Festivals - Recontracting - Events - Winter tips - Onsens

TheAkitan

December-January Edition, Issue 4

Photo by Mark Dawson

Winter Welcome

Winter Survival Tips

Recontracting VoiceThread

February Festivals

Upcoming Events and Charity News

ALTs in the News

Powder!

Onsens

Lesson & Photo Corner

JALT & Call for Contributions

In this issue2

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9

11

13

21

23

25

29

37

Derek Lemieux

Renaud Davies

Photo by Mark Dawson Photo by Jeff Lowther

Steven Wilson

Winter Welcome

2

WRenaud Davies

renauddavies29@gmail.com 080-1658-4516

Winter Holidays: Dec. 22nd to Jan. 14th

Derek Lemieux derek.lemieux@gmail.com

080-6013-6528Winter Holidays: Dec. 23nd to Jan. 10th

Nikki Zywinanikki.zywina@gmail.com

090-6452-6454Winter Holidays: Dec. 21st to Jan. 12th

Randy Umetsurandy.umetsu@gmail.com

080-4576-1812Winter Holidays: Dec. 26th to Jan. 4th

AJET Peer Support Group Hotline: Everyday (8pm-7am)

Toll Free: 050-5534-5566

2

arm greetings to all of you shivering away under your Kotatsus. I hope that this December-January issue of the Akitan finds you all in good spirits. I, for one, am looking forward to the snow, so we can get some powder on the slopes. This issue of the Akitan is a stuffed stocking full of goodies and information you will need to get you through the cold months ahead. For those of you who have not experienced a full Akita winter before, you are in for a fun surprise! Akita’s winter is not lacking for entertainment with its variety of exciting festivals and winter sports.

Winter is also a time that brings with it colder temperatures and shorter daylight hours which can affect your normally genki selves. If you ever feel like you need someone to talk to for any reason at all, feel free to give one of the PAs a call. Our contact info and winter vacation details are listed on this page. Happy wintering! Your PAs.

Mark Dawson

Watch the Video!

Photo by Mark Dawson

inter in Akita is truly a unique experience and a little bit of preparation can take a lot of hassle out of your life. Here are a few things that are worth checking out.

How to drain the water from your pipes:

During the winter months, when you go to sleep or go on trips you should drain the water from your pipes. This is to prevent the water inside them from freezing. While most of the time a frozen pipe just means that water won’t come out of your tap, there are also cases where pipes burst. This is not only a huge hassle for you, but if water leaks down into the apartment below and damages your neighbor’s goods, you may be held financially responsible. As each apartment has very different ways to drain the water from your pipes, you should check with your supervisor or landlord on how to do it.

Changing to winter tires: 冬交換Everyone at this point should make sure they have changed their tires to winter ones. If you have not changed your tires and you own your car, you can take your winter tires to any car shop like Autobacks or Yellow Hat as well as most gas stands. The fee is about 500 yen per tire. It may be more if you bring your own tires. If you don’t own tires, they can check your car and find ones that fit. Prices vary depending on brand and size. Ask your sempai, block leaders or us about good places to go. If you are leasing a car, typically you do not need to pay for the tires, only the fee to change them. However, this will depend on your lease contract.

Driving:

You should also make sure to change to winter windshield wiper blades if you want your wipers to still be functional in the spring. Here are some simple tips for safe winter driving:

1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.

2.Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.

3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.

Winter SurvivalW

Winter

Tips!

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4

If your rear wheels skid...

1. Take your foot off the accelerator.

2. Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right.

3. If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.

4. If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.

5. If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.

If your front wheels skid...

1. Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don't try to steer immediately.

2. As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.

6. Don't use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.

7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.

8. Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.

9. Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

10. Remember to clear the snow from your wheel wells when you park your car or they may freeze and cause your wheels to spin.

Winter Driving Continued...

If you get stuck...

1. Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.

2. Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.

3. Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.

4. Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.

5. Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.

6. Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner's manual first — it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you're in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.

Sources: National Safety Council, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Washington State Government Information & Services

Winter

Tips!

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Winter Driving Survival Kit

It’s a good idea to keep a winter survival kit in your vehicle. Having essential supplies can provide some comfort and safety for you and your passengers should you become stranded.

