It is time to show off your photo taking skills and display the best of spring that Miyazaki has to offer. We are having the first ever Miyazaki photo contest! The theme is Springtime in Miyazaki. To celebrate the first contest entry is free and the winner will receive a 1500 yen gift card of their choosing.
To enter is simple, please email your picture to miyazakiajet@gmail.com with the title Spring Photo Contest. In the email please post your name, title of the photo, and caption for the photo. We will then upload all the entries to our MAJET Instagram account.
Winners will be determined by a vote. To vote, people will like the photo they want to win. HOWEVER, only votes from accounts following MAJET Instagram will be counted towards the winning votes.
Otherwise all votes count. Photo submission deadline is May 15th. Voting starts from May 16th and goes until June 16th. Good luck to everyone!
I take part in an iaido and jodo club every Wednesday. It’s something I wanted to try when I moved to Japan but I had no idea how to find a class. A friend invited me to a kendo club that met on Sundays. I went a few times, and met someone who also did iaido. He said he would ask his teacher if I could join and I started going the next week.
Just to be clear, iaido is the practice of katana drawing and slicing in set routines. It was practiced by samurai to make their sword work very clean and precise. Jodo is a different type of martial art. It uses a short staff that is a means of defense against a sword. However the feeling of doing both is pretty similar.
We meet in a temple and have our teacher watch our forms and fix things that she sees. It was very overwhelming at first since everything is taught in Japanese but with time and help I got the hang of the class. Since we are using weapons it’s all about form practice. You want to be able to move smoothly and fiercely. It is almost like memorizing a dance routine.
Every once in awhile we have a competition or a test that allows me to have a goal to aim for and really focus on what I’m practicing. The class is a good stress reliever for me and allows me to shut out whatever was bothering me before class and enter a state of flow. It also let’s me have a community I wouldn’t have without the class.
You’ve moved to Miyazaki, or have been living here for a while, and are wondering just where you can go to meet up with Japanese people and foreigners alike, hoping to make some new friends.
I’ve got great news for you! Miyazaki is home to many groups of native Japanese and English speakers who meet up on a regular basis to give you the chance to meet new friends and practice your English or Japanese. Here are a few of them!
Eikaiwa Friends
One of the largest and oldest groups for conversation cafes in Miyazaki, this group meets up once a week in order to chat and meet new people. Boasting well over 300 members, each conversation cafe draws in anywhere from 15 to 70 people! You’re guaranteed to meet someone new at these exciting and boisterous English conversation nights.
The schedule for the month is sent to the a Line group chat each month, so make sure to ask an existing member to add you to the group so you can stay up to date. 6 RACCOON is always on Tuesday nights, while the other two are on Wednesday nights.
How to join: joining is as easy as showing up to one of the conversation nights, or asking a friend to add you to the Line Group chat ahead of time. There are no membership fees, but there is a requirement for each cafe on how much you need to spend for the night so that they don’t lose money.
6 RACCOON: please buy one drink and pay a 200円 fee
若草Hutte: 1000円 (includes 1 free drink as a thank you)
Hakoniwa: 1000円 (includes 1 free drink as a thank you)
Brunch Chatting
The second conversation cafe that is in Miyazaki focuses much more on allowing the participants to practice their English and their Japanese skills. English speakers are paired with native Japanese speakers, and then the groups are asked to speak in only English. After 15 minutes have passed, they are asked to speak in only Japanese. Each participant can decide of they’d like their partner to correct their mistakes, or just listen as they speak. Then, once another 15 minutes have passed, the groups are shuffled, and you begin the process again with a new partner!
The sessions are held every Saturday, with the third Saturday usually being done at Cafe Life.
How to join: Follow Brunch Chatting on Instagram, then apply through their link on their homepage.
Miya Friends
An eikaiwa that focuses on bringing together foreigners and Japanese natives who are interested in learning about the Christian faith. Maybe you are a devout Christian who wants to find a community in Miyazaki, or maybe your are just curious about the faith and want to learn. Either way, you’re free to come and join the Eikaiwa where you will be able to learn phrases and idioms, learn about the bible, write, read, and just chat in English. Those who are not part of the Christian faith are welcome to join as well!
All’s quiet in Miyazaki in March. Spring has begun and the promise of impending cherry blossoms can warm some of the coldest of hearts. But not all hearts… The retreating Winter chill can’t be kept at bay when there’s murder in the air!
2016’s Cabin in the Woods: Murder Mystery
MAJET’s Murder Mystery event is back this year with a theme that’s piping hot! As you travel to Nichinan, travel back almost 100 years to the Roaring 20s, a time of mobsters, bootleggers, flappers, jazz singers, slick bar tenders, speakeasy saloon owners, and corrupt policemen. Prohibition has just been lifted which means there’s cause for celebration at the shifty saloon, Juice Joint. You’re all on the invitation list! The question is, who is on the hit list? Join us for the 2nd MAJET Murder Mystery Night to find out! Continue reading →
Why should the kids have all the fun? Gather your friends and join us at Oyodo River Park across from Miyazaki City Hall on October 14th to put your speed, strength, and skill to the test! After the rousing success of last year’s Undoukai, MAJET is excited to host another one! In 2016, Team Instinct (pictured below) took home the very first MAJET Undoukai Cup. Will your team rise to the occasion and top Instinct’s final score?!Continue reading →
Hemingway once wrote, “Coffee is good for you, it’s the caffeine in it”. As a self-professed caffeine addict, I’m inclined to agree. I am the sort of individual who, in the morning, can not even begin to contort myself into any kind of personable or even functioning human being without a hit of caffeine. After living in Miyazaki for over a year, only recently have I started to discover, to my surprise, that there’s a little bit of an artisan coffee scene brewing (apologies for the pun… it’s the only one, promise) in this small semi-rural city. So, if you’re looking for something a little more authentic, and a little less ‘blended-frappuccino-whipped-cream-topped-mocha-latte’ you’ve come to the right blog post.Continue reading →
So you’ve survived your journey to the Far East, somehow stumbled through three days of Tokyo Orientation, and, after what feels like a lifetime, you’ve finally arrived in the place that will be your new home for (at least) the next year.
You were picturing it all–either your predecessor gave you a virtual tour and sent you pictures, or you were just imagining the quintessential Japanese apartment: tatami rooms with that fresh straw smell, the small but quaint rooms, and of course a fancy Toto Toilet that would not only spray your bottom, but would revolutionize the very way you experienced the bathroom. Yes, life in Japan would be beautiful, organized and neat, just like the train stations in Tokyo and Osaka. Continue reading →
The time has finally come for everyone to enjoy perhaps Japan’s most popular season: Spring! And what’s the best way to do that? By coming to Sake and Sakura, MAJET’s hanami (花見) event!
On December 23rd, in Ichibangai, a number of bubbly volunteers gathered on a rather chilly afternoon to spread warmth and festive cheer to Miyazaki City folk. There were plenty of activities on offer like cookie decorating, face painting, performances, pictures with Santa and Santarina, and many more. Continue reading →
Friday the 20th of January, MAJET invites you to the only (and therefore best) club in Miyazaki for our Vegas Night!
We’ll be filling Weather King with all the glitz and glamour of Vegas, as long as that glitz and glamour is available at Daiso.
We’ll also be issuing everyone chips that they can use at one of our gambling tables. The person who has the most chips at the end of the night will win a prize. Be careful however; if you bust out, you’re not going to get any more chips. Risk it all to win it all! Continue reading →
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