Vol.25

On Oct. 26 (Sat.), SIEA held its annual

December 2019

Halloween Party with the indispensable
help of the Saijo Shotengai Machizukuri
Association. The weather was beautiful

Contentsand about 2,000 people came to theshotengai. The event was full of people inHalloween Party

1Visit from Hebei
University

2

Living in Vietnam

2International
Exchange Month
Weapon Art andNiger Film Screening

3

Saijo Industry Fair

3

Dates with Diana

4

Events &Announcements

4

costume enjoying the games and trick-ortreating. This year, with the hope thatboth children and grownups could enjoy
the Halloween party together, we also offered face painting for grownups. It was charming towatch the smiles stretch across the faces of children
who watched as slightly embarrassed grownups had
their faces painted, and made the event all the moreenjoyable. Over 100 volunteers helped in our efforts
to create an amazing event. We were moved by theeffort of all of our dedicated volunteers to pull of theparty with smiling faces.
This year’s parade float was very
cute! The impact of the float was extraordinary, and watching the children
parade from one end of the shotengai tothe other was a highlight of the party.
Last but not least, thanks to the helpof many, we could hold theHalloween Party without

International Relations Saijo
is a quarterly newsletter

incident. We appreciate allof your efforts. Thank you!

published in Japanese, English, and Vietnamese by the
Saijo International Exchange Association (SIEA).
We welcome your comments,

Thank you for all of your illustration
submissions!
Grand Prize Winner:
Tsukahara Miki
Honorable Mention:
Yano Honoka
Itou Kaho
Tajitsu Saki

Congratulations!

questions and submissions.

Saijo International Exchange AssociationTEL(0897)52-1206

FAX(0897)52-1386

164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture
E-mail:info@saijo-iea.jp〒793-8601

URL: http://www.saijo-iea.jp

2International Relations SaijoHebei University Saijo City Visit Schedule
DateProfessors Cho Joi and So Ho and students from Hebei
University in Saijo’s sister city Baoding City, Hebei Province
visited Saijo from July 22~30, 2019. While experiencing ahome stay within Saijo, the 15 students majoring in Japaneseinteracted with locals during their ascent of Mt. Ishizuchi
and visits to local schools.
This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of our sister city
relationship. We hope that this year’s sojourn in Saijo has
been a source of encouragement for the Hebei University students as they play an active role in joining our cities infriendship for the future.

Itinerary

7/22

Kyukamura Setouchi-Toyo (Seaside Experience)

7/23

Ehime Prefectural Office Courtesy Visit → Matsuyama Castle → Ehime
University → Okaido Shopping Arcade → Asahi Beer Garden (WelcomeParty)

7/24

Saijo City Hall Courtesy Visit → Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. Visit →Saijo Chamber of Commerce and Industry → Asahi Beer Factory →Kao Sanitary Products Ehime Co., Ltd. → mac Drugstore

7/25・26

Kyoto ・ Nara ・ Osaka

7/27

Bimikyushin (Lunch) → Saijo Shrine Culture Experience (FlowerArrangement ・ Tea Ceremony ・ Yukata) → Saiseikai Ishizuchi
Summer Matsuri (Participation in Saturday Night Market and Fireworks Display etc.)

7/28

Quality time spent with host families

7/29

Ishizuchi Ropeway → Lunch at Ishizuchi Joju Shrine → Tsubaki Onsen

7/30

Railway History Park in Saijo → Saijo Library → Uchinuki Water Tour→ Suitoichi farmers market → Saijo Senior High School → Saiseikai
Hospital

7/31

Return to Hebei Province

Living in Vietnam
I learned Vietnamese in Hanoi for close to a year. I have a lot of memories
from my time spent living in Vietnam. If someone was to ask me, “What wasyour most enjoyable experience?” I wouldn’t be able to give an answer. However, I have chosen one amongst all of my memories to share with you.
Everything about my life in Hanoi was full of surprises. There were so many motorbikes that they seemed toflow past like a raging river. I wondered, “What should I do?! How can I cross the street?” At that time, I was not
yet able to cross the street with skill. One day, I absolutely had to cross the street, but I couldn’t find a traffic
light and, even if there was a traffic light, no one would pay attention to it. I moved about every which way in an
attempt to cross the street, but I just couldn’t do it.
Just as I was beginning to think that it might be all right for me to clash with a motorbike, a woman looked
over at me and smiled. Seeing that I was trying to cross the street, she grabbed my hand. As she held my hand,she started to walk, and when she raised her hand the motorbikes came to a stop. After we had crossed thestreet, she looked over at me and smile. Soon afterwards, she took off without a word wasn’t able to thank her.
When I told this story to my Japanese friend, she said she experienced something similar when she was in Hanoi. “An older man helped me to cross the street. The man probably thought that I couldn’t cross the street orthat I didn’t know my way. I actually only wanted to call a taxi on an app called Grab. After he helped me, I recrossed the street again by myself!!!”
Saijo International Exchange Association
TEL(0897)52-1206

FAX(0897)52-1230

164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture

E-mail: kokusai@saijo-city.jp〒793-8601

URL: http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp

3International Relations Saijo

The International Exchange Promotion Association hosted the2019 International Exchange Month with Africa as the theme.

“An African Day” was held at the Saijo Community
Center on August 24 (Sat.). The peanut and coconut
milk curry was completely different in taste and appearance from the curry we usually eat. The spicy
meat and potatoes refreshed our will to survive thesummer heat.
On September 9 (Sun.), we invited Takeuchi Yoshiko, a representative of
the board of directors at Ehime Global Network, to join in “DiscussingMozambique Weapon Art.” Ms. Takeuchi visits Mozambique each year tocollect weapons used during Mozambique’s civil war and give locals abandoned bicycles from Japan. Throughout that time, she came across weapon
art. During the discussion, she introduced weapon art and the wish forpeace infused in each work. The works were exhibited at the library until
September 23, bringing together the impressions of all those who visited.

