Tanabata is coming soon.

At ASAHI文化学院, we prepared a bamboo branch and had students write their wishes and hang them as decorations.

For Tanabata, everyone wrote all kinds of wishes.

Given the time of year, a very large number of students were wishing to pass the JLPT,

but tanzaku strips decorated with all sorts of wonderful wishes — world peace, family health, and success in their academic goals — were hung up as well.

Some unique wishes included:

"May I get permanent residency," "Fall down seven times, get up eight," and "I will become good at drawing"

— ranging from heartfelt wishes, to mottos in life, to personal declarations.

After decorating, everyone had a group photo session.

Watching students enjoying themselves so innocently, I find myself thinking:

"May all of your wishes come true."

The yukata experience held last week was featured in a newspaper article.

It was published in the Chunichi Shimbun on May 19th.

Today, we held a Japanese cultural experience.

Although it's only May, the weather has been getting as hot as summer lately.

In such conditions, ASAHI文化学院 held a yukata experience for international students.

Before noon, the temperature had exceeded 30 degrees Celsius and it was very hot and humid, but

the yukata created a cool atmosphere, and somehow the heat seemed to ease just a little.

Students enjoyed taking photos with their friends and creating wonderful memories.

Also,

in the afternoon, we invited a traditional Japanese dance instructor and were taught Japanese dance.

The students found it difficult at first and their movements and expressions were a bit stiff,

but as they got used to it, smiles and laughter gradually began to emerge, and by the end the event was a huge success.

I believe the cross-cultural experience was extremely enjoyable for the international students.

However, as the weather gets hotter, that also means the JLPT date is approaching,

so let's make sure to cherish our daily studies.

In the bountiful spring, with a bright March wind. In this season of farewells and new beginnings, the fledgling students (international students) who enrolled during the pandemic — wrestling with hardship day after day — have worked tirelessly alongside their teachers without giving up. Today, those young birds have taken flight with energy, each heading toward their next goal.

Heartfelt congratulations on your graduation! You truly worked so hard through three years in the midst of the pandemic. Please continue to believe in yourselves and keep pressing forward. The teachers at ASAHI文化学院 are always cheering you on.

Remember that ASAHI文化学院 is your alma mater and your home port — when you are tired, you are always welcome to stop by and rest your wings!

We have received the JASSO economic support program for rising prices. This is the third round of support from JASSO since COVID-19. ASAHI文化学院 used the support funds to distribute gift cards to current students.

We received grateful comments from students who received support. "Thank you for your support over the past three years. I have received JASSO support on multiple occasions. During difficult times, the support funds, food items, and gift cards helped me through hard periods. I hope you will continue to provide support in the future."

"Thanks to your support, I was able to study hard for university even during the pandemic, and I believe my rich student life was thanks to JASSO. I am truly grateful."

"Thank you for distributing the gift cards this time. Thanks to JASSO, I can enjoy school life even more. Thank you."

"With the gift card distribution, I was able to buy reference books and stationery. Thank you so very much."

"I'll buy lots of delicious things and keep working hard at my studies."

"During the pandemic, when it was difficult to secure sufficient income, receiving gift cards was a tremendous help. Thank you. I am grateful that my daily life has been enriched."

We went on a bus field trip. In Gujo Hachiman, we experienced making plastic food samples. It was our first time, but we received great instruction and managed to make shrimp tempura and lettuce that looked just like the real thing. Everyone was very satisfied with their own creations.

Gujo Hachiman is a town nestled in the mountains with a river flowing through it, and the students who usually live in Nagoya seemed very happy to relax surrounded by nature.

At Bokka no Sato, we had fun seeing horses and alpacas, eating soft serve ice cream, and taking photos.

Everyone's carefree smiles are wonderful!

According to my opinion, studying a foreign language is just not about the language.But also about that culture.As an example, learning Japanese is not just about learning the grammar points and alphabet but also learning about the Japanese culture.

Just studying a language without experiencing the culture,doesn’t complete your knowledge about that language. Because of that reason ASAHI Cultural Academy organizing a Yukata program every year to give an opportunity to the foreign students to experience the Japanese culture. The annual Yukata program was held in 13th October.

Yukata is a simple kimono which can wear easily.And we were dressed by professional yukata dressers. I think it was the first yukata experience for most of the students in our language school.And every students were happy and excited. Not only that today we got a chance to play Japanese game named ‘Kamizumo’, which is called as paper wrestling.It was so fun and also we played other games too. These kind of experiences comforting the busy lives of foreign students.^^

(By Udeka)

The annual sports meet of ASAHI Cultural Academy was held in 29th September 2022.
Sports meet in Japan is kind of different than my country.Because normally in my country we are playing games such as volleyball,badminton,etc.But in Japan they are doing some fun and interesting games such as spoon relay,scavenger hunt,tug of war,three-legged race,etc.

