Photo Credit 1: Yan Krukau @ Pexels.com 

 

Recently, I had a very interesting and meaningful discussion with my class. I mean meaningful in the sense that we had a chance to reflect about our own stages of life. 

 

A student presented about what it means to be an adult. As a concluding remark, he asked his classmates "Are you an adult?" I, the eldest in the room wondered, “Am I indeed an adult”? Perhaps, many of you also asked yourselves the same question at a certain moment. The meaning of this question is different for all of us. I thought of the “inner child” that resides in us no matter what age we are. In a morning newspaper, I read about the oldest woman in Germany -- 113 years old. I am sure that no one would doubt that she is beyond adult. Yet, in the article, she told the story of her dreams at night when she sees her “mama” and their shopping trip for a Sunday dress. When she awakes from the dream, she finds herself talking to her mother as if she were still 13 years old and then she slowly awakes and realizes that it was a dream. She chuckled during the interview saying that although she is 113 years old, she is still calling out to her “mama”.  

 

What are the “rites of passage” as explained by Victor Turner, when we transition into the various stages of life? Are the process of finishing 4 years of university and then looking for a job, finding a partner and then marrying, and thinking of children, the proper markers and rites in the “stages of life”? 

 

On July 21, 2023, Ritsumeikan University senpais (seniors) and kōhais (juniors) got together and exchanged ideas under the title "Sharing Ideas, Making Connections": Leaders' Dialogue on Future Initiatives (SKNC Event Summer 2023). It was a very fruitful event sending off graduating seniors to their new stages of life as either graduate students, bankers, human resource management specialists, or workers for international human rights organizations. The senpais who successfully finished their four years were giving back to kōhais who yearned to gain from their experiences. As I sat on the side and watched the very talented Ritsumeikan University students and their transitioning into adulthood, I witnessed the true essence of being an "adult", and that is paving the path for the next generation. I am always grateful for the opportunity to watch and also learn from my students. 

 

 

Questions:

 

1) What is the main idea of the essay?  

2) Who presented about being an adult?  

3) What was the main aim of the event that was described?  

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers 

 

Answers

A1. Defining adulthood 

A2. A student 

A3. Senpais and kōhais exchanging ideas 

Photo Credit: Ketut Subiyanto @pexels.com

 

My twin boys really love to mop. My wife and I got them the same toy mops and they will often mop the floor of our home with them. This is not a pretend mopping—we will stick wet wipes to the mops, and they will very deliberately start mopping everything: while mostly the floor, sometimes the “floor” becomes the top of select items of furniture, stuffed animals, or dinner plates. We usually stop them before it goes too far, but they genuinely want to try and clean.

 

The main reason for them doing that is because they have seen me do it. Even though I do not feel deserving of such modeling, they notice it and try to do the same. Perhaps the thing they want to do more than mop like me is to mop with me. It is when I enter the mop arena that their kindly mopping activity turns into a competition.

 

To clarify, it is not just that they want to map with me—they want my mop. They could care less if I use their mop—they want my mop at the same time. That is when there is fussing, fighting, and gnashing of teeth. That is when we are done mopping.

 

For that reason, I had previously taken apart my mop and kept it out of reach . . . until this morning. One of my sons was very, very persistent in wanting my mop, so I decided to give him a piece of it. Then the other son saw what was happening and then he wanted a piece of the mop. I then realized I could either let this spin out of control, or see if they could work together.

 

I gave each son a three-minute time limit with my reassembled mini-mop. After that time, the receiver needed to give it to his brother. One of my sons regularly did that, but the other simply refused and the mop needed to be given to his brother by force. He didn’t really want to mop the floor like his brother—he just wanted what his brother had, even if he didn’t know what he’d do once he got it. Eventually he let it go and moved on, as is normal.

In many ways, that seems to be how people act once they enter adulthood. They never quite leave that place of knowing what they want. They are not young children who will eventually find what interests them (as I am keen on doing with both of my kids). It can be easy to chase after someone else’s mop when you don’t intend to clean the floor, but it seems much more difficult to give up chasing after others if that’s all you’re used to doing. Eventually, you need to set down the mop, and pick up something you want to do.

 

 

 

Questions:

 

Q1. Why do the kids like to mop?

 

Q2. According to the author, one son wants to mop the floor. Why does the other one want to use the mop?

 

Q3. What is the article about?

