You know LEGO. We all know LEGO. These plastic brick toys have been world famous for over 70 years. There are toys, models, robots, animated movies, visual art, and more. For most people they are a childhood toy; something fun and creative to play with on a rainy day. But LEGO are not just simple blocks. Behind the popular toy is a deep history of cutting-edge technology, manufacturing, research, design, and engineering. 

Materials

The LEGO company originally made toy blocks from wood. Eventually they shifted to plastic in 1947. Different types of plastic were tried, but eventually LEGO chose ABS plastic (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) as its main material. ABS has been LEGO’s only plastic for over 50 years, but recently they are changing this. Since 2018 they started using a bio-based plastic made from sugarcane. The company is planning to completely change to an eco-friendly plastic by 2030 and is already ahead of schedule.

Finding a good material for LEGO is difficult. The LEGO quality standards for materials are some of the highest in the world. LEGO pieces must be precise, strong, and last for a long time. LEGO manufactures over 36,000,000,000 parts in a year (1,140 bricks/second) with a success rate of 99.999982%. Each piece is so strong one brick can support 375,000 bricks. To break the bottom brick, you would have to build a LEGO tower 3,591 meters high. Independent testing and in-house company testing shows that the life of a LEGO piece is between 2,000 to 3,000 uses (maybe more, depending on the piece). 

Design and Engineering

LEGO pieces are not only strong, they are well-designed. For each piece the maximum size variation is 0.004mm (that is less than the width of a human hair). In 1958 LEGO designers and engineers created, and still use, a special “universal system” for piece design. This means EVERY piece from EVERY set since 1958 will fit together with ANY other piece from ANYWHERE in the world.

To create the pieces and sets LEGO designers create and customize special 3D imaging software, modified versions of CAD, and even virtual reality models. Recently LEGO has also been training AI to design pieces, sets, and to package the toys. 

The People

LEGO Designers have backgrounds in engineering, CG modelling, design, fashion, art, architecture, and more. The application process is very difficult, very competitive, and candidates must be highly qualified. LEGO often scouts and recruits people from PhD programs and high-tier universities worldwide to become designers and LEGO creators. 

Q1: How many bricks are needed to break one LEGO brick?

A. 2,000-3,000

B. 375,000

C. 3,591

Q2: What were the first LEGO blocks made from?

A. Sugarcane 

B. Plastic

C. Wood

D. ABS 

Q3: What is special about LEGO’s “universal system”?

A. Every piece is almost perfect in size and shape.

B. Every possible piece fits together.

C. Every piece is made from eco-friendly plastic.

--- Scroll down for answers ---

A1. B

A2. C

A3. B

When we think about the winter holidays and Christmas, images of Santa Claus often come to mind. Popular characters dress in Santa-themed clothes. Many people cosplay at holiday parties as Santa and/or Mrs. Claus. Santa’s classic red-and-white colors are used in decorations, advertisements, and more. But did you know that Santa wasn’t always dressed in red-and-white? 

The character of Santa Claus has roots in many traditional stories and characters from across Europe and Central Asia. The stories and characters of Father Time, Sinterklaas, King Frost, Wotan, and Father Christmas all added to the story and character of Santa Claus. A 4th century Christian priest (Saint Nicholas of Myra) is the base for a lot of the personal background and character of Santa Claus. Many people think that the red robes of Saint Nicholas are the source of Santa’s famous outfit. The real story is much more recent. 

Many older images of Santa Claus are very similar to what we see now. An older man, dressed for cold winter weather, usually with a long cap and white fur. The colors are usually very different though. Often Santa is dressed in all white, white-and-brown, or white-and-grey. There are even purple versions! And yes, if you search there are some Santas wearing red, but they are rare. 

Santa wasn’t always the most popular part of Christmas though. For many years Christmas was a quiet religious holiday. Over the years the nature of the holiday changed, and slowly it became more festive with presents, drinking, singing, and parties. The character of Santa really started to become popular 200 years ago (through stories, books, and songs), and the colors of green and white became the “orthodox” version. Green and white matched many of the other winter decorations and traditions (pine trees, snow, etc.). Santa stayed green for almost 100 years. 

