The 2017 Miyazaki City International Festa

Every December, the Miyazaki international Foundation hosts a grand international exchange event, and this year’s was the biggest yet!

Groups from throughout the prefecture came to host information booths to teach about their home countries and cultures. Many people performed traditional music or danced on stage. Visitors enjoyed trying their hand at crafts, practicing a new language, and playing new instruments. A variety of food and drinks were available as well. Continue reading

December Pub Quiz!

Gather your friends and put on your thinking caps! MAJET is hosting a Winter Pub Quiz at The Bar in Miyazaki City. Good company, good drinks, and the chance to prove just how much useless trivia you know are all on tap for the night. There’s also a chance to win some prizes! The entrance fee is 1000円, which includes one drink, but there is also a nomihoudai option as well. Continue reading

Mad for Mountains!

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

What to Wear in the Workplace

One of the most difficult parts of preparing to come to Japan is figuring out what to pack! This can be especially difficult for those of us who are more outgoing with our fashion choices. Japan is often viewed as a very conservative culture, and in many ways, that is true. There are many outfits which would be considered work-appropriate in the US and other western countries that would not go over well here. However, this doesn’t mean you have to completely abandon your personal style.

It is important for us to try and fit into our workplaces, but it is also important for us to be ourselves and feel comfortable. The question is how to show off your unique fashion sense while still being office-appropriate. To help you with your planning, we talked to a bunch of current and former ALTs to get their perspective on “the clothing issue.” Continue reading

Amazing Adventures in Aoshima!

While rain threatened most of the week, we had clear sunny skies all day long for this year’s Amazing Race, and an amazing event it was!

The participants arrived bright and early–all 74 of them!–eager and ready for a day of fun games and challenges. This was definitely our biggest race yet! We were very happy to see so many local college students participating and getting a chance to have some real-world encounters engaging with foreigners.

Continue reading