It is customery in Japan for people to sit around the table with their family, and eat buckwheat noodles on New Year's Eve. The new TV and sofa were delivered today and changed the atomosphere of our living room. I'm looking forward to wha…

Online shopping is both cheap and convenient. We bought daily necessities such as canned beer, seasoning sauces, and soft drinks from a major supermarket. They offer free delivery when the total price is over 3,000 yen (about 23 pounds). I…

Mr Kenji Miyazawa is one of the most famous poets in Japan. One of his masterpiece is 'Night Train to the Stars' published after his death in 1933. It was my favourite poem in my childhood. I happened to find a English version of the story…

CNN English Express is a monthly magazine that deals with the latest news broadcasted at CNN. Since the magazine is well designed for English learners, it provides them with opportunities to learn natural and practical American English. I …

A driver's license in Japan has to be renewed every three or five years, while the license in the UK is valid for ten years. The renewal period is between one month before and one month after the driver's birthday, which is easy to remembe…

Miss Mao Asada finished 2nd in the ice-skating competition. I heard that she had been in an awful slump this season, though she won the silver medal in the last Olympics. I'm glad to see that she's recovered her form, and that she is throu…

We've decided to buy a new new digital TV set, because the current analogue TV will not work any longer next summer. We have chosen a TV, because there is a built-in DVD recorder. In addition, it's the company I work for.

Today is my birthday. I've become 30 plus something. I and Non went to a Japanese style grill restaurant to celebrate. The cook served a 4 course meal over a grill counter where he cooked meat, fish and vegetables, and elegantly dished the…

I haven't reviewed this Tuesday's lesson yet, and neither updated my daily expressions nor studied phrasal verbs in the textbook. I was supposed to finish reading a novel for teenagers in English before leaving the UK, but actually couldn'…

I'm impressed by many aspects of this country in terms of efficiency. At the office, all the shelves are specially designed for standard ring files. There are small basins in the toilets specifically for brushing teeth, and free vending ma…

I took a web English lesson for the first time after I moved back to Japan. There were no technical problems with video communication using Skype. So the first lesson was successful and fruitful. I'm determined to continue to take this Eng…

That turned out to be a groundless fear. While I was working at the office today, everyone was nice and kind as usual. I feel comfortable working at the office.

I feel like I've getting nervous when I think about my first day back in the office. I wonder how long it will take some time for me to adjust to the Japanese culture and work habits. That was why I couldn't sleep well last night and myy h…

We went out for eating inner organs of cows and vegetables cooked at the table. This type of dishes is called 'Nabe' in Japan. We could choose from several vegetables and meat to add to the hot pot. The stock tasted wonderful and really hi…

Purchasing a mobile phone was one of the must-do things when we came back to Japan. I was a bit surprised to know that the prices were generally higher than 2 years ago and there were few options for pay-as-you-go phones. Softbank (mobile …

I and Non have just arrived at Itami airport after 2 years and 3 months. All the memories with people that we made friends with will stay with us throughout our life. Though I will go back to the same house and office as I was in before, I…

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