中級 2
B1
スクリプト・テキストの翻訳
英語
Translation of Listening Script
and Text in the Textbook
(English)
Topic 1
What kind of person are they?
PART 1 I'm going to get married
Haruna： Erm, I know this is out of the blue, but I’m going to get married.
Andy： Wow!
Yusuke： Really? Congratulations!
Emi： Congratulations! Is he Japanese?
Haruna： No, someone from here. We’ve been seeing each other since university, but, well, we’re both the
right age, so we thought it might be a good time to tie the knot. Listener： What’s tie the knot?
Haruna： Oh, we thought we should get officially married.
Listener： Congratulations! So what’s he like?
Haruna： Let me see, how do you say, he’s got a bit of a childish side to him. He’s a bit untidy and slovenly.
Listener： Really? For example?
Haruna： He doesn’t tidy his room much, and he wears the same clothes for a week on average. But, how do
you say, when I’m with him, I feel totally at ease. Listener： Right.
Haruna： Oh, he’s good at cooking as well, and at home he sometimes makes food like the sort of thing you
get in a restaurant. Andy： Really? Great!
Andy： Both my wife and I are hopeless at cooking, so we do almost nothing but eat out.
Yusuke： Andy, your wife is Japanese, isn’t she?
Andy： Yes. But she likes cleaning. If my room’s a bit messy, she tells me to tidy up straight away.
Listener： Is that so?
Haruna： She sounds tough.
Andy： Yes, she doesn’t hold back, and she can be strong-willed and a bit scary, but, I suppose, she’s
cheerful and energetic, so that’s probably good. Yusuke： Hmm.
Haruna： Right, right.
Andy： And our tastes and interests are quite similar.
Listener： For example?
Andy： For example, even when we eat out together, neither of us is interested in fancy, romantic
restaurants. Instead, we both like places that are dirty but serve good and cheap food. That kind of thing is similar.
Listener： I see what you mean.
Yusuke： Right, it’s really important those kinds of values are similar.
Listener： What are values?
Yusuke： Oh, ways of thinking.
Listener： I see.
Yusuke： It’s like when you’re with this person, you don’t have to worry about anything like food or interests.
Listener： Right.
Yusuke： In my case, right, I’ve lived with my partner for more than 20 years, so the feeling when we’re
together is kind of like we’re family members, or like we’re each just there in the same way as air is. Andy： Really?
Yusuke： I suppose we've both got easy-going personalities, so, how do you say, it’s OK even when our tastes
don’t match. Listener： For example?
Yusuke： For example, when we go to the cinema together, if we both want to watch different films, we say,
“OK, see you later,” and watch the films we each like. Yusuke： That kind of laid back attitude avoids stress, doesn’t it.
Topic 1
Emi： I see. I’m jealous. Everyone seems so happy.
Haruna： What?
Yusuke： What’s the matter?
Emi： Things haven’t been going well with my husband recently.
Andy： What happened?
Emi： He changed jobs recently, and his new job seems to be causing him a lot of stress, so he’s been
really short-tempered. Listener： For example?
Emi： If I come home a little late after a meal with friends, he says, “You’re late,” and gets in a bad mood.
But when he comes home late drunk, he says something like, “I was socialising with colleagues so it can’t be helped.”
Haruna： Really?
Emi： He’s always been a pretty meticulous person, but with a slightly highly-strung side to him, and he
gets irritated by things that he doesn’t like. Listener： Is that so.
PART 2 He’s strict but he always does his best for his students
Jane： Hiroko, there’s something I’d like to ask you.
Hiroko： What is it?
Jane： Do you know Professor Iizuka well?
Hiroko： Yes, I’ve taken a few of his lectures, so I know him. Why?
Jane： I’m going to be in the 3rd year next year, and my Japanese teacher is going to change from
Professor Okumura to Professor Iizuka. I heard that Professor Iizuka might be a bit scary or difficult.
Hiroko： Right, to be sure he’s totally different from Professor Okumura.
Jane： Yeah, if you had to describe her, you’d say Professor Okumura was more like a helpful older student
than a teacher. She’s really easy to talk to and always seems to be laughing.
Hiroko： That’s true. She’s a similar age to us and really easy to get on with. By comparison Professor Iizuka
seems a bit difficult to talk to.
Jane： And I heard he’s really strict. Like if you miss the deadline for a report, he definitely won’t take it in,
or he locks the door when the lesson has started, so you can’t get into the classroom if you come later than him.
Hiroko： Wow.
Jane： Apparently there are quite a lot of people who cry because they can’t get credits from Professor
Iizuka.
Hiroko： Professor Iizuka has definitely got that strict side to him. But it might be because he’s working
really hard to help students. I took Professor Iizuka’s lecture last term, and when I handed in my report, he read it very carefully and wrote really detailed comments. At the time I was pretty impressed.
Jane： Really, is that right?
Hiroko： And I heard that when students’ grades or attendance go down, he gets worried and says something
straight away. Apparently there are people who get individual tuition as well. Jane： Is that so? He’s strict but he always does his best for his students.
Hiroko： I suppose there’s a lot of different sides to him.
Jane： Yes, and there are a lot of different teachers.
PART 3 She's a really interesting person
Watanabe： Belinda, do you know Rena? She’s going to join our team next week.
Belinda： Yeah, I know her well. I’ve worked with her before.
Watanabe： What’s she like?
Belinda： Mmm, in a word, she’s interesting. Her ideas are really unique, and the tours she thinks of are
always really popular. She makes really interesting plans that other people can’t think of. Watanabe： Really?
Belinda： She’s really cheerful, her Japanese is great, and a lot of customers request her.
Watanabe： Is that right?
Belinda： But she’s got a bit of a stubborn, difficult side to her.
Watanabe： Difficult?
Belinda： Erm, when we were planning a tour in August, it just happened that her plan wasn’t chosen. When
that happened, she seemed to suddenly lose her motivation. Watanabe： I see.
Belinda： I said to her, “Even though it’s someone else’s plan, let’s work together on it,” but, well, at first she
wouldn’t understand and it was a bit hard. Watanabe： That kind of thing happened?
Belinda： I suppose in the end her motivation came back. Anyway, she’s got lots of ideas, she’s fun to talk to,
and I like her a lot.
Topic 1
PART 4 Communicating through calligraphy
Lives in Melbourne
Calligraphy teacher Yuka Hayashi: “Communicating through calligraphy.” Profile：Yuka Hayashi
Born in Nagano Prefecture. Started calligraphy in the first year of elementary school, and got certified as a caligraphy instructor. Accompanied husband when he transferred overseas, now in her sixth year in Melbourne. Opened a calligraphy school in her own flat to introduce the appeal of calligraphy.
Opening a calligraphy school from experience studying overseas
Yuka first thought of opening a calligraphy school as a result of her experience studying overseas for a short time in the US when she was a high school student. Yuka, who had learned calligraphy when she was a child, took her calligraphy equipment with her overseas and got her host family to write Japanese characters with the brushes. They were really delighted and thought it was an amazing art form and this made a big impression on Yuka at the time.
“I was really happy that calligraphy could be accepted this much overseas. So when my husband’s transfer was decided and I started thinking what I should do in Australia, calligraphy came to mind.”
Calligraphy school had a chaotic start
Yuka had done calligraphy for a long time and she was cerified as a caligraphy instructor, but it was the first time she had taught calligraphy formally.
And the students were foreigners. Around the time when she had just opened the school, she was at a loss with the students who would talk boisterously while drawing, and students who would sometimes come to class, and sometimes would not come to class depending on how they felt.
