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Today's Contents:

1. The first bits: Jon is on Holiday!, Gomangoku Mikoshi Parade, Job Listings
2. Course information: October 2003 Application Closed - April 2004 Applications Now Open
3. Student Interview: Robert Englin (Discovery Option A)
4. In the News: "How To Say It"
5. About The Yamasa Institute for Japanese Studies


1. The first bits.

On Holiday! Jon Walden is currently on holiday back in England to attend his brother's wedding so Roger Fung, ex-AIJP student and a graphic designer turned temporary editor is responsible for this issue's newsletter. Unfortunately, his English is nowhere as colorful as Jon's so please bear with him. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

(a) Things to do:

August 1st - Okazaki Summer Festival - Gomangoku Mikoshi Parade - A Mikoshi is a portable festival shrine that is traditionally carried while praying for a rich harvest, protection at home and a prosperous business. The performance also carries a meaning of purification. These days though, it's mostly for fun.

It's summer festival time - so its time to carry our very own Mikoshi around Okazaki making a lot of noise. Get ready to wear a happi coat (traditional festival/celebration costume), build a Mikoshi and race through the street of Okazaki, along with thousands of other celebrating people. The participation fee if you decide to take the hired bus with us is 1400 Yen (900 yen if you want to make your own way there). Both prices include the rent for the happi and expenses for the party after the parade. Once you have paid your participation fees in Student Affairs (located in Yamasa II Building), go to the International Office to collect your happi (available for collection from July 25th onwards).

Climb Mt Fuji: The annual pilgrimage to Japan's national icon has been pencilled in for the weekend of July 26th/27th. The Mt. Fuji climb will be open to everyone and really is an experience of a lifetime. If you are unable to make the first trip then don't worry! There'll be another opportunity to scale the volcano again on the weekend of August 9th/10th. Further details are listed below in the Summer Tour Schedule and on posters with the words 'FUJI' written on it all around the campus.

Tokugawa Shogunate Exhibition: In commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the start of Tokugawa Shogunate (1603 - 1868), the Okazaki Mindscape Museum of Arts is holding an exhibition of many items and belongings of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the first Shogun who was born and grew up in Okazaki. The exhibition runs until July 6th.

Folk dance festival: A folk dance festival will take place in Nagoya on August 30th and 31st. The "Nippon Domannaka Matsuri" will include a Yosakoi dance group from Okazaki. If you joining the dancing group from Rokusho Shirine near Higashi Okazaki train station then please contact Ms. Otake Itsuki on (0564) 51-2930 (in Japanese). Rehearsals are held from 7:00pm to 8:00pm every Friday.

Summer Tour Schedule: Do you want to see a little bit more than Okazaki? Eager to get away for a day trip or weekend? Then some of the upcoming tours during May and June will be for you. These trips provide a great opportunity for you to visit locations much cheaper of the price that it would cost normally, with an experienced guide and door-to-door service:


July 26th-27th - Mount Fuji Part 1. Climb Japan's highest mountain (3776 meters/12388 feet). We stay in a mountain hut about 400 meters elevation below the peak before making a dash to the summit for the sunrise. The crater walk is not to be missed. Guide will be carrying emergency equipment. After our descent we visit the beautiful waterfalls of Shiraito-no-taki.
July 26th - Hamanako, Climb Mount Fuji
July 27th - Descend Fuji, Shiraito-no-taki
(Cost: 14,300 yen including tax. Departure from your accommodation on July 26that 0830, return on July 27th by 1800. Includes all transport, mountain hut accommodation, admission fees. Does not include meals.)
August 2nd - Day trip - The Okazaki fireworks festival dominates this day, as more than half a million visitors swamp the castle. We are trying to book seats in the tiers by the river, please apply early or we won't get good seats. Not far from the castle we start with a visit to the famous Hatcho Miso. Destinations include
Hatcho Miso, Denpark, Yoshihama, Hanabi
(Cost: To Be Confirmed. Departure from your accommodation on August 2nd at 0630, return by 2130. Includes all transport, all admission fees. Includes lunch & dinner.)
August 3rd - Day trip - to Toba and the Grand Shrines of Ise. Destinations include Mikimoto Pearl Island, Futamigaura, Ise Grand Shrines, Okage Yokocho
(Cost: 6,600 yen including tax. Departure from your accommodation on August 3rd at 0630, return by 2030. Includes all transport, all admission fees. Does not include lunch.)
August 9th-10th - Mount Fuji Part 2! Another chance to hike up Japan's highest mountain if you missed the first climb on July 26th. Or, for the masochists, you can do it again! We will stay in a mountain hut about 400 meters elevation below the peak before making a dash to the summit for the sunrise. The crater walk is not to be missed. Guide will be carrying emergency equipment. After our descent we visit the beautiful waterfalls of Shiraito-no-taki.
August 9th - Hamanako, Climb Mount Fuji
August 10th - Descend Fuji, Shiraito-no-taki
(Cost: 14,300 yen including tax. Departure from your accommodation on August 9th at 0830, return on August 10th by 1800. Includes all transport, mountain hut accommodation, admission fees. Does not include meals.)
2003 Summer Tour schedule: (for questions/bookings contact International Office)