About 90 years ago (in the early 1930’s), red Santas started appearing again. The most famous version was made for the Coca-Cola Company by the artist Haddon Sundblom. The colors of Santa were made to match the Coca-Cola brand, and Santa became a bit fatter and kid-friendly. Coca-Cola was (and is) a popular and famous brand and the company started an aggressive sales campaign. The Coca-Cola Santa spread, becoming a huge hit and in a few years, magazines, television, and other media “locked” Santa into his classic red-and-white colors. Now there is no going back.

Q1: What were original colors of Santa Claus?

A. White and brown

B. Purple

C. Red 

D. All of the above

Q2: Who was the main base for the character of Santa Claus?

A. King Frost

B. Nichola of Myra 

C. Sinterklaas 

D. Father Christmas 

Q3: When did the trend of red Santas begin?

A. 100 years ago

B. 90 years ago

C. 200 years ago

D. 1700 years ago

A1. D

A2. B

A3. B

How do you like to start your day? Me, the first thing I like to do is to get up early and turn on the TV. I always watch Shirashiga Terebi on the Biwako Broadcasting Company at 6:50 am. It begins with live camera shots of various parts around Shiga prefecture. You can find out about the latest local events, the traffic, water levels, and the weather—all live and 365 days a year. For example, this morning I found out that today’s a good day for hanging the laundry outside. You can’t see any famous Shiga announcers because it’s actually an AI voice that gives the news. I like the “Moyo-Moyo” song afterwards, too, sung by a little grebe.

How do you like to end your day? Me, after work, the last thing I like to do is to sit back and turn on the TV. I always watch Omi Nyuzu at 6:30 pm on channel 1. I like learning about plants and flowers during the weather report. For example, these days everybody has been sending pictures of Sweet Osmanthus. You can almost smell them from your TV set! I like Motoki Ishii. He seems like a nice guy. Anyone who gets so excited about the weather has to have a warm heart. Actually, sometimes you can see the news announcers at the Otsu Station Starbucks around lunchtime. They are always so busy that I am too shy to say “Hi, I am a big fan of your news program!” By the way, no worries if you happen to come home late after 7:00 pm. They do a shortened 15-minute version every weekday night at 8:45 pm. 

How do you like to get ready for the weekend? Me, Friday night, it’s always the program Omoroshiga. That means Fun Stuff to Do in Shiga. It’s on channel 3 from 7 pm every Friday. It ends at 8:20 pm, but don’t ask me why. On tonight’s program they went to a place called Aisho-cho and visited a hairdresser where you can get your hair done in the traditional Japanese style with lots of pins and topknots. When you’re done, you look like you’ve walked out of a historical drama. They also have a very useful weekly recap of all the news around Shiga at 7:45 called BBC News Weekly. This time they reported that as of late there have been a lot of bugs from the lake flying about and getting into people’s laundry. Mine as well! The announcer is Azusa Minami. I saw her once at Starbucks, too.

“May I help you?”

Many Japanese students have learnt “may I help you?” as “irasshaimase” in Japanese, but the two phrases are not exactly the same. Imagine you work at a corner shop. When you find customers who are obviously looking for something, you should offer help with the phrase, “may I help you?” While Japanese clerks say “irasshaimase” as a greeting to each customer coming into the shop, “may I help you?” is used for offering help. If the customer does not need any help, you can say, “please feel free to look around” with a smile. Learning the correct English expressions for the service industry is essential if you are to deal politely with foreign customers.

