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TAIKO DRUMMING WORKSHOP Studios are located in a number of cities including Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, each with a number of large rooms and taiko drums catering to both small and large groups. In this one hour-long group taiko drumming class you will learn the basic taiko drumming technique and....
📢6/7-6/9 Toukasan Festival & Yukata de Kinsai Festival (Matsuri）📢
💡A traditional early summer event, "Toukasan Festival." Counted among Hiroshima's three major festivals, "Toukasan Festival" is also famous as the "festival where people start wearing yukata."
On the day of the festival, you'll see many people in vibrant yukata attire throughout the streets of Hiroshima. Come and experience one of Hiroshima's representative festivals!
📍Enryuji Temple, and around Chuo-dori Avenue
※Simultaneously held "Yukata de Kinsai Festival"※
The "Yukata de Kinsai Festival" is held every year alongside "Toukasan." Enjoy stalls and performances, and don't forget to wear a yukata! ☀
👘Yukata dressing and rental plans available👘
※English support available! For details, click here!
https://www.kimonoasobi.info/archives/news/20240607
✔For detailed information about the festival, click here:
https://dive-hiroshima.com/en/explore/3835/
📢6/7-6/9 とうかさん＆ゆかたできん祭📢
💡初夏の風物詩「とうかさん」。
広島の三大祭りに数えられる「とうかさん大祭」は別名「ゆかたの着始めの祭り」としても有名であり、祭りの日には広島の街では浴衣姿の華やかな人々が目に付くようになります。
広島を代表するお祭りを是非！
📍圓隆寺、中央通り一帯
※同時開催「ゆかたできん祭(さい)」※
「とうかさん」にあわせて毎年開催されている『ゆかたできん祭（さい）』。
露店やパフォーマンスを楽しみながら、是非浴衣も着てください☀
👘ゆかた着付け、レンタルプランあります👘
※英語対応可能です！詳細はこちらから！
https://www.kimonoasobi.info/archives/news/20240607
✔祭りの細詳はこちら
https://dive-hiroshima.com/explore/3835/
#ひろしまファン
#広島観光 #广岛 #廣島 #เที่ยวญี่ปุ่น
Don't miss the sights and sounds of Tokyo!
June Newsletter
CONTACT US If you are thinking about or planning a Japan tour, have any questions whatsoever or wish to receive a non-obligation quote we would love to hear from you. We are receiving a lot of enquiries and currently have many schools with travel arrangements already in place for their school tours....
Kanazawa Station at night.
Beautiful Kanazawa with a touch of snow.
After the intense Year of the Tiger we enter the gentler and calmer Year of the Rabbit. In Japan the Year of the Rabbit is predicted to be a year of hope, peace, good fortune and prosperity. An article in the Japan Times says 2023 is likely to be gentle and calm with people looking for a more balanc...
Beautiful Wakayama!
Like a scene from an ancient legend, Nachisan Seiganto-ji Temple and Nachi Waterfall are wreathed in mist.
📸
📍 Nachisan Seiganto-ji Temple, Wakayama
Explore the ancient pilgrim paths and rustic beauty of the Kumano area >> https://buff.ly/3tp5tmA
Saizen Tours is at the State Library of Victoria for the National Symposium of Japanese Language Education.
JAPAN IS BACK!
Saizen Tours is hosting a Japan Educational Tours Seminar for Japanese teachers next month at Sono Restaurant in Brisbane to celebrate. Seats are strictly limited so get in quick if you are keen to join. You will hear all about the new and exciting experiences for school groups and how to plan a successful school tour in this Covid world. Presenters from JNTO and Japan along with airline representatives will be attending and ready to answer your questions.
Are you ready for a trip to Japan? We are giving away a free return flight to one lucky teacher so this is an event not to be missed!
This event is for teachers currently teaching Japanese in Queensland schools and planning a school tour to Japan in 2023 or 2024. We hope to see you there!
Cherry Blossom season has commenced in Japan. Such a pretty time to visit! Photo was taken a few years ago in Kyoto at Arashiyama near the Bamboo Forest.
When Japan is ready for us, and we are ready for Japan, you will want to check out what is new ........... so let's start wandering Japan and take a peak! Ghibli Park, Aichi Prefecture This is the theme park that everyone who loves anime has been waiting for! Studio Ghibli is currently building Ghib...
