Many third-year high school students are studying very hard for the Common Test for University Admissions. It will be held on Saturday and Sunday at universities all over Japan. Almost half a million people have signed up for the test this year. People who want to go to public universities need to take this test, but there are private universities that ask for Common Test scores, too. I used to proctor this kind of test when I was working at university, and I know how long and difficult it is. Students take tests on many different subjects including English, math, history, and science. This goes on for two days, so they need stamina. It is hard to sit and concentrate for such a long time. I want to tell all the students, “Good luck! You can do it!”    (138 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

Crows are some of the smartest birds in the world, but in Japan, many people don’t like them. They look for food in people’s garbage bags and make a mess in the street. However, one startup company in Sweden thinks that crows can help to keep cities clean. Smokers often throw cigarette butts on the ground, and it’s expensive to pay city workers to pick them up. Crows like to pick up things, so the company has made a special machine. It gives crows a little food when they bring butts to the machine. If you teach one crow, the other crows will learn from it. Crows can help to keep cities clean! Of course, it would be even better if we could teach smokers to stop throwing cigarette butts on the ground!   (133 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

Yesterday was a holiday called Coming of Age Day. It is a holiday for 20-year-olds. Young people used to become adults at the age of 20, but they changed the law, and now people become adults at the age of 18. Even so, 20-year-olds still celebrate this day. This year, the ceremony took place at our local elementary school. I went there because I wanted some photos of young women in kimonos. I waited outside for an hour, but no one came out. I didn’t see any kimonos. Then I went to a big park where 20-year-olds used to gather. I only saw cosplayers getting their pictures taken. Where were the kimonos yesterday?   (113 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

The 2026 Winter Olympics will start in Italy in less than one month. For the first time, two cities will host the games: Milano and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The actual events will be held at four areas across northern Italy. Most of the ice events will be held in Milano, and the other events will be held in the other areas. Even if you are in Italy, it is impossible to go to all the events. Cortina d’Ampezzo, for example, is five hours from Milano by express train. If you are in Japan, there is an eight-hour time difference. When it’s 11:00 am in Italy, it’s 7:00 pm in Japan. Many events will be broadcast late at night here. That’s okay if you are a night person, but if you aren’t, you should record the events you like and watch them the next day.   (143 words) You can send me a comment or your

Have you ever seen a birdwatcher’s camera? Many birdwatchers have cameras with long telephoto lenses. You can zoom in on birds and get great photos. A couple of years ago, I bought a camera with a telephoto lens. It is heavy. It weighs more than 4 kilograms. It doesn’t feel so heavy when I carry it around on my neck or put it on a tripod. However, I can’t do that when the birds are moving around and flying. I have to hold the camera steady and follow them. I need strong arms for birdwatching, so I think I will start doing exercises such as pushups and lifting weights.   (111 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com