“At the beginning I thought I wanted to get across the things that seem like the spirit of calligraphy such as self-discipline and concentration, but it just didn’t go well. But the people here draw much freer and bolder characters than Japanese people. I decided to focus on that by removing the difficult elements, setting up a dynamic where people draw without hesitating, and giving the message that calligraphy was for people to express their own feelings.”
Communication through calligraphy
After four years there are now a lot of different students, such as Japanese people who come to revisit Japanese culture and Australians who are interested in Japanese culture and art. Yuka said she has recently started being asked to cater for school visits from local elementary and junior high schools.
“They get really excited from drawing just one character. Lots of different questions come up, and conversation about Japan grows from that. Calligraphy becomes a tool for communication.”
Topic 2
Climbing Mount Fuji
PART 1 There's no mountain that beats Mount Fuji
Listener： I’m going to Japan in my summer holiday, and I was thinking I’d like to climb Mount Fuji when
I’m there… .
Listener： Kinoshita-san, your hobby’s mountain climbing, isn’t it ? Have you ever climbed Mount Fuji?
Kinoshita： Of course. I think I’ve climbed it four times in total.
Listener： Four times! That’s amazing.
Kinoshita： Mount Fuji is a single peak mountain, which means there are no other mountains around it. That’s
why when the weather’s fine the view from Mount Fuji is so amazing. To the south is the Izu Peninsula and the sea, and to the north are the mountains of the Japan Alps. I’ve climbed a lot of different mountains, but when it comes to the view, I don’t think there's any mountain that beats Mount Fuji.
Listener： Sorry, what does that mean?
Kinoshita： It means there’s no mountain better than Mount Fuji, because the view from Mount Fuji is the best.
Listener： Really? Is it that amazing?
Kinoshita： Yeah, and to give you one piece of advice, if you climb with a tour, you’ll go to the shrine on the
crater at the summit as your final destination. But Mount Fuji’s real summit is a place called Kengamine about 30 minutes climb from there. If you climb Mount Fuji, it’s a bit of a waste not to climb to Japan’s highest point of 3,776 metres.
Listener： Right.
Kinoshita： So if you climb Mount Fuji, make sure you go as far as Kengamine.
Listener： OK.
Tamura： Mount Fuji? I climbed it with friends when I was a student. But all I remember is being really
tired. Listener： Really?
Tamura： It was really crowded. We started climbing in late afternoon and stayed in the mountain lodge at
the eighth station midway up the mountain, but the mountain lodge was full, and about four people were probably sleeping in the space for one person. I couldn’t even roll over in bed.
Listener： Erm, what does “Roll over in bed” mean?
Tamura： Oh, because people were sleeping right next to me on my left and on my right, I couldn’t change
the position of my body. Listener： Right, was it that crowded?
Tamura： The next day we got up early and set off for the summit, but the path was crowded so we couldn’t
make much progress. Listener： Oh no.
Tamura： The weather wasn’t very good either, and the summit was completely white from the fog. It was
extremely cold and hard. There was a guy in a t-shirt and shorts and he almost died at the summit. Listener： Was it that cold?
Tamura： But it might have been different if the weather had been good.
Kinoshita： That’s really unlucky.
Tamura： But, I suppose we got a sense of achievement.
Anita： I climbed Mount Fuji as well when I went to Japan a long time ago. I like the fact that when you
climb mountains in Japan there are lots of things to enjoy after climbing the mountain. Listener： For example?
Anita： For example, hot springs. After coming down the mountain you can get into a hot spring at the
foot of the mountain straight away. Listener： Really?
Anita： There are quite a few hot springs at the base of Mount Fuji too, and when you soak and relax in
the hot water, all the tiredness from climbing vanishes, and, ah, it’s paradise. Listener： Erm, what does “paradise” mean?
Anita： It means it’s like being in heaven and it feels really good.
Topic 2
Listener： Wow.
Anita： As well as that, I’d recommend the Yamanashi speciality, hoto.
Listener： Hoto?
Anita： It’s thick wheat noodles boiled in miso, and it’s really good when you’re tired. If you climb Mount
Fuji, you definitely have to try a hot spring and hoto. Listener： I will.
Kato： I’ve never climbed Mount Fuji, but when I was at university, tennis club training camps were at
nearby Lake Kawaguchiko, so I know my way around the area quite well. Listener： Really?
Kato： It’s probably better to look at Mount Fuji from the bottom.
Listener： From the bottom?
Kato： The view of Mount Fuji is just like the view in ukiyo-e.
Listener： Erm, what does that mean?
Kato： Ukiyo-e are old Japanese paintings. Because Mount Fuji is so beautiful, it’s often been painted in
ukiyo-e.
Kato： I’d recommend looking at Mount Fuji from a place called Koyodai.
Listener： Koyodai?
Kato： Koyodai is a viewing platform near Lake Kawaguchiko. It’s on top of a mountain, so the road isn’t
very good, but at least you can go there by car and get there easily, and the view of MountFuji is really amazing.
Listener： Great.
Kato： Mount Fuji looks so big that from left to right all you can see in your field of vision is the
mountain and the sea of trees spread out underneath it. Listener： Really?
PART 2 I’d really like to see the sunrise
Yamazaki： So what kind of schedule are we going to go for when we climb Mount Fuji? I heard climbing it in
one day isn’t impossible.
Kim： The course time is about 10 hours for the climb and the descent together, I see. OK, if it’s that much,
shall we climb it in one day? If we do that, we can do lots of fun things the next day.
Park： But… someone I know did that before and they said they were so tired they almost died. Shall we
stay in the mountain lodge?
Yamazaki： If we stay in the mountain lodge a popular way to do things is to start climbing early afternoon,
sleep in the mountain lodge at the eighth station, get up in the middle of the night and start climbing, and then watch the sun rise at the summit. Shall we do that?
Park： Sounds good.
Kim： OK, shall we go for that plan? I’d really like to see the sunrise.
Yamazaki： OK, so we’re definitely doing the course where we stay in the mountain lodge. I’ll make a
booking later.
Park： Oh, and let’s definitely go to Kengamine as well. If we climb Mount Fuji, we can’t very well not go
to Japan’s highest point, can we? Kim： Of course not. We have to go.
Yamazaki： That’s right. If we’re making all the effort to climb it. So if we go with that plan, maybe we can get
down the mountain in the morning, so what shall we do after that?
Kim： How about renting a car and driving around the sightseeing areas at the foot of the mountain? And I
want to get in a hot spring straight after getting down the mountain. Park： Great.
Yamazaki： OK, Let’s rent a car, get in a hot spring, and drive around the sightseeing areas. Erm, the last bus to
Shinjuku leaves Lake Kawaguchiko after eight, so I suppose we’ve got half a day to enjoy ourselves.
Kim： Hmm, there are lots of places we want to go to, aren’t there? We want to relax in the hot spring, eat
hoto, go to sightseeing spots like the wind caves and the ice caves, and go to observatories like Koyodai. It’s a waste going home straight away, so shall we stay for one more night?
Park： I agree. If we stay, we can take our time and enjoy ourselves more. I heard there’s an amusement
park nearby with lots of thrill rides. What do you think? Let’s go. Kim&
Yamazaki： What?
PART 3 Everyone should be able to have a good time
Wira： Sasaki-san, are you going somewhere?
Sasaki： Yes, I’m thinking of going to Taman Negara, what do you think?