It was our first experience of sports meet in Japan.We were happy and excited about it.And we go time to practice those games before the sports meet with our teachers.And they taught us well how to do those games because we haven’t done some of them before.
The sports meet was held in Tsuyuhashi Sports Center. Before starting the sports meet all the students and teachers did Japanese historical Radio Taiso workout.

And there were six teams of students as Red team,Blue team,Purple team,Green team,Orange team and Yellow team.All the students were doing their best to make their team to win the 1st prize.And all of them had such a great team work. Though we are from different countries it doesn’t matter, through this sports meet we got a good chance to improve our Japanese and also to strengthen our friendship.

We had a long fun day. We collected so many good memories. And it’s a pleasure to attend to a sports meet in Japan as a new experience.And as always I’m really thankful to our language school ASAHI Cultural Academy for giving us these kind of unforgettable memories.
（By Udeka)

In order to support foreign students who are struggling to live due to the effects of the new coronavirus, the Japanese language school “ASAHI Cultural Academy “in Sanno, Nakagawa Ward has provided a gift voucher worth 10,000 yen for food expenses for each student on the 9th of August.And it was for the third time since 2020.

The chairman Mr.Hibino Ryotaro entered the classroom saying,”I brought you a present today”, and when he handed the gift voucher to the representative student, a bright smile spread throughout the classroom. The school has 113 students from five countries, including China and Nepal. Decreasing income from part-time jobs and rising life cost is hurting the lives of international students.

The distribution of product coupons utilizes the subsidized project which is conducted by the Japan Student Services Organization had sent gift vouchers worth 5,000 yen and food such as rice in last year.But this year they have decided to give only gift vouchers,because some students cannot eat certain food due to religious reasons. Miss. Udeka a Sri Lankan student who is aiming to go on to a Japanese university, said, “We were troubled by the high cost of living.And these product coupons are very helpful.”with a smiling face.

The manager Mr.Kinoshita Takao said, “Clothing, food and housing are the basics. If you can’t eat enough, you won’t be able to concentrate on your studies.And I want to help you learn Japanese and make your dreams come true.”

Congratulations to all ASAHI文化学院 graduates!

Spring is the season of new encounters and new departures. Today, you have set out from ASAHI文化学院 toward new hopes. Looking back, through the long stretch of the pandemic, you decided on your paths through struggle and uncertainty, and worked hard day after day studying Japanese side by side with your teachers. On exam day, you must have been filled with anxiety and nerves — perhaps even trembling. I believe that was the tension of wanting your hard work and hopes to bear fruit — proof and pride in all the effort you had put in. There were surely many joyful times, difficult times, times of being scolded, times of being reprimanded. The days you spent at ASAHI will surely one day become cherished memories, forming a new chapter in each of your lives.

Today, with all the feelings from the days you've accumulated in your hearts, you have set sail toward your next goals. Please never forget that ASAHI is your alma mater — your home port. Please never forget that the teachers at ASAHI are always watching over you and cheering you on.

Now, fire up your engine of motivation to full throttle, raise the sails of your dreams high, believe in yourselves, never give up, and give it everything you've got!

ASAHI文化学院 is dedicated to Japanese language and cultural education — opening a door of learning, forging new paths through the appeal of language and culture, raising sails of hope high, and working together with students toward the realization of their dreams. Today, as a result of the educational activity evaluation review by the General Foundation for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education (Nichininkyo), we were recognized as meeting the Japanese Language Education Institution Educational Activity Evaluation Standards and received an accreditation certificate.

Going forward, we will continue to strive for further improvements in the quality of Japanese language and cultural education, and contribute to the development of globally active professionals capable of succeeding around the world.

It was the first day of the language school after winter vacation and was the first day of 2022.
The day was scheduled by the teachers with different events.
In Japan on the first day of a new year, Japanese are going to the temple as a tradition.
Following that in ASAHI Cultural Academy, students are going to the temple on the first day of school in a new year.
So the teachers took us to the temple and it was so great. Because of that we got a chance to know about Japanese culture more.

Before going to the temple, teachers explained us the way how Japanese going to temple and praying.
And in the temple we got a chance to know how our lives going on this year thanks to future telling place in there. It was so cool and had a great time.

After returning to school the next program was Calligraphy. First we were taught how to use the brush and to write kanji. It was quite hard to write kanji using brush. But it was a nice experience. Students wrote the words those are emphasizing what they most wanted in this year. And after completing it we had our group photo with the kanji we wrote.
And also we got a chance to play Japanese games and yeah it was great and had a lot of fun.
As always we are so grateful for our teachers because they are giving us so many opportunities to know about the Japanese culture and they are making spaces to give us a memorable time.
In the above way we had a great time on our first day at school in this new year.
(Write:U.D.)