A recent poll by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK showed 55% of people were wearing masks just as often now as when government guidance was in place during the pandemic, with just 8% having stopped altogether.

People in Japan who became so used to wearing face masks during the pandemic are signing up for lessons to teach them how to smile again. While the coverings were already common in the east Asian country pre-COVID, with many using them to combat seasonal illnesses and hay fever, their use skyrocketed when it became official government guidance to wear them during the worst of the outbreak.

Many people wouldn’t be seen in public without a mask, with the practice becoming near-universal after the virus emerged more than three years ago.

With the government having finally lifted its recommendation to wear masks in March 2023, Himawari Yoshida was among those who realised they had rather forgotten how to go about life without them.

source: Sky News

Match the words with their synonyms.  

 Key: 1-e, 2-a, 3-d, 4-b, 5-c;  

“August 6, 1945. I had finished my night shift at a local factory in Hiroshima and had the next day off work, so I planned to go to the mountains in nearby Miyajima with friends.

We agreed to meet at the station at 8.15am – but as I opened the front door, there was a huge explosion and I was knocked unconscious.  I later discovered a nuclear bomb had detonated 3km away.

When I woke, my head was bleeding and I was 100ft from my home, or what was left of it. There was a dark cloud in the sky and on the ground everything was flat and had burnt – there wasn’t a single house in sight.

All around me, it was hysteria. People were badly burnt. Everyone was looking for water, and for their relatives. Thousands of dead bodies were strewn about.

Aftermath

I went to the factory but couldn’t see any of my co-workers alive, so I went to find my mother, who worked as a nurse at a local hospital.

When I arrived, there were lots of dead bodies, all so burnt you couldn’t recognise their faces.

We drank water from the river, but there was no food, so we ate grass to survive.

I searched the city for her for six days, and finally found her in a school that was serving as a shelter. I called her name.

Her voice was weak, but she called back. She hadn’t had water in six days and her eyes were covered with bandages, but I put her in a cart and wheeled her back home.

There were so many flies on her, it took three days to clean them off. My neighbours were delighted to see her. They helped me remove her bandages – it was only then I saw that her eyes were badly burnt and her eyeballs were falling out of her skull. But we had no medicine and couldn’t do anything for her.

I was furious. That bomb was a killer that had exterminated 80,000 people at once.  I couldn’t forgive the United States. I wanted to go to America and fight but I had no money to get there.

After the war, Japan was so damaged that no one came to help us in Hiroshima. We made tiny houses out of trees and drank water from the river, but there was no food, so we ate grass to survive.

Eventually, I took my mother to another hospital. The doctors had died of starvation and the only person there with medical qualifications was a vet. He said we should remove my mother’s eyes but he didn’t have the proper tools, so he used a knife.

I’ll always remember the sound of my mother screaming. Fortunately she survived and lived for many years.

Ultimately, the experience was hellish. I resolved that war should never happen again and became a peace worker.  I finally got to America in the 1960s and met one of the people who created the atomic bomb at a meeting at the United Nations in New York.

He apologised. He told me that he hadn’t known how much damage the bomb was capable of. Since it was dropped, he’d been anti-war.

Today, I pray for peace around the world. Weapons make humans evil. We don’t always have to fight.”

source: The Telegraph

Atomic bomb facts:

– The lead scientist on atomic bomb project was J. Robert Oppenheimer. He is often called the “father of the atomic bomb”.

– The first bomb dropped on Hiroshima was made from uranium.

– The bomb dropped on Nagasaki was made from plutonium, which was even more powerful than uranium.

– It is thought that at least 135,000 people died from the Hiroshima explosion and another 70,000 in Nagasaki. Many of these people were civilians including women and children.

– Hiroshima was chosen because it was a large port city with an army base. It also had not been damaged much by earlier bombings. This would show just how powerful the new weapon was.

Can you fill in the gaps in the text about the Hiroshima bombing with one of the words given?

Most countries have food favorites that may not appeal to dwellers of other nations. Japan is not only among them, it seems to have one of the more lush supplies of unique local fare. Here are 10 bizarre foods you’ll only see there.