Speaking English while providing service can be tricky. Let me introduce an awkward experience as an example. Once, I was working at a high-end brand boutique at a department store. This was a decade ago in Nagoya, and wealthy people often came to such posh department stores. One day, a foreign lady, who was nicely dressed and looked sophisticated, came into our section and seemed to be interested in our well-designed dresses. I approached her and asked, "May I help you?" in English. She replied, “Yes.” I expected this answer, but I didn’t know how to respond. Do you see? I got a little nervous because I had to continue talking with her with my poor English. I thought, “would it be possible for me to explain, recommend or amuse this customer with my English?” That was my first time to take care of a foreign customer. In contrast to my tension, she was relaxed and just enjoyed looking at the dresses. “You can try it on if you like,” I said, and she smiled and took down two dresses that were hanging on the rack. I can't remember what I suggested or whether I adjusted the dress size for her. I was too nervous. Fortunately, she was satisfied with one of the dresses (and seemingly my attitude, too) and bought it. I was relieved and decided to review some English phrases for customers that I could use next time.

If you are working part-time, you might have opportunities to take care of foreign customers. One of my students asked me an English phrase for a cashier the other day. She wanted to know the phrase, “Would you like to pay by cash or credit card?” By learning like this, if you are well-prepared, you can be a great clerk! Please check out these websites for more useful English for the service industry:

https://www.thoughtco.com/beginner-dialogues-in-a-shop-1210040

https://www.phrasemix.com/collections/english-expressions-that-waiters-waitresses-and-restaurant-s

Photo credit Liza Summer@Pexels.com

Q1: According to the article, what does a Japanese clerk’s “irasshaimase” mean?

Q2: What did the foreign customer purchase in the Nagoya department store?

Q3: How did the author feel when providing service to the foreign customer?

Scroll down for answers 

A1: A greeting for each customer coming into the shop

A2: One dress

A3: She felt nervous.

During the pandemic, we were strongly advised to stay at home, and travel was regarded as an inappropriate activity. As the situation has begun to improve, people have resumed travelling, and this trend has brought the opportunity to leave our home region to experience different environments.

There are many styles of travel, but I recommend that students go backpacking. Although many students are already accustomed to backpacking, it may still seem adventurous to others. When you choose to go on a backpacking trip, you are likely planning to travel alone. Travelling solo may sound lonely (of course, sometimes it is), but all the decisions are your responsibility, which means you can decide where to stay, what to eat, and who to travel with. If you travel with friends or family, you must attend carefully to your travelling companions. When travelling alone, however, you are accountable to no one but yourself, and you get to create your own plans. In addition, you may find someone along the way to join you on your journey.

When you travel alone, I recommend staying in a dormitory, which means you share the room with other people. Youth hostels are a good example, but there are a variety of guesthouses that offer dormitory beds for backpackers. In a guesthouse, the space you are allowed to use is limited, consisting of just a bed and sometimes a locker. Therefore, you ought to communicate with other lodgers to ensure a good relationship. If you like your roommate, you can go for a drink or eat together; at least you’ll learn some useful travel information. When you say ‘hello’ and the roommate becomes your friend, he/she will be another guard to help ensure your safety.

Here are some tips to make your travel comfortable and safe in a dormitory room:

1. Ask whether the room is mixed-sex or divided according to gender. I recommend you choose a separated one for reasons of personal safety.

2. Don’t leave your valuables in a bag. You should keep important items with you at all times. In particular, be careful during shower time. Bring a key and wire to secure your bag to the bed.

3. Sandals are useful when you go out for a bit or while taking a shower.

4. Bring some Japanese sweets such as matcha chocolate bars to share with your roommates and help you start a conversation.

Photo credit George Pak@Pexels.com

Q1: What is the style of travelling which the author suggests to students?

Q2: What is an advantage of travelling solo?

Q3: What is a personal space in a guesthouse?

Scroll down for answers 

A1: Backpacking

A2: The freedom to create a plan

A3: A bed and a locker

You should enjoy your leisure time while you can because once you start working, you may not have much time for yourself. The average amount of overtime work in Japan is said to be 25 to 26 hours per month. If you work five days a week, you will work one more hour extra each day: a total of nine hours everyday. So why don’t you enjoy your free time while you are a student? You can enjoy sightseeing, eating out, and participating in outdoor activities since the state of emergency has been lifted now.

