Read more about the article Have you heard of Brass Band Camelia?

Have you heard of Brass Band Camelia?

By Patrick Peh

Prelude

At the end of January we had Tsubaki “Matsuri” (meaning Festival), which is a massive festival held at Tsubaki Shrine, marking the coldest day this winter. But what I am going to write about here is not so much about the festival but about a concert band of the same name. In my final year of the JET program, I had the honor and privilege to perform with Brass Band Camellia in Masaki Culture Center. Previously, in Listen to the Japanese School Band I narrated the story of students playing their instruments in band. This time, I will write about their teachers who play their instruments in band.

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Continue ReadingHave you heard of Brass Band Camelia?
Read more about the article Backtrack #27: A Lightbulb Moment (Maura McCarthy, Uwajima SHS ALT, 2013-15)

Backtrack #27: A Lightbulb Moment (Maura McCarthy, Uwajima SHS ALT, 2013-15)

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What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

My name is Maura McCarthy, and I had a placement in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture.

I’m a military dependent, so I’m not from one place in particular– but I spent my last year of high school and undergraduate career in North Carolina before JET. I lived in Kanagawa prefecture for 3 years in high school (on a military base), so Japan was also a part of my upbringing in some ways. 

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Continue ReadingBacktrack #27: A Lightbulb Moment (Maura McCarthy, Uwajima SHS ALT, 2013-15)
Read more about the article Backtrack #26: I Had Never Seen the Ocean (Jae DiBello Takeuchi, Nishiumi ALT, 1996-99)

Backtrack #26: I Had Never Seen the Ocean (Jae DiBello Takeuchi, Nishiumi ALT, 1996-99)

meyukata

What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

Jae DiBello Takeuchi. I was an ALT in Nishiumi (currently Ainan), in Ehime prefecture from 1996-1999 (I was the first JET in my town). I am from the US.

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Continue ReadingBacktrack #26: I Had Never Seen the Ocean (Jae DiBello Takeuchi, Nishiumi ALT, 1996-99)
Read more about the article Where the Track Splits: The Aiaru Iyonada Line and the Uchiko Line

Where the Track Splits: The Aiaru Iyonada Line and the Uchiko Line

By Carl Sotomil

Hello there Mikans! My name is Carl, and I like trains. I am the ALT for Iyo-Nakayama, so if it still does not ring any bells until now, nice to meet you.

I live in the middle of the mountains (that’s where “Nakayama” got its name) in Iyo City, so much so that I can not even call it a city anymore. My daily life is almost entirely dependent on taking the train from the mountains to the city below. I love being on trains here in Ehime because it is almost guaranteed that you will have a seat every morning; though I am sometimes a little frustrated with the lack of scheduled trains, sometimes going hours without one!

A lot of you are probably afraid of going south because the Yosan Line splits into 2 lines, though I can reassure you that you will enjoy where both lines go through. Allow me to guide you through the mountains and the coastline by rail!

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Map of the 2 lines
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Continue ReadingWhere the Track Splits: The Aiaru Iyonada Line and the Uchiko Line
Read more about the article Backtrack #25: I Didn’t Want to be in England (Steve Turner, Hojo High School ALT, 2003-06)

Backtrack #25: I Didn’t Want to be in England (Steve Turner, Hojo High School ALT, 2003-06)

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What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

I am Steve Turner. I was an Ehime Ken ALT in Hojo Senior High School, in Matsuyama for 2 years and then added Imabari Nishi Senior High School and Imabari Technical High School for a year.

I was originally from Walsall near Birmingham in England. The ongoing joke was if there was a small group of brummie sounding kids now in Japan.

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Continue ReadingBacktrack #25: I Didn’t Want to be in England (Steve Turner, Hojo High School ALT, 2003-06)
Read more about the article The Magic of Miyajima: An Itinerary for New Years

The Magic of Miyajima: An Itinerary for New Years

By Sage Burch

https://www.flickr.com/photos/192675295@N05/52629264632/in/dateposted-public

Do you want to have the best New Years? Look no further. If you follow this New Years Game Plan, then you will welcome in the new year at a World Heritage Site.

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Read more about the article Backtrack #24: Bridge Building (Drago Flores, Ikata CIR 2011-2014)
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Backtrack #24: Bridge Building (Drago Flores, Ikata CIR 2011-2014)

No photo description available.

Making dreamcatchers as a community event

What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?
My name is Drago Flores. I was placed in Ikata. I am originally from Minnesota in the United States.

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Continue ReadingBacktrack #24: Bridge Building (Drago Flores, Ikata CIR 2011-2014)
Read more about the article Backtrack #23: That Was Enough (Christopher Reed, Kihoku CIR 2006-2011)
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Backtrack #23: That Was Enough (Christopher Reed, Kihoku CIR 2006-2011)

What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

My name is Christopher Reed, I’m originally from the USA, and I lived in Kihoku-cho, a small town of about 10,000 people in Ehime Prefecture from 2006-2011.

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Continue ReadingBacktrack #23: That Was Enough (Christopher Reed, Kihoku CIR 2006-2011)