Twinkle, twinkle, little lights. 🌟
Tokyo German Village in Chiba Prefecture transforms into a world of art from October until March, with winter illuminations that are out of this world. Walk around the village to admire all of the lights, and make sure to stop and pose under the fairylight tunnel for a cute picture. ✨
📷 Captured by ._.sa30 on Instagram
Go bird watching: Winter in Hokkaido! The beautiful snow bunting (ユキホオジロ) is a wild Arctic bird that only appears in Hokkaido in winter. Hokkaido abounds in bird life and is a bird watcher and photographer's dream at anytime of the year and in any season! In winter the cold Siberian weat...
Winter in Hokkaido! The beautiful snow bunting (ユキホオジロ) is a wild Arctic bird that only appears in Hokkaido in winter.
Gorgeous scenery, even on cloudy days ☁️🏯
2021 certainly brought new challenges and Australians faced these challenges with strength and resilience. So bring on 2022 and the year of the tiger denoting strength, growth and courage in the face of challenges! We are hopeful that the year ahead will bring us closer to resuming international travel, especially the return of travel to Japan. Whilst we are certainly facing ongoing challenges we are also encouraged by teachers and their students who are keen to organise a school tour and are requesting quotes for travel towards the end of the year.
Welcome Year of the Tiger!
Happy New Year!
Best wishes to everyone for a much brighter and safer 2022!
Check out our website
Crimson colors are popping up around Koyasan. 🍂
📸 .ca.ttzu
📍 Koyasan, Wakayama
Explore autumn in Wakayama >> https://buff.ly/2KXI1bS
The Paralympics have officially come to an end with a colourful, circus-like ceremony at the National Stadium. The ceremony took place in front of a sea of empty seats, with only a small number of officials and dignitaries, including Japan’s Crown Prince Fumihito. the younger brother of Emperor Na...
So here we are at heading to the end of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and a snapshot to showcase just some of our many medal winners and their sports.
GOLD for Vanessa Low who broke the world record in the Women's Long Jump T63 final not once but three times with her biggest jump coming in at 5.28M! Vanessa was born in East Germany. In 2006, at the age of 15, she lost her balance on a railway platform and was hit by a train. The accident severed her left leg and left her in a coma for two months whereby doctors were forced to amputate her other leg. It took two years for her to learn to walk using the prosthesis. She represented Germany in the 2012 London Paralympics and in the 2016 Rio Paralympics where she won gold. Vanessa gained her Australian nationality in June 2017 and competes in sprint and long jump events.
In athletics the sport class consists of a prefix “T” or “F” and a number. The prefix T stands for “track”, marathon and jumping events, and F stands for “field.” It indicates for which events the sport class applies, either for track/jump/marathon or for field events. Classes are divided in terms of type (indicated by the first digit) and level of impairment. In general, the lower the second digit, the higher the level of impairment. There are a variety of sub-classifications including vision impairment, short of stature, brain injury, limb deficiency or muscle impairment and limb amputation.
GOLD for Dylan Alcott who defended his Rio crown in the Men‘s Quad Singles for wheelchair tennis, playing against Netherland’s Sam Schröder. Dylan was born with a tumour wrapped around his spinal cord which was operated on during the first few weeks of his life. The tumour was successfully removed however it left him a paraplegic requiring the use of a wheelchair. He started his Paralympic career as a teenager, winning gold with the Australian men's basketball team, the Rollers, at the 2008 Beijing Games. He has successfully finished with gold in Tokyo, emotionally declaring 2021 was his fourth and final Paralympic appearance.
There are two sport classes in wheelchair tennis and all players have in common that they have an impairment that affects at least one leg. Players are eligible for the Open Division with loss of function in one or both legs. The Quad Division includes players with loss of function of at least three limbs.
GOLD for Curtis McGrath in paracanoeing. Curtis is a former soldier awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM). He was serving as an Australian Army combat engineer in Afghanistan in 2012 when he stepped on an improvised explosive device and lost his right leg above the knee and left leg below the knee. He immediately made a vow he would represent Australia in the Paralympics and took up canoeing competitively.
