Amidst the pandemic, many Japanese schools had no choice but to cancel their yearly anticipated trips to Kyoto, Nikko and other historical sites.
In May and June 2021, more than 3,500 junior high schools canceled summer trips as an impending fourth state of emergency was looming. Earlier this month, the Japan Association of Travel Agents held a press conference asking the government to compensate for the financial loss caused by the cascade cancellations.
For students, the blow is hard. Traditionally, their 修学旅行 (school trip) is the highlight of the year. It’s a rite of passage for graduating classes in junior high and high schools. Thus, some schools came up with an online alternative. Alas, PowerPoint presentations and live broadcasts by tour guides can’t compare to going on a trip with your friends and a change of scenery.
It’s just not the same
オンライン修学旅行の画像本当に生徒たちが辛そう なぜカバンを持たせるのか…
“The students look like they’re having a hard time in this online school trip picture. Why make them carry bags?
School trip hell
オンライン修学旅行（地獄） マジでこのご時世の若者かわいそうすぎて悲しみだろ。
10代の貴重な時間は一瞬なんだよ.
“Online School Trip (Hell). Seriously, I feel sorry for young people today. It’s so sad. The precious time for being a teenager is over in an instant.”
How to express ‘it looks like’
Coupled with an adjective or a verb, the suffix そう translates to “it looks like” or “it seems like.”
Here are some examples:
- がくなってたね！がそうだね: “The sky turned dark! It looks like it’s about to rain.”
- コンサートはそろそろりそう: “It seems like the concert will start soon. Let’s get inside.”
- そうですね。ちゃんとましたか: “You seem tired. Have you slept enough recently?”
The suffix そう has two exceptions with the adjective 良い (good) and the negative suffix ない (lacking), as can be seen below:
- はおですね: “Looks like it’s going to be a nice weekend!”
- くなさそうですね: “It doesn’t seem all that bad.”
Vocabulary
修学旅行 shyuugakuryokou School trip, school excursion 画像 gazou Picture 生徒たち seitotachi Students 辛そう tsurasou Looks painful, hard 地獄 jigoku Hell ご時世の若者 gojisei no wakamono Youth of today 悲しみ kanashimi Sadness 貴重な時間 kichouna jikan Precious time 一瞬 isshun For a brief moment, in the blink of an eye
