Here’s a piece of news from Japan. At Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, there are twin pandas named Shaoshao and Leilei. Tokyo announced that these two pandas will be returned to China at the end of January next year, as agreed in the original loan arrangement. For the past 53 years, Japanese zoos have always had pandas borrowed from China, including pandas born in Japan. If these two pandas are returned, there will be no pandas left in Japan. Tokyo has told China that it would like to borrow new pandas, but so far there has been no response. Many visitors say they feel sad about the possibility of pandas disappearing from Japanese zoos. --- 🈶 Useful Vocabulary Japanese Romaji English 動物園（どうぶつえん） doubutsuen zoo パンダ panda panda 双子（ふたご） futago twins 返す（かえす） kaesu to return 借りる（かりる） kariru to borrow 約束（やくそく） yakusoku promise いなくなる inaku naru to be gone / disappear 寂しい（さびしい） sabishii sad / lonely --- 🧠 Key Phrase (Very Simple) 〜いなくなります = “will be gone / will disappear” Examples: 日本にパンダがいなくなります。 → Pandas will be gone from Japan. ねこがいなくなりました。 → The cat disappeared. --- 📝 N5 Japanese Reading 日本の動物園には、パンダがいます。 でも、来年、中国に返します。 パンダがいなくなるのは、さびしいです。 --- 🫵 Your Turn! Answer one of these (Japanese or English OK): ① Do you like pandas? パンダが好きですか。 Panda ga suki desu ka? Do you like pandas? --- ② How do you feel about pandas leaving Japan? パンダがいなくなるのは、さびしいですか。 Panda ga inaku naru no wa, sabishii desu ka? Is it sad that the pandas will leave? --- ③ What kind of animal do you like? どんな動物が好きですか？ Donna doubutsu ga suki desu ka? What type of animal do you like? Post your thoughts below! 🐼🇯🇵

Konbanwa (Good evening), I made these writing demos. I'll add them to the Hiragana Masterclass lessons. Let me know if you think they're useful and I'll continue making them. Arigatou, Joe Sensei. @Ev Ginguene @Meyada M.m @Irdzra Khairuddin @Phil C @Blaize Agena @Brittney Cox @Steve Goldun @Karin Ware @Wilson Sanchez @Sheila Pinto @Fenny Kirmil @Nathan Feick @Tiffany Joyner

Konnichiwa, On the fifth day of the hiragana challenge we learn se te ha! 🎄✨ Please let me know if you find Part Five too difficult. Let me know what your favourite hiragana is so far! Mine is み! Watch today's video and comment when you finish! Please practise the writing to improve your overall understanding and retention (you'll remember it more easily)! Ganbatte kudasai (try your best)!!! Joe Sensei. @Ev Ginguene @Meyada M.m @Irdzra Khairuddin @Phil C @Blaize Agena @Brittney Cox @Steve Goldun @Karin Ware @Wilson Sanchez @Sheila Pinto @Fenny Kirmil @Nathan Feick @Tiffany Joyner

✏️ Goal: Write a short diary entry in Japanese every week This week’s topic: Watching a movie --- ✅ N5 / Beginner + romaji きのう、えいがを見ました。 Kinō, eiga o mimashita. Yesterday, I watched a movie. 「Wake Up Dead Man」というミステリーです。 “Wake Up Dead Man” to iu misuterī desu. A mystery called Wake Up Dead Man. ミステリーがとても好きです。 Misuterī ga totemo suki desu. I really like mysteries このえいがを見たことがありますか。 Kono eiga o mita koto ga arimasu ka? Have you seen this movie? どんな映画か好きですか。 Donna eiga ha suki desu ka? What type of film do you like? --- ✅ N4 Version きのう、ミステリー映画を見ました。 タイトルは「Wake Up Dead Man」です。 私はミステリー映画が好きなので、とても楽しめました。 みなさんは、この映画を見たことがありますか。 どんな映画が好きですか。 --- ✅ N3 Version きのう、「Wake Up Dead Man」というミステリー映画を見ました。 私は謎を考えながら見る映画が好きなので、最後まで楽しめました。 この映画を見たことはありますか。 また、どんなジャンルの映画が好きですか。 --- ✅ N2 Version きのう、ミステリー映画の「Wake Up Dead Man」を見ました。 物語の展開を考えながら見るのが好きなので、とても引き込まれました。 ミステリーは、最後まで集中して見られるところが魅力だと思います。 みなさんはこの映画を見ましたか。 また、どんなジャンルの映画が好きですか。 --- 💬 Vocabulary Japanese English 映画（えいが） movie ミステリー mystery 見る（みる） to watch 好き like 楽しむ to enjoy 物語（ものがたり） story ジャンル genre --- 🫵 Your Turn! Write 3–5 sentences using: きのう、＿＿＿を見ました。 Kinou, ____ o mimashita. ＿＿＿が好きです。 _____ ga suki desu. 見たことがありますか。 Mita koto ga arimasu ka? 見たことがあります。 Mita koto ga arimasu. You can also answer this question: 👉 どんな映画が好きですか？ Donna eiga ga suki desu ka? What type of movies do you like? Post your diary below — I’ll read and give feedback 🎬🇯🇵

Over the past four years, I’ve traveled both domestically and internationally—through Iceland, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Chile, and Argentina. Backpacking has become my favorite way to experience a place, whether it’s Patagonia, the Laugavegur Trail, Mont Blanc, the Ötztal Alps, or trails across the U.S. Along the way, food and pastries are just as important to me as the miles I hike. This year, I chose Japan over Nepal due to ongoing civic unrest, and I have zero regrets. The Kumano Kodo immediately caught my attention. At just 70 miles, it was the shortest hike I’ve ever done, and for the first time, I didn’t camp. Instead, I stayed in guesthouses and hostels, which gave the journey a completely different rhythm. I landed at Narita Airport on the 13th with a few hours to spare before heading to my hostel. Buying a train ticket to Shibuya turned out to be my first challenge. Everything was in Japanese, and although I had prepared in advance—knowing exactly where I needed to stop—the pressure of people lining up behind me made it intimidating. Ten minutes later, ticket in hand, I was on my way. After arriving in Shibuya, I walked about 15 minutes to my hostel and immediately asked the front desk if there was an onsen nearby. Lucky me—there was one on-site. I spent a good 30 minutes decompressing, letting the travel fatigue melt away. By then, hunger kicked in. It was already 11p.m., but in Shibuya, that’s nothing to worry about. The neighborhood is alive well into the early morning hours. Plenty of ramen shops were still open, though ordering was another adventure. Everything was done through a kiosk, and of course, there was no English option 😉. Still, at 1 a.m., sitting there with a bowl of ramen was one of the most enjoyable meals I’ve ever had. I stayed in Shibuya for a couple of nights, but honestly, it’s not something I’d recommend unless you love nightlife. That said, there are a few must-dos: Don Quijote is a must-visit, and Food Show is fantastic—especially if you go about 30 minutes before closing, when sushi is discounted 10–30%. And of course, don’t forget to take a picture with the famous Hachikō statue.