2022 Activity Report
March Activity Report
31 March 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
Ryota Oguri
In contrast to February, when the weather was relatively stable, it was rainy and unstable in March. The weather remained cold until the middle of the month, but by the end of the month, the temperature had warmed up and I can feel the arrival of spring little by little. I also feel that just the relief of the cold reduces fatigue and makes me feel much more comfortable.
By the way, I am teaching beginner and intermediate Japanese classes at Leiden University this semester. The beginner class, in particular, started from scratch with most of the students having no experience studying Japanese, but in a period of less than two months, students learned many expressions such as negative sentences, interrogative sentences and past tense, and they can have more variety of conversations than before. They also have learned more than 20 Chinese characters.
Also, there are some students in the intermediate class who are planning to study in Japan this year (It seems that many students will study at Kanazawa University, Akita University and Sophia University.). As this is their first time studying in Japan, the students said that they felt a mixture of expectation and anxiety. Nowadays, more students come to me and ask for advices about their lives in the foreign countries during office hours outside of the class. I would like to do my best to help students reduce their anxiety as much as possible.
I have only three months left in my term here, but I am going to work hard while enjoying life in the Netherlands in the spring.
February Activity Report
28February 2022
Global Japan Office Coordinator
Ryota Oguri
It is now February. The weather has been relatively stable this month, with quite a few rainy days, although it has continued to be cold since last month. We have sunny days about once every two or three days, which is very nice to get some precious sunshine in winter in the Netherlands.
Leiden University started a new semester at the beginning of February. I am teaching two Japanese language courses this semester: a beginner's class and an intermediate class. The majority of the students in the beginner's class have no prior experience studying Japanese, so classes are basically taught in English. To tell the truth, I am not much proficient in English, so I was quite anxious at first, but by repeatedly rehearsing before class and including English explanations and instructions in advance in the PPT used in class, I was able to proceed with the class without problems. The students are quite motivated and ask me a lot of questions during the class. We have already had several tests during this month, and I am relieved to see that they are doing very well.
It seems the cold weather will stay here for a while, but I will continue to do my best to help local and Japanese students.
January Activity Report
31 January 2022
Global Japan Office Coordinator
Ryota Oguri
Happy New Year! The New Year has begun, but it has been cold for days in the Netherlands, with daytime temperatures ranging from 5 to 7 degrees Celsius, and temperatures sometimes dropping below freezing at night. On the other hand, daylight hours are gradually getting longer, and it seems that spring is approaching day by day.
It is a winter vacation at Leiden University through January, so the regular classes are not held except for the re-exams for the final exams. Therefore, students of the Japanese language department also enjoyed the long vacation being free from the busy exam period, by such as traveling abroad.
In fact, a cold seems to be going around in the Netherlands these days, and people coughing in the streets are becoming more noticed. The Dutch medical system is based on a home doctor system, so if the home doctor is not registered, it is often not possible to get a doctor's appointment immediately. However, I heard from Japanese students studying at Leiden University that they were having trouble finding a home doctor who had a vacancy for their patients. It is certainly a concern for students that there is no hospital where they can be seen immediately in the case of an emergency.
It is therefore recommended that you find and register with a home doctor as soon as possible if you are thinking of studying at a university in the Netherlands. If you do not know how to find one, please ask me and I will send you a list of contact information for home doctors, so please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.
It is still cold as usual, but I would like to enjoy my life in the Netherlands while relaxing moderately and not overworking myself.
December Activity Report
31 December 2022
Global Japan Office Coordinator
Ryota Oguri
It is finally December in the Netherlands, and winter is here. Although it has not snowed yet, it drizzles many days, and it feels colder than the actual temperature. In addition, wet road surfaces from the rain often freeze, the entire road becomes icy, and I have almost fallen many times. Recently, the number of icy road surfaces has decreased due to the warm weather, but in mid-December, when it was freezing, the sidewalks were icy every night, making it difficult to walk on them. I admire Dutch people who ride bicycles daily, even in such conditions, but I want to be careful not to fall and get hurt.
December was a hectic month for students and teachers as it was the final examination period. In my Japanese class, in addition to a written test, there is an oral exam to assess oral proficiency through self-introductions and role-plays. The oral exam is an important test that accounts for a high percentage of the grade. Since it was given in front of several teachers, many students were nervous, but I was relieved to see them well prepared and able to speak well. Furthermore, I was very impressed to see the relieved expressions on the students' faces immediately after the test.
It will continue to get colder and colder in January and February, but I plan to keep my room warm, eat hot food, and enjoy life in the Netherlands despite the cold.
November Activity Report
29 November 2022
Global Japan Office Coordinator
Ryota Oguri
It is getting intense cold in Netherland in November, and at the same time, the daylight hours are getting shorter, cloudy days are increasing, and there are more and more dimly lit days even during the daytime. Although many Dutch people are riding their bicycles vigorously even in winter, it seems that not a few people suffer from winter depression due to this climate. It may be a little difficult to enjoy outdoor activities, but I would like to do what I can enjoy indoors to avoid negative feelings.
