Today (the seventh of July), is Tanabata ( 七夕 ), a festival from Obon traditions and originating in China. It celebrates the meeting of two stars, symbolizing lovers, who were separated by the Milky Way and only allowed to meet once a year. Part of the tradition is to write down wishes on pieces of paper and put them on decorated bamboo. I don’t know if I’ll be able to see any evidence of it out today, as I have to work, and I guess it’s more of a children’s holiday. So how did I learn about this? From my best source of information on Japanese culture, of course, my students! Thanks Hiromi and Tomoko!

On another note, last night, I came up with a goal for myself for this year. I had been kind of catching my breath after getting settled in this teaching job, and not really thinking much about the future. But last night, it struck me, and it seems pretty obvious - I should take the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). Almost all jobs for foreigners here require a level on this test (most say Level 2, but from what I’ve heard they are really looking for Level 1) (1 is the highest level). I know I could do Level 3, but I’m going to try to shoot for Level 2. Next week I start a Japanese class with an older gentleman, one of my students. So, now that I have a goal, I will begin studying in earnest. Now all I have to do is find a nice young woman to talk about Japanese language and culture with. I know from experience that such people exist…