 

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

 

A1. Because they have seen their father do it.

.

A2. Because he wants what his brother has.

 

A3. Choosing what interests you; not just copying what others do.

A few years ago, when my daughter was depressed because of a broken heart, I took her to a cat cafe for the first time to cheer her up. The cat cafe was located in Osaka in a two-story building with fancy decorations, such as a cat tower, cozy sofas, and toys that cats would enjoy. We stayed there for about an hour, playing with about 20 cats. She seemed healed and felt a little better on the way home.

What kind of people visits such animal cafes? People who want to have pets but cannot keep them at home, people who seek healing by playing with animals, and people who love animals. However, there is no doubt that these animal cafes are popular in Japan and will continue to increase in number.

Cats used to be the mainstream, but now there seem to be dogs, raccoons, hedgehogs, rabbits, reptiles, and owls. When I was in Kyoto the other day, I found a micro pig café. Several people were waiting in front of the shop. The admission fee for adults and elementary school students is 660 yen, and the first 30 minutes are 1,100 yen for adults and 550 yen for elementary school students. For every 30 minutes after that, an additional 550 yen for adults and 330 yen for elementary school students will be charged. In other words, an hour's stay will cost 2,310 yen for adults and 1,540 yen for elementary school students, which is quite expensive.

Historically, the oldest cat café was opened in Taiwan in 1998, and it is said that a Japanese tourist later brought the idea back to Japan and opened a dog café in Japan in 2004.

From the point of view of animal protection, there are many voices against these cafes. If they were kept as pets in some houses, they would receive a lot of affection as a family member. However, in these animal cafes, they are touched and held by an unspecified number of people and are treated as what is called a showpiece.
Amidst these voices, we have recently seen dog and cat cafes with different concepts. For example, they also play a role as animal shelters. In other words, if customers find their favorite dog or cat, they can apply to become a foster parent and take the animal home if the conditions are met.

In Japan, it is common practice to buy pets at pet shops, but many countries have banned the sale of pets as a form of animal welfare. People who want to keep pets are likely to buy them directly from breeders or receive them from animal shelters. Will this be the case in Japan shortly? Pets not only include dogs and cats but also tropical fish, insects, hamsters, ferrets, turtles, birds, and a wide variety of other animals, so they will continue to exist for some time.

Photo Credit: Amir Reza Setoudegan Ghasemi@pexels.com



Blog Quiz
Q1. Why did the writer go to the cat café in Osaka?
Q2. How much would it cost an adult to spend two hours in a mini pig cafe?
Q3. In your opinion, would you prefer to get a pet from a pet shop, an animal shelter, or a breeder? Why?



Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.




















Quiz Answers

Q1. To cheer her daughter up.
Q2. 3,410 yen.
Q3. Answers will vary.

Unfortunately, the last three that I mentioned aired really late at night, so not too many people were able to watch them. This is why I was so glad to have gotten this most recent chance.

 

October 7: MBS Yonchan. This news program showed my feature at 6:40 p.m., which means more people had a chance to watch. It was the longest corner yet, at roughly 12.5 minutes, and the TV crew even came and filmed me at Ritsumeikan University! By then, I had been filmed so many times that I was not too nervous, but I did sense that students and other teachers were a little shy. Anyhow, I learned something about TV on this day, and it is unfortunate. They are not always accurate and do not always want to portray the truth. They want to tell the story that they think will get them the biggest audience. They also do not always allow the subject of the feature to check it ahead of time and make corrections. There were no fewer than six errors or fabrications on the program, including my age, which they got wrong by 5 years.

 

All in all, I am happy to be getting recognition for the work I am doing to promote the Hanshin Tigers in English to people all over the world. If you want to study English by reading (and hearing) about the Tigers, why not check out my website [www.thehanshintigers.com]?

 

 

Photo Credit: Martin Péchy@pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

Q1. According to the writer, why did more people watch MBS Yonchan than several other programs he appeared on?

 

Q2. What mistake did the most recent TV program make about the writer?

a) Six

b) His age

c) His family members

 

Q3. Overall, is the writer satisfied with his experiences appearing on television?

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

Q1. Because it was shown at 6:40 p.m.

Q2. B

Q3. Yes

I cannot believe how lucky I am. I would have never imagined that I would be featured on television in Japan FIVE times in a single year! Let me quickly mention the first four, and then focus on what I learned from the fifth one.

