I’m American, and the Fourth of July is an important day in the history of my country. It is the day in 1776 when the 13 British colonies of America decided that they wanted independence from Britain. They went to war with Britain, and they finally won the war in 1783. Those 13 colonies became the first 13 states of the United States of America. Now the Fourth of July is a public holiday. There are celebrations all over the U.S. with fireworks displays and parades. Many families and friends get together for barbecues, and the favorite food is the hot dog. According to some hot dog companies, Americans eat 150 million hot dogs every year on July 4!   (119 words)

Today, the Bank of Japan is coming out with new bills. Do you know who’s on your money now? Well, that’s all changing. You will have to learn the faces of three new people. Shibusawa Eiichi, a great businessman from the Meiji period, will be on the 10,000 yen bill. Tsuda Umeko, a great educator who started a college for women, will be on the 5,000 yen bill. Finally, Kitasato Shibasaburo, a great medical researcher, will be on the 1,000 yen bill. The new 10,000 yen bill is unique because it uses 3D holograms. If you look at the small picture of Shibusawa on the left side of the bill, his face always seems to look at you no matter where you are.   (120 words)

There is a bakery near my house that always has a long line of people in front of it. Last week, for example, it was a sunny day, and there was a line of about 20 people. The next day, it rained, but there was still a long line in front of the shop. The line wasn’t moving, so I guess it took people about 30 minutes to get inside. I started to wonder why this place was so popular. My daughter said it was because the bread was chewy (or “mochimochi” in Japanese). They also have some unique kinds of rolls. You can dine in or order takeout. The bakery is like a café. It has good coffee to go with the bread. It sounds good, but I don’t like to wait in line for more than a few minutes. How about you? How long are you willing to wait for good

Are you a fan of a famous athlete, actor, or singer? I am a big fan of a tap dancer named Hideboh. A lot of people know him from the 2003 movie “Zatoichi” directed by Beat Takeshi. Takeshi plays a blind samurai in the Edo period, and there is a lot of sword fighting, but the movie ends with a festival. A drummer pounds out the rhythm, while Hideboh, playing a farmer, leads a large group of men and women in kimonos and wooden geta in an incredible tap dance number. On Saturday, I was lucky enough to attend a workshop by Hideboh. He is not only a great dancer but a great teacher, too. After the workshop, he did a talk show with my regular tap dance teacher. They shared memories and talked about all the celebrities that had studied tap dance under Hideboh, including, of course, Beat Takeshi.   (150 words)