No. 432 January 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! ★★

Valentine’s Day Crafts & Activities

The American CIR, Alyssa, will talk about how
Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the US and give a mini
English lesson. Afterwards, participants will play a gameand make their own Valentine’s box and cards!
Date: Feb. 3rd (Sat) 10:00 – 11:30
Location: CrossPal 5th floor Exchange Hall
Fee: ¥500 per student
Age range: Elementary school and up,
elementary schoolers mustbe accompanied by an adultSign up/Contact: (From Jan. 10th) Fill out the form using
the code or TEL 025-225-2727 or email:kyokai@nief.or.jp

Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration

Celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year withfood, drinks, a performance, and a brief
introduction of the significance of this holiday in
Chinese culture.
Date: Feb. 4th (Sun) 13:00 – 15:00
Location: CrossPal 5th floor Exchange Hall
Fee: ¥1,500 (JHS students and under are free)Sign up/Contact: Fill out the form,or TEL 025-225-2727 or email: kyokai@nief.or.jp

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: Jan. 20th (Sat) 10:00 – 16:00
Location: CrossPal 3rd floor Room 306
Fee: Free!
Sign up/Contact: Call Niigata
Prefecture Administrative Scrivener
Society, Mr. Takano at 070-1189-8555

Salon Exhibit: Keep Smile Japan’s Report on
Activities in Cambodia

Keep Smile Japan, a volunteer organizationin Niigata, is sharing their recent activities in
Cambodia with a photo display. Come andlearn about how this local group is helping
people in Cambodia!
Date: Nov. 18th (Sat) – Jan. 11th (Thu) 9:00 – 17:00
Closed: Sundays and New Year’s holidays(Dec. 29th – Jan. 3rd)
Location: CrossPal 2nd floor

Mini Exhibit: Matchbox Cars

Several matchbox cars from the 1960s are on display,featuring models from around the world. All the cars weremade in England by Lesney Products.
Date: Dec. 1st (Fri) – Feb. 15th (Thu) 9:00 – 17:00
Closed: Sundays, Jan. 22nd (Mon), and New Year’s
holidays (Dec. 29th – Jan. 3rd)
Location: CrossPal 2nd floor

Tourist Spots in France Part III

The French CIR, Charles, will introduce France’s
northeastern region, including tourism, history, andculture. Learn about famous places and lesser-known
areas to explore while visiting France!
Date: Feb. 3rd (Sat) 15:00 – 16:00
Location: CrossPal 4th floor Audio-Visual Theater
Fee: Free!
Sign up/Contact: TEL 025-225-2727 oremail: kyokai@nief.or.jp

Japanese Calligraphy

Come and learn some Japanese calligraphy!
Afterwards, you can use your masterpiece tocreate a customized calendar so that you canadmire it all year.
Date: Jan. 27th (Sat) 13:30–14:30 & 14:30 –15:30
Location: CrossPal 5th floor Exchange Hall
Fee: ¥100
Spots: 16 people; Two groups of 8 people
Sign up/Contact: When you sign up, specify if you
want to be in the 13:30 group or the 14:30 group
TEL 025-225-2727 or email: kyokai@nief.or.jp

International Symposium

Ms. Sanbayashi will speak on Keep Smile Japan’s
volunteer activities in Cambodia and afterwards, speakers
from Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam will talk about
their experiences living, studying, and working in Japan
and Niigata.
Date: Jan. 13th (Sat) 14:00 – 16:00
Location: CrossPal 4th floor Audio-Visual Theater
Fee: Free!
Sign up: Email Ms. Sanbayashi at:
fukushidai2010@yahoo.co.jp
Contact: Ms. Sanbayashi, TEL 070-6989-5690