Recommended items include:

Ice scraper/snowbrushShovelSand or other traction aidTow rope or chainBooster cablesRoad flares or warning lightsGas line antifreezeFlashlight and batteriesFirst aid kitFire extinguisherSmall tool kitExtra clothing and footwearBlanketNon-perishable energy foods – e.g., chocolate or granola bars, juice, soup, bottled waterCandle and a small tin canMatches

Did you know?

Not only can the candle and small tin help with lighting, but they can also generate some heat while waiting for help.

To Do List

Confirm your holiday plans with your Supervisor and anyone affected

by the change in your schedule

Send a brief itinerary of your travel plans to the PAs and your

Supervisor

Carry your Passport, Residence Card, JET Accident Insurance Policy

(and photocopies) with you

Leave copies of your passport identification page, itinerary, and insurance policy with friends or family.

To re-enter Japan as a JET you must have your Residence Card

Anticipate financial needs, such as local currency　and departure tax.

Your home country may have tailored travel information

Australia Canada Ireland

Jamaica New Zealand Singapore

South Africa United Kingdom United States of America

Use covered parking or arrange to have a friend clear the snow from

your car

Before leaving turn off your water and drain the pipes (check with your

landlord)

NOTE: “International travelers who are seeking to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are now subject to enhanced security requirements and will

Travel & HealthWinter

Tips!

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Accident/Health Concerns: Although disasters and accidents are unlikely, you should always be prepared for emergencies. This means knowing the phone number of your people in your area who could help you (such as your supervisor or PA) in case you are in an accident or something happens to you. Also, research hospitals in your area before a situation arises where you need to go to one. The best resource for finding hospitals are the people in your area. You can also use the prefecture’s hospital finder website:

http://www.qq.pref.akita.jp/public/kikan/showSearchFormEng.do

(Note: You may have to type in the link as it often acts up in this pdf)

Remember, just because a doctor says they speak English does not mean he/she can necessarily provide the best care. Check out the website below to learn more about the medicine you are given in Japan!

http://www.rad-ar.or.jp/siori/english/index.html

Photo by Renaud Davies

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Watch the slide show

Recontracting Rec

ontra

cting

10

VoiceThread his year we are taking the recontracting presentation to an all new level. As sempai ALTs know, by the time we get to actually talk about recontracting at the block meetings, most have already made their decision. Furthermore, sempai JETs have A LOT of good advice to give. So, this year we are going to bring the recontracting discussion online as an interactive and collaborative VoiceThread presentation. This will allow first year ALTs to take their time going through the presentation asking as many questions as they like. Sempai ALTs can add information to the slideshow as well as comment and help to answer questions and concerns that the new folks have. The great thing about this new presentation is that you have the

ability to ask questions and comment anonymously. Note: All comments will be moderated.

So, sempai ALTs, please leave a few comments adding to what is written in the slideshow using text, voice or video. First year ALTs, please get

involved and ask as many questions as you like! We will have a final discussion at the block meetings in January building on the VoiceThread discussion.

How to comment:

There are two ways you can comment. One is to create your own VoiceThread account (it's free and takes 30 seconds). Two, you can use the account I created:

Email: renauddavies29@gmail.com and Password: english.

With the second option, once you log in, you can click on the character in the bottom left corner and choose from over 12 different characters.

Let us know if you have any questions. You can check out the Recontracting VoiceThread here.

Your PAs

T

“ This year we are going to bring the recontracting discussion online as an interactive and collaborative VoiceThread

presentation.”

JOIN NO

W!

Spoiler: The Recontracting VoiceThread will have a few special guest appearances from Akita Dai Sempais no longer on the

program!

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February

Namahage descend from the mountains holding torches and walk around the Shinzan Shrine before the sedo, a sacred fire that wards away evil spirits. They look for children who have been naughty, so if you have kids, look out!!

The town divides into two districts to carry out this Shinto ritual to Ichigami, the kami of trade. This is the biggest tug-of-war in all of Japan.  

Click here to see a video featuring

many of these great winter festivals!

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Festivals!