 

January 4: Ikegami Akira no Kansaijin ga Shiranai Kansai. This new year’s special showed me covering the Hanshin Tigers in a special way for English-speaking fans all around the world. Famous panelists that I met in the studio included Black Mayonnaise, High Heel Ringo, Miyu Honda, and Joichiro Fujiwara from Naniwa Danshi.

 

June 17: News Zero. This late-night nationally broadcast news program, hosted by famous anchor Yumiko Udo, was similar to Mr. Ikegami’s program, but I did not go to a studio to talk to famous people. Instead, TV directors recorded me at a separate studio and at a restaurant. Ms. Udo is a huge Hanshin Tigers fan, and she said she wants to meet and go to a Tigers game at Koshien with me. (I would love that!)

 

June 28: Sekai wo Chotto Dake Kaeru Summit. For this one, I had to go to the studio for a recording, and sitting right next to me was fellow guest Takeshi Tsuruno. We talked before the recording started, and he was a really nice guy! This program had nothing to do with my areas of expertise (English education and Hanshin Tigers), so I was nervous throughout.

 

July 7: MBS Ballpark. This was the first time a TV program visited my home, which made me (and my whole family) a little nervous. Still, it was interesting to watch the program and hear Tomonori Jinnai and Reni Takagi (Momoiro Clover Z) say that “Hanshin should acquire Trevor-san.” (I would love that!)

 

 

Q1. How many times was the writer featured on Japanese TV in 2022?

 

Q2. Who said she wanted to go to a Hanshin Tigers game with the writer?

a) Reni Takagi

b) High Heel Ringo

c) Yumiko Udo

 

Q3. On which two dates did the writer mention feeling nervous during the recording session?

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

Q1. 5

Q2. C

Q3. June 28 & July 7

The other day, I finally brought myself to take an ID photo in order to apply for “My Number Card” after being hesitant to create one. I have never really liked my own ID photos before. Who would? I wonder why ID photos always look like mug shots.

 

In my first passport photo, I had orange hair, and I looked flushed and sweaty as if I had run a dozen miles. Why did I have orange hair? Well, upon entering college, I had my hair dyed brown for the first time. I’d hoped it would turn brown, but for some reason, my hair turned bright orange. To make matters worse, I had to take an ID photo for my passport application with that hair. I took one in the ID photo booth, and fortunately, my hair looked a lot darker in the photo than it actually was thanks to the poor lighting. I went to the passport center with the photo to apply for my first passport, but they did not accept the photo. I guess the poor lighting became a problem. I ended up having another ID photo taken at the passport center, but they did not let me see or choose the photo. My face was flushed red because I was frustrated at the inconvenience, and I was sweaty because I literally took a thirty-minute walk to the passport center. I felt mortified every time I had to looked at the passport photo for the next five years. So much for the story of my failure.

 

Anyway, I took an ID photo for the Individual Number Card in a photo booth. The experience was rather amusing. I was busy choosing things from many options. First, I had to choose for what purpose I needed the photo. Second, I had to choose whether I wanted to retouch my photo or keep a digital copy. Depending on the options chosen, the price of the photo varied. Then, I had to spin the chair to adjust the height so my head would be at the appropriate level. After that, the machine automatically took two shots. I had to choose if I wanted to take another two shots or choose from the two photos that were already shown on the screen. The machine even asked me to choose a skin tone, which I found very odd. I thought I was finally done with the photo taking process, but I had to choose the background color too. After fighting the audible count-down from the machine, I finally finished taking an ID photo. I did not like the photo, but I did it.

 

If you have to take an ID photo in a photo booth, here is a piece of advice: When the machine says, “Relax,” it means that you should relax your shoulders, not your facial muscles! My brother made that mistake, and his ID photo is the funniest of all time!

 

 

Photo Credit: Dom J@pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

Q1. Did the author run a dozen miles to the passport center when she had her first passport photo taken?

Q2. What does the word ‘mortified’ mean?

Q3. What was the author’s brother’s mistake in the photo booth?

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

Q1. No, she did not. She walked for 30 minutes.

Q2. Very embarrassed.

Q3. He relaxed his facial muscles too much instead of relaxing his shoulders.

