I Heart T-Points: HANA-BI
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I Heart T-Points: HANA-BI

ByJ.J. Cappa

HANA-BI is the best Japanese movie ever made. Need proof? In 1997, it won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, one of the highest honors in the film industry. Need more? In 2005, it changed my life (which is also a pretty big deal).

Have you ever noticed that students quote the same joke (Toose!) over and over for months but eventually the joke (Ichi, ni, SAN!) mysteriously disappears? This occurs because Japanese comedians frequently fade into obscurity as quickly as they rose to popularity. The director and star of HANA-BI, however…

English Sensei Spirit: Funniest Story Involving a Student – Special Extended Edition
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English Sensei Spirit: Funniest Story Involving a Student – Special Extended Edition

ByEmily Lemmon

One day in early October, I was helping out with an English lesson since, you know, that’s my job. I’ve kind of gotten used to the fact that there is information all around me that I cannot really read. When I see English, though, I tend to gravitate towards it because I’m actually much more used to being surrounded by information I CAN read but do not actually care about (advertisements, etc.)…

Kicchiri Kitchen: Squid & Broccoli Stir-Fry
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Kicchiri Kitchen: Squid & Broccoli Stir-Fry

ByTravis Love

Traditional Japanese “springtime” recipes range from steamed sakura and rape blossoms to mackerel preserved in miso, to various attempts at making bamboo shoots edible. Personally, I’d rather leave the bamboo shoots for the pandas. So in this month’s issue, we’ll take advantage of a year-round ingredient you may not regularly use: fresh squid! If, like me, you don’t know how to clean your own squid, just buy some pre-cleaned. I strongly recommend fresh over frozen, though…

Better Know a Ken: Mie
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Better Know a Ken: Mie

ByCheryl Dicello

Opening my mail box to discover that I’d been accepted to be an ALT by the BOE of Kuwana in Mie, I was very happy. Yay, I have a job! But, where is Mie? I did as many recently accepted JETs probably did, and googled the location of my future home.

There wasn’t much about Mie on the internet, but I did find a map, information about the former asthma capital, Yokkaichi, and the mythical birthplace of Amaterasu, Ise…

Travel Japan: Ise
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Travel Japan: Ise

ByLauren McRae

Ise may be a small town, but it is home to Japan’s most sacred Shinto shrine, Ise jingu.

Ise jingu (shrine) dates from the third century. The shrines are rebuilt every 20 years on adjacent sites using ancient techniques where the wood interlocks rather being nailed together. The Sengu No Gi festival is when the God is transferred from the old shrine to the new one…