Do you know how many temples and shrines there are in Osaka, Shiga, and Kyoto? There are 3,395 in Osaka, 3,213 in Shiga, and 3,076 in Kyoto. You would think Kyoto has the largest number of temples and shrines but surprisingly Osaka has the most. The public transportation in Osaka is well developed so it is easy to get around on the subways and buses. A one-day ticket for Osaka is only 800 yen and you can use it for both the Osaka Metro and city buses. In Kyoto, buses are convenient for getting around. You can visit most of the temples by bus. A one-day ticket for both subways and buses is 1,100 yen. You can visit as many temples and shrines as the time allows. Isn’t it a good opportunity to enjoy a tranquil environment?

As you go around, you can also enjoy the food of the area. There are 51,230 restaurants in Osaka, 13, 325 restaurants in Kyoto, and 4,699 restaurants in Shiga. You have so many choices! There are interesting regional dishes in all three places. If you look them up on the internet, you will see enormous variety. I recommend trying the local specialties. However, those places might be crowded, and I’m sure there are people who want to avoid the busy places, so there are other options. For example, a great way to spend leisure time without encountering crowds is to check out some of the natural scenery in the Kansai region. 

If you want to enjoy the outdoors, you could visit the famous Lake Biwa in Shiga. A lap around the lake is about 200 km. You see many cyclists going around, but it will take you about ten hours if you cycle at 20 km/hour. If you are not crazy about cycling, you can take two days to go around. If you like motorcycles, using a 400cc motorcycle will take about four hours. Or you can go around with a car and that will take about four hours too. If you want to enjoy cycling in urban areas, you can rent a bicycle in Kyoto and Osaka, but there is heavy traffic, so please be careful. Now you probably feel like you want to do something in your leisure time, don’t you? You can enjoy these things even after you start working but making time to do them will probably be harder than now. So why don’t you act now?

Photo credit: Elijah O’Donnell@Pexels.com

Q1: Which prefecture has the most temples and shrines?

a. Kyoto

b. Osaka

c. Shiga

Q2: How many restaurants are there in Osaka?

a. Less than 5,000

b. About 13,000

c. About 51,000

Q3 If you cycle around Lake Biwa, how long does it take?

a. 4 hours

b. 6 hours

c. 10 hours

Scroll down for answers 

A1: b

A2: c

A3: c

Have you ever seen a toad? Toads, called "hikigaeru" in Japanese, have very interesting features. Unlike most frogs, they do not live in water, except during the breeding season. However, during the very short breeding season between February and May, after they awaken from hibernation, they congregate in watery areas and engage in breeding behavior. Japanese people call this “kawazu gassen" (frog war) because of the large number of toads riding on each other while fighting for female toads. It is said that toads have an excellent sense of smell and remember the pond where they were born, so they can go back to the same place at the same time every year for breeding. When the breeding season is over, they leave the pond and return to the mountains.

Their movements are so slow. You might wonder how these creatures survive from predators, but they have two strategies for survival. The first method is to secrete a strong poison on their skin when attacked by other animals. This poison is called "toad oil" (“gama no abura” in Japanese) and is sometimes used as a medicine. However, the secretion of the poison is very rare. I have two toads in my house and they have never produced it. The second method to protect themselves is mimicry. Toads in Japan are colored with a brown base with black lines and red spots. This color pattern provides excellent camouflage in mountains with dead leaves, and it is very difficult to find them hiding there.

In the past, most toads lived in the same habitat as humans, so they are often mentioned in stories. The toad is often represented as a symbol of ugliness, but it is also portrayed as a creature with mystical powers, appearing in Naruto and Harry Potter.

Toads are very interesting creatures. However, their numbers are dwindling due to the development of mountainous areas, and it may be difficult to see these creatures near your house. When they appear in your path on a hike or mountain climb, please don't tease them, but cheer them on so that they can reach their goal safely as they move slowly.

