T：Hello. Gary！Spring has come at last and some people are suffering from hayfever caused by cedar tree pollen. How are you doing？
G：I'm OK，but that is true. I see many people around me，sneezing with tear fi1ed eyes
during this otherwise warm，happy season.
T：It is good that you don't suffer from allergies.That reminds me.I have a question！
If I Say，‘Cherryy Blossom Front！'，do you understand what it means？ What image comes to mind. Listen agaln，Cherry Blossom Front！
G：Hmm,I know what it means. I have heard that term often used on Cherry Blossom television forecasts. When I think about it，I imagine a line of pink trees advanclng from one end of Japanese to the other．
T：I imagine the same thing. But what do you mean by ‘Cherry Blossom Forecasts'？
G：Well，it may seem surprising to many non-Japanese but it is a very important job for the Meteorological Agency in Japan. I've read that they started nation wide cherry blossom forecasts in 1955. Now，the private sector is also involved in this important job．
T：You know these terminologies well.
G：Yes of course. I love cherry blossoms. One of the first signs of spring are the plum blossoms and while many people praise plum blossoms，many people start
saying to each other, ‘Soon，We can enjoy the cherry blossoms. Spring has arrived．We can hardly wait. When will they bloom？' They ask themselves．
T：Exactly. Do you know how the Meteorological Agency makes these forecasts？
G：Well. I've heard that they check sample cherry trees in local areas to count how many blossoms have bloomed. The sample cherry tree in our area stands at the site of the Nagoya Local Meteorological Observatory in Chikusa Ward, Nagoya City. There must
be someone in the observatory whose job is to check daily how many blossoms have bloomed on the tree. When five or six blossoms are found to be bloommg，they declare
that the cherry trees have started blooming in the area．
T：I am surprised that you know so much about Cherry Blossoms．
G：I'm a big fan. Cherry blossoms are of great interest to the general public. The forecasts of when they start blooming and when they will be in fullbloom has a direct effect on tourism and many events around Japan．
T：Okay，could you move on to talk about the cherry blossom front？
G：Sure, I'd love to. Based on records of the start and apex of past cherry blossom blossoming and coupled with meteorologlcal data，meteorologists are able to produce the cherry blossom forecasts evey year. Then，they draw on the map of the Japanese archipelago lines that show the advance of the cherry blossoms as they bloom. The
lines look like moving weather fronts，such as cold or warm fronts．These forecast maps let you make travel plans to view cherry blossoms in famous spots.
T：Now my fellow members，We hope our conversation has given you some useful knowledge and English expressions． 38

T：Hello，Gary！Time flies and it is already December．
G：Yes，it is. Christmas，New Year's Eve，Visiting temples and shines.It is a busy season.
T：I will visit a shrine in my neighborhood right before we ring in the new year and celebrate the coming New Year with local people at the shrine. How about you？
G：Usually，my family visits our local shrine in Miyazu（阿久比町宮津）on New Year's Day.
If we are not too tired，we also visit our local Buddhist temple. It is nice to hear
the ringing of a temple bell 108 times and feel the new year is comlng.
I don't feel so refreshed，like many Japanese people do，as for me it is a time to reflect on the past year.
When I first came to Japan it was a suprise to find so many traditional customs and habits were being actively practiced.
Joya－No－kane，the temple bells on New Year's Day，Osechi Ryori，traditional New
Year’s food and year-end house cleaning which make everyone free from doing
household choirs during the New Year holiday，Mochi Tsuki，pounding rice cakes
before the end of the year，there are countless numbers of events here.
The combination of Shinto and Buddhism is interesting to see in action. You can erjoy the striking of the bell at a Buddhist temple and followed by the first visitt to a Shinto shrine in the new year．My family enjoy all these events．
T：It sounds that you are more Japanese now as you see off the passlng year and celebrate the coming of the new year.
G：It has rubbed off on me after all these years. Back in Canada，younger people enjoy big Parties on New Year’s Eve with their friends.
Of course，for most Canadians，the holiday season begins from Christmas and people want to enjoy a week or so of doing little but eating and relaxing.
