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The Mainichi
3 days ago
- Health
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Tokyo seniors have fun at day care cooking classes
TOKYO -- In Tokyo, some special day care centers give cooking classes to seniors. One of these places is called "Nanairo Cooking Studio." There are four centers like this in Tokyo. The center in Jiyugaoka looks like a cafe. It is clean and stylish, and it is safe for seniors to move around. In one cooking class, seniors made five different dishes such as fish hamburgers, chicken with edamame beans, rice with seafood, potato soup, and salad. Everyone enjoyed cooking together. Some seniors could even cook while sitting in wheelchairs. Midori Tai, 92, chopped vegetables quickly. She said, "My husband had a restaurant. I learned cooking from watching him." Misako Mori, 88, was happy cooking many kinds of food. She said, "At home, I make simple food. Here, there are many things to cook. It's fun." Noriko Kageyama, 85, uses a wheelchair. She said, "I can cook even when sitting. I have a good time cooking and laughing with others." Seniors feel proud because real chefs teach them cooking. Preparing food also helps seniors' bodies and minds to stay healthy. The recipes have extra steps to help seniors practice cooking skills. After class, seniors can take food home for dinner or share with their families. Nanairo Cooking Studio opened its first center in 2015. Staff member Misako Kaminaga said, "Cooking helps seniors enjoy their day. They can be active, learn new things, and feel happy making something good." (Japanese original by Reiko Noguchi, Digital News Group) Vocabulary seniors: older people stylish: looking nice wheelchair: a special chair with wheels used by people who can't walk proud: happy about something you do well
The Mainichi
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Disaster manga causes Hong Kong visitors to worry about Japan trips
TOKYO -- Many people from Hong Kong now feel afraid of visiting Japan. This worry comes from an old manga book made in 1999. Some people think the manga book tells true stories about a big earthquake or disaster coming to Japan soon. Because of these stories, fewer people from Hong Kong plan trips to Japan this year. This manga is called "Watashi ga mita mirai" ("The future I saw"). It tells about dreams the manga artist had, and says there will be a big disaster around July 2025. The artist's name is Ryo Tatsuki. Later, in 2021, the book was printed again, and about 960,000 copies were sold. It was also sold in places like Hong Kong. The book became popular because some people thought it predicted the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster that happened in Japan in March 2011. A Hong Kong airline called Greater Bay Airlines will have fewer flights to parts of Japan from May to October. The airline said fewer people want to come because they worry about a big disaster. Many people in Hong Kong believe these stories strongly. Because fewer passengers are buying tickets, the airline decided to cut down flights. Tatsuki says she just writes about dreams. She hopes people will become more careful about staying safe. She said, "People can think in their own ways, but please don't get too afraid. Listen to experts and stay calm." A Japanese professor who studies disasters says people should check the facts. He says, "Do not believe everything easily. Think carefully. Have a normal life but always be ready in case a real disaster happens." (Japanese original by Ayane Matsuyama, Digital News Group) Vocabulary disaster: something very bad that happens suddenly, like earthquakes or floods. predict: to say something may happen in the future. airline: a company that flies people from place to place by airplane. flight: a trip taken by airplane. publish: to print and sell a book or magazine. expert: a person who knows a lot about a special topic or job. passenger: a person who travels on trains, buses, airplanes, or boats. professor: a teacher at a university. calm: relaxed and not worried.