Niigata Japan-America Society Event

In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Niigata
Japan-America Society, there will be a
ceremony and talks by the U.S. Deputy Chief ofMission, Mr. Raymond F. Greene and thePresident of the America-Japan Society, Mr.
Fujisaki Ichiro. The talks will be in English
with Japanese interpretation. Afterwards, there
will be a reception dinner.
Date: Jan. 30th (Tue) 17:00 – 18:20 (Ceremony& Talks); 18:40 – 20:40 (Dinner)
Location: Hotel Italia-ken 3F San Marco(Ceremony & Talk), 12F Gondolier (Dinner)
Fee: Ceremony & Talks: Free!; Dinner: ¥7,000(members); ¥8,000 (non-members); ¥4,000(students, ages 20 and up)
Sign up: By Jan. 15th, fill out the form using
the code above
Contact: Niigata Japan-America Society
TEL 025-240-0820

Niigata English Journal

January 2024

Page 2

Goodbye message from Ms. Chen
Hello everyone,
My name is Chen Xiaoyan and I was in charge of consultation services at NIEF
from April 2020 to October 2023. Thank you all for these past 3 years and 7
months!
I am deeply grateful for all of the people I had the opportunity to meet and forthe support they provided me during my employment. I would also like to thankeveryone involved in the Chinese cooking class that I held, which received good
reviews. Thanks to everyone, I was able to make such incredible memories!
I would like to share a favorite saying of mine that describes how I feel at the
moment: 人生虽有离别日，山水应有相逢时. It means, “In life, although there
will be days of parting, just like the mountains and the rivers, we will surely meetagain.” I’m sure we will meet again somewhere! Everyone, 再見!
The days are growing colder and the Sun is setting earlier. All sorts of illnesses are making their way around, so
please take care of your health.
Chen Xiaoyan

New Year’s Emergency Facility Hours
During the New Year’s Holidays from Fri., Dec. 29th through Wed., Jan. 3rd municipal services such as theCity and Ward Offices will be closed. The following are the hours of some of the services that will be open.
Emergency Medical Hotline

Day Care Services for Sick Children
Ward
Facility Name
Days Open
Higashi

Kidokko

Akiha

Kishapoppo

Konan
Chuo

Mori no ouchi
Takenoko

12/29 - 1/3
Hours: 24 hours
For
ages
Call #7119 or
025-284-7119
15+
Ages up to
Call #8000 or
025-288-2525
14
Emergency Mental Health Hotline
24 hrs TEL 0258-24-1510

12/29 (Fri) 8am – 6pm

Emergency Medical Facilities
Facility Name

Clinic Type

12/29

12/30

12/31 (Sun) – 1/3 (Wed)Internal Medicine,

7pm – 7am

2pm – 7am

7am – 7am

Pediatrics

Emergency Medical
Center
TEL 025-246-1199

Dental Health and Welfare
Center
TEL 025-212-8020
Nishikanbara District
Holiday and Nights
Emergency Center
TEL 0256-72-5499

Orthopedics

7pm –
10pm

3pm – 9am

9am – 10pm

Gynecology,
Neurology,
Optometry, ENT

Closed9am – 6pm

Dentistry

Closed10am – 5pm

Internist,
Pediatrics

7pm – 10pm

9am – 5pm, 7pm – 10pm

Dentistry

Closed9am – 5pm

January 2024

Niigata English Journal

Page 3

Recipe Corner

Mohingar (မုနဟ့် င့််းခ ်း) is a popular noodle and fish
soup from Myanmar. This recipe was provided by Ms.
Hsu Myat Win, a Niigata resident from Palaw,
Myanmar. Enjoy this warm, comforting dish!

Ingredient

AmountIngredient

AmountToppings

Somen noodles

200 g (4 bundles)

Vegetable oil

1 TbspBoiled eggs (2)Catfish (or mackerel)

400 g (sliced)

Nam pla (fish sauce)

2 TbspCilantro

Onion

2

Water (for soup)

1,200 cc

Lemon

Garlic2 cloves

Turmeric

1 tsp

Chili pepper

Lemongrass (dried)

