Talking Tokyo
University students explain what life is like in Tokyo
Time for Rating!
[ ] Posted on 02.02.10 under Culture, Learning
Almost all the podcasts and scripts have been sent in. I will complete everything as the groups send in work.
To my students:
You should begin your Rating as soon as possible and finish before February 9. A good idea is to listen to your 12* podcasts, take quick notes (rate content, delivery and write one comment) on a piece of paper, then go to Moodle’s Rating sheet, and fill that out. Then you are finished. (*Remember, if you are assigned Group E, you only have to do 2 podcasts instead of 4, because there is no Group E in Period 2).
Note: Don’t wait until the last day. My web server gets “tired” when too many students access at the same time, and slows down a lot. You may have problems if you wait until Feb. 8.
If you forgot which groups to rate, see here.
Life after Retirement: A Second life
[ ] Posted on 01.31.10 under Culture, Podcast, Social
ListenFor the final podcast of our series, we have a second look at the second life. Find out what life is like after retirement in Japan.
Momoko, Baku, Koki
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Script
A）”Long time no see.”
B)”Yeah, how have you been?”
A)” After retirement, I live a full life. I’m really into running now.”
B) “Why? You didn’t like exercise. What’s the matter? ”
A) “Surely, I didn’t like exercise, so I was fatty. One day, my doctor advised me to do exercise for health. I want to stay hale and hearty into old age and then just popping off painlessly, what is called “pinpinkorori”, and I decided to start running and lose weight. At first, I ran reluctantly. However, once I ran, I realize its pleasure. For the time being, I aim practice running along the perimeter of the Imperial Palace. My goal is to run in Tokyo marathon. ” Read the rest of this entry…
Divorce at Retirement
[ ] Posted on 01.31.10 under Culture, Podcast, Social
ListenThe number of divorces at retirement is skyrocketing. Find out why.
Yurie, Yoshika, Maria
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Script
W:What are you going to do after you retire? Are you planning to spend your second life in peace with your wife? Well…… in Japan, more and more wives in middle-age are getting to think of divorce since 2007. Why? Now a mother and a daughter are talking over the telephone. Let’s listen to them.
A: Hello, it’s me.
B:Oh, hey Mom. What’ up?
A:Just fine. How are you doing？ ……How’s your newly-married life going?
B:……I don’t know. It has only been a few weeks since we got married. How about you? Are you doing well with Dad ?
A:What ?
B:Dad. Your husband. Is he doing fine?
A:Huh ! I don’t know about such a sodai-gomi . Read the rest of this entry…
Employment Services for support
[ ] Posted on 01.31.10 under Culture, Podcast, Social
ListenSome people like to work after they retire, others need to. There is an employment service from the government for that.
Kansei, Yasutoshi, Kou
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Script
After you retire your job, what do you want to do? You may travel around the world, stay home day and night, meet friends and play chess or get a new job and work hard again.
In Japan, there is an employment agency for elderly people. It is called “silver jinzai center” (“jinzai” means human resources, and silver stands for people with silver or grey hair). It deals with light work and skilled work, such as cleaning an office, weeding a park, making wood works and pruning trees in a garden. And it entrusts work to those who retire their job. It is run by a nonprofit foundation, which also elderly people operate.
Read the rest of this entry…
Dying Alone
[ ] Posted on 01.31.10 under Culture, Podcast, Social
ListenThere are dangers with living alone, or even living with a spouse or caretaker. Find out how to avoid dying alone.
Yu, Yuichiro, Yuya
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Script
A : OK,let’s get started. Today, I’m going to give a lecture about ‘’Dying alone’’. OK, B, have you heard of the term ‘’Dying Alone’’?
B : Yeah.
A : Good, then, would you explain it?
B : O.K. A, it’s the fact that old people can’t ask for help,and die of a disease, literally, alone.
A : That’s right. In Japan, the number of nuclear families has increased since the 1970s, and the number of the old people living alone has increased, too. Since the 70s, the news of dying alone began to be reported. Do you know the word ‘’Loneliness in a City’’? This is the phrase which was often used in the news of dying alone. At that time, people thought that there was no loneliness in a city, the place where many people gathered. So such an expression like this was used. By the way, various things can contribute to dying alone, Can you think of anythig ? Read the rest of this entry…
88 Temples, a pilgrimage: Ohenro
[ ] Posted on 01.31.10 under Culture, Podcast, Social
ListenThe smallest of the 4 main islands in Tokyo has a network of 88 temples. It is a tradition to see all 88. Some people walk it. After they retire.
