Japanese Club Archives - NorikoArt

🧦 New Adventures with Bocchi & Pocchi | November Newsletter

nori — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 09:51:07 +0000

Welcome to my latest newsletter!
If you missed any past issues, feel free to browse them all here.

New Bocchi & Pocchi Video

My new Learn Japanese with Bocchi & Pocchi video is live on YouTube!

This time, we’re exploring a supermarket in Japan!

We filmed the footage during our trip to Japan last summer — my kids loved exploring a supermarket in my hometown!

Join Bocchi & Pocchi and learn some common Japanese words for supermarket sections!

Sweet moments with Bocchi & Pocchi

A friend shared the cutest photos — a six-month-old enjoying the Japanese edition of Bocchi and Pocchi: A Tale of Two Socks!

Nothing makes me happier than knowing my stories create special moments between children and their parents, grandparents, or other carers. Thank you to everyone sharing Bocchi & Pocchi with their little ones

For the Japanese edition, you can purchase through the publisher’s website, which offers multiple online stores. If the site appears in Japanese, you can translate it to English in Google Chrome by right-clicking anywhere on the page and selecting “Translate to English.”

A Lovely Comment from a Viewer

I recently received this heartwarming comment on my latest YouTube video — and it truly made my day!

It’s so wonderful to know that Bocchi & Pocchi are helping families enjoy learning Japanese together at home.

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to send me messages or leave comments. I read every single one — your kind words really keep me going!

I’d love to hear what you think too!

Sharing Japanese Culture with Children

I’m back running the Japanese Club at Shotley Bridge Primary School — and it’s such a joy!

Each week, we explore basic Japanese and make origami based on the session’s theme. The children’s eyes always sparkle as they ask, “What are we making today?”

This club is part of a Newcastle University outreach project, supported by the Japan Foundation Sakura Network. I’m so grateful for the chance to share Japanese language and culture with the local community!

Remembering For Peace

Today, on Remembrance Day, I want to take a moment to reflect on the impact of conflict and the pain of losing loved ones.

Some years ago, I created these Chigiri-e poppies as a tribute to the fragility and beauty of life.

May we take a moment today to remember, reflect, and hold peace in our hearts.

Buy My Books (from me!)

My picture books (signed & personalised) are available here!

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Missed any of my past newsletters? Browse them all here.

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The post 🧦 New Adventures with Bocchi & Pocchi | November Newsletter appeared first on NorikoArt.

Arigato Magic & Easter Fun – April Newsletter 2025

nori — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 23:59:11 +0000

Happy Easter!

Spring Fun at Japanese Club!

Look at these adorable rabbit egg holders we made!

To wrap up the spring term, we had a special Easter-themed session at the Japanese Club at Shotley Bridge Primary School. The children folded origami bunny egg holders—such a fun and creative way to finish before the holidays!

Watch the video tutorial: How to fold a Rabbit Egg Stand

The Japanese Club is part of Newcastle University’s outreach programme and is supported by the Japan Foundation Sakura Network.

I’ll be taking a little break from the club to focus on some exciting new projects—but I’ll be hopping back to Shotley Bridge in September! ( Photos from our Japanese Club sessions )

If you’d like me to visit your local school, feel free to share my school workshop package with them!

New Video

My new Arigato Magic video is live on YouTube!

In this video, you’ll learn how to say “Thank you, snow” in Japanese.

I had originally planned to share it during the winter, but spring arrived before I could hit publish! Sorry for the delay—hope you’ll still enjoy a little snowy magic this spring!

Japanese Art, Culture & Language Workshops

For the past 12 weeks, I’ve been running fun, hands-on Japanese workshops for 8–12-year-olds at Leadgate Youth Club.

Each session explored a different theme—language, food, anime, ninja, and more—through activities like calligraphy, origami, and chigiri-e (torn paper collage).

Big thanks to Building Self-Belief CIO, Newcastle University’s community outreach, and the Japan Foundation for making this meaningful project possible. It’s been a joy to share Japanese culture and spark curiosity in such a vibrant group of kids!

Beginner’s Japanese Online Course

118 students have enrolled in my Udemy course: Learn Japanese with Bocchi & Pocchi’s Creator! Here’s what one student had to say:

“Amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the lessons. Noriko’s teaching is so engaging and interactive. Her English is excellent, and she uses many cute pictures to help me remember the words. The lessons are easy to follow, even for someone with no background in the Japanese language. Thanks to her vivid illustrations, I was able to retain most of what I learned. These lessons include many useful daily dialogues in Japanese. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants to learn Japanese from scratch or is planning their first trip to Japan. Definitely 5 stars class!” – W Nicholson