Wira： Oh, Taman Negara? If you haven’t been, it’s worth going once. Erm, and it’s one of the oldest
jungles in the world. Sasaki： Is that right?
Wira： If you like nature, I think it’s a great place. There’s the view from the boat on the way to the jungle,
and a canopy walk on a rope bridge above the tall trees, so everyone should be able to have a good time.
Sasaki： Really?
Wira： Listening to the bird song, and looking at the rare plants, erm, you feel that you are in the wilds of
nature.
Sasaki： Sounds great.
Wira： But if you want to see animals living in the jungle like tigers and elephants, I suppose it’s probably
best not to expect too much. They don’t always appear. Sasaki： Right?
Wira： To see animals, you need to go out with a guide at night, erm, and wait patiently inside a lodge in
the jungle. Sasaki： I see.
Wira： But there’s no electricity and there are lots of insects, so it might be a bit hard for people not used to
it.
Topic 2
PART 4 Fuji Five Lakes are great in any season
Great in any season： Special feature - Fuji Five Lakes sightseeing spots
Enjoy the wilds of nature
Koyodai： The place to see Mount Fuji
Famous Mount Fuji viewpoint. There is a 360 degree panorama view from the 1164m viewing platform at the rest house.Your body and your mind are sure to feel refreshed when you breathe in the fresh air while gazing at Mount Fuji. True to its name, Koyodai, you can see a sea of trees that have turned a beautiful red colour in autumn. There is a course that takes about twenty five minutes from the bus stop at the foot of the mountain to the viewing platform. In the summer there are a lot of people that hike. You can go to the viewing platform by car too, but the road is narrow, so you have to be careful driving.
Fujiten Resort： Enjoy sport with a view of Mount Fuji
Authentic ski resort with a view of Mount Fuji. OK for beginners to experts with a relaxing family course, and a downhill course with a gradient of up to 32 degrees. Skiwear rental is available. In the spring and summer when there is no snow, you can ski and snowboard on the summer ski runs, as well as enjoy other outdoor pursuits such as mountain biking. Barbecues are also possible on the second floor of the centre house with views of Mount Fuji (reservations required).
Yamanakako Hananomiyako Flower Park： Highland flower fields with a view of Mount Fuji
Park that boasts an area of 300,000 square metres. In these fields, flowers of each season come into bloom with Mount Fuji in the background: tulips in spring, sunflowers in summer, and cosmos in autumn. Check out which flowers are in bloom before you visit. In the heated green houses (entrance fee required) you can see rare tropical plants and a range of flowers all year round. There are not just flowers to enjoy, but in summer children can also enjoy playing with play equipment in the water. In winter the illuminations are beautiful.
Narusawa Ice Cave： Experience a cool, mysterious world
Cave created by a volcanic eruption. After passing through the lava tunnel, and descending 21 metres underground, you can see the icicles. The glistening white icicles create the illusion of a forest. You can see the icicles almost all year round, but the time when they are at their largest is not winter as you’d expect, but between spring and summer. Because the inside of the cave is maintained at a temperature of 0-3 degrees throughout the year, there was once a time when it was used in place of a refrigerator. Even in summer you need a coat. Because it is slippy, it is recommended you wear shoes that are easy to walk in.
PART 5 A place I recommend is ...
Please let me know any places you recommend! Hi 〜
How are you?
I’ve been busy with work recently, but otherwise I’m well. This summer holiday I’m going to .
I’ve been looking up a lot of different things in a guidebook but there are too many interesting looking places, so
I’m at a bit of a loss as to where to go.
Could you please let me know any places you recommend? I’ll be in touch again once my schedule is decided.
Topic 3
Healthy living
PART 1 Walking would probably be best
Listener： Recently, I haven’t been getting enough exercise… I’m thinking of taking up some exercise, do you
have anything you’d recommend?
Hirano： Exercise? If that’s what you want to do, going to a gym is the usual thing, isn’t it? I’m a member of
the gym in front of the station, so I’ll introduce you if you want to join. Listener： What kind of exercise can you do?
Hirano： Well, you can do weight training, run on running machines… oh, and recently I’ve sometimes been
doing studio programmes as well, and they’re pretty interesting. Listener： Studio programmes? For example?
Hirano： The programme I like is called “Body Combat”, where you move your body to music while doing
kick boxing and karate moves. It’s a lot of fun. Listener： Really?
Hirano： Unlike normal aerobics it really fires you up, so one hour flies by without you noticing. And when
you finish you’re covered in sweat, and you feel like you’ve done a lot of exercise. Listener： Wow, that sounds really interesting.
Hirano： As well as that, there are things like Zumba… .
Listener： Zumba?
Hirano： Erm, it’s like dancing. And there’s yoga and lots of other things, so how about coming to have a look
one time?
Shimizu： But if you haven’t done much exercise before, walking would probably be best to start with,
wouldn’t it? Listener： What? Walking?
Shimizu： Yeah, walking probably doesn’t feel much like exercise, but it’s actually really good for you. And
you don’t have to be good at sports, so anyone can do it. Listener： I suppose that’s true.
Shimizu： It’s aerobic exercise as well.
Listener： What kind of exercise is aerobic?
Shimizu： Oh, things like running, and the kind of exercise that slowly burns fat.
Listener： Right.
Shimizu： Walking’s different from running because the risk of injury is low and walking outside is good for
getting rid of stress. On the days when I go walking in a nearby park in the morning I feel really refreshed.
Listener： Really? Sounds like it feels good.
Shimizu： Walking on your own is good too, but if you walk at the same time on the same course regularly, it’s
good because you can make friends.
Onishi： On a similar note, did you know that radio calisthenics is a lot more effective than you’d think?
Listener： Radio calisthenics? I’ve never heard of it… .
Onishi： It’s exercises done in time to piano music on the radio, and all Japanese people learn it at school I
think. When I was at elementary school, in the summer we gathered in the park every morning and had to do it.
Hirano： Me too. Me too.
Shimizu： That brings back memories.
Onishi： But, actually it involves lots of different movements, so people say it’s good for giving your whole
body a workout. Listener： Really?
Onishi： It includes elements of stretching too, so your body becomes flexible, and it’s even effective for
constipation apparently. Min： Is that really true?
Onishi： There are two versions of radio calisthenics, but even if you do both, it takes just six and a half
minutes, so it’s easy to keep doing every day. Listener： Wow, that sounds great.
Topic 3
Min： If you’re interested in exercise you can do at home, I bought an abdominal roller the other day
online.
Hirano： Ah, I know that.
Listener： What is it?
Min： Erm, a wheel about this big with handles attached to both sides, erm, you get down on all fours, hold
the handles in both hands, stretch your body while rolling the wheel, and then bend your body again and roll your body back to its original position.
Listener： Right.
Min： It looks easy, but actually it’s very effective for the abdominals.
Listener： Abdominals?
Onishi： Your stomach muscles.
Min： And just rolling backwards and forwards a few times has a big effect. The first time I did it, I could
only do it about three times, but the next day, my stomach muscles were really sore. I thought I was going to die of the pain just from laughing.
Listener： That’s pretty amazing.
Min： Recently I’ve got much more used to it. It doesn’t take up any space either, so you can do it at home,
PART 2 What kind of diet are you on?
Saule： What? Madoka, is that all you’re having for lunch? What’s the matter?
Madoka： Oh, yeah, actually I’m on a bit of a diet at the moment.
Saule： Diet? Why?
