This is the theme song and ending song of From up on Poppy hill. The name of the song, さよならの夏・さよならのなつ means Summer of goodbye and it is sang by 手嶌葵・てしまあおい Teshima Aoi. Appearing at the end of the film, this song conveys a touch of sadness, echoing with some aspects of the film. It also..
どちらかが彼女を殺した～第４章～２
From page 178 to 197. This was not a very difficult part but a rather long one. Yasumasa's investigation is getting further, thanks to discussions and confrontations with other characters. Here again, Kaga's own investigation is implicitly present and we glimpse it here and there. I was used to Kaga not being constantly present in..
Tips for studying with a book and its audiobook
Having both the book and the audio book of the same work, allows to work in different ways. Here are some ideas: Listening practice First listen to the audiobook several times (I think that 3 times is a good choice) and really try to understand all that you can understand (meaning, unknown words are hopeless..
Immerse yourself: Set your computer to Japanese
When I learn a new language, I generally change the language of my phone and computer to the language I am learning. Why does it help? Obviously, to immerse oneself in Japanese, you have to surround yourself with as much Japanese as possible. But if you buy a Japanese magazine and do not read it,..
すーちゃん～１０
From page 66 to 72 Another great story about what you are and what you want to be, how to change and become someone better! 特集記事・とくしゅうきじ special feature article Su and the young Chika are talking about a 500 yen note. Chika finding it exciting and Su saying "懐かしい". I had to check the Wikipedia..
すーちゃん～9
From page 60 to 65. This is a very interesting story about Suchan's workplace. It is a very different environment than Maichan's but she has to face difficulties, too. Especially to keep smooth relationships with a bunch of young girls very sensible. I really like the way the author describes, in very simple drawings and..
Learning by heart, give it a try!
I have decided to start learning by heart the first chapter of 星の王子さま which is the Japanese translation of The Little Prince. I explained the benefit of learning by heart in this post and so far, it totally works for me. What helps me is that The Little Prince is a story I know very..
都はるみ ～愛は花、君はその種子
The song "愛は花、君はその種子" sung by 都はるみ・みやこはるみ appears at the end of the Ghibli film "Only Yesterday", directed by Isao Takahata. It is a Japanese cover of "The Rose" by Amanda McBroom. I don't know if I would have loved that song so much, hadn't I seen the film. It's only the ending film song but..
どちらかが彼女を殺した～第４章～１
From page 169 to 178. We are beginning chapter 4 and have almost reached the middle of the book! In this chapter, Yasumasa has returned to work but pursues his investigation. There are a lot of words I didn't know, especially at the beginning... 分離帯・ぶんりたい I have no idea how to say that in English... On..
すーちゃん～８
From p.53 to 59. In this new story, Maichan has to go to the housewarming party of the managing director, as promised in the previous story. Even though it is Sunday, she has to give away this "part of her life" to work. Vocabulary: おおげさ grandiose, exagerated 帳消し・ちょうけし cancellation, writing off 媚・こび flattery, cajolery So, Maichan is..
Those things that are more than objects
One way of staying motivated when learning a new language is to have physical objects related to the country. It is certainly not the biggest motivation booster than one can find, but it is a little something that does add some fuel to your motivation on a daily basis. At least, it works for me...
YouTubed away
I am sure I am not the only one to get lost in YouTube, going to check something relevant and ending up watching cows opening doors with their horns. YouTube really is a world in itself, where you can learn many things and loose a lot of your precious time, too. Well, I have decided..