Vol.１3
December 2016

Contents
Fall Events Report:
Saijo Industry Fair

1Forthcoming Events

2Halloween Report

2

A Message fromAnna: Ehime AJET

2Vietnam Note: A NewGeneration

3

Japanese Garden inAustria

3Dates with Diana

4

Events &Announcements

4International Relations Saijo

59th Saijo Industry Fair

World Café

Saijo International Exchange Association (SIEA) hosted a World Café at Saijo
Agricultural High School’s annual Industry Fair on Nov. 12-13. This year, SIEA
offered samples of international teas and snacks, opportunities to try on traditional ethnic attire, and Vietnamese fried spring rolls through our collaboration
with the International Exchange Promotion Association and JICA. In addition, 6Ehime University graduate students from 5 different countries in Africa, including Senegal and Mozambique, held a workshop at the World Café. Their rhythmical songs and dances attracted a large crowd!
We would like to express
our gratitude to the peopleof Saijo. We were very
humbled and honored byyour hospitality and guidance throughout the event.
We really enjoyed the special experience. We would
be happy to participate
again next year! Senzo
Ntshakala: SwazilandThis opportunity made me aware that many
Japanese people do not know about Mozambique. As a Mozambican, I now feel that I
must do my best to enlighten people about
opportunities they can find in Mozambique,such as tourism, business etc. This event wasalso a great chance to meet different people
and make new friends. Celso Fernando:
Mozambique

Saijo is very beautiful and the people are sokind. It was nice to meet people from different
countries and cultures and engage in discussions with Japanese people about similarities
and differences between Japan and Egypt. Itwas also my first time to visit a Japaneseschool. Discussing future goals with students
was enjoyable. Omar Abdel Wahab: Egypt

The weekend in Saijo was one of my greatest days in Japan. Thank you for my birthday party,
sharing dance steps with us and giving us the opportunity to introduce our Africa and its culture. I also loved experiencing a traditional Japanese hotel. I hope to see everyone very soon.
Dianouma Demba Sonko: Senegal

is a quarterly newsletter
published in Japanese, English, and Vietnamese by theSaijo International Exchange Association (SIEA).
We welcome your comments,questions and submissions.

14 Engineers Observe ‘Uchinuki’On Dec. 2nd, 14 engineers and administrators fromthroughout Africa took part in a training course organized by Shikoku’s branch of JICA. They came to Saijo toinspect the ‘uchinuki’ and to learn about the conversationof ground water, management of the water source, andimprovement of the control of water supply facilities.

Saijo International Exchange Association 164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture 〒793-8601
TEL(0897)52-1206 FAX(0897)52-1200 E-mail: kokusai@saijo-city.jp URL: http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp

2International Relations Saijo
Christmas Carol Party

American Instructor Introduces Christmas Culture◆Date: Dec. 17th (Sat.) 10:00~12:00◆Place: Saijo Public Welfare Center◆Details: Making Christmas Decorations・Christmas Carol and Culture Introduction◆Capacity: 25 people (First-come basis)◆Materials Fee: 1,000円(SIEA Members 500円)◆Application Period: Dec. 12th (Mon.)

4th International Café
Join us for tea, coffee and conversation with Saijo’s
internationally experienced citizens and foreign
residents!
◆Date: Feb. 1st (Wed.) 18:00~20:00◆Place: Sangyō Jōhō Shien Center (SICS)◆Participation Fee: 300円(SIEA Members 200円)

Chinese Gyoza Cooking Class
Make Genuine Gyoza alongside Chinese Instructor!
◆Date: Feb. 18th (Sat.)13:30～17:00◆Place: Saijo Public Welfare Center(Nutritional Guidance Room)◆Capacity: 30 people (First-come basis)◆Participation Fee: 300円
◆Application Period: Jan. 23 (Mon.) ~Feb. 13 (Mon.)

Ehime AJET Scholarship
The Ehime AJET Scholarship Committee, now in its
third year, works to send a high school student fromthe prefecture on a study abroad program of his/herchoice. Two students have already benefitted from thescholarship and attended short-term programs inCanada. Both students said that their time abroad,
although short, resulted in improved English communication skills and a deeper understanding of different
cultures. We hope to continue the scholarship’s success this year, and are raising 200,000 yen for the next
recipient! If you are interested in donating money, you
can do so at the International Affairs Division at CityHall, or at various events throughout the year, likethe International Café. Any help is greatly appreciated! If you want more information, please contact Anna
Tattersall at ehimeajetscholarship@gmail.com.
Anna Tattersall

Halloween in the Shopping Arcade!