Madoka： Well, it’s summer soon, and everyone’ll be wearing summer clothes, won’t they? That’s why I
thought I’d try and lose a bit of weight now. Saule： Really? What kind of diet are you on?
Madoka： Erm, I’m skipping breakfast and only having an apple for lunch. And then for dinner just having a
bit of salad, things like that.
Saule： What? That’s not very good. Especially not eating breakfast. You’ll make yourself sick, not
healthy.
Madoka： What? Really?
Saule： And only having vegetables and fruit isn’t good for you either. You have to eat properly. Bread, rice,
things like that, “something-drates”. Madoka： Carbohydrates?
Saule： That’s right, carbohydrates. And eggs, milk, things like that, protein.
Madoka： But if I eat those kinds of things, it won’t be a diet, will it?
Saule： The important thing is to gradually reduce calories while thinking about nutritional balance. And are
you doing exercise? Madoka： No, not really.
Saule： You have to do exercise too. Swimming, walking “aer-what-do-you-call-it” exercise.
Madoka： Aerobic exercise? Yeah, I’m thinking I really have to do some exercise, but I don’t have time and I
haven’t got any chances to start doing it.
Saule： But you’re not overweight at all, Madoka, so you don’t need to be on a diet, do you? Why are there
so many Japanese girls who want to lose weight? I think it’s healthier and looks better here if you aren’t too skinny.
Madoka： Really? Actually it’s been three days since I started my diet and I’m starving… . I can’t think
properly either, so I think I’ve reached my limit. Right, I’m going to buy some bread.
PART 3 It gets rid of the cause of the illness
Kamola： Okamoto-san, what are you doing?
Okamoto： It’s a bamboo stepper. If you step on the bamboo like this, your blood flow improves and you can
get rid of the tiredness in your feet.
Kamola： Really? It’s the first time I’ve seen it. Did you bring it here?
Okamoto： That’s right. Do you know any good health cures, Kamola-san?
Kamola： Let me think, in Uzbekistan we have a health cure that involves bathing in smoke.
Okamoto： Smoke?
Kamola： A grass called “isiriq” is used, erm, which is a medicinal herb that grows in the desert. You burn it after drying it and then bathe in the smoke.
Okamoto： Is that right?
Kamola： Erm, the smoke is really good for your health. It prevents colds, and when you get sick, if you
breathe in the smoke, it gets rid of the cause of the illness. Okamoto： Wow, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it.
Kamola： Actually, I don't like the smell, so I don’t do it very much, but, erm, my husband’s mother often
burns isiriq in the house in winter. Often when I take my children there, she covers them in smoke so that they don’t become sick.
Okamoto： Really?
Kamola： And isiriq isn’t just used when you’re sick, erm… it’s also used to protect you from bad luck.
Okamoto： Is that right?
Kamola： When my husband bought a new car, to prevent him from having an accident his mother put isiriq in
a small bag and hung it in the car. Okamoto： Right.
Kamola： Recently there are a lot of people who don’t do this kind of old tradition.
Topic 3
PART 4 I wonder if it really works
Does Genkiniru work?
1： Recently I’m always tired and when I told a friend I wasn’t feeling 100%, I was recommended a health
supplement made by a certain research institute called Genkiniru. I was told it’s good for you, but it seems you have to place a substantial order and keep taking it. I wonder if this kind of thing really works. It’s quite expensive, so I don’t know what to do.
2： It might make you feel a bit better. But I think a lot of it will be psychological.
3： I know Genkiniru! After trying it, I got much better! I definitely recommend it!
4： The manufacturer just joined us ;-) ! !
5： It’s a bit like pyramid sales. It’s a system where if you buy that product, your friend will get some money.
Before, an acquaintance of mine was doing it and they were pestering me to buy really expensive products. 6： I’ve taken it before, but it didn’t work at all. What a waste of money.
7： It’s a bad habit of Japanese people to immediately jump at the chance to buy something when they hear it’s
good for their health. It’s unbelievable, when a TV programme says that natto is good for you, the next day natto disappears from the supermarket.
8： Talking of health supplement booms, kochakinoko was really popular, wasn’t it. I was made to drink that
mysterious beverage by my mother… . 9： I’ve just spotted someone born in Showa!
10： Talking of pyramid sales, there are certainly a lot of those kinds of suspicious health supplements. People
with cancer and other serious illnesses have their weakness taken advantage of and are told they will get better if they buy expensive products.
11： First and foremost, relying on health supplements is a mistake. If you’re going to take that kind of thing, at
least eat good food.
12： If you look at the ingredients, I think you’ll understand that at the end of the day they’re simply vitamin
supplements. You can’t say they don’t have any effect, but there might be a real reason why you don’t feel well, so I recommend going to see the doctor once.
13： After going for a health check I was diagnosed with diabetes, so I’m going to give it a miss.
PART 5 Health cures from around the world
What different health cures are there around the world? noname#178609
The other day there was a programme on TV introducing health cures from around the world. There were lots of unique health cures like eating raw garlic to keep colds away, so it was really interesting. Please let me know all the different health cures you know from around the world.
Answers silkroad：
In my country, Uzbekistan, we have a health cure that uses medicinal herbs. The herb is called isiriq, which grows abundantly in the desert… Read more
kenkootaku：
Topic 4
If you're going to see a play
PART 1 Kabuki’s great
Kelly： I’m thinking of going to see kabuki on my next trip to Japan. What do you think about kabuki?
Kitamura： Kabuki’s great, you should definitely go. I’ve been loads of times, but there are so many different
ways to enjoy it. The costumes and make up and things like that are really beautiful to look at, and the stage mechanism is really interesting too.
Kelly： What’s the stage mechanism?
Kitamura： In kabuki the stage is made in a way so that it turns around, and a stage that was the outside of a
building turns around and immediately changes into the inside of the building. Kelly： Wow, that’s amazing.
Kitamura： And the music is good too. Lots of different Japanese instruments are used, and the sound of the
wind, waves and even snow are represented by taiko drums. Kelly： Really? Even the sound of snow!
Kitamura： And the actors’ performances consist of really unique movements, so it’s very interesting. In Kabuki
men play women, but it’s amazing because they’re unnervingly feminine. Kelly： Right.
Kitamura： There’s lots of information on the internet now, so I think you’ll enjoy it twice or three times as
much if you check the story and points of interest before you go.
Noguchi： Kabuki? I’ve been to see it once, but it wasn’t really my thing. Anyway, it was really long.
Kelly： Long?
Noguchi： It was probably about four hours in total. And the one I went to see didn’t have much acting or
movement, but was nothing but talk the whole way through, so I got really sleepy. Kitamura： Right, so it depends on the play you see.
Noguchi： And the actors use Edo era Japanese, so I didn’t understand well what they were saying. I
borrowed an audio guide, but I still couldn’t understand. I suppose the dancing was beautiful though.
Kelly： Really?
Noguchi： That reminds me, there’s a new type of kabuki called super kabuki that’s different to traditional
kabuki, and has lots of movement and showy performances apparently. Kelly： Right.
Noguchi： The Japanese is supposed to be easy to understand too, so that might be better for you.
Sugimoto： Right, super kabuki might be easy to understand for you. But there are lots of good things apart from
kabuki in Japan. For example, do you know takarazuka? Kelly： Takurazaka? No.
Sugimoto： In kabuki all the actors are male and the female roles are played by men, but takarazuka is the
opposite, all the actors are female and all the male roles are played by females. Kelly： Wow.
Sugimoto： And the men that the females play are really cool and good looking, so if you go and see it once,
you’ll definitely become a fan straight away. Kelly： Is that right?
