Japan Ichiban! Number One!

Book recommendation:

Guide to International Schools in Japan
By number-one bestselling author Caroline Pover
Published by Alexandra Press, May 2009, 692 pages
ISBN 978-4-990079-17-8 C0026 ¥4762

³Offers the most in-depth account of Japanese international schools
available.² ‹ American father living in Japan

This guide is essential reading for expatriate parents,
internationally-minded Japanese couples, and bicultural families. The
first-ever comprehensive guidebook to international schools in Japan, it
gives parents the ability to examine over one hundred schools, all in one
publication. This book is also a vital resource for adventurous teachers
looking for the perfect school in which to continue their careers. Based on
over 60 questions that parents ask when looking at educational options for
their children, this guide is like having a 6-page, 2,000-word
mini-prospectus for each of over one hundred schools, all in one handy
package! Read all about:

€    Age, gender mix, and student nationality
€    Class and school size
€    History, goals, ethos, and curriculum
€    Facilities, hours, terms/semesters, and vacations
€    Contact information
€    Key staff backgrounds and qualifications
€    Awards and recognitions
€    Languages taught and language of instruction
€    Services for bicultural children
€    Special needs services and gifted child programs
€    Level and placement tests held
€    Religious affiliations
€    School lunch policies
€    Disciplinary procedures
€    Sex education policies
€    School buses and parking
€    Security
€    Homework expectations
€    School trips and special events
€    Extracurricular, after-school, and summer school programs
€    Expected parental involvement
€    Alumni activities
€    Fees, discounts, and scholarships
€    Application procedures and acceptance criteria

THE AUTHOR
Caroline Pover, former English primary school and Japanese international
high school teacher, is a number-one bestselling author, motivational
speaker, magazine and book publisher, and award-winning entrepreneur. With
her second book, Caroline draws upon her background in education and
interest in child development as she combines her two passions: publishing
and pedagogy.

Available from http://www.internationalschoolsguidebook.com/

Excellent Japanese band.

Radwimps is a J-Rock music group formed in 2001 while the members were in high school. Their name is a mix of the English words ‘rad’ and ‘wimp’. It is a term they coined themselves meaning “excellent weakling” or “superlative coward” .  Sometimes the band tends to go just by the shortened version of their name, RAD.

The current member roster is as follows:

* Yōjirō Noda (野田洋次郎 ?) (July 5, 1985) vocals, guitar.
* Akira Kuwahara (桑原彰 ?) (April 4, 1985) guitar and band leader.
* Yūsuke Takeda (武田祐介 ?) (May 24, 1985) bass guitar.
* Satoshi Yamaguchi (山口智史 ?) (March 20, 1985) drums.

Yōjirō Noda has lived in America for four years, which accounts for prevalence of English lyrics in the band’s songs.

Playing Nagoya May 27th

Look who is jumping on the bandwagon! And skipping, hopping, push-upping, twirling his arms etc.

Billy Blanks divorced his wife Gayle in 2008 after 34 years of marriage. A few months after the divorce, Blanks’s new wife Tomoko, a Japanese interpreter, gave birth to their daughter Angelina. He has also adopted his new wife’s two daughters, Marriett and Erika. He is living with them in Osaka, Japan.

My wife bought his DVDs to exercise but I’m sure she never used them.

He was huge here in Japan about 2 years ago and looks like he wants to stay now.