Costco is a wholesale food chain from the U.S. It opened its first store in Japan in 1999. It has become very popular because it has a lot of good products and products that you can’t buy elsewhere in Japan. The products are usually cheaper because it’s a wholesaler. You have to buy a lot each time. You also have to be a member. Some people don’t want to buy a lot and don’t want to pay the membership fee. Now, there is a new kind of mini-Costco store. They sell products in small amounts, and the stores are usually in convenient places. You have to pay more than at a regular Costco store, but people don’t seem to mind. They just want to get good Costco products.   (128 words)

It’s great to watch live sports because you can feel the excitement around you. I went to a baseball game last night, and the stadium was almost full. The people sitting behind me were Softbank Hawks fans. When the Hawks got a hit, I could hear them cheering. The people sitting next to me and in front of me were Chunichi Dragons fans. When the Dragons got a hit, we all cheered. It was an exciting game because the score was always close. The Hawks scored first. Then the Dragons went ahead in the second inning. The Hawks tied the game in the seventh inning and went ahead in the ninth inning. I was disappointed that the Dragons lost, but I enjoyed the excitement of live baseball!   (127 words)

By the time you read this (or watch the YouTube video), my university reunion will be over. It is my first reunion in more than 40 years. Reunions in the U.S. usually are held in June after the school year ends. Unfortunately, June is a busy time in Japan, especially for teachers. The school year goes until August, so I was never able to attend a reunion. This time the reunion is on Zoom. It is scheduled in the late afternoon on June 3, which is 6:30 this Tuesday morning in Japan. I don’t know how many people are attending, but I’m looking forward to talking to everyone. I wonder if I will still be able to recognize everyone after so many years.   (123 words)

There is a bookshelf at my tap dance studio, and anyone can read the books on it. When a friend of mine put a series of comic books called “Blue Giant” on it, I decided to read them. They were so good that I couldn’t put them down! The story is about a young man from Sendai who loves to play the saxophone. He goes to Tokyo to become a jazz musician. He has many difficult times, but he never gives up and becomes a great saxophonist. They made an animated movie of it, and I saw it last week. If you like jazz, watch the movie and enjoy the music. If you don’t like jazz, just read the comic books. They’re great! (123  words)

I found an unusual vending machine at a subway station. The machine sells soft drinks, and it has a sign that helps foreign travelers pay for the drinks. If you have ever traveled in a foreign country, you know that it can be difficult to pay for something. You don’t know the money of the country, so you have to look at each coin and figure out how much it is worth. The sign on this machine is very helpful. It shows the coins that you need to pay for a drink. If the drink costs 130 yen, it shows one 100-yen coin and three 10-yen coins. If the drink costs 160 yen, it shows one 100-yen coin, one 50-yen coin, and one 10-yen coin. 　(125 words)