This month we’re branching out from the usual coverage of Japanese current events and taking a look at our neighbors in China (expect to see more updates about regional news in future issues). As many of you are well aware, Hong Kong’s commercial district has been flooded with protestors, the majority being students,…
The dark, pungent, and crowded area immediately outside Tsuruhashi Train Station serves as forced introduction to Osaka’s Koreatown. As you exit Tsuruhashi Station, the narrow alleys are filled with people and smells greet visitors. The alleys can fit two people comfortably or three people uncomfortably, and as I made my way past little shops…
 III With a huff, Dr. Carlton dragged his last piece of equipment into the Durants’ home, the aroma of burnt lizard wafting through. He looked sadly from Gaia, rocking herself, to Brion, trying desperately to reach her, to their child, still struggling to remain alive. Its body temperature was not high enough, so…
              Although Hyogo Times may have satiated your intellectual and visual cravings with literary and film recommendations, we haven’t forgotten about your auditory needs. In his song “Trenchtown Rock,†Bob Marley sings, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.†However, to suggest that listening to music is merely…
The Philippines has had a tumultuous history, rarely having its own sovereignty. It has been ruled by Spain, Japan, and America. Spanish and American influences are prevalent. Many Spanish phrases are used alongside Tagalog, the indigenous language, and English education begins in the first grade. The predominant religion is Catholicism, first brought over by the…
Hey there good people of Hyogo, Chris Goodman here, your friendly Hyogo AJET helper guy, type, thingy… to help you welcome October with open arms and big smiles!!! Now, if you ask your students “What’s special about October?” many of them may start looking around at each other, freaking out thinking that you…
Dylan Joseph Walsh/New York City, USA/Kato City/Yashiro SHS and Ono Kougyo  Why are you here? I’ve always dreamed of moving abroad and had a lifelong interest in Japanese culture, food, and language. When I heard about the JET program, it sounded perfect.  Why JET? I was looking at many options to make…
Still trying to finish those Fistful of Fun books from last month’s recommendation list? Don’t worry if you haven’t, we won’t pile on any more literary works on your September to-do list. Instead we offer you a break in the form of five relevant films that every JET should watch this month. If you…
  Glastonbury, The U.K.’s biggest music festival, held in the Vale of Avalon since 1970 will this year attract 175,000 visitors to over 100 stages on 1,200 acres of land. It is, however, bracing itself for the arrival of so called ‘super rats’ – rats immune to conventional poisons such as diphacinone and chlorophacinone…