[English] The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to apply priority measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus since last week, and Tokyo residents will have to refrain from activities for about three weeks. Due to the new coronavirus, people have been spending more and more vacations at home as "stayhome" since 2020. How do Japanese people spend their vacations? Let's take a look at it along with Japanese culture. 1) Games Japanese games have become popular all over the world due to the Corona disaster. For example, games in which you build your own room or town and interact with your friends, or games in which you run and stretch like in a gym are especially popular. Also, games that used to be board games are now being played online, expanding the possibilities of games. With the recent establishment of high schools for e-sports (games as sports) in Japan, it is clear that games are becoming an important content for Japan. 2) Bath time Japanese people love to take a bath in the bathtub. Many of them go on trips to hot springs during long vacations, and those who have given up on their trips due to stay-home are said to buy various bath salts in order to feel a little like they are on vacation. As a result, some companies reportedly had record sales of bath salts last year. Do you use bath salts in your country? I hope you will try them when you come to Japan. 3) Plastic models Have you ever heard of plastic models? Plastic models are dolls made of plastic, and you can assemble and paint them yourself. In Japan, they have long been sold as children's toys, but since the Corona disaster, they have become popular not only among children but also among adults. In particular, plastic models of anime are very popular. If you are ever in Japan, you might want to buy one as a souvenir. Extras There is a character that has become famous in Corona. It is "Amabie. Amabie has been appearing in books for the past 150 years as a monster that eliminates plague. Before the corona virus, Amabie was a character known only to a few people who liked yokai, but after the corona virus spread, his recognition increased mainly through social networking sites, and now he is recognized by most of the people in Japan. In the city, you can see many products with Amabie's picture on them. Please try to look for them. Our school also offers online classes. In addition to classes, we also offer online yoga, online origami classes, and other fun activities. If you are interested, please contact us and we will explain the school via zoom. Please feel free to contact us. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government decided to apply priority measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus from last week, and Tokyo residents have decided to refrain from activities for about three weeks. Due to the influence of the new coronavirus, since 2020, I have been spending more of my days off at home as "Stay Home". How do Japanese people spend their days off? Let's take a look at it together with Japanese culture. (1) Games Japanese games became popular worldwide in Coronavirus pandemic. For example, creating your own room or city to socialize with friends, or running like a gym or stretching game are especially popular. In addition, what used to be a board game is now being played online, and games are expanding various possibilities. In Japan, high schools for e-sports (which consider games as sports competitions) have recently been established, indicating that games have become an important content for Japan. (2) Bath time Japanese people like to take a bath. Also, during long vacations, many people go on trips to take a dip in hot springs. It seems that people who have given up traveling at Stayhome buy various bath salts to enjoy the feeling of traveling as much as possible. As a result, some companies had record sales of bath salts last year. Do you have bath salts in your country? Please give it a try when you come to Japan. (3) Plastic model Do you know plastic models? Plastic models are dolls made of plastic, which you can assemble or color yourself. In Japan, it has been sold as a children's toy for a long time, but since its Coronavirus pandemic, it has become popular not only with children but also with adults. In particular, anime plastic models are popular. If you can come to Japan, you may want to buy it as a souvenir. Extra Edition There is a character who became famous in Corona. It is "Amabie". "Amabie" has been appearing in books for 150 years as a yokai that eliminates plagues. Before the coronavirus epidemic, the character was only used by a few yokai lovers, but since the coronavirus spread, it has become more recognized mainly on SNS, and is now recognized by most of the public. In the city, you can see many products with pictures of Amabie. Please look for it. We also offer online classes. In addition to classes, we also offer online yoga and online origami classes. If you are interested, please contact us and we will explain the school via Zoom.