Classification for canoeing divides athletes into three groups according to degree of impairment and activity limitation. The classes are KL1 (athletes who have very limited trunk and no leg function and paddle with shoulders and arms only); KL2(athletes who are partially able to use their legs and trunk); and KL3 (athletes have trunk and partial leg function. They are able to sit with their trunk bent forward in the kayak and are able to paddle by bracing their legs and using their hips).
SILVER - soaring from Lane three saw Australia’s Dolphin Swim Team win silver in the Men’s 4 x 100m medley relay. Congratulations to Tim Hodge, Tim Disken, Will Martin and Ben Popham. Tim Disken sadly lost his mum earlier in the week and still managed to put in an incredible performance to smash his personal best and make his mum proud!
Swimming is divided into 14 sport classes. They can have an eligible physical, vision or intellectual impairment. The sport class names in swimming consist of a prefix “S” or “SB” and a number. The prefixes stand for the strokes and the number indicates the sport classes. S stands for freestyle, butterfly and backstroke events. SB stands for breaststroke. SM stands for individual medley. S1/SB1 -S10/SB10 is for athletes with a physical impairment and S11/SB11-S13/SB13 is for athletes with a vision impairment. The greater the number the more functional ability the athlete has. S14/SB14 is for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
SILVER in Tokyo for Caz Cooke who is an inspiration at 60 years of age with three Paralympic games and three medals now behind her! Carol (Caz) Cooke was part of the Canadian national swimming team and was hoping to be selected for the 1980 Moscow Olympics before her country boycotted the games. She moved to Australia in 1994 and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998. She took up rowing in 2006, narrowly missing out on the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. She then switched to cycling where she won a gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympics and two gold medals at 2016 Rio Games.
Cycling athletes compete in C (cycling), H (handcycling), T (tricycle) and B (tandem) classes, depending on their impairment. C class if for athletes with limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or range of motion and impairments affecting co-ordination, such as uncoordinated movements and involuntary movements and is subdivided into classes C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5 according to the severity of impairment. H class is for athletes competing with a handcycle with impairments such as amputation or paralysis of the legs or motor function impairments and is subdivided into classes H1, H2, H3, H4 and H5. T class is for athletes competing on a tricycle with a lack of balance and/or restriction in pedalling due to muscle tension, uncoordinated movements or involuntary movement. It is subdivided into classes T1 and T2. B class is for athletes with vision impairments competing on a tandem with a sighted pilot. B1, B2 and B3 athletes compete in one event.
This Sunday, 5 September at 6.30pm (AEST), in recognition of the achievements of the Olympic and Paralympic athletes, the NSW Government in conjunction wit...
Day 5 and Day 6 Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games saw Australian Daniel Michel compete in boccia against Sweden’s Maria Bjurstrom on Sunday with a final score was a win for Michel 8:0. Today (Monday) he competed again Brazil’s Evelyn Oliveira.
The word ‘Boccia’ is derived from the Italian word meaning to bowl, and this family of sports is probably the earliest game ever played by mankind – carvings of Egyptian figures throwing stones have been recorded as early as 5200 BC.
Daniel Michel is the Australian boccia star who has competed on almost every continent. He was born with spinal muscular atrophy type 2, a motor neuron condition that means he requires assistance for everyday activities. He was introduced to the sport at 15 years old at a camp organised by Muscular Dystrophy NSW. "I'd never heard of it. Never seen it before. I had a go and realised it was something I could play. Being something that I had craved for so long, I took to it like a gust of wind, I suppose you could say. I really went hard at it. I wanted to improve as fast as I could. Boccia gives me a sense of purpose in life that I didn't have prior to discovering the sport. It has given me an avenue through which to compete and strive for improvement every day, whilst introducing me to some of the best friends I will ever meet."
He competes with his assistant, Ashlee McClure, who is critical to his success. She sits in front of Michel, with her back to the balls, and positions the ramp and balls according to his specific instructions. A remarkable amount of strategy and tactics are involved. In Paralympic boccia athletes are divided into one of four classifications.
BC1
Players in this class throw the ball with the hand or foot. They may compete with an assistant who stays outside of the competitor’s playing box, to stabilize or adjust their playing chair and give the ball to the player when requested.
BC2
Players in this class throw the ball with the hand. They are not eligible for assistance.