On September 16 (Sun.), we held a film screening of the Niger documentary

Caravan to the Future. Saijo High School’s teacher Matsuda Tatsuya and stu-dent Hanna Westrop spoke in detail about their experiences in Mozambique during their homecoming information session, using a slideshow presentation, tools
and items of clothing from Mozambique in their explanations. Lastly, Saijo Agriculture High School gave a presentation on the cultivation of green papayas.

On November 9~10 (Sat./Sun.), SIEA held the “Africafe” during theSaijo Industry Fair at Saijo Agriculture High School. This year’s
theme was “Africa.” Guests had fun taking part in a VR experience ofthe landscape in an African country, attempting to carry water on
their heads, and trying on ethnic clothing. Graduate students fromMozambique and the DR Congo joined us for conversation over tea andsnacks during the fair. Clothing from Africa and a large picture of aherd of zebras decorated the venue and set the mood. There was also acorner exhibiting JICA’s initiatives and photographs of volunteers,
showing the active international presence of Saijo natives.

This year, we sold Jamaican jerk chicken at ourstall on the 1st floor. On the 1st day, we soldmuch more than expected, so we hurriedlybought more ingredients for the 2nd day. Nevertheless, we still sold out by 10:30! A big thanks
to all of our volunteers! We’re looking forward to
next year!!!
Saijo International Exchange Association
TEL(0897)52-1206

FAX(0897)52-1386

164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture
E-mail: info@saijo-iea.jp〒793-8601

URL: http://www.saijo-iea.jp

4International Relations Saijo
Dates with Diana

Learning English

As 2020 draws near, athletes all over the world aretraining, aspiring to win medals for their countries
during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Meanwhile, local governments are making efforts to provide
services important to welcoming guests in connection
to the games and inbound tourism. English educationin Japan is also facing significant changes. The impetus behind these changes is the need for Japanese people to communicate more effectively in English as ourglobal society becomes increasingly interdependent.
In Saijo, the passion with which so many people
study English is remarkable. I love foreign languages,
but my generation generally didn’t start foreign language study in America until senior high school, and I
had never thought to ask for private lessons. In highschool, I took French, but we also learned about theculture. When I recall that, I wonder if English learners also learn about different cultures.
English is England’s mother tongue, but due to imperialism and colonialism, people from many different
cultural backgrounds consider English their mothertongue. Even if it isn’t, English is so well integrated
into the societies of other homelands that the people
would be recognized as native speakers. (For the samereasons, French is not limited to France, but the scaleof its dissemination is not as great as that of English.)So, do English learners solely study the language or dothey learn about English culture?
At present, England has become a nation of immigrants, so I think of English culture as twofold. Thereis the England formed of traditions and outlooks thathave been passed down from generation to generation;on the other hand, there is the England formed of immigrants who have embedded themselves into English
society and of English people who have been influenced by other cultures.
Should English learners study the cultures of othernations too since English is also their mother tongue?
As so many countries and cultures have ties to theEnglish language, how should we approach the studyof a different culture in English education? Alternatively, is it enough to understand the English language
alone? I personally don’t agree with this opinion. Regardless of how much English you can understand, I
don’t think you can communicate well if you don’t havean awareness of your audience’s perspective.
The different cultures linked to English are complicated, but I think that those cultural complications arewhat make English interesting. Therefore, I initiated acourse that is not only about studying English but also
about exploring different cultures. In this year’s EngSaijo International Exchange Association
TEL(0897)52-1206

FAX(0897)52-1230

lish reading club, we are reading an anthology called

The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America.
Although it is about American immigrants, I chose it
because it has universal themes that are relevant toJapan where the non-Japanese population is growing.

I worried that my students wouldn’t be interested in
the stories of immigrants (themes that have personal
importance to me) because most English learners focus
on perfecting the language. 3 classes have passed since
the course started. The content is difficult, but eventhose with less confidence have shared their ideas during our discussions. We talk about topics that don’t
usually enter everyday conversation, so I think ourtime together is valuable. As the instructor, I am fullof gratitude for my open-minded students.
We don’t often talk about different cultures thatdeeply. We largely regard “different culture” as the“culture of another country,” but humankind’s historyof crossing borders is rather long. There are obviously
different cultural aspects within a country’s borders as
well, but it is easier to think of people within larger
categorizations of cultural identity and to ignore thecultural gradations that exist within any location.
Moreover, in Japan, people have a tendency to consider “different culture” as “gaikoku” or “gaikokujin.” Themeaning of these words are so restricting. Eventhough people know that hundreds of countries exist,
the persistent use of the word “gaikokujin,” ultimately
throws everyone into one category. There are similarities across cultures just as there are differences between people who come from the same country. Whatever your feelings toward English learning, I believe
it’s important to think more deeply about intercultural
understanding, the goal that makes the study of English even more worthwhile.

Events & Announcements＜Second International Exchange Café＞◆When: December 14（Sat.）10：00～12：00◆Where: Omachi Community Center◆Cost: 300円 (General) 200円 (Member)
100円 (Children over 3 years old)
EditorNotes

It feels like we just sent the September editionof the newsletter, but it’s already December!
Thanks to the support of everyone this year, wewere able to host several events. Thank youeveryone. It is still a little early, but have awonderful New Year!（小）

International Relations Saijo Staff
Kosugi Maiko (小)Diana Marie Linton (ダ）(English Translation)
Nguyen Bui Anh Thy (ア）Read in fullcolor！

164 Akeyashiki, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture

E-mail: kokusai@saijo-city.jp〒793-8601

URL: http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp