We held an exchange event with elementary schools in Hachioji. We talked about each country and played games together, including tag. There was also a first-time school lunch experience. They said there is no school lunch in the countries (Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal). They said it was very delicious ✨

I visited the Muttoni World exhibition at Yumemuseum, a 20-minute walk from Hachioji Station. This is an exhibition I love so much it was my third visit. The Muttoni World exhibition features many mechanical music boxes, each offering a five- to twenty-minute sequence. When I finished seeing everything, more than two hours had passed, and I felt as if I had been inside a dream the whole time. Seeing is believing! Admission is free for children up to junior high school, 750 yen for adults, and 350 yen for those 65 and older. Do go and see it—you’ll love it!

We held a Setsubun event. The students made oni masks, and each one showed a unique personality! There were traditional Japanese oni and oni from other countries. Which oni do you think is the scariest?

This is a little farther ahead, but our school will participate in a multicultural photo exhibition in Hachioji on Sunday, March 24. Please see the photos for details. On the day, students will introduce their own countries and assist with cross-cultural experiences. The exhibits from other organizations are also very interesting. Please come and see them!

Have you heard of Myanmar rock-paper-scissors? In Myanmar’s version, players compete as the Tiger, the Police, or the Gun. The Tiger beats the Police but loses to the Gun. The Police lose to the Tiger but beat the Gun (because they can control it). The Gun loses to the Police but beats the Tiger. That’s the power relationship! 🐯👮‍♀️🔫 The photo on the left shows the Police pose, and the right shows the Tiger pose. At our school, students from Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Mongolia study together. The students get along very well across nationalities and show mutual respect for each other’s cultures 😊 They chat in Japanese in class, so their conversation skills improve.

I went to Seilon Green, a Sri Lankan restaurant five minutes on foot from Hachioji Station, tucked behind Don Quijote. The building itself has a very unique shape that many say resembles a Minecraft Nether Fortress. I tried kottu, a Sri Lankan casual dish. Kottu is made by stir-frying wheat-based noodles with vegetables. It was a bit spicier than other Hachioji restaurants I’ve tried before, so the sweetness and fizz of the ginger beer (a Sri Lankan soft drink) felt refreshing in my mouth. With more Sri Lankan students enrolling at our school, I’m really happy to have a Sri Lankan restaurant in Hachioji. When I told the students I’d eaten there, they were very pleased. I plan to try another dish next time. 😊

Happy New Year to everyone. The notices around the school now feature New Year greetings from various countries. Also, classes have resumed today, and we held a kakizome (first calligraphy of the year) session.

Today I’m introducing Papperburg, a very famous café in Hachioji. The café features interior design inspired by southern Germany and offers delicious coffee and desserts. I had the seasonal parfait this time. Beyond its artistic appearance, the parfait’s multiple layers of jelly and cream enhance the flavor of the seasonal fruits. A professor from Tama Art University designed the interior, so you’ll find lovely details no matter where you sit. You can take a bus from Hachioji Station. It’s a bit far from the station, but it’s a café worth visiting at least once!

We did a big school cleanup. The male students pulled weeds along the Chuo Line tracks and swept everything clean with brooms. The path looked very tidy and felt refreshing. The students often comment that Japanese streets are very clean. They also realized that someone usually cleans up for them and expressed a desire not to litter on the streets in their daily lives 😊

A new 100-yen ramen shop has opened at Sonto Terrace, just a five-minute walk from Hachioji Station, where the illuminations are especially beautiful. The opening day drew media coverage and caused a big stir. Students are buzzing with rumors about it. Because it offers only 100 meals a day, it’s often sold out by the time school finishes. I hope to visit someday!

Students from our school took part in an exchange event at an elementary school in Hachioji. They played together and studied together, and it sounds like they had a very fulfilling day 😊 Hachioji is a city with a strong network of volunteer helpers for international students. Why not come to Hachioji and learn Japanese together?

We recently held the entrance ceremony for students who enrolled in October. Fifteen new students joined us, and the school has become very lively. Everyone wore the traditional clothing of their country or ethnic group, creating a festive atmosphere. It was fascinating to see how outfits differed even among students from the same country!

The other day I went to “Hachihaku” with a group of new students. The official name of Hachihaku is the Sōto Japan Heritage Center Hachioji Museum, a museum where you can learn about Hachioji’s culture and history. At Hachihaku we tried puppet theater and a weaving experience. Located right in front of Hachioji Station, it is said to be very popular as an easy-to-visit facility.

Today I want to introduce Nunuya Pan, a bakery in Hachioji that has been around for more than 100 years. The shop is a two-minute walk from Hachioji Station. This is very personal, but my grandmother, who passed away at 99 two years ago, used to eat at this bakery when she was a child. According to her, she often ate anpan, and I bought anpan and three-meal bread myself. The breads were small and had a simple, nostalgic flavor. Many international students fall in love with Japanese bread and gain weight. Hachioji is home to many distinctive bakeries, from popular melon pan shops to traditional bakeries, each with its own character 😊✨

Let me introduce GinGin Main Branch, the ramen and tsukemen specialty shop located right in front of the school. Like the Hachioji ramen I mentioned earlier, their bowls are loaded with onions. When I visited, the restaurant was so popular with foreigners that I could hear languages other than Japanese inside. I've also heard that, being well known, the place has many celebrity regulars. Our school has dormitories on the upper floors, and students who got hooked on GinGin often said they went there often. It's lucky to have a delicious ramen shop right outside the school!

