07/07/97-Hagi (shame): Japan, by nature, can be a very confusing experience for foreigners. Beyond the language, there is the Japanese collective conscience to take into consideration. For a foreigner, it is not just enough to speak the language, but how one speaks the language. One can not expect one's foreign form of expressions to
be a universal form of expression, or one's moral standards to be accepted everywhere. 

06/30/97-Japanese Language Education: Japan is presently enjoying a surge of popularity around the world. This increase in popularity is most evident on the Pacific Rim region. As Japan 
maintains its position as a world economic power the necessity for many to learn Japanese has increased. 

06/21/97-Moji: This weeks feature will focus on some history of
the the three Japanese writing (moji) systems.  Some of you who 
have followed the weekly lessons will be familiar with the writing
styles covered in this week's feature. For those of you not familiar
with the Japanese writing systems, do not worry, and read on. 

06/14/97-A little History: It is not absolutely known to which language group Nihongo (Japanese language) belongs. The structure of Nihongo is completely different from Indo-European languages such as English and French. This is why it is seen as a difficult language to learn from a western perspective. 

06/07/97-Gimukyoiku (compulsory education) - Nine years: six in elementary school, and three in junior high school, make up compulsory education in Japan. This system was adopted from the American system after W.W.II. Each year consists of a three term system (summer, winter, and spring) that begins in April. Each term is marked by a vacation period. 

05/29/97-Hogen: This weeks feature deals with dialects in Japan. To a foreigner, Japan may seem like a homogeneous country. The truth is that Japan has a wide variety of regional dialects that needed to be united to maintain communication. One can, thankfully, still find regional dialects flourishing under the unifying language. 

05/22/97-Keigo: Honorific language is a staple of Japanese communication. Far more than in the west, polite terms are used when addressing or refering to someone else. This is a very important part of the Japanese language that is not to be missed. 

05/16/97-Taue:  Even with the advent of mechanization, rice harvesting still plays a powerful role in the Japanese economy. In the past it was a community binding, ceremonial event that would determine whether the following year would be fruitful, or a struggle. 

05/09/97- Green Tea (Ocha):  Find out more about Japan's favorite beverage. 

05/02/97- Children's day: get out your carp kites. Celebrate this day of children to insure their strenght and good fortune. 

04/25/97- Setsubun: don't forget to eat your beans! To insure one's good health one must eat a number of soy beans equal to one's own age during this festival. 

04/18/97- Dolls Festival (Hinamatsuri): - are your daughters safe? Sacrements are offered to ensure the safety of young girls. 

04/11/97- Cherry Blossoms: Celebrate the comming of spring and meditate on life under the beatiful cherry blossoms.  A great time to gather with friends.