Motoka, Shigaku, Hiroshi
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script
Ohenro
A: Oh! What’s the matter with your leg?
B: I broke my leg when training…
A: Why did you do such hard exercise?
B: I was planning to do Ohenro on foot after retirement, so I intended to build up my strength.
A: Ohenro? You mean the pilgrimage where you walk around the smallest island of the main 4 that make up Japan? Shikoku? You hike and around the island and enter the 88temples? Read the rest of this entry…
Second Life: Life after retirement
[ ] Posted on 01.31.10 under Culture, Podcast, Social
ListenMany retired people look on retirement as a kind of second life. See what happens.
Manabu, Hiroaki, Keita, Takafumi
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Script
N:Narrator
T:Takeshima (interviewer)
F:Fujioka(farmer)
N：These days people often talk about stress from work and busy life in cities.
Today we will focus on Mr.Fujioka. He has taken farming implement instead of computer, I mean he had started agriculture after his retirement. He used to be an office worker in a big bank, then after retirement, he decided to move to Yamagata, which is the countryside in Tohoku region and start agriculture by using his retirement allowance and pension.
Now our reporter Takeshima is in Yamagata. Good morning Takeshima!
T:Good morning! Now, I am in the Mr.Fujioka’s house. Nice to meet you,Mr,Fujioka.
F:Nice to meet you, too. Welcome to my garden. It is first time for me to be interviewed. So, I am being a little nervous.
Goinkyo: The traditional retirement system
[ ] Posted on 01.31.10 under Culture, Podcast, Social
ListenA long time ago, families were different, and so was retirement. Check out this interesting system.
Masahige, Yohei, Hideaki
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Script
A: This was the first time I watched Rakugo. I really enjoyed the old-fashioned style comedians and storytellers.
B (Japanese): I’m glad you like it. Today’s story, Tegami-muhitsu is not so famous, but I like it. Tegami means letter and mihutsu means blank. The story is very simple. A man comes to see the village elder named Goinkyo and tries to have Goinkyo read his letter. But actually Goinkyo is also illiterate. Goinkyo tries in vain to read it in order not to reveal the fact.
A: Yeah. Anyway, who is Goinkyo?
B: Well, there was a retirement system called Inkyo in Japan a long time ago. Goinkyo is a person who had, as we say now, retired. But many of us don’t know very well about the details of Inkyo. Let’s take a look at the Japanese retirement system in the old days!
Read the rest of this entry…
Retirement Hobbies
[ ] Posted on 01.31.10 under Culture, Podcast, Social
ListenPeople that are retired tend to do similar hobbies. Here are a few.
Chisae, Hiroki, Eriko
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Script
Gf…grandfather Gc1・Gc2…grandchildren
Gf: I’m home!
Gc1: Welcome home grandpa!
Gc2: Today is your last work, right?
Gf: That’s right. I retired from the company today. I’ve worked for 40 years.
Gc1: Wow! Amazing!
Gc2: So, what are you going to do now?
Read the rest of this entry…
Retirement Pastimes
[ ] Posted on 01.31.10 under Culture, Podcast, Social
ListenPeople have a lot of time on their hands when they retire, and there are lots of activities they like to do. Find out which ones.
Yohei, Sayoka, Syaka
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Script
Podcast3 Script (Japanese Life After Retirement)
N: narrator S: Susan A: Adviser
N: Susan has worked in Japan for ten years. This April, she retires and she decides to live her life here in Japan. She will have a lot of spare time, but she has no plans for her old age. She wants to do Japanese traditional leisure, so she goes to a community center and gets advice from a welfare adviser.
S: Hello, I want to know about Japanese popular leisure after retirement.
A: Sure. I think many elderly Japanese people enjoy “Shodo”, “Kado” and “Sado.
S: Uh… “Shodo”? “Kado”? ”Sado”? What are they? Read the rest of this entry…