The Akitan: Issue 5

The Akitan March-April Edition, Issue 5

Farewells - Events - ALTs in the News - Hanami spots

Photo by Mark Dawson

In this issue 2

Spring Welcome

3

Hanami Spots

5

AAJ News and Events

9

ALTs in the News

11

Spring Cleaning

13

Leaving JET

15

PA Farewells

17

Lesson & Photo Corner

29

JALT & Call for Contributions

Mark Dawson

Photo by Steven Wilson

Renaud Davies

Mark Dawson

Spring Welcome W

e hope you are all staying warm and healthy and have braved the subzero temperatures and snowstorms to experience some winter festivals and winter sports. Believe it or not, spring is on its way and it will soon be time to exchange your kotatsu and kerosene for Renaud Davies a tarp and a bento beneath a blooming renauddavies29@gmail.com cherry tree. This issue features a guide to 080-1658-4516 hanami (cherry blossom viewing) and introduces some of the best spots in Akita Derek Lemieux and beyond, so get planning your hanami derek.lemieux@gmail.com adventures now!

080-6013-6528 You can also find information about spring cleaning your apartment, as well as the usual photo corner, translated articles about JETs in the news, an update on Sugichi’s latest globetrotting adventures, and much more! March also brings the annual transition of the PA team, so it’s time for farewells from Renaud, Derek and Nikki as we prepare to hand our positions over to three new PAs. The next few weeks will bring more farewells and changes as students graduate and teachers are transferred to different schools. It’s always sad to say goodbye, but it’s also a good chance to reflect on how many different people we are given the opportunity to meet and interact with as we move through our months and years in Akita. As the last snowflakes fall and the first cherry blossoms begin to bloom, we hope you enjoy the upcoming spring vacation and are ready to begin a new school year in April!

Your PAs

Nikki Zywina nikki.zywina@gmail.com 090-6452-6454 Randy Umetsu randy.umetsu@gmail.com 080-4576-1812

AJET Peer Support Group Hotline: Everyday (8pm-7am) Toll Free: 050-5534-5566

Jordan Oxborough

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Cherry Blossom Viewing Places to see “Some of the highest recommended spots around the prefecture to join with friends for food and drink, and enjoy the season’s scenery.“

What is hanami and why is it so popular in Japan? There is a huge buzz around the coming of the hanami season and to the uninitiated it can seem a little strange. You travel around looking at trees...

Yes, and it’s amazing!

Without exaggeration cherry blossoms (sakura) in Japan are stunningly beautiful. They are with us for only a few precious days in the year and then they are gone. As such they have come to become a symbol of life itself. Hanami literally means "flower viewing"; however, it usually refers only to cherry blossom viewing. In Tohoku hanami is best around late April into early May. This means we can usually make a few trips during the Golden Week holidays.

In Akita we are very fortunate to be around some of the best hanami spots in Japan.

Without further ado, here are some of the highest recommended spots around the prefecture to join with friends for food and drink, and enjoy the season’s scenery.

Photo by Mark Dawson

Senshu Park Probably the most accessible spot for flower viewing for many centrally-located JETs. Senshu Park has scores of Sakura and Azaleas that are best viewed around the end of April. The park also holds an annual Sakura Festival that takes place from Mid April to early May.

Near Akita

Kakunodate Unrivaled as the go-to spot in Akita for spring tourists. The dark walls of the old samurai manors’ contrast well with the white blossoms of Kakunodate’s 162 weeping cheery trees creating a spectacular effect

Hirosaki (Aomori) Although technically not within Akita’s borders, no mention of Tohoku’s Hanami would be complete without including Hirosaki. Located just across Akita’s northern border in Aomori, Hirosaki is regarded by many as one of, if not the, best place in Japan to see cherry trees in spring. Although it may be a trek for some of the JETs located down south, it is more than worth it to witness Hirosaki Castle surrounded by hundreds of sakura trees in full bloom.

Nikaho Nikaho is another town in Akita that holds a yearly sakura festival. This festival is usually held at Misaki Park in Kisataka and Seishi Park in Konoura.

Kajo Koen (Yamagata) Over a thousand sakura trees in the park with a castle. The park is near Yamagata Station.

Ogata-mura (Route 298) Features 11 km of sakura contrasted by yellow “nanohana” flowers below.