They say that if you eat candy on this day, you won’t catch a cold for the rest of the year – so the market is packed with people buying and selling all kinds of sweets.

Set fire to a sack of charcoal tied to a rope and swing like a mad man! The sacred fire acts as a prayer for health and good fortune for you and your family.

Inside these snow domes called kamakura, the water kami is honored in this 400-year-old festival. In the evening, children offer amazake (sweet, non-alcoholic rice wine) and sweets from within the cozy glowing kamakura.

12NOTE: Some dates may be different this year. Please double check them before making plans!

Upcoming Charity

Appi ski trip:

The almighty Appi weekend ski trip is back and better than ever this January 26th and coincides this year with the epic music and arts festival Appi Jazzy Sport. On Saturday we'll hit the slopes big time, return to Pension Mutti for some seriously delicious food (last year there was steak!), then either head out again for the festival and special night skiing, or relax in the private onsen and dorm, ready for another full day Sunday! 

One night accommodation, evening meal and breakfast, and two-day discounted lift ticket: 16,000 yen! 

Appi Jazzy Sport Advance tickets: 5,000 yen with one drink.

Sam 

Christmas caroling:

Cure your winter blues or celebrate your christmas spirit by coming down to Akita station on Sunday, December 16th and singing your heart out...for a good cause! The annual ALT christmas caroling is the best way to spend a few hours making money for orphans in Akita City. We hope, with the money raised, to buy a present for every child at the orphanage. From 10:30 until 2:30, we will be singing all of the classic Christmas songs (and a few more fun ones thrown in too!) so please show your support. Costumes, christmas items, instruments are ALL ENCOURAGED! Last year was a great success, with 50,000円 raised. Let's double it! 

Dave  

Events!

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Hello Akitans!!!

Greetings from volunteerAKITA!

As many of you are aware, vA is working with the city of Rikuzentakata to put on an event in summer of 2013. KK gave a brief introduction to the event at the Skills Development Conference in mid-October and we would now like to give everyone the information again as we have finalized a date with Amya Miller, the Global Public Relations Director of Rikuzentakata.

AUGUST 31st, 2013

Unfortunately, we didn't have much say on which date the event would be. We know that many of you will not be able to make it to the event. We also know that some of you will not have decided whether or not you will be in Japan at that time, and for those who will be in transition, this date will make things very inconvenient. However, there are also many bonuses to this date. The mayor and likely the deputy mayor will be there, students will be back from their own summer vacations, we might be able to work together with a Japanese youth group that volunteered last year, and we will have more time to publicize the event!

If you would like to participate and haven't already mailed us, please get in touch with us ASAP. If you are still unsure if you can participate or not, we'd rather overestimate our numbers than underestimate. This event can be a huge boost for their community and the Tohoku community, so if you are interested in helping, please let us know. What is important now is to get the word out to everyone. The final number of volunteers will be given to Amya as soon as possible. No one has to commit to any specific event (though please send any ideas you have for this event), we just want to get a tally.

Things to keep in mind!

1. ANYONE can volunteer for this event! Not just Tohoku JETs or even JETs at all. It is an international day of fun and friendship. Please be sure to contact Jon or myself to continue tallying numbers.

2. ANY sort of events are ok! If anyone is thinking of BBQing, please let us know as soon as possible! Other ideas have been, no bake cookies, sugar cookie decoration, sports events, English tea time, and a dunk tank (if anyone knows of anywhere that has a dunk tank...please let us know!!!)

3. Please get back to us ASAP about whether you can commit to the event! The city needs numbers so they can choose a location.

4. Please keep thinking of Rikuzentakata and the other coastal cities that were hit hard by the earthquake/tsunami. (For those who haven't read about Rikuzentakata and their mayor, Futoshi Toba-san, please read this

5. SPREAD the word!

Rik

uzen

taka

ta E

vent

vA

16

A Look B

ack

HURRICANE SANDY CARE PACKAGE TO NEW YORK

In the wake of the devastation by caused Hurricane Sandy, a number of ALTs, students and JTEs created a care package for the students and staff at a junior high school in New York. The project had humble beginnings starting out in a class of twenty-two students at Goshono Gakuin JHS. It quickly expanded into a prefectural-wide effort involving six schools and the letters, pictures and messages of support of over 730 students.

