＜2009/10＞

■　LET’S CARRY A PORTABLE SHRINE!

　Tenso Shirine’s Religious Tour

　On Sunday, 6 September 2009, staff and a number of students participated in Tenso Shrine’s religious tour. Apparently 20 to 30 people are usually needed to carry a portable shrine and thus students played an important role in this event. It was also a surprise for us that many people are needed for carrying a portable shrine!

　Made in the Taisho Period, the portable shrine itself is very old and authentic. It is the shrine sacred to a god called Ameterasu sumeookami…which somehow sounds like a tongue twister.

We carried the shrine	Girls carried it too	Boys are energetic!

So lively!	Cool looking boys with glasses	Beside the School’s 3rd Building

Precinct of the shrine	A lot of food stalls	Picture with Tengu

■　RICE HARVESTING EVENT!

　Staff and students of Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute visited Ryugasaki-shi, Ibaraki prefecture to experience rice harvest.

　According to the last year’s official statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the food self-sufficiency rate in Japan is approximately 40 %. It is the worst amongst developed countries. In addition, Tokyo’s food self-sufficiency rate is only about 1 % (and Hokkaido has the highest rate, which is more than 190 %!).

　Although the overall situation is not at all satisfactory, Japan’s rice self-sufficiency rate is 100 %. On September 19th, staff and students went to Ryugasaki-shi, Ibaraki to experience rice harvest. These pictures represent traditional scenery of Japan. These rural scenes used to be around a lot a while ago. However, when I went back to my hometown (country side of Osaka), I was a little surprised that these traditional sceneries are disappearing rather rapidly.

　Some of the students looked quite professional at rice harvesting and seeing them helping the farmers was heartwarming. Since ecology, LOHAS (Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability), healthy food, organic farming and clean energy are key words for the 21st century, it is perhaps necessary for Japanese to experience rice harvest as well.

With people from Ryugasaki	Lots of Effort!	Uncomfortable position

You look great!	Don’t play with sickles	Farmers are watching us

With combine harvester	Scenery around the field	I want to run!

In the field	I got it!	Let’s have this later

Pastoral scenery	Say cheese!	Policing rice

Oh my, it’s heavy!	Rice rice rice	Let’s eat it all

■　A BUS TOUR TO MT. FUJI!

　On Saturday, September 24th, we went to the roots of Mt. Fuji and ate grapes and “houtou” (noodles with vegetables).

　The bus tour to Mt. Fuji takes place every year. First of all, we went to the roots of the mountain and then ate houtou, and finally harvested grapes. On the day of the event, it was a fine, clear day! We realized how beautiful the sky is…these are so many kinds of “blue”.

View from the roots 1	View from the roots 2	Wow, dangerous!

Say cheese!	This is houtou	Let’s eat together!

What’s the dessert?	Grapes!	Major source of grapes

Contact us...

SHINJUKU JAPANESE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE 2-9-7 Takadanobaba Shinjuku-ku Tokyo, 169-0075. Japan Tel : 81-3-5273-0044 Fax : 81-3-5273-0018