child, I often played there, so I feel nostalgic for that place.
Second, it has a large picnic area, and there is much beautiful nature and fresh air. People
can camp there, or can stay in a bungalow. It also has some benches on a large lawn, andwhen I sit there this place calms me down.
Third, it has places to have a barbecue and eat good food. I don't have to bring foodbecause I can buy some there. It also has restaurants near the park and some small shops, so
if it is a hot day, I can go there to cool off.
As explained above, Akan Land is my favorite place to relax because this park is huge
and wide, I feel nostalgic when I go there, and I can eat good food there.

Honoka Sakuta

My Favorite Place to Relax in Sapporo
Makomanai Park is my favorite place to relax. This park is in the south ward of Sapporo,and is a ten-minute walk from my house. It is very big, and has many beautiful trees, such
as Japanese white birch, and also rare nature. I will describe this park.
First of all, in spring, we can see many cherry blossoms trees, and we can go cherry
blossom viewing there. This is very beautiful. We can see it and we can eat some food anddrink with our friends. Also, in summer the Sapporo marathon is held there. It is fun for
Sapporo citizens.
Second, Makomanai Park is very comfortable because it has beautiful nature and fresh
air. We can take a walk with our dogs in the afternoon. Some people come to this parkwith their family during holidays. Makomanai Park is a place to relax for Sapporo citizens.
Third, we can enjoy even the cold season in Makomanai Park. For example, in autumn,
we can see glorious colored leaves of fall. We can see them because Makomanai Park has
many trees. Furthermore, in winter, we can go ice skating in Makomanai Ice Arena nearby
this park, and can enjoy the changes of the seasons there. In addition, the Emperor came to

English Lounge

the Salmon Science museum nearby this park on November 21, 2011. This is amazing.
As described above, Makomanai Park is a very pleasant place in Sapporo, because it has a
lot of beautiful nature, fresh air and comfortable areas. Furthermore it is loved by many
people.Kanako Fukuda

My Favorite Place to Relax
My special place to relax is Goryoukaku Park in Hakodate. It's a 5-minute drive fromthe center of Hakodate. It is very famous because it has a long history, since the Edo
period, and Goryoukaku Park is shaped like a star.
I lived in Hokodate when I was 15 years old, so I always went there. I often walked
around there with my family because it was a great place for walking and every day you
could see many people. However there are also quiet places so I always feel relaxed.
In spring, this place is crowded with many people, because there are many cherry
blossom trees there, so they can enjoy a picnic under the cherry blossoms. There are a lot of
big trees and beautiful flowers, so it smells fresh and nice.
Many foreigners come there, because it is a very famous place in Japan, and if they want
to study about Goryokaku's history there is a good museum is good that has descriptions
in various languages.
As explained above, my special place is Goryoukaku Park because it has beautiful trees,
flowers and I can spend a good time there.
Mao Satou

My Favorite Place to Relax in Sapporo
My favorite place to relax is my sports gym, where I go to exercise twice a week. This
place is very exciting and relaxing for me. The time it takes to get to my sports gym from
where I live is about 10 minutes by bicycle.
My sports gym is not big and doesn`t have a lot of training machines, but there areenough machines for me. The machine I always use is the running machine. The runningmachine is very good for exercising, and it makes me feel excited. When I go to my sports
gym, I always run for about 12 kilometers on the running machine. After running for 12
kilometers, I take a shower and run again for about 1.5 kilometers to cool down.
When I am running, I can look outside of my sports club window. The view is not
beautiful, but I like it for no special reason. My brother goes to my gym, too. We often go
to the gym together, which is fun. However, there is one problem. It costs 5,000 yen amonth to exercise at my gym.
Now, I have a plan to change my gym to a free gym, like the gym in this university.

Shinsaku Shinohara

My Favorite Place to Relax in Sapporo
Asahiyama Kinen Park is my favorite place to relax. I go there when I want to see thebeautiful night view. It is a famous place in Sapporo and it has magnificent nature. It takes
about 20 minutes by car from my house.
Asahiyama Kinen Park's night view is so beautiful that I feel refreshed. It is famous
among young people. Mt. Moiwa is the most famous night viewing place, but there is acharge for seeing it. However, Ayahiyama Kinen Park is free, and that is why it is popular.
Secondly, Asahiyama Kinen Park's nature is magnificent. The air is very clean and there
are many beautiful flowers. I like it, so I usually go there when I want to watch them.
Finally, Asahiyama Kinen Park is very spacious. Some people walk their dog in this park.
I go walking there with my friends sometimes. I can go walking in nature, so I can relax
there.
Asahiyama Kinen Park is a place that refreshes and relaxes me, because of its beautifulnight view, magnificent nature and beautiful flowers.
Yumie Ookama

My Favorite Place in Sapporo
My favorite place to relax is Moerenuma Park. It is a 25-minute drive from my house. It
is one of the largest parks in Sapporo and has great nature and buildings. Many events areheld there each season. This park was designed by Isamu Noguchi, who was a the world
famous sculptor. In this essay, I will describe this place in detail.
First, it has extensive grounds so many people can use the spacious areas there. There are
two mountains that I can climb. For example, in spring, I can enjoy viewing cherry
blossoms. There is much nature and it is clean.
Second, there is a lot of unique playground equipment like sculptures. Children can playon these freely. Also, it has a shallow pond called Moere Beach. In summer, almost all
children play delightfully at this beach.
Third, it has several sports facilities. For instance, people can play tennis and baseball andit also has rental equipment, and moreover, in winter, people can do cross country skiing
and sledding. In addition, in summer, a relay marathon is held there every year. Therefore,
it is possible to spend an energetic and healthy time there.
As a result, Moerenuma Park is my favorite place to relax because of its beautiful nature,extensive grounds, and because people can spend a cheerful time there with their friends.
Yuri Miyazawa

Bring your lunch and come and enjoy a chance to chat in English
12:10-12:35

8

No.11 Winter 2014

R

t
h
r
e
o
S
f
t
h
a
c
r s!
a
e

This issue shows the high level of writing in English achieved by Hokkai-Gakuen University students. An
ongoing interest of our writers is the international homestay and travel experience. In addition, past issues havecontained topics as varied as cooking rice and surfing the Internet.

Thank you for 11 years of writing. You will be able to find future
examples of the EFL writing program on-line at hguweb.jp