If you have children，there are a lot of fun things to do before and during the holidays. We enjoy baking，crafts，playlng in the snow，and play
dates with friends. With the striking of the bell 108 times people in Japan believe all one’s earthly desires are gone and you can purify yourself while visiting a shrine．I
think it is a good idea to believe that you can make another fresh start on Janualy first．
This belief must be very comforting.
T：I usually get talismans for New Years in exchange for the old ones at a local shrine．
How about your family？
G：Yes，We usually pick up talismans for health，work，driving and our children's studies while visiting various shrines.
We get some talismans and place them in the Kamidana，the small altar in our tatami room, believlng that they will guard our family and keep us healthy and happy. 37

T：Hello，Gary!It is nice to see you again. You had a good time in August in your home Country Canada，With your daughters，didn't you?
G:Yes, We enjoyed meeting relatives，travelling，and visiting some favourite spots. We had a good time there.
T:As you came back to Japan right before the begining of the second term, I guess your daughters had a hard time before leaving Japan.
G:True. I had to push my daughters to finish most of their summer homework assignments.
In Canada，elementaly schooI children enjoy doing a variety of things.
SchooIs never give them any homewok assigments. I think that summer vacation should be a good opportunity for children to learn a variety of things other than school subjects.
T:While you were in Canada, there were many fireworks shows in many places. You missed them all. You don't have fireworks shows in Canada, do you?
G:Well no, not as many as here because of fire hazards. Firewoks shows are held occasionally. In my hometown, Vancouver, there is an intenational fireworks competition called the Symphony of Fire.
Three countries compete with the winter putting on a grand finale. The fireworks are fired from a ship in Vancouver harbor which is beautiul to see.
In Japan, those firework shows in the summer must be related to Bon Odori, I guess.
T:Yes. For most workers, Summer holiday means the 'Obon'holiday.
The ‘Obon' period is from around August 13th to August 16th. We, Buddists, welcome the spirits of our ancestors during this period.
On 13th August，most families put a small fire at the entrance of their houses to welcome the spirits of their ancestors.
We call it ‘Mukae Bi' or welcome back home fire. And we have ‘Bon Odori，' a dance festival during this period, to entertain and say good-bye to the spirits of our ancestors.
On the 16th，We put small fire again at the entrance, this fire is called ‘Okuri Bi' or the ‘Good-bye' fire.
Do you have such events in Canada?
G:Other than memorial events for world wars, We don't have such wide spread occasions.
Many people memorialize their dead loved ones in simple ways throughout the year.
We visit graves and leave flowers，Candles，or small personal items on days special to us or our deceased loved ones.
In my case，I visit my fathers grave when I am in Vancouver. l talk to my farther and leave a small bouquet. It makes me feel close to his memory.
How people commemorate their ancestors is up to each person.
T:At the end of Obon，we say good-bye to our ancestors'spirits. We put paper lanterns on the river and let them float away.
We believe souls of our ancestors leave aboard those lanterns.
Fireworks shows are associated with Okuribi，Good-bye fire.
We commemorate the end of Obon with fireworks. They are part of Okuribi，or farewell fire that we put at the entrance of our houses. 36

G:Good morning Tets.
T:Hi,Gary Now I have some questions from the members.
Have you ever got into trouble while you are moving around,eithcr by train,bus or car?
G:Oh,yes. I remember having a devil of a time just geting back to Gifu city before l could read the kanji for the City.
T:What happened?
G:It was when I was living in Gifu City. At Nagoya station l had to memorize the colours of the queues but as l didn't know the difference between Gifu and lnuyama or the local, semi-express and express trains,I made the mistake of returning home by the local train that looped through Inuyama before getting to Gifu statlon.
I thought I'd never get home as it tooks so long.
T:I guess it was many years ago.
G:True. It was more than ten years ago.
T:The first thing that we should do for foreigners,who like to move around by themselves, is to give them some useful information. Look at this site.
G:Wow! If someone had give me this route map of the Meitetsu line and explained how to travel between Nagoya and Gifu, I wouldn't have got into such trouble.
T:i think so too. And also please look at this site.
