Plain Talk
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 30. 2025Osmosis by Mardo
If another ALT was to wander into my staff room and see me resting my head on a pile of student journals; they could be forgiven for thinking that I, like the P.E. teacher, was feeling the effects of last night’s enkai (drinking party). They would, however, be mistaken. I would be trying to improve my students' written English ability through the time-honoured method of osmosis.
Osmosis can be defined as absorption through proximity. Students can thus improve their English by being in close contact to native speakers. In the case of the journals, by resting my head on the student's journals a student's writing should improve as my English ability flows into the pages.
Understanding that some of you could be sceptical about such methods, I undertook a study of my own Junior High School student's to back my theory.
During class time and for homework, a series of osmosis-related activities was introduced.
For my 1 st year students (grade 7), I encouraged the class to listen to English music while they studied.
The 3rd years (grade 9), I encouraged to sleep with a dictionary under their pillow.
The most radical method was applied for the 2nd years (grade 8), with whom physical contact was used.
The 1st year class had some success and great enjoyment from their task. The music teacher wasparticularly pleased and the students' intonation was improved, even if they were not fully aware of what they were saying. Unfortunately I had to abandon this method as my JTE was unsure how to explain phrases such as "gettin' jiggy with it", "obla dee obla da" and "pretty fly for a white guy". At least I still get a discount at the local music shop.
The 2nd year class was not very successful. Most students were reluctant to touch head to head; so the language ability would only have a short distance to travel, this may not have been helped by the school nurse wanting to take pictures, or maybe it is a cultural difference. Ironically the experiment had to be abandoned when an over enthusiastic and uncoordinated student headbutted me, learning words I have since had to ask him not to repeat.
The 3rd year class was by far the most successful with the use of osmosis. After a few nights of sleeping on dictionaries the students were full of questions. I believe some of them however were using medical dictionaries, as they kept wanting to know phrases such as stiff neck, muscle spasm, sleep deprivation and clinical insanity. This knowledge has stayed with them, as when I wander I still hear them using such medical terms as delusional.
もし他のALT（外国語指導助手）が職員室にふらりと入ってきて、生徒の日誌の山に頭を預けている僕を見たら、体育の先生と同様、昨夜の飲み会の影響を感じているのだと思うのも無理はない。しかし、それは誤解である。僕は、昔から伝わる「オズモーシス（浸透）」という方法を使って、生徒たちの英語の筆記能力を向上させようとしていたのだった。
オズモーシスとは、間近にいるものから吸収されることである。つまり、生徒はネイティブ・スピーカーと身近で接することで英語力を向上させることができる。日記の場合、僕が生徒の日記の上に頭を置くことで、僕の英語力がページに流れ込み、生徒の文章が上達するはずだ。
このような方法に懐疑的な人もいるので、自分の中学生を対象に研究を行い、自分の理論を裏付けた。授業中や宿題には、オズモーシスに関連した一連の活動を取り入れた。
1年生（7年生）には、英語の音楽を聴きながら勉強することを勧めた。
3年生（9年生）には、枕元に辞書を置いて寝るように勧めた。
最も過激な方法は、2年生（8年生）に適用され、彼らには身体的接触が用いられた。
1年生は一定の成果を上げ、課題を大いに楽しんだ。音楽教師は特に喜んでおり、生徒たちのイントネーションは、たとえ自分たちが何を言っているのか完全には理解できていなかったとしても、向上していた。残念ながら、私のJTE（日本人英語指導者）は "gettin' jiggy with it"、"obla dee obla da"、"pretty fly for a white guy "といったフレーズをどう説明したらいいのかわからず、この方法を断念せざるを得なかった。少なくとも、私はまだ地元の楽器店で割引を受けている。
2年生はあまりうまくいかなかった。ほとんどの生徒が頭と頭を触れ合わせるのを嫌がった。そのため、言語能力はほんのわずかな距離しか移動しなかったが、これは写真をとりたがった保健体育の先生のせいか、あるいは文化の違いなのかもしれない。皮肉なことに、熱中しすぎて協調性のない生徒が私に頭突きを食らわせたため、実験は中断せざるを得なかった。それ以来、僕は彼に繰り返さないように頼まなければならなかった。
3年生は、オズモーシスを使うことで圧倒的に成功した。辞書を枕に数晩寝た後、生徒たちは質問でいっぱいになった。何人かが、医学辞書をしようしたと思っている。ちうのも首こり、筋痙攣、睡眠不足、臨床的精神異常などのフレーズを知りたがったからだ。この知識は彼らの心の中に残り、私がぶらぶら歩いていると、今でも彼らが妄想などの医学用語を使っているのを耳にする。
Plain Talk
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD TNB Throwback FEBRUARY 23. 2018Dream by Iona Fab
Dream is one person's aspiration or a fancy way of calling it a goal . The other meaning is just some random thoughts when a person is sleeping . Either way of describing it, it is quite interesting .
In ancient history, dreams has meaning (even up until now, and the easiest way of finding out the meaning is through google!) . Infact , through the interpretation of some gifted prophesiers, Kings, Leaders and the likes most likely to believe in it and this would guide them through their decisions. If propheciers nowadays do exist and are as accurate as the old days, would you believe them too? It is a question that is answerable by yes and/or no. I personally respect to those who believes in it and I won’t neither argue to those who do not believe in it.
On the other side of its definition, this is something that I would like to believe in - "goal and aspiration". This is something that we can create and control . Amidst all odds, challenges and daily struggles, is a goal that we aspire to reach ! Dream may sound too fancy and it shall remain as it is if there is no action towards it. I believe nothing is too impossible for someone who is very committed to his/her goal. It would only be unrealistic if you would just sit there, staring at a blank space and indulge yourself in your dream. There is nothing wrong with that, but nothing would also happen.