Number 10. Square Watermelon. The fruit is carefully grown in cubes, forcing the melon to conform to the shape of the container. Unfortunately, the process compromises their flavor, but that doesn’t stop people from shelling out big money to grab one for decorating or gifting purposes.

Number 9. Canned Bread. Vending machines are wildly popular in Japan, and bread in a can is but one of the many items on offer in them. Flavor options vary, but historically have included raisin and orange.

Number 8. Tamagogani. Can’t decide between shellfish and a crisp, salty snack? Reach for a bag of these dried little hermit crabs. Some makers even throw in a bit of sugar, resulting in a treat that is both sweet and savory.

Number 7. Wasp Crackers. Insects are high in nutritional value and wasps are basically just jerks, so these nibbles are really a win win. The airborne nuisances are captured, boiled, and dried. They’re then thrown in to the batter and baked to a crisp golden brown.

Number 6. Mountain Dew Cheetos. Of course, they have the beloved beverage’s sweet, citrus flavor, but they also carry a kick few first-timers likely expect. The puffs are carbonated, giving the surprising simultaneous sensations of both fizz and crunch.

Number 5. Basashi Ice Cream. The base flavor is plain old vanilla, but the chewy inclusions are something decidedly less mainstream – raw horsemeat. One upside is that the equine flesh is very lean, making it a fairly health-conscious option.

Number 4. Shirako. While that translates as ‘white children,’ what it really means is sperm sac. The material is extracted from cod and, depending upon the cook, served up raw or cooked. Some describe the texture as ‘creamy’ while others have less favorable words for the dish.

Number 3. Spaghetti Popsicles. A big, frozen chunk of blended pasta and red sauce sounds horrifying, but these icy treats are more of a take on the idea of spaghetti. There is tomato involved, however it’s sweetened up considerably.

Number 2. Mayonnaise Milk Shake. Clearly, Japan is not a nation to hold back when experimenting with frozen desserts. So, why not take mayonnaise, one of the nation’s most popular condiments, and blend it up with some ice cream? No doubt, it makes for one very creamy drink.

Number 1. Dancing Squid. If you like your seafood fresh, this could be the dish for you. The creature is presented shortly after being rendered dead, and as such still has active muscle cells. When soy sauce is poured over the squid, those cells respond to the salt, and the legs begin to flail about.

Which Japanese food do you find most bizarre?

This bridge in Japan is not only a construction marvel, but also somewhat looks like it is fun to ride on it. Japan has managed to make driving a car on that bridge both picturesque and fun for people who like a bit of adventure.

The bridge that connects Matsue and Sakaiminato is built over the Lake Nakaumi and instead of the usual bridges which open up in the middle to let a ship through, this bridge is actually built high in the middle so that the ships can pass through without the need of opening the bridge. There is a steep climb from one side and a descent that will give minor heart attacks to the best of drivers while going down.

Is it too terrifying or would you give it a try?

Can you match the architectural marvels and the countries they can be found in?

Key:

1. j.

2. a.

3. i.

4. g. or b.

5. b. or g.

6. h.

7. e.

8. c.

9. f.

10. d.

The Japanese railways are courteous to turtles, deer, and humans alike, so it’s no surprise that an entire station has been kept open for a single passenger.

The remote Kami-Shirataki station – located in Engaru, Hokkaido, Japan – has been slowly losing riders. In fact, the demand was so low that even freight service was ended. Japan Railways planned to close the entire station for good – until they discovered the last consistent passenger: a single high schooler who continued to use the train to get to class every day.

Three years ago, the railway system decided to keep the station open until the student graduated school. The accommodating network even changed the train schedule to better fit the girl’s commute. Now, the train makes only two trips: one to bring the girl to class and one to bring her back home. This service will continue until her graduation in March of this year.

While this heart-warming story showcases Japan Railways’ dedication to service, it is also a reminder of the decline of railways in rural Japan. The country is expected to lose a third of their population by 2060, meaning a shrinking workforce and an increase in empty housing. This, coupled with Japan’s new efficient high-speed rails, spells the end of traditional railroads in the country. Hokkaido has seen the closing of 20 rail lines in the last few decades, Fortune reports, with another closing when the student graduates in March.

source: mentalfloss.com

Toshiyuki Kuroki of Japan spent two years planting thousands of flowers around his farm property in order to cheer up his wife Yasuko who had become blind due to a diabetes-related complication.

