Dormitory Festival “Yadokari-sai” will take place
The University of Tsukuba's dormitory festival "Yadokari-sai" will take place on this Friday and Saturday evening at Hirasuna dormitory's parking lot. The festival is organized by new students who enrolled this April. They welcome all people not only students but also residents around the university. Many food booths, parades, fire works, yukata (Japanese cotton robe) beauty contest etc. Have fun!
Print This Post
Education Information for Foreign Residents
An organization called School Information Niko Niko provides help with educational issues to foreign parents of school-aged children. Volunteers meet every second and fourth Saturday from 1:30 to 3:30pm at the volunteer room at the Tsukuba Information Center. If you like to know more about the Japanese educational system (elementary and junior high school), please ask one of the volunteers. Volunteers are able to speak Japanese, English, and Spanish.
Contact the School Guidance Division of Tsukuba Board of Education (Toyosato Branch Office) -- Tel: 029-836-1111, ext. 4222 -- for more information.
Print This Post
Free admission day @ Ibaraki Nature Museum
Tomorrow is the 春分の日(shunbun no hi), Spring Equinox Day, but did you know it's also one of four science days at Ibaraki Nature Museum in Bando City? Children of all ages get in free on Saturdays except during long holidays, but on science days, everyone gets in free!!
There are many events planned for tomorrow, so pack your lunch and visit this museum if you don't have any plans! This museum's outdoor facilities include VERY nice parks, so this is a also a nice place to enjoy spring weather.
Make your very own pencil
There are 4 sessions, and each session is open to first 30 applicants. Sessions are from 11:30 to 12:00, 12:00 to 12:30, 12:30 to 13:00, and 13:00 to 13:30.
This event will be held in 自然発見工房(shizen hakken koubou), or Nature Center. This is the museum's outdoor facility, and is about 10min walk from the main building.
Science Show by Mr. Kitazawa
From 12:30 to 13:30, held in the lecture room on the 1st floor.The museum will start handing out the 整理券(seiri-ken), or numbered tickets, from 11:50 to first 60 people.
Mr. Mitazawa is a former curator of Energy Museum in Omachi City, Nagano(been there many times!) and Tsukuba Expo Center. He was also the management director of the Global House, the pavilion where the frozen mammoth was during the world expo in Aichi.
Guided Tour of the "Ant" Exhibit
From 11:00 to 11:30, 12:15 to 12:45, and 15:30 to 16:00. Meet at the entrance of the special exhibition space.
The guided tour of special exhibit about ants and other tiny creatures called The Adventure in Search of Soil Creatures which started last Saturday.
Special talk: "Today's starry sky"
From 11:00 to 11:30. Held in the lecture room on the 1st floor.First 60 applicants. Special talk about the stars you can see around this time of the year.
Special talk and tour: "Let's look at the Sun"
From 11:30 to 12:00 Meet in the exit area (not the main entrance)
Water System Backyard Tour
A guided tour by Aquaworld Ooarai staff! Meet in the aquarium area.
A tour will start at 10am and a group of about 10 people will leave every 30min until 12:00. The tour starts again at 13:00pm and the last group will leave at 14:30. Seiri-ken, or numbered tickets will be handed out from 9:45am and 12:45pm.
Lecture by Director of NPO birth/Green Sustainable Center
From 13:30 to 15:00. Held in the screen hall on the 3rd floor. There's no limit on participants but must pre-register before attending this event.
Here's a list of Ibaraki Nature Museum's Science (free admission) Days:
Science Day (Space):
March 21 (春分の日, Spring Equinox Day)
Science Day (Life):
May 4 (みどりの日, Green Day)
Science Day (Earth):
June 5 (環境の日, Environment Day)
Science Day (Ibaraki):
November 13 (茨城県民の日, Ibaraki Day)
I always go there by car, but you can also get there by bus/train. There are buses leaving from TX Morita Station West Exit. Get on the ones bound for 猿島(Sashima) or 岩井(Iwai), and get off at 自然博物館(Shizen Hakubutsukan (Nature Museum)). It takes about 20min to get to the museum from the Moriya Station, and the museum is about 5min walk from the bus stop. Please look at this page for the bus schedule.