BC3
Players in this class have very severe locomotor dysfunction in all four extremities. Players in this class have no sustained grasp or release action and although they may have arm movement, they have insufficient range of movement to propel a Boccia ball onto the court. They may use an assistive device such as a ramp to deliver the ball. They may compete with an assistant; assistants must keep their back to the court and their eyes averted from play.
BC4
Players in this class have severe locomotor dysfunction of all four extremities as well as poor trunk control. They can demonstrate sufficient dexterity to throw the ball onto the court. Players are not eligible for assistance.
The competition venue for boccia is the Ariake Gymnastics Centre. Opened in October 2019, the venue was constructed to host the gymnastics events at the 2020 Summer Olympics and the boccia events at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. This temporary venue is located in the northern part of Tokyo's Ariake district in the Olympic hub close to the Olympic Athletes Village and the broadcasting and press centres. Following the Tokyo 2020 Games, a sporting arena with a 12,000 seating capacity was scheduled for construction on this site. Originally designed to be temporary however it will now remain for a further 10 years to increase the legacy of the games for the city and residents. The futuristic building is inspired by Japanese architecture that uses cedar wood brought from around the country. Supporting rods allow the building to look from a distance as though it is suspended in the air.
Ariake district is best known as the region adjacent to and directly east of Odaiba on the Tokyo waterfront. Odaiba is a large, artificial island in Tokyo Bay. Accessed via the Rainbow Bridge or the futuristic Yurikamome train, Odaiba is a high-tech entertainment hub on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay. Visitors head to the beach at Seaside Park, enjoy Mt. Fuji views from the Daikanransha Ferris wheel, and interact with robots at the Miraikan science museum and the digital art at teamLab. Malls include Aqua City and the Venice-themed VenusFort, and there are sushi bars with views along the waterfront.
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🇦🇺🥇 GOLD AND A WORLD RECORD!
What a swim from Rowan Crothers, Will Martin, Matt Levy and Ben Popham in the 4x100m freestyle 34 points. Unbelievable by the lads!
(📷 Courtesy Channel 7)
📝 Live Paralympics Blog - https://ab.co/3DE4Yuz
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Day 4 Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and Australia wins silver and bronze in swimming for the Men’s 150m Individual Medley (SM3). Tom Decent from the Sydney Morning Herald could not have said it better when he wrote “Beaten by a bloke named Jesus, Kelly and Scooter’s first Paralympic medals are still heavenly”. Mexico’s Jesus Hernandez Hernandez secured the gold medal alongside of best mates Ahmed Kelly (silver) and Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson (bronze). Kelly is a three-time Paralympian who grew up in an orphanage in Baghdad after being born with severely underdeveloped arms and legs. Patterson, who has a form of dwarfism, finally has a Paralympic medal to his name after missing out in London and not travelling to Rio in 2016. The pair, who take a little longer to glide through the pool than others, are great mates and the two most physically impaired members of Australia’s team. This precious feat has been a long time coming for the lovable pair who have been working towards this goal since London 2012 and now, remarkably, the best mates have shared this moment together.
In World Para Swimming, athletes are grouped by the degree of activity limitation resulting from an impairment. These groups are called ‘sport classes’. World Para Swimming caters for three impairment groups - physical, intellectual and vision. Swimming sport classes are:
S: freestyle, butterfly and backstroke events
SB: breaststroke
SM: individual medley. The prefix “SM” is given to athletes competing in individual medley events. It is not a sports class, but an entry index and calculated as (3xS + SB)/4; for classes S1-4 who have a 3-discipline medley, the formula is (2S + SB)/3).
Sport Classes S1-S10 / SB1 – SB9 / SM1- SM10 - physical impairment.
There are ten different sport classes for athletes with physical impairment, numbered 1-10. The lower the number, the more severe the activity limitation.
The Tokyo Aquatics Centre is an indoor swimming pool in the Tatsumi-no-Mori Seaside Park in Koto City, eastern Tokyo. Construction began in April 2017 and was completed in 2020. Both the 10-lane main pool and the sub-pools have moveable floors and walls that allow for unique flexibility. The pool can split into two adjacent short-course pools, with the starting blocks capable of being adjusted anywhere inside 50 metres. The depth can also change by up to three metres. The design of the ceiling is inspired by origami.