As Greg S. Reid wrote : "A Dream written down with a DATE becomes a goal. A goal broken down into STEPS becomes a plan. A plan backed by ACTION makes your dreams come true". I'd like to remind myself this, everytime I'd doze off to dreamland because I have so many dreams that I'd like to play in my head whenever I can, yet no actions has been done at all. There were times that I have tried yet failed and I did not have the strength to do it again or due to some circumstances that were way out of my control, but then I have realized dream does not have an expiration date. There are so many successful people out there who has failed so many times even more than we can imagine and yet they remained to be determined until their dreams came true and they did not stop from there , they continue to try and try to make it better . I want to be that kind of person and inspire others too to do the same . Life is short, make it worth every second . Do not be overcome with the failures and obstacles upon achieving your dream, instead, take control . What is so good about life is that we have the control over it . Just believe in yourself that you can . Yes! You have heard me right ! "You can! If you will!"
So to my fellow dreamers/goal-achievers, let me end this with Walt Disney's famous quote : "If you can Dream it, you can do it!"
夢は、人の願望であり、目標とする大志である。他の意味では、人の睡眠中に沸き上がる一連の概念だ。どちらを語るにしろ、夢は興味深い。
古代、夢は意味をもっていた（現代では意味をグーグルで手軽に見つけられる！）。英知ある予言者、王、指導者達は夢の存在を信じており、意思決定の判断としていた。現代にも予言が存在しており、昔と同じように正確だったら、彼らと同じように信じるだろうか？ イエスかノーで答えられる質問だ。個人的には夢を信じる人をリスペクトするが、私自身は夢を信じるか否かは議論したくない。
夢の他の定義で、私は信じたいものがある。「目標と大志」だ。自分で創造し掌握できるからだ。逆風や困難、日々のストレスに負けず、目標に邁進する！ 夢というと現実離れした感じがするが、それに挑戦しなければそれでまでだ。目標にコミットすれば必ず誰でも達成できると信じる。手をこまねいて、物思いに耽るだけなんて現実的でない。それは悪いことではないが、何の進展もない。
グレッグ・S・リード氏は「「日付をつけて書き留めた夢は目標となる。段階ごとに分類された目標は計画となる。行動に裏打ちされた計画は、夢の実現へと導く。」と著作で述べている。私はこれを心がけたい。私はあまりにもたくさんの夢を持っていて、いつも夢の世界でうたた寝しているが、何ら実現したものはない。やってみたがうまくいかなかったり、再度失敗を乗り越える勇気がなかったり、自分の力ではどうすこともできない状況に陥ったりといろいろあったが、夢には賞味期限がないことはわかっている。世の中には成功した人がたくさんいて、彼らは私たちの想像を超えるような失敗もしている。しかし我慢強く夢を実現しようと最後までやり遂げた人たちだ。私はそうした人になりたいし、他人にもそれを推奨したい。人生は短いから、一瞬でも無駄にせずがんばらなければならない。失敗とか障害を乗り越え、夢を実現させるというか、夢を掌握しよう。人生で何がすばらしいかというと、夢を掌握できることだ。自分を信じてがんばってみよう。私の言う事は正しいでしょ！ あなたが望むなら、夢は叶う！
最後に、夢や目標を持っている皆さんに有名なこの言葉を送りたい。「夢があれば、それを叶えることができる！」
Unfinished business
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 17. 2019Farewell to a Japan Jazz Icon by David Gregory
The messages from all over Japan read aloud during the service helped us realize how widely Koyama-san touched lives and how many like us were feeling something newly missing from our worlds. But, although wonderful and sometimes saddening us, they did not trigger crying. That happened next.
Those first few notes of the "'Round About Midnight" Miles Davis version, the cut Koyama-san always used to open Jazz Tonight, performed by a live piano and trumpet duo up front near the coffin, did it: Instant recognition, recollections, sighs around the room, eyes closed, arms crossed, heads dropped back or down, and tears, at least for me. How many times had we heard, after Miles breathed his somber opening, Koyama-san's low, raspy voice welcoming us into the studio with, "Minna-san, gokigen ikaga desho-ka everybody, how are you feeling?"?and never thought that someday we would hear him ask about us no more?
Koyama-san's widow, whom, like him, had never known me, stood alone at the coffin head and bowed in silence to everyone in turn after they placed flowers around his body as the duo continued with another slow number, the trumpet sounding so strong and crisp and unusual in a memorial service hall. After we placed our flowers, she responded to my hand on her shoulder, a touch just meant to console her, by immediately turning and reaching for me?a total stranger?burying her head in my chest, and breaking down. She needed that hug that everybody sometimes needs. She let go after her respite when she was ready to face the coffin and everyone else again, and returned to her position. Going to Kashiwa in a snowstorm was worth it just for those few moments when I could do something for her.
So our Kashiwa day was both sad and good. But, why did I even want to go a funeral for a man whom I only knew by voice, and who, although linked to jazz, was not even a musician?
Koyama-san and his Jazz Tonight program I listened to since at least the early 2000s. For more than sixteen years, while my life in Japan has been filled with huge uncertainties, he has been here Saturday nights on the radio, reliable, keeping me connected to the world's music and opening my ears to music from Japan I would not know without him. Listening to him always made me feel good, no matter what had happened in my life during the week or what was coming up in the weeks ahead. Koyama-san and Jazz Tonight were my respite. How well can I replace that comfort?
