Notes:
grocery store 食料雑貨店;
compete 競争力を持つ
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Japan’s first convenience store is closing today. It opened in a new town outside of Nagoya in 1971. At that time, Japan had grocery stores and supermarkets, but there were no stores that were open from the morning til night. The person who opened the store got the idea from the 7-Eleven stores he saw in the U.S. He kept the store open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and it was a big success. It became the first Coco Store. Now there are convenience stores everywhere in Japan. Coco store has been bought out by another convenience store chain, and this storecan no longer compete. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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Notes:
religion 宗教;
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The other weekend, I took a course to learn how to guide travelers from abroad in English. During the two days of training, we went to a cave, a street with “kura”, a traditional Japanese craft shop, a temple, and a ramen restaurant. I gave a presentation about Japanese religion and manners to my instructors and the other trainees on the bus, and when we got off at the temple, I was very nervous because it was my first time! I realized that I didn’t really know the culture and daily life of Japan. They are very difficult to explain in English. (written by a reader, edited by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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