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By Ayuka Tamaki

Do you think there are any characteristics of women’s way of speaking? Do you know these characteristics of women in your country? I think every country has something in common as a feature of women’s way of speaking. So, I decided to investigate the characteristics of women in conversation about women in Japan, the United States and Korea.
First, it is about Japan. Imanishi (2006) indicated that Japanese women try to avoid making decisions. “～かしらね” is words of agreement. This word is used to be considerate of those around there. Also, they like to use sweet adjectives and pretentious adverbs. “かわいい” and “すごーい” are often used among women. Imanishi (2006) said that Japanese women make ambiguous expressions. More likely to use king expressions than men.
Second, it is about the United States. Kim (2005) said that the United States’s women often use uncertain, ambiguous, and unsure words. For example, “I guess”, “I think”, “I wonder” are used. They use these phrases for self-defense. In addition, Kim (2005) indicated that the use of exclamations, adverbs, and adjectives unique to women is seen. For example, there are “oh dear”, “oh fudge”, “so much”, “adorable”, “charming” and “lovely”. Also, the use of euphemisms or derogatory expression is seen. “Close the door.” is a euphemisms or derogatory expression: “Won’t you close the door?” In this way, characteristics of the United States’s women way of speaking can be expressed.
Finally, it is about Korea. Kim (2005) indicated that there are many characteristics of women in Korea. For example, they use ambiguous expressions. Kim (2005) said that it has the effect of reducing the mental burden on the listener by making ambiguous expression. In other words, this can convey the nuance of leaving it to the other person’s judgment. This is an expression that doesn’t show yourself completely. What king of words are there? “글쎄” is Korean word. This mean is “well” and “hm”. Also, “ㄴ 것 같다” is “ it looks like~”. That’s why, Korean women use ambiguous expressions. In addition, Korean women use emphasize expression. Why do Korean women use such an emphasis expression? Kim (2005) said that they tend to emphasize their senses and to make their confidence stand out. Also, Kim (2005) indicated that it is known that women are more likely to agree.
I compared three countries; these countries have something common. This is to use euphemisms. Japan, the United States and Korean which country use this expression when they talk to people. Also, they use gentle expression. The reason why we use these methods is to be considerate of the other person, to leave the decision to the other person, and to avoid getting into a flight. I learned something while researching these three countries. This means that women were treated differently in society, which is expressed in words. Imanishi (2006) said that In Japanese, there is a traditional belief that men are in a higher position than women, so women sometimes use honorific language for men. In this way, it is thought that because each country has businesses like Japan, there are characteristics in the language used by women. Since the characteristics of the three countries were very similar, I thought the same could be said of other countries.
 
References
Imanishi, Y. (2006) Views on women reflected in women’s words” common to English and Japanese.  Japan: Aichi Shukutoku University Graduate School of English Literature Society
Kim, S. (2005) Current status and problems of linguistic gender difference research in Korea. Japan: Department of International Plural Cultures, Graduate School of International Languages and Cultu 

By Ayuka Tamaki
Story: Do You Have a Chance to Go to A Wedding in Another Country?
What would you do if you were to attend a wedding in a different country? There are various weddings in the world. It’s important to respect the culture of the country if you are invited. Guests should be aware of the right cresses, gifts, and behaviors. In this essay, I would like to compare the differences between Korean and Japanese weddings.

First, I’m going to talk about three things about Korean weddings. The Korean wedding ceremony is very short. The average time for a wedding in Korea takes only 30 minutes to an hour and a half. Some people come in between work because the time is so short. Why is it short? There is a good reason. That’s because the bride and groom often leave for a honeymoon right after the wedding. So, there is no after-party after the wedding. Second, the congratulatory gift is interesting. In Korea, guests send money, but the amount is not as big as that of Japanese. The average amount of money they give at a wedding is 3,000 yen to 5,000 yen. In the case of a close person, the average amount of the gift money is 5,000 yen to 11,000 yen. In general, guests give a congratulatory gift their parents instead of the newlyweds. Finally, the bouquet toss is also interesting. In Korea, the bride doesn’t throw a bouquet. The bride decides who will receive the bouquet in advance. The groom will talk to her friend who is likely to get married soon and ask her to get the bouquet. Why do the groom act like this? That’s because there is a superstition that if you don’t get married within six months after receiving a bouquet, you won’t be able to get married for another six years.
     Next, I’m going to talk about three things about Japanese wedding. First, the average time of a Japanese wedding is two and a half hours. In addition, there is also a second party. So, it takes a lot of time if you go to the second party. Second, the congratulatory gift money is sent to the newlyweds. In the case of friends and colleagues, the amount of money is 30,000 yen. However, in the case of relatives, they give  50,000 yen to 100,000 yen. The guests must wrap money in nice envelopes. Finally, the bouquet toss became popular in Japan and performed at chapel-style weddings. The bride throws her bouquet, and any an unmarried woman can try to get it.

