Would you like to enjoy a comedy drama in English and become a good person at the same time? The Good Place (2016-2020 on Netflix) might help you with that.

The story of The Good Place begins when Eleanor (Kristen Bell – you might recognise her voice: she played Anna in Disney’s Frozen) finds herself in an unknown, office-like location. She is told by Michael (Ted Danson) that she is dead, and she is now in “the good place”. According to Michael, who designed the good place in which Eleanor is now, everyone is put into the good place or the bad place after their death based on their actions on earth. For example, on the one hand, if you remember your friend’s birthday, you earn a couple of points. On the other hand, when you cut in line, you lose some points. People who have a lot of points can be put into the good place. Eleanor, an environmental lawyer who dedicated her entire life to saving others, seems to be a perfect fit in the good place.

The only problem is, however, that there has been a mistake: Eleanor is, in fact, quite selfish. She was not even an environmental lawyer – she worked at a company that sells fake medicine to the elderly. What should Eleanor do to stay in the good place? Should she stay in the good place? Would it be possible for her to become a good person?

One of the important messages in The Good Place is that we cannot exist on our own; we communicate with and depend on each other every day. As one of the characters says, we “choose to be good because of our bonds with other people”. As a member of a community, we should at least try to help other people and make each other better.

The Good Place helps us think about what makes one a “good person”. Being a good person is not always easy - there are countless reasons which make you think that it is okay to be selfish, that you do not have to care about people around you. However, doing even a tiny bit of good action for someone can give you a sense of belonging to a community, and that feeling will brighten your world a little. After watching The Good Place, you will want to go do something good.

Photo credit: cotton bro@pexels

Quiz

Q1. What example is given in the blog as a way of earning points to get into the good place?

Q2. What is Eleanor’s problem in the good place?

Q3. What is one of the important messages in The Good Place?

Scroll down for answers

A1. Remembering your friend's birthday.

A2. She is selfish and does not deserve to be in the good place.

A3. That we cannot exist on our own.

(Please see main blog page for part 1)

After we started biking on the road, it was indeed very tough. Summer heat as well as long distances on the road made many participants exhausted. Though I could understand very little English, I helped many of them by physically pushing them on uphill sections, sharing my food and drink, and encouraging them by repeating “fight! fight! fight”, and so on. To my big surprise, through this non-verbal interaction, one American girl from California told me she liked me! She was a tall beautiful girl with shiny blonde hair. I absolutely did not know how to respond, but of course there was no reason for me to refuse her. From then on, we fell in love with each other. I struggled to communicate with her with the very limited vocabulary I memorised for my failed entrance examination for Ritsumeikan University. By the end of this 2-week event, we could exchange some easy words or phrases in English. It was such a romantic moment for me with the first foreign person I’ve ever met in my life.

Unfortunately however, a bitter end came to this romance shortly after. Right before she departed for California, she told me that it was not realistic to keep this relationship across the huge Pacific Ocean separating our countries. I was very sad and disappointed, but accepted her suggestion to stay good friends with each other. I went back to Yamagata with a broken heart. Although the romance ended like this, my sweet memory of her had triggered a strong interest and curiosity in America as a country. I started studying English like crazy. By the end of my second year in Yamagata, my English improved well enough to be admitted into some American universities. I then quit Yamagata University and transferred to the University of Minnesota to study international relations. After I graduated from the University of Minnesota, I went on to a graduate school at another university in America.

Here I am now teaching English at Ritsumeikan University where I had once failed to enter some 35 years ago. Looking back on these 35 years, I really feel that life is so mysterious that you never know how things in life would take you to what destinies. So I’d like to suggest to all my fellow Ritsumeikan students not to be afraid of following your inspiration and embarking on a new adventure to the unknown, that is to say, “go beyond borders!”

Photo credit: Buro Millennial @pexels

Quiz

Q1. Why was the bike journey so tough?

a) It was long and hot.

b) None of the participants could speak English.

c) The route was uphill.

Q2. What was one result of the writer’s break-up with his girlfriend?

a) He decided to meet his girlfriend in America.

b) He quit university.

c) He studied English very hard.

Q3. What is the writer’s advice?

a) Study as much as you can.

b) Visit Beyond Borders Plaza.

c) Follow your inspiration.

Scroll down for answers.

