Newsletter articles for Term 2 include ¨June means... てるてる坊主！☔¨ Written by Hannah He, Japanese Teacher, Onerahi School and Chisato Yoshioka, Japanese National Language Adviser, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle.
"Let’s オンライン多読！Resources for Japanese Extensive Reading" Written by Chisato Yoshioka, Japanese National Language Adviser, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle.
"Building Bridges through Language: NCEA Japanese Workshop and Kakehashi Day in 2025" Written by Chisato Yoshioka, Japanese National Language Adviser, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle.
Written by Hannah He, Japanese Teacher, Onerahi School and Chisato Yoshioka, Japanese National Language Adviser, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle.
Left: Students’ handmade teru teru bōzu on display in the classroom
Right: Singing the teru teru bōzu song at the cultural festival, each student holding a lyric sheet with their own doll attached
In Japan, June marks the beginning of the rainy season (梅雨, tsuyu). Here in New Zealand, too, we start to see more rainy days, and the cold weather really sets in. During Japan’s rainy season, people often wish for sunny days by hanging a teruteru bōzu—a small handmade doll traditionally believed to bring fine weather. Around this time of year, wishing for clear skies with a teruteru bōzu feels just right—even here in NZ!
In 2024, the theme of the Monthly Online Nihongo Café 輪和話 (wawawa) was annual events. As part of the June session, I introduced teruteru bōzu. Soon after, one of the participating teachers incorporated the idea into her lesson, making cute teruteru bōzu together with her students!
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Teruteru Bōzu: A Fun Cultural Project I was looking for an activity for the cultural festival, and after attending a session on teruteru bōzu, I knew I had found the perfect one for my students. The song is easy to learn, and the cultural meaning behind it is fascinating. The students loved singing it and were excited to create their own teruteru bōzu. Using kitchen paper, rubber bands, and coloured pens—materials that are low-cost and easy to find—they made unique versions to take home, decorate the classroom, and use in the performance. The students really enjoyed this hands-on activity, and it was a fun, creative way to explore Japanese culture through music and art!
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Would you like to try making one with your students too? It’s simple, fun, and a great way to explore Japanese culture together!
If you’d like to try it in your classroom, here are two helpful links: Simple tutorial:
This year’s Online Nihongo Café explores the theme of anime and manga, with plenty of ideas you can bring into your classroom. The next session is coming up in August. We look forward to seeing you there!
Let’s オンライン多読！Resources for Japanese Extensive Reading
Written by Chisato Yoshioka, Japanese National Language Adviser, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle.
Extensive reading is increasingly recognised in the field of second language acquisition as an effective way for learners to naturally acquire vocabulary and expressions. A wide range of resources for extensive reading in Japanese is now available, and in recent years, online materials have expanded rapidly.
We are pleased to announce that a selection of extensive reading materials originally published in print and developed in Aotearoa New Zealand is now available online as the Nihongo Extensive Readers NZ. https://read.bookcreator.com/library/-OIrEEMw430jfer6C_7k
We would also like to highlight the Online Extensive Reading Library Padlet, created by the Japan Foundation Cologne. This library offers 356 easy-to-read Japanese books organised by level, along with additional resources for extensive listening and viewing activities.
The library is freely accessible online and structured to help learners select reading materials according to their proficiency level, making it suitable for classroom use and extensive reading activities. By combining these resources with appropriate support tailored to learners' needs and learning environments, even more effective use can be achieved.
Building Bridges through Language: NCEA Japanese Workshop and Kakehashi Day in 2025
Written by Chisato Yoshioka, Japanese National Language Adviser, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle.
The “NCEA Japanese Workshop,” which began in Christchurch in 2013, and “Kakehashi Day,” launched in Auckland in 2024, were both successfully held again in 2025. The NCEA Workshop was hosted at the University of Canterbury, while Kakehashi Day was co-hosted by seven secondary schools and the University of Auckland, which provided the venue. Both events further expanded opportunities for learning and connection through collaboration between secondary and tertiary education.
In Christchurch, the NCEA Japanese Workshop was co-organised by the University of Canterbury and the Canterbury network of Japanese language teachers. This year, it welcomed over 400 students and teachers from local secondary schools. Aiming to promote Japanese language education and build community through shared learning, the event featured a range of activities such as NCEA level-specific workshops, interactive sessions with university students, and a lively dance cover project known as “Odottemita”.
The NCEA Japanese Workshop in Canterbury.
In Auckland, Kakehashi Day was held for the second time, bringing together around 170 participants, including Year 11–13 Japanese language students and their teachers, from seven secondary schools. Participants enjoyed a variety of cultural activities, including Japan quizzes, trying on yukata, playing with nostalgic Japanese toys, and engaging in modern tech-based tasks using QR codes. By working in mixed-school teams, students were able to build connections beyond their own schools. The name “Kakehashi,” meaning “bridge,” reflects the spirit of the event—connecting people, schools, and the cultures of Aotearoa New Zealand and Japan.
Kakehashi Day in Auckland
Together, these events offered meaningful opportunities for students and teachers to connect through language and culture, while also highlighting the value of collaboration between secondary schools and universities.