Odate (Iwagami Fureai no Mori) A nice stop halfway between Kakunodate and Hirosaki Castle with about 3,000 trees.

Kitakami (Iwate) Famous for the more than 10,000 cherry trees planted alongside the Kitakami River in Tenshochi Park

4

International

Sumo Basho!

June 22nd This will be the 9th annual Akita International Sumo Basho!! That’s right everyone, Akita’s premier half naked foreigner wrestling event is on track to be held for the 9th time this year at the Prefectural Budokan in Akita City. Check out the official page for information about possible practice sessions and event details.

6

AAJNEWS&EVENTS Akita Association of JETs (AAJ) presents a night of shamrocks and shenanigans at Livespace (aka Yonkai) on Saturday, March 16th. Get your green on and party the night away!

In a nutshell: Location - Club Livespace (Yonkai), Akita city, 15 min walk from Akita station http://goo.gl/maps/erVba Entry - 1500円 (includes 1 free drink) 1000円 entry + 1 free drink for all AIU students who present their student ID card at the door.

Time - 9:30PM to 4:00AM Attire - Fancy dress or anything green

Drinks - Beer, spirits, cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks DJs - See the poster Music genre - Pop, Hip hop, dance, house Parking - Across the street 50 free glow sticks to the first 50 guests!!

Next to Halloween, the St. Patrick's Day Party is Akita's second biggest charity event each year, aimed at bringing the Akita community together for a good cause. It is a non-profit fundraiser with all proceeds going to the Akita Association of JETs (AAJ) charity. (www.akitajet.com) The event is held by volunteers. If you would like to volunteer to help on the night please message Wil Lentze. All volunteers will receive a discount for entry.

8

e th in ! s T ws L A Ne

Introducing the wonders of Australia to students On January 21, Rebecca Scane, the CIR in Daisen, shared with children the wonders of her home country Australia at an event held at Omagari Library. Eight elementary school students participated and learned while enjoying pictures of Australia’s animals and cityscape as well the readings of picture books. This event was held to promote interest in Australia.

Rebecca introduced through a photo collection Australia’s kangaroo, seal, the Great Barrier Reef, the famous Sydney Opera House, and more. “So cute! I want to go there!” commented the children with gleams in their eyes. “Australia’s seasons are the opposite of Japan, so many people celebrate Christmas outdoors,” explained Rebecca.

Picking up a book about a possum and wombat, Rebecca read aloud to the children in English using hand and body gestures. “The round-eyed possum was cute. I want to go see him,” commented a smiling Akane Suzuki, a 3rd grade student at Omagari ES. Events will be held at the library on January 25, 28, and 30 at Omagari Library from 3 p.m.

Photo by: Jordan Oxborough

by d e t u sla ets n a m U Tr dy n Ra

Mamemaki with ALTs Setsubun, roughly translated as “Bean-Throwing Festival,” was held at Daisen’s Takanashi ES a little ahead of schedule this year on January 31.

Eighty-two 1st and 2nd grade students along with the city’s ALTs took part in this event of cultural exchange as they joyously threw roasted beans (to drive the demons away).

Three of Daisen’s ALTs and one CIR were invited to participate. The students asked the ALTs, who were dressed in demon masks and wigs, questions related to Setsubun like “What colors are the demons in your country?” or “What kinds of beans do you eat?” The children leaned forward intently to listen to their answers.

Before the commencement of the bean throwing, the children announced to the demon their personal demons they wanted to expel, such as the hate of studying or oversleeping.

Facing the drawing of a demon, the students and ALTs threw peanuts while saying, “Demons are external, and happiness is internal.”

“I think I was able to expel my personal demon that tended to find many things troublesome. I want to study hard!” said 2nd grade student Toa Takada.

10 6

Spring Cleaning!

It’s that time of year again when we start opening our windows to let all that fresh air and sunlight into our homes. If you are like me you might be really eager to put away all those winter blankets and clothes and “summerize” your apartment. Now is an excellent time to start throwing away those old clothes or that toaster oven that no longer works (especially if you are finishing your contract this year).

Must-Have Products!

