Sign In Subscribe Now Just this past weekend I attended a karaoke event in the Kitami City which is about an hour and a half drive from Ashoro I met many new people from various countries which was a pleasant surprise considering that it is quite rare for foreigners to live in small towns here in Japan Something that stood out the most to me was how big the Filipino community was in Kitami One of the karaoke contestants was Filipino and it was incredible to see how many people showed up to support her A quarter of the event hall was filled with Filipinos to cheer her on This individual ended up winning the contest and I was happy for her as she truly deserved it.  everyone was taking pictures and chatting away happily outside the hall I was a little apprehensive to approach them because I did not want to interrupt their conversation but I did end up doing so and I was glad that I did Everyone introduced themselves and talked about their families as well as what kind of work they are currently doing They showered me with compliments about how fluent I am in Tagalog so I told them about how my family moved to Canada when I was 10 years old and about how I ended up coming to Japan It was nice being able to speak Tagalog with people aside from my family members we took some pictures together and came up with a plan to meet up again sometime soon in the future It was truly a fun and fulfilling day. That is all I have to share for now Japan have been official twin cities since 1990 when the Wetaskiwin Ashoro Friendship Affiliation Agreement was signed Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Winter in Hokkaido comes with meters of snow I’ve come by train to Sapporo, the largest city in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. The annual snow festival is one of the major events held in Hokkaido. Every February, tourists and Japanese alike flock to the city to partake in the festivities. Pair this with the already incredible winter sports tourism that Hokkaido is renowned for, and the city is bustling with energy.  If you ever have the opportunity, I highly recommend checking it out.  transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy I recently had the pleasure of attending a graduation ceremony of Ashoro High School Even though I’ve been teaching English for a few years here I found it very interesting to see what similarities and what differences there are between Japan and Canada’s grad ceremonies.  There was an air of seriousness - almost smothering - but for the Japanese this was par for the course The speeches were delivered carefully and dryly I noticed the lack of emotion extended to nearly everyone There was so much decorum and procedure it was baffling I had to bow such an absurd amount of times I felt a six-pack coming in on my abdomen it is impressive how orderly they are with their customs like which hand reaches out first to grab your diploma I expected some of the more rambunctious students to make some sort of display or triumphant gesture to the audience after receiving their diploma Their gaze stayed fixed on the ground in front of them as they exited from the stage.  Contrast all this with a Canadian high school graduation While our graduation ceremonies do follow a strict procedure and are professional there is more room for fanfare and jovial behaviour Speeches from both faculty members and students alike often have jokes with the occasional hoot or holler from an audience member yet still remaining respectful and orderly I think these differences reflect our cultures at large I’ve always been fascinated with the Japanese persona: very controlled and deliberate in how they present themselves paralyzingly cautious of how they may be perceived or heaven forbid they make a mistake in front of their peers While Canadians generally wear their heart on their sleeves there is a sense of mystery and intrigue when interacting with the Japanese I often wonder what they are really thinking or feeling and it’s always satisfying to eventually have a Japanese person feel comfortable enough to express themselves freely.  I think Canadians could benefit from a bit more of the Japanese professionalism and I think the Japanese could benefit from a bit more emotional freedom these differences make our countries and the countrymen within them special in their own unique ways it was an excellent ceremony and I was overjoyed to see the students go on to the next chapter of their lives Japan have been official twin cities since 1990 when the Wetaskiwin Ashoro Friendship Affiliation Agreement was signed Pakudyptes hakataramea would have been similar in body size to the living little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) which is around 40-45 cm (15.7-17.7 inches) in length An artist’s impression of Pakudyptes hakataramea Image credit: Tatsuya Shinmura / Ashoro Museum of Paleontology Pakudyptes hakataramea lived in New Zealand about 24 million years ago (Late Oligocene epoch) The new species was very small — about the same size as the little blue penguin, the smallest in the world — with anatomical adaptations that allowed it to dive “Pakudyptes hakataramea fills a morphological gap between modern and fossil penguins,” said Dr a paleontologist at the Ashoro Museum of Palentology the shape of the wing bones differed greatly and the process by which penguin wings came to have their present form and function remained unclear.” “The humerus and ulna highlight how penguins’ wings have evolved.” while the shoulder joints of the wing of Pakudyptes hakataramea were very close to the condition of the present-day penguin the elbow joints were very similar to those of older types of fossil penguins “Pakudyptes hakataramea is the first fossil penguin ever found with this combination and it is the ‘key’ fossil to unlocking the evolution of penguin wings.” The fossilized remains of Pakudyptes hakataramea — a humerus femur and ulna — were found in the Hakataramea Valley South Canterbury by paleontologists Craig Jones and Professor Ewan Fordyce during a series of field trips in 1987 “An analysis of the internal bone structure with comparison with data on living penguins shows these penguins had microanatomical features suggestive of diving,” said Dr a paleontologist at the University of Otago Modern penguins have excellent swimming abilities thick bones that contribute to buoyancy during diving the bone cortex was reasonably thick although the medullary cavity similar to what we see in the modern little blue penguin The ability for Pakudyptes hakataramea to dive and swim comes down to the distinctive combination of its bones “Penguins evolved rapidly from the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene and Pakudyptes hakataramea is an important fossil from this period,” Dr “Its small size and unique combination of bones may have contributed to the ecological diversity of modern penguins.” The discovery of Pakudyptes hakataramea is desribed in a paper in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Tatsuro Ando et al. A new tiny fossil penguin from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand and the morphofunctional transition of the penguin wing. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, published online July 31, 2024; doi: 10.1080/03036758.2024.2362283 Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. dies at his home in northern Japanby MARI YAMAGUCHI TOKYO (AP) — The world's oldest man has died at his home — a hot springs inn — in northern Japan at the age of 113 Masazo Nonaka died in the early hours of Sunday while sleeping at home in Ashoro on Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido according to his granddaughter Yuko Nonaka The supercentenarian, whose family has run a hot springs inn for four generations, was certified by Guinness World Records in April 2018 as the world's oldest living man at 112 years and 259 days Nonaka grew up in a large family and succeeded his parents running the inn The 106-year-old inn is now run by his granddaughter Yuko She said her grandfather appeared to be as usual until her elder sister noticed he was not breathing He was pronounced dead by his family doctor and would move about in the inn in a wheelchair as well as his wife and three of their five children Japan as of September 2018 had a centenarian population of 69,785 The world's oldest living person is also Japanese — Kane Tanaka a 116-year-old woman from Fukuoka on the southern main island of Kyushu It’s starting to get cold here in Hokkaido and sadly with that comes the end of my golf season it’s pretty nice to have a fairly mild transition from fall to winter that stretches late into November I’m sure once I eventually return to Canada it will be a rude awakening having to readjust to the bone chilling winters of Alberta Recently around Hokkaido we’ve been experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19 infections we haven’t had any confirmed cases reach us here since we’re a fairly rural area but everyone is still taking the necessary precautions to limit the spread Schools are still operating at full capacity and public spaces are open but things are a lot less busy around town It’s very quiet compared to last year since this time of year is when most businesses have their year-end work parties and friends get together for holiday parties Heating your home here is also quite different as well. I remember the odd look my dad gave me when I told him that everyone’s home is heated by kerosene or electricity. Most houses in Hokkaido have a large kerosene tank outside that is connected to a stove-type kerosene burning heater that radiates throughout the home. It actually keeps everything pretty warm, especially in my small apartment! If these articles make you want to learn more about Japan and experience some Japanese culture, there are a few ways you can do that right in Wetaskiwin! Join the Wetaskiwin Ashoro Friendship Society (WAFS) or host some Japanese students when they visit Wetaskiwin in September and October 2021. There is currently an opportunity for an individual to become a CIR in Ashoro starting in March 2021! The Wetaskiwin Ashoro Friendship Society is now accepting applications. For more information about involvement with WAFS or applying for the upcoming CIR position, visit the WAFS Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WetaskiwinAshoroFriendshipSociety, or send an email to WAFS1980@gmail.com. WOLRD'S OLDEST MAN: Japanese Masazo Nonaka receives a Guinness World Records certificate naming him the world’s oldest man during a ceremony in Ashoro Japan – A 112-year-old Japanese man born months before Albert Einstein published his theory of special relativity was recognized on Tuesday as the world’s oldest man took the title after Francisco Nunez Olivera of Spain died this year at the aged 113 Nonaka later ran a hot spring inn in his hometown of Ashoro Nonaka enjoys dipping in a spa and is fond of sweets He was joined at an award ceremony on Tuesday by relatives and officials The Guinness World Records title for the oldest man who ever lived is held by another Japanese man who died in 2013 at the age of 116 years and 54 days The greatest authenticated age for any human is 122 years 164 days by Jeanne Louise Calment of France Saturday’s Mad Collab Block Party in Hagåtña brought together more than 70 local businesses and artists in celebration with hundreds of attendees It was all about the wonders of Artificial Intelligence in the palm of your hand All of the latest features in Samsung's Galaxy AI were showcased at a GTA-sponsored event Thursday University of Guam students and alumni presented original research at the 19th annual International Conference on Business Economics & Information Technology (ICBEIT) hosted by the University of Guam School of Business and Public Administration in Mactan Newtown Poll results are published every Monday in The Guam Daily Post Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: I would like to tell you about a Japanese annual event called White Day Upon reading these comments, the sweets owner decided to start selling specialized sweets that are targeted towards men to buy as a return gift for the women who gave them chocolates on Valentine’s Day. These said sweets of course included marshmallows in them, which is where the name “White Day” came from. However, as the years passed by, the name “White Day” has taken on various meanings such as pure love and first love. I personally find White Day to be a fun event! Because we do not have White Day in Canada, it is interesting to observe how it is celebrated in its country of origin. I enjoy seeing all of the White Day goods and it is even more exciting seeing all of my friends put in so much effort into choosing gifts for their loved ones. What do you think of this event? Do you think that White Day would be just as popular if it were introduced in Canada? That is all I have to share for now! Thank you for reading! one of the current coordinators of International Relations for the Ashoro Board of Education in Wetaskiwin’s sister-city I was born and raised in Wetaskiwin where I enjoyed playing hockey and golfing I was fortunate enough to be presented with the opportunity to come to Japan to work in Ashoro I arrived in Ashoro in March of 2019 and I am having a great experience learning to live in a vastly different country from Canada Ashoro is a small town tucked in between the rolling hills and mountains of Hokkaido where approximately 6,500 people live and are supported by its large agricultural industry it was a little easier to adjust to moving to a town like Ashoro It feels more familiar than being in a large city with millions of people everyone in town knows who “The Canadians” are and they try to make us feel like we’re at home in the community there have been many challenges trying to adjust I’ve been able to learn so much about how different the working culture and daily interactions with people are compared to what I’m used to back home The most difficult part about living in Japan has been the language barrier Not having studied Japanese prior to coming to Ashoro it was quite difficult to learn an entirely new language and even students in Ashoro have been very helpful with me learning the little Japanese I know now They are very understanding and patient with me as I continue to learn more The most rewarding part of this opportunity has been being able to teach the kids in Ashoro We are currently teaching English to students at three rural elementary schools outside of town we get to interact with the students to make them feel more comfortable speaking English The students are always excited to see us and eager to learn whenever we walk in the classroom which makes it very easy to teach such a great group of kids Working in Ashoro has been great so far and I can’t wait to see what else Japan has in store for me I hope more people from Wetaskiwin can come here to see what a wonderful place it is I can’t wait to share more of my stories and experiences with everyone and I hope you enjoy reading about Wetaskiwin’s sister-city -Submitted by Wetaskiwin Ashoro Friendship Society As summer has been in full swing for the past few weeks in Ashoro everyone here has also been preparing to say goodbye to Hannah Ballhorn the second Coordinator of International Relations in Ashoro She has been an awesome partner to work with and will be missed by many friends and students here who she