Show 1068 Monday 22 June
Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.
Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.
Today’s guest is Hiro. Hiro manages a hotel here in Niseko and he also owns a guiding company.
And he’s on the organizing committee for the Kutchan Music Festival which is on next month.
We went to that festival last year – show 831 is the story of last year’s festival if you want to check it out. It used to be called a jazz festival … but it’s now a music festival. It’s called the Hanazono Kutchan Music Festival. And we’re going again this year. It’s on the 25th and 26th of July … so hopefully I’ll see you there if you live in Hokkaido. Otherwise you can wait for the video.
Hiro is originally from a place called Bibai in Hokkaido, but he now lives in Kutchan. I asked him how long he’s been living here.
About five years. So I moved from Sapporo city to here, Kutchan town, about 5 years ago. So, with my family. So, this town, Kutchan town, is my wife’s hometown. And, so, after I got a baby, my daughter. And, so, yeah, we have … all family moved from Sapporo to here. And, so, ah, my wife’s parents live in Kutchan town. And, so they very helpful to look after, ah, my ba- … my daughter.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora in Stick News today an American city was asking job applicants for their social networking site usernames and passwords but they’ve now stopped the practice after a flood of complaints.
Bozeman is a city in Montana in the United States.
The city was asking job applicants to list usernames and passwords to sites including Facebook, MySpace and YouTube.
On Wednesday a local TV station reported on the policy and people started complaining.
On Friday the city announced they had suspended the practice.
And that was Stick News for Monday the 22nd of June.
conversations with sarah
#677 How did you learn English?
with Yukihiro Takahashi (Hiro)
Step 1: Repeat Sarah’s lines.
Step 2: Read Sarah’s lines and talk to Hiro.
Sarah How many people are on the committee of the music festival?
Hiro We have about ten members of music festival committee. But it is enough number. Ah, but, ah, we have many volunteer staff. Just, ano, (Japanese for “well”) event day, each event days, we have two days event. So each day we have, last year 40 volunteer staff and ten, ano, ah, committee staff.
Sarah How many years have you been on the committee?
Hiro I worked for them, just only two years. This year and also last year. But, ah, this, ah, Hanazono Kutchan Music Festival, so, last year, not music festival, so last year, ano, ah, Kutchan, we called Kutchan Jazz Festival. So we changed the concept from jazz festival to music festival.
Sarah What do you think the highlight of last year’s festival was?
Hiro Last year’s highlight was … yeah, first day was Ryudo Uzaki, a Japanese musician. He’s not only jazz musician. He’s very famous artist. He had lots of big hit songs in Japan. Two years, ah, twenty years ago, thirty years ago … He’s a hit maker. He’s a hit maker. And also he like blues mu- blues guitar. And he invited a very good blues guitarist, so it was a really awesome play.
And, ah, next day, Sunday, so, we could invite, ah, Roy Ayers from America. So their performance was also really, really good. So, it was … audience were probably 1300. So, all standing up and … and also they could change air te iu kana (Japanese for “Is that how you say it?”) So … it was really mmm.
Sarah What did you learn from helping organize the festival last year?
Hiro So, yeah, I didn’t focus on to contact musician. So I organize restaurant space, and, ah, not only restaurant space, all space and, ah, so also it, ah … I’m really interesting to organize big, ah, music event for example Fuji Rock Festival in Niigata and also Rising Sun Rock Festival in Sapporo area. That … audience is, ah, more than 100,000 people. So, ah, Kutchan Jazz Festival was really small event. Only 1000 or something, 2000, something. But, ah, we need a really good scenario to get sponsorship and also … it’s like a dream, my, ano, target is 100,000. Next ten … ah, five years.
Sarah Which acts are you most looking forward to seeing this year?
Hiro Oh, yes, my recommendation is, ah, Ryukyudisko. Ryukyu means, ah, you know, ah, Okinawa, they come from Okinawa. I think they are, my, my image is they will be, I think, ah, second popular, second big name, second kana (Japanese), second biggest name in techno DJ and also their performance really cool.
Sarah Have you seen them before?
Hiro Oh, yes, so, at Rising Sun Rock Festival and Fuji Rock Festival. Awesome. More than ten thousand people … uwaaa. (Mmm cool.) And also Shakatak ne (Japanese for "eh"). So Saturday, Shakatak. They from, ah, England. So my generation, is, ah, we have good memory, ne (Japanese).
Sarah How did you learn English?
Hiro English, ah, I love listening to rock music. English song. So, and, ah, that was my motivation, so from, ah, ten years old. But, ah, I didn’t focus to study English, not so much, so, because many people, ah, my friends, many friends moved from Japan to foreign country, but I didn’t. So, but, last five years, so … this Niseko happening, made, ah, so, more … very good motivation learning, to learn, English again and, ah, I focused to study English again … and my client is also, mo (Japanese), my clients, 90 percent of my clients use English. Business, speaking, guiding, yeah it’s ah … yeah, I’m enjoying.
Artists coming to this year's Hanazono Kutchan Music Festival
links
today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures
Hanazono Kutchan Music Festival
Artists - this year
Artists - last year
music
show start
artist: Kevin MacLeod
track: Future Cha Cha
from: Brooklyn, NY, United States
artist site
cws start
artist: Kevin MacLeod
track: The Jazz Woman
from: Brooklyn, NY, United States
artist site
qa start
artist: ioeo
album: triptracks
track: triptrack2
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
qa bgm
artist: Kevin MacLeod
track: Dirt Rhodes
from: Brooklyn, NY, United States
artist site
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