[English/Japanese] Things that Surprised International Students When They Came to Japan: Shops (1) For two consecutive weeks, I have been telling you about the city, but this time I would like to introduce you to the "stores" in the city. All stores in Japan are famous for their courteous service, and the customers themselves are known to form beautiful lines when waiting in line at the cash register. Here I would like to share with you what kind of problems international students encounter when they come to Japan for the first time and shop, based on the stories of our students. Convenience stores are a bit expensive but convenient. Is this juice? Or is it alcohol? There are about 7,800 convenience stores in Tokyo. In other words, the city is full of convenience stores. Most of them open 24 hours a day, so international students often say things like, "It's convenient because they are open even when I come home from my part-time job late at night.” and "I don't feel scared when I walk alone late at night because the stores are well-lit. ” Also, when international students enter a convenience store for the first time, they are surprised at the large number of products. I often hear that they are impressed by the variety of drinks. However, there are many stories of people who bought what they thought was a beautifully packaged juice, only to find out that it was alcohol. Because of this kind of trouble, the Chinese character for "liquor" is not usually taught at the beginner level, but at our school, it is taught immediately after entering the country. Please be careful, everyone. Do you buy too much? 100-yen stores Did you know that there are stores where all items are sold for 100 yen (excluding tax)? Although not as common as convenience stores, there are nearly 800 of these 100-yen stores in Tokyo. These 100-yen stores, commonly known as "100-yen stores," offer daily necessities (dishes, cleaning supplies, etc.) and even food. Therefore, when students start living in Japan and need daily necessities, they go to these 100-yen stores to buy them. Not only are they inexpensive, but they also come in a variety of designs, and once they have been to a 100 yen store, many of them end up going back again and again to buy things they don't need. I often hear stories of students, especially those who have just arrived in Japan, who have spent a lot of money at 100 yen stores. This is the time when you need money until you start your part-time job. Be careful when shopping. A room full of stuffed animals! Be careful not to get too carried away at the game center. Just like 100-yen stores, game arcades are a place where people tend to spend a lot of money. Some study abroad students get addicted to "crane games" and spend a lot of money on them. And before they know it, their room is covered with stuffed animals from the crane game. Because of this, students often throw away their stuffed animals as trash when they move out, crying because they have too much luggage. Students often feel lonely when studying abroad, and many of them find comfort in their stuffed animals. Try not to have too many stuffed animals, and enjoy them! Did you get to know about Japanese stores? We will continue to introduce stores in the next article. By the way, our school has a convenience store and a 100 yen store just a few meters away from the school (student dormitory). Even if you have just arrived in Japan, you can get everything you need quickly. You can learn how to shop with your teacher at first, so you can start your new life with peace of mind. What surprised international students when they came to Japan ~Shop edition (1)~ For two weeks in a row, we have been telling you about the state of the city, but this time we will introduce the "shops" in the city. All Japan shops are polite in their customer service, and customers themselves are famous for forming a beautiful line when they line up at the cash register. Here, we will tell you what kind of trouble international students cause when they come to Japan for the first time and shop, based on the stories of our students. A little expensive but convenient convenience store Is this juice? Alcohol? There are about 7,800 convenience stores in Tokyo. In other words, the city is full of convenience stores. Since most convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, international students have commented, "It's convenient because it's open even when you come home from a part-time job late at night." or "It's not scary because it's bright even if you walk alone at night." I often hear that. Also, when international students enter a convenience store for the first time, they are very surprised by the number of products. Among them, I often hear that they were impressed by the number of drinks. However, there are many stories that when I bought it thinking it was a juice in a beautiful package, it was alcohol. Because of these troubles, the kanji "sake" is not usually learned at the beginner level, but at our school, we try to teach it immediately after entering the country. Please be careful. Do you buy too much? Shops with 100 yen uniform Did you know that there are stores where you can buy all products for 100 yen (+ consumption tax)? Although not as much as convenience stores, there are nearly 800 shops in Tokyo that offer 100 yen uniforms. This 100-yen shop, commonly known as the "100 yen shop", has daily necessities (tableware, cleaning tools, etc.) and food. Therefore, when students start living in Japan and need daily necessities, they go to this 100-yen shop to buy them. Not only is it cheap, but there are also various designs, and once you go to a 100 yen shop, many people go there many times and buy things they don't need. In particular, I often hear stories of students who have just entered the country and splurged money at 100-yen shops. This is when you need money until your part-time job starts. Let's shop carefully. Before you know it, a room full of stuffed animals! Be careful not to get too stuck in the arcade. Just like a 100-yen shop, it's a "game center" where you end up spending money. Among them, there are international students who are so addicted to the "crane game" that they spend a lot of money. In addition, before you know it, the whole room is full of stuffed crane games. Because of this, students often throw away stuffed animals when they move as garbage that makes them cry because they have too much luggage. Studying abroad often feels lonely, and many students are healed by stuffed animals. Let's enjoy the stuffed animals so as not to add too much. Did you get to know about Japan's shop? We plan to continue to introduce the store next time. By the way, our school has a convenience store and a 100 yen shop a few meters from the school (student dormitory). Even if you have just entered the country, you can prepare what you need immediately. You can start your new life with peace of mind because you can shop with your teacher at first.