ABC news Australia reports that the redback spider is spreading in Japan. Believed to have first arrived on a container ship, it has spread to at least 16 out of Japan's 47 prefectures, and about a dozen people have already been bitten this year. The anti-venom is not yet approved for use, but is available in a limited number of hospitals ( Read more... )

There seems to have been a lot of bad news this year. Accidents and bullying incidents that have cut lives off well before their time. I will be holding off on at least one for a while, since it's closer to home than the others - it's similar to the incident that happened at my school in June, but affecting one of my friends on a much deeper level ( Read more... )

It's not that I have nothing better to do...but looking for pictures and information on Japanese school uniforms actually turned out to be fairly interesting.

( Cutting for length )

One of the headlines on the Japanese Times online today was this: Student dies from archery arrow wound. (Japanese)

My students mentioned this to me at lunchtime, and I was shocked to find that it had really occurred.

The accident occurred on Wednesday in Tokyo's Meguro ward, with the 16-yo student dying in hospital without regaining conciousness. ( Read more... )

There are times when I envy my friends at other schools, where students are more interested in their studies and in English, or are just well-behaved as a rule. It can really make a difference, especially where teachers are always busy or scattered, or the atmosphere is somehow-or-other left wanting. This is one of the main reasons I've dedicated ( Read more... )

...according to the New York Times online, anyway. ( another link on japan_now )

What caught my attention are the final paragraphs, which address the "dire straits of political communication in Japan". Despite the popularity of CHANGE last year, Kimura Takuya's character definitely doesn't resemble any Japanese politicians, particularly when addressing the ( Read more... )

Caught up with a couple of ex-students today. Both are studying to be nurses, one in Ehime prefecture and the other here in Okinawa. Along with several other teachers, we chatted about their fellow students, who have now scattered as far as the USA. They were quite shocked however, to find that many of the teachers they knew had left - in fact, in ( Read more... )

Ever since Lent, things have been building up. Things that don't absolutely NEED to be written about, but which I WANT to write about.

And so here comes another resolution which I'm going to have to try to keep. I actually thought of it a long time ago, so perhaps I'll be able to keep it better if I just put it in writing.

I am to post something ( Read more... )

This past week has been interesting. Volunteered to help lead a High School English camp last week, since I'd done it with a couple of friends last year...and we even had a meeting last week to try and get it together. Then...the typhoon came ( Read more... )

The summer lesson for the 特進 classes have been cancelled, as students in each have come down with influenza. As far as I know, all the clubs are still running, but I've been seeing my students even less often than usual...so for the moment, a little on the disruptions the swine flu has brought us.

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After a couple of months spreading on ( Read more... )