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Why do so many Japanese commit suicide?
We have seen and heard it in the news. Not once, not twice, but many times. They do it in the privacy of their rooms. Or in a far-away mountain where no one can see. But, worse, within the public’s eyes like in trains, and the latest, in the zero-accident but now tarnished record shinkansen,…
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Sports Festival, the Japanese way
happystorm.x.fc2.com Many schools are having their annual Sports Festival or what they call “undokai” (運動会). The entire school and the community, especially the teacher-advisers and students are pushing themselves very hard to come up with a very organized and fun undokai. Strenuous rehearsals are done many times a week. Everyone is looking forward to the…
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Halo-halo in Japan
When I did my self-introduction in class, I introduced Halo-halo as one of the Filipino’s favorite desserts. Some students said it is being sold in Mini Stop. So, one afternoon, on my way home, I dropped by the convenience store Mini Stop and tried the Japanese style Halo-halo. I was a little bit disappointed because…
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The May 9 Journey
A new journey is set to start on May 9 in a community located down southeast. People will choose who will drive the jeepney. To be the driver is the most coveted position in the community. Driver 1,2,3,4&5: I am a good driver. I can take you to a better place. Choose me. Most of…
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Annual Events in Japan
Whether you want to maximize your travel experience or you just want to stock some knowledge in the pocket of your head, it is good to know the annual events of a country we want to visit. Annual events in Japan is called Nenchuu Gyooji 年中行事. Below is a list of holidays and events celebrated…
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How to distinguish Japanese from Korean and Chinese
Can you tell if a person comes from a specific country? Before coming to Japan, I had no idea how to distinguish Japanese, Korean and Chinese from one another. I had quite a few experience (when I was in the university as an international student) of trying to speak Japanese to a fellow student who I thought is Japanese, but after all, turned out…
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Discover Fukuoka, The Queen City of Kyushu
You heard about Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima for sure, but what about Fukuoka? Where is it located in Japan? Is it as nice as the other big cities I mentioned? Fukuoka City in Fukuoka Prefecture is located in Kyushu, one of the four main islands in Japan. The other three main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu and Shikoku. Most of the…
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Gone
When someone very close to us, someone we love,someone we consider a family is taken by an illness and is forever gone… We look back to old memories, recollect the happy times we spent together, recall how healthy and happy that person was back then. Those memories make us smile and as well make us…
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Rose Festival in Huis Ten Bosch
Rose and festival – two completely different words but are both related to love, happiness and celebration. Just imagine these two words being used together. It is indisputably pleasurable experience. The Location Huis Ten Bosch is a Dutch-inspired theme park in Nagasaki. It is a huge park where the buildings and surroundings would make you feel you are in Europe, but in fact you are in the island…
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Mask, a Must?
When I first came to Japan as a visiting relative, I was surprised to see a lot of people wearing masks. “What’s going on? Is there an epidemic?”, I curiously asked my sister who is married to a Japanese and has been living in Japan for many years. She explained that in Japan, it is…