Arigatou Takuya‑sensei!🌸

For the past three weeks, our Japanese classes have had the pleasure of welcoming Takuya Ishijima‑sensei from Aichi, Japan joining their lessons. He came to Australia to share his love of Japan and its beautiful culture, while also improving his English along the way.

Students especially enjoyed hearing about life in Aichi, a region known as the global headquarters of Toyota Motors and celebrated for its delicious local specialties such as miso katsu (deep‑fried pork cutlet with miso sauce) and hitsumabushi (grilled eel on rice). Takuya sensei also shared rich insights into Japan’s beautiful seasonal traditions, explaining how each of the four seasons is marked by its own foods, customs, and ways of appreciating nature. Through stories about daily life, cultural practices, and the deep connection between Japanese people and the natural world, he helped students deepen their understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture.

During his time with us, Takuya‑sensei taught students origami, introduced them to traditional Japanese games such as kendama (ball toss), and even shared elements of the tea ceremony, giving students a hands‑on experience of Japanese culture. One of the greatest benefits for our students has been the opportunity to practise speaking Japanese with a native speaker. Many students have said that working with Takuya sensei has boosted their confidence and helped them feel more comfortable using Japanese in real conversations. His patient guidance and friendly encouragement created a supportive environment where students felt safe to take risks and grow in their language skills.

We sincerely thank Takuya sensei for everything he has shared with us, and we wish him all the very best for the future. 

– Natasha Collins 
Assistant Head of Department – Languages

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