BRISTOL JAPAN CLUB meets twice every month

• Second Wednesday of every month at the Polish Club, 50 St Paul's Road, Clifton, Bristol.

• Last Tuesday of every month at Obento Japanese restaurant, 69 Baldwin Street, Bristol.

Bargain Taxi Service - Obento
If you are travelling to/from anywhere in Bristol (BS1 to BS9 postal districts) you can also take advantage of a cheap taxi service organized by Obento. There will be a fixed charge of £2 per person each way for taxi travel. Taxis should be booked at least 3 days in advance through Suzanna Ho of Obento. Contact her by email at UKScyho@aol.com or send a text message to 07796 957997.

Next Japan Club at Obento Tuesday 27 October  2009 from 8:00 pm

Next Japan Club at the Polish Club Wednesday 11 November 2009 from 8:00 pm

LEARN JAPANESE IN BRISTOL

Megumi (Horikawa) Booker offers private tuition in Japanese at all levels from complete beginner to advanced.

Tel 0117 911 4932

Email uk.nihongo@gmail.com

Web site www.bristoljapanese.co.uk

LUXURY 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT NEAR ALICANTE FOR RENT

Dr Jitu Shah, who teaches physics at Bristol University and regularly attends Bristol Japan Club, owns an apartment in the village of Algorfa, near Alicante on the Costa Blanca in Spain. The apartment has two double bedrooms and includes a well-equipped kitchen and modern facilities such as LCD television and DVD player.

The apartment, which is situated next to a golf course of international tournament standard and a short drive from excellent beaches, is available for rent throughout the year at attractive rates. Further information and contact details here.

SIGN UP FOR JAPANESE FILM NEWS

The Watershed cinema on Bristol's harbourside frequently shows Japanese films and occasionally features a whole season of them. If you would like to receive free listings of screenings, events and exhibitions, send an e-mail to bulletin@watershed.co.uk with "Mailing List" in the subject box, stating your e-mail address and your special interests, e.g. "Japanese Film". Full cinema listings and other information at www.watershed.co.uk 

JETRO BUSINESS JAPANESE PROFICIENCY TEST

The JETRO Business Japanese Proficiency Test takes place in London and worldwide in October every year. The test is designed to evaluate the Japanese language skills of non-native speakers in business situations. Part 1 of the test is listening and reading comprehension and Part 2 is an oral communication test. Applications can be submitted in the summer and there is an entry fee. More details will be posted later.

For further details and applications, contact JETRO London on 020 7470 4700

TEST YOUR JAPANESE LANGUAGE SKILLS

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test is held on a Sunday in December every year at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University. The test is in a multiple choice format, covering reading, listening, grammar and vocabulary at four different levels from Level 4 (needing about 800 words vocabulary and 100 kanji) to Level 1 (needing about 10,000 words vocabulary and 2000 kanji). Application forms can be obtained from the Japan Research Centre at SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG (Telephone 020 7898 4489). Applications for the JLPT begin around July.

More information on the Proficiency Test can be found on various web sites listed on the Japanese Language page.

EATING OUT NEAR BRISTOL

The Stanton House Hotel is about an hour's drive from Bristol in an attractive countryside setting in the village of Stanton Fitzwarren near Swindon. Associated with the Honda car company, who have a factory nearby, the hotel's restaurant serves Japanese food and is open to non-residents. The Sunday lunchtime buffet offers a large selection of sushi followed by various other hot and cold Japanese dishes. It is tabehodai-style so you can eat as much as you like for a set price including desserts, tea, coffee and soft drinks. There is a small shop next to the restaurant, selling imported Japanese food and drinks. More details at www.stantonhouse.co.uk