The 12.4 kg package was sent by air on November 26th. Inside was also over 100 boxes of Pocky chocolate and Akita omiyage sweets. These treats were kindly donated by ALTs, members of the local community and the students and teachers at Yuzawa Kita JHS.

The package was sent to Roosevelt Middle School, located on Long Island, New York. The area surrounding the school suffered extensive damage from the hurricane. While the school itself did not experience much structural damage, many of the homes of students and teachers did. Some continue to live in temporary housing or with relatives.

It is our hope that this package will lift the spirits of the students and teachers at Roosevelt Middle School. The whole project has been a very worthwhile experience, particularly for the students of Akita. Many could relate to living through a natural disaster after the 2011 earthquake. They have all been very supportive of New York and were eager to use their English and artistic abilities to reach out to the victims of the hurricane. Feedback from ALTs indicates that even those students who do not have a particularly positive attitude towards learning English were enthusiastic in making their letters of support. They all put their heart into their work.

For me personally, it has been two of the most rewarding weeks as an ALT. Special thanks to the ALTs, students and JTEs at Hanawa SHS, Nishi JHS, Akita Kita JHS, Senshu Bunko JHS, Yuzawa Kita JHS and Goshono Gakuin JHS.

Wil Lentze

ALT Goshono Gakuin JHS & SHS

8 18

Hanawa SHS

Nishi JHS

Akita Kita JHS

8

Akita Kita JHS Yuzawa Kita JHS

Yuzawa Kita JHS

Goshono Gakuin JHS

Goshono Gakuin JHS

8 20

Goshono Gakuin JHS

ALTs in th

e

News!

Supporting American middle school students affected by the hurricaneWriting message cards

On November 16, twenty-one students from Goshono Gakuin JHS and SHS wrote message cards encouraging the middle school students of New York, which suffered enormous damage from Hurricane Sandy last month. Akita City middle school ALT Chris Piverotto who is from the disaster affected New York and Goshono Junior and Senior High School ALT Wil Lentze from Australia planned this project. Students ranging from third-year junior high school to second-year senior high school who are learning English expressions in their elective class participated in making cards during their class. Students wrote encouraging messages such as “Don’t give up!” and “We are one!” on drawing paper.

“The people of New York must be full of uncertainties. I hope I can help them feel even a little bit of relief,” said first-year senior high school student Kazunari Miura.

The cards will be sent to New York’s Roosevelt Middle School at which Piverotto’s relative teaches.

Hurricane Sandy, which changed to an extratropical cyclone, reached the East coast of America on the night of October 29th. At least 110 people in and around New York were killed in the storm.　

Transla

ted by

Randy

Umetsu

6 12 22

Where can you hit the slopes this winter?

Here are a few places we recommendBy Nikki Zywina

POWDER!!(Information from here) Note: Some information may be incorrect, so please double check if you intend to go

Jeunesse Kurikoma ジュネス栗駒 (Higashinaruse)http://www.junesu-ski.com/index.html13 courses, 5 lifts1 day pass: 3,000 yen4 hour pass: 2,500 yenNight ski: 1,500 yen

Advance passes: 1 day pass for 2,500 yen, available until December 15th (http://junesuski.cart.fc2.com/)

Tazawakoたざわ湖 (Semboku)http://www.tazawako-ski.com/index.html13 courses, 6 lifts3-6 hour passes: Range from 2,800 yen – 3,700 yen1 day pass: 3,800 (4,700 including 2 x 500 yen lunch tickets)

Advance passes: Set of 5 passes (including lunch tickets) available until December 13thhttp://www.tazawako-ski.com/data/mae.html

Ohdai 大台(Daisen)http://www.h7.dion.ne.jp/~ohdai/ 5 courses, 2 lifts5 hour pass: 2,400 yen1 day pass: 2,800 yenNight ski: 2,000 yenNight ski (2 hours): 1,500 yen

Ani 阿仁 (Kita-akita)http://www.aniski.jp/ski/ 4 courses, 3 lifts4 hour pass: 2,600 yen1 day pass: 3,400 yenFamous for snow monsters! Photo by Renaud Davies