A1. a

A2. c

A3. c

In the spring of 1986, I started my college life with deep disappointment. I failed in the entrance examination for Ritsumeikan University and ended up going to Yamagata University so far away from home. Most of my high school friends passed the exams to enter good universities in the Kansai area, and none of them came to Yamagata with me. I deserved this because I did not study as hard as I should have. All I was doing in high school was swimming and biking. I was very active physically, but extremely lazy intellectually.

However, there were two things I really wanted to do at the university: 1. making a long bike trip around the entire country of Japan, and 2. doing something for world peace. Back then, nuclear competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was so severe that the world community was seriously worried about the outbreak of a Third World War.  So after I entered university, I started reading a lot of books about world peace and conflicts.

During my first summer vacation in Yamagata, I joined an anti-nuclear movement planned by the YMCA. It was a campaign by a group of cyclists of Japan and the U.S., in which they would bike from Osaka to Hiroshima, appealing for an immediate stop to the insane nuclear competition. After biking more than 100 km a day for 5 days, all participants would attend the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima on August 6.

For me it was a lucky combination of biking and the peace movement, both of which I was deeply interested in. Indeed, in the first preparatory meeting at YMCA, I was designated as one of the cyclist leaders in charge of assisting other participants because I was a tough and experienced cyclist. And then came the day of the welcome party of American participants. I was overwhelmed by more than 50 American participants of my age who were very open, friendly, and cheerful. It was my first encounter with so many Americans. Many of them tried to talk to me in English, but I could not understand or speak a word of it.

Photo credit: Roman Pohorecki @pexels

Quiz

Q1. Why did the writer go to Yamagata University?

a) Most of his friends came from that area.

b) He did not study hard enough.

c) He wanted to join the cycling club in that university.

Q2. The writer wanted to do something for world peace. What was his first step towards that goal?

a) He made a long bike trip.

b) He joined the anti-nuclear movement.

c) He began to read a lot about the subject.

Q3. Why was the protest event perfect for the writer?

a) He could assist other participants.

b) He wanted to meet a lot of foreigners.

c) It combined two of his interests.

Scroll down for answers

A1. b

A2. c

A3. c

The Japanese TV variety show, "プレバト" (Prebato) has recently become popular, and the haiku segment is one of the most highly regarded.

Haiku are written not only in Japan but also around the world. Many people use words to sketch scenes and convey emotions in a short 5-7-5 phrase along with a seasonal word (Kigo).

In Japanese, it is easy to count the number of sounds in a word. In English, the 5-7-5 patterns must be counted using syllables. It is important to point out that in English haiku, the use of seasonal words and 17 syllables is not required, although recently, a 3-5-3 syllabic pattern has become widely accepted.

One of my best friends, an American who publishes under his full name, Stephen J. DeGuire, is also fascinated by haiku. He seems to spend his life constantly trying to create haiku, sharpening his senses throughout his everyday life.

Here are three of Steve’s original haiku, one of which was acknowledged in a haiku contest.

1  One flower fallen

    the whole field diminished—

    an unsettling sun

    (Asahi Haikuist Network, 2006)

2   Basho’s road

     throughout Tohoku

     hope remains

     (Asahi Haikuist Network/L.A. Times, 2011)

3  Summer moon

    awakens sleeping

    Moonflowers

    (Itoen Haiku Contest N. America, 2016)

Can you visualise the scene of each haiku?

The following is Steve’s explanation:

“The first haiku holds a special place in my heart. It was the first haiku I ever wrote; it was also my first attempt at publication and it became my first published haiku. It is also my only published haiku that, at 16 syllables, comes close to the traditional 5-7-5 syllabic pattern. Everyday haiku words (flower, field and sun) were used to hide a deeper “unsettling” or disturbing meaning. It was written after a breakup with a girlfriend and after reading numerous articles regarding bullying and child suicide. On one level I am the “fallen flower”. More importantly, every lost child or “fallen flower”, is a loss for all mankind and all adults, who are responsible for nurturing the “whole field”.

The second haiku, also dear to my heart due to the subject, was written days after the 3/11 disaster. It refers to Basho’s “Oku no Hosomichi”, the tale of Basho’s wanderings through Tohoku, and relates it to the areas and people affected by the disaster. I longed to see a light at the end of a dark tunnel. So much was lost, both people and places, but “hope” remains.