People show love for their spouse in many remarkable ways. Toshiyuki and Yasuko Kuroki of Japan had been married for 30 years when she went blind due to diabetes-related complications. She reportedly got very depressed, particularly since she and her husband had planned to travel after retiring. In an effort to lure her outside and cheer her up with visitors, he decided to plant a mass of flowers throughout their property. The whole project, which incorporates thousands of pinkish-purple blooms, took about two years to complete. The garden now welcomes thousands of sightseers annually, and Mrs. Kuroki can be seen smiling again.

Nestlé Japan has done a sterling job of marketing KitKats for the domestic market by playing up the phrase “kitto katsu”, which sounds like “KitKat” and also translates to “sure to succeed”. As a result, the chocolate wafer bars have become popular good luck items, given as gifts and consumed by hardworking students hoping to pass their exams.

Now, with the January to March exam season almost upon us, Nestlé Japan has teamed up with the Nishitetsu taxi company in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, to provide a lucky cab service for locals in the area. Called the “Juken ni KitKat” model, or the “Sure to Succeed in the Exam” model, the eye-catching cars will come in two varieties.

Two yellow KitKat cabs will be available in Fukuoka City, with three in Kurume City.

As an added bonus, the first 2,000 people in each city to catch one of the specially marked taxis will receive a free “exam message” box of mini KitKats. Passengers will have to mention to the driver that they’re studying in order to receive one of the free packs.

Before their inaugural run, the vehicles were blessed by a Shinto priest in a special ceremony at Kora Grand Shrine which included prayers for success in examinations.

Those looking to catch a lucky break in a specially wrapped taxi can book one by advance phone reservation during the promotional period to March 8. Phone bookings aren’t necessarily required, however, as the company says you’ll be given a dose of extra luck if you happen to hail down one of these by chance on the street.

source: japantoday.com

Portugal

Do: – leave a tip. Around 10 per cent of the bill is common.

Don’t: – ask for salt and pepper if they are not provided on the table. It is considered to be an offense to the chef’s seasoning skills.

France

Do: – keep your hands above the table. Rest your wrists on the table and not on your lap.

– use bread to mop up bits of sauce or food on the plate. Always tear a piece of bread off instead of   biting directly into it. When not in use bread belongs on the table not on the plate.

Don’t: – split the bill. It is considered to be the height of unsophistication. Offer to pay the bill in its entirety or someone else will.

Japan

Do: – drink directly from the soup bowl as spoons are uncommon. Slurp your food especially noodles and soup. It shows your appreciation to the chef – the louder the better!

Don’t: – leave a tip. Tipping staff is very rare and can be seen as rude.

            – cross your chopsticks, lick them or stick your chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice, these     are all considered very rude

            – pass food using chopsticks either, a similar practice takes place at funerals.

Italy

Do: – avoid milk beverages after a meal as they can hinder digestion, go for an espresso instead

       – add 5-10 % tip for exceptional service. The rest of the service charge is usually included in the bill.

Don’t: – ask for parmesan cheese if it is not explicitly offered. It’s a huge faux pas to put extra cheese on top of your pizza, and worse still to add it to seafood.

India

Do: – wash your hands both before and after eating, pay close attention to the fingernails.

Don’t: – eat too quickly or too slowly, a medium pace is important.

            – eat with your left hand, it is considered unclean. Use the right hand instead, cutlery is rarely provided.

Thailand

Do: – expect all dishes at once rather than in set courses

      – be ready to share. Sharing food is very common and dishes will often be served to split amongst the table

Don’t: – eat from your fork, use it only to push food onto your spoon

            – take the last bite from the sharing bowl

China

Do: – belch! This is seen as a compliment to the chef for creating a satisfying meal.

       – arrive on time and dress out of respect for your fellow diners.

Don’t: – tip. Restaurants often have a no tipping policy.

                – finish all your food, leave a small amount of food on your plate to show your host gave you more than enough to eat

– dig through your food for anything in particular, it’s very rude.