Chokai Kogen Yashima 鳥海高原矢島 (Yurihonjo)http://www.ybnet.jp/~ski/ 6 courses, 2 lifts2 hour pass: 1,700 yen4 hour pass: 2,000 yen1 day pass: 2,600 yenNight skiing available

Taihei-zan Opus 太平山スキー場オーパス (Akita)http://www.theboon.net/opas/ 6 courses, 3 lifts4 hour pass: 1,200 yen1 day pass: 2,000 yenNight skiing available

Outside Akita…

Appi Kogen 安比高原 (Hachimantai, Iwate)http://www.appi.co.jp/foreign_country/english/winter/index.html 21 courses, 18 lifts5 hour pass: 4,900 yen1 day pass: 5,200 yenNight ski: 2,400 yen

Advance passes: Available until December 21st. See http://www.appi.co.jp/h_winter_appi/pre_ticket_order/index.html

Geto Kogen 夏油高原 (Kitakami, Iwate)http://www.geto8.com/index.html14 courses, 5 lifts5 hour pass: 4,200 yen8 hour pass: 4,600 yenNight ski: 2,700 yen

Advance passes: Available until December 16th, see http://www.geto8.com/image/pdf/rifuto.pdf

Zao Onsen 蔵王温泉 (Yamagata)http://www.zao-spa.or.jp/ 41 lifts, 26 coursesFamous for snow monsters!2 hour pass: 4,200 yen4 hour pass: 4,400 yen1 day pass: 4,800 yen

24

WHY ARE ONSENS SO GREAT?

HOW DO YOU USE ONE PROPERLY?

AKITAONSENS

Onsen (温泉) are Japanese hot springs, and Akita Prefecture is very famous as an onsen destination in Tohoku. The abundant minerals in the waters are said to heal ailments and provide deep relaxation. The availability of onsen is definitely one of the best perks for JETs living in Akita. There are onsen in just about every town in Akita, so please add them to the wiki as you discover new ones!

Etiquette

Entering a hot spring in your birthday suit can be a daunting experience. Here are some tips to help ease the transition.

Washing carefully BEFORE you enter the water is the most important part (except for maybe remembering to take off your clothes). Most Japanese baths will have small stools to sit on and a separate washing area away from the water.

In very simple or very traditional baths, however, you'll need to crouch by the edge of the bath and scoop bathwater directly out to rinse yourself — it's okay in these baths if you don't have soap.

Most simple to medium-range onsen expect you to bring your own soap and face towel, and even at many fancy places you can often save ¥300-500 by bringing your own. At some high-end places, all towels, soap, shampoos, and other toiletries are included in the entry fee.

It's best to use coin lockers for any valuable items or documents (though theft in Japan is rare). In most onsen, taking photographs is not allowed.

A FEW FAMOUS AKITA ONSEN TO HELP YOU KEEP WARM THIS WINTER!

Below is a partial list of better-known onsen in Akita. This list was composed with complete bias and a lack of objectivity, so don't be surprised if your favorite onsen isn't on this page.

For a complete list of onsen, see Akita onsen.

Aki-no-Miya Hot Springs 秋の宮温泉郷）Aki-no-Miya OnsenThese hot springs are located in the mountain border of Akita, Yamagata, and Miyagi. Soaking in the hot springs are good for neuralgia, muscle pains, rheumatism, incised wound, burn, chronic skin disease, dyspepsia, and so on.☎ 0183-56-2131http://www.akinomiyaonsen.jp/

Doroyu Hot Springs （泥湯温泉）Doroyu, or muddy water, Onsen, is actually the colloquial name for the waters surrounding the Okuyama Ryokan (奥山旅館) in Yuzawa.There are 3 hot spring hotels here called Kawa-no-yu, Yama-no-yu and Taki-no-yu. ☎ 0183-79-3021http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~doroyu-o/

Hachimantai Hot Springs (八幡平温泉郷)The hot springs scattered around the Akita/Iwate border are known collectively as the Hachimantai Hot Spring Resorts. In 1971, mainly people in Matsuo village tapped this hot spring about 6 km away from Matsukawa power station. Here, you can forget time and completely enjoy this highland resort.