The third haiku utilises two common haiku themes, the moon and flowers, to turn a very common experience, waking and sleeping, upside down. People and flowers usually wake up with the sun and sleep at night. The moonflower, asleep during the day, blooms in darkness as the moon rises.”

Could you picture the scenes in your mind?

In Japan, we are fortunate to have a wonderful culture and beautiful art forms like haiku. We should continue to proudly pass on these wonderful cultural and artistic treasures to the world.

Photo credit: Suzie@Pexels

Quiz

Q1. What pattern is often used in English haiku?

Q2. How many syllables did he use in his first haiku?

Q3. When did the poet start writing haiku?

Scroll down for answers.

A1: 3-5-3

A2: 16

A3: 2006

I have two major passions in life. One is English education, and the other is baseball. These two passions cross paths quite often, but never more than in one particular individual: Shigetoshi Hasegawa.

If you do not recognize the name, let me introduce him a little. He was born and raised in Hyogo Prefecture and graduated from Ritsumeikan University several decades ago. After being drafted by the Orix BlueWave (who are now the Buffaloes) and having a successful pitching career in Japan (Rookie of the Year, All-Star), he spent nine years playing Major League Baseball for the Anaheim Angels and Seattle Mariners. Because his name is so difficult for many non-Japanese to pronounce, he was given the nickname “Shiggy” which I will use the rest of this article.

Shiggy actually did not go to the major leagues because of his baseball aspirations. He went there because he had a fascination with America, and wanted to live there and experience the culture. During his time there, he gained proficiency in English, but also deepened his understanding of the national culture. As such, he was able to understand his own culture better, too. In fact, he has written several books about his experiences in America, plus his methods of learning English. I have not read all of Shiggy’s books, but what I have read, I have thoroughly enjoyed.

A book called {素晴らしき！メジャーリーガーの人生}. is a collection of the monthly columns he wrote for a Japanese newspaper while he was playing baseball in America. He also has one called {メジャーリーグで覚えた僕の英語勉強法}, and most recently, he put one out called {好かれる英会話}. In fact, last year during the pandemic (and online classes for many of us), he did an exclusive “webinar” for Ritsumeikan students and staff based on this book, which is about how to really enjoy speaking English. The webinar was truly enlightening and helped me see that Shiggy has transcended nationality and culture in his life. He is able to objectively see America for what it is, and the same is true of Japan.

This nation of ours (Japan) has a lot of TV shows that focus on how foreigners view Japan. While I enjoy programs like “YOUは何しに日本へ？” It feels a little superficial at times. It also comes across (to foreigners) as Japan tooting its own horn. The show seems to be declaring, “Look at how awesome the world thinks we are!” Shiggy kind of does the opposite in his writing: how does Japan view America? What I enjoy about Shiggy and his writing is that he does not put his own country OR his adopted country on a pedestal. He promotes understanding and acceptance while encouraging people to learn and love English. Oh, and of course, he loves baseball, too.

I highly recommend that you check out Shiggy’s books and aim to emulate one of your fellow Ritsumeikan graduates.

Photo credit: Pixabay

Quiz

Q1. Which baseball team did Shiggy not play for?

a) Orix BlueWave

b) Orix Buffaloes

c) Anaheim Angels

d) Seattle Mariners

Q2. Why did Shiggy want to play Major League Baseball?

a) He wanted to live in America

b) He wanted to challenge his baseball abilities

c) He wanted to teach Japanese to his teammates

d) He wanted to write books about learning English

Q3. What does the writer of this blog appreciate about Shiggy?

a) He loves Japan so much

b) He loves America so much

c) He can see Japan and America without bias

d) He watches TV shows like YOUは何しに日本へ?

Scroll down for answers

A1. b

A2. a

A3. c

When Matsumoto supermarket opened 20 years ago in my neighbourhood in Kyoto, the store played marching band music to perk up the customers.  It used to annoy me to no end because it was so loud. I’d shop in a hurry just to escape the noise. The other day though I heard a new type of music there.  It was the song “Dynamite” by BTS, but a poor, digitised copy that made it sound like an elementary school playing their keyboard harmonicas.  Even so, I recognized it as my university student daughter’s favourite K-pop dance song. It’s a lot of young people’s favourite song around the world because it is made of positive vibes, energy, hope and love – a feel-good song during the Coronavirus pandemic.  Why do so many people like BTS?