In conclusion, the wedding culture of Korea and Japan are different. If you’re going to a wedding in a different country, you should do research in advance.

By Kokoa Takashima
     Financiers and madeleines are popular baked sweets that are often found at convenience stores and cake shops. They taste somewhat similar, but they have interesting differences.

     The origin of the shape of the financier is interesting. The financier is a  rectangle, which reminds of a gold nugget. The shape is auspicious for those who work in the financial industry, and the name of the sweet means “rich” in French. It is also a sweet that businessmen can eat quickly without getting their hands dirty. It is said that it was born in the 19th century. The ingredients of it include egg white, sugar, almond powder, cake flour and burnt butter. The freshly baked financier is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.
　　The origin of the shape of the madeleine imitates a scallop. There are several theories about the origin of madeleine, but it is not clear. One theory says that a maid baked the cake that her grandmother had taught her. Her name was Madeline. In Japan, people may see round chrysanthemum-shaped sweets called madelines, but they are are not real madeleines. The ingredients of it is whole egg, sugar, almond powder, cake flour and melted butter. Some of them are flavored with refreshing citrus fruits such as rum and lemon and have a moist texture.
　　The basic ingredients are almost the same, but financiers use egg whites and almond powder, and madeleines use whole eggs. The texture of the financier is crispy, and the texture of the madeleine is soft. Financiers and madeleines are very similar, but in fact, the origin, ingredients, and texture are different.

By Teppei Morimoto
     One of popular Japanese dishes is okonomiyaki, which is a pancake with meat and vegitable. There are two styles: Kansai-style and Hiroshima-style. Japanese want to discuss their favorite foods, so I am going to show the differences of this popular dish from three perspectives.
The biggest difference of them is the existence of noodles. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki contain noodles. Noodles are first boiled and placed on stir-fried cabbage.

     The texture of Kansai-style one is harder than that of Hiroshima style. The cabbage is cut into 3 cm wide pieces in Kanasi, while it is smaller in Hiroshima. The pancake batter of Kansai-style is thicker. In Hiroshima, however, the batter contains a lot of water and thinner. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki does not use a lot of flour and the batter is baked thinly like a crepe.

     The way it is prepared is different, too. In Kansai, all the ingredients are mixed in the batter and spread on a hot pan to be cooked. In Hiroshima, however, the ingredients are cooked separately and placed on each other to create layers.

They tastes similar, but Hiroshima style’s sauce is a little sweeter. As the name, okonomi, meaning “as you like it” of the dish describes, people enjoy as they like it. They may add mayonnaise and other toppings to make it spicier or sweeter.

     Lastly, the price is different. The Kansai-style one costs about 500-600 yen, but the Hiroshima-style one cost about 800-1200 yen. Nonetheless, both are very good. If you have a chance, please try both.

By Akari Inoue
Roman Holiday is a very charming film produced in the United States in 1953. Anne, a princess of a small country, is alienated from her constricted life and sneaks out of her embassy in Rome during her stay. Anne then wanders to the streets of Rome. She happens to meet Joe, an American reporter. The charm of Roman Holiday includes the beauty of the filming location, the leading actress, and the music.
     One of the attractive points of this film is the beautiful city of Rome. The film was shot in Rome. The beautiful music, dialogues, costumes, and script used in the film are also wonderful. But it is the beautiful cityscape of Rome, the setting of the story, that stands out. Some places have become tourist attractions as a result of this Roman holiday. For example, Piazza di Spagna with its 135 steps. Roman Holiday is a film that showed the landscape of Rome in its full glory. After the moview was released, Piazza di Spagna became a popular spot.
     Another good thing about this film is the beauty of Audrey Hepburn, who played the leading role of Anne. It is Audrey Hepburn’s innocent and dainty beauty that underpins the classiness of Roman Holiday. She has studied classical ballet since she was five years old. As a result, she has good posture and a beautiful standing posture. At the time she was selected for Roman Holiday, she was an unknown new actress. However, the director, who found Audrey Hepburn attractive, hired her. This led to the success of this film.
     The third attraction is the music used in the film. The music played in Roman Holiday is the kind of music that leads you to another world. It is undeniably the music that creates the world of this film. Since it is a simple black and white film with no CG, music plays a major role.
     This film is a miracle of various good conditions. It is a little bit old, but it still fascinates us today. It is a work that transcends the boundaries of film genres and matches the versatility of the noble and innocent Audrey. And it is a work in which Audrey’s graceful and innocent beauty, the streets of Rome, and the music that creates a world view shine through. So I hope many people will see this work.

