Have Fun Writing Diaries and Letters!

Hello, everyone!
In your daily life, have you ever thought, "That was so much fun!" or "I was so surprised!", or felt like, "I really want to tell this to someone"?
In this unit, we will learn how to write a "diary" to put our experiences and feelings into words, and a "letter" to share our thoughts with others.
At first, you might feel like, "I don't know what to write...", but don't worry! Once you get the hang of the key tips, writing will become more and more fun.

*Note: How to write specific letters for invitations and thank-yous will be covered in more detail in another chapter, "Writing Invitation and Thank-You Letters."

1. How to Write a Diary: Putting Your Experiences and Feelings into Words

What Is a Diary?

A diary is a piece of writing where you record the things you did (your actions and experiences), what you saw and heard at that time, and what you thought and felt in your heart.
By writing a diary, you can use words to look back on your experiences and preserve your precious memories clearly.

How to Find What to Write (Your Material)

If you try to write down everything that happened in a day—like "I woke up in the morning, ate breakfast, went to school..."—it becomes hard to tell what was most important to you.
The biggest tip for writing a diary is to choose just one thing that left the strongest impression on you that day (the main event).

[Hints for Choosing Material]
• The happiest or most fun thing that happened
• Something you learned for the first time that surprised you
• Something you felt frustrated about, or made you want to try harder next time

Structure for Writing in Good Order

When sharing what happened, keeping "chronological order (order of events in time)" in mind will help your readers (yourself, your teacher, or your family) clearly picture what took place.

① Beginning (The trigger, when, where)
Example: "Today after school, I played dodgeball with my friends in the schoolyard."
Clearly state when, with whom, and what you did.

② Middle (Detailed description, what you did)
Example: "A fast ball came flying toward me, but I caught it firmly with both hands."
Describe what it was like and what actions you took in detail.

③ Ending (Thoughts and what's next)
Example: "Next time, I want to be able to catch even faster throws."
Share your impressions and what you want to try next.

Key Point: Separate Facts from Impressions

As you move up in grade level, it becomes very important to distinguish between "facts (what actually happened)" and "impressions (what you thought and felt)".
If you write not only the facts, but also "how you felt at that moment" and the reasons "why you thought that way," it will become a wonderful diary entry that only you could write.

[Key Point]
Make a set: The event (fact) + your feelings and reasons at that time (impression)!

2. How to Write a Letter: Sharing Your Feelings with Others

In Letters, "To Whom" and "What to Share" Are Key

Unlike a diary, a letter has a "reader".
It is very important to write while picturing the person—such as a friend, a teacher, a grandfather, or a grandmother—in your mind.
Choose your words while thinking: "What do I want to share?" and "How can I write this so it's easy for them to understand?"

The Basic Format of a Letter

Letters have a traditional, easy-to-read "format (structure)." Let's take a look at the basic setup.

① Addressee (Who the letter is for)
Write the recipient's name at the beginning of the letter. Use the correct honorifics, such as -sama or -sensei for those older or in higher positions, and -san or -kun for friends.
Example: "Dear Grandma," "To Tanaka-sensei,"

② Opening Words (Greeting)
Ask about the recipient's health or mention the current season.
Example: "Hot days continue every day, but how have you been?"

③ Main Body (The main thing you want to share)
Clearly write about the event, purpose, or feeling you want to share. Giving specific events and reasons makes it easier for the reader to understand.

④ Closing Words (Final greeting)
Wrap up with words that show care for the recipient's well-being.
Example: "Please take good care of yourself so you don't catch a cold."

⑤ Date and Sender's Name (When and who wrote it)
Finally, write the date you wrote the letter and your own name.
Example: "May 10th, from Sakura"

Tone of Voice Matching the Recipient (Polite Language and Formal Style)

When writing to friends, a friendly, casual tone is fine, but when writing to teachers, community members, or people who have helped you, use polite language (the formal style, such as desu and masu).
Value your relationship with the recipient and choose your words with care and thoughtfulness.

3. Reviewing (Polishing) After Writing

Once you finish writing a diary entry or a letter, always make it a habit to "read it aloud from beginning to end"!
By reading it over yourself, you can notice mistakes and correct them.

[Review Checklist]
• Subject and Predicate: Do "who/what" and "did what" connect correctly?
• Use of Particles: Are particles like ha (wa), he (e), and wo (o) used correctly? (e.g., "学校へ行く" [go to school], "ご飯を食べる" [eat a meal])
• Punctuation and Quotation Marks: Are commas (、), periods (。), and quotation marks (「 」) placed in the right spots?
• Kanji and Okurigana: Are you using the kanji you have learned correctly, and are there any mistakes in the kana endings (okurigana)?
• Paragraphs and Line Breaks: Did you start a new line and indent by one character for each new section of thought (paragraph)?

Common Mistakes

× Connecting sentences over and over with "And then...": "I did... And then I did... And then I did..."
Advice: When connecting sentences, try using words like "at that time," "next," or "suddenly," or be brave and split the sentences up with a full stop.

× Ending with just "It was fun."
Advice: If you write specifically about "which part" and "why" it was fun, along with your actions and feelings, your writing will come to life much more.

× Forgetting to write the recipient's name or your own name in a letter
Advice: In a letter, "from whom to whom" is very important. Always check the addressee before you start writing, and remember your own name at the very end.

Fun Trivia

[The Secret to Using Quotation Marks (「 」)]
In a diary, use 「 」 when writing something you muttered to yourself or words spoken with a friend.
Using 「 」 brings the scene and your feelings right in front of the reader's eyes, conveying your emotions much more powerfully!
Remember, in Japanese writing, the period (。) at the end of spoken words goes inside the closing quotation mark (Example: 友だちは、「いっしょに遊ぼう。」と言いました。 [My friend said, "Let's play together."]).

Summary (Review of Key Points)

• Diary: Pick just one "main event" from the day, and write the facts and impressions in order.
• Letter: Keep the recipient in mind, and organize it with an addressee, greeting, body, closing, and your name.
• Review: Always read it over once finished, and check subjects and predicates, punctuation, and okurigana.
• Sharing: Read your diaries and writing with friends, and discover the great parts in each other's work!