Steve's sandbox

Tag: Fukuoka

  • Coming Home: Andy Newton, Japan – July 2016

    あいにく、試験が済んで、僕の留学年間が終わっていて、スタッフを包んで、帰国しなければなりません。再来週の翌週に帰国の国際便が予約されました。

    もちろん、友達や家族に会いたいし、パブへ飲みに行きたいし、美味しい食べ物を食べたいですが、実は母国のイギリスにまだ帰りたくないです。日本に住んでいる間、僕の留学年間を楽しく過ごして、日本語レベルをだいぶん上達しました。
    残念ですが、猛勉強のせいで機会をたくさん逃がしてしまいました。たまにはお酒にでも酔ってはじけて日頃の鬱憤晴らしたほうがいいんじゃないと忘れなく。

    日本人の先生や友達や日本での生活に別れをつげたくないです。東京からロンドンまでの国際便は全然楽しみにしていません。ひどいでしょう。新年度のモスクワでの留学年間を楽しむように頑張ります。来週と再来週に、京都と東京に行って、お土産を買って、卒業式に福岡へ帰ります。日本、リベンジします。

    My year in Japan is coming to a close, exams are finishing up and it is time to pack up my things and return home. My flight home is in about three weeks’ time and I’m not looking forward to it at all. Other than seeing my friends and family, eating some good food and going to the pub, I am not looking forward to having to return home.

    I’ve really enjoyed my time here in Japan and feel I have learnt a lot about myself and considerably improved my level of Japanese. I feel there are many opportunities I have unfortunately let slip because of studying too much, and have learnt the lesson of not forgetting to take a break once in a while, grab a beer and remember to live life. At the moment, I don’t feel ready to say goodbye to my Japanese friends and teachers I have met here. Definitely not looking forward to the savage flight home from Tokyo to London, and as I won’t have the excitement-factor I did on the way here, I can tell it’s going to be knackering.

    However, I do feel I have learnt from my mistakes from this year and will try my best to make the most of my second year abroad next year in Moscow.I will spend my last few weeks visiting Kyoto and Tokyo, buying some souvenirs, then return to Fukuoka for my graduation ceremony and the last of my packing.

    Japan, I will see you again.

  • Dojo: Andy Newton, – Japan, May 2016

    おおほりこえんの道場にはじめてやりに行きました。来日以来、所属しようと思っていましたが、毎週、行けるかどうか知りませんでしたから、スタートを繰り延べリました。大学のクラスが始まった後（二週間ぐらい）に道場に所属し始めようと思っていましたが、宿題や作文が沢山いただきましたから、だめでした。それでは、今週、所属し始めました。おおほりこえんに着いたとき、道場を見つけられなかったので慌てました。AXIS道場があると思ったところは実、法律事務所のAXIAでした。

    実はAXIS道場とAXIA法律事務所の間の距離はあまり長くないので、クラスに間に合いました。運よく、クラスが始まる前に道場を見つけました。その日に道場の先生はいらっしゃいませんでしたが、他の柔術家は来ました。彼の名前は肉団子さんです。彼は青帯（黒帯から3級）がある柔術家で、１００ｋｇぐらいですから、フリースパーリングの毎回、彼は勝ちました。先生がいらしゃいませんでしたから、道場の空気はとっても気安かったです。とても楽しいですよ。明日、また行きます。

     

    Me and meatball-san

    ENGLISH:

    I started my first day of jujitsu yesterday at a dojo in Ohorikoen, not too far from the centre of town in Fukuoka. I had thought about joining for a long time, pretty much since I arrived in Japan but I had put it off because I wanted to make sure I had enough time to commit fully. I originally planned to join a few weeks after my classes at university began so I had a taste of how intense the lessons were before I started at the dojo. The lessons gradually became more and more intense and homework piled up so I ended up not joining until only this week.