Job Listings
Title: Researcher

Job description:
1) Research and create / update database on clients and industry.
2) Research and collect market intelligent on human resource related activities, eg. salary survey, benefits survey, etc.
3) Assist Consultants in providing consultation to our clients.
4) Assist in organising conferences and events in Tokyo, and the region.
Requirements: Graduate with any discipline. Knowledge and experience of banking is preferred but not mandatory. Proactive, energetic, service oriented and teamworkers are required. Must possess good communication skills.

Company description:
Our Group have been in business for 7 years in the region, and has 5 offices in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai. We provide human resource consultancy and organise events and conferences in the region. Our clients are major Investment Banks and MNCs.

Career developments:
1) Successful researcher will be groomed to be full pledged consultant.
2) As the Group has 5 regional offices, interoffice posting for overseas exposure is abundant.
3) Promotion is based on performance and merits. Staff with good management skills will be tasked to run an operation (an office or few offices)
4) The Group is still growing and looking to expand to international market.

Interested parties can send their resume to kgneo@euro-group.com or fax to 03-3436-2112


Free Japanese Classes! Okazaki International Association holds free Japanese lessons taught by volunteers to non-Japanese living in Okazaki. Every Saturday from 2:30pm to 4:30pm at Tatsumigaoka-kaikan (3rd Floor), a 10 minute walk from Higashi Okazaki Station to Higashi Myodaiji cho. And also every 2nd, 3rd and 4th Thursday and Sunday of the month in Aoi Hall at Yamasa from 10:00am - 12:00am. Call 0564-45-5778 for more details, or email yoshiaki_yamamoto@hotmail.com

Free Origami and Kimono Classes! On the first Friday of the month the Okazaki International Association also holds free paper folding classes in Aoi Hall at Yamasa frmo 3:30pm. On the third Friday of every month they hold a kimono class at 2:00pm in Aoi Hall where you can try on a Yukata.

(b) Other bits:

Jon Walden
Admissions Coordinator, International Office
The Yamasa Institute - Aichi Center for Japanese Studies
1-2-1 Hanehigashimachi Okazaki
Aichi Japan 444-0832

Tel: +81 (0) 564 55 8111
Fax: +81 (0) 564 55 8174 (admissions)
Fax: +81 (0) 564 55 8113 (student affairs)
Email: Admissions
Email: newsletter@yamasa.org
URL: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/
URL: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/

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2. Course Information

Accommodation

If you are coming to Okazaki during the next few months, please visit the housing availability site, which has been upgraded.

Message from Yukiko Iijima (Housing Officer): Please also note that it is extremely important that you rank your accommodation preferences clearly. Upgrades are possible in the event of cancellations - so if your first preference is a single room in the village, select "Village single" as first choice, "Residence U" as your second choice and so on.


Long-term Courses:

Student Visa: Applications for the October 2003 student visa start date are now closed. Applications for the April 2004 start date begins. Please note that we will take into account a number of factors when considering a student visa application including age, academic background, nationality and so on - automatic acceptance of a student visa application is not guaranteed. If you need more information about dates, please check the deadlines for the student visa listed in each course in the program catalogue. If you wish to apply for the April 2004 start please contact Admissions.

