Japanese Program Georgetown University

Omori-sensei’s Japan trip has come to an end! 🌸 Thank you all for following my adventures—I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! Now, I’m excited to follow Mori-sensei’s journey.

If you're in Japan or planning a visit and have interesting experiences to share, please send your photos my way!

Sayonara, Japan! I’ll miss you, but I’ll be back soon! ✈️🌏

Mori-sensei seems to have moved on to Kobe and is enjoying the beautiful views and delicious food! 😍😍😍

Mori-sensei: “Arima onsen transports you back to 1960s Japan…”

If you want to experience the Showa era Japan, travel to Arima Onsen! ☺️

🚀 As Omori-sensei’s Japan trip winds down, Mori-sensei’s adventure begins! 🌸 She’s currently soaking in the Showa-era vibes at Arima Onsen, one of Japan’s three most famous hot spring resorts. 🏞️ After two intense weeks of grading AP exams, this relaxation is well-deserved!

✨ Mori-sensei has also set a new goal: to visit every onsen on a special list she discovered. Meanwhile, Omori-sensei is busy collecting goshuin. 🌸 What mission do you think Sato-sensei should take on when she comes to Japan next time?

Enjoy your trip, Mori-sensei! 🛀🎉

Omori-sensei's Goshuin adventure took her to Senshu-ji in Asakusa! 🌟 Not only did she collect a beautiful temple stamp, but she also tried her luck with an Omikuji and received "Daikichi" (Best Luck)! 🎉

Exploring Asakusa's vibrant shopping streets, she indulged in delicious street food delights like cucumber on a stick, wet Senbei, Daigaku Imo (candied sweet potato), and NigyoYaki. 🍡🥒🍠

It was a day filled with fun, fortune, and tasty treats!

Omori-sensei visited Meiji Jingu for the first time! The shrine was magnificent, with a stunning garden that she thoroughly enjoyed walking through. She was so impressed with Andres-san's Shuin-cho, a collection of stamps from various temples and shrines, and decided to start her own collection! So far, she has two stamps and is excited to collect more in the future.　😊 .permuy

Omori-sensei crashed the Young Hoya Alumni event at BrewDog in Roppongi! 😆 It was great to see Rachel-san (SFS 2018), Yuki-san (SFS 2017), and Kenneth-san (SFS 2017)! Unfortunately, Omori-sensei didn’t get to stay long enough to meet everyone else, but hopes that everyone had a fantastic time! 🥰

My daily lunch report! 😆 Today, I tried Tsukemen at Ippudo. Normally, I go for the regular ramen, but this was a seasonal limited menu item, and I can never resist “limited time only” offerings! 😍

Omori-sensei had a wonderful (and healthy) dinner with Yiman-san (Class of 2022 & Our TA)! She is currently doing an internship at a law firm in Tokyo, but will be returning to NYC next week for another 5 weeks of training. 👍 It was great to see her and catch up! 🥰

Ever since Ella-san showed her the photos, Omori-sensei has been eager to visit Gotokuji in Tokyo! She finally made it! Although she was a bit disappointed that the temple office was closed, so she couldn’t buy a Manekineko or get the temple stamp 😭, she still had a great time. She got lost on the way and had to recharge both her phone and herself! 😆
petreski

Yesterday, Omori-sensei had some free time in Tokyo and decided to watch “Oppenheimer” at a luxurious theater in Shinjuku. The theater was impressive, featuring a lounge with complimentary popcorn and drinks and offering a stunning view of Tokyo. Before the movie, she took a reflective walk through a shrine, making it a poignant day to contemplate the horrors of war and the importance of peace. Plus, she was thrilled to see the iconic Godzilla in Shinjuku! 🤣

Omori-sensei just binge-shopped at Lulu Lemon in Roppongi. 😭😭😭 With the weak yen and tax exemption, she lost control. 😆 Scared to see the credit card bill! 😭🇯🇵🍋❤️

Omori-sensei was probably the only adult without children to visit the Pokémon Center! 😆She also forgot that it was Sunday afternoon and the place was mobbed! 😭 She got so exhausted that she had to sit down and have some soft served ice cream! 😋

Today’s lunch - Sapporo Miso Ramen. Since Omori-sensei can’t make it to Hokkaido, she has to settle for the one in Funabashi food court! 😆😆😆

Omori-sensei enjoyed a wonderful lunch with Kenneth-san (Class of 2017) at a lovely Korean restaurant in Odaiba! We both opted for the “Ladies Special Lunch”—not quite sure what makes it for ladies, but it was delicious! 😆 we had a nice view of Gundam from our seats! 👍 Kenneth is now a lawyer in Tokyo and living in Shibuya. How impressive! 😍Kakkoii! 😎

Kenneth told me about the Young Hoyas Alumni event next week in Roppongi next week! Will they let an old lady in? 🤣🤣🤣

Omori-sensei is hopelessly lost in Don Quixote! Trying to figure out how to get out of here! 😭😭😭

Omori-sensei’s lunch today at a food court. $4.50 😍😍😍

Omori-sensei received an update from Sophie-san, who is spending her summer studying in the Princeton in Ishikawa program. After the recent earthquake near Ishikawa, Sensei reached out to check on her. Sophie was surprised but is safe and well!

