受講生1　女性

試験前

1番目の受験生は中年の男性。面接中の声が大きくて質問の内容や返答内容が、面接室の外まで漏れて来て、聞き取れてしまう。こんなに聞こえたらまさか同じ質問はされないよなぁ・・・と思いつつ聞く。

試験の様子

試験官はネイティブ・日本人の女性2名。ネイティブは非北米系の発音。

質問内容

（以下、J：日本人試験官、N：ネイティブ試験官、A：受験者）

J: Please put your bag on the table in the back. Please have a seat. Good afternoon.

A: Good afternoon. It’s almost night outside.

J: Yeah, it is. May I ask your name?

A: My name is ....

J: Where do you come from?

A: I come from Takadanobaba, Shinjuku ward. Baba means a place to practice horseback riding, and also horseback racing is held. We can still watch horseback archery in October every year.

N: I know cherry blossoms are beautiful in Japan, but are there any other flowers I can see?

A: Yes, azalea. You can see azalea in Nezu. It’s not a park. It’s a shrine --- Nezu shrine, near Nezu Station. And hydrangea, Ajisai in Japanese. If you go to Hakone, you can see gorgeous hydrangea in the rainy season.

N: To see cherry blossoms, where do you recommend?

A: My recommendation to see cherry blossoms is Ueno Park. Japanese love to eat and drink under the cherry blossoms at Ueno Park. You can experience the atmosphere of a Japanese way of enjoying viewing cherry blossoms.

N: Can we see cherry blossoms in Okinawa?

A: Yes, you can. I think there are a few kinds of cherry blossom in Okinawa, but I’m afraid I don’t remember their names.

N: When are they in bloom?

A: The end of January or the beginning of February, I guess. I am not sure, sorry.

N: What’s the differences between kimono and yukata?

A: The difference between the two is that kimono is more expensive than yukata. Kimono is usually made of silk and the price is around 100,000 yen. Yukata is made of cotton. If you have a chance to go to a fireworks display, you can see many young girls wearing yukata.

N: Where can I buy it?

A: You mean a shop?

N: Yes.

A: Well, my recommendation is..., there is a shop in Harajuku. Between Harajuku and Omotesando, there is a souvenir shop for foreign people. I would recommend there. Cheapest one is less than 5,000yen.

N: Is yukata easy to put on?

A: Yes, it is. In fact, I can put it on by myself. You don’t have to wear the layer. It takes less than thirty minutes to put it on.

N: When did Japanese start to wear Western clothes?

A: After the Meiji Restoration, in 1868. The people in the higher status started to wear Western clothes as a party dress. Like a bustle dress. But commoners didn’t.

N: I’ve recently heard that many commercial complexes have been built. Where do you recommend?

A: There are many complexes being constructed. My recommendation is... well, Nihonbashi. Twenty or ten years ago Nihonbashi was not busy area like Ginza or Shinjuku. But now this area is a busy area. There are nice shops and restaurants. N: Where is the spot young people gather?

A: Again, it is Harajuku. There are a number of clothing shops there, as well as drinking and eating spots. And in front of Harajuku station, I shouldn’t say this but..., there are weird people, like those anime-character costumes.

N: Thank you. It’s over now.

A: Thank you so much.

試験を終えて

もっと自然な会話が流れるかと思っていたが、そうではなくただ「質問→回答」が繰り返されたのはなんだか期待はずれだった。それゆえ、試験に立ち向かった、終わった、という感覚があまりなく、手応えは全く分からない。

ページトップに戻る▲

次の受講生のレポートを読む>>