2025/12/13(Sat.)*SMC*

Lecture: SM Noro

Preposition + noun phrases

Table Topic Speech

(1) What stands between you and happiness?

(2) If the average human lifespan was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

(3) Why do we adolize sports players?

(4) Is there such a thing as perfect?

(5) When does scilence convey more meaning than words?

(6) Through all of life's twists and turns who has been there for you?

Prepared Speech

(1)  Engakuji Temple (円覚寺): SM Ishimura

Recently, I visited Engakuji Temple in Kamakura. It was a special experience for me because this temple belongs to the same Buddhist sect as my family: the Myoshinji branch of the Rinzai school of Zen.

Engakuji is one of the most important Zen temples in Japan, founded in the 13th century. Its current abbot, Nanrei Yokota, is also the president of Hanazono University in Kyoto, a center for Zen studies. I’ve watched many of his talks and temple videos on YouTube, so I felt I already knew the place. But seeing it in person was something else entirely.

The temple is nestled in a vast area surrounded by nature. As I walked through its grounds, I felt a deep sense of peace. The autumn leaves were at their peak, painting the landscape in brilliant reds and golds. Many visitors were there, and surprisingly, more than half were foreigners. Everywhere I looked, people were taking photos of the beautiful scenery, capturing the spirit of Japanese autumn.

What impressed me most was how Engakuji serves as a bridge—between past and present, between Japan and the world. It preserves centuries of Zen tradition, yet welcomes people from all walks of life. I believe this is the true power of places like Engakuji: they educate not only through words, but through atmosphere, silence, and beauty.

In our busy lives, we often forget to pause and reflect. Visiting Engakuji reminded me of the importance of stillness. As the Zen saying goes, “Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes and the grass grows by itself.”

 I hope you too will find a moment to visit a temple, or simply sit in nature, and feel the quiet wisdom it offers.

(2) Ginkgo Tree, or Maidenhair Tree: SM Noro

I would like to talk about trivia of Ginkgo Tree.

Ginkgo Tree is the scientific name, but It is said that the usual spelling “G-I-N-K-G-O” likely came from a historical misspelling of the Japanese word “ginkyo (銀杏)” by the German botanist Engelbert Kaempfer.

So, it should have originally been spelled G-I-N-K-Y-O.

And why is the ginkgo tree called “Maidenhair Tree”?

Originally, there was a fern called maidenhair fern, and Ginkgo tree was named Maidenhair tree because it has the same fan-shaped leaves as that fern.

In old English, maidenhair was likened to the shape of hair, which was fan-shaped and parted at the ends.

However, in China, the shape of its leaves was likened to a duck's leg, hence the Chinese name, Duck's Leg Tree. The Chinese character “鴨脚” is pronounced as “Yajiao”. And it is said that this pronunciation leads to “Icho” in Japanese.

Changing the topic, have you ever heard that there are male and female ginkgo trees, and that ginkgo nuts can only be harvested from female trees? This is true. But how can you tell the difference between male and female?

In fact, the leaves with split ends are male leaves, while the leaves of female trees are beautifully fan-shaped and do not have split ends. Please remember. If you want to get Ginkgo Nuts, you should first find the beautifully fan-shaped leaves.

And all the ginkgo trees along the road are male. Please check them out on your way home.

Before closing the speech, I would like to introduce an English poem that I created together with ChatGPT. I picked up some English words related to Ginkgo trees and tried to make a kind of harmony using the words.

Golden, split-tipped leaves

Spilling over the street –

A scene that quietly moved me.

(3) National Treasure: SM Yoko Narisawa

 Do you know a movie titled National Treasure? It is a blockbuster  movie about the world of Kabuki. Kabuki is one of Japan’s most famous traditional performing arts. Unfortunately I never had much interest in Kabuki until now and I have never seen a Kabuki performance. There may be many people like me who aren’t interested in Kabuki. However, thanks to this movie, many people --- from children to adults --- have become interested in national treasures. Books about national treasures also seem to be selling well.

 Speaking of national treasure, as of now, there are 1149 national treasures in Japan, such as historic architecture or paintings. All of you here may have visited some of them or seen their pictures in school textbooks. Now I’d like to ask you two questions about national treasures. The first question is: What is the biggest national treasure?. The answer is 東大寺大仏殿. The second question is: What is the smallest one?.  The answer is 漢委奴国王の金印. It is a square with sides of 2.3 cm and about the same size as a 10- yen coin. But it is over 95% gold and very heavy. How many national treasures have you seen? 

 I’m very interested in temples, shrines and castles. The other day, I happened to watch TV programs about 犬山城 in Aichi Prefecture and 瑠璃光寺五重塔 in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Each of them has been designated a national treasure. Let me explain about the two of them.

 First, about 犬山城. My family visited there about 10 years ago. 犬山城is known for its old Castle Tower or Tenshu, and its landscape.It is said that the Castle Tower is the oldest of its kind still standing in Japan. It was located at the top of a 40-m hill beside the Kisogawa River. From the open top floor, we can see a great view of the Kisogawa River and the surrounding area. We can enjoy the exact same experience as the lords who once owned the castle.

 Second, about 瑠璃光寺五重塔. I didn’t know this temple until I watched the TV program. Currently, roof renovation work is underway. As I mentioned, this temple is in Yamaguchi City. The New York Times announced “52 Places to go in 2024” and this city was ranked the third best city to visit. Especially 瑠璃光寺五重塔 was described as impeccably beautuful and a symbol of Yamaguci City. I was moved by the beauty of 瑠璃光寺五重塔reflected in the pond. I’d like to go there someday.

 Each national treasure has its own charm that attracts people. It would be wonderful to know how amazing they are! 

(4) Animal of the Year: SM Kaneko

 You might think that I am going to talk about bears. However, I am not. I am going to talk about a snake.

This year, I had a strange and memorable experience involving a snake. It happened in the following way. One day, I bought several pots of flowers and placed them near the gate of my house. The next day, I went to an English learning circle in Machida. I am usually away from home for about six hours, and I was worried that someone might steal the flower pots, as I had heard that such thefts sometimes happen in my neighborhood. I left the gate open because it is convenient for going in and out by bicycle. On my way back home, my thoughts were filled with concern about the flowers.

When I arrived at the gate, I saw a snake lying right in the opening. Its length was almost the same as the width of the gate, and it seemed as if it were blocking my way. I thought that if I stomped the ground from behind, the snake would move away. However, I did not need to do that. The snake slipped away very smoothly on its own.

When I reflected on the incident later, it seemed to me that the snake had been protecting the flowers. If a snake was lying there, no one would dare to enter the gate.

After this experience, my feelings about snakes improved a little. Although I still do not like them very much, I can now think about their good side. For that reason, the snake became my “Animal of the Year.”

Thank you.

(5) My Seasonal Topic: SM Kei Narisawa

Today, I’d like to share with you a feeling of nostalgia for the past, and I hope you can relate to some of it.

The other morning, I woke up to find that the window had been left slightly open, and the cold air came rushing in. It was freezing that day, and for a moment I felt as if I were homeless, exposed to the cold. I truly sympathized with those who have to live without shelter.When I was a child, there was no such thing as feather duvets. We slept under heavy futon to keep warm. And after waking up, the only source of heat was a hibachi charcoal heater. In Hokkaido, I imagine they must have had much stronger heaters to keep from shivering.From now on, I think I will set the air conditioner timer to go on at 7:00 a.m. to warm my room.

That morning also reminded me of something from when I was a preschooler. Wanting to win praise from my mother, I would often change clothes behind a table leaning against the wall, and then burst out to surprise her. She would say, “Oh! You startled me! I didn’t know you were there!”Of course, it was an obvious lie, but she always praised me to bring out the best in me. With a brain the size of a pebble, I was foolishly proud of myself. My mother was truly a warm-hearted woman. When I slept beside her, she was warm in the truest sense of the word.

When I was in junior high school, my family moved to Hachioji. In winter there, it wasn’t unusual for the snow to reach knee level. You might think it only seemed deep because I was short, but actually, I was about the same height as I am now. I didn’t grow much taller, but I can proudly say I grew heavier!

Now let me talk about summer in those days. There were very few days when the temperature went over 30 degrees Celsius, let alone 40. Even on the hottest days, we would take out a garden bench and play shogi outside. And Shicka Roll, or baby powder, was indispensable to keep cool.

In the Kanto area at that time, houses with air conditioners were rare, and schools with them were even rarer. At our school, which allowed students more freedom, they brought in electric fans to make life easier. Later, when I showed a video of Japanese student life to American students, they were surprised that Japanese schools had no air conditioning, and amused by the sight of electric fans shaped like palm trees.

Gone are the days when we clearly had four seasons. Now it feels as if we have only summer and winter—an extreme climate we never dreamed of experiencing.What a shame it is.

Thank you for listening.

(6) What You Can Do in Japan to Improve Your English: SM Takahata

Her daughter has been living in the United States for the past three years. She recently asked her what aspects of her English study in Japan have actually helped her in her daily life in an English-speaking country, and she shared her thoughts with us.

What Helped – 1

What helped most was consciously trying to use English in her everyday life even while living in Japan. She often watched English-language TV shows, listened to podcasts, and read books, which allowed her not only to learn the language but also to absorb the culture.

This may be something that comes even before language skills, but she often realized that without shared topics of interest, it’s hard to have a conversation. When you have common topics, it becomes easier to speak confidently and to understand what the other person is saying.

What Helped – 2

Learning how to read phonetic symbols and studying English rhythm through online courses were also very helpful. Once she could read phonetic symbols and understand the differences between individual sounds, listening to English became easier regardless of the speaker’s accent, and speaking became easier as well.

Pronunciation usually doesn’t naturally “fix itself” just by being surrounded by native speakers. You need to study it consciously, unless you’re a child or someone with an exceptionally good ear for sounds.

Whether in Japanese or English, conversations can’t happen if you have nothing you want to talk about. It seems the key is to talk about your interests in English, read books on topics you enjoy, and study pronunciation intentionally.

Meeting Schedule

Year-end karaoke party: 9:00 on Dec. 20

In-person meeting: 9:30 AM on Jan. 10, 2026 (The venue is undecided.)