School News

School event after a long absence: Orienteering (part one)

The long-standing restrictions on entry to Japan have been relaxed, and students have finally returned to school from the April 2022 semester. Before that, our classes were being held online, so we at Tokyo Galaxy were having a feeling of loneliness, since there were no students at school even during the semester. In addition to the absence of students at school, school events were also withheld due to COVID-19 prevention measures in Japan. However, various COVID-19-related regulations have been gradually loosened, and it has become possible to hold a really fun program in Tokyo Galaxy for the first time in a long time.

In late May, an orienteering event was held as part of the social studies field trip program. Orienteering is a type of sport in which the competitors travel in foot using a map and a compass to perform tasks at several control points and race toward the goal. It’s like doing treasure hunting as a sport competing for time, and in Japan, many elementary and junior high schools hold this kind of events during excursion trips.

School event after a long absence: Orienteering

Orienteering at Tokyo Galaxy is not an event to compete for time; instead of that, our students visit the well-known neighboring towns, Tsukishima, Monzennakacho, Nihonbashi, and Ningyocho, by groups. These areas retain the atmosphere of the Edo period in Japan, so it’s fun enough just to go sightseeing, but it would be much more interesting to walk around with your classmates, looking for the place set as the destination and answering quizzes on your way.

The students of the Advanced Class learned beforehand about the history and famous places in the towns for this orienteering. You will be able to discover the charm of the town when you visit there, if you have knowledge about the place. Students also made presentations in their class by groups about the information they found out on these historical towns. They prepared PowerPoint slides and made a full-scale presentation.

School event after a long absence: Orienteering

In addition, the Advanced Class students delivered their presentations at the Basic and Intermediate Classes and explained the features of each town. Presentations were made in Japanese for the Intermediate Class and in several languages (Korean, Chinese, English, Russian, Thai) for the Basic Class. At Tokyo Galaxy, Basic and Intermediate Classes are held basically in the afternoon, and Intermediate-Second half and Advanced Classes are held in the morning. Therefore, students with different levels of Japanese ability don’t have the opportunity to interact with each other usually. School events like this provides them a chance to meet each other, and it is motivational for both student groups. Students of Basic and Intermediate Classes were giving a longing look to the Advanced Class students. For the Advanced Class students, the process of making researches and presentations will be a good training for them, since they will have to make presentations at universities and after they get employed.

In the following article, we will tell you about the day of the orienteering event so please keep your eyes on us.

Student Interview

Graduates Interview: passing the entrance exam of the Culinary Institute of Hattori Nutrition College

Mr. Kim, who has been studying Japanese steadily from the basics since entering Tokyo Galaxy in January 2021, has passed the entrance exam of the Culinary Institute of Hattori Nutrition College. We asked him about his life studying abroad and how he has succeeded to pass the entrance exam.

Congratulations on your success with the entrance exam. Please tell us how you are feeling now.
I’m so glad to be able to go on to the school of dreams; I have been longing to become a student there since before coming to Japan.

Is there anyone at Tokyo Galaxy to whom you wish to express your gratitude?
I would like to thank all of my teachers who supported me to improve my Japanese skills. In particular, I want to express my thanks to Ms. Ibuka, my entrance exam trainer, and Ms. Hashizume who works at the school office. They have always supported me to get adjusted to life in Japan.

What was the key to your success?
I really learned a lot of things at Tokyo Galaxy. I think that if you follow the guidance of your teachers properly, everyone will be able to enter the school of their choice.

Graduates Interview: passing the entrance exam of the Culinary Institute of Hattori Nutrition College

Your Japanese has improved significantly compared to when you just entered Tokyo Galaxy; how have you been studying it so far?
I’m not the kind of person who stays glued to his desk to focus on studying. Instead, I went out with my Japanese friends, and tried to spend time like locals. I made effort to create an effective environment in which my Japanese would get better; that was all I was thinking about.

Which class at Tokyo Galaxy do you remember the most?
It’s the Accelerated Learning Class. We learned a lot at the classroom and also had lots of homework compared to the other classes. However, I was able to realize my Japanese getting better every day, so I was very happy when I was studying there.