SIEA powered up all the more to organize the2016 Halloween Party with the Saijo Machidukuri Convention! On Saturday, Oct. 29th, the Saijo Shopping
Arcade was full of children dressed in Halloween costumes, theirenergetic voices filling the air as they went to and fro saying ‘Trickor Treat!!’ Our 500 Stamp Rally cards sold out in only 20 minutes!
Also, the costume parade was graced with a handmade cat bus
float for the first time, winning the applause of over 1000 visitors.
The shopping arcade was overflowing with the art of over 200 Halloween poster designs and illustrations submitted by children fromthe age of two and grown-ups alike! Thanks to the joint efforts ofmany organizations, not to mention ELIS (English Language Intercultural Communication in Saijo) and everyone working at theshopping arcade, we could all enjoy a Halloween celebration full ofsmiles. Thank you to everyone involved! There are still challenges
ahead, but we plan to work to resolve each issue gradually, making
a Halloween full of even more joy! (石)Happy Halloween!

★Illustration Contest★
Top Award of Excellence
Omachi Elementary 6th Grade
Minami Katou

Handmade Cat Bus Float

Saijo International Exchange Association 164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture 〒793-8601
TEL(0897)52-1206 FAX(0897)52-1200 E-mail: kokusai@saijo-city.jp URL: http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp

International Relations Saijo

3Vietnam Note: With a Changing Generation,
Comes the Change of Traditional Cultural Values
After the war ended in 1975 until 1986, Vietnam
closed its borders, ceasing relations with foreign nations except the Soviet Union and other socialist
countries. Vietnam opened its doors once again with
the Doi Moi (Open Door) Policy in 1986. Reforms began with international diplomacy and economic exchange, but now interactions with foreigners in Vietnam and journeys abroad are hardly unusual. As aresult, customs and ways of thinking have changed.
With development, Vietnam has encountered negative impacts. People have become busy with work, sohuman ties have weakened. With easily accessible
Internet, rather than speaking directly to friends andfamilies, people become more engrossed insmartphones. Today’s children are absorbed insmartphone games instead of in their studies; encounters with nature have decreased, and they do notseem to know the traditional games that I had played
in my youth.
Also, multi-generational households decline, while
nuclear family households rise, and the number ofchildren in each family has decreased. The financial
burden of daily expenses and education, the averageage of marriage, and the percentage of divorce haveincreased. Moreover, people satisfied with gaining
financial independence and enjoying solitary lives
have increased as well.

Japanese Garden in Austria
Grüß Gott! My name is Tomoko Murakami. I am aSaijo native who has lived in Austria for the past 15years. Austria is about 100 thousand kilometers awayfrom my birthplace. Every day I receive visitors fromdifferent countries while working on Japanese Bonsai.
Originally, I had more interest in other countries
than in Japan, so I traveled around the world. Duringthat time, I made a stop in the Republic of Austria.
I settled down in Seeboten, a market town along theMillstätter lakeshore in Kärnten (Carinthia), thesouthernmost state. Seeboten resembles Saijo in someways. Just as Saijo is protected by Mt. Ishizuchi,Seeboten is surrounded by mountains. The water andair are clean and refreshing as well. Also, it is home toEurope’s largest bonsai museum. Approaching its 40 th
anniversary next year, the museum is displaying
3,000 Japanese bonsai plants in over 200 different varieties. I came upon this museum by chance. The bluetinged stone garden lanterns first caught my eye.
Right away, I spoke to the curator and learned thatHowever, there are also positive changes. Many
countries have eased the conditions for issuing visas
to Vietnamese people, so it is easier for us to study ortravel abroad. People often maintain favorable foreign customs and manners even after they return toVietnam.
Additionally, the government has deemed malechauvinism unacceptable and works to bring about
gender equality. In the present, Vietnamese women
are treated with more respect, and every year Vietnamese Women’s Day (10/20) and International
Women’s Day (3/8) are celebrated. Perhaps, old customs would not have changed without international
exchange.
It is important to adopt the positive aspects of bothtradition and new culture. Recently, the opinion that
Vietnam should celebrate the Gregorian new year
instead of the lunar new year (Vietnamese Tet) hasappeared. However, Vietnamese Tet is part of ourheritage. It has emotional importance and should notchange!
In Hue, there are traditional crafts and international festivals held biennially. In this way, I think it isvital that we express the importance of protecting
traditional culture inside and outside of Vietnam. (レ)the stone had been ordered from Saijo. I remember
feeling a mysterious sense of fate. From thatpoint forward, I started working at the garden.
It has been 3 years since I was last in Saijo. Although the townscape has somewhat changed, it still
feels like I have come home. I am grateful that I will
always have a hometown to which I can return.