Sugimoto： And the story is dramatic, so you won’t get bored, and there’s spectacular and beautiful singing and
dancing too. Kelly： Really?
Sugimoto： I think it’s a performing art that Japan can be proud of as well.
Kelly： I see.
Sugimoto： I think it’s just as good as kabuki. Let me know if you want to get a ticket and I’ll give you a hand.
Takagi： That’s a big jump from kabuki to takarazuka. If that’s OK, wouldn't you rather see some comedy?
Kelly： Comedy?
Topic 4
Kelly： Right.
Takagi： The thing I recommend is Shinkigeki.
Kelly： Shinkigeki?
Takagi： I suppose it’s a play centered on jokes. If you go to the theatres in Osaka’s Nanba district, it’s on
every day. It’s really good fun. Kelly： I see.
Takagi： The plot’s always a little melodramatic, so there’s plenty of laughter and tears,
Kelly： Oh, OK…
Takagi： If you can understand the funny man and straight man culture, you’ll be an expert on Japanese
PART 2 I think you’ll enjoy it
Imai： Katarina, is it true you like classical music?
Katharina： Yes. Why do you ask?
Imai： Actually, while I’m in Germany I’d like to see some real opera.
Katharina： Oh, great.
Imai： So I was hoping you’d be able to tell me lots of things about opera.
Katharina： Go ahead, ask me anything.
Imai： Erm, how do you buy opera tickets? Is it best to buy them from the ticket office in the theatre?
Katharina： How to buy tickets? If you buy them at the theatre it’s quick and easy, but you can buy them online
as well. You can even choose your seats.
Imai： Really? But I don’t know the names of the operas very well … .
Katharina： You can find out the names of the operas too if you look at the website. Shall we have a look now?
(sound of keyboard) Erm, the first half of this month is “Carmen” and the second half is Wagner’s “The Valkyrie”.
Imai： Ah, I know “Carmen”. It’s famous, isn’t it? But seeing as I’ve gone to all the trouble of coming to
Germany, it’s probably better if I see a German opera.
Katharina： You’re probably right. There’s nothing quite like seeing that sort of thing in the local area. “The
Valkyrie” is very long, but the music is really dramatic and I think it’s very good. The story’s a little complicated though, so it might be good to do some preparation beforehand.
Imai： Is that so? So if I book a ticket on the internet, can I pick it up at the theatre ticket office?
Katharina： You can do that, but instead of picking up a paper ticket, if you print out a bar code at home and take
it with you, you can use that as a ticket.
Imai： Really? That’s convenient. Oh, and, when you go to the opera, does everyone have to dress smartly?
Katharina： Dress smartly? That’s right, but I suppose it depends on the area, there are places where everyone
wears a dress and formal clothes, but Cologne has a slightly more casual feel to it. Some young people look a bit scruffy. But, I suppose, because it’s a special occasion, if you go wearing a tie at least, you’ll fit into the surroundings, and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Imai： I see. Thank you very much. Right, I have to buy a tie.
PART 3 You can see it at theatres in the city
Nam： This Friday evening after work I’ll take you to see water puppetry.
Ono： Water puppetry?
Nam： Yes, it’s a puppet show that takes place on top of water.
Ono： Wow, on top of water.
Nam： The small puppets wear beautiful costumes and dance, and turtles and dragons come out of the water.
Ono： Really?
Nam： Actually, there are people behind the stage controlling the puppets, who are submerged in the water up
to their waists. Ono： Great.
Nam： It started in rural areas in north Vietnam more than 1000 years ago, and, erm, originally it was meant to pray for a good harvest apparently. In the past you could only see it at festivals in the countryside, but now there are theatres in the city and you can see it there.
Ono： Is that right?
Nam： Erm, …the stories are based on Vietnamese folk tales and life in the countryside, and they’re, how do
you say, …simple and easy to understand. In one hour there are more than ten short stories, so there’s a lot of variety and you don’t get bored… . And there isn’t much speaking, so I think you can enjoy it even if you don’t understand Vietnamese.
Ono： I see.
Nam： It’s good fun just to watch the movement of the puppets while listening to the musical instruments.
Topic 4
PART 4 It's a very tough world
Girl in the second grade of junior high school wanting to join takarazuka! sochan27221wrote：
I’m a girl in the second grade of junior high school wanting to join takarazuka!
The other day when I went to see takarazuka for the first time, the actor playing the main male part was so cool, I really want to become like that.
Could I become a takarazuka performer?
I’ve never studied ballet or singing or anything like that, but can I still become a takarazuka performer? Thank you for any help!
Best answers y2etmkcs2 wrote：
Only graduates of Takarazuka Music School can become takarazienne (takarazuka performers). The entrance exam for Takarazuka Music School is in March every year, and the only application requirements are that you have graduated junior high school and are aged between 15 and 18. The admission rate is less than 5% though, and it’s so difficult to get in, there’s a saying that, “East is Tokyo University and west is Takarazuka Music School.” It's impossible to pass unless you’ve done ballet and singing at a specialist prep school.
And then only people who’ve taken tough lessons for two years and graduated from Takurazuka Music School can stand on the takarazuka stage.
The actress playing the main male role is called the top star. It’s really hard to become the top star. There are five troupes in takarazuka, which each give a regular performance, and there’s only one top star in each troupe. Normally with plays or musicals, the play or musical is decided first of all, and then the actors are chosen to suit that play or musical. But takarazuka is different. The play or musical to be performed is chosen to suit the top star, and is performed so that the top star can shine. It could be said that the attraction of takarazuka is the attraction of the top star.
But it’s difficult for women to play men, and it takes most top stars more than ten years from starting Takarazuka Music School to becoming a top star. Top stars are people blessed with talent and good looks who were focused on a future dream from an early age, and finally after working hard for a long time could become one.
Takarazienne walk a long long path, and finally shine on the stage. And there really are very few people who can become a top star. It's a very tough world.
No one knows whether or not you can become a top star. If you really want to become one, this is not a time to be asking questions in a place like this.
PART 5 Come and join us!
Would you like to go to a water puppetry show?
Would you like to go to a water puppetry show with members of the intermediate Japanese class at the Japanese Culture Centre? Enjoy traditional Vietnamese culture!
Day and time： Saturday December 1st, 5pm to 5:50pm
Cost： 120,000 don (for ticket)
Topic 5
Familiar news
PART 1 He was arrested
Newsreader： A rare monkey has been found in a park in Osaka.
Child： Erm, it was sitting on the top of that tree. It was very cute.
Housewife： It was a really beautiful colour. When I first saw it, I thought it was a rare monkey or something.
Oh, has it been caught… ?
Newsreader： A report has just come in that the golden monkey seen in a park in Osaka’s Izumisano on the 22nd
has been caught by Osaka police.
Newsreader： The monkey is a type of monkey known as a golden snub-nosed monkey, also called a golden
monkey. According to an expert at Osaka zoo, the golden snub-nosed monkey is a type of cercopithecidae that inhabits China and Tibet and is currently designated as an endangered species. It is against the law to import or keep these monkeys as a pet, so Osaka police think it might have been smuggled through illegal channels, and kept as a pet, before escaping.
Newsreader： Before dawn today a robber burst into a convenience store in Shinjuku ward, but he was arrested
by a policeman who rushed to the scene of the crime. At around 3am today a man wearing a mask burst into a convenience store in Yotsuya-sanchome, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo. He pointed an object resembling a knife at a male member of staff at the cash register, demanded he “Hand over the money,” and stole 47,000 yen in cash from the cash register.