When you’re a kid you don’t think about being a kid—you’re just a kid. It’s not until you get older that you become a little more aware, and maybe the “kid stuff” turns into “older kid stuff” or “teenage stuff” or, worst of all, “adult stuff.” With my kids, I’m reminded daily of the “kid stuff” and how I need to be more patient in understanding where they’re at. It becomes harder to do that when so much time has passed since I was their age.

 

Why share this at a university that is filled with students who don’t have kids? Because it is easy to forget where we came from. At this time, my kids couldn’t even get out of their bedroom if my wife and I didn’t pick them up and take them out. We do not remember life from that time, but that is what happens when we grow up: we forget how much we’ve grown.

 

I know that my kids will not remember much from this time. They may not remember the “what” from this time in their life but the “how.” Their impression of me and their mom will be made clearer, and, later, their feelings about the outside world will also be shaped. Will they be excited or fearful about the real world? A lot of that starts from the time when “the real world” for them is the play area in our home and getting a chance to see the other rooms from their height (or when we go on errands with them strapped to our chests). We can help shape those feelings up to a point, but it’s better for them to determine it for themselves.

        

Life can be like that. You are left to wonder how something is a certain way, but you cannot be given the answer to everything. You have to find things out for yourself. Maybe you are ready for that, or maybe you just want to be told what to do. Regardless of how you feel about stepping out into the unknown, it may help to think back on where you started out and how far you’ve already come. A few more baby steps are fine—just keep moving forward.

 

 

Photo Credit: Kateryna Babaieva @pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

Q1. Why should we remember how we were when we were young?

Q2. What is something the author's kids cannot do on their own?

Q3. How can life be difficult when we get older?

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

Q1. To remember how much we've grown

Q2. Getting out of their bedroom

Q3. We have to find answers on our own.

How do you feel when you hear the word "poison"? You will probably feel scared, or you might remember scenes from some detective movies or TV programs. Obviously, the term does not have any positive connotations.

 

Despite the impression we receive from the word, poison sometimes plays an essential role in our lives. For example, professor Funayama at Nihon Pharmaceutical University explains that there is basically no distinction between "poison" and "medicine". According to him, we distinguish the words only by whether the element is beneficial to the human body. We call it “poison” when it does harm to our bodies. Medicine, on the other hand, does good for our bodies. Both have in common that they have a particular influence on our bodies. We, in a sense, live with poison.

 

A lot of creatures live with the poison as well. For example, some animals risk their mobility to eat poison, and others intake it to protect themselves from predators. You often see sleeping koalas when you visit a zoo. They often spend their days sleeping most of the time. This is because they cannot survive without eating eucalyptus leaves, a plant which is poisonous to their body. They sleep to digest the harmful substances in the leaves.

 

Some frogs and snakes intake poison from their food and utilize it to protect themselves. Toads, for example, have a potent poison called bufotoxin in their body. Dogs and cats sometimes, unfortunately, lose their lives when they eat the frog while they are taking a walk. The tiger keelback, yamakagashi in Japanese, are bold enough to eat the poisonous toads, and they use the toad-derived poison as a weapon against their predators. Poison dart frogs, toxic frogs, save poison in their body using the same method. Wild poison dart frogs eat some ants and millipedes (yasude in Japanese) with poison and keep the poison in their skins. Interestingly, captive-bred poison frogs lose their toxicity because they don't have the chance to capture such food.

 

"Poison" might sound scary, but the substance with the label can be a blessing to animals, including us. It will be interesting to see how other creatures make use of poison.

 

 

Photo Credit: Doug Brown@pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

Q1. According to professor Funayama, how are poison and medicine different?

Q2. What can happen when dogs eat a toad?

Q3. What do tiger keelbacks and wild poison dart frogs have in common?

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

Q1. A substance is called poison when it has a negative influence on the human body. Medicine refers to a substance with a positive effect on the human body.

Q2. It can lead to a deadly accident for the pet.

Q3. They both capture poisonous creatures and save the poison in their body.

During Spring 2022 of this year, I saw off a large batch of students, both Japanese and International at Ritsumeikan University’s Graduation Ceremony. It is indeed amazing to witness the growth of students during their time in what I call the “World of Ritsumeikan.” Seeing them so full of life, energy, and great anticipation motivated me to do what I love to do – dedicate a poem filled with all of my thoughts.