Trailer screenshot Licencing information :https://web.archive.org/web/20080321033709/http://www.sabucat.com/?pg=copyright and http://www.creativeclearance.com/guidelines.html#D2 – Roman Holiday trailer

By Shiori Yamamot
Dogs, cats, tropical fish, parrots and hamsters… Today, lot of people live with a wide variety of animals. Most people feel at ease or feel happy by spending time with their pets. Also, in recent years, the positive effects that animals bring to us, such us animal therapy, have been gathering attention. Animals have a marvelous ability that cheer people up without words. Keeping a pet have positive effects on children in terms of mentally health, development of social skills and understanding of the importance of life. 
     Taking care of animals helps children reduce stress. Some children cannot express their ideas well to their parents. At such a time, pets are always by their side. Especially, dogs or cats must be the best counselor for them.
     Iaddition to mental health, taking care of pets contributes to improvement of social skills of kids. If their parents welcome an animal as a new member of the family, the children always must care about the pets for their health because pets cannot complain of pain with words. Therefore, children need to understand the animal’s feeling from their actions or facial expression. In the process, children can acquire the skill to understand the feelings of other people. Also, kids can deepen understanding of the importance of life. Most animals cannot live longer than humans, so the owner has to be by their pet’s deathbed. It must be a very sad thing and hard to move on. However, children will learn that nobody has an eternal life and life is so precious. This experience helps children value not only their life but also others’. 
     Some people might disagree because children often have more interests in other things rather than taking care of their pets. However, this concern might be solved by an assignment of responsibility within the family. By entrusting a specific role instead of leaving all the care of animals to the children, they will obtain a strong sense of responsibility to their duty.
     In conclusion, taking an animal at family with children have many benefits as for kids’ mental health, social skills and comprehension of life. Keeping a pet contributes to enhance children’s healthy development.

By Nozomi Murakami

Children are running on the school ground under a blue sky without any clouds. A runner is crossing the goal line and spectators are screaming and shouting. In Japan, children take P.E. classes to graduate from high school. Most university students, however, do not take P.E. classes. I would like to argue that university students also should take P. E. classes for three reasons.    

First, the P.E. class gives students a chance to get along well with their classmates. When college students just enter university, they are worried about if they can make friends. In academic classes, it’s hard to get close, because students only talk about questions that they are asked to discuss in the class. However, in P.E. class, students can talk about personal matters, while enjoying sports.
     Second, the P. E. class is good for college students’ health. In college, students who take enough exercise are few. They are busy with studying and homework. If they are required to take P.E. classes, they will have more opportunities to do exercise, and they will be healthier.
     Finally, the P.E. class positively impacts academic achievement of students. Physical exercise such as competing in a group and getting better each other leads to boost students’ mental power. In addition, physical activity improves memory. Better cognitive ability and memory will help college students understand materials and do well in exams. Thus, there are many benefits of taking P.E. class for students. Good P.E. class makes it possible for students to make friends, to live healthy life and to do well academically.

By Kyoko Abe
     You may have seen people who eat, make a call or put on makeup while driving. Also, you must have heard some news about car accidents because of these careless activities. People are busy and want to do it while driving. Whatever their reasons, distracted driving is a serious problem.
     First, it’s dangerous to drive and do something else. According to data of the National Police Agency, the number of traffic accidents related to mobile phone use, etc. doubled to 2,645 in 2019, compared to 1,380 per year in 2009. Each day, more than 9 people are killed due to distracted driving. More than 1060 people are injured in crashes that involve a distracted driver. One out of 3 people text while driving. You are 23 times more likely to crash while texting while driving. Distraction was reported as a factor in nearly 1 in 5 crashes in which someone was injured.
     Second, drivers underestimate the danger of distracted driving. The number of traffic accidents caused by using mobile phones was 1424 in last year. Also, the fatal accident rate because of using mobile phones was 2.4 times higher than the cases where people didn’t use them. The length of time a driver perceives danger by looking at an image varies depending on the driving environment, but according to various research reports, it is consistent that the driver perceives danger if the image is viewed for more than two seconds. If you drive at 60 km/h, it will cover approximately 33.3 meters in 2 seconds. If a pedestrian crosses the road during that time, or if the vehicle in front of you stops due to a traffic jam, you may cause an accident. It means that looking away lead to an accident.

     Finally, imprisonment for distracted driving is too short. As of January 2021, if you look at the screen of a smart phone call or car navigation system while driving, you will be subject to “imprisonment of up to 6 months or a fine of up to 100,000 yen”. Compared to November 2019, a new penalty of imprisonment has been added, and the fine has doubled from “50,000 yen or less” to “100,000 yen or less”. The penalty is tripled to 18,000 yen (for ordinary cars), and the number of violation points is also tripled to 3 points. However, if you cause traffic hazards, you will be subject to “imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 300,000 yen”. Since there is no penalty and the score is tripled to 6 points, you cannot escape the penalty by paying the penalty and your license will be suspended.  However, the penalties should be heavier because it involves human lives. In addition, people do not have a sense of danger because the penalties are lenient.
     Thus, distracted driving is very dangerous. Drivers should be aware of the dangerous consequences of distracted driving and the term of imprisonment should be longer.

photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/intelfreepress/8598246170/sizes/o/in/photostream/