Our Time In Japan
From 2008 to 2010, we lived in Japan as English teachers as part of a Christian organization’s efforts to reach the Japanese with the gospel. And in 2011, Mike went over again to assist with tsunami relief. These are our blog posts from that time.
Japan’s spiritual darkness and an opportunity to be light
Yesterday was Shuubun no Hi (the Autumnal Equinox, one of the two days in the year when the day and night are equal in length). These two days, together with Obon (the day when the spirits of departed ancestors supposedly return to earth) mark the three biggest days...
Of New Fruit & Heaven
Yesterday, I discovered a new piece of fruit at the grocery store. It has a beautiful periwinkle, lavender smooth skin. It has no smell. It tastes a little like watermelon -- full of little seeds. But rather than being crisp and juicy, it's slightly sweet and...
To Tokyo & Back
We're back from our whirlwind trip to Tokyo! It was a very full trip, and a lot of fun! We tried something new this time around and bought a special seasonal train pass called the "Seishun Jyuhachi Kippu." It gave us 5 full-day passes to travel anywhere we wanted in...
The Sweltering Days of Summer
So just how have we been spending our summer vacation? Allow us to take you on a little tour of our summer break! Umi no hi (Marine Day) On Umi no hi (a National holiday in mid-July), we took off on a day-trip with the principal of one of the local elementary...
The Further Exploits of Mike’s Culinary Adventures
Hontou ni hisashiburi desu ne! It's been a long time since my last Culinary Adventures (TM) blog--six months, in fact. You might even have been fooled into thinking that maybe I settled down and decided to give up trying all the interesting new foods that Japan has to...
Mike & Jen’s New “Guide To Japanese Culture” Video
Mysterious. Enigmatic. Intriguing. Yes, the world of Japanese culture is a vast and funky one, and has muddled the most meticulous minds for millenia. But no longer! We proudly present Japanese Culture: A Guide to the Finer Points by Mike & Jen Costanzo. These two...
Hard at Play–Recent Highlights from Mike’s Schools
Today was the last day of classes before Tamura City's summer break, which goes until August 26th or so. Thus, I (Mike) am officially on vacation, but Jen's Wakakusa classes will run for another week, and resume on the 15th--bummer! 🙁 Over summer break, we're...
Tanabata
July 7th in Japan is a holiday called Tanabata. Most Americans have never heard of Tanabata, and after a lot of asking around at my school, I've come to find out that many Japanese know very little about the true history of the tradition, why certain things are done...
At Last–Abukumado!!!
Remember when we first arrived in Japan, we got to meet the mayor of Tamura, have sea cucumber sushi on the moon with (ex-)Prime Minister Koizumi, and all that? Well around that time we also met the Chairman of the Tamura City Board of Education, and as a gift he gave...
Easter Program
Today we had our long-awaited Easter Program, and praise God, it was a smashing success!!! Thanks to all of you who prayed for this event; everything went smoother than we ever thought possible. There were no accidents, no major spills of Easter Egg dye, nobody got...
Visitors from Mansfield and Mike’s First Translation Job
If there's one thing that Wakakusa English teachers will tell you about this program, it's that you never know what amazing opportunities will come your way, and this past week was a great example. This Tuesday, 30 delegates from the city of Mansfield , Ohio arrived...
SPECIAL REPORT: Engrish, Part III
Yes, it's time once again to revisit the wacky and wonderful world of Engrish. Just cuz' we haven't blogged about it in a while, don't mean that it's gotten any less goofy! 🙂 We actually found this sticker on our trash can one day. We always had thought it was just...
Rediscovery
Recently, I rediscovered a favorite author of mine. I stumbled across her name in a magazine editorial, and it evoked memories of a powerful book I had read almost 15 years ago. The book was called "A Heart of Winter." It was the story of the daughter of a Japanese...
The Cherry Blossoms are finally here!!!
At last--they're finally here!!! Spring has officially come to Funehiki, and the cherry blossoms are at last in full, glorious bloom. Jen and I have been waiting for months for this day to come, and now that it's here, it feels like a dream come true. Now we're really...
Meet Some New Friends!
About 7 months ago, we bade farewell to dear family and friends and travelled 6000 miles away. Since that time, God has brought many new friends into our lives. We wish we could have a big party and introduce all our friends to each other! However, in lieu of that,...
Baptist Youth Camp 2007
Yesterday Jen and I got back from Adatara Bible Camp, home of the 2007 Fukushima Prefecture Baptist Youth Camp. We went up on Tuesday night and left Thursday afternoon, and every moment was precious to us. The food was great, the scenery was pretty, and the weather...
END-OF-THE-SCHOOL-YEAR SPECIAL, FINAL REPORT: Jen’s Parties
Although junior high classes have been over since last Friday, Jen's Wakakusa English School classes went through this past Tuesday. This made for a crazy few days for our Jen; not only did she have end-of-the-school-year reports to write, but she also had to prepare...
Kindergarten Graduation
This past Monday, the kindergarten where I sometimes teach English held their annual graduation ceremony. The day found me reflecting wistfully on my own childhood. My own Kindergarten photo is below. Can you tell where I am? (Incidentally, I think you can click on...
END-OF-THE-SCHOOL-YEAR SPECIAL, Part III: Exam Results
This past Wednesday was a monumental day for a big portion of the Japanese population. It was the day that most of the 3rd year junior high-schoolers found out the results of their high-school entrance exams. These test results determine whether or not they can get...
END-OF-SCHOOL YEAR SPECIAL, PART II: Takine Jr. High Graduation Ceremony
As we mentioned in our last entry, April is the month of new beginnings, and March is the month of conclusions and endings. Well, it's also the month for graduation ceremonies, and for us English teachers that means a lot of sad goodbyes. You see, in Japan, you don't...