Short-term courses:

Tour destinations: The August 22nd Discovery Tour visits a variety of destinations including Okutono Jinya, Toyota Kaikan, Asuke, Tokugawa Art Museum, Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, Asahi Beer Brewery Tour, Takayama Jinya, Hida Kokubunji, Shirakawa-go Ogimachi, Kyoto, Tokyo: Ueno-koen, Shitamachi Museum, Ameyoko Arcade, Akihabara, Harajuku and many other destinations. See http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/programs/discovery_20030822a.html for more information.

Discovery Tours all have vacancies - contact Admissions for further information. Tour dates for this year are available at http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/programs/discovery_dates.html

All extension programs have space from July 10th and academic programs have space from July but accommodation is very limited.

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3. Student Interview: Robert Englin (Discovery Option A)

Robert Englin
Robert Englin

Robert Englin, an American product/industrial designer from Los Angeles was recently the first student at Yamasa to complete the new 12-day discovery tour ? in Robert's case, after 10 weeks of intensive classes. He is also the first vegan to participate in the tour. After a couple of beers during the tour, Declan finally managed to find a notebook and pencil.

Declan: "You look all rested up, are you nearly ready to go home?"
Robert: "Pretty much. My holiday is nearly over and its time to get back. There's a movie I need to finish working on."

D: "You work on films?"
R: "Special effects, the Viacom logo for HD Format, Trimark Pictures, independent film makers and so on. Some of it direct to video."

D: "Sounds fun. You work mainly as a designer though?!"
R: "I have been self-employed as a product/industrial designer for about 10 years now. Household consumer electronics, furniture and stuff."

D: "Is there is a website?"
R: "Yes actually, it is www.zuanka.com"

D: "Did you study any Japanese at all before you arrived?"
R: "No, I figured it might be best to not learn any bad habits. So I started with the A-I-U-E-O. It's a fast program, and I'm a little surprised at how much can be learnt. At one stage I felt I could have been learning faster..."

Continued at http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/english/newsletter/student_int_49.html

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4. In the News: New articles

In this edition we have another article to help you practice, "How To Say It" ganbatte!

About "In the News": This section aims to help you improve your understanding of articles in contemporary Japanese print and web media. Articles are from a wide range of sources including business, fashion, music, lifestyle, entertainment, crime, politics, international relations and so on. All articles are printable, and are accompanied by streaming audio files of the article being read at normal speed by male and female native speakers. Furthermore there are questions from the OCJS faculty that will help you confirm your reading or listening comprehension skills. (If you are an advanced learner, you may wish to attempt the questions after first listening to the audio link only, and then read the article to test your listening comprehension skills).

In addition, by using the link generator of the OCJS online dictionary with its definitions and kanji animations, you can easily check the meaning of new words, and also the stroke order of any Kanji that are new for you. The titles of the links ARE NOT translations of the headline accompanying the article (we don't want to give beginner level students too many hints to the answers), but are indicative of the subject field.

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5. ABOUT THE YAMASA INSTITUTE'S AICHI CENTER FOR JAPANESE STUDIES

The Yamasa Institute is committed to providing high-quality education in the Japanese language. We are a non-profit organization, a part of the Hattori Group. We are accredited by Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education - APJLE, accreditation number B302 - and "the only Institute in the Mikawa region with the appropriate programs, systems, curriculum and facilities required for quality Japanese language education" according to the Ministry of Justice. Further, in recognition of the excellent quality of our programs, we are in the top tier of 'Appropriately Authorized Japanese Language Education Institutes' - in fact, the only school in the Mikawa area with this prestigious recommendation. For full details see the accreditation section on the homepage at http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/accreditation.html

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Hattori Foundation (est.1919) - The Yamasa Institute
1-2-1 Hanehigashi-machi, Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, JAPAN 444-0832
Tel: +81 (0)564 55 8111 Fax: +81 (0)564 55 8113 Email: Inquiries

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