Following the Games the venue will host domestic and international competitions.
Tokyo Aquatics Centre is situated near JR Shin-Kiba Station, just one stop from JR Maihama Station and Tokyo Disney Resorts.
Tokyo Disney Resort has three main entertainment sections: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, and Ikspiari. Like other Disney resorts throughout the world, the Tokyo Disney Resort has several Disney-branded hotels; the resort's Deluxe Hotels are the Disney Ambassador Hotel, the Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta (the building in which the entrance to Tokyo DisneySea is located), and the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. There are six other hotels located on the Tokyo Disney Resort property. All facilities are linked by Disney Resort Line monorail and live up to the Disney promise of ‘the happiest place on earth’. Enjoy the multitude of attractions, rides, shows and Disney characters. A must visit for adults, children and families alike!
Day 3 Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and wheelchair rugby, one of the most exciting events at any Paralympic Games. The sport mixes bash and crash with skill and tactics. It made its Paralympic debut at Atlanta 1996 with the USA winning the sport’s first gold medal against Canada in the final. The game was invented in Canada in 1977 and was originally known unofficially as 'Murderball'. The sport is popular as both a participation and spectator event.
Australia currently tops the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation Rankings, alongside USA and Japan – the current world champions – in second and third place. Australia is bidding for a hat-trick of Paralympic gold medals in Tokyo having won in London and Rio.
Australia's star player, Ryley Batt, is generally viewed as the best player in the world. Rated 3.5, he made his Paralympic debut in Athens at the age of 16 (the youngest ever) and is competing in his fifth Games in Tokyo. The Australian team, the Steelers, are the two-time defending Paralympic champions and ranked number one in the world.
The field of play is the size of a basketball court (28m by 15m) and is split into two halves, similar to basketball they are referred to as a team's front and back court, depending on where the ball is. Although the name of the game is wheelchair rugby, the ball used is a volleyball, which can be carried, dribbled or passed down the court - kicking the ball is not allowed. The aim of the game is to carry the ball with control over the opposition goal line for a score, known as a goal. It is a very physical game with players making contact, sometimes at high speed, to either stop attackers making progress when the opposition has the ball, or to keep them away from teammates when their own side is going for goal. These blocks lead to some of the biggest sounds at the Paralympics, as the wheelchairs crash together. Each team has four players on the court at any one time. The wheelchairs are specially adapted. Wheelchairs used by attacking players are shorter with small bumpers and rounded wings so that they can turn and manoeuvre in tight spaces. Defensive wheelchairs are longer and have a wide bumper at the front designed to strike and hold opposing players.
Unfortunately for Australia, Japan has continued their undefeated streak in the wheelchair rugby group stages after beating Australia, the reigning Paralympic champions, 57-53 in Day 3 of the competition. Australia has managed to qualify for the semi-final with a better goal difference and will face the United States.
Wheelchair rugby is played at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, an indoor arena located at Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo. It was designed by the famous Japanese architect Kenzo Tange and renowned for its suspension roof design. It was built for the 1964 Summer Olympics housing the diving, swimming and basketball competitions. The NHK World studios are adjacent to the arena along the edge of Yoyogi Park. Therefore, images of the arena are regularly featured at the end of NHK Newsline broadcasts.
Yoyogi National Gymnasium is close walking distance to Meiji Jingu Shrine and the trendy shopping district of Harajuku. Meiji Jingu Shrine, is a Shinto shrine that was established in 1920 to commemorate Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. Meiji Jingu is open every day, but opening hours vary depending on the season. The shrine is a peaceful oasis set in a vast woodland forest in the middle of the megacity, Tokyo. This famous shrine has long been a popular wedding spot with many traditional wedding ceremonies conducted daily.
Harajuku is renowned for colourful street art and youth fashion, with quirky vintage clothing stores and cosplay shops along the pedestrian street Takesh*ta Dori, and traditional, upmarket boutiques on leafy Omotesando Dori. Small, trendy bars fill the surrounding lanes, while dessert shops and carts specialize in sweet crêpes, donuts, and bubble tea. Saturdays and Sundays are usually lively with street music, musicians and lots of cosplay fashion.
2/20 Clayton Street, Chirn Park
Gold Coast, QLD
4215
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