Parking Rules and Neighborhood Activities

Notices about neighborhood activities

Notices about neighborhood activities (町内会や地域のお知らせ, chōnaikai ya chiiki no oshirase, notices from the neighborhood association or local community) usually include the time, place, conditions for participation, and special circumstances such as the weather. To answer questions of this type, first understand the vocabulary and sentence patterns that mark rules, then match them with the answer choices.

Cancellation and postponement

• 中止(ちゅうし, cancellation) — the event is not held at all. 例) 台風のため、運動会は中止になりました。 If a notice writes 中止, the event will not take place on that day.
• 延期(えんき, postponement) — the event is moved to another time and is not simply cancelled. 例) 雨の場合は、来週に延期します。
• 変わります(かわります, changes) — the pattern 「〜に変わります」 means that a schedule or place changes into something else. 例) 雨の日は、会場が体育館に変わります。

Pattern 「雨の場合は〜」 and 「雨の日は〜」 This pattern means 'if it rains, then ...'. What follows can be 中止, 延期, or 変わります. Answer choices must be checked against the rainy condition that is mentioned, not against fine weather. Do not assume that the event goes ahead if the notice mentions another special condition.

Conditions for participation

• 無料(むりょう, free of charge) versus 有料(ゆうりょう, paid) — 参加は無料ですが、飲み物は有料です。 The pattern 「〜ですが」 marks a contrast; the part after it often contains important information.
• 自由(じゆう, optional) — 参加は自由です means participants are not required to attend. 例) 見学は自由です。
• 必要(ひつよう, necessary) — 申し込みが必要です means one must register beforehand. If the notice does not mention this requirement, a choice stating 'must register' is wrong.

Who provides items

• 用意(ようい, preparation) — 〜で用意します means the organizer provides it. 例) 椅子はこちらで用意します。
• 各自(かくじ, each person) — 各自でご用意ください means each participant prepares it individually. 例) 水筒は各自でご用意ください。
• 持ってくる(もってくる, to bring) — to bring items from home. A choice stating that participants bring items provided by the organizer is wrong.

Time and place

• 午前(ごぜん, morning) and 午後(ごご, afternoon until evening) — both indicate parts of the day. The time must be matched with the clock time written, not with an estimate.
• 前日(ぜんじつ, the day before), 当日(とうじつ, the day of the event), 翌日(よくじつ, the following day) — 中止の連絡は前日の夜にします means the notice is given on the evening of the day before.
• 集合(しゅうごう, gathering) — 〜時に集合 means the meeting time. The meeting point is usually written with 〜の入り口 or 〜の前.
• 来週(らいしゅう, next week), 今週(こんしゅう, this week), 来月(らいげつ, next month) — pay attention to these time words, because answer choices often swap weeks or months.
• 掲示板(けいじばん, notice board) and 回覧板(かいらんばん, circulating notice) — 〜でお知らせします indicates how the notice is communicated.

Deadlines and how to register

• 〜までに — no later than the deadline; used for actions that must be finished by that time. 例) 来週の金曜日までに申し込んでください。
• 〜まで — until a certain time; used for a span of time. Distinguish it from 〜までに so that you do not make a mistake.
• 届ける(とどける, to submit), 連絡(れんらく, to contact), 出す(だす, to hand in) — verbs for sending or handing in a registration to the organizer.
• 定員(ていいん, capacity) and 抽選(ちゅうせん, lottery) — 申し込みが多い場合は抽選になります means that if applications exceed the capacity, participants are chosen by lottery.
• 二階(にかい, second floor) and 一階(いっかい, first floor) — the room location must be read carefully, because answer choices often swap the floors.
• 管理人室(かんりにんしつ, manager's office) and 事務所(じむしょ, office) — places for registration or administrative matters, depending on the content of the notice.

Patterns of obligation and ability

• 〜なければなりません(must) — used to express obligation. 例) 出席する人は、名前を書かなければなりません。
• 〜ことができます(can) — used to express possibility or ability. 例) 当日は、消火器の使い方を習うことができます。
• The question 「何をしなければなりませんか」 asks for the obligation written in the notice, whereas 「正しいものはどれですか」 asks for the statement that matches the entire content of the notice.

Bicycle parking rules

Bicycle parking rules (駐輪場のルール, chūrinjō no rūru) are usually written as a list of obligations, service schedules, and registration requirements. Pay attention to limiting words such as だけ and 〜のみ, as well as service hours and holidays.