What made you to decide to enter Tokyo Galaxy?
I heard from my friend living in Tokyo that there are many excellent students in Tokyo Galaxy Japanese language school. I thought that if I could get into such environment, I might be able to study more. In fact, I’m quite stimulated by my classmates because they are so diligent and studying earnestly.

What kind of school do you think is Tokyo Galaxy?
The school has structured systems, and there are kind teachers and endeavoring students.

Graduates Interview: passing the entrance exam of the Culinary Institute of Hattori Nutrition CollegePlease give some advice to people planning to study in Japan and go on to a Japanese vocational school.
I respect your efforts to pursue something that you love. You know, our modern society is materially rich, but people seem to be losing the meaning of life. I believe that your life will be a happy one if you can be passionate about your job, even if you don’t earn a lot of money. Let’s do our best.

Your life in Japan was influenced a great deal by the COVID-19 pandemic; how have you dealt with the unexpected situation?
There is an expression that says “crisis is an opportunity.” We are not being able to have new encounters because of the pandemic, but that means we can deepen our relationship with existing friends. If became difficult to go out and enjoy ourselves, but now we have plenty of time to study at home. I believe that whatever the situation may be, you can turn it into a positive opportunity and if you can do so, you will achieve a good outcome.

What are your objectives in studying at Hattori Nutrition College?
I think that the most important thing in life is your health. I want to help to create a healthy society by studying about nutrition, foodstuff and cooking methods.

Mr. Kim entered Tokyo Galaxy in order to study cooking in Japan. After studying for about a year, he has acquired Japanese skills and succeeded to enter the school of his choice. We are really proud of him, and we hope that he will have a lot of learning opportunities at Hattori Nutrition College. We are looking forward to see him become an excellent one-of-a-kind chef. Thank you for the interview.

Student Interview

Graduates Interview: passing the entrance exam of Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku

Mr. Hong, who has been taking Tokyo Galaxy’s classes online from his home country since April 2021, has passed the entrance exam for Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku. We asked him about the school of his choice and how he has been studying so far.

Congratulations on passing the entrance exam of Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku. Please tell us what kind of efforts you have made for it.
I spent a lot of time on preparation and review of classes, because I didn’t want to fall behind the other students who were taking classes in Japan. I applied for admission to the College through the special admission system of “self-recommendation”, so I studied not only Japanese but also the basics of cooking in order to present myself appealingly.

Did you notice any improvement in your Japanese ability after taking the B-1 (Basic) Class from April to June 2021?
I didn’t have a chance to use Japanese or to hear someone talking in Japanese before entering Tokyo Galaxy, so I was a little confused when I started taking classes, but I was able to become quite accustomed to Japanese as I studied in the B-1 Class.

Graduates Interview: passing the entrance exam of Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku

How about the Accelerated Learning Class you have been taking since July? Please tell us how it helped you to prepare for the entrance examination.
Most of my classmates of the Accelerated Learning Class are studying hard to achieve their own goals, so the atmosphere of the class is very nice. The lessons are fast-paced, and we have reading comprehension homework and kanji tests every day, so it is difficult to catch up unless you study outside of class hours, but you can make faster progress with your Japanese if you have determination and devote yourself to studying. I studied really seriously in the Accelerated Learning Class, so I was able to get a good score in reading comprehension and kanji tests of the entrance exam.

What made you to decide to enroll in Tokyo Galaxy?
I was planning to study in Japan with a goal of entering Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku. I was looking for information on the Internet, and found the blog of Tokyo Galaxy. I decided to enroll after reading it.

What was the reason you decided to enter Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku?
I was working at a sushi restaurant in my home country, and while working there, I became more and more attracted to Japanese food and I came to feel that I should learn more about it. There are many cooking schools in Japan, but I wanted to study Japanese food in a professional manner, so I decided to enroll in Tokyo College of Sushi and Washoku.

Due to the COVID-10 pandemic, you had to take Tokyo Galaxy’s classes online. You must have had a tough time under the unexpected circumstances; how did you manage to keep studying hard every day?
When I was feeling low, I watched video clips about Japanese cuisine on YouTube and encouraged myself. I tried to do my best every day, with a strong will to get enrolled in Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku in April.