In towns, more and more places are already preparing for Christmas. Walking along the streets decorated with glittering illuminations, I forget the bitter coldness and enjoy the festive mood.
Mid-term exams at Leiden University ended at the end of October, allowing students to finally took a rest. In contrast, the first half of November was quite busy for teachers as they were busy grading exams and report assignments and preparing for classes at the same time. As an intern, I was also in charge of several Japanese language classes and was busy with unfamiliar grading duties and correcting report assignments. Even in such a situation, I was energized when I met students who were eagerly working on their classes. Although more and more students are getting sick due to the harsh weather, they all seem to be enjoying learning Japanese.
In October and November, the temperature in the Netherlands is getting colder and the daylight hours are getting shorter, but I would like to get some energy from the students, litting loose moderately, and make the best of the harsh weather. Lastly, I would like to introduce "Morris," a cat that lives in the dormitory where I live. He is also a cheerful creature for me and has healed me a lot during my busy grading work.
October Activity Report
31 October 2022
Global Japan Office Coordinator
Ryota Oguri
The Netherlands, which was still warm and pleasant in September, has become colder in October. Although there are not many rainy days, the number of cloudy days is increasing. Daylight hours are getting shorter day by day, and the sunset time astonishingly has become more than three hours earlier than in early September.
In the city, I see people already wearing thick jackets.
By the way, Leiden, where I live, celebrates " Leiden Relief Day" on October 3 every year. This day commemorates the liberation of Leiden from the Spanish army that besieged the city in 1574. The whole town is in a festive mood, with stalls lining every corner of the city. A parade marches down the main street, and a temporary amusement park (with a roller coaster, trapeze, and other attractions that are quite authentic ) appears in the plaza. Most citizens take the day off to enjoy the festivities. Harlem Street, a normally busy thoroughfare, was so crowded with people so as to be impossible to move forward, and the din and bustle continued until late at night.
This is a temporary amusement park that appears only a few days before and after the anniversary, but it is quite authentic.
Leiden University had mid-term exams later this month, which seemed to make students very busy. In the class I teach, they had a writing assignment instead of an exam. I was impressed by the students' proficiency to use not only the grammar and expressions they learned in class, but also to look up difficult words and phrases on their own. Two months have passed since the new semester began. I feel that the range of students' expressive abilities has visibly broadened.
In addition, first-year students of faculty of "Area Studies," a language major at The Hague campus, have to decide at this time which language they will major in. Therefore, an event called "Area Fair" is annually held to introduce the attractiveness of each language course and to answer questions from students. I have participated in this event as a staff member. Unfortunately, it coincided with the last day of midterm exams, so there were not as many visitors as I had expected, but many students came to the Japanese language course, and they seemed interested in listening to the talks and asking questions about the course. We hope that many students will choose our Japanese language course.
As of late October, sunset was more than three hours earlier than on August 31, when I arrived.
It is going to get colder still and the daylight hours will get shorter, but I would like to enjoy life in the Netherlands and do my best to help local and Japanese students.
September Activity Report
30 September 2022
Global Japan Office Coordinator
Ryota Oguri
Unlike Japan, which is still hot, September of the Netherlands is a pleasant month. The Netherlands has an image of rainy weather, but this month we had many sunny days for excursions. The temperature during the day is about 20 degrees Celsius, and you can comfortably spend the day in a T-shirt, but in the mornings and evenings it feels a little chilly without a light jacket.
Not only in Leiden, but also in other Dutch cities such as Amsterdam and The Hague, there are Japanese restaurants everywhere, giving the impression that Japanese food and culture are close to home. Events and exhibitions related to Japan are also held frequently, and this month, from the 22nd to the 25th, a Japanese film festival called "CAMERA JAPAN FESTIVAL 2022" was held in Rotterdam. When I visited the cinema, the entrance was filled with booths selling Japanese crafts and food, and the place was quite crowded.
Leiden University started a new semester this month. I am in charge of the Japanese language class, and the students in the Japanese language department are very enthusiastic and interested in Japanese culture. There have always been club activities where local students and Japanese students can interact with each other, but it seems that not many Japanese students are participating these days, and the current students are disappointed that they cannot interact with Japanese students. We are going to be busy with midterm examinations, etc., but we would like to actively hold events where current students and Japanese students can interact with each other.
Although we were not able to get together with all Japanese students this month, some of us went out to dinner together and were able to introduce ourselves to each other. In the future, I would like to create opportunities for exchange where Japanese students can talk about common problems and share information with other Japanese students.
The temperature will be getting colder and the daylight hours shorter, but I hope to enjoy life in the Netherlands and will do my best to help local and Japanese students.
