The R3dragon’s Blog

Today the Hokkai University treated the surrounding schools to a one day bus tour of two local attractions: The Yamaguchi Koen and the Nikka Whisky distillery. The Yamaguchi Koen is a grape/fruit farm where I think they also make wine. The Nikka Whisky distillery is an old (1934) distillery that brews Scottish style whisky. For [...]

Ok big post: Instead of breaking this into two posts I wanted to write it as one big post. On September 20th and on the 27th (yesterday) a group of us LC students and other foreigners got the privilage to visit a Japanese elementary school (Sho-gaku). The experience was one I’ll never forget. The school [...]

I’m not sure if this made American News, but this is very big news in Japan. From The Japan Times Online: Abe made prime minister *New* Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Earlier in the day, Abe was elected prime minister with the majority vote held by the LDP and its coalition partner, New Komeito, in [...]

On Wednesdays I don’t have morning classes, so this wednesday I decided to check out the Atsubetsu Ward Pool (プール). The pool is near the Shin-Sapporo Station, McDonalds, and other Government Offices. When I arrived I thought it looked like a fairly modern pool. It was 9:30am and the pool opened at 10:00am. They still [...]

Today I registered for my *extra classes* today on top of Japanese class. The extra classes i’m taking is Japanese Society through film and Intro to Shinto & Christianity in Japan. Last week I was able to sample most of the classes offered to forigners and those two seemed like interesting choices. Mind you, these [...]

Beware the Japanese KAMI-KAZE-KOLD…! If you’ve been following along you know that i’ve been under a tough cold that refuses to go. It’s been traveling from the boy (kei) to me, then on to the Dad (June-chan), and now it’s plaguing the mom (Na-chan). The Japanese word for this cold is *”Kaze” (かぜ). However, this [...]

Maybe it makes no difference or maybe it makes all the difference in the world, but I never thought that I’d be sitting at the table with a Japanese family at 6pm on a sunday listening to Pink Floyd’s “The great big gig in the sky.” Yeah… Pink Floyd rocks here too. We’re all just [...]

Having lived in America for years I’ve grown accustomed to certain combinations like: Burgers & Coke; Doughnuts and Bagels & Coffee; and Cookies with Mocha. Never in my life would I think of coffee and burgers being a good combo, yet Moss Burger, The Japanese Fine Burger and Coffee some how makes this combo work. [...]

The Centennial Memorial Tower and Nopporo Forest ParkSo I couldn’t help it. Everyday I ride past this giant tower. It makes me think I’m more in Qo’noS (the Klingon Homeworld) then Sapporo, Japan, Earth. (don’t ask me how I know that). I had to figure out what this thing is all about… So after the [...]

Today I flipped through a Japanese “What’s happening in Sapporo” and it mentioned a flea market (Read: Swap meet) happening near my house at the Atsubetsu Ward Office Parking Lot. (For those who know were I live, it’s next to the Shin-Sapporo Station) So off on my route…. taking the 12 down to the Micky-d’s [...]