Nyuto Onsen (乳頭温泉)is aruguably the most famous Onsen in Akita. Located in Semboku in the Towada Hachimantai National park, Nyuto Onsen is actually is a cluster of onsen, the most famous of which is Tsuru-no-Yu with its milky white water. Onsen in this area frequently have an outdoor pool with mixed-sex bathing, (called konyoku, 混浴). Mixed bathing areas will (ideally) be clearly marked with the kanji 混.http://nyuto-onsenkyo.com/

Tsuru no Yu (鶴の湯)秋田県仙北市田沢湖先達沢国有林500187-46-213910:00-15:00¥500

Billed as a "secret onsen dating back to the Edo period", Tsuru no Yu is the most old-school onsen in the ken, and one of the best without question. No showers here, only buckets and extremely sulphury waters. The biggest rotenburo here is mixed. You'll have to get dressed to go between all the indoor pools, so bring a yukata to cover up.

26

A FEW FAMOUS AKITA ONSEN

Oga Hot Springs (男鹿温泉郷)These hot springs are located in the northern area of Oga peninsula. They are close to Nyudo-zaki, Hachibotai and Oga aquarium. The pure carbonic salt water of these hot springs helps to relieve stress.

Oyasukyo Hot Springs　(小安峡温泉)Located in Yuzawa, this new type of hot spring town provides access to indoor swimming pools and ski areas. The waters here are especially good for skin problems, women's problems and general improvement in health.Website

Oyu Hot Springs (大湯温泉)Established 800 years ago and known as the Town of Hot Water for centuries, the Oyu hot spring is close to Lake Towada and boasts many old inns. This hot spring is located in Kazuno in the southern part of Lake Towada. These waters are said to be very good for the skin. All year round, outdoor activities are available to help relieve fatigue.☎ 0186-37-4111http://www.h-kazuno.co.jp/en/ - English website

Tamagawa Hot Spring (玉川温泉)This hot spring gushes from Chichibu stratum, 1700 m below the surface. Probably the second most famous Onsen in Akita behind Nyuto. This hot spring

boats the highest flow rate of any onsen in Japan, and is its curative powers are thought to be among the strongest as well. Some of the ailments it is said to be good for are neuralgia, muscle pains, arthralgia, paralysis, arthritis, bruises, sprains, chronic dyspepsia, poor circulation, and fatigue. Also has some of the highest acidity of any hot spring in Japan as well.Tazawako Kogen Hot Springs (田沢湖高原温泉) See Tazawako and Komagatake from here where many young people enjoy skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer.

Sand Onsen (砂ゆっこ)There is a sand onsen located just beyond the Akita border, in Iwate, near Yokote.homepage.

Mizusawa Hot Springs (水沢温泉)〒014-1201 秋田県仙北市田沢湖生保内字下高野73-15These hot springs are located under the Akita Komagatake, which has Tazawako at its base. There are many small hotels here where you can enjoy the calm atmosphere.☎ 0187-46-2111http://www.tsukamoto-sogyo.co.jp/mizusawa/onsen/index.html

Onsen VocabularyMemorize these!

The following are words that you are likely to encounter on your onsen travels.

Romaji Japanese English

Ofuro お風呂 Bath

Rotemburo 露天風呂 Open air bath

Ganbanyoku 岩盤浴 Stone sauna

Neyu 寝湯 Sleeping Bath

Mizuburo 水風呂 Cold bath

jakuuji ジャクージ Jacuzzi

Sauna サウナ Sauna

Konyoku 混浴 Mixed onsens

Photo: Okuokuhachikurō Onsen 28

ZOMBIE Shooter!

Lesson

Cor

ner!

Directions!

1. Well, if you haven't heard, you can use a Wiimote, the controller from a Nintendo Wii, as the

heart of an interactive whiteboard. Yep, and it is AWESOME! A great way to motivate your

students! Basically, the Wiimote has a camera in the front that looks for infrared light. You can

place the camera (Wiimote) so that it is facing a TV or projector screen and it looks for relative

motion in that area. This motion can be in the form of an infrared light pen. The Wiimote

communicates what it "sees" with the Wii through Bluetooth (which most new computers come

with). The whole thing requires you to download some software which is free and takes less than

a minute to set up.