2 stalks

Chili pepper

1 tsp

Ajinomoto

1 tsp

Salt

2 tsp

Roasted soybean powder (kinako) 4 Tbsp

Pepper

1 tsp

Rice flour

Sugar

2 tsp

2 TbspInstructions:

Yield: 4 servings

1. Place the catfish (or mackerel) in a pot with enough water to submerge it (water not included in recipe above). Add
lemongrass (1 stalk) and turmeric, cover with a lid, and simmer for 5 minutes at low heat. Remove the fish, cool, thenslice into thin pieces (remove the skin and bones if there are any).
2. Mince the onion (1), lemon grass (1 stalk) and garlic. Slice the remaining onion. Cut the boiled eggs in half vertically.
3. Add vegetable oil to the pot, as well as the minced vegetables, chili pepper, and nam pla. Then, add the sliced fish andpepper, and stir well. Gradually add water and increase the flame to medium heat. After the water comes to a boil, add thesliced onions, ajinomoto, sugar, and salt. Add the roasted soybean flour and rice flour after first mixing with a small
amount of water so that there are no clumps. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes at medium heat.
4. In a separate pot, boil water and add the somen noodles. Boil. Rinse under running water and then remove the excesswater.
5. Transfer the noodles to a serving bowl. Pour in the soup and add the toppings (boiled eggs, cilantro, chili pepper, etc.)
as desired.

It’s time for the biannual Niigata Jazz Street! Come and enjoy a day of jazz with performances by local jazzmusicians from Niigata and surrounding prefectures. This event has performances taking place
simultaneously across multiple venues, including cafes, bars, and concert halls. Check the schedule and planout your day!
Date: January 20th (Sat) 12:00 – 23:00
Location: Cafes, bars, concert halls, etc. in the Furumachi & Niigata Station area
(check the website for more details using the code to the right)
Fee: ¥2,000 for a 1-day pass to all shows (JHS students and under are free), comes with 1 drink*Available for purchase at each venue, Ryutopia information center, and Media Ship 1F information center
Contact: Jazz FLASH, TEL 025-224-4518

January 2024

Niigata English Journal

Page 4

Classes
Japanese Courses offered by the Niigata City International Exchange Foundation
Beginner throughIntermediate 2-Classes of varying difficulties are available at different times throughout the week.
-Pricing info & the schedule for the current session are available on the NIEF
website: https://www.nief.or.jp/

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

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

(contact for info)

Every Sat.
10:00 – 11:30*except 1/6*Please register beforehandContent

Room
No.

For more info.

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.

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

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

International Cooking Class
When: Jan. 27th (Sat), Jan. 28th (Sun), Jan. 29th (Mon)
11:00-14:00
Fee: Foreign residents, students: ¥2,000Japanese citizens ¥3,800
Menu: Ehomaki sushi rolls and fermented foods – Vegetarian ehomaki sushi rolls,
malted rice natto, hot pot with sake kasu, homemade shirozake, and more!
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

Notices

PSA: Holiday Trash Collection

Free Legal Consultation for Foreign
Residents

Get free consultation on work issues, contracts,financial compensation, marriage or divorce trouble,
and more! If you need an interpreter, please let us
know and one will be provided for free.
Date: February 17th (Sat) 13:00 – 16:40
Location: CrossPal 2nd floor
Spots: 5 time slots (40 minutes per person)
Fee: Free!
Sign up: Call 025-225-2727 or email
kyokai@nief.or.jp

Due to the holidays, there will be a special collection of
burnable trash on Dec. 31st but no trash collection between Jan.
1st and 3rd. Collection services will resume on Jan. 4th (Thu).

Free Legal Consultation

Houterasu is now offering free law consultation at theMultilingual Consultation Center of Niigata. With this additional
service, foreign residents will now be able to receive free legal
consultation every month, instead of every other month.
Appointments must be made at least 5 days in advance. Please
see the “Consultation Services” table below for more details.

Consultation Services
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 (1/9) 13:00–17:00
Thai, Vietnamese, Russian

Gyoseishoshi Association of Niigata Consultation

4th Wed. of the month (1/24) 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 (1/18)
English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian
3rd Mon. of even numbered months (2/19)
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 Jan. 1st – 3rdand Jan. 22nd