The story about the pesticide-free apples deeply touched me. I was very moved to hear that Mr. Kimura's family endured a hard life for about seven years but still kept belief in his way of cultivating apples. How brave his family are!

After reading this article I felt that our society might improve through down-to-earth efforts like his.

I feel very sorry for the young sumo wrestler who died earlier this year from being beaten up by his stable mates in the name of hazing. I'm not an expert, but in sports, it may sometimes be important to have harsh training to make players physically and mentally stronger.

However, it seems that what the 17-year-old wrestler received from his stable master as well as his stable mates was way too much. I think that the stable master should have known better than to have made his pupils beat their mate to death. Not only does the stable master lack leadership, but he also involves those who beat him in such a mess.

I have been a subscriber to the Weekly for five years, and the newspaper is like a Bible that helps me to brush up my English skills.

The contents in terms of quality and quantity are carefully selected, and the structure of the paper is attractive. The Weekly covers articles from all over the world, and packs stories of the unknown world into a limited space. That is why I always discover something new when I read it.

The photos and illustrations are appropriate so they enable readers to guess what the stories are about. Even facial expressions in some photos explain story contents.

The Weekly always analyzes facts from humanitarian viewpoints, and I feel that the newspaper has a consistent and high standard of editorial policy.

In an English conversation circle, I get debate material from the Weekly. Because the content of stories is often analytical, the paper is very good for this. The newspaper works well as an English study tool, and also as a source of knowledge.

Nova, a major English school in Japan, has sunk to the bottom of the world. This news will likely have a big influence on English learners.

Because Nova commercials have made studying English look fun, it has been able to charge students sky-high tuition fees. I sincerely hope that after the recent problems former Nova students will not lose interest in language study.

In the Oct. 13 issue of the Weekly, I especially liked "Topic" on Da Vinci's canals. When I visit Milan, I would like to ride a boat in the canal.

The Japan Times Weekly: November 3, 2007
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