Can you match the countries with what is acceptable to do in them?

Key:

1. d.

2. g.

3. a.

4. f.

5. b.

6. e.

7. c.

Can you do the same with the ’don’ts’ ?

Key:

1. f.

2. g.

3. b.

4. a.

5. e.

6. d.

7. c.

They say education is the foundation of society—and since Japanese and American societies are different in many ways, it may not surprise you that aspects of the two countries’ educational systems are like chalk and cheese. To find out just how different learning your ABCs (or あいうs) can be in the U.S. and Japan, study up on these nine things that are commonplace in Japanese public schools, but probably wouldn’t fly in America.

1. DRESS CODE

While only about 20 percent of public schools in the U.S. require uniforms, nearly all Japanese public school students suit up from junior high school on. The traditional uniform is a high-collared, black, military-style suit for boys and a beribboned sailor blouse and pleated skirt for girls (sorry ladies, there’s no pants option). These as-seen-in-anime styles are still the norm for middle school students, but the high school uniform is gradually being replaced by the tartan skirts and trousers with ties typical of Western parochial schools. Besides regulating clothing, shoes, and backpacks, many Japanese secondary schools impose strict bans on makeup, nail polish, hairstyles, and even eyebrow grooming that would make the average American teen wince. Perhaps the most eye-opening aspect of Japanese school dress codes, though, is that until the 1990s, these mortifying buruma (bloomers) were the standard girls’ PE uniform.

2. NO JANITORS

You won’t find a janitor in any Japanese school. Instead, industrious students and teachers roll up their sleeves and spend a few minutes every day mopping the floors, clapping erasers, and even scrubbing the toilets. Which means that students wouldn’t dream of putting gum under their chair or doodling on the desks—‘cause they know they’ll just have to clean it up themselves.

3. NO SUBSTITUTES

Leaving 30 teenagers unsupervised in a classroom would be the stuff of nightmares in an American high school, but that’s exactly what happens when a teacher calls in sick in Japan. Japanese secondary schools rarely use substitutes; instead, students are trusted to study quietly and independently.

4. THE SASUMATA

Even in a country as safe as Japan, schools have to prepare themselves for the possibility of a violent intruder. The sasumata is intended for this purpose: an aluminum pole with two curved prongs at one end which is adapted from an ancient samurai weapon—and found today hanging in schools all across Japan. The idea is to use the tool to immobilize the trespasser (who is hopefully not carrying a gun, which would be highly unlikely in Japan anyway).

5. KANCHO-ING THE TEACHER

If the sasumata doesn’t work, there’s always the kancho. A favorite prank among elementary and kindergarten students, all foreigners coming to Japan to teach English are duly warned about getting kancho’d. How it works: kids clasp their cute little hands together, extend the pointer fingers, then aim them right at the unsuspecting teacher’s butthole.

6. LUNCHES

It’s hot lunch every day at Japanese elementary and junior high schools. Students and teachers forgo cafeterias, instead eat all together at their desks in the classroom. Everyone eats the exact same meal, which is prepared by lunch ladies and served by students who take turns dishing out the rice, fish, and soup to their classmates. And because waste is a big no-no in Japanese culture, schools are known for enforcing 100 percent membership in the Clean Plate Club, requiring even the pickiest of eaters to finish every last bite.

7. GREETINGS

Greetings are an integral part of Japanese culture, and school is no exception. At the beginning and end of each class, students stand and greet the teacher, then bow in unison. Many high schools also bring a brief mokuso, (closed-eyes meditation) into school to allow students to center themselves before class.

8. SATURDAY SCHOOL

One-day weekends were the norm for Japanese schools until 1992, when the government began phasing out Saturday lessons as part of a national push for a more relaxed educational system. Despite this, many school boards ignored the change and continue to hold extra lessons on Saturdays—and almost half of all Tokyo elementary and junior high students still spend at least one Saturday morning a month doing math instead of watching cartoons.

9. SUMMER BUMMER

Japanese students do get a five-week summer vacation (about half as long as America’s), but calling it a “break” might be a stretch—unlike in America, the Japanese summer break is right in the middle of the school year, and though school is technically out, students and teachers will still typically come to school almost daily for club activities. Even elementary school students are assigned a legendarily hefty summer homework packet.