Photo credit: Jose Aly Hoyo@Pexels.com

Q1: What is "toad" in Japanese?

a.    Hikigaeru

b.    Kamakiri

c.    Kaeru

Q2: How can toads go back to the pond where they were born every year?

a.    They are smart

b.    They go back to the pond by tracking the smell of the place.

c.    They know the mountains well

Q3: Where do toads usually live?

a.    In the city

b.    On paths near the river

c.    In the mountainous area

Scroll down for answers 

A1: hikigaeru

A2: They go back to the pond by tracking the smell of the place.

A3: They live in mountainous areas.

Do you usually clean up your house at the end of every year? Are you good at arranging your belongings? Simple living is known as dansyari (断捨離) in Japanese, and it is presented in books and TV programs these days.

LAVA International, Inc (1). explains that the goal of simple living is understanding yourself and having more time and energy to do important things, rather than spending time on keeping unnecessary things. Simple living means not only throwing away no-longer-needed objects but also focusing on time, relationships and a way of thinking. It is said that the idea of minimalism originally comes from the three ideas behind yoga, which are discontinuance, abandonment and separation. These ideas are applied to decluttering or dansyari. In other words, you are recommended to cut out unnecessary and unimportant things in your life. According to Mynavi Corporation (2), there are four advantages in simple living:

1. Tidy rooms can make you feel refreshed. There are only necessary things in your room and you can comfortably live there surrounded by essentials.

2. You can reduce wasted time searching for something lost.

3. Having another look at yourself. You can understand your values and hopes by separating things into three groups of Needed, Unneeded or Keep.

4. Being able to put more emphasis on quality rather than quantity.

By living simply, you will naturally be able to think about what you want and how much you need. Mynavi Corporation introduces four steps to start living simply. For starters, you should classify your possessions into three groups of Needed, Unneeded or Keep. Next, you are advised to store the things in Needed in a designated place. Then, the things in Unneeded can be thrown away, sold or transferred to somebody. Lastly, the things in Keep can be considered again if they are needed or not after a certain period of time.

Are you afraid of putting too many things in the group of Keep now? Here is some advice on how to determine if something is Needed, Unneeded or Kept. LAVA International, Inc points out that you can rely on how you feel when you see the target object. Keep it if you feel excited or have a plan to use it in the future. On the other hand, don’t keep it if you have not used it for a long time. For an object you want to keep, think about changing its place or using it in another way if it has not been used for a long time.

(1) https://yogafull.jp/3606

(2) https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20201117-1492848

Photo credit Jonathan Borba @Pexels.com

Q1: Where does the idea of minimalism originally come from?

Q2: What should we do with the things in the group of Keep?

Q3: How can we decide if a thing is needed?

Scroll down for answers

A1: It comes from the three ideas behind yoga.

A2: Rethink about if it is needed or not after a certain period of time.

A3: See if you feel excited or have a plan to use it in the future.

When people abroad think of popular sports from the United States, they usually think of sports that are played in their own countries, such as basketball or baseball. Though these two sports have grown worldwide, neither is the most popular sport in America. People often think baseball is the #1 sport in the U.S. due to it being nicknamed “America’s Pastime”. However, the real king of sports in the U.S. is football.

Usually played in fall and early winter, football is the most-watched sport on TV in America. Every year more than 100 million people tune in to watch the Super Bowl, the National Football League’s (NFL’s) championship game. Not only that, most stadiums that can hold over 90,000 people in the world are football stadiums.

What is football? Football is played on a field that is 120 yards long (around 110 meters). The playing field is 100 yards long with a 10-yard "endzone" (scoring zone) on both sides of the field. The game is played in 4 quarters of 15 minutes. Each team is allowed only 11 players on the field at one time. One team is the offense and one team is the defense. The offense has to get to the opposing team’s endzone and the defense must stop them. The game consists of plays that only last a few seconds. Teams can pass the ball or run the ball down the field during these plays. However, if a pass is dropped or the player with the ball is tackled to the ground, they must pause and restart a new play. Not only is the game about athletic ability, but it is also a strategy game, like chess.