She’s having a wonderful time in Japan, and her host family has been incredibly kind. 🥰 The PII students went on a field trip to Kenrokuen, one of Japan’s top three gardens, and also toured the Ishikawa Prefectural Office. Their trip even made it into the local newspaper!

Interestingly, Sensei’s Costco trip inspired Sophie’s host mother to visit Costco too. We wish them an amazing time! 😍😍😍
fang

Omori-sensei enjoyed a day in Tokyo! She did some tax-free shopping, too! 🥰 She heard so much about Onitsuka sneakers from Mei-san; she was super excited to find the store! She even texted Sato-sensei! 😆 Fun day! 😍

🎓🎉 Congratulations to our amazing Japanese majors, Class of 2024, Adriel & MJ! 🎉🎓

We are incredibly proud of your achievements and excited for the bright futures ahead of you. Stay connected with Japan and with us! 🇯🇵❤️✨

Congratulations to the members of Nihongo House! ㊗️🎉🎓Meeting through Japanese class, they’ve become not only housemates but also lifelong friends. 🩷 I’ve always told first-year students that our intensive classes are the best way to make friends at Georgetown, and these amazing friendships are proof of that! 😊

みんな、おめでとう🎉㊗️これから、みんな別の道を歩んでいくことになるけれど、いつまでも友達でいてね。日本語バンザイ❣️🙌

Sato-sensei and Omori-sensei were honored to attend the Air Force ROTC Detachment and Commissioning Ceremony for MJ-san, a Japanese major (Class of 2024), at the Air Force Memorial.

We have witnessed MJ’s unwavering dedication and hard work in balancing the demanding commitments of ROTC and her intensive Japanese language studies. The early morning training combined with late-night classes must have been incredibly challenging, yet MJ persevered. Starting with 40 ROTC cadets in 2020, only 6 made it to the ceremony, a testament to her determination and resilience. We have immense respect for her achievements.

MJ is now off to Yokota, Japan, for her first assignment, and we wish her all the best. Congratulations, MJ!

本当におめでとうございます㊗️🎓🎉👏本当にこの4年頑張りましたね。努力家のMJさんを私達は心から誇りに思います。

The May issue of the AATJ Newsletter is now available!
https://www.aatj.org/aatj/publications/

🎓✨ Congratulations to all our graduates! ✨🎓

As you embark on this new chapter, may your future be bright and filled with promise. Remember, we are always here, cheering you on!📣📣📣 Hoya Saxa!

先生達はいつでも皆を応援してます♪がんばってくださいね！卒業おめでとうございます。🎓㊗️🎉

Congratulations 🎉 to Chitrali-san! 🎓㊗️👏👏👏

You know I am stalking Instagram for the graduation photos of our students! 😆 please send your graduation photos my way so we can celebrate your achievement here, too! 🎓㊗️🎉😍 Thank you, for the photo!

(English version follows)

バージニア州にあるThomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology高校の日本語プログラムが廃止されることになってしまいました。長年各大会で優秀な成績を収め、また、地域に貢献してきたプログラムです。この廃止案を覆すためTJHSSTの生徒が嘆願書を作成しました。詳細は以下のリンクをご覧いただき、この提案に反対する嘆願書に参加していただくようお願いいたします。また、この情報を教育者や保護者の方々と共有していただけることを願っています。

こちらがリンクです。

https://chng.it/9YmkYxk8qD

多くの方々の署名と協力をお願い致します。

中部大西洋岸日本語教師会

The Japanese program at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia is being discontinued. This program has achieved excellent results in various competitions over the years and has contributed to the local community. To overturn this
decision, students at TJHSST have created a petition. Please see the following link for details and consider joining the petition opposing this proposal. Also, we hope you can share this information with educators and parents.

Here is the link:

https://chng.it/9YmkYxk8qD

Sign the Petition Reinstate the Japanese Language Program at TJHSST for 2024-2025 and Beyond

Kathryn-san and Josi-san got together in Japan and took a trip to Okinawa! Thank you for sharing the photos! 😍😍😍

Guess who is back at Hilltop for the graduation ceremony? Songtai-san! 😍😍😍

It was great to catch up with him! He starts the Cornell Law School in the fall! Impressive! Best of luck, Songtai-san! Come and see us again! 😊

It’s a big day for the Japan-Korea C-Lab class with Kim-sensei and Sando-sensei! They are heading on a long-anticipated trip to Korea and Japan! We hope they have the most incredible time and keep the photos coming! 行ってらっしゃい！👋

🎉 That’s a wrap on the Spring 2024 semester! A big thank you to all our amazing students for making this semester a success. We hope you’ve enjoyed your classes and learned a lot. Wishing you all the best on your exams! 📚✨ Plus, Sato-sensei looked absolutely adorable carrying all the flowers from the students—I just had to snap a picture! 🌸 Omori-sensei apologizes to her Level 3 section 1 students for forgetting to take the class photo! 😭😭😭Please stop by my office so I can take your pictures! 😭😭😭