Koyama-san, thank you for helping this foreigner feel good in Japan. Please rest well in jazz heaven.
NHK Radio, thank you for giving Koyama-san a way to connect with us. Please encourage other DJs to continue doing what he did so well.
To Koyama-san's surviving family members: Please care well for yourselves now, and thank you for supporting and sharing Kiyoshi with us.
The Smallest Box by David Gregory
She came over to my table and asked if I remembered her.
“That’s my boyfriend over there.”
Their table hugged a pillar blocking the sunny Tokyo Bay view enjoyed by the other customers that afternoon in Chiba’s AquaRink ice skating facility café.
“Maybe we will marry next year.”
On my way out, I stopped to congratulate the potential groom to be. What I later heard happened with Hiromi and Hiroshi that night at another place also close to the bay sounded so too good to be true that I visited that place to confirm it really happened. It did.
Hiroshi had reserved for the course menu that night at OCEAN TABLE, next to Chiba Port, on the second floor, where tables sat by the huge windows facing Chiba Port Tower and Tokyo Bay. No view-blocking pillars there. And they had a wait, even with their reservation, because it was Christmas Eve, which in Japan matters much more than the following day; the Eve is the year’s couples’ night out, and single women without dates that night can feel their whole year was wasted.
Hiroshi had changed into a suit after skating, and had urged Hiromi, against her protests about overdressing, into a plaid one-piece, raising expectations. They had never come to a place this nice, one requiring reservations. Saizeriya was more their speed: fast faux-Italian, cheap, and everywhere.
The unexpected wait made Hiroshi antsy. He relaxed and all was perfect after they were seated.
They talked. They ate the Christmas Dinner courses. They ignored the soft Christmas background music. They admired the gleaming, golden Christmas Tree rising from the first-floor buffet area through the open center space across from their table. They could see outside the sparkling flashes and half the tree in Port Tower’s Christmas Illumination, and beyond, the lights from the ships on and facilities around Tokyo Bay, appearing almost twinkling. Perfect—but not for Hiromi.
She went to the toilet. Still he had not asked. The day was done. The reservation system only allowed them two hours there. They had been together all day. He had remembered her birthday-just by coincidence, also that day-with a necklace at AquaRink. Nice, but was that all? He had pestered her since early December about what Christmas present she wanted until she had finally exploded with, “Nothing! Don’t you know I just want a proposal?!” And had added she wanted it to be a surprise. Here he had the perfect chance, and he was wasting it.
She could try enjoying what was left of the evening. Dessert was next. At least here was better than Saizeriya….She was still stuck when she returned to the table, and had no chance to do or say anything, anyway. It was his toilet turn.
Their desserts came. Hiromi sat and waited and pondered the future. Outside, the tower stood alone against the dark sky and Tokyo Bay’s inky darkness.
Their desserts waited. Maybe his tooth was bothering him again. Maybe he was just tolerating it to make the night go well. Maybe for her. Maybe she should go to check on him. Wait-maybe she just heard his voice across the room.
No, only Santa Claus, posing for photographs with diners at the far table. He then started circling the room, giving a small present from his big sack at each table. She could check after he was done.
Hiroshi still had not returned to his seat when Santa reached their table. He handed Hiromi a big, red stocking, by far the room’s largest gift, accompanied by a squeaky, “Atari! You’re a lucky one!” Yeah. She set it aside and Santa moved on. What was he still doing in the toilet?
Santa finished his round, returned to Hiromi, and pointed at her unopened stocking with squeaky, “Un! Un!” grunts. The other diners had opened their presents. She forced a smile and said she was waiting for her boyfriend to return. “Un! Un!”
When Hiromi still resisted, Santa took the stocking in his white-gloved hands and opened it himself. Out first came a big, pink box, heart shaped. He opened that and pulled out another heart-shaped box, and then, from inside that, another heart-shaped box. Another smaller, heart-shaped box followed. He removed from that an even smaller heart-shaped box, and thrust it to Hiromi with one more squeaky, “Un!”
Still gone. Well, he’d miss it. Hiromi obeyed Santa this time and opened it, the smallest box in the room …and her mind and face went blank.
After that frozen moment passed, Hiromi looked at Santa. The second shock hit, and more followed. Santa Claus had ripped off his gloves, furry hat, sunglasses, and huge, flowing beard. He took the box from her?she was still speechless?dropped onto one knee, held the open box out and up to her in both stretching hands, and said in a voice loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, “Hiromi-san, boku-to kekkon shite kudasai! Hiromi, please marry me!”
Outside, to anybody looking, Port Tower’s Christmas Illumination still flashed, and the lights on and around Tokyo Bay still appeared almost twinkling. Inside OCEAN TABLE, on the second floor, everything was happening so fast that Hiromi just did not know which was more difficult to believe: Hiroshi and the ring he first tried slipping onto the finger on her right hand, the one he had taken in his before she held out her left hand, or the following PAN! and PAN! PAN! PAN! PAN! PAN! and PAN! PAN! and PAN! explosions ripping and ribbons shooting around the room as diners at the floor’s other tables popped the party crackers they had found with the notes in their presents from Santa Claus.
Copyright © 2018 David L. Gregory All rights reserved.
I Did It! by David Gregory
She had been here before. But, those were tour-guided or hand-held visits. After living most of her life in white-bread suburban USA, driving everywhere, shopping in giant malls and supermarkets, and needing only one currency and one language, my mother ventured out on her own, within and beyond Chiba, during one trip to Japan. From her notes, here are Dorothy's...
ADVENTURES IN JAPAN
Grocery Shopping in Neighborhood―Walk five blocks...buy only one bag...walk five blocks back. Survived it!