Newsreader： Then when the man was trying to escape, he was surprised by a Halloween figure of a ghost
decorating the side of the shop entrance, and fell over and hit his back. While the man was stunned, he was detained by a policeman who had rushed to the scene of the crime after the member of staff had reported the crime, and was arrested on the spot on suspicion of attempted robbery. The charged, Kazuhiro Yamashita, a jobless 48-year-old from Shinjuku ward, confessed to all charges, and is reported to have said, “I didn’t expect there would be a ghost there. I was frightened out of my skin.”
Newsreader： We’ve received a postcard from Shinshu about the autumn leaves. In Karasawa, Matsumoto City
in the Northern Alps they are welcoming the peak period for autumn colours. This year’s autumn colours are one week earlier than usual and now is the peak. The vivid colours of the red sorbus commixta, the yellow of the Erman's birch, and the green of the Japanese stone pine blend together to create a beautiful tapestry.
Newsreader： Large groups of climbers visit the mountain Hotaka-dake, in the bosom of the Northern Alps at an
altitude of 2,300m and about six hours walk from Kamikochi, to enjoy the burning autumn colours. It is also the peak season for climbers. In the camp site something other than the natural autumn colours is blossoming, a colourful variety of tents. It is expected that the autumn colours can be seen for the whole of this month.
Newsreader： Today in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture the Aozora International Marathon took place.The
runners started together from the prefectural government offices just after 9am, and ran the 42.195 km course. This year applications exceed the quota by eight times, and, including city runners chosen by lottery and guest runners, 24,000 people took part.
Runner 1： I’m a bit nervous because it’s my first time. But I’m definitely going to complete the race.
Runner 2： I came from China. I’m looking forward to running with Japanese people.
Runner 3： Yes, I came dressed as Anpanman today.
Newsreader： Among the runners, attracting a lot of attention are runners dressed as anime characters and
Topic 5
PART 2 Apparently there was a fire
Nakai： Good morning. Sorry I’m late.
Takasu： Good morning. What happened? Was the road busy?
Nakai： Yes. There was a huge traffic jam.
Olena： Right, it was in the news. South Bridge was… closed to traffic.
Nakai： Closed to traffic?
Olena： Yes, it was closed to traffic. Apparently there was a fire.
Takasu： Right, I saw it too.
Nakai： Really? I didn’t know.
Olena： There’s a factory under the bridge, isn’t there? There was a fire in that factory. Because the wind
was so strong, the fire got bigger and it spread to the bridge apparently. Nakai： Wow. Is that right?
Olena： According to the news, the factory was completely burnt down, and it seems more than ten people
were injured. I saw it on TV. The bridge was completely black and covered in foam from the fire engines.
Takasu： It was quite a big fire.
Nakai： Alright, so because of that the traffic jam was so big.
Olena： That must have been annoying, but lucky you weren’t there when the fire happened.
Takasu： But if the fire was so big, it must take a while to fix the bridge, mustn’t it?
Olena： Yes. They said it would take more than half a year to completely fix it. Quite a difficult
construction job.
Nakai： Are you serious? Half a year? Please say you’re joking. Oh no. Is this situation going to continue for
half a year more.
Olena： No, apparently, first of all they’re going to fix the bridge temporarily, so that at least cars can go
over it. They’re expecting to reopen it to traffic in about three weeks. Nakai： But even still it’s going to take three weeks.
Olena： I think three weeks to fix it is fast.
Takasu： Hmm, the only thing you can do might be to leave your house as early as possible. I won't say too much if you’re a little late, so just keep an eye on the situation and take care on your way to work. Nakai： Oh no. What a nuisance.
PART 3 I saw it on the website of my local council ...
Jake： Did you hear? Apparently you’ll have to pay money to throw out rubbish soon.
mother 1： What? Really?
Jake： I saw it on the local council website. From next year it seems the way rubbish is thrown out will
change. mother 2： Change?
Jake： The burnable rubbish you throw out from your home will have to be put in special rubbish bags
apparently. mother 1： What?
Jake： You can buy the rubbish bags in shops and supermarkets, but it seems the price is different
depending on the size. And if you don’t put your rubbish in those bags, they won’t come and collect your rubbish apparently.
mother 1： Is that right?
Jake： Since a while ago, recyclable rubbish like paper and pet bottles has had to be separated from
PART 4 A new app for foreign tourists is generating interest
Sharing the latest discoveries about Japan! A new app for frequent foreign tourists, “NippoNavigation”, is generating a lot of interest.
An app for foreign tourists to Japan, “NippoNavigation”, is generating a lot of interest. The app aims to increase the different ways foreign tourists can enjoy travel in Japan by helping them to learn more about Japan, and supplies information about secret spots that are difficult for foreign tourists to visit, discount coupons for shopping, and articles on Japan.
Famous sightseeing spots, traditional culture, Japanese food, and shopping are the usual things that interest foreign tourists to Japan. But the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan is increasing more and more, including frequent visitors who have been to Japan two or three times, and the needs of these tourists to understand Japan better, to see a variety of different sides to Japan, and to experience contemporary Japanese culture have become clear recently. In order to meet the needs of these foreign tourists, the usual information, such as famous sightseeing spots and traditional culture has been deemed to be insufficient by itself. “NippoNavigation” is for foreign tourists who are not satisfied with the same Japanese trip that they have already had, to help them discover a new side of Japan.
In terms of sightseeing information, of course there is information about famous sightseeing spots, but there is also information about less well-known places, such as the type of restaurants and bars and events that only local people know about. Places and attractions that are popular with foreigners, like owl cafes and ninja experiences are also introduced. For people keen on shopping there are also coupons that offer discounts at popular electrical shops, chemists, and other shops. There is a wealth of articles about Japan as well. The aim is to meet a range of needs that guide books have not covered up to now.
People that have actually used the app have given favourable reviews, such as, “We were able to have a different trip to the ones we’ve had before,” and, “Our image of Japan has changed,” and the app has also received requests, such as, “I’d like to see the everyday life of normal Japanese people,” and, “I’d like there to be a greater variety of coupons.”
The app is available in English, Chinese and Korean. It has also been decided to make it available in Thailand and Indonesia, where tourists have been increasing recently, so it will be available in about five languages. The areas the app covers at the moment are only the 23 wards of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, but there is a plan to increase the number of areas in the future.
PART 5 Sharing news
I found a really interesting app. It’s supposed to make trips to Japan more interesting!
Don’t you think that people who’ve been to Japan before want to try going somewhere like an izakaya that Japanese people might go to, rather than just kabuki or sushi? Apparently you can get information about those kinds of good, not widely-known spots with this app.
I’ve been to Japan before as well, but if I have a chance to go again, I want to use this app and try a slightly different holiday.
Topic 6
Topic 6
I want this!
PART 1 I can’t live without this
Yoko： Wow, you can cut an apple like that with that. That's amazing.
Monica： Oh, this? It’s an apple cutter. It’s good, isn’t it?
Listener： Don’t you have them in Japan?
Yoko： No, it’s the first time I’ve seen one.
Monica： It seems people don’t use them much in Japan. When I was studying in Japan and wanted to eat an
apple, I looked everywhere for this apple cutter, but they didn’t sell them anywhere. When I told Japanese people I knew about it, they told me a kitchen knife would do.
Tomoko： I think so too.
