Category: Blog

Mad for Mountains!

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Miyazaki is known as the sunniest place of Japan (the original name of Himuka literally means “facing the sun”), so many people think that summer is the best time to visit. However, the autumn can be just as exciting, if you know where to look. 😉

Many of Miyazaki’s hidden gems are tucked away in the mountains to the northwest. Forests boasting beautiful foliage, hidden rivers and waterfalls, excellent hiking, and much more await the intrepid explorer! Here, the towns are small and unique customs are passed on from generation to generation. The locals are friendly and eager to share their experiences with passersby. And lucky for you, MAJET has planned an event to show you all of these wonderful things in a single weekend! Continue reading →

Second MAJET Sports Day!

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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 →

Buzzin! Miyazaki’s Coffee Shops

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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 →

Hello. Is it meat you’re looking for?

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Get your tare sauce ready, Miyakonojo’s annual Yakiniku Festival is coming up on the 7th of October! The festival showcases Miyazaki beef and celebrates Miyakonojo as “the best place for meat in Japan” (which it definitely is). But instead of just telling you about it, we’ll let some Miyakonojo and southern Miyazaki locals do the talking. We’re sure you won’t want to miss the biggest fireworks and meat festival in Kyushu after you hear our seven guests’ favourite things about the event…

Yakiniku Poster When: October 7th, 11:00am – 8:00pm
Where: Kannon-ike Park, Freedom Plaza, Takajo, Miyakonojo. (map)
Cost: Reserved table and meat package tickets cost ¥2,000.
But if you don’t mind waiting for a table to open up, the event and grill use is free, and you can buy meat packages at various stalls on the premises.
Transport: There will be shuttle buses running between Miyakonojo Station and the festival grounds. A schedule can be found here, but only in Japanese. Contact MAJET at miyazakiajet@gmail.com for translation services.

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Last-Minute Speech Contest Prep!

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For all those high school ALTs out there, the Miyazaki Prefectural High School English Speech Contest is only one week away! Soon, the extra after-school hours and lunchtime practice sessions will be over, but until then, we’re sure everyone is working hard to make sure their students can give their best performances next Wednesday.

Veteran ALTs have probably got their tricks and strategies down, but for those just starting out, they may not be sure what to focus on. So, we’ve put together some advice and strategies to use to help you really boost your students’ performance. At this point in time, nothing can be done about the manuscripts themselves, so we can only focus on three things: pronunciation, time, and delivery. Continue reading →

2017 MAJET-KAJET Dragon Boat Races!

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Every October, hundreds of people travel to Kagoshima’s Nejime Port for the Minami Osumi Nejime Dragon Boat Festival! Teams of 10 people board colorful, dragon-shaped boats and race down a 380m river course to claim the prize.

This year, MAJET will be collaborating with Kagoshima AJET (KAJET) to bring Dragon Boat Racing to you! This is a great opportunity to meet our neighbor JETs and build new connections and friendships, while also enjoying and participating in a unique cultural experience. It’s been a couple of years since MAJET has participated in this event, but we’ve always had a really great time, and we are really looking forward to joining KAJET this year!

While this event isn’t until October, we have to register by the end of August (yikes!), so if you are interested in participating, please review the information below and RSVP as soon as possible! Continue reading →

The Battle for Cleanliness: A Fight You Don’t Have to Face Alone

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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 →

Meet Me in Miyazaki!

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One of Miyazaki’s biggest and most exciting festivals, the Cape Toi Fire Festival, will be held on the 25th-26th of August this year. For those who don’t know, the Fire Festival features locals slinging lit torches towards the top of a 100-foot pole in order to light it: a sight not to be missed!

So that our new arrivals don’t miss out on this amazing festival, MAJET is planning a nearby welcome barbecue before the festival, so it’s a truly unforgettable weekend! Senpais, reach out to our newest additions by offering them a lift and let’s give them a proper welcome to beautiful, sunny Miyazaki!!
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