Sample newspaper article

全員女性のアイドルグループAKB48で最も人気のあるメンバーを発表する毎年恒例の開票イベントに参加するため、日本全国から約３万人が６月18日、新潟の野球場に詰めかけた。「AKB48総選挙」として広く 知られるこの８回目のイベントで、福岡のHKT48の指原莉乃さん（23）が２年連続で最も多くのファンから得票を集めた。指原さんは2013年にも１位を獲得したことがあり、３回１位を獲得した初のメンバーとなった。このイベントが東京以外で開かれたのは、昨年の福岡に続いて今年が２度目。新潟県庁は、このイベントは県の経済を15億円押し上げると見込んでいると語った。 (June 19)

Words and phrases

全員女性の (zen’in josei-) all-female; 最も人気のある (motto-ninki-) most popular; 発表する (happyō-) announce; 毎年恒例の (maitoshi kōrei-) annual; 開票 (kaihyō) vote-counting; 参加する (sanka-) participate in; 日本全国 (Nihon zenkoku) all over Japan; 約 (yaku) about; 新潟 (Niigata) Niigata; 野球場 (yakyūjō) baseball stadium; 詰めかけた (tsu-) packed; 総選挙 (sōsenkyo) general election; 広く知られる (hiro-shi-) widely known ; ８回目 (hakkai-me) eighth; 福岡 (Fukuoka) Fukuoka; 指原莉乃 (Sashihara Rino) Rino Sashihara; 連続で (renzoku-) in a row; 最も多くの票を集め (motto-ōku-hyō-atsu-) garnered the most fan votes; １位を獲得 した (ichi’i-kakutoku-) won; ３回 (sankai) third time; 初の (hatsu-) first; 以外で (igai-) outside of; 開かれた (hira-) held; 昨年 (sakunen) last year; 今年 (kotoshi) this year; 県庁 (kenchō) Municipal Government; 経済 (keizai) economy; 押し上げる (o-a-) boost; 見込んで (mi-) expects; 語った (katat-) said

Sample radio or television report

Zen’in josei-no aidoru gurūpu Eikeibii-Fōtiieito-de mottomo ninki-no-aru menbā-o happyō-suru maitoshi kōrei-no kaihyō ibento-ni sanka-suru-tame, Nihon zenkoku-kara yaku sanmannin-ga 6-gatsu 18-nichi, Niigata-no yakyūjō-ni tsumekakemashita. “Eikeibii-Fōtiieito sōsenkyo“-toshite hiroku shirareru kono hakkaime-no ibento-de, Fukuoka-no EichiKeiTii-Fōtiieito-no Sashihara Rino-san nijūsansai-ga, ninen renzoku-de mottomo ōku-no fan-kara hyō-o atsumemashita. Sashihara-san-wa 2013-nen-ni-mo ichi’i-o kakutoku-shita-koto-ga-ari, sankai ichi’i-o kakutoku-shita hatsu-no menbā-to narimashita. Kono ibento-ga Tōkyō-igai-de hirakareta-no-wa sakunen-no Fukuoka ni tsuzuite, kotoshi-ga nidome-ni narimasu. Niigata Kenchō-wa, kono ibento-wa ken-no keizai-o jūgo-oku-en oshiageru-to mikondeiru-to hanashi-mashita.

Translation

About 30,000 people from across Japan packed a baseball stadium in Niigata on June 18 to participate in the annual vote-counting event to announce the most popular members of the AKB48 family of all-female idol groups. At the eighth event, widely known as the “AKB48 General Election,” Rino Sashihara, 23, of Fukuoka-based HKT48 garnered the most fan votes for the second year in a row. Sashihara is the first member to win three elections, having also won in 2013. This year’s general election was the second time the event was held outside Tokyo, following last year’s event in Fukuoka. The Niigata municipal government said it expects the event to boost the prefecture’s economy by ¥1.5 billion.

Conversation between acquaintances

A: Kotoshi-no Eikeibii-Fōtiieito sōsenkyo-de Sashihara Rino-san-ga mottomo ōku-no hyō-o atsumeta sō-desu-ne.

(I heard that Rino Sashihara garnered the most fan votes in this year’s AKB48 general election.)

B: Kanojo-wa sankai ichi’i-o kakutoku-shita hatsu-no menbā-da sō-desu-yo.

(Apparently, she is the first member to win the election three times.)

Conversation between husband and wife

H: Kotoshi-no Eikeibii-Fōtiieito sōsenkyo-wa Niigata-de hirakareta-sō-da.

(I heard that this year’s AKB48 general election was held in Niigata Prefecture.)

W: Jūgo-oku-en-no keizai kōka-ga atta sō-yo.

(The event reportedly boosted the prefecture’s economy by ¥1.5 billion.)

(No. 1316)