No. 438 July 2024

Niigata English Journal
Edited & Issued by the Niigata City International Exchange Foundation
Mail magazine: Email us to receive this newsletter every month★★ Subscribe to stay up to date! ★★

English Activity: Animal Mask Making
Come and learn the names of animals and the sounds
that they make! This event includes a mini English
lesson with games, followed by a crafting session
where participants will make their own animal mask.
Date: July 13th (Sat) 10:30 – 12:00
Location: CrossPal 5th Floor, Exchange HallFee: ¥300 per child (elementary schoolers andup; children must be accompanied by an adult)
Spots: 10 groups (child(ren) and adult)
Sign up/Contact: TEL 025-225-2727 or fill out theform using the code above

Free Administrative Scrivener Consultation

Get free consultation on visa qualifications, applying
for permanent residency, doing business in Japan, carregistration, traffic accident compensation, and more!
Date: July 19th (Fri) 10:00 – 16:00
Location: CrossPal 3rd Floor, Room 309
Fee: Free!
Sign up: Call Niigata Prefecture
Administrative Scrivener Society,
Mr. Takano at 070-1189-8555

Japanese Home Visit for International StudentsReading Time in Chinese and Russian
Native Chinese and Russian speakers will read picture
books out-loud and teach games and activities using
their native languages. This a great opportunity to learn
about Chinese and Russian language and culture!
Date: July 26th (Fri) 11:00 – 11:45
Location: Hon Port Library, Beans Room
Fee: Free!
Ages: 3 years and up (with guardian)Sign up: No need to sign up
Contact: TEL 025-246-7700 (Hon Port)

Salon Exhibit: Cambodia Photo Exhibition
Come and see photos of life in Cambodia! Thisexhibition features photos Cambodia’s capital city,Phnom Penh, Cambodian food, and people’s daily lives.
Date: June 19th (Wed) – July 13th (Sat) 9:00 – 17:00
Closed: Sundays and holidays
Location: NIEF Exchange Salon (CrossPal 2nd floor)

Are you an international student? Do you want to get
to know Japanese people in Niigata and experience
what Japanese houses are like? Sign up to visit aJapanese family at their home and learn about Japanesecustoms and culture!
Date: July 27th (Sat) 10:00 – 16:00
Eligibility: International students living inNiigata City (university, junior college,vocational school students, etc.)
Fee: ¥300 (for insurance)
Spots: 20 people (lottery system will be
implemented if more than 20 peopleapply)
Sign up: Fill out the form using the code
Contact: TEL: 025-225-2727, email: kyokai@nief.or.jp

Free Japanese Language for Work

Free online Japanese lessons are available
for foreign residents who would like toimprove their Japanese for work. Applicantsmust apply through Hello Work and take theplacement test. Classes are from July/Aug
until Sept/Oct.

Niigata Matsuri Folk Dance

Niigata Matsuri returns again this year, including the infamous traditional mass folk dance (min’yo nagashi)!
We’re looking for foreign residents to join us in the dance and enjoy Niigata’s tradition. A dance lesson andyukata will be provided for participants! Sizes vary, so if you have your own yukata, please use it. Volunteers will
help to put on the yukata, so don’t worry if you don’t know how to put one on. Please wear comfortable shoesthat you can dance in, as well as clothes that are easy to change out of for the yukata.
Date: August 9th (Fri)
Location: CrossPal
Spots: 150 spots
Fee: ¥500 per person
Sign up: Scan the code and fill out the form
Contact: Call 025-225-2727 or email
kyokai@nief.or.jp

Schedule (Aug. 9):
15:30 – 17:30: Check in (2nd floor)
15:30 – 18:00: Dress up in yukata
16:00 – 18:15: Dance lesson
19:00 – 20:30: Folk dance!

July 2024

Niigata English Journal

Page 2

New at NIEF
Meet the Niigata International Exchange Foundation’s (NIEF)
newest staff member, Mr. Tōyama Satoru! He wrote a few
words to greet everyone:
I worked at the Niigata City International Affairs Division fora year and a half as a temporary employee until March of thisyear. Then in April 2024, I became an employee at NIEF.
I am originally from Aichi Prefecture and it has been 5 years
since I moved to my wife’s hometown of Niigata. At first, I
was bewildered by the quickly changing weather and large
amounts of snow found on the Sea of Japan side of Japan.
However, now I really enjoy being surrounded by nature andfeeling the passing of the seasons through the changing
scenery and seasonal foods.
During my time as an undergraduate student, I studied cultural anthropology and as a graduate
student, I researched a community of Arab minorities living in Türkiye. In Turkish, there is a sayingthat goes, “Mountains cannot meet other mountains, but people can meet other people (Dağ dağakavuşmaz, insan insana kavuşur)”. (This same saying also exists in Swahili, a language spoken on thecoast of East Africa.) Through my work, I will strive to be proactive in interacting with everyone
engaging in international exchange and international cooperation, including foreign residents, andcherish the encounters I have each day. I look forward to meeting and working with all of you.
Tōyama Satoru