Monica： But if you use this, it’s easy. You don’t get your hands dirty, and it’s safe, so even children can use it,
can’t they? I’m quite clumsy, and not very good with knives, so I find it really useful. Yoko： I see.
Monica： In the end I couldn’t find one in Japan, so I got my mother to send me one from home. Listener： Wow. You went to all that effort?
Monica： Yes. In those days almost no one knew that this kind of utensil existed.
Yoko： I know.
Monica： Now you can buy them even in Japan in 100 yen shops apparently.
Manami： Really? But I don’t know anyone that uses them.
Yoko： But conversely, there are quite a lot of things they have in Japan that they don’t have here. Listener： For example?
Yoko： For example, The other day when I went back to Japan, I bought this. Listener： Wow. What’s that?
Yoko： It’s an anti-static key holder. Manami： Oh, I know it.
Listener： What? What kind of key holder?
Yoko： Anti static. Erm, during cold, dry days in winter, you sometimes get painful shocks when you touch things like car doors or doors at home, don’t you? They prevent that from happening.
Listener： Really? How?
Yoko： When you touch this front part against a door knob, this lamp lights up from the static electricity. This removes the static electricity, so after that, even if you touch the door, you don’t get a shock.
Listener： Wow. Monica： Great.
Yoko： Winter here is even drier than Japan, so I really hated getting electric shocks when I touched doors. Manami： I know what you mean.
Yoko： But when I use this, they disappear, so it’s become much easier. I tried looking all over the place for one here, but it seems they don’t sell them.
Manami： To be sure there are a lot of different Japanese things I can’t live without. I like things I’m used to using, like medicine, shampoo and hand cream, so I buy them in Japan and bring them with me. Listener： Really? Is that not a lot of trouble?
Tomoko： I’m the same. Especially with things like medicine.
Listener： Wow. Is that right?
Tomoko： I have a big problem with sizes. For example shoes. There are no shoes in my size at all here. My shoe
size in 22.5cm, but it seems there are almost no people with that size here. I’m always being told to look for children’s shoes.
Listener： Wow.
Manami： I have the same problem.
Tomoko： I can’t very well wear children’s shoes now. And then there’s tooth brushes.
Yoko： Oh, I know.
Manami： They’re big, aren’t they?
Tomoko： Yes, the tooth brushes here have got massive heads. I think small, compact heads are much easier to
brush with. Monica： Really?
Tomoko： Yes, that’s why so many people buy them in Japan and bring them here, or get them sent over by
friends. Listener： Is that right?
Topic 6
PART 2 I love takoyaki
Aki： … OK, see you next month.
Pamela： Yes, looking forward to it.
Aki： Oh, that’s right. If there’s anything at all I can get you while I’m in Japan, let me know.
Pamela： That’s OK. Don’t worry about it.
Aki： I don’t mind. After all I’m staying at your place for a week, so it’s the least I can do.
Pamela： Are you sure? OK… there's something I really want at the moment… I wonder if I should ask you.
Aki： What is it? Tell me, tell me.
Pamela： Well, would you be able to buy me a takoyaki pan?
Aki： What? A takoyaki pan? You want one of those?
Pamela： Yes, please. I love takoyaki. There’s octopus, and you can buy sauce, tuna flakes and things like that
at the Japanese supermarket here. But of course they don’t sell takoyaki pans here. Aki： Really?
Pamela： I saw a lot of different ones on the internet, and it seems they can make not just takoyaki, but ajillo,
donuts and a lot of other things as well.
Aki： Right, I see. But there are lots of different types of takoyaki pans, aren’t there?
Pamela： Yes. Can I have one that can cook 20 takoyakis at once… and, there are gas and electric ones, but
can I have an electric one, please?
Aki： Electric? OK. But can you use Japanese things here?
Pamela： Yes. The voltage is different, but it’s OK because I’ve got a voltage transformer. Oh, and, erm, if
they have one, would it be OK if you bought a takoyaki pick as well? Aki： Takoyaki pick? What’s that?
Pamela： Erm, it’s a skewer you use when making takoyaki instead of a bamboo skewer. Because it’s made
out of a soft substance it doesn’t damage the metal plates.
Aki： I see. Right, I’ll have a look. But takoyaki pans aren’t really big and heavy, are they?
Pamela： Probably about 1 kg. I’m not so sure about the size. If it’s really big, I’m sorry.
Aki： OK.
PART 3 They're unique, so I think people will like them
Ikezu： I want to bring back some souvenirs from Egypt. What would be good?
Said： Hmm, souvenirs? There are lots of different things, but let me think, how about “papyrus
bookmarks” or something like that? Ikezu： Bookmarks?
Said： They have pictures of ancient Egyptian pharaohs, hieroglyphs…what’s it called in
Japanese…“shokei moji” and things like that drawn on them, and they’re cheap and not bulky, so you can give one to everyone.
Ikezu： That sounds good.
Said： Apart from that, if you want really Egyptian stuff, let me see, bottles of perfume are popular as well.
Ikezu： Bottles of perfume?
Said： The colour of the glass is beautiful, and the design is in the style of the Arabian knights, so
apparently Japanese people buy them as small ornaments. Ikezu： Is that right?
Said： And if you want something practical, personally I recommend Egyptian cotton towels. They
absorb water well, and, erm, they’re soft, and if you use them once you can’t go back to your old towels.
Ikezu： Really?
PART 4 It got good reviews, so …
Electric takoyaki pan 24-hole detachable plate high powered 1200W!! ≪made in Japan≫ Product description
Price： 5,400 yen (including tax and postage)
Size： 36cm wide x 24 cm deep x 7.5 cm high
Weight： 1.55 kg
Cord length： 1.2 m
high powered 1200W! High temperature, so you can make delicious takoyaki non-stick plate made of fluorine resin
with convenient temperature adjust function! easy to use even for beginners plate detachable, so possible to wash the whole machine
can be given as a present! wrapping available for this item
Reviews by people who bought this item Average rating： 4.35
Crispy and creamy takoyaki!
This was the first time I’d made takoyaki, and I could easily make delicious takoyaki that was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside! And they cooked straight away because of the high temperature metal plate, so it seems perfect for a takoyaki party. The batter didn't sick to the plate, so cleaning was very easy (circle within a circle-equivalent to silver star awarded for good school work in some western countries). The one weak point is that because of the high-temperature metal plate, it consumes a lot of electricity. It tripped my breaker at home. You can’t use any other electrical equipment while making takoyaki… . Apart from that, I’m extremely satisfied!
Disappointing
Because it got good reviews, I was expecting it to be good, but… . It’s great that the plate is removable, but it rattles terribly. While cooking, the plate tilted to one side, and I nearly burnt myself. It’s too dangerous to allow children to cook with it. And it doesn’t cook evenly. The places where the temperature is high are burnt while the places where the temperature is low are undercooked. As I expected, gas is probably better than electric. Overall I really don’t think it’s worth paying 5,000 yen for it.
Good as a present
I bought it as a present for a foreign friend. I asked to have it wrapped and it was wrapped beautifully, so I was very impressed! My friend was very pleased with it as well, so that’s great. On top of that, the price was very reasonable. The item arrived very quickly too. I would give it 5 stars, but I haven’t used it myself, so -1.
Even Kansai mother-in-law was satisfied
Topic 6
PART5 I'd like to return it
Return Request Whom it may concern：
I bought the DVD “The Basics of Japanese Cooking” from your website on 24 September (order number 972516), and it arrived yesterday.
According to the description on the website, the condition of the DVD was “second hand but same as new”, but the DVD that arrived was scratched and would not play.
