What is your favourite Japanese movie? I love Love and Honor by Yamada Yōji. Have you seen it? How about The Twilight Samurai or The Hidden Blade? Each of these films is truly remarkable and I highly recommend them!! Let me know your favourite Japanese movie! I may find a new favourite!! Arigatou, Joe Sensei.

So sad of the results from the Japan vs. Brazil game today for the World Cup but what a game!

✏️ Goal: Write a short diary entry in Japanese 🧠 Focus: Past tense + looking forward to something ✅ Beginner / N5 (with romaji + English) 今週はずっと家にいました。 Konshuu wa zutto ie ni imashita. I was at home all week. 本を読みました。 Hon o yomimashita. I read books. ゲームをしました。 Geemu o shimashita. I played video games. 妻とテレビを見ました。 Tsuma to terebi o mimashita. I watched TV with my wife. たくさん笑いました。 Takusan waraimashita. We laughed a lot. でも、家を出るのを楽しみにしています。 Demo, ie o deru no o tanoshimi ni shiteimasu. I'm looking forward to leaving the house. ✅ N3 Version 今週はずっと家で過ごしました。 本を読んだり、ゲームをしたり、妻とテレビを見たりしました。 たくさん笑って、楽しい時間を過ごせました。 でも、そろそろ外に出たいです。家を出られる日を楽しみにしています。 🫵 Your Turn What did you do this week? 今週は何をしましたか。 Konshuu wa nani o shimashita ka? Write 3–5 sentences about your week! 😊

Can you guess the meaning of my audio? I've been sick for days. It sucks. But how has your week been? Record an audio and post it as practice!! Atigatou, Joe Sensei. 😊 Good Week Basic 今週はよかったです。 Konshū wa yokatta desu. This week was good. 今週は楽しかったです。 Konshū wa tanoshikatta desu. This week was fun. 今週は忙しかったですが、よかったです。 Konshū wa isogashikatta desu ga, yokatta desu. This week was busy, but good. いい一週間でした。 Ii isshūkan deshita. It was a good week. More Detail 友だちと会えてうれしかったです。 Tomodachi to aete ureshikatta desu. I was happy because I could meet my friends. 仕事がうまくいきました。 Shigoto ga umaku ikimashita. Work went well. 新しいことを学びました。 Atarashii koto o manabimashita. I learned something new. ゆっくり休めました。 Yukkuri yasumemashita. I was able to relax. 😔 Bad Week Basic 今週は大変でした。 Konshū wa taihen deshita. This week was tough. 今週はあまりよくなかったです。 Konshū wa amari yokunakatta desu. This week wasn't very good. 今週は疲れました。 Konshū wa tsukaremashita. I was tired this week. More Detail 仕事が忙しすぎました。 Shigoto ga isogashisugimashita. Work was too busy. あまり寝られませんでした。 Amari neraremasen deshita. I couldn't sleep much. 風邪をひいてしまいました。 Kaze o hiite shimaimashita. I caught a cold. ストレスがたまりました。 Sutoresu ga tamarimashita. I accumulated a lot of stress. 😐 Mixed Week 忙しかったですが、楽しかったです。 Isogashikatta desu ga, tanoshikatta desu. It was busy, but fun. 大変でしたが、いい経験になりました。 Taihen deshita ga, ii keiken ni narimashita. It was difficult, but it became a good experience. 疲れましたが、充実していました。 Tsukaremashita ga, jūjitsu shite imashita. I was tired, but it was fulfilling. 悪くなかったです。 Waruku nakatta desu. It wasn't bad. まあまあでした。 Mā mā deshita. It was so-so.

⚽ Japan Fact Friday — Captain Tsubasa and the Rise of Japanese Football In 1981, manga artist Yōichi Takahashi created a football manga called Captain Tsubasa. The story follows a young football genius named Tsubasa Ozora, who dreams of leading Japan to victory on the world stage. At the time, football was nowhere near as popular in Japan as baseball. Many Japanese children had never even considered playing football seriously. Then Captain Tsubasa arrived! ⚽ A Manga That Changed a Nation Kids across Japan became obsessed with the series. They copied Tsubasa's shots. They practised after school. They dreamed of playing for Japan. The impact was so great that many future stars have credited the manga for inspiring their careers, including: ⚽ Hidetoshi Nakata ⚽ Shunsuke Nakamura ⚽ Yuto Nagatomo Even international players such as Andrés Iniesta, Zinedine Zidane, and Lionel Messi have spoken about growing up with Captain Tsubasa. 🌏 Fiction Becomes Reality When the manga began, Japan had never qualified for a World Cup. Tsubasa's dream seemed impossible. But in 1998, Japan finally reached its first FIFA World Cup. Today, Japan regularly competes at the World Cup and produces players for major European leagues. A fictional dream helped inspire a real one. 🧠 Why This Matters Captain Tsubasa shows the power of stories. One manga encouraged an entire generation to believe: "Maybe Japan can compete with the best in the world." And eventually, it did. 🧠 Language Lesson ⚽ サッカーがすきです。 Sakkā ga suki desu. I like football. ⚽ サッカーが好きじゃないです。 Sakka ga suki janai desu. I don't like football. ⚽ ゆめがあります。 Yume ga arimasu. I have a dream. ⚽ にほんのだいひょうになりたいです。 Nihon no daihyō ni naritai desu. I want to represent Japan. 🫵 Your Turn What story, movie, manga, or anime inspired you when you were young? And have you ever watched Captain Tsubasa? Answer in English or Japanese 😊 See you next Friday for another Japan Fact Friday 🇯🇵✨⚽ P.S. Ocha and Chat is on this Sunday from 10 am Sydney time.