[Englsih／日本語] esterday, 27 years have passed since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. 6,434 people died in this earthquake. Also, over the weekend, there was a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga and there are reports of tsunami damage. Last summer, many people from Tonga visited our school's Facebook page. We sincerely hope that everyone is safe. Japan is famous in the world as a country with many earthquakes. For this reason, schools and companies conduct disaster drills on a regular basis. Today I would like to tell you about the disaster drills held at schools. Number of times held Schools with small children hold disaster drills every month, high school students hold drills four times a year, and companies hold drills twice a year. We mainly learn how to escape from earthquakes and fires. Earthquake drills The school broadcasts a message that an earthquake has occurred. Students immediately go under their desks, hold the legs of their desks, and wait until the shaking stops. When the shaking stops, students will follow the teacher's instructions to evacuate to a large area near the school (school grounds or park). The students will also learn what to be careful of during the evacuation process in advance. The catchphrase to watch out for is "O ka shi mo". (This catchphrase may vary from region to region.) ・ "O" →[Osanai] "Don't push" When escaping, try not to push people. ・ "Ka" = [Kakenai] "Don't run." When running away, act calmly because running is dangerous. ・"Shi”→[Syaberanai] "Don't talk." Don't miss important information. ・"Mo"→[Modoranai] "Don't go back" Don't go back to dangerous places even if you have forgotten something. 3) Firefighting training, AED training, first aid practice During the evacuation drills, students take various classes at the same time. For example, how to use a fire extinguisher and AED, and how to perform first aid. In some areas of Japan, there are facilities called "Bousai-kan" where you can learn about disaster prevention, and you can visit them all year round. 4) Evacuation goods In Japan, where disasters occur frequently, it is customary to prepare in advance what is needed in case of a disaster. In Japan, where disasters occur frequently, it is customary to prepare in advance what you will need in the event of a disaster, including a three-day supply of food, water, blankets, helmets, and flashlights. These items are sold at home centers as disaster prevention goods. For international students, the school may buy them with the school's reserve fund. Please check with your school for details. International students do not have to worry too much because evacuation drills are held at school. However, this is not the case for foreign tourists. If you are a foreign tourist, you may be worried about how to move if the disaster strikes. For those people, there is an app for foreign visitors to Japan. Please download it when you come to Japan. 昨日で阪神・淡路大震災から27年がたちました。この地震で6,434人の方が亡くなりました。また、週末にはトンガで大規模な噴火があり、津波の被害が報告されています。昨年の夏、トンガから多くの方が本校のFacebookページを訪れてくださいました。皆様のご無事を心よりお祈り申し上げます。 日本は地震の多い国として世界でも有名です。そのため、学校や会社などでは定期的に防災訓練を行っています。今日は学校で行われている防災訓練についてお伝えします。 ①実施回数 小さな子供いる学校は毎月、高校生は年4回、会社などでは年2回ほど防災訓練を行っています。主に地震と火事の逃げ方について学びます。 ②地震訓練 学校の放送で地震が起きたという内容が流れます。学生たちはすぐに机の下に入り、机の脚を持って、揺れが収まるまで待ちます。揺れがおさまったら、教師の指示にしたがって学校の近くにある広い場所（校庭や公園）に避難します。また、避難するときに気を付けることを事前授業で学びます。気を付けることは「お・か・し・も」というキャッチフレーズです。（このキャッチフレーズは地域によって違いがあります。） 「お」→「押さない」逃げるときは人を押さないようにする。 「か」→「駆けない」逃げるときは走ると危ないので、冷静に行動する。 「し」→「しゃべらない」大切な情報を聞き逃さないようにする 「も」→「もどらない」忘れたものがあっても危ない場所には戻らないようにする。 ③消火訓練、AED講習、応急処置練習 避難訓練時には同時に色々な講習を受けます。例えば、消火器やAEDの使い方や応急処置の方法などです。日本では地域によっては「防災館」という防災について学ぶことができる施設があり、1年中見学することができます。 ④避難グッズ 災害が多い日本では、災害時に必要なものを前もって準備しておく習慣があります。その中身は「3日分の食料・水・毛布・ヘルメット・懐中電灯」などです。これらのものは防災グッズとしてホームセンター等で売っています。留学生は学校の積立金で学校側が買う場合があります。学校に確認してみてください。 外国人留学生は学校で避難訓練が行われるため、心配はあまりないでしょう。ただ、外国人旅行客の場合は違います。もし、被災してしまったらどのように動けばいいか心配かもしれません。そんな人達のために訪日外国人向けのアプリがあります。ぜひ、日本に来た際にはダウンロードしてみてください。

Woke up to a very shaky alarm today... I've gotten pretty used to earthquakes but they always still leave me feeling like "Is this going to be the next big one?" Growing up in Oregon I never felt a single earthquake in my life. It was only when I came to Japan for the first time that I experienced one firsthand. Japan definitely has some of the best, if not the best, earthquake-resistant technology in the world after having (unfortunately) experienced so many. I hope that there's not another large earthquake anytime soon. There didn't seem to be very many earthquakes over the past year but there's been more and more over the past couple of months it seems, or maybe it's just my imagination. Hope everyone is staying safe these days!