Print This Post
Free Japanese Classes in Tsukuba
(I have been asked to add some points for clarification, so I am reposting this message. Please read the following carefully if you are thinking of applying for these classes.)
International students and researchers and their families are eligible for free Japanese classes taught by undergraduate and graduate students who are majoring in Japanese language education at the University of Tsukuba. The lessons are offered so that the graduate students can practice their teaching skills. The classes are videotaped and people observe the lessons from the other side of a one-way mirror. (These classes are not associated with the regular Japanese classes offered by the International Student Center at the university.)
Students should be able to read and write hiragana and katakana. If you are not familiar with these Japanese alphabets, they will send you a list so that you can learn them before the classes begin.
Students are divided into two classes according to the results of a placement test. J1 meets on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and J2 meets on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Students must agree to attend all classes.
The classes run from Monday, April 23 to Wednesday May 30. There are three 40 minute periods per day and students must attend all three classes. Period 1 is from 3:30pm to 4:10pm, period 2 is from 4:15pm to 4:55pm, and period 3 is from 5pm to 5:40pm. The content of the classes includes basic vocabulary, elementary grammar, everyday conversation, and cultural activities. Classes are held at the University of Tsukuba and the tuition is free. There are no classes during Golden Week (April 30 to May 4).
If you want to apply, send an email with your name, sex, nationality, native language, occupation, address, phone number, and email address to jissyu_yaru2007[AT]yahoo.co.jp by April 7, 2007. It is not possible to enroll in the classes after this date. The number of participants is limited, so it may not be possible for all applicants to participate in the course.
Print This Post
Free Japanese lessons at TGU
[ This class has already reached maximum enrollment. Thank you. - Feb.20, 08 ]
Tsukuba Gakuin University students, who are studying to be Japanese language teachers, will be offering free Japanese course for non-Japanese speaking residents of Tsukuba. This course will be an ideal course for stay-at-home parents of preschool-age kids who are 3 years old and older because another group of students at TGU will be offering free exercise course for preschool-age children while their parents take the Japanese lessons! These students are the ones who contribute wonderful Japanese language articles to the Alien Times every month, so I am very sure that those who take part in this course will have fun learning Japanese!
Applicant eligibility: Resident of Tsukuba who can read Hiragana. Please note that priority will be given to those who are from non-Chinese character (kanji/漢字) cultural zones.
**************************
たのしく日本語を学ぼう 日本語教室のお知らせ
日本語の先生になりたい学生といっしょに日本語を勉強しませんか？
いつ：2008年3/3 3/5 3/7 3/10 3/11 3/13 全部で６回
9:30～12:20
どこで：筑波学院大学（つくばがくいんだいがく）（つくば市吾妻）
いくら：￥０
だれに：日本語初級の外国人 ひらがなが読める人
なにを：簡単な日本語の会話
そのほか：３さい～５さいくらいのお子さんがいる人は、お子さんといっしょに
大学に来てください。お子さんたちは、大学の学生といっしょに簡単なスポーツや
ゲームをしましょう。（保険（ほけん）\500）
メールをください。kanakubo[at]tsukuba-g.ac.jp
２月に一度大学にきてください。説明をします。
２月２５日（月）まで、うけつけます。
筑波学院大学 金久保紀子
Let's learn Japanese with univ. students!
Tsukuba Gakuin University are going to have Japanese language class on March. Intstructors are all students who expect to be Japanese teachers.
Date&Time：2008年3/3 3/5 3/7 3/10 3/11 3/13 Total 6days
9:30～12:20
Place：Tsukuba Gakuin University (Tsukuba Azuma)
Fee：￥０
Level：Beginners with Hiragana reading skill
Contents：Japanese daily conversation
You can come with your kids( Three years old or more).
We prepare Kid's exercise class（insurance\500）
Feel free to send us an email. kanakubo[at]tsukuba-g.ac.jp
We will have briefing on February. Contact us before Feb. 25
KANAKUBO Noriko @Tsukuba Gakuin University
[ This class has already reached maximum enrollment. Thank you. - Feb.20, 08 ]
Print This Post