Shopping in City Center―Walk six blocks to bus stop. Ride bus fifteen minutes. Arrive at stores. Walk around. Look. Decide: cookies.
Buying: “Ikura desu-ka how much?” Hmm. “Kakimasu kudasai write please.”
Paying options: give large bill, let clerk figure change, or open change purse, let clerk take out correct amount. Decide to just give some cash.
Clerk shakes her head (“NO! MORE!”), then counts out correct amount needed from register and shows me. I mimic her action from my change purse. Smiles! Deep bows with many, “Arigato gozaimasu thank you very much!”-es.
(My error: thought there was decimal point in Yen price....)
Open cookies, expecting pirouettes with chocolate centers. Instead, peanut butter waffle rolls, no chocolate. No wonder, now I see peanut sketch on package. “Shoganai can’t be changed,” I did it to myself. It could have been worse!
~~~
Travelling to Visit Friend’s Family on Other Side of Chiba―Walk ten blocks to train. Purchase ticket. Electronic lady on ticket machine screen says, “Arigato gozaimasu” and bows. Ride train twenty minutes, watching for correct stop, get off, walk seven blocks to house. I did it myself!
Visiting Hisae Overnight―My Japanese study partner in USA returned to Japan, now lives on other side of Tokyo Bay.
Take large purse and large tote bag with jacket, nightie, toothbrush, cosmetics. Walk six blocks to bus stop. Ride bus to train station. Ride train eighty minutes to Yokohama. Find correct exit from station. EASY. Did not even look at note in pocket explaining route and Japanese signs. And, look! Hisae and three-year old Kei are waiting! “Hello!” they say! Many hugs!
I did it!
Then, still more travel: train together fifteen minutes, short taxi uphill to lovely apartment, sunny and bright.
Returning to Chiba, just reverse process. Next time, we can meet at a station halfway in between. I can do it.
I can do it!
Copyright (C) 2015 David Gregory. All rights reserved. Chiba, Japan
Book Review
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 11 2018Cherry Blossoms in the Time of Earthquakes and Tsunami
by Rey Ventura Reviewed by Randy Swank video maker and scriptwriter Rey Ventura won the 2015 National Book Award for his third collection of essays, Cherry Blossoms in the Time of Earthquakes and Tsunami, but for some strange twist of fate you will find very little information on this book. You can’t even buy it on Amazon. This is a shame because Cherry Blossoms... is a beautiful, insightful and thought-provoking book. |
Cherry Blossoms in the Time of Earthquakes and Tsunami |
In "Miniskirts and Stilettos" we meet Ginto, a young lady who comes to Japan dreaming of making it big as a singer and entertainer but has to deal instead with a much darker reality; while "Mr. Suzuki Tries Again" and "Into the Snow Country" are tragicomic tales of arranged marriages where the dreams and expectations of bride-starved farmers from Japan's Deep North clash with those of young Filipino women who want to escape their poverty and go into marriage "as a girl goes into a convent." Ventura tells these stories with a great eye for detail and manages to find a ray of light even in the darkest corners, or poetry in the midst of a nuclear disaster. The book's first essay is called "The Slow Boat to Manila" and indeed, slowness is the first word that comes to mind when considering Ventura's approach to writing. Everything Ventura does is slow. He is no magazine reporter after all, and will spend days or even months getting to know a person he wants to write about. That's the kind of personal commitment and deep connection with his subject that one feels when reading his essays. |
Tokyo Fab
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 30, 2025
Pride Festival
The Pride Festival is one of the main attractions of the two-day Tokyo Pride event held at the Yoyogi Park Event Plaza. The venue will provide a place for the LGBTQ+ community to connect with other organizations, NPOs, restaurants, and businesses from Japan and abroad that support the LGBTQ+ community, as well as LGBTQ+ community organizations, to exhibit their booths. In addition, the outdoor stage (Pride Stage) will feature stage performances that transcend gender, sexuality, and genre, attracting visitors to the event.
2025.6.7 (Sat) & 6.8 (Sun) @ Yoyogi Park (Harajuku Sta. on JR Line)
Pride Parade
A pride parade (also known as pride event, pride festival, pride march, or pride protest) is an event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, legal rights, and pride. The events sometimes also serve as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage. Pride Parades have been held in major cities around the world for more than 50 years to demand the rights and dignity of sexual minorities. Tokyo Pride 2025 will be held on Sunday, June 8, 2025 under the theme “Same Life, Same Rights”.
2025.6.8 (Sun) 12:00pm @ Yoyogi Event Plaza (Harajuku Sta. on JR Line)
Have You Been To...
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 30, 2025
Atami Bay Resort [Atami, Shizuoka]
Atami is a hot spring paradise with springs springing up all over the place, and Atami Bay Resort Korakuen is highly recommended. In addition to Atami's first infinity standing bath, there are also two types of bedrock baths, and a special candle-lighting system that uses sounds and scents to create a relaxing atmosphere! It is a healing resort where women can relax all day long.
Lake Kawaguchi [Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi]
If you want to see a spectacular view, please visit Lake Kawaguchi. Purple lavenders bloom in Kawaguchiko Yagisaki Park and Oishi Park. The “Herb Festival” is held from late June to early July every year, and visitors can enjoy the spectacular view of "Mt! Various events are held on weekends at the festival site, and the area is also lined with food and drink stalls selling local specialties and products.
