Act 12 and Makomai Cosplay Festa will be held in! !! Date and time Held in Day 1: Saturday, November 2, 2024 (Reiwa 6) 10:00~21:00 Day 2: Sunday, November 3 10:00~19:00 Held in venue Grand Hotel New Oji, etc. For more information, do you want to scan the QR code on the image? Search by Tomakomai Cosplay Festa

I've ^o^ seen the latest Conan movie It was big and interesting. 🌃👓🧢🃏 Seriously, I wanted to read it again *'ω'*

Act 11 and Makomai Cosplay Festa Location Introduction A cosplay event covering a wide area of Tomakomai City, Hokkaido! At the main venue, Grand Hotel New Oji, on November 4 and 5 Not only is it open as a shooting venue, but stage events are also held, and there is no doubt that it will be very exciting! At the familiar Mt. Tarumae shrine every act, there is a success prayer festival from 10:00 on November 4th, followed by an opening ceremony, and mini shuin stamp books are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis! In addition, various locations such as factories, shrines, nature, amusement facilities, and ferries are open as shooting venues. You will need to purchase a ticket to participate. Check the sales information on the search→ website of Tomakomai Cosplay Festa on the Internet! Cosplayers, anime fans, and the general public are sure to enjoy this event! If you want to feel Japanese pop culture, go to Tomakomai Cosplay Festa

Tomakomai City × Diamond's Acting II Collaboration Special Exhibition will be held! 【Date】 2023 Reiwa 5November 4 Sat 11:00~20:00 2023 Reiwa 5November 5 Sun 10:00~18:00 【Venue】 Hokkaido Tomakomai City Omotemachi 4-3-1 Grand Hotel New Oji 3F 【Admission Fee】 Free Tomakomai City × a large collection of manholes and commemorative photo panels developed in the collaboration project of Acting II of diamonds! In addition to the anime scene panel, the original illustration colored paper drawn by Professor Terashima is also available for a limited time! For those who cannot come to the venue, limited illustration colored paper will be released at this post! * Colored paper drawn for a collaboration event held in Tomakomai City If you are coming to the venue, Please experience the trajectory of the collaboration so far!

Act 11 and Makomai Cosplay Festa will be held! !! Date: November 4 Sat & 5 Sun 2023 Reiwa 5 In the future, we will provide details on how to participate and the shooting venue. * The image is a character from Tomakomai Cosplay Festa Left: Mai Right: Mako

Continuing from last week, we discuss Hachioji and subcultures. We visited the famous Ryohoji Temple in Nishi-Hachioji. This temple is known as a "moe temple" and has original anime characters created by the temple. It is said that many worshippers come to see this unusual temple. I received another goshuin (red seal) this time! moe = feelings of affection, often toward an idealized anime character Continuing from last week, we talk about Hachioji and its subculture. We visited the well-known Ryohoji in Nishi-Hachioji. This temple is called a "moe temple," and it features original anime characters. Many visitors come to see this rare temple. I picked up a goshuin again this time! Note: moe… the feeling that finds an anime character cute.

[Englsih／日本語]In front of Hachioji Station, there is animate, a store specializing in anime goods. Here you can buy goods and books of popular anime. There are a lot of international students who like anime. There are many rare items here, so you may be able to show them off to your friends in your country ☺ If you like something related to Japan, you will be able to improve your Japanese quickly. Please try to find something you "like" too. In front of Hachioji Station stands animate, a specialty store for anime merchandise. You can buy popular anime goods and books here. Many international students love anime. This shop has lots of rare items, so you might be able to show them off to your friends back home ☺ If you enjoy things related to Japan, you can improve your Japanese quickly. Try to find something you "like" too ✨