Nuttari Town Walk
The Bandai High School ESS Club is hosting a town walk through Nuttari, complete with a calligraphy
lesson and lunch. This tour is for foreign residents of Niigata City, including both students and workers.
Schedule
09:45 – 10:00 - Check in
10:00 – 10:10 - Opening session
Sign up here! Deadline: July 8 (Mon)
10:10 – 10:50 - Japanese Calligraphy
11:00 – 12:30 - Rice ball (onigiri) making & lunch
13:00 – 14:30 - Town walk
14:40 - Closing session
Date: July 13th (Sat) 10:00 – 15:00
Fee: 400 yen (lunch & insurance fee)
Meeting place: Bandai High School entrance (nearest bus stop is Bandai Koukou Mae; parking is alsoavailable in the school’s parking lot)
Note: Please wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty (forcalligraphy)
Contact: email: ohana2036@gmail.com, TEL: 090-5556-3559

July 2024

Niigata English Journal

Page 3

Jing Jiang Rou Si (Pork with Peking Sauce)
Jing jiang rou si is a traditional dish from Beijing made from pork loin strips
simmered in sauce. It’s said to have originated from the infamous dish, Peking
Duck. This dish is commonly eaten with tofu wraps but you can also enjoy itwith spring rolls.
This recipe was featured in a Chinese cooking class taught by Ms. Chen
Xiaoyan, a Niigata resident and Hangzhou native, last year and uses chicken
instead of pork. If you prefer the traditional pork to chicken, you can easily
swap it out.
Ingredients (Serves 4 people)
Chicken thighs (or pork) 500 g SaltA pinch
Egg white
1 Cooking sake1 TbspTofu skin (干豆腐)
3 Dark soy sauce
1 TbspCarrot
1 Tianmian sauce (Sweet bean sauce) 2 Tbsp
Cucumber
2 Oyster sauce
1 TbspLong green onion
1 Light soy sauce
1 Tbsp
Garlic3 cloves Sugar
1 tsp
Water
1 Tbsp Potato starch dissolved in water(50 cc water + 1 Tbsp potato starch)
Oil
2 Tbsp White sesame seeds(sprinkled on top)

1. Make the tofu wraps
Cut the carrot, cucumber, and long green onion into long strips and wrap tightly in the tofu skin (becareful not to tear the skin). Cut diagonally into 8 pieces. Arrange the wraps around the edge of plateleaving the center empty, as shown in the photo above.
2. Mince the garlic. Prepare the potato starch water.
3. Slice the chicken (or pork) into fine strips and season with salt, cooking sake, and dark soy sauce.
After the meat is fully coated in the seasoning, add egg white and mix well. Then, add 1 tsp of oil(separate from ingredient list) and mix well.
4. Prepare the sauce.
Place the tianmian sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, light soy sauce, and water into a bowl. Mix well.
5. Heat oil in a fry pan, add the minced garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the seasoned meat from step 3and fry.
After the meat is fully cooked, add the sauce from step 4, boil, add the potato starch water, and thicken
the sauce.
6. Place the meat from step 5 in the center of the plate with the tofu wraps and top with white sesame.
Enjoy~♪

Myanmar Cooking Lesson
Learn how to cook Myanmar food from Myanmar natives! Dishes
include pork and fermented black bean paste curry, fried water spinach,lentil soup, and more. Eggs and tea will also be served with the meal.
When: August 4th (Sun) 11:30 – 13:30
Where: Crosspal 5th floor Cooking Room
Fee: ¥1500 (adults) ¥1000 (ages 15 and under)
Spots: 30 people
What to bring: Apron
Contact: Thandar, email: thandarmin540@gmail.com

Sign up here!

Niigata English Journal

July 2024

Page 4Classes
Japanese Courses offered by the Niigata City International Exchange Foundation
Beginner through-Classes of varying difficulties are available at different times throughout the week.