Kiso Fukushima Onsen [Kiso, Nagano]
In the rich natural environment with the Kiso River flowing in front of you, you can spend a relaxing time in the “Kiso no Shan”, one of the eight scenic spots in Kiso. We welcome our guests with natural hot spring baths and cuisine using seasonal ingredients from Shinshu. The high quality Minami-Kiso hot spring, the magnificent nature, and the luxury of time can be enjoyed.
Higashi Ushirobata Rice Terraces [Nagato, Yamaguchi]
If you are looking for a spot in western Japan with a spectacular view, be sure to visit the Higashi Gohata Rice Terraces in Yamaguchi, a rare example of terraced rice fields overlooking the Sea of Japan. The terraced rice paddies can be enjoyed all year round, but the period from May to June, when the paddies are flooded, is especially popular.
Tokyo Voice Column
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD TNB Throwback: SEPTEMBER 30. 2016
Tonkotsu Time by Jay Lookyman
A friend of mine from the US sent me a mail last week: Do you know Tonkotsu Ramen?
I thought it was a joke, but then realized that he doesn't know the secret of my supreme inner happiness - Tonkotsu ramen. The greatest invention since the wheel and definitely the reason man discovered fire.
Can there be a greater fast food on the planet? Is there anything else that turns zombified burnt out wrecks into super-salarymen who can work 20 hours a day. It is the true driving force of the economy. Nature's Red Bull. Without it, Japan would probably collapse overnight.
After explaining the marvels, I asked how he knew about it. He then explained he was a on new diet to lose weight known as the Paleo or "Caveman" diet and that is how he found out about tonkotsu!
What so Cavemen liked tonkotsu too?
Essentially yes, just without the noodles.
So he goes onto explain this Flintstones Diet. The idea is that we only eat what cavemen did. So we eat meat, fat, fruit and vegetables, but avoid what they did not - so nothing farmed or processed such as wheat or rice, hence the noodles. This more organic and natural approach to nutrition apparently offers huge benefits such as increased energy and a decreased risk of diabetes and obesity due to cut in sugar, the current public enemy no.1.
Apparently the bone broth that is tonkotsu soup is full of nutrients and good fats.
Glad to see the rest of the world has caught up with this noble food. See, Japanese food really is healthy! Itadakimasu!
先週、アメリカの友人からメールが来た。「とんこつらーめん、知ってるかい？」
最初、冗談かと思ったが、待てよ、僕の内なる至福が、とんこつらーめんにある事を友人は知らない。自動車以来の大発明であり、まさに、人が火を発見したのと同様、自然ななりゆきだ。
地球上でこのような偉大なファーストフードが他にあるだろうか。魂が抜けて、くたくたに疲れた人を一日２０時間バリバリ働けるスーパーサラリーマンへと変えてくれる物があるだろうか。経済を押し上げる源となる。自然のレッドブル（エナジードリンク）だ。とんこつらーめんがなかったら、日本はおそらく崩壊していたにちがいない。
とんこつらーめんの素晴らしさを説明した後、友人にとんこつらーめんをどうして知ったのか聞いた。彼は『原始時代ーケイブマン（石器時代人間）ダイエット』なる新らしいダイエット法で体重を落とそうとがんばっているそうだ。そのダイエット法により、とんこつに出会ったという。
ケイブマンもとんこつが好きだったのかい？
基本、イエスだけど、麺ぬきだよ。
友人はケイブマン・ダイエットについて延々と話しだした。ケイブマンが食べていた物だけを食べるダイエット法だそうだ。肉、脂肪、フルーツ、野菜は食べていいが、ケイブマンが食べなかった物は口にしない。つまり田畑で栽培されたり、加工されたもの、つまり麦とか米とかは食べない。いわんや麺なんてもっての他だ。添加物のない自然食品から栄養をとることで、精力をつけ、社会の敵ナンバー１の砂糖を摂取しないことで糖尿病や肥満のリスクを減らす大きな利点があるとのことだ。
軟骨や骨の髄からでる煮汁、とんこつスープは栄養素が豊富で高品質の脂肪だそうだ。
他の国々でもこの栄養価の高い食べ物に気づき始めたのを知ってよかった。ほら、日本食は本当にヘルシーなんだから！ いただきます！
MUSEUM -What's Going on?-
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 16. 2025
30th Anniversary Exhibit Nine Profiles: 1935→2025
To mark this milestone 30th anniversary, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo presents “Nine Profiles: 1935→2025,” a survey of 90 years of art exhibited over nine rooms, each dedicated to a different ten-year period. Despite covering so many decades―just as the museum’s exhibitions did when it first opened―each room succeeds in revisiting the collection from multiple different perspectives. 1935 was chosen as the starting point due to the acquisition over time of a considerable number of works from the prewar and wartime periods, allowing links with postwar art to be identified; while the explicit naming of the year 2025 as the end point indicates that this is a view of the collection as it is right here, right now.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo collection currently stands at around 6,000 items, and is also far more diverse than it was 30 years ago. Constantly being updated, it will duly pass to the next generation incomplete, but various profiles emerge depending on where we focus, and how those features are presented. We hope “Nine Profiles: 1935→2025” will encourage visitors to take a fresh look at the art of our era, and ponder how the past has brought us to where we are now.
TSURUOKA Masao, Rhythm, 1935 (1954)
・90 years of contemporary art laid out across nine rooms, extending from the 1st to the 3rd floor
Starting from 1935, the exhibition will trace 90 years of art through nine rooms separated by decades. By selecting and exhibiting works created during each decade based on certain perspectives, we are not only revealing aspects of each era of art, but also attempting to draw out profiles that call to mind characteristics of our collection.
