New Year's Eve (Omisoka): December 31 is not a national holiday.

This Japanese song 傷痕 by the Christian group Genuine Grace was freely released on a Christmas CD probably as a Christian evangelical tool for the Christmas season.  Now is the best time to share the gospel of Christ and His redeeming power as everyone here in Japan can see the name of Christ, the name above all other names, in Christmas when you point out to them in the spelling.  

Also, thank you everyone for you prayers as Ai's birthday in the November episode of Japanese-English was not only a physical birthday but also her spiritual B-day too ( ^.^)^.^)^.^)... in Sanda, Hyogo-ken at a Home Fellowship there.  Thanks to Teacher Mitsuo and also Yoko for their input and training in establishing another Home Church in our area after Ai's baptism and for donating this song too.

Enjoy 傷痕 by Genuine Grace and if you would like to see more songs by this artist, please visit your "Local Japanese Christian Book Store"  or maybe they have it on iTunes.

Christmas is not a national holiday, but it is celebrated by an increasing number of Japanese.

Emperor's Birthday (Tenno no tanjobi): The birthday of the current emperor is always a national holiday. If the emperor changes, the national holiday changes to the birthday date of the new emperor.

Can you say them?

The time limit to exchange your Level 1 and Level 2 books to the "Third Edition" has ended but now it's time again to tear out the first page(s) in your Level 3 Teachers Manual(s) and mail them to OUP for a free exchange and upgrade to the new edition that just came out. Check them out! Third Edition Level 3 books, manuals, and more are now available. Levels 4 and 5 will be out in 2008. Many of us use English Land, Up and Away, Kids Talk by William Stark in Kobe, Matsuka Phonics Institute, and many other sources but the best seller nationwide for teaching kids in Japan is the Let's Go series by Oxford University Press with free animated computer English lesson games in the -3rd Edition- Student Books. With the new Skills Books, homework is a breeze and the Let's Begin is great new edition for preschoolers. Great improvements by OUP!!! ( ^.^)(^.^ )

Sorry but this may not be as helpful as it was intended to be but it might be slightly interesting if you like sandals or clogs... Japanese clogs or other.
Seta have no rubber on the bottom. Zori do have rubber on the bottom and both are flat and both may have tatami like mats where you place your feet.  Set are probably less common.  Geta used to be flat elevated clogs that were great for mud trekking (just joking but that is what they look like with the twin towers on the bottom. A rarer kind of geta had only one tower elevated vertically or diagonally beneath the sole making the task of walking a balancing act. Nowadays, geta can be purchased with the two elevated towers on the bottom but are commonly preferred without these towers and look more like a wooden clog low heel sandal with a material thong on the top.  This is in ACC format as a PhotoCast so take the time to decipher which photo is what as we did not have time to put the photos in order. Also, as Kinsaku San commented on towards the end... if anyone knows what the Shiritori Game is called in English other than "Ending Mora Word Game" please comment on this post at our web page. Thank you. Episodes about Christian TESOL and regulations are due soon in 2008. 

If you have a game idea that you would like to submit via our Beep Talk USA line, please do so at +1-309-404-0610 or submit an email to us at info [at] teach - esl . net

Englishschoolsforsale.com is where ESL and EFL schools can be listed.  Free listings for English schools for sale in the developed areas of East Asia where complete freedom of religion is practiced.  All other schools of other countries are asked to donate a small fee.  Include photos and more. Free listings at http://www.sellyourenglishschool.com and view the results (if there be any) at www.MyESLschool.com and MyEFLschool.com  . Schools sell fast so be on top of it if you are in the market for bidding on an English School.