Graduates Interview: passing the entrance exam of Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku

Please give some advice to those who are thinking of going on to a Japanese vocational school and are preparing for it.
My idea is that getting enrolled in a Japanese vocational school is relatively easy compared to getting enrolled in a Japanese university. However, if you start studying abroad in an easygoing manner without a clear objective, you may end up feeing lethargic, just doing things out of habit. You are going to pay a lot of money and spend considerable amount of time, so I think it’s better to set your goal and work hard; then you will get good results.

What are your objectives for studying at Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku?
I want to make new friends, friends with common interests and study together with them to become more capable. I will make efforts to maintain high grades and a high attendance rate, and I’m hoping to get a designated activities visa after graduating from the College and gain experience at a sushi restaurant in Ginza.

Mr. Hong, who has emphasized the importance of setting a solid goal, has himself been studying Japanese steadily and has prepared for the entrance examination with a strong sense of purpose. He was forced to take classes online from his home country, but despite the unexpected situation, he has made a lot of efforts every day to improve his Japanese significantly. We are looking forward to see him become a washoku chef several years from now. Thank you very much for the interview!

School News

Tokyo Galaxy students present their video works at “The Galaxy Festival”

Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School held “The Galaxy Festival” in June 2021, in which its students worked together as classes to create and present video works. A total of 19 classes, including both the morning and the afternoon classes, presented their videos. The students living in Japan, and the students still unable to enter Japan due to the effects of COVID-19 and taking classes online spent two to three weeks in collaboration with their classmates to create a highly complete work.
The theme of the video works were selected by the class members themselves. There were a wide variety of works such as Japanese anime dubbed into students’ local languages, quizzes about Japanese contemporary culture, funny pictures and daily scenes of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, songs and senryu (Japanese humorous poems) portraying the lives of international students in the midst of COVID-19 crisis.
On the day of the Festival, the students seemed to be enjoying a feeling of accomplishment by watching the video works they created with all their might, trying various ideas. As the class came together to make the video and spent time collaborating with each other, it seemed that the relationship between the students became even deeper and the desire to study together in Japan became stronger.
Due to COVID-19 related restrictions, students in their home countries are not being able to come to Japan, and students in Japan cannot travel or go out freely under movement restrictions to prevent spread of infection, so everyone may be disappointed. Even so, they were able to work together for the Galaxy Festival and their experiences became precious memories.
We know that Tokyo Galaxy students are doing their best, helping each other with their friends who are working hard toward the same goal of learning Japanese despite the current COVID-19 situation, so we are trying to support them from our heart. To those who are studying in their home country without being able to enter Japan, we want to tell you that when this pandemic subsides and you become able to study in Japan, you will realize the preciousness of the days you spend in Japan, after overcoming many hardships. Until then, let’s continue to work together toward our goals!

Tokyo Galaxy students present their video works at The Galaxy Festival

Tokyo Galaxy students present their video works at The Galaxy Festival

Tokyo Galaxy students present their video works at The Galaxy Festival

School News

Student Interview: Studying in Japan at Tokyo Galaxy’s Accelerated Learning Class

Mr. Kim is a student who has been studying earnestly for half a year since January 2021 at the Accelerated Learning Class of Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School. We had an interview with him and asked him about the Accelerated Learning Class, and his life in Japan so far.

How do you feel about that your current level of Japanese, compared to before you took the Accelerated Learning Class?
When I first came to Japan, all I knew was hiragana. I learned hiragana and katakana, and studied the basics of grammar on my own during the isolation period after entering Japan. And when I started studying in Japan at the Accelerated Learning Class, I just had to speak and read Japanese when I went to stores to buy something, and when I was trying to make friends at school, so I have become more enthusiastic about studying grammar. When I found some words on store signs that I couldn’t understand, I checked those words with a dictionary. I think my Japanese skills have improved a lot through living in Japan, before I was aware of it.

