✏️ Goal: Write a short diary entry in Japanese 🗒️ Topic: A good day ✅ Beginner 今日、高校で日本語を教えました。 Kyō, kōkō de Nihongo o oshiemashita. Today, I taught Japanese at high school. 今年の新しい生徒にたくさん会いました。 Kotoshi no atarashii seito ni takusan aimashita. I met many new students. 生徒はとても熱心でした。 Seito wa totemo nesshin deshita. The students were very enthusiastic. 日本語を学ぶ楽しさを、みんなと分かち合いたいです。 Nihongo o manabu tanoshisa o, minna to wakachiaitai desu. I want to share the fun of learning Japanese with everyone. 高校生は時々失礼なこともあります。 Kōkōsei wa tokidoki shitsurei na koto mo arimasu. Sometimes high school students can be rude. でも、今日はとても良い日でした。 Demo, kyō wa totemo yoi hi deshita. But today was a very good day. ✅ Advanced 今日は高校で日本語を教え、今年初めて多くの新しい生徒たちに会いました。 みんなとても前向きで、学ぶ意欲が感じられました。 日本語を学ぶ楽しさや、自分の情熱をこれから共有していけることが楽しみです。 高校生は時々、失礼だったり思いやりに欠けることもありますが、 今日はそれ以上に前向きなエネルギーを感じる一日でした。 🫵 Your Turn Write 3–5 sentences about your day. You can start with: 今日、＿＿＿をしました。 ＿＿＿は＿＿＿でした。 とても良い日でした。 Short and simple is perfect 😊 Post your diary below — I’ll give feedback.

Yesterday’s winner was… しゃぶしゃぶ (Shabu-shabu)! 🥢🎉Another hot-pot favourite moves forward! Time for the next delicious battle… 🍤 Tempura vs 🍢 Negima Crispy perfection versus grilled simplicity. Only one advances. 🍤 Tempura (天ぷら) Light, crisp, and incredibly satisfying, tempura is one of Japan’s most famous dishes. Seafood and vegetables are coated in a delicate batter and fried quickly so the coating stays airy and crunchy—not heavy. Often served with dipping sauce, salt, or over rice as tendon, tempura highlights the natural flavour of the ingredients. Why people love it: - A signature example of Japanese frying technique - Crispy but light texture - Delicious with prawns, sweet potato, pumpkin and more - Widely loved both in Japan and around the world This is comfort food with craftsmanship. 🍢 Negima (ねぎま) Simple, smoky and deeply satisfying, negima is a classic yakitori skewer made with grilled chicken and pieces of negi (Japanese leek). Cooked over charcoal and seasoned with salt or sweet soy glaze (tare), negima is a staple of izakaya dining. Why people love it: - Perfect balance of juicy chicken and sweet grilled leek - Classic street-food and pub-food energy - Simple ingredients cooked with skill - A favourite with drinks and friends This is Japanese grilling at its best. 🗳️ Time to Vote! Which one moves forward? - The crispy golden goodness of tempura? - Or the smoky yakitori classic negima? Vote now and defend your choice in the comments! 🍤🍢

Ocha & Chat is our weekly chance to hang out, practise speaking Japanese, and talk about what we like about Japan, Japanese language and culture. It’s not a formal lesson — it’s a friendly conversation space where you can: - practise Japanese - listen and learn from others - ask language questions - talk about Japan You don’t need perfect Japanese — just join in 😊I’m always happy to answer language questions during the call. 🧠 Mini Lesson: です and ではありません Today we’ll review two very important patterns: です → “is / am / are”ではありません → “is not / am not / are not” These are used to describe things and make simple statements. Basic Pattern Noun + ですNoun + ではありません Examples 私は学生です。Watashi wa gakusei desu.I am a student. 私は学生ではありません。Watashi wa gakusei dewa arimasen.I am not a student. これは日本語です。Kore wa Nihongo desu.This is Japanese. これは日本語ではありません。Kore wa Nihongo dewa arimasen.This is not Japanese. 先生です。Sensei desu.(I am a) teacher. 先生ではありません。Sensei dewa arimasen.(Not a) teacher. 🫵 Practice Before the Call Try writing two sentences: 1. One with です 2. One with ではありません Example: - 私は会社員です。 watashi wa kaishain desu. - 私は先生ではありません。watashi wa sensei dewa arimasen. Post them below if you’d like feedback! Looking forward to seeing you at Ocha & Chat ☕✨