 Japanese Sanctions and Russian Security Drills Things were looking up for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Vladimir Putin, and their respective countries due to improving economic ties and because a possible solution to their territorial disputes seemed to be at its closest in recent memory. However, events in August brought Japan’s rapprochement to a…
Quiet, reserved, shy, these are words foreigners often use to describe the typical Japanese person. Anyone who has tried to coax a group of students into volunteering for a question or has been the target of disapproved glances for speaking too loudly on the train knows this. However, music has and always will be…
Message from the Editor  September is here and I can finally stop Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out†that’s been playing on repeat on my iTunes since mid-June. Indeed school is no longer out for summer and with summer’s end comes an end to trainings, orientations, and more unfortunately, vacations. I take it all the new…
Last month we took a short break from “Where are they now?†to bring you information on what ALTs will be doing after they finished their JET experience. We are going to continue to break from the typical WATN section this issue to bring you information on those who are still with us in…
 When we think of summer　we often think of relaxing on a beach, enjoying coconut drinks adorned with tiny umbrellas, and maybe some light conversation with friends about the books we finally have time to read. Far from the summer mind is the desire to improve cultural, economic, and security ties with neighbors, unless perhaps…
Thinking back to the summers when I was an angst-filled teenager, I remember always looking forward to the Vans Warped Tour. My friends and I would lather ourselves with sunscreen, wear our coolest band clothing (mine was a Thrice t-shirt), then pile into a parent’s van to be dropped off and picked up later…
 You might be skimming through this month’s issue while sitting at your desk, slightly sweating (are they ever going to turn on the air conditioning?) and bored out off your mind, wondering why in the world you have to be at school during the students’ summer vacation. It is a good question, especially for…
Earlier last month some of Kansai’s finest beer enthusiasts came together to show off their drinking prowess in the 5th edition of the Kansai Beer Olympics. Keeping their glory days alive, over 60 competitors met on June 15 at Naniwanomiya Park, across the street from the Osaka Castle complex. After initial greetings, applying sunscreen and…
With rainy season all but over, it is now time to enjoy summer’s sunshine whether that is by heading to the beach or having a barbecue with friends. Of course, nothing quite says summer like an outdoor musical festival in the foothills of Mount Naeba in Niigata, Japan. Fuji Rock Festival, presented by Smash Corporation,…