The K-pop superstars from South Korea are loved not just because of their music and dance videos. The Seoul government signed them up as tourism ambassadors as they are the most influential celebrities of Korea.  And the United Nations loves them too: BTS has raised $3.6 million dollars (¥404,113,000) since 2017 with the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, to fight violence, abuse and bullying and to promote self-esteem in young people. On September 20, 2021, BTS made a speech at the UN urging people to “choose kindness”.

The fans love their lyrics that inspire them to be positive and happy. The seven idols are unique because they are very upfront about mental health and their own personal struggles. In the 2016 album Agust D, member Suga talks about depression and self-hate. On the same album, “So Far Away” talks about pain and loneliness. On the 2014 album Skool Luv Affair, “Tomorrow” expresses the hardship of the young generation today and how they are afraid of tomorrow. And finally there are the songs “Answer: Love Myself”, “Not Today” and “On” that are healing to fans because they address self-doubt and encourage them to have more self-esteem.

For a K-pop band to be the messenger of goodwill and hope, they are extremely successful.  Their tour “Permission to Dance” in Los Angeles, California in December 2021 sold out with tickets being sold for thousands of dollars. It is no wonder that even a supermarket likes the idea of piping in their music to lift our spirits, capitalising on their positive energy that is truly global...and cool!

Photo credit Marcello Chagas@Pexels

Quiz

1. Why did the United Nations ask BTS to give a speech?

a) They are tourism ambassadors

b) They raised millions of dollars for UNICEF

c)  They believe in kindness

2. What issue for the young generation is BTS concerned with?

a) goodwill and hope

b) raising money for charity

c) mental health

3. Why did the supermarket choose to play a BTS song for its customers?

a) They can pipe in their music

b) They have positive energy

c) It is a digitised copy

Scroll down for answers

Answers

A1. b

A2. c

A3. b

I’d like to introduce my country, the Republic of Ireland. Ireland is very homogenous, like Japan – until recently, almost everybody was white and Irish. Recently, for the first time in history we’ve had immigration into Ireland. Now we have quite a few people from Poland and China, for example, but the country is still mainly very homogenous. The population is quite small at about 5 million people.

Ireland is very small. You can go from the east of the country to the west of the country in maybe three hours. And you can go from the south of the country to the north of the country in maybe four or five hours. So, Irish people feel very local. If we meet somebody, we kind of know where they're from, or we think we have a connection to every place in the country because it's so small. Because of this, it feels local, it feels familiar; it almost feels like everybody is a neighbour.

The people are famous for being very friendly and generous. So we give a lot to charity, including to charity internationally. Statistically, they are the third or fourth most generous country in the world. We're famous for things like Irish whiskey and Irish beer, like Guinness, which is a black beer.

We're also famous for Irish music and Irish dancing, which are popular around the world. Irish music has some specific instruments and the music is quite nice. It's very popular with tourists. Irish dancing is unusual because the dancers keep their arms straight by their sides, and don't move them. The legs are very quick, almost like tap dancing, but very, very, old and more traditional than that. Again, it's quite popular with tourists. There's a famous Irish dance show called Riverdance, and it goes all around the world and has even been to Japan a few times.

Photo Credit: Kelly L@Pexels

Quiz

Q1. What is the population of Ireland?

Q2. What is special about Guinness?

Q3. What is one special feature of Irish dancing?

Scroll down for the answers

A1. 5 million

A2. It’s black beer

A3. The dancers don’t move their arms while dancing

On April 23, 2021, Bill Gates was one of the speakers at the Leaders Summit on Climate, ahead of the United Nations conference on climate change (COP26) that took place in November in Glasgow, Scotland. Key figures from around the world gathered online to talk about some of the most important challenges in climate change, including reducing emissions, financing new ideas, and creating jobs during the transition to a clean-energy economy.

Most people want to continue to be provided with all the benefits of the modern lifestyle, and many others in poverty want to attain a modern lifestyle. However, continuing to use today’s technologies will prevent us from meeting the goal of achieving what Gates calls ‘a Green Premium of zero’.