Ms. Kiyoko Tanaka

Intermediate 2-Pricing info & the schedule for the current session are available on the NIEF website:
https://www.nief.or.jp/Tel: (025) 225-2727

Japanese Study Support Group for Children & Students: NicoPal Club (Free of charge)
Day of the Week & Hours

RoomNo.

Every Wed. (contact for info)
Every Sat. 10:00 – 11:30*except 7/13
*Please register beforehand

202

Please contact Ms. Tanaka for more information.

201

This Japanese study circle offers support to children in the international
community who are struggling with Japanese and other school studies.

ContentVolunteer JapaneseClasses

For more info.
Ms. Kiyoko Tanaka
Tel: (025) 225-2727

International Cooking Class
There will be no classes held in May, June, or July. Classes will resume inAugust, so make sure to check the August edition of English Journal for information on
the next class!

https://www.nief.or.jp/en/jcvg

Where: Ms. Ueno’s residence (3-4-16 Ogijima, Akiha Ward)
For more info/sign-up: TEL: 0250-24-6859 (Ms. Ueno) – Please sign up at least three days before class

Information

Niigata Jazz Street

Niigata Arts and Culture Development Project

It’s time for the biannual Niigata Jazz Street!
Date: July 13th (Sat) & July 14th (Sun)
12:00 – 23:00 (varies by location)
Location: Cafes, bars, and concert halls
in the Furumachi & Niigata Station area
Fee: ¥2,000 for a 1-day pass to all shows

This project promotes the arts throughout Niigata byencouraging citizens to be proactive members in the art
and cultural arts community. It is supported by theJapanese Agency for Cultural Affairs. Visit the website tosee what events and performances are scheduled near you.

Hakusan Shrine Tanabata Windchime Festival
Featuring over 1,000 windchimes! Paper lanterns andNiigata’s iconic Taiguruma will be lit at night.
Date: June 30th – July 18thLocation: Hakusan Shrine, Chuo Ward
Fee: Free!

Learn Sado’s traditional dance, the Sado Okesa. This same dance
will be performed at the Niigata Matsuri in August. Beginners arewelcome and there’s no need to sign up in advance. Just show up insomething easy to move in and have a good time! (Lessons cancelledif it rains.)
When: May 10th – August 30th on Fridays, 18:00 – 21:00
Where: Bandai Terrace Hajimari Hiroba
Fee: Free!

Sado Okesa Dance Lessons*See website for more details

Niigata Help Association

Everyday 10:00 – 23:00
English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Thai, etc.

TEL: 025-228-2212

Niigata International Association TEL: 025-241-1881
Email: nia21c@niigata-ia.or.jp URL: https://www.niigata-ia.or.jp/

Weekdays 10:00 – 17:00
English, Russian, Chinese, Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese,Spanish, Portuguese

Helpline for Foreigners

Press 2 after the Japanese guidance

TEL: 0120-279-338 (toll-free)

Niigata Medical Care Information Network

URL: http://qq.niigata-iyaku.jp/

Hello Work, Foreigner Advisory Service TEL: 025-280-8609
Niigata Misaki Godo Chosha #2 (1-2-1 Misaki-cho, Chuo Ward, Niigata City)
Immigration Bureau Consultation

2nd Tue. of the month (7/9) 13:00–17:00
Thai, Vietnamese, Russian

Gyoseishoshi Association of Niigata Consultation

4th Wed. of the month (7/24) 10:00–17:00
Chinese, Russian

Free Legal Consultation for Foreign Residents
Length of Consultation: 40 minutes per person

Houterasu Free Legal Consultation for Foreign Residents
Length of Consultation: 40 minutes per person

Education Consultation

3rd Thur. of odd numbered months (7/18)
13:00–17:00 English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian
3rd Mon. of even numbered months (8/19)
13:00 – 17:00
English, Filipino
Every Tue. 13:00–17:00
English, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, RussianEnglish, Chinese, Korean
1st – 4th Wed 13:00 – 16:00
English & Chinese

Make a reservation by phone or email in advance.
Place: Multilingual Consultation Center of Niigata(formerly Foreign Resident Consultation
Center)(2nd floor of Toki Messe)
Contact: TEL: 025-241-1881
Email: nia10@niigata-ia.or.jp

Edited and Issued by the Niigata City International Exchange Foundation
3-2086 Ishizuecho-dori, Chuo Ward, Niigata City 951-8055
Homepage: https://www.nief.or.jp/
Tel: (025) 225-2727
E-mail: kyokai@nief.or.jp(Written and edited by Alyssa Williams & Ayako Homma)

CrossPal will beclosed July 22nd