[English／日本語] August has arrived and the weather has been hot, with temperatures hitting 30 degrees Celsius every day. In this article, I would like to introduce the climate and natural phenomena of Japan. Are you surprised only at first? Earthquakes Japan is famous for its earthquakes, and the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, with a magnitude of 9.0 on the Richter scale, caused tremendous damage. Although the Great East Japan Earthquake was a large scale earthquake, smaller earthquakes occur about 15 times a year in Tokyo. Therefore, some international students panic when they feel an earthquake for the first time after coming to Japan, but after experiencing it a few times, they get used to it and don't worry about it. Is this a good thing? You never know when a big earthquake will hit. "Don't think that this earthquake will be small, but be prepared to escape at any time. Students with abdominal pain in June Beware of the rainy season! Summer in Japan is not only hot, but also very humid and difficult to live with. June in particular is the rainy season. During the rainy season, the humidity is even higher, which makes it easier for food to spoil. I have heard many stories of foreign students getting food poisoning from eating food that has been stored in their rooms as it was when they were in their own countries. Please keep food in the refrigerator as much as possible and observe the expiration dates. Many people are addicted to kotatsu, a winter specialty. Winters in Japan are cold. In snowy countries, houses are built for winter and you can stay warm, but this is not the case in Tokyo. That's where the "Kotatsu" comes in. Have you ever heard of a kotatsu? It is a table with a heater. There are many international students who are addicted to the kotatsu. The kotatsu is warm and covered with a futon, so it is not uncommon to hear stories of people falling asleep while doing their homework. If you come to Japan, please try it at least once. You will never be able to get out of the kotatsu. Onset from the second year! Hay fever Many people suddenly develop hay fever in their second year of studying in Japan. In Japan, cedar pollen starts to fly all over the country around mid-January. Many people suffer from hay fever due to the pollen, and once you have it, you can't get rid of it unless you get special treatment. It is said that one in four Japanese suffer from hay fever. The main symptoms of hay fever are sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes. If you have hay fever in Japan, you should go to a hospital and get some medicine. Did you all understand about the climate and natural phenomena in Japan? Our school holds a disaster drill once a year. In this drill, we receive instructions from the local fire department so that we can evacuate calmly in case of a big earthquake. Our school supports students to live in the dormitory with peace of mind. We are looking forward to your enrollment. 8月に入り、連日30度をこえる暑い日が続いています。今回は日本の気候や自然現象についてご紹介します。 驚くのは最初だけ？ 地震 日本は地震が多い国で有名です。2011年の東日本大震災はマグニチュード9.0の地震があり、甚大な被害をもらたらしました。東日本大震災は規模の大きい地震ですが、小さい地震の場合、東京だと1年に15回程度起こります。そのため、留学生は日本に来て初めて地震を感じたとき、パニックになってしまう人もいますが、数回経験すると慣れてしまい、地震が起きても何も気にしなくなります。このことはいいことでしょうか？大きい地震はいつ来るかわかりません。「また小さい地震かな？」と思わずに、いつでも逃げられるように準備はしておきましょう。 6月に腹痛を起こす学生たち 梅雨に注意！ 日本の夏は暑いだけではなく、湿度も高く、過ごしにくいです。特に6月は雨の季節です。雨の季節はさらに湿度が高くなるので、食べ物が腐りやすくなります。自分の国にいたときのように、食材を部屋にそのまま保存してしまい、それを食べた留学生が食中毒になる話はよく聞きます。賞味期限や消費期限はきちんとまもり、なるべく冷蔵庫で保管するようにしてください。 はまる人多数 冬の名物「こたつ」 日本の冬は寒いです。雪国の場合は家が冬用になっており、あたたかく過ごせますが、東京はそうではありません。そこで人気なのが「こたつ」です。みなさんは「こたつ」をご存知ですか？ヒーターのついたテーブルです。このこたつにはまってしまう留学生はとても多いです。あたたかいうえに、布団がかけられているので、ついついこたつで宿題をしながら寝てしまったという話もよく聞きます。日本に来たらぜひ一度は体験してみてください。あなたはこたつから出られなくなってしまいますよ。 2年目から発症！ 花粉症 留学生活2年目になると急に発症する人が多いのが「花粉症」。日本では1月中旬ごろになると、全国にスギの花粉が飛び始めます。その花粉のせいで花粉症に苦しむ人が大勢います。1回発症してしまったら、特別な治療を受けない限り治りません。花粉症は日本人の４人に1人は発症してるとも言われています。（東京では2人に1人）花粉症の主な症状はくしゃみ・鼻水・目のかゆみです。日本に来て発症してしまったら、病院に行って薬をもらいましょう。 みなさん日本の気候や自然現象について理解できましたか？本校では1年に1回防災訓練を実施しております。この防災訓練では大きい地震が起きても冷静に避難できるように、地元の消防署から指導を受けます。本校では安心して寮生活を送れるようにサポートしています。みなさまの入学お待ちしております。