Garden of Saijo’s Blue-Tinged Stones※Seeboten’s mayor invited Saijo’s mayor to visit the35th anniversary as an honored guest in 2012 .

Saijo International Exchange Association 164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture 〒793-8601
TEL(0897)52-1206 FAX(0897)52-1200 E-mail: kokusai@saijo-city.jp URL: http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp

4International Relations Saijo
cannot speak Japanese, so it is difficult for him to remember place names). In Takamatsu, we feasted on

Dates with Diana

Sanuki udon; in Miyajima, oysters; in Hiroshima,Stepping inside Kiriya Cake Shop, you’ll see Castellacake and chestnut manju cutely wrapped to resemble
xiao long bao (soup dumplings) lined up in the display
case. I was in search of souvenirs, but I not only foundtasty morsels but also a new friend: Kiriya Baba.
Thereafter, I would often visit Kiriya Baba, and we’dtalk about family, love and multicultural marriage. Itold my family in America about Kiriya Baba as well.
Fortunately, my father could visit Saijo from the 16 th
to the 24th of Nov. He hoped to find out more about
Saijo and the people I knew. I introduced him to myfriends, coworkers, and not only Saijo, but also Takamatsu, the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, Matsuyama,Ozu, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Tokyo and Kamakura.
We journeyed to Kankakei Gorge in Shodoshima andwitnessed beautiful scenery. For the first time in awhile, my father hiked to the summit of a mountain on
Ogijima and sweat so profusely that the experience
became an unforgettable part of his trip and he evenmanaged to remember the island’s name (my fatherokonomiyaki; and in Saijo, Marutomo Suisan’s delicious seafood bowl.
On Nov. 21, my father’s birthday, we visited Kiriya
Baba. As she did her best to speak to my father in theEnglish she knew, suddenly, my matsuri senpai appeared with his daughter. Their families are old acquaintances. Kiriya Baba told us that everyone in Saijo seems to join together like a circle.
We grew lively with conversation and burst intolaughter when Kiriya Baba said that in the blink of aneye her weight equaled her age a few years ago. Even
without understanding Japanese, my father was welcomed into the group of friends and become anothermember extending the circle. After the short 9-day
trip, my father flew
back to America, butalready he longs to return to Saijo, the city
brimming with warmhearted people. (ダ)Events & Announcements【Tanbara International Exchange Association】
17th International Speech Contest ◇Free Viewing◇◆ Date: Dec. 18, 2016 (Sun.) 13:00~16:30◆ Place: Tanbara Community Center 1st Floor Hall
◆ Details:①Foreign residents’ Japanese speeches②Elementary school students’ speeches③English speeches (Middle・High school)④Foreign language course students’ presentations(Chinese・Korean)◆ Inquiries: Tanbara International ExchangeAssociation【Saijo English Volunteer Group (ELIS)】
FUN FUN English (Let’s Play Using English!)◆ Date: March 5, 2017 (Sun.) 14:00~16:00◆ Place: Komatsu Community Center◆ Capacity: First 80 people◆ Application Period: Feb. 3 (Fri.) ~Feb. 16 (Thurs.)◆ Details: Saijo’s elementary school students, ELIS
volunteers, and nearby foreign residents havefun playing games while using English.
◆Inquiries: Saijo International Exchange Association【Announcement from the Administration】
Le’s Debut in [Travel Diary]!
An article about Saijo’s Coordinator for International
Relations (CIR), Le, has plans for release on the 10thof Jan. in a transport newspaper’s monthly series
called [Travel Diary]. In [LOVE JAPAN!!], the article
that interviews the non-Japanese workforce, Le willintroduce Saijo!
Please, take a look!

EditorNotes

4 months have passed since I arrived inSaijo. Since then every day has been full of
fun international exchange events like theHalloween Party, the Industry Fair, andcooking classes. I will continue to do mybest with the editing staff! (ダ)International Relations Saijo Staff
Sachi Kawaguchi （か）Truong Dinh Le （レ）Diana Marie Linton (ダ）(English Translation)
Miho Ishimura (石）
Mamiko Imai (今）Read in fullcolor！

Saijo International Exchange Association 164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture 〒793-8601
TEL(0897)52-1206 FAX(0897)52-1200 E-mail: kokusai@saijo-city.jp URL: http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp