みなみ市民活動 ・多文化共生ラウンジ情報誌

英語版

Basic Library Usage
The library is a place where you can check out or read books, of course.
In Yokohama, there is the public library in each ward of the city.
In Minami Ward, it is located near Gumyoji Station on the Keikyu Line.
User’s Registration:- When you check out (borrow) books from the library for first time, please do this.
- Please bring and show your personal identity documents such as driver license/driving permit, student IDcard, health insurance card, or utility rates such as receipt for the registration process.
Rental (borrowing books from the library):- Having the library registration card enables its owner to check out books at any public library in the city.
- You can check out up to 6 books at a time, for 2 weeks. However, if no one reserved or subscribed thebook(s) you checked out, it is possible to extend your return date once. Just bring the books which you wish
to check out, to the counter with your library registration card, please.
Return (bring back the books you borrow to the library):- You can return the books at any library in the city on its due date.
- When the library was closed, just drop the book in the “Return Box”.
- Do not return the books directly into the bookshelves by yourself.
Library’s Surprising Aspect
In the library we do not just read books, but the place also provides a variety of services as follows.
Reference Service:
If you didn’t know where to find the books you need, the information necessary to your work, findinformation such as documents, survey and research, the staff members can help you.
Internet Browsing Service：
There is a corner where you can use the Internet. For searching information about learning, you can use it
free of charge for 30 minutes. It is possible to extend your time if no one else wishes to use it at the time.
Services to People with Disabilities：
Face-to-face readings, recorded materials and Braille materials are available for the people with disabilities.
Story Reading Activity:
Every public library in the city along with a volunteer organization provides the reading to small children
activity regularly to help the children become familiar with book reading. Below are some examples ofFebruary events at Minami Library:-Story Reading for Children over 3 years-Story Reading for Children over 2 years-Story Reading for Children of 0 to 2 years and their parent(s) and 2 to 4 years and their parent(s)-Viewing the World from Minami Ward! Story Telling by the students of Kanagawa Prefectural YokohamaHigh School of International Studies
Yokohama City Public Library Multilingual Information: http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/kyoiku/library/foreign/Minami Lounge News-Private Japanese Lesson Sessions:Starting April, volunteer teachers give private Japanese lessons to those who wish to have a conversation
practice partner, do not have the time for Japanese classes, want to study outside the classroom, need to learn
kanji, etc. The sessions can be arranged to meet individual’s needs. Contact Minami Lounge at: 232-9544.
- Minami Lounge based “Let’s Enjoy International Cultural Exchange Together!” becomes “Salon”:
Previously, Minami Lounge held events such as “Home country introduction in the mother tongue”, “Huladance”, “Japanese tea ceremony”, “Yoga”, and “Making Chinese dumplings”. However from now on, suchare going to be held as independent “International Exchange Salon” events for child and parent on the 4th
Monday of a month beginning with themes and topics on childcare and daily living. Then the participants
are going to plan the future events.
Minimum Wage
The National Government sets the minimum wage system and every employer has to pay her/his employees
at least, the minimum wages or more. This law applies not only to full-time employees but also the part-timeones. As of October 1, 2012, the minimum wage was raised to 849 Yen per hour (13 Yen raised from theprevious rate) in Kanagawa Prefecture. If you had a problem or trouble with wages or employment, pleasecontact “Labor Consulting Service for Foreign Workers”:-Kanagawa Labor Center: http://m.r.cbz.jp/xquu6977/mtu9 (Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese)-Kanagawa Bureau of Labor Affairs: http://m.r.cbz.jp/xquu6977/bmq4 (English, Spanish, Portuguese)

For many foreigners in Japan, along with the sighting and hot springs, visiting shopping malls is another attraction as it
offers view and experience of authentic Japanese daily life. Japan’s shopping streets is said to be derived from a large
harbor near post town and temples or temple town that developed along the highway in Edo period. There was aprosperous time for them to evolve again with post-war reconstruction, also called, “the Department stores in Yokohama”.
However, with the changes of people’s life styles and minds, opening of large stores and supermarkets, plus dwindlingbirth rate and an aging population, they have been declining. Under such circumstances, there is a shopping mallmaintaining bustle in Yokohama City, loved by the community. Let us introduce you “Yokohama-bashi Shopping Mall”
today.
“Yokohama-bashi Shopping Mall” is located along Kamakura highway; there is Owashi Shrine, and the nearby harbor. It
has all the things you need such as grocery, daily necessities, clothing, and canteens and tavern are aligned. Talking about
its unique features, there are many multinational stores such as Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Filipino. “ Miyoshi” theater ispopular as well. People come from near or far places to shop here, at Yokohama-bashi Shopping Mall and it can be a place
for your friends visiting Japan from your country to see and experience Japan so closely as well as for souvenir shopping.

MINAMI no KAZE （Multilingual News Letter）
Publisher： Minami Shimin Katsudo-Tabunka Kyousei Lounge (MINAMI LOUNGE)
Address: 10th Floor, Urafune Fukugo Fukushi Shisetsu, 3-46 Urafune, Minami-ku,
Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Contact Telephone Numbers: (045) 232-9544（Japanese）(045) 242-0888（Non-Japanese）; FAX: (045) 242-0897
Consultation Time: 9:00 AM～5:00 PM (17:00);
Closed on 3rd Monday of a month and during December 29～January 3