[English/Japanese] Yesterday, the kanji character representing Japan for this year was announced. This event takes place every year. Incidentally, this year’s kanji was "gold." Why do you think this kanji was chosen? The reason is that the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo this year. Japan won more gold medals than ever before, which led to the selection of this kanji. So what else was popular this year? Let’s explore Japanese culture through this year’s trends. Maritozzo Maritozzo is a pastry that originated in Rome, Italy. It consists of a round bread roll filled generously with cream and is eaten as breakfast in Italy. This year, maritozzo became a major trend in Japan. Many cafes and convenience stores stocked maritozzo, and long lines formed as people queued to buy it. It is not unusual in Japan for sweets from other countries to become popular this way; for example, last year it was tapioca from Taiwan, and before that, macarons from France. Japan is an island nation with a strong curiosity about other cultures, and that curiosity may show up in the foods we enjoy. Movie Box Office Revenue In this year’s global box office rankings, live-action films from China and the United States occupy the top five spots. Is the situation the same in Japan? Japan’s box office rankings look completely different. From first to fifth place, all the top films are live-action adaptations of anime or manga. Last year, the anime film Demon Slayer rewrote the all-time box office record. Although many theatergoers are teenagers, age differences among audiences are not that large. In other words, people of all ages watch anime films. That shows how deeply anime and manga are woven into Japanese culture. The Real Two-Way / Showtime The terms "real two-way" and "showtime" were nominated as buzzwords this year. These two expressions refer to Shohei Ohtani, who plays in Major League Baseball in the United States. Words related to baseball players are often chosen as buzzwords in this way. When foreigners think of sports in Japan, many imagine sumo. However, few know that baseball is actually the most widely followed sport in Japan. When I tell this to international students, they often reply, "I thought soccer was more popular than sumo," or "I don’t know much about baseball." Do you feel the same? In this article, I introduced some of the things that were popular in Japan this year. I will continue with more in the next issue. By the way, our school holds an event where students introduce trends from their own countries. It’s a great opportunity to learn about different countries’ trends and to deepen cross-cultural understanding. Please tell us what’s popular in your country. Yesterday, the kanji character representing Japan for this year was announced. This event takes place every year. Incidentally, this year’s kanji was "kin" (gold). Why do you think this kanji was chosen? The reason is that the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo this year. Japan won the most gold medals in its history, which led to the selection of this kanji. So what else was popular this year? Let’s explore Japanese culture through this year’s trends. Maritozzo Maritozzo is a pastry that originated in Rome, Italy. It consists of a round bread roll filled generously with cream and is eaten as breakfast in Italy. This year, maritozzo became a major trend in Japan. Many cafes and convenience stores stocked maritozzo, and long lines formed as people queued to buy it. It is not uncommon in Japan for sweets from other countries to become popular in this way; for example, last year it was tapioca from Taiwan, and before that, macarons from France. Japan is an island nation with a strong curiosity about other countries’ cultures, and that curiosity may show up in the foods we enjoy. Movie Box Office Revenue Looking at this year’s global box office rankings, live-action films from China and the United States occupy the top five spots. Is Japan the same? Japan’s box office rankings are completely different from the global list. From first to fifth place, all the top films are live-action adaptations of anime or manga. Last year, the anime Demon Slayer replaced the previous record holder to become number one in the all-time box office rankings. While many moviegoers are teenagers, age differences among audiences are not so large. That means people of all ages watch anime films. That indicates how thoroughly anime and manga have become part of Japanese culture. Real Nitoryu / Showtime The buzzwords nominated this year included "Real Nitoryu" and "Showtime." These two words refer to Shohei Ohtani, who excels in Major League Baseball in the United States. It is common for expressions related to baseball players to be chosen as buzzwords. Many foreigners imagine sumo when they think of sports in Japan. However, few know that baseball is actually the most popular sport in Japan. When I tell this to international students, they answer, "I thought soccer would be more popular than sumo," or "I don’t really know what baseball is." Do you share the same opinion? This time I introduced some things that were popular in Japan this year. I will continue to introduce more next time. By the way, our school holds an event where people present popular things from their own countries. It provides a valuable opportunity to learn about trends from various countries and to foster intercultural understanding. Please tell us what’s popular in your country.

I could tell you all the good and bad things here. Speaking of Minami, I think it's 🤔 Dotonbori in Ame Village. If you come to Osaka, come 😊 look for it once

Things that Surprised Foreign Students When They Came to Japan: Shops 2 This time, I would like to introduce you to some of the "stores" in the city. Bookstores are full of manga, content even adults can enjoy What kind of books are available in bookstores in your country? When a foreigner enters a Japanese bookstore, they are often surprised by how many manga there are. Manga is one of Japan’s most famous subcultures worldwide, and many people are surprised to learn that adults read manga too. Famous works like Doraemon and Dragon Ball are aimed at children, but plenty of titles target adults. For example, some stories follow salarymen succeeding at work, while others feature lawyers thriving in court. Some children study by reading historical or science-themed manga. Even students at the University of Tokyo, known for its high academic standards, use manga to study. It may be a little difficult for those who have just started learning Japanese, but try picking up a manga. Your world might expand. Shocking ticket prices! Movie theaters I often hear stories of international students who wanted to see a movie, went to the cinema, and then gave up. Why? Because ticket prices are too high. In many students’ home countries, a movie costs less than 1,000 yen. In Japan, however, an adult ticket can cost as much as 1,800 yen. That’s why some people give up. Prices vary by theater, but if you pick a women’s discount day or a service day, you can sometimes see a movie for about 1,000 yen. Check cheap days before you go. Seven Wonders of the Restaurant Salt piled like Mt. Fuji at a restaurant entrance...flying forks and fake food in display cases...small towels served when you sit down...dishes that arrive though you didn’t order them... To foreigners, many things about Japanese restaurants seem strange. ・The salt piled like Mt. Fuji at the entrance is a prayer for business prosperity. ・The flying forks and fake food in the display case are called food samples. These are models of dishes made of wax or synthetic resin. They are very popular with foreign tourists, and many people buy small keychains and similar items as souvenirs. ・The small towel is called an oshibori. It is used to wipe your hands before eating. ・A dish you didn’t order but that is already prepared... This is called otoshi, and at places that serve alcohol, such as izakaya (Japanese-style pubs), it is brought to your table when you enter even if you didn’t order it. The price is about 300 to 500 yen. Have you learned a little about Japanese restaurants? Our school library not only offers a wide variety of books for extensive reading but also has many manga available for loan. Use manga to understand Japanese culture and go explore the town!

Evangelion really takes me back. I remember watching this when I was a kid and having no idea what was going on lol. I just remember seeing big robots fighting and thought it was the coolest thing. Come to find out the story was a lot more complex than I would have guessed lol. But then again I just thought the robots were cool. I remember watching stuff like Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Big-O, etc. etc. on Adult swim all the time. That was before I even knew what anime was. I just thought "man these shows are awesome" lol. It's interesting to think back on how much Japanese culture I was actually influenced by when I was younger without even realizing it. Maybe that's why I decided to learn Japanese in the first place. I was influenced by Japanese media without even realizing it. If that's the case then I'm thankful for it lol. Worked out great in the end!