The city of Milan, Milano in Italian, is trying to stop the sale of gelato after midnight. Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream, and Italians like to go out and eat it late at night. They often gather at places that sell gelato, and pizza, and other take-out food and drink, and they talk and make a lot of noise. The people who live in those areas are finding it difficult to sleep. The new law would close outdoor tables after midnight. The city hopes that this will help the local residents. This isn’t the first time that Milan has tried to stop the sale of gelato after midnight. One mayor tried to do it in 2013, but so many people were against the idea that he gave up. Will Milan be more successful this time? We will see. (141 words)

The Sakura-michi International Nature Run is an ultramarathon to honor Sato Ryoji. He was a bus driver who used to drive along the road from Nagoya to Kanazawa. He planted 2000 cherry trees along the road because he wanted to connect the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. People started an ultramarathon 30 years ago in his memory. The race was 250 kilometers and went from Nagoya to Kanazawa. The best runners finished in about 26 hours. Those people were superhuman! This year is different. Because the volunteers are getting old, the sponsors decided to make this the last race. They also shortened the course to 110 kilometers, from Nagoya to Gujo City in Gifu Prefecture. Last year’s best male and female runners won this year, too. 110 is a lot less than 250, but anyone who can run 110 is still superhuman to me. (146 words)

Today is Earth Day. This is a day to think about the environment. I found a list of a few things that everyone can do to help make the Earth better. 1.Plant a tree. Trees stop the rain from washing away the soil and help make the air fresher. 2. Carry your own water bottle and your own shopping bag so that you use less plastic. 3. Become a vegetarian. That’s a little difficult for me because I love meat, but I am trying to eat more vegetables. Farmers use a lot more land, water, and energy to raise animals than to grow plants. 4. Walk or ride a bike as much as possible. Then you won’t need to use gasoline. And finally, 5. Remember that you can do these things every day. You don’t have to wait until the next Earth Day comes. (144 words)

Everything starts in April in Japan. There are entrance ceremonies at schools and companies. My daughter became a junior high school student this spring. She goes to school by bicycle. It’s about a 20-minute ride from our house. School started this week, and I’ve been going with her because she is not familiar with the route yet. On the way to school, there is a shrine with many cherry trees. They are in full bloom now and are very beautiful. I enjoy seeing them every day. This morning, after going with me for a week, my daughter said that she could go to school by herself. I asked her to let me go with her once more because I wanted to see the cherry trees. On the way back home, I took pictures of them. They’re still beautiful, but the blossoms will start falling next week. (145 words)

What is Japanese money made of? The Bank of Japan prints yen notes on a special paper that is made from “mitsumata.” This plant grows in the mountains. Farmers take the bark off the plant, beat it, and dry it. Making “mitsumata” is hard work, and these days there are fewer and fewer Japanese farmers who produce it. The company that makes the special paper needed a new source, and they found a plant like “mitsumata”  in Nepal. The company taught the Nepali farmers how to make the fiber, and now Nepal is selling the fiber to Japan. Japan’s new yen notes are coming out in July, and they will be made from this Nepali fiber.　　(116 words)

I stream a lot of movies at home, but I really like to go to a movie theater. I love the smell of popcorn. I always buy some and a nice, cold soft drink. I enjoy sitting in the movie theater and waiting in suspense for the movie to begin. Last Thursday, I decided to go see “Dune, Part 2” with my son-in-law. We had already seen Part 1 when it came out, and we were impressed with the special effects. Dune is a planet of sand, but people fight over it because it has a very valuable product called spice. Giant worms live in the sand and make Dune a very dangerous place to live and work. The special effects are great, especially the giant sand worms. (128 words)