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!

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✨

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.

The Hachioji Festival is returning after a long break! This year it runs from August 4th to 6th. A fireworks display will take place on July 29th at Fujimori Park. You can even see these fireworks from the school 😊 On August 6th, our students will volunteer at a multicultural coexistence booth. Everyone, please come to Hachioji!

For a field trip, we visited the newly opened “Kan Clean Center” in Hachioji last year. It’s a 15-minute bus ride from Takao Station and set in a lush, green area. The facility is very clean and spacious, using the latest systems to process waste. Facility information is available in multiple languages, making it easy for non-Japanese speakers to understand. Visitors can watch trucks enter the site and see how waste is collected up close. With activities like sorting quizzes, the students were able to learn while having a lot of fun.

Tanabata is almost here. Signs at Hachioji Station and the plaza in front of the station are already decorated for Tanabata. At our school, we also made Tanabata decorations. What we made will be displayed together with those from the neighboring ballet studio. Children who attend the ballet studio can read the wishes written by international students, and those students can learn what Japanese children are wishing for. It’s a small thing, but it has become a good opportunity for community exchange.

In front of Hachioji Station is a shopping street called Euro Road. Because no cars pass through here, it’s a great place for a stroll. Euro Road often hosts events. The photo shows a pottery market. On the next holiday, a Tanabata festival will be held there. On weekends you can sometimes see geiko performances and other events that let you experience Japanese culture, which makes the area popular with students. The shops along the street are quirky and fun, so do come and visit.

Today I’d like to introduce Kuta Bali Cafe, an Indonesian restaurant a five‑minute walk from Hachioji Station. Many of our students visit regularly. You can enjoy authentic Indonesian dishes there. Because the food is halal, students say it’s great for eating with classmates without any concerns. The spice level can be adjusted, so even those who don’t like spicy food can eat here. I found the noodles especially delicious 😊

A new sake brewery has opened a five-minute walk from Hachioji Station! They haven’t commercialized any products yet, but the brewery plans to build a shop and is expected to grow rapidly. It’s quite rare to find a sake brewery so close to the station in a bustling downtown area. For international students, this will be a great opportunity to learn about Japan’s traditional sake up close.

A 15-minute walk from the school stands a shrine associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu’s retainer, Nagayasu Okubo. Nagayasu Okubo is famous for helping to develop Hachioji, and he was even featured on the TV show Buratamori. The shrine frequently hosts events related to Nagayasu Okubo. One such event will take place on June 17, so if you live nearby, do consider visiting. Hachioji has many historic buildings, so we sometimes study history in class before going on tours. At our school, we teach not only Japanese but also about the local area and Japanese history.

I visited the Mucha Exhibition at Yume Museum, a 15-minute walk from Hachioji Station. I visit Yume Museum several times a year, and compared with other exhibitions this Mucha show had noticeably more male visitors. Perhaps many men come to see images of beautiful women. I had seen a Mucha exhibition at another museum before; although smaller in scale, it featured many famous works and even included prints used on confectionery packaging from the period, so the collection felt very complete. I was pleased that photography was allowed inside the museum. The gift shop was well stocked, and I ended up buying quite a lot. At this Yume Museum in Hachioji, admission is free for junior high school students and younger. An annual pass costs 1,400 yen, which is a great deal. Hachioji offers abundant nature as well as shopping, and you can experience a variety of cultural attractions. Why not come to Hachioji and study Japanese?

Finally, all the students have arrived in the country, so we held the entrance ceremony! The Sri Lankan traditional garment osari and the Nepali traditional dress sari looked beautiful. Over the next two years, they will study Japanese to make their dreams come true. Please cheer them on✨

A store selling Asian groceries has opened one minute’s walk from the school, above the post office! They sell vegetables and frozen foods too, and the spacious interior made everything easy to find. I asked the shop staff for a recommended snack. The one in the photo is a Vietnamese soft candy. This soft candy is made from young glutinous rice. It has a light sweetness and a nostalgic taste. Many international students use shops like this when they first arrive in the country. Hachioji has several stores like this within the city, so it can be said to be a comfortable place for foreigners to live.

Across the street from the amanatto sweet bean shop introduced earlier stands a public bathhouse famous in Hachioji. That bathhouse offers unattended vegetable sales. This stall sells rare vegetables from the Tama area and displays a wide variety, so it’s fun just to browse 😊 International students often use these unmanned vegetable stalls. The principal of our school also keeps a farm in Hachioji City, and foreigners often ask him to sell produce. When I asked the students, they said these vegetables look fresher and tastier than those sold in supermarkets. I encourage everyone to try these rare vegetables that you can only find in the Tama area.