2. Lesson Ideas

A. Create an interactive jeopardy game. Students get into groups and a different student

comes up to the board each turn. The student who comes up to the wiiboard will need to

answer a question or do some sort of activity with their group assisting them verbally. Add a

time limit to make it more exciting! You can create categories such as pictionary (you will need

to download the smoothboard demo or something similar to be able to do this), mix up, multiple

choice etc.. Make sure you design it so that students get to click on words and move them

around or circle answers etc. Make it as interactive as possible!

B. Practice prepositions and giving directions with Crayon Physics. You can download the demo

for free or get the entire game for only 20 bucks here (I have used just the demo and it's

enough). Organize the class into small teams and have a different member be the drawer for

each round. Students in the group must describe in detail to the drawer how to capture the star.

Enjoy!!

Renaud

CLICK HERE TO GET MORE DETAILS, LINKS, VIDEO SAMPLES AND

POWERPOINT/KEYNOTE TEMPLATES!

A Lesson By RENAUD DAVIES

Make an Interactive Whiteboard!

Christmas Board

18

Make a Christmas Board for your students!Running out of time to make a Christmas board? Get your students to help! I used my Christmas lessons to make this board.

1.Give students a small square of coloured paper (small origami paper is perfect!) and ask them to draw a Christmas shape and cut it out.I drew a few example shapes on the board to get ideas flowing.

2. Give a couple of model answers to the question "What do you want for Christmas?"3. Ask students to write their own sentence on their shape and decorate it.4. Hang the shapes on your board. Students will be interested to see what their friends 　have written!

By Nikki Zywina

We are looking for

great lessons by you!

If you have one, please share it!

30

Photo C

orner!

By Nozomu Kurosawa

SDC Photo Highlights!

By RANDY UMETSU

14 32

By RANDY UMETSU

16 34By Derek Lemieux

ALT Photos!

By Jeff Lowther

16

By Katie Yantzi

36

We are looking for

great Japan photos by

you! If you have a best

shot, please send it our way!

By Jeff Lowther

JALT is a non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of language teaching and learning both within Japan and internationally. The Akita JALT chapter meets monthly and invites you to check out the workshops. You will find a schedule for workshops for the year on their website.

WAkita JALT

Check it

out!

ant some tips and tactics about vocabulary acquisition and usage, and ways to teach it? Come on down to Join Us.

Date: Saturday, December 15, 2012Time: 10:00-12:00Place: Join Us – Kenshushitsu # 5 (Third Floor) http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.htmlFees: JALT Members and Students – FREE; All others – 500 yen.Title: The role of vocabulary in the language classroom

Presenter: Adrian Paterson

Abstract: Vocabulary is an essential part of language, however it is also an often neglected and misunderstood part of language teaching.

In the first part of this presentation, Adrian will give a general introduction to some basic principles and concepts related to vocabulary acquisition, in particular; defining what vocabulary is, what it means to know a word, and how vocabulary is acquired, stored, and retrieved. In the second part he will lead a discussion of ways that teachers can help students to improve the depth and breadth of their vocabulary knowledge.Profile: Adrian Paterson is an assistant professor at Akita University. He has an MA in linguistics from Osaka University of Foreign Studies and been teaching full-time in Japanese universities for 10 years. His research interests include; vocabulary, formulaic language, language testing, and complexity theory.

A Call For Your Activities and Contributions

e hope that you found this newsletter useful. If you have any suggestions to make The Akitan

better, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Lastly, submissions from you will make this work-related newsletter all the more interesting. So, if

you have lesson activities, work-related essays, job postings, news articles, photos, etc, please submit

them to one of the PAs. Thanks for reading!

The End!

W

20 38

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Please send them to one of the PAs and help make this

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read!

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Layout and Design:

Renaud Davies

Contributors:Wil Lentze

Mark DawsonDave Johnson

KK MillerSam BrewsterJeff Lowther

Steven WilsonOwen CunninghamNozomu Kurosawa