    I arrived in a bit of a fluster as the place where I thought the dojo (named Axis) is, actually turned out to be a law firm named Axia. By a strange stroke of luck, they are actually located very close to each-other so I found the real Axis dojo in relatively short time. The day I chose to go was a bit strange in that the sensei of the dojo wasn’t there. Instead I was shown around by a student of the dojo, a real friendly, nice guy. His (nick)name is Nikudango, which translates to ‘meatball’. We went in and got fitted up in a gi, which was really thick and comfy.

    Nikudango showed me the ropes and some basic moves for their style taught at the dojo. Shortly after that we did some free ground-fighting which was really great fun and one of the best work-outs I know. Nikudango is a blue belt in jujitsu (3 away from black) and he weighs around 100kg so needless to say , he beat me every time.  About 20 minutes after that, two other students came but because the sensei wasn’t there, it was very relaxed and we were just ground-fighting most of the lesson. I look forward to going back for another ass-whooping tomorrow.

    Jujitsu is a modern form of the traditional Japanese martial art; which simply described is:

    • A system of defensive techniques, which use an attacker’s momentum against them
    • Traditionally based – with spectacular traditional throws
    • Locks, strikes and throws adapted for modern day contexts

    Frequently asked questions about Jujitsu:  http://bit.ly/1TqEGjY

     

  • Trade in Fukuoka: Andy Newton, Japan – December 2015

    九州大学で僕が日本の経済入門を勉強しています。そして、先週、博多で皆さんは福岡商工会議所に福岡の貿易ついての恵贈を呈されました。教育的で、面白かったと思います。委員会の市会議員によると、今、福岡県は日本の五番高い国内総生産があります。

    今年、福岡県の一番大きな貿易部門なのはサービス業である。
    サービス業は国内総生産の３４．５％を占めています。卸売業は国内総生産の２５％を占めています。運輸電気通信は１５％を占めています。
    えいよ雑多な実業を占めています。福岡は一番高い新興企業の数があります。全部の新興企業の４．１％は福岡から来ます。福岡の後、札幌が甲で、仙台が乙で、横浜が丙です。外国貿易は福岡県の輸出の総数が２１６８十億円、１，６３７十億円（７６％）は博多港経由で行きました。５３１十億円（２４％）は福岡空港経由で行きました。

    輸入の総数は１．２２２十億円です。８５５十億円「７０％」は博多港経由で来ました。そして、３６７十億円「３０％」は福岡空港経由できました。恵贈によると、主要な英国からの輸入は医薬品（例えば、GSK）と化粧品（例えば、LUSH Cosmetics）と色々な自動車です。

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

    As part of my course at Kyushu University, I am studying a module called ‘Introduction to Japanese Economy’, and last week we had a class trip to a presentation in Hakata hosted by the Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry about the general trade which takes place in Fukuoka Prefecture. I found the presentation very interesting and it gave me a good insight into some of Japan’s methods of trade and economic principles.

    According to one of the councillors on the committee, Fukuoka City currently has the fifth-highest GDP in Japan. This year, Fukuoka’s largest trade sector is predicted to be service industry which makes up 34.5% of the GDP, followed by wholesale and retail trade which makes up 25.5% and transportation/telecommunications, which makes up 15.1% of Fukuoka City’s GDP. The remainder is made up of other goods and services such as the financial and construction industries.

    Fukuoka has the highest level of business start-ups out of any prefecture in Japan with 4.1% of new businesses coming from Fukuoka, closely followed by Sapporo, Sendai and Yokohama. In terms of foreign trade, the total exports of Fukuoka Prefecture were worth a total of ¥2,168 billion. ¥1,637 billion (76%) was via Hakata Port and ¥531 billion (24%) via Fukuoka Airport. The total imports of Fukuoka Prefecture were ¥1,222 billion. ¥855 billion (70%) was via Hakata Port and ¥367 billion (30%) of this was via Fukuoka Airport. According to their presentation, the main imports from the UK to Fukuoka were pharmaceuticals, such as those from Glaxosmithkline, and cosmetics such as Lush Cosmetics, as well as some vehicle and car parts. In total, we will have three future excursions as part of the course, the next two should focus more about Japan’s economy as a whole, and I believe the final one will focus on local production of Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan.