Chinese New Year

Hello to all you English learners!  How are you enjoying the winter?  In Nagoya, the temperature keeps fluctuating, but it has not been terribly cold this year.  Let's all start looking forward to springtime and the beautiful weather to come.  

However, before we get ahead of ourselves, we should enjoy the wonderful winter celebrations that are still happening.  For example, right now, Chinese people around the world are enjoying the start of their New Year.    Let's learn a little more about the 2025 Lunar New Year.  

The Lunar New Year is one of the biggest celebrations in China, bringing together hundreds of millions of people as they head home to spend time with family. This year is no exception—airports, train stations, and bus stations are packed with travelers making their annual journey. This year marks the Year of the Snake in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle. The celebrations kick off on January 29 and can last up to 16 days, with the first seven being national holidays. According to Reuters, international travel is especially popular this year. One travel agency even reported that "bookings for outbound flights and vacation packages on its platform had doubled from last year." The most popular destinations are in Asia.

The AP news agency calls China’s Lunar New Year "the world's biggest annual movement of humanity." With modern high-speed transportation making travel easier than ever, the number of people on the move has skyrocketed. Xinhua news agency predicts that this year’s trips will "reach record highs." When the first Lunar New Year holiday started in China around 3,500 years ago, most people stayed close to home. But thanks to China's rapid economic growth, billions of people have relocated for work, education, or new opportunities. This massive yearly migration isn't just about family reunions—it also gives a big boost to the economy, especially in tourism, hospitality, and retail.  Please feel free to bring up this topic the next time you come to BRIDGE!  

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Cold Water Therapy

Hello everyone!  We hope you are doing well and trying to enjoy the winter.  Today, our article is actually about how cold temperatures can help you.  

Specifically, scientists have found that spending time in cold water can be good for your health! Researchers from the University of Central Lancashire in the U.K. studied how cold-water baths help people feel better. They asked 13 people to sit in 10ºC water for 10 minutes, three times a week, for four weeks. The lead researcher, Dr. Robert Allan, said this cold-water therapy helped the participants sleep better, think more clearly, and feel healthier overall.

Using cold water to feel better isn't new. For many years, athletes have used ice baths to recover after tough games or workouts. Dr. Allan’s study showed that after just two weeks of cold-water baths, people had fewer problems sleeping and felt more refreshed.

In Japan, the tradition of using cold and hot water for health is well-known. Many people practice something called 整う(totonou), where they take turns dipping in hot and cold baths. This helps their bodies feel energized and refreshed. During the New Year, some even dive into icy lakes or seas to celebrate and strengthen their health. These cold-water traditions, both in Japan and around the world, show how water can be an important part of staying healthy and strong!  

Do you like cold baths?  Please discuss this topic and other aspects of bath culture at BRIDGE next time you are here!

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Roki Sasaki

Hello everyone!  I hope you are surviving the winter.  It feels much colder in Nagoya than last year.   Anyway, let's hang in there until the beautiful spring comes.  

Also, when spring comes, the baseball season will begin, and there is big news about a new Japanese player in the MLB.  Roki Sasaki, a super-talented 23-year-old baseball pitcher from Japan, has joined the Los Angeles Dodgers. He announced the news on Instagram with a picture of a Dodgers hat. Sasaki said it was a hard choice, but he hopes it will be the right one for his baseball career.

Sasaki is really good at pitching! He can throw the ball super fast—up to 164 kph (102 mph). He played for a team in Japan called the Chiba Lotte Marines for four years and struck out many batters. Lots of teams wanted him to join, but he picked the Dodgers.

Now, he’ll play on the same team as his Japanese teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers are one of the best teams, and Sasaki will help them win more games!  Let's talk more about baseball the next time you visit BRIDGE. 

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