G:This is very helpful for those who want to move around inside and around Nagoya City. How about JR lines in this area? I guess it is a little tricky to use the Chuo line from Kanayama. lf you want to take a limited express on the Chuo line for Ena, Nakatsugawa, you should change trains at Chikusa,not Kanayalna. And also,for those who want to use the Taketoyo line. It can be tricky.
T:True. I couldn't find any good route maps of the JR lines in the Chubu area. They have a good one in Japanese but there wasn't an English vesion. I wish someone would tell us of a good site. Nagoya City Subway provides a lot of useful information on its website in English but some of the ticket vending machines don't display any English on the screen. We should tell visitors to look ones, which show English on their display screen.
G:As for moving around by bus,I think it is vev difficult.
T:You're telling me. lt is difficult even for me to use buses in Nagoya City efficiently.
In Handa City and in my hometown, where l am familiar with the directions and landmarks,it is easy.
G:We should ask all the visitors to go with the residents if they want to hop around making full use of public transportation systems, including buses.
T:How about while driving? I think you have live in this area for many years and you can go to many places by car, can't you?
G:Road signs use universal symbols such as to the airport. When l go somewhere faraway,such as Nagashima Spa Resort, I can come home safely if l fo1low the airport signs. When I get to Agui,l exit at the toll road and l am in my neighborhood so the rest is quite easy.
T:That's good. How about coin parking ?
G:I've never used one on my own. They look a bit difficult to navigate without a comprehensive understanding of Japanese.
T:l am afraid it is a little difficult for newcomers to use it because when they pay the payment machine doesn't have any instructions in English. First, you have to input the number of your parkhg space. Then you push the payment button. The fare will be displayed on the screen. You can insert coins or one-thousand yen bank notes. You can even use your credit card. (Is this all we have to do?)
G:Yes, that doesn't sound too difficult but unlcss it is in English I wouldn't recommend tackling it alone. 26

T:Hi,Gary
G:Wllat is our ncxt topic?
T:Well,our members are not sure、what to do about feeding visitors. lf they are out on a
tour and the visltors start to feel hungry, they want to be able to introduce the visitors to
some local foods rather than just going for a burger or something like that. What do you
think?
G:Well,I think our members are right. l would imagine that visitors would really
appreciate trying local dishes,such as Miso Katsu.
T:I agree.
G:Of course you should be carefull about your guests'customs,as some people are
vegetarians and others don't eat pork for religious reason.
T:True. then,I guess our members want to know how to explain Miso Katsu. Some
cxplanations about the ingredlents and cultural or historlcal background may be
interesting for visltors. So the ingredients of Misokatsu,they are...
G:First,pig meat or pork. More precisely,pork cutlet and it is coatcd with egg and bread
crumbs,then,deep frled.
T:We should not forget cabbage. Sliced cabbage is scrved with it.
G:Right. And if It is served with cabbage and a source simllar Worcester, then it is
Tonkatsu.
T:Ton means `pig' and Katsu is originally cutlet. 'Tonkatsu is a verry popular dish
throuth out Japan. But Miso Katsu is a popular dlsh in Aichi Prefecture. It is served not
with a kind of Worcester sauce but with Miso.
G:Hey.Tets,you need to explain some more. lt is served with a spceial miso-based sauce
poured on the cutlet,you should say. Usually the sauce is not as salty as Miso. It tastes
rather than sweet.
T:You know more about it than I.
G:Sure. And now Misokatsu is one of the most famous local dishes of Aichi and its capital
city Nagoya.
T:Misokatsu owes its fame to Hacho Miso,a brand name of miso produced in Okazaki
and the Mikawa area. Hatcho Miso has more than 600-years of history.
G:True. Pcople in this region made good use of their traditlonal ingredient,Miso,when
they came across this famous dish,Misokatsu. lt is said that Misokatsu started at the
famous restaurant Yabaton.
T:Objection! Thc cook at a restaurant called Katoreya, or cattleya in Tsu City, Mie
Prefcecture,My Hometown,cookcd it for the first time.
G:whichever, l feel like eatlng it now. Let's go and eat Misokatsu.
T:Great idea!