[English/Japanese] This greengrocer sits in front of Nishi-Hachioji Station. The shop is currently closed, but a poster displayed there carried messages of support from many people. It is clearly loved by the community, and reading those messages warmed my heart. While Nishi-Hachioji has many supermarkets, it also has small shops like this one. Students at our school said they sometimes visit these small stores to enjoy the unique, friendly interactions they offer. Living alone far from home, they said, a simple greeting can ease feelings of loneliness. This is a greengrocer in front of nishi hachioji station. The store is currently closed, but there was a poster with messages of support from everyone. It is a shop loved by everyone. Reading it made me feel very warm. There are many supermarkets in Nishi-Hachioji, but there are also small shops like this. Students at our school said they sometimes use small shops for the kind of communication only they can provide. When living alone away from their country, they said, just being greeted makes their loneliness fade.

[English/Japanese] I heard that an onigiri shop with a signboard cat had opened a minute walk from Nishi-Hachioji Station, so I went there. The name of the store is "OLEALL☆". Their additive-free rice balls and brown rice chiffon cake were very delicious. Mikan, the cat manager 19 years old! was napping on the seat next to us! She was very cute😊Onigiri is very popular among international students. They often buy it at convenience stores, but they often buy it without knowing what is in it. Most of the onigiri are delicious, so they buy them again and again. I heard that a rice ball shop with a signboard cat opened a 1-minute walk from Nishi Hachioji Station, so I went there. The name of the shop is "Oleol ☆". The additive-free pesticide-free rice balls and brown rice chiffon cake were very delicious. Cat store manager Mikan-chan 19 years old! Was taking a nap in the seat next to me! It was very cute Onigiri 😊 is also very popular with international students. It seems that they often buy it at convenience stores, but they often buy it without knowing what is in it. Most of the rice balls are delicious, so they will buy them again.

[English/Japanese] There is a standing sushi restaurant in front of Nishi-Hachioji station, a 2-minute walk from the school. The name is "DARIME SUSHI. DARIME" is written "forty-five" in Chinese characters. It is said that it is a secret word that sushi chefs understand. Standing-only buckwheat noodles are famous, but sushi is rare. I went there at lunch time, but there were only female customers. Sushi is also popular among foreign students. Not only do they eat it, but there are so many students who choose sushi restaurants as their part-time job. Therefore, they learn the names of fish before any Japanese. You will be surprised that they know more about it than their teachers! A 2-minute walk from the school, there is a standing sushi restaurant in front of Nishi Hachioji station. The name is "Darime Sushi". "Darime" is written as "forty-five" in kanji. It seems to be a secret word that sushi restaurants understand. Standing soba noodles are famous, but sushi is rare. I went there at lunchtime, but there were only female customers. Sushi is also popular with international students. Of course, I eat it, but there are also many students who choose a sushi restaurant for their part-time job. Therefore, they learn the names of fish before any Japanese. I'm surprised because I know more than the teachers!

[English/Japanese] Mitsuhashi", a store specializing in natto sweetened fermented soybeans, is a 15-minute walk from the school. Kanro natto is a Japanese sweet made by boiling down beans in molasses and sprinkling sugar on them. Mitsubashi's natto is very carefully made and has an elegant taste. When I talked about natto to foreign students, they all reacted to the word "natto" and made a disgusted face. There are so many foreigners who do not like natto. But when I explain it properly, they all say they would love to try it. Since there are many bean snacks in Southeast Asia, they are interested in kanro natto. They don't sell kanro natto in midsummer, so if you are interested in kanro natto, please go there before summer. A 15-minute walk from the school is Mitsubashi, a honeydew natto specialty store. Honeydew natto is a Japanese confectionery made by boiling beans in molasses and sprinkling them with sugar. Mitsubashi's honeydew natto was made very carefully and tasted elegant. When I talk to international students about honeydew natto, they react to the word "natto" and make disgusted faces. There are so many foreigners who don't like natto. However, if you explain it properly, everyone will definitely want to try it. There are many bean sweets in Southeast Asia, so they are worried about honeydew natto. It seems that honeydew natto is not sold in midsummer, so if you are interested, please go there before summer.

[English] Hachioji had a castle called Katakura Castle 500 years ago. Today, there is no castle, but there is a park that tells the history of the castle. This park is popular among tourists because of its beautiful katakuris dogtooth violet flowers in spring. The park is also decorated with statues. The statue in the photo is famous because a kingfisher once perched on its shoulder. Hachioji is not only rich in nature, but also has many historical sites. At school, before visiting such historical places, students have classes to learn about the history of Hachioji. Many students know the word "samurai" but do not know much about the deeper history of the city, so everyone listens intently to what is being said 😊. Hachioji had a castle called Katakura Castle 500 years ago. Currently, there is no castle, but there is a park that tells the history. This park is popular with tourists because of its beautiful fawn lily flowers in spring. Bronze statues are also displayed in the park. The statue in the photo has become famous because there was a kingfisher perched on his shoulder. Hachioji is not only rich in nature, but also has many historical places. Even at school, before visiting such a historical place, there is a class to study the history of Hachioji. Many students know the word "samurai" but do not know about the deep history, so everyone listens 😊 seriously.