Comic Book Crusader
When he finished university, Tetsuya Totsuka planned to be a nuclear physicist. Today he is one of the most respected writers of food manga in Japan. And with the release of new English-translation editions of his most popular series Oishinbo, a la carte, his impact is set to be much wider.
His Japanese friends know him [...]
Animation, job hunting drive popularity of Japanese-language study
Japanese-language study is growing in popularity every year, especially in East Asian countries, driven by the interest in Japanese animation and the desire to find better jobs in Japan.
According to a 2006 survey by the Japan Foundation, Japanese-language education was carried out in 133 countries and territories throughout the world, and Japanese-language learners numbered about [...]
Obama Becomes Japan’s English Teacher
When Utako Sakai was changing the background music in her beauty parlor recently, she did not opt for the classical piano pieces she usually chose.
A CD of President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech has sold a half million copies in Japan, leading publishers to flood the market with over a dozen language-learning titles centered on his [...]
Koalas ‘could face extinction’
Australia’s koalas could be wiped out within 30 years unless urgent action is taken to halt a decline in population, according to researchers.
They say development, climate change and bushfires have all combined to send the numbers of wild koalas plummeting.
The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey showed the population could have dropped by more [...]
English lessons by 91-yr-old Japanese woman gaining popularity
KAGOSHIMA, Japan, April 9 (AP) – (Kyodo)—A 91-year-old woman, who spent her early years in the United States, is giving English lessons at her home in Kagoshima, which is gaining popularity among people who feel that regular English schools are difficult to follow.
Hatsune Honda started the Grandma’s English Salon in June 2004. She was [...]