These days, there are an increasing variety of zero-carbon technologies available, but most of them are more expensive than their fossil-fuel counterparts. Gates explained that we need new zero-carbon products that are just as affordable. Unfortunately, creating such products is difficult, but it can be done more easily by governments and corporations investing in innovation and building the infrastructure for the transition to a clean economy.

To do this, Gates has proposed three steps to achieve these goals, all requiring international cooperation:

First is the development and distribution of breakthrough technologies that allow us to eliminate carbon emissions.

Second is to use the power of markets to fund and deploy these innovations, such as new ways to finance technologies. This will make it easier for new technologies to have greater appeal to corporations and customers instead of continuing to use fossil fuels.

Third is for governments and corporations to begin using policies and programs such as ‘Mission Innovation’ and ‘Breakthrough Energy Catalyst’ that will make it faster and cheaper to make this transition. This requires leaders to reward those who take difficult steps to choose progress over profits.

So, what can YOU do as an individual in society? Are you reading this article because you are also a climate activist? This doesn’t mean only recycling pet bottles and switching off lights. A climate activist is someone who brings attention to problems by demanding action and change from governments and corporations. If you are old enough to vote, choose a politician who really cares about these issues. You can ‘vote’ with your money too, by supporting companies who are already taking actions to reach zero-emissions.

Photo credit: Pixabay

Quiz

Q1. In which Scottish city was the COP26 held?

Q2. What does Bill Gates call new and affordable zero-carbon products?

Q3. What are the names of the examples of policies/programs that will make it faster and cheaper to make the transition to a clean economy?

Scroll down for the answers

A1. Glasgow

A2. Green Premium products

A3. ‘Mission Innovation’ and ‘Breakthrough Energy Catalyst’

My father died last January. He was 90 years old and suffered from sudden pneumonia during my visit to my hometown, Fukuoka. I can’t say he was a diligent, tidy, and reliable person, but he was good at creating a cheerful atmosphere everywhere. He was born into a high social and financial standing. However, when he was in his twenties, he dropped out of university and eloped with an older woman of lower social and financial status. The marriage lasted only one year. After he got married to my mother and started his own company, he would lend his money without hesitation to others and often never got it back. My mother regretted marrying him.

Partly because I was raised hearing my mother’s complaints about him, I thought he was far from an ideal father, although I liked his cheerfulness. However, his last ten days at the hospital made me reconsider how I will spend the rest of my life. Are high social status or money determining factors when it comes to enjoying the final stages of our life?

Shortly after he was carried to the hospital at the end of last December, the doctor told our family he was dying. As my hometown is located in the countryside in Fukuoka, and at the time had only counted a small number of Covid-19 patients, only fifteen minutes were allowed per visitation. We immediately called his siblings and learned that most of his friends had passed away already, so we were only able to find one of his friends.

Even though he was dying and was kept alive by a ventilator, he was friendly and talked to everyone. However, sadly, most of his words were inaudible due to the apparatus. One of his grandchildren, who is a doctor, said in general it was very difficult for patients like him to talk because the blood oxygenation level was extremely low. During the last ten days of his life, his nine grandchildren, some of whom lived in Tokyo and some in Kyoto, returned to Fukuoka, so someone could visit him every day. They all loved the dying old man who was still joking with gestures on the bed.

According to the doctor, and due in part to Covid-19, this hospital had become a place for the dying, and patients rarely encountered visitors. Only my father’s bed was lively, and this created an atmosphere unusually cheerful for the hospital.

Through these ten days at the hospital, I realized that how we die is the same as how we live. Though he might have been sloppy, lazy, and gullible, my father treated everyone equally, regardless of their social and financial status. He never got angry at others, and tried to make everyone happy all the time, even at the end. Now I respect him so much and feel I want to spend my last days like him.

I believe how we die doesn’t depend on our financial condition or social status, but after all how we have treated people throughout our life. To this end, I renovated my house this summer and made a small corner where people can get together and have social gatherings. I hope I can cherish people and the time I spend with them for the rest of my life, and hopefully, die like my father.

Quiz.

Q1. Where is the author from?

a)    Kyoto

b)   Tokyo

c)    Fukuoka

Q2. What did the author’s mother think about her husband?

a)    He was not kind

b)   He was not talkative

c)    He was not a good husband

Q3. According to the essay, what makes our final days great?

a)    Money

b)   Jobs

c)    How we treat people

Scroll down for the answers

A1. c

A2. c

A3. c