I would like to share my memories of this period of my youth. When I was a student, I was really bad at math. However, a word from my teacher motivated me and I managed to escape the crisis that I might not be able to advance to the next grade.

April in Japan is a time of some changes in the living environment. Are you thinking of starting something or making any changes in your life this spring?

The English script for this episode can be found here. This will surely help you understand this entire episode. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://toralog.jp/podcast-episode21/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The cherry blossom can be enjoyed in a series of events from the time the buds appear on the branches until they fall. The cherry blossoms in the process of falling are also a sight to behold after the young leaves emerge.

And what you should never do is break a branch of a cherry tree. This is absolutely not allowed. Cherry trees are very delicate. If you break a branch in order to take a good picture, for example, a fungus will grow from it and the cherry tree will get sick. In the worst case, the cherry trees might die. Cherry blossoms are something to be enjoyed with the eyes. That is why there is a Japanese word "Ohanami" (cherry blossom viewing).

The English script for this episode can be found here. This will surely help you understand this entire episode. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://toralog.jp/podcast-episode20/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have you ever wondered, when you watch an anime or read a manga, if something similar could actually happen in real life? I would like to share a manga-like event that actually happened to me.

The English script for this episode can be found here. This will surely help you understand this entire episode. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://toralog.jp/podcast-episode19/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Japanese sometimes uses onomatopoeic words as verbs or nouns. Here is one of the most commonly used and very useful of these words, which have only two letters! We can express microwaving with just the word chin.

*CHIN does not mean chin in English. It is an onomatopoeic word for the sound of a microwave oven.

The English script for this episode can be found here. This will surely help you understand this entire episode. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://toralog.jp/podcast-episode18/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Each municipality in Japan has Kouhou. Kouhou means to inform the public at large. Generally, you can borrow a small terminal device like a radio from the municipality. The terminal provides information about the city from the municipal office, the police, etc. I think it is the same in every municipality, In the city where I live now, the city song is played every morning at 7:00. Of all the cities and towns I've lived in, only the one I live in now plays the city song from the public relations system. LOL

The English script for this episode can be found here. This will surely help you understand this entire episode. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://toralog.jp/podcast-episode17/⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Japanese language is full of interesting plays on words, but sometimes you have to be careful when using them. In this connection, I would like to tell you about an unlucky incident that happened to me when I was in middle school.

The English script for this episode can be found here. This will surely help you understand this entire episode. ⁠https://toralog.jp/podcast-episode16/⁠⁠⁠

The other day I found a very lovely text on Pinterest! I hope it will resonate with you while you study Japanese.

The English script for this episode can be found here. This will surely help you understand this entire episode. ⁠https://toralog.jp/podcast-episode15/⁠⁠⁠

In Japan, Valentine's Day is usually marked by the giving of chocolates. In the past, it was common for women to give chocolate to men, but these days, gender is no longer a factor. The old custom of giving chocolate from men to women, between friends, or to colleagues as a token of appreciation is gradually changing. The following month, on March 14, there is also a uniquely Japanese event called White Day. On this day, people who received chocolates on Valentine's Day return the favor. Candy and cookies are usually given rather than chocolates.

The English script for this episode can be found here. This will surely help you understand this entire episode. https://toralog.jp/podcast-episode14/⁠

My partner sometimes buys me souvenirs when he goes on business trips. This time, however, he bought something a little different from what he expected.

I have recently started drinking alcohol with my mom whenever I go back to my parents' house; I didn't drink that much when I was in my twenties, but I started drinking every day in my thirties.

The other day, my mom and I discovered a rare type of sake called Koshu, which is sake that has been laid down like wine.

The English script for this episode can be found here. This will surely help you understand this entire episode. https://toralog.jp/podcast-episode12/