At the start of the offense’s turn, they have four plays (“downs”) to make it 10 yards. If they can make it to the 10-yard mark, they receive a new turn, “set of downs” and can continue. However, if they can not make it to the 10-yard mark, they must give the ball to the other team. Usually, the offence kicks the ball to the other team if it is the 4th play (4th down). This kick is called a punt. After the other team catches the ball, they become the offense.

If the offense team makes it to the endzone, they are awarded 6 points with a chance to run a new play for 2 more points or kick the ball through the “goalposts” for 1 point. Usually, teams kick the “extra point” for +1 points. If the team can not make it down the field but are close, they can kick a “field goal” for 3 points. If the offense gets tackled in their own endzone, the defense is awarded 2 points called a “safety”

Like any sport, the best way to learn is to watch. Luckily, you don’t have to go to America to watch a football game. Ritsumeikan University has its own football team, The Ritsumeikan Panthers! You can check their website to learn more about the team and their schedule. [http://www.ritsumeikanpanthers.com/]

Photo credit David Morris @Pexels.com

Q1. What sport is called "America's Pastime"?

a. Baseball

b. Basketball

c. Football

Q2. How many people watch the Super Bowl every year?

a. 50- 80 million

b. 80 - 100 million

c. 100+ million

Q3. How many points is a "touchdown"?

a. 1

b. 3

c. 6

Scroll down for answers

A1 a

A2 c

A3 c

A frequent question asked by students is how to keep up their English outside the classroom. This is an excellent question because language learning does not begin and end in the classroom. If you want to become a confident speaker of another language, you must create multiple opportunities to encounter the language and use it in your daily life. This blog introduces a few ways that students can use online platforms to habituate their language learning, personalise it, and match it to their wider goals in life.

Making a habit of learning something is a vital part of becoming “good at it”. Think of playing an instrument or practising a sport; the more you do it, the better you get. It is even better if it’s fun and easy to fit into your routine. How many times do you check social media on the train or at the breakfast table? Do you have a Twitter or Instagram account that you regularly post to and share content? Create a new account in English, connect to well-known English language sites and English-speaking celebrities. Post your daily musings and reflections in English. Even if it’s ten minutes of scrolling English content or posting one or two short comments in English, it’s a quality addition to your language learning outside of class and fits smoothly into your daily life.

This can be a motivating thing to do because you can personalise the content you interact with and create. It’s your hobbies, your interests, your world. Do you like European soccer? Follow the players and clubs on English-language social media and comment in English in real-time during a game. Love cinema? Connect to the accounts that do movie reviews, websites that rank movies, and the movie stars themselves. Write regular short movie reviews and share them. Pursue the same interests you have in your native language and find the equivalent platforms for those interests in English.

Perhaps your current interests are inspiring your wider goals in life: the job you want to do in the future or the lifestyle changes you want to make. Podcasts are a great way to practice listening skills AND learn something valuable at the same time. There are English language podcasts on thousands of topics, so find one that matches your life goals (fitness, exercise, cooking, job hunting, saving money). For writing practice, start a blog in English on a topic or cause that you feel passionately about (politics, international relations, climate change, volunteering). If it’s a blog that, over time, you can add rich and interesting content to, and connect with many followers interested in the same topic, you could list this on your resume as a significant achievement during your student days.

The digital world gives us many engaging, free, and easy to use platforms for creating and sharing content on topics that interest us. Use these platforms in the target language in which you want to become better at speaking, listening, reading and writing. Habituate your use of these platforms (a little time every day), personalise it (topics, causes, and people that inspire you), and match it to your broader life goals (job hunting, money, wellness). Tweeting, podcasting, and blogging are great ways to keep up your English outside the classroom.

Photo credit Ivan Samkov @Pexels.com

Q1 Is the following statement true or false? “Habituating something means doing it occasionally.”

Q2 When you personalize something, you do it ___.

a. with one person.

b. only with people who share the same interest.

c. because it's meaningful to you and you like it.

Q3 Is the following statement true or false? “The author recommends tweeting, podcasting and blogging in a language in order to learn it.”

Scroll down for answers

A1 True

A2 C

A3 True