 

To those who I saw on graduation day March 20, 2022 and those who I did not get a chance to see and congratulate, I am sending a poem filled with much Love and Pride for you. Thank you for allowing me to witness your growth during your four years. I am so very proud. Good Luck and please keep in touch.

 

Owning Your Best

 

Glittering eyes

Shy side-smiles

Energetic cheerfulness

Nervous anticipation

Desire to do well

Dreaming to achieve

Sigh of relief, the rushed passing of the first year

Shoulders broaden with a bit more confidence

That wasn’t so bad, what’s next

Ears open to growing new knowledge

Formulating own thoughts, trying out new verbal

Testing uncertain shallow waters

Can I do it, can I make it, the waves may be a bit high

Paddling the mid-line, groping in the subliminal

Say goodbye to the growing pains of the terrible twos

A junior already, feeling quite grown-up

Got to make plans

Intern here, intern there

What’s the plan, gotta get concrete

Not a minute to waste

A glimmer of light, a glimpse flickering at the end of the tunnel

Three times a charm

It went by so fast

Giddy greetings of let’s keep in touch

Humble thank you to all those who mattered

A flash, a click, a heartfelt smile for the camera

The final day, unbelievable, but it’s here

A sigh of relief, tinged with a sweet sadness

Descended a small hill

A new peak awaits

Strengthened with knowledge

Assured with the certainty of experience

 

I watched you grow from that first hello

Up, down, up again

Becoming You of Now that I behold

I gaze as you slowly turn towards the invitation

Called to challenge by the beaming light

Beckoning the You that I witnessed grow

A future all your own

My heart beats with quiet pride

With a tinge of warm nostalgia

I send you off, with great expectations, to a very lucky future

Whispering a prayer for the Best that You will own

 

 

Photo Credit: Tara Winstead @pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

Q1. Who is the poem written for?

 

Q2. How many years does the poem reflect upon?

 

Q3. What does "Owning Your Best" mean?

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

Q1. Graduating students of Spring 2022.

Q2. 4 years

Q3. Having pride in one's ability and taking ownership of all given talents

Don’t you naturally wear a mask when you go outside today? Don’t you even feel insecure sometimes when you go outside without a mask? In both 2021 and 2022, more than 85 % of Japanese people wore masks in public. On the other hand, in the U.S., 69% of American people wore masks in public in April of 2021; however, the percentage decreased to less than 45% in March of 2022. In Sweden, 43% of Swedish people wore masks in public in April of 2021, but only 12 % of them wore masks in April of 2022.

 

The numbers above include people who are above 18 years old. In Japan, it is recommended that even 2-year-old children wear masks. I have a daughter who is one and a half years old. It is unrealistic to put masks on children around that age. They would be full of drool, and I can’t even imagine how many times we would have to change their masks because they get too wet. Even if 2-year-old children wear masks, they share toys at nursery school, and they put everything in their mouth, they lick their hands, and they touch everything. Therefore, I feel wearing a mask would not prevent them from making close contact at that age.

 

Even for adults, wearing a mask all the time is hard; however, it is good manners to wear a mask when you are in public today. In my opinion, there are few things you have to be careful of. First, wearing masks all the time can cause oxygen deficiency. When you wear a mask, you inhale the carbon dioxide that you have exhaled, and that can lead to the lack of oxygen. It can cause headache, decrease immunity, decrease concentration, and increase anxiety and irritation. Second, wearing a mask in summer can increase the risk of heatstroke. When you wear a mask in summer, try to avoid vigorous exercise and keep in mind not to get dehydrated. Don’t forget you can take off your mask when you are two meters away from other people. It is important to wear masks to avoid getting infected, but at the same time, you should be careful when you wear a mask. I’m looking forward to the day when we do not have to wear masks, so I can see people’s smiles and their expressions.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Tuấn Kiệt Jr.@pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

 

 

Q1. Which country wears masks the least?

A: Japan

B: Sweden

C: The U.S.

 

Q2. In the author’s opinion, why is it unrealistic for 2-year-old children to wear masks?

A: Because most of the masks are too big.

B: Because they do not like to wear masks.

C: Because they are usually full of drool and the masks get too wet.

 

Q3: According to the author, what are two things we have to be careful of when we wear masks?

A: Heatstroke

B: Masks getting too wet

C: Changing masks every day

D: Oxygen deficiency

E: The materials of the masks

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

Q1. B

Q2. C

Q3. A & D