Bath tub cleaner Drain cleaner Floor cleaner Sink cleaner Toilet cleaner Washing machine tub cleaner

furo-y! senzai paipu kur"n# fukis!ji-y! senzai nagashi-y! senzai toire-y! senzai sentaku-s! kur"n#

風呂用洗剤 パイプクリーナー 拭き掃除用洗剤 流し用洗剤 トイレ用洗剤 洗濯槽クリーナー

CLEANING: As the temperatures rise and it becomes more humid you will want to make sure to ventilate your apartment as much as possible to prevent mold and mildew.

The above is a list of clean supplies that might help you tackle your spring cleaning.

DISPOSAL/RECYCLING ITEMS: Each area will have its own system for dealing with garbage. I am sure you are all familiar with your regular trash pick-up days but in case you would like information about large item pick-up days I recommend asking your supervisor, neighbors or friends that might be able to find out for you. If the item you would like to throw away is considered large (ex. skiis or toaster oven) you may need to pay a fee to have it taken away.

If the item is not dirty and still useable you can try to take it to a recycle shop where you may or may not get money for it. Places like 2nd Street, Hard-off or manga soko will usually take VERY lightly used clothing but they can be very picky depending on the season and what items they are wanting to put in the store. Don Don Down on Wednesday will weigh the clothing you bring and give you money based on the weight.

They will take just about anything.

If you would like to just throw away large items like appliances, household items, etc you can take them to a trash center. Ask around for where the closest center is. Usually this will involve weighing your car when you pull into the center, unload everything you are throwing away and weighing your car as you leave. You will be charged based on the difference in weight from pulling into the center and leaving (i.e. total weight of items brought to throw away).

The Ultimate Cleaning List! mosquito repellent (incense coil) ka-tori senk!

蚊取り線香

mosquito repellent (electric)

denshi katori

電子蚊取り

moth repellent

b!ch$zai

防虫剤

roach traps (catches with tape)

gokiburi hoihoi

ゴキブリホイホイ

roach hotels (poison, kills eggs too)

(no generic name, but a good brand to try is Combat [コンバット])

room freshener

h!k!-zai

芳香剤

sink cleaner

nagashi-y! senzai

流し用洗剤

spot cleaner

bubun-arai-y!

部分洗い用

stain remover

shimi-nuki-y! senzai

しみ抜き用洗剤

starch (use in washing machine) sentaku nori

洗濯のり

starch spray (for ironing)

sentaku nori supurei

洗濯のりスプレー

ant spray

ari no sacch$-zai

アリの殺虫剤

baking soda

j$s!

重曹

bath heater cleaner

furokama-y! senj!-zai

風呂

bath tub cleaner

furo-y! senzai

風呂用洗剤

bleach

hy!haku-zai

漂白剤

chlorine bleach

ensokei hy!haku-zai

塩素系漂白剤

用洗浄剤

color safe (non-chlorine) bleach sansokei hy!haku-zai

酸素系漂白剤

carpet cleaner

j$tan-y! senzai

じゅうたん用洗剤

dehumidifying pellets

shikke tori

湿気取り

dish soap

shokki-y! ekitai senzai

食器用液体洗剤

dishwasher detergent

shokki-arai-y! senzai

食器洗い用洗剤

drain cleaner

paipu kur"n#

パイプクリーナー

dani (tatami mite) killer

dani no kujo

ダニの駆除

fabric softener

j$nan shiage-zai

柔軟仕上げ剤

floor cleaner

fukis!ji-y! senzai

拭き掃除用洗剤

floor wax

j$ka-y! wakkusu

住家用ワックス

furniture polish

kagu no tsuya dashi

家具のつや出し

laundry soap

sentaku-y! sekken

洗濯用石けん

phosphorous-free laundry soap

murin sentaku-y! sekken

無リン洗濯用石けん

soap powder

kona sekken

粉石けん

detergent

g!sei senzai

合成洗剤

mildew cleaner

kabi kir#

カビキラー

moisture collecters

joshitsu-zai

除湿剤

toilet cleaner

toire-y! senzai

トイレ用洗剤

toilet cleaner, neutral type

toire-y! senzai ch$sei

トイレ用洗剤中性

toilet cleaner, chlorine type

toire-y! senzai ensokei

トイレ用洗剤塩素系

toilet cleaner, acid type

toire-y! senzai sansei taipu

トイレ用洗剤酸性タイプ

toilet plunger

tsumari tori

つまり取り

wool cleaner

$ru-y! senzai

ウール用洗剤

washing machine tub cleaner

sentaku-s! kur"n#

洗濯槽クリーナー

12

Leaving JET! Some things to keep in mind Whether you are staying in Japan, returning home or embarking on your next adventure leaving JET means a major change in your life. In between the farewell parties, school events and daily life you need to find time to settle your affairs. This could mean paying bills, closing accounts and selling / giving away items that won’t fit in your suitcase.