What was the good thing about studying in the Accelerated Learning Class?
At the Accelerated Learning Class, we used two more textbooks than the regular class. One was reading comprehension and the other was vocabulary. We had to work on one page of the reading comprehension textbook every day, and we also had a kanji test every day, so we had to study more than the students of the other classes, and that was the good point. We also had more regular examinations than in the other classes, so we reviewed our learning frequently and that was also our advantage.

Then what were the difficulties of studying in the Accelerated Learning Class?
I had a hard time keeping up with my grammar study during the winter term, which was the first term at this school for me. The level of the grammar lessons of our class was equivalent to N4 or N3 level of JLPT, so I guess it would not have been difficult to keep up with the class if I had studied properly in my home country. However, since I came to Japan unprepared, I had to study grammar and learn kanji at the same time, and I also had to work on reading comprehension. I had a really tough time.

Student Interview: Studying in Japan at Tokyo Galaxy's Accelerated Learning Class

Is there any teacher who you would like to thank for helping you?
I couldn’t get a good mark on the exam and was not accepted to the Accelerated Learning Class at the beginning of the spring term, but I was allowed to take a makeup exam and enter the class. At that time, Ms. Kaida and Mr. Kumazaki arranged a personal meeting for me, and I was very grateful for their advice, truly helpful for the students.

Please tell us about your future goals.
I want to pass the N2 level exam of JLPT in July and then the N1 level exam in December 2021. I’m also aiming to get a job at a trading company.

How is your life in Japan? Tell us about the good parts of your experience in Japan. We also would like to know what is your average day like.
I came to Japan and found that the customer service of people working in the service industry, such as convenience stores in Japan, is considerably more polite than in South Korea, my home country. I think this is true not only for full-time employees, but also part-time workers. I get a feeling that they are really working hard. I also feel that Japanese people respect the independence of each other more strongly than the South Koreans do. People of South Korea are said to be compassionate and warm-hearted in general, but Japanese people, of course it varies with individuals, but I think that they are more like the Westerners on the whole, placing importance on individual lives and paying respect to each other.
The best thing about living in Japan is the casual sushi restaurants where you can eat sushi for 100 yen per plate. I love it because it’s cheaper and tastes better than sushi restaurants in Korea. My typical day is like, go to school and study, and after that I watch anime or spend time talking with my Japanese friends. On weekends I visit places in Tokyo that I have not been to yet.

What made you to decide to enroll in Tokyo Galaxy?
At first, I searched all over the Internet for Japanese language schools not only in Tokyo but also in Osaka and other various regions. Then I found that unlike other Japanese language schools, Tokyo Galaxy has not only regular classes and the Business Japanese Class, but also the Accelerated Learning Class. I was attracted to the fact that in this class, you can study Japanese with a double speed compared to the regular class. So I inquired about admission and had a good impression, so I decided to enroll.

Student Interview: Studying in Japan at Tokyo Galaxy's Accelerated Learning Class

Please give some advice to those who are thinking of studying at the Accelerated Learning Class of Tokyo Galaxy.
Well, based on my experience during the winter term in which I began studying in Japan, I would strongly recommend to learn some basic Japanese before coming to Japan if you are preparing to study abroad. I think that you will be able to keep up with class lessons if you have knowledge of Japanese grammar to a certain extent.
At Tokyo Galaxy, there are students from Greater China, such as Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and since they have been learning kanji since childhood, they get good grades in kanji tests and they also have high reading skills. But there’s no need to compare yourself with them and worry about your grades. After certain amount of time, there will be no big difference between you and them. And another thing I want to tell you is, when you come to Japan, it will be a good idea to live with curiosity. When you look at the names of the train stations written in kanji carefully, you can learn that some kanji have several different ways to be read. Or you might be looking at the signs of restaurants and notice that some kanji can be read differently from the way that you have known. Looking at everything around you with interest and curiosity will enable you to learn Japanese quickly.

We would like to thank Mr. Kim for telling us in detail about living in Japan and studying Japanese. He had a strong desire to join our Accelerated Learning Class, and we remember how nervous he was before the placement test. It seems like only yesterday, but now he has already completed the program of the Accelerated Learning Class.
We know that he has been so busy, trying to get used to life in Japan and working hard on his studies. We are so proud of him, and we are wishing that he will be able to continue achieving his goals.