Japanese-style education seems to work for them; the latest OECD global math and science rankings place Japanese high schoolers at fourth in the world, while students in the U.S. have slipped to 28th place. So though we probably won’t find American students scouring the bathroom floor while wearing a pair of bloomers anytime soon, Saturday school may be worth considering.

Japanese and American schools are very different. Can you fill in the chart about their differences?

Key:

What began as an innocent plan to tackle mice has turned into a bizarre tourist attraction on the Japanese island of Aoshima.

A Japanese island which is home to just 22 people is being overrun by cats.

The felines were originally brought to the island of Aoshima to deal with mice that were damaging fishing boats.

But with no predators, their breeding got out of control – and so far the authorities have done little about it.

There are now around 120 cats on the island, and only 10 of them have been neutered.

The cats have survived by foraging on local crops and food left in rubbish.

The island village, which has no shops or hotels, has come to be known as Cat Island and it is drawing crowds from the mainland on twice-daily ferries.

At its peak, the island had a population of 900, but this gradually dropped over the past 70 years as young people moved away.

Now, with the sudden surge in its popularity, some of the island’s inhabitants are worried that their quiet lives are going to be disrupted.

One said: “I just hope that (tourism) doesn’t become a burden on the people who live here and if so then I don’t think it’s a problem.”

Decide if the following statements are true or false.

1.    The people on the island decided to bring a lot of cats to the island to attract more tourists.

2.    There are more cats on the island than inhabitants.

3.    The cats were brought to the island by fishing boats.

4.    There are no dangerous wild animals on the island that could eat the cats.

5.    There are more and more cats because they are giving birth to more and more kittens.

6.    The inhabitants want to get rid of the cats because there are no shops on the island and they can’t buy cat food for them.

7.    The people are worried that the tourists coming to the island will disturb their quiet life.

Key:

1.    false

2.    true

3.    false

4.    true

5.    true

6.    false

7.    true

Want to get hitched but don’t have a man? Head to Japan where a company sells ‘solo weddings’

Do you dream of having a white wedding, but despair at the lack of a man in your life to share the big day with? You’re not alone – a new trend is cropping up in the Far East for solo weddings. As women become financially independent, they are putting off settling down with partners until later on in life. But they still want the all-about-me no-expense-spared party that comes with getting hitched, without actually having to tie the knot.

Travel company Cera Travel in Kyoto, a city in southern Japan, has started a new service called ‘Solo Wedding.’ It lets single women enjoy all the fun and glamour of the day, including spending the honeymoon night in a fancy hotel. The two-day trip sees the clients get dress fittings, choose their own bouquets, get their hair and make-up done and even choose a man to accompany them for a photo shoot.

The service started in June and is aimed at single, working women who have decided to pursue careers instead of follow the traditional Japanese route of getting married. It is also being marketed at women who have been divorced but want to feel special again. So far ten women have taken up the offer, which costs around £1,700 ($2,750).

A spokesman for the company said: ‘It is a truly unique experience and one that we are very proud of. All the details are taken care of by wedding professionals and for those who don’t want a traditional white wedding dress we offer our Geisha service, which sees the brides going on an historical photo shoot dressed up as Geishas.’

Businesswoman Nagi Daisen, 43, said: ‘I’ve been in a relationship for years but we’ve never got round to actually getting married. So I decided to do this for myself and it was amazing fun. I always wanted to wear a wedding dress and to be pampered like this and now I have been. It was great.’

The honeymoon night does not include the model used for the photo shoot, although the company said the women mostly invited their boyfriends to join them in the honeymoon suite after the ‘wedding’ was over.

source: Daily Mail

True or false?

1. The new service is aimed at women whose boyfriend has refused to get married.

2. The brides get to pick the dress, the flowers and have their hair and make-up done.

3. The brides can choose between a white dress and a traditional Geisha outfit.

4. Japanese women traditionally pursue careers.

5. The trip includes a night at an elegant hotel with whoever the brides want to take along.

answers: 1-F 2-T 3-T 4-F 5-T

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