Start inventorying your apartment and deciding what to do with all your items. There are usually special processes for disposing of appliances and anything that is not a common household item. Think of what you want to sell and what you can give away.

Remember that the value of any used item depreciates drastically in Japan. It can sometime be difficult to give away almost new items. Keep this in mind and price things accordingly. Also, shipping items by sea that you want to keep, but aren’t going to use can save a lot money.

Start thinking about your budget for after JET. What kind of expenses are you going to incur? Oversized luggage? Extra suitcases? Think about all your accounts that you have to close and then think about opening them all again in your home country.

How much will that cost? Now is probably a good time to put some money away while you can. HOT TIP: There are ALWAYS unexpected expenses - make sure you’re prepared.

You probably had no idea how popular you are! Everyone you have ever met is going to want to say goodbye. This could be anything from a simple farewell note to an all-night enkai. Let people know when you are leaving and that it’s okay to have a farewell party well in advance.

Farewell parties mean farewell speeches. This may be one of the last memories people have of you. Take some time to think about what you want to say.

While you are writing start preparing some information for your successor. Think about the things that are happening in your daily life, not just the big things. Take some time to write them down and get them organized. Remember how exciting / scary it was to start your new life in Japan. Anything to help your successor ease their transition will be appreciated by not only them, but your community.

To make things easier use

this new fillable pdf form!

Start preparing now and you’ll thank yourself a thousand times over in July. The PAs will go over things like pension refunds in GREAT DETAIL at the Returners Conference in June. But feel free to start asking questions now.

14

ll! e ew r Fa

Farewell Words

By Renaud Davies

Hello Akitans!

As most of you know, this is my final year on JET and I will be heading south in March to begin a new adventure teaching English at a private university in Hiroshima city. I’m sad to be moving so far away from Akita, but I’m happy to be moving forward. It has been an AMAZING five years in Akita and I highly doubt that I will find a more rewarding and enjoyable job than this. For those of you staying in Japan, feel free to give me a ring or come down to the city of peace for some momiji manju and okonomiyaki.

Wishing you all the very best!

Photo by Steven Wilson

Farewell Words

By Derek Lemieux With a new school year upon us, April is the time for change in Japan. !

Contributing to the JET Programme within my role as a PA and outside has been extremely rewarding. !!!

Starting my 5th year in Japan I will take the opportunity to focus on my community and other projects. !As the new PA team transitions into their roles our sempai PA Randy and the wonderful people at the International Affairs Division will make the transition seamless. !A big thank you and otsukaresama to all the people I have had the opportunity to work with. !I’m looking forward to a great year with new opportunities for everyone. !

Farewell Words

By Nikki Zwyina I really canʼt believe how quickly this year has gone by. My time as PA has been a great experience and I have enjoyed getting to know many of you all over the prefecture. I hope that everyone has had a fantastic year and that the next twelve months are even better, whether in Japan or elsewhere. I will be packing my bags to head home in the summer, so I am looking forward to making the most of my last few months in Akita before

beginning new adventures. I know that you will be well looked after by the new PA team, so remember that they are always here to help you whenever you need it!

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ZOMBIE Shooter! ech Blog!

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Hey all! ion to the Akitan, I ut rib nt co on ss le al fin As this is my link idea to simply post a od go a be ld ou w it t s though longer be adding lesson no ill w I . og bl ng hi to my teac itan; however, I will Ak e th or i ik w ita Ak e to th . s and ideas on my blog an pl on ss le st po to continue t the d my lessons, this is no ye jo en ve ha u yo if , So and to see what I’m up to og bl e th by p po se ea end. Pl to say hello!

Renaud ARK t the blog and BOOKM ou k ec ch to E ER H CLICK it ^-^

We gre are loo at le king s s o If yo ns b for u y yo plea have one u! se s , har e it!

Click here to see part two!

The Akitan

March-April Edition, Issue 5

Pa! Two Photo by Steven Wilson

Photo: Randy Umetsu

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