Period: - Monday (Hol.), 21 July 2025
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Collection Gallery
Closed: Mondays (except Jul 21), May 7
Hours: 10:00-18:00 (last admission 30 minutes before? closing)
Admission: Adults － 500 yen / University & College Students － 400 yen / High School Students, Over 65 － 250 yen / Free for under Junior High School Students
For more information, please visit
Risako KOKUBU Solo Exhibition “Optical Strike”
CASHI is pleased to present Optical Strike, a solo exhibition by artist Risako Kokubu.
Born in Tokyo in 1999, Kokubu is currently enrolled in the Department of New Media at the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts. Her paintings distill early perceptual experiences and encounters with video-game screens into abstract forms, expressed through gestural lines and vivid colors. She has gained attention through exhibitions such as her solo show Empyrean Sparkle (2025, Gallery & Restaurant Butaiura, Tokyo) and the group exhibition sandbox (2024, CASHI, Tokyo).
In Optical Strike, Kokubu presents a new body of work exploring the visual impact and sense of interaction she experienced as a child using Flipnote Studio, a Nintendo DSiWare application known in Japan as Ugoku Memo-ch? (“Moving Notepad”).
Risako KOKUBU To the Sea of Nostalgia 2025
Photo by Hana Yamamoto
Released by Nintendo in 2004, the Nintendo DS was a groundbreaking handheld console with dual screens and a touchscreen interface. It became a cultural touchstone for an entire generation―children gathered in parks after school, while adults were often seen playing during their commute. Through multiple iterations―including the DS Lite, DSi, and 3DS―the system remained central to gaming culture for more than a decade.
In Optical Strike, Kokubu channels these early encounters with moving images and embodied perception, capturing flashes of sensory intensity on canvas. We invite you to experience these visual strikes firsthand.
Period: Fri. 16 May － Sat. 14 June, 2025 (Sat)
Venue: CASHI
Closed: Sunday, Monday & Tuesday
Hours: 12:00～18:00 (admission 30 minutes before? closing)
Admission: Free
Strange but True
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 30. 2025
WiFi Hazard
One man has had enough with his neighbour's demands, as she's not asking for things he can reasonably control and is instead making "outrageous" suggestions. The man said his neighbour has frustrated him in the past by telling him his "aura is too digital" and claiming to have a "telepathic connection with crystals". However, none of that really impacted his own life, so he was happy to ignore it and allow her to do her own thing. That was until recently, when the woman knocked on his door to "talk about" his WiFi router. His neighbour turned up at his doorstep holding a small potted plant and a "diagram of a WiFi signal", and made the outlandish claim that his WiFi was "disrupting the vibrational energy of her succulents". She argued the plants had been fine until the man got a new modem. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that a WiFi signal can impact a plant's growth, as the signal is non-ionising and low-energy, meaning it doesn't have enough power to cause cellular damage to plants or humans. However, a plant placed too close to a router might end up with some scorched leaves or wilting due to the excessive heat that a router can produce.
Nuisance Neighbours
How do you deal with harassment from a neighbour when it's getting to the point where it's every day? The lawyer clarified that if problems have occurred more than twice, "it can be reported to the police" and noted many neighbours are going to the extent of setting up logs or installing CCTV cameras to catch people in the act of harassment to further strengthen their case when it's taken further. He also pointed out that it “doesn’t have to be in a domestic setting” for the police to get involved - you can also report harassment at work, or even by “the same person who walks past you” each day. According to Citizens Advice, you can report harassment to the police.
Links
Guesthouse Tokyo
10 minutes to Ikebukuro.
Interhouse
safe and accessible solution for your accommodation needs in Tokyo.
Sakura House
1830 monthly furnished rooms at 204 locations in Tokyo.
TOKYO ROOM FINDER
Contact our international team that will assist you in finding housing
and overcoming any communication barriers in Japan!
J&F Plaza
Furnished & unfurnished guesthouses and apartments in Tokyo.
May Flower House
Tokyo furnished apartments. Ginza, Roppongi, Yotsuya and more.
TenTen Guesthouse
33,000yen/30 days for working holiday students.
GOOD ROOM TOKYO
Share room, Private room, under 50,000yen
MOVE JAPAN
Private furnished rooms in Tokyo with free internet. Call us first or call us last!
Tokyomove.com
Hassle free moving starts from 6000yen.
Tokyo Helping Hands
Very flexible working hours to effectly help you with moving, deliveries, disposal, storage and more!
AirNet Travel
We'll cut you the best air ticket deals anywhere.
Fun Travel
Discount air travel & package tours 2min from Roppongi Stn.
No.1 Travel
We go the extra mile for you. International air tickets and hotels.
JR Tokai Tours
Top-value travel to Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya from Tokyo by Shinkansen.
Matsuda Legal Office
All kinds of Visa, Immigration & Naturalization, International Marriage etc.
Futaba Visa Office
Licensed immigration lawyer & certified public tax consultant.
American Pharmacy
English speaking pharmacy since 1950.
Tokyo Skin Clinic
EU-licensed multi lingual doctors.
Tax-free AKKY
Japanese Appliance, Watch, Souvenirs
Tokyo Speed Dating
1st Sat. & 3rd Sun. at Bari n Roppongi ETC.
Tokyo Spontaneous
Picnic, Parties, Language exchange
TMA
Japanese women & Western men.
Tokyo Fab
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 30, 2025Pride Festival
The Pride Festival is one of the main attractions of the two-day Tokyo Pride event held at the Yoyogi Park Event Plaza. The venue will provide a place for the LGBTQ+ community to connect with other organizations, NPOs, restaurants, and businesses from Japan and abroad that support the LGBTQ+ community, as well as LGBTQ+ community organizations, to exhibit their booths. In addition, the outdoor stage (Pride Stage) will feature stage performances that transcend gender, sexuality, and genre, attracting visitors to the event.