has made special connections with We are all wishing her well in her future endeavors This summer has been quite different compared to my first year in Ashoro—thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic—but there is still plenty to enjoy around here Usually during this time of year there are many festivals on the weekends celebrating various holidays and allowing people in the community to connect with one another all of the summer festivals have been cancelled this year but I have found many other ways to keep busy now that we are currently on our two-week summer break from school the board of education here puts on a mini day camp for kids where they play games and get to learn some English during fun activities that Hannah and I organize Although we still have to work during the student’s summer break there is still a lot that I’ve been able to do around Ashoro Since Ashoro is located in the heart of Hokkaido a one-hour drive can take you to many different areas of the island A 45-minute drive east of Ashoro will land you at Lake Onneto host to an active volcano which Hannah and I had the pleasure to hike on a recent weekend Hiking up the Meakan volcano gives you some amazing views of the small mountain ranges around Ashoro and you can also get a pretty cool view inside of the volcano spewing gases from its geysers Shout out to the Wetaskiwin Icemen (see photos) the Wetaskiwin Ashoro Friendship Society is looking for homestay families for the 2021 Ashoro High School student trips to Wetaskiwin Students will be coming to Wetaskiwin for 4 days in September and 4 days in October If you would like more information regarding the trips and being a homestay family for a few days please email WAFS1980@gmail.com and will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have You can also connect with us through our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WetaskiwinAshoroFriendshipSociety please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent Farmers begin the harvest of giant butterbur stalks that have grown about two meters high in Ashoro known as “rawanbuki,” has a stem about 10 centimeters in diameter The harvest will peak around June 20 and continue until early July One farmer said as he cut down stalks on his 3-hectare plot that heavy snowfall in January helped produce stable roots enabling this year’s crop to grow particularly well Nineteen farms in the town are expected to harvest approximately 330 tons this season according to the local agricultural cooperative Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Masazou Nonaka receives the certificate from Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living man at age 112 years and 259 days during a ceremony in Ashoro Masazo Nonaka has enjoyed soaking in northern Japan’s hot springs for many years — probably longer than most people whose family has run a hot springs inn for four generations was certified yesterday as the world’s oldest living man Nonaka received the certificate from Guinness World Records in a ceremony at his home in Ashoro on Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido and celebrated with a big cake decorated with berries The 105-year-old inn is now run by his granddaughter Yuko He regularly soaks in the springs and also enjoys eating sweets wearing a knit cap and a kimono-style jacket flashed a smile and posed for a group photo with his family He dug into the cake with a spoon after it was cut “Delicious,” according to NHK public television His family members say Nonaka still moves about by himself in a wheelchair He reads a newspaper after breakfast every morning and loves to watch sumo wrestling and samurai dramas on TV But his favorite pastime is soaking in the hot springs and relaxing Nonaka has outlived all seven of his siblings as well as his wife and two of their five children He is one of about 67,800 centenarians in Japan with the highest average life expectancy — 80.98 for men and 87.14 for women Guinness says Nonaka replaced Francisco Olivera of Spain who is currently the oldest living person in Japan is expected to be certified as the world’s oldest person You must be logged in to post a comment Malawi Police in Rumphi have arrested a 25-year-old Ethiopian national Salam Ashoro for entering Malawi illegally Rumphi police spokesperson Victor Khamisi said Ashoro was arrested at Chinyolo in Rumphi along Karonga-Mzuzu road after police received information that two vehicles coming from Karonga direction heading towards Mzuzu had carried illegal immigrants “The two Toyota Sienta vehicles registration numbers KA9081 and RU9322 suspected to have carried the illegal immigrants have since been impounded drivers of the vehicles and other suspected illegal immigrants are still at large,” said  Khamisi He further said investigations are underway to trace the drivers and the occupants of the vehicles The issue of illegal aliens finding themselves in the hands of police has been a regular occurrence in Rumphi police intercepted a group of 29 illegal immigrants and another of 22 Ronny Van Geneugden (RVG) has donated a set of uniforms to Factured Football Club which is one of...