A halal food shop opened a one-minute walk from the school! It’s very helpful because it sells items students use in their home countries. I also bought my favorite snacks. The shop is bright, clean, and well stocked.

Today I will briefly introduce some of this school's distinctive features. In addition to using textbooks, the school offers several special classes. Extensive reading… The school has a time dedicated to extensive reading. By encountering and enjoying books in Japanese, students naturally improve their Japanese skills. Students also create promotional displays about the books they read and sometimes have them posted in local libraries. Philosophical dialogue… This class involves thinking and presenting in Japanese. Listening to other students' opinions broadens one’s perspective. Presentation contest… Students present on issues or the current situation in their home countries. Held once each semester with guest speakers from outside, this event is a large undertaking that typically requires about two months of preparation. All of the school's teachers have university-level teaching experience. Being able to experience academic-style lessons while attending a Japanese language school is one of the school's greatest strengths. Classroom visits and admissions consultations are available at any time. Please feel free to contact us.

In the station building Celeo Hachioji at Hachioji Station, there is a Vietnamese restaurant called Jasmine Palace. When you think of Vietnamese food, you think of pho, but this restaurant serves not only pho but also many other uncommon Vietnamese dishes. Most meals come as set menus, so you can enjoy a variety of dishes in small portions. That day I ordered a banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) and Vietnamese fried rice. The tea was lotus tea, and the dessert included che (a Vietnamese sweet soup), which was very tasty ✨ Some of our school’s Vietnamese alumni also used to visit from time to time 😊 Recently, Hachioji has seen an increase in Southeast Asian restaurants. The students are very happy to be able to enjoy tastes of home near the school!

From Takaosanguchi Station to the cable car boarding area, you will find TAKAO 599 MUSEUM. This facility displays insect specimens and taxidermy of creatures that live on Mt. Takao. Once every hour, a projection mapping show highlights what makes Mt. Takao special. A café on site lets you enjoy a good cup of coffee while gazing at nature. I once viewed the specimens with students from our school, and the students from Sri Lanka, who had never had the chance before, were deeply moved. Mt. Takao is home to many rare creatures. Studying in such a nature-rich setting is a valuable experience for students.

Students from our school are volunteering as guides on Mt. Takao. They mainly guide hikers from Europe and North America. If you see them, please feel free to say hello!

This coming Saturday and Sunday, “Dance! Nishi-Hachi Summer Festival” will take place in front of the school. The shopping street is bustling with excitement for the festival’s first run in a long time, and the students are looking forward to it 😊

Mt. Fuji seen from the summit of Mt. Takao is also quite good 🗻.

Mt. Takao Yakuoin Omotesando Route 1

The point where vehicles pass each other at the halfway point 🚃 of Mt. Takao You can't shoot unless you're standing in the front row, so I guess I 🥹 was lucky on this day.

Mt. Takaosan Yakuoin's [Temizusha] was full of flowers. It was 😄 a production that made me feel a little cooler when I climbed in the hot weather.

I 🏔️ climbed Mt. Takao There are 🥹 small guys with festival specifications on the approach to Yakuo-in #Festivals #Photo Contest

A five-minute walk from the school, at Gallery Ichou no Ki, the popular SNS sensation Benten-sha Book Fair is holding a solo exhibition. I had a strange experience unlike anything before, and it was really interesting✨ The show runs until August 27th, so if you're interested, do go and see it😊 More and more students at the Japanese language school are becoming curious about things from Japan they saw on SNS! Their unique perspectives as international students are fascinating. Once I gather enough material, I'll introduce it here someday!

The Hachioji Festival ran from August 4th to August 6th. On the final day, August 6th, our school’s students volunteered at the Sri Lanka and Myanmar booths during the “Multicultural Coexistence Photo Exhibition” held at Tokyo Tama Mirai Messe. The event offered a rich program, including painting and photography displays and hands-on musical instrument experiences✨

On July 29th, a fireworks display took place at Fujimori Park in Hachioji! It’s about a 15-minute walk from school, so the students could watch up close. Everyone seemed deeply moved and sent lots of photos. 😊

A 10-minute walk from the school, I bought tokoroten at a konnyaku shop founded in 1881. Three tokoroten cost just ¥376, and you can buy them fresh. They can be shaved thin on the spot with a special tsukibō, or you can buy the tsukibō to take home. Since it was a special occasion, I bought a tsukibō to bring back this time! Making tokoroten was my first experience and it was really fun. The taste was by far the best tokoroten I’ve ever had—no off-odor, with a refreshing flavor that was delicious. Exchange students are often surprised at how many Japanese foods use seaweed. Because it’s healthy, some people get hooked. Do try chilled tokoroten and beat the summer heat.