2025.6.7 (Sat) & 6.8 (Sun) @ Yoyogi Park (Harajuku Sta. on JR Line)
Pride Parade
A pride parade (also known as pride event, pride festival, pride march, or pride protest) is an event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, legal rights, and pride. The events sometimes also serve as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage. Pride Parades have been held in major cities around the world for more than 50 years to demand the rights and dignity of sexual minorities. Tokyo Pride 2025 will be held on Sunday, June 8, 2025 under the theme “Same Life, Same Rights”.
2025.6.8 (Sun) 12:00pm @ Yoyogi Event Plaza (Harajuku Sta. on JR Line)
Have You Been To...
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 30, 2025Atami Bay Resort [Atami, Shizuoka]
Atami is a hot spring paradise with springs springing up all over the place, and Atami Bay Resort Korakuen is highly recommended. In addition to Atami's first infinity standing bath, there are also two types of bedrock baths, and a special candle-lighting system that uses sounds and scents to create a relaxing atmosphere! It is a healing resort where women can relax all day long.
Lake Kawaguchi [Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi]
If you want to see a spectacular view, please visit Lake Kawaguchi. Purple lavenders bloom in Kawaguchiko Yagisaki Park and Oishi Park. The “Herb Festival” is held from late June to early July every year, and visitors can enjoy the spectacular view of "Mt! Various events are held on weekends at the festival site, and the area is also lined with food and drink stalls selling local specialties and products.
Kiso Fukushima Onsen [Kiso, Nagano]
In the rich natural environment with the Kiso River flowing in front of you, you can spend a relaxing time in the “Kiso no Shan”, one of the eight scenic spots in Kiso. We welcome our guests with natural hot spring baths and cuisine using seasonal ingredients from Shinshu. The high quality Minami-Kiso hot spring, the magnificent nature, and the luxury of time can be enjoyed.
Higashi Ushirobata Rice Terraces [Nagato, Yamaguchi]
If you are looking for a spot in western Japan with a spectacular view, be sure to visit the Higashi Gohata Rice Terraces in Yamaguchi, a rare example of terraced rice fields overlooking the Sea of Japan. The terraced rice paddies can be enjoyed all year round, but the period from May to June, when the paddies are flooded, is especially popular.
Tokyo Voice Column
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD TNB Throwback: SEPTEMBER 30. 2016Tonkotsu Time by Jay Lookyman
A friend of mine from the US sent me a mail last week: Do you know Tonkotsu Ramen?
I thought it was a joke, but then realized that he doesn't know the secret of my supreme inner happiness - Tonkotsu ramen. The greatest invention since the wheel and definitely the reason man discovered fire.
Can there be a greater fast food on the planet? Is there anything else that turns zombified burnt out wrecks into super-salarymen who can work 20 hours a day. It is the true driving force of the economy. Nature's Red Bull. Without it, Japan would probably collapse overnight.
After explaining the marvels, I asked how he knew about it. He then explained he was a on new diet to lose weight known as the Paleo or "Caveman" diet and that is how he found out about tonkotsu!
What so Cavemen liked tonkotsu too?
Essentially yes, just without the noodles.
So he goes onto explain this Flintstones Diet. The idea is that we only eat what cavemen did. So we eat meat, fat, fruit and vegetables, but avoid what they did not - so nothing farmed or processed such as wheat or rice, hence the noodles. This more organic and natural approach to nutrition apparently offers huge benefits such as increased energy and a decreased risk of diabetes and obesity due to cut in sugar, the current public enemy no.1.
Apparently the bone broth that is tonkotsu soup is full of nutrients and good fats.
Glad to see the rest of the world has caught up with this noble food. See, Japanese food really is healthy! Itadakimasu!
先週、アメリカの友人からメールが来た。「とんこつらーめん、知ってるかい？」
最初、冗談かと思ったが、待てよ、僕の内なる至福が、とんこつらーめんにある事を友人は知らない。自動車以来の大発明であり、まさに、人が火を発見したのと同様、自然ななりゆきだ。
地球上でこのような偉大なファーストフードが他にあるだろうか。魂が抜けて、くたくたに疲れた人を一日２０時間バリバリ働けるスーパーサラリーマンへと変えてくれる物があるだろうか。経済を押し上げる源となる。自然のレッドブル（エナジードリンク）だ。とんこつらーめんがなかったら、日本はおそらく崩壊していたにちがいない。
とんこつらーめんの素晴らしさを説明した後、友人にとんこつらーめんをどうして知ったのか聞いた。彼は『原始時代ーケイブマン（石器時代人間）ダイエット』なる新らしいダイエット法で体重を落とそうとがんばっているそうだ。そのダイエット法により、とんこつに出会ったという。
ケイブマンもとんこつが好きだったのかい？
基本、イエスだけど、麺ぬきだよ。
友人はケイブマン・ダイエットについて延々と話しだした。ケイブマンが食べていた物だけを食べるダイエット法だそうだ。肉、脂肪、フルーツ、野菜は食べていいが、ケイブマンが食べなかった物は口にしない。つまり田畑で栽培されたり、加工されたもの、つまり麦とか米とかは食べない。いわんや麺なんてもっての他だ。添加物のない自然食品から栄養をとることで、精力をつけ、社会の敵ナンバー１の砂糖を摂取しないことで糖尿病や肥満のリスクを減らす大きな利点があるとのことだ。
軟骨や骨の髄からでる煮汁、とんこつスープは栄養素が豊富で高品質の脂肪だそうだ。
他の国々でもこの栄養価の高い食べ物に気づき始めたのを知ってよかった。ほら、日本食は本当にヘルシーなんだから！ いただきます！
MUSEUM -What's Going on?-
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 16. 202530th Anniversary Exhibit Nine Profiles: 1935→2025 To mark this milestone 30th anniversary, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo presents “Nine Profiles: 1935→2025,” a survey of 90 years of art exhibited over nine rooms, each dedicated to a different ten-year period. Despite covering so many decades―just as the museum’s exhibitions did when it first opened―each room succeeds in revisiting the collection from multiple different perspectives. 1935 was chosen as the starting point due to the acquisition over time of a considerable number of works from the prewar and wartime periods, allowing links with postwar art to be identified; while the explicit naming of the year 2025 as the end point indicates that this is a view of the collection as it is right here, right now. |