Topic 7
My favourite film
PART 1 It leaves a lasting impression on you
Listener： The Japanese film festival starts next week, doesn’t it? There are a lot of films, so I’m at a bit of a
loss. Which films do you recommend?
Yamamoto： Let me see, in this year’s lineup, you definitely don’t want to miss the Kurosawa films. “Sanshiro
Sugata” and “Ran” are both good, but if I had to choose one, I’d choose “Ikiru”. Listener： Right, what kind of film is it?
Yamamoto： It’s a very understated film.
Listener： Understated?
Yamamoto： It’s different from Kurosawa’s other films because there’s no action like sword fights or martial arts,
and the story isn’t that exciting. But bit by bit this film leaves a lasting impression on you. Listener： In what way?
Yamamoto： The main character is a very normal man working in a town hall, but one day he finds out that he’s
got cancer and can only live for a short time, so he thinks about what he’d like to do, and what kind of mark he’d like to make with the rest of his life.
Listener： Really?
Yamamoto： The performance by Takashi Shimura, who plays the main role, is absolutely fantastic. The famous
scene on the swing moved me to tears. Listener： Is that right?
Yamamoto： It’s an old film, but it's a really good film.
Listener： Great, I want to see it.
Maruyama： Oh, Ikiru, that’s a good film. But among these films, there are some quite new ones that are good
too.
Listener： Which ones?
Maruyama： For example, Hula Girls.
Listener： Right.
Maeda： Oh, that.
Maruyama： It’s the same type of film as Sumo Do Sumo Don’t, Waterboys, and films like that, about
supokon… . Listener： Supokon?
Maruyama： Erm, fighting spirit in sport. It’s a very invigorating film.
Listener： Invigorating?
Maruyama： Erm, it has the type of storyline where at first someone can’t do something, but with hard work they
finally succeed. Listener： I see.
Maruyama： Even when you know the film has that typical storyline, I’m sure it’ll keep you on the edge of your
seat, and seeing people try their best always inspires you, doesn’t it? Listener： Yeah.
Maruyama： Hula Girls is a story about hula dancers being trained at a hot spring resort in a rural area.
Listener： What? Hula dancing in Japan?
Maruyama： Yes. It’s based on a true story, so that might make it all the more full of meaning. The ending is
really moving and refreshing, so I can recommend it to anyone. Listener： This sounds good as well.
Maeda： My recommendation might be a little surprising, but it’s Crayon Shinchan.
Listener： Shinchan?
Maeda： Crayon Shinchan has got the image that it’s meant for kids, hasn’t it?
Listener： Is that not right?
Maeda： The film versions are completely different. Especially “Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called: The Battle of the Warring States”, which is showing at this year’s film festival, is supposed to be a masterpiece, and the best of the Crayon Shinchan series.
Topic 7
Maeda： It’s a quality film, and worth seeing even for an adult.
Listener： Really? In what way?
Maeda： It’s a story about Shinchan and his family travelling back in time to the Warring States era, and
Shinchan’s story gets tangled up with a drama involving a samurai and a princess from the warring period. The story’s deep and, in short, it’ll make you cry.
Listener： Really?
Maeda： And the direction is really fancy. Actually, before, I borrowed the DVD and watched it with my
child, but in the end it was me, the parent, who cried their eyes out. Listener： Wow, is it that moving?
Maeda： Yes, so you should definitely watch it without any preconceptions.
Miyazaki： Anime is good too, but among these films, I’d definitely go for Godzilla.
Maeda： What? Godzilla? That’s the monster story, isn’t it?
Miyazaki： Yes. Actually, Godzilla has become a series, and there are lots of different films, but the first film
from 1954 is on a completely different level from the others. Listener： What do you mean on a different level?
Miyazaki： Erm, rather than being just a piece of entertainment, it’s got a strong message, for example, it gives a
kind of warning against war, nuclear tests, and things like that. Listener： Wow.
Miyazaki： The camerawork is amazing as well, it was made entirely using special effects in an era when things
like computer graphics didn’t exist at all, and it’s got much more impact than computer graphics. Listener： Is that right?
Miyazaki： And in the first 20 minutes, you don’t see Gozilla at all, so the tension builds up, and the scene when
Godzilla finally appears gives you such a fright, you nearly have a heart attack. You should definitely see it.
PART 2 The individual performances were good
Thongkhanh： “Kamome Shokudo” was pretty good.
Azusa： Really? What was good about it?
Thongkhanh： For some reason the overall atmosphere was very nice. And the actors individual performances
were good. Especially Moita.. Motai… Masako, was it? She had a lot of presence.
Azusa： Yes, the performances were good… but for me it was maybe a little bit boring. Or rather, didn’t you feel there was almost no story? There were no exciting bits either.
Thongkhanh： I suppose so… but that might be good. I don’t know why, but I ended up in a good mood at the
end of the film. And the views of Finland were great. It was just like looking at a picture. Azusa： Yeah, the cinematography was OK. But the story didn’t have a climax, and there wasn’t any kind
of deep theme to make you think about, was there? It was just a usual day in a restaurant, and that wasn’t enough for me.
Thongkhanh： Really? But I think exciting scenes might not have been included intentionally. There was no
crying, suspense, excitement, or things like that, but there was a depiction of the relationships... interactions between lots of different people. It gave me a warm feeling, so when I watched it, I felt really relaxed.
Azusa： I suppose so. To be honest, I imagined it would be a “drama about the ups and down of the life of a
Japanese person doing their best overseas” type of story, but it was quite different to what I expected.
Thongkhanh： Right, I see.
Azusa： Oh, there were lots of interesting scenes, weren’t there? Like when Sachie and Midori first met.
Thongkhanh： Oh, the scene when the two of them were singing the anime song in the book shop? That was
funny.
Azusa： Yes. And at the end, didn’t you think,”What? Is that it?”
Thongkhanh： Yes, that’s what I thought. But I thought that might have been because I’d been so absorbed in the
world of the film, that time felt shorter than it actually was. Azusa： You might be right.
Thongkhanh： I get the feeling it’s a film I’ll want to watch again not just once, but many times.
PART 3 That’s what’s called an enduring masterpiece
Aoki： Lane, have you seen any films recently?
Lane： I saw “Roman Holiday” at home at the weekend. It’s the sort of film you can watch again and
again, isn’t it?
Aoki： Oh, I like it too. It’s great, isn’t it?
Lane： Whichever way you look at it, Audrey Hepburn is beautiful. Erm, when she was a princess, she was
very elegant, and when she was a normal lady, she was really charming. Aoki： I think so too.
Lane： The newspaper journalist Gregory Peck was good too, wasn’t he? And the story was like a
fairytale, but very dramatic, wasn’t it? Aoki： I know.
Lane： Everything was squeezed into only one day’s holiday in Rome, like the two characters’ meeting,
their adventures, their falling in love and their breaking up, so it was really exciting to watch. Aoki： That’s right.
Lane： And it was really enjoyable looking at the city of Rome in the film. With the ancient remains,
churches, and things like that… it was just like you were walking around Rome with them. Aoki： Yes, exactly. Do you have a favourite scene or anything like that?
Lane： Yes, as you might expect my favourite scene is the one when they go their separate ways.
Aoki： Yes.
Lane： Two people eyes meeting without saying anything. Tears in the eyes of a laughing princess. The two
characters’ feelings really come across, and it gives you a lump in your throat. That kind of thing is what’s called an enduring masterpiece.