TSURUOKA Masao, Rhythm, 1935 (1954) |
・90 years of contemporary art laid out across nine rooms, extending from the 1st to the 3rd floor |
Period: - Monday (Hol.), 21 July 2025
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Collection Gallery
Closed: Mondays (except Jul 21), May 7
Hours: 10:00-18:00 (last admission 30 minutes before? closing)
Admission: Adults － 500 yen / University & College Students － 400 yen / High School Students, Over 65 － 250 yen / Free for under Junior High School Students
For more information, please visit
Risako KOKUBU Solo Exhibition “Optical Strike” CASHI is pleased to present Optical Strike, a solo exhibition by artist Risako Kokubu. |
Risako KOKUBU To the Sea of Nostalgia 2025 |
Released by Nintendo in 2004, the Nintendo DS was a groundbreaking handheld console with dual screens and a touchscreen interface. It became a cultural touchstone for an entire generation―children gathered in parks after school, while adults were often seen playing during their commute. Through multiple iterations―including the DS Lite, DSi, and 3DS―the system remained central to gaming culture for more than a decade. |
Period: Fri. 16 May － Sat. 14 June, 2025 (Sat)
Venue: CASHI
Closed: Sunday, Monday & Tuesday
Hours: 12:00～18:00 (admission 30 minutes before? closing)
Admission: Free
Strange but True
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD MAY 30. 2025WiFi Hazard
One man has had enough with his neighbour's demands, as she's not asking for things he can reasonably control and is instead making "outrageous" suggestions. The man said his neighbour has frustrated him in the past by telling him his "aura is too digital" and claiming to have a "telepathic connection with crystals". However, none of that really impacted his own life, so he was happy to ignore it and allow her to do her own thing. That was until recently, when the woman knocked on his door to "talk about" his WiFi router. His neighbour turned up at his doorstep holding a small potted plant and a "diagram of a WiFi signal", and made the outlandish claim that his WiFi was "disrupting the vibrational energy of her succulents". She argued the plants had been fine until the man got a new modem. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that a WiFi signal can impact a plant's growth, as the signal is non-ionising and low-energy, meaning it doesn't have enough power to cause cellular damage to plants or humans. However, a plant placed too close to a router might end up with some scorched leaves or wilting due to the excessive heat that a router can produce.
Nuisance Neighbours
How do you deal with harassment from a neighbour when it's getting to the point where it's every day? The lawyer clarified that if problems have occurred more than twice, "it can be reported to the police" and noted many neighbours are going to the extent of setting up logs or installing CCTV cameras to catch people in the act of harassment to further strengthen their case when it's taken further. He also pointed out that it “doesn’t have to be in a domestic setting” for the police to get involved - you can also report harassment at work, or even by “the same person who walks past you” each day. According to Citizens Advice, you can report harassment to the police.
Links
Guesthouse Tokyo10 minutes to Ikebukuro. Interhousesafe and accessible solution for your accommodation needs in Tokyo. Sakura House1830 monthly furnished rooms at 204 locations in Tokyo. TOKYO ROOM FINDERContact our international team that will assist you in finding housing and overcoming any communication barriers in Japan! |
J&F PlazaFurnished & unfurnished guesthouses and apartments in Tokyo. May Flower HouseTokyo furnished apartments. Ginza, Roppongi, Yotsuya and more. TenTen Guesthouse33,000yen/30 days for working holiday students. GOOD ROOM TOKYOShare room, Private room, under 50,000yen |
MOVE JAPANPrivate furnished rooms in Tokyo with free internet. Call us first or call us last! Tokyomove.comHassle free moving starts from 6000yen. |
Tokyo Helping HandsVery flexible working hours to effectly help you with moving, deliveries, disposal, storage and more! |
AirNet TravelWe'll cut you the best air ticket deals anywhere. Fun TravelDiscount air travel & package tours 2min from Roppongi Stn. |
No.1 TravelWe go the extra mile for you. International air tickets and hotels. JR Tokai ToursTop-value travel to Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya from Tokyo by Shinkansen. |
Matsuda Legal OfficeAll kinds of Visa, Immigration & Naturalization, International Marriage etc. |
Futaba Visa OfficeLicensed immigration lawyer & certified public tax consultant. |
|
American PharmacyEnglish speaking pharmacy since 1950. |
Tokyo Skin ClinicEU-licensed multi lingual doctors. |
|
Tax-free AKKYJapanese Appliance, Watch, Souvenirs |
Tokyo Speed Dating1st Sat. & 3rd Sun. at Bari n Roppongi ETC. Tokyo SpontaneousPicnic, Parties, Language exchange |
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TMAJapanese women & Western men. |
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50 Shades of Yikess
