NIA LETTER
Published by the Niigata International Association（NIA）

Vol.

202020. 9NIA Oﬃcial Facebook

On The Cover 2020 Exchange Student Representative Meeting（Held 2020/7/18）
The Niigata International Association appoints students who are excelling in cultural exchange activities as Exchange Student Representatives
and supports their activities. We canceled the face-to-face appointment ceremony and meeting this year to help prevent the spread of
COVID-19, and instead we held an online meeting through Zoom to share opinions and to think about future exchange activities and newexchange methods.
15 Exchange Student Representatives appointed this year participated, including 3 exchange students who had temporarily returned to theirhome countries of Korea and Indonesia.

Contents
Accessibility
Feature Language
NIA Initiatives: Simple Japanese and Pictograms■From the Consultation Window2

Foreign Resident Consultation Center of Niigata ………………………………… 5■NIA INFORMATION
Niigata International Cooperation Fund …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
ほか

Niigata International Plaza …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7

入れました■Foreign Language Tidbits / Exchange Student Comic ……………………………………………………………… 8Special Issue

Language Accessibility

Special Issue
There are currently 18,861 foreign residents in Niigata（based on the July 2020 report bythe Ministry of Justice）. Among them, 10,430 have jobs and work in the Niigata Prefecture（according to a January 2020 report from the Niigata Labor Bureau）. Many of them study
Japanese on their own after coming to Japan, and many of them also experience a language
barrier while living in an unfamiliar area. There are also those who rarely meet with Japanesenationals outside of their workplace and are looking for opportunities to become friends with locals.
How are we to communicate with each other in our multicultural society?
In this issue, we’d like to talk about two tools for this: Simple Japanese（Yasashii Nihongo ）and Pictograms.

Niigata Prefecture: Foreign Residents by Area

Niigata: 5,990

Nagaoka: 2,589
Kashiwazaki: 940
Joetsu: 1,716

Source: Website of each municipality

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Minamiuonuma: 1,086

1,000People

Whenever we announce something important for foreign residents on our website or Facebookpage, we use“Simple Japanese”（Yasashii Nihongo ）.
Right now, we are especially focusing on making sure to use Simple Japanese for any
information related to the special stimulus payments or COVID-19. Simple Japanese is usefulwhen posting about information that has a lot of complicated expressions.

← Facebook

１．What is“Simple Japanese”?

↓ NIA Website

Special Issue: Simple Japanese

NIA Initiative #1: Simple Japanese（Yasashii Nihongo ）We held training on Simple Japanese!

Many foreign residents in the Kansai area were injured
during the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995. One of thepotential causes brought up was that many of them could
not easily access emergency information. Today,“SimpleJapanese”is in use on local government websites andpamphlets.

２．How to Use“Simple Japanese”
Original Japanese
在住外国人向けの多言語情報です。

“Emergency Support for Foreign Residents”（Hosted by NIA 2018/12）
We covered Simple Japanese to use during emergency situations.

The“Yasashii ”of Yasashii Nihongo

Simple Japaneseに ほん

日本にす

住んでいるいろいろなくに国のがいこくじん

外国人のこと ば言葉でみなさんへ。
し“Yasashii”has two meanings inJapanese. The first is to be simple andeasy to understand, and the second is tobe kind or friendly.

お知らせします。
Key Points of Simple Japanese

NIA is still learning too!
Why not try out Simple Japanese?

① Determine what to convey② Keep sentences short③ Rephrase with simple words④ Add furigana for kanji

Source:
CLAIR Multicultural Coexistence Portal Site,“The Age of Multicultural Coexistence 2.0”（2019/11/5）
http://www.clair.or.jp/tabunka/portal/reading/col-tabunka2.0-23.html

3NIA Initiative #2: Pictograms
Special Issue: Pictograms

There is a way to communicate simple messages with speakers of other languages! You canfind messages in pictograms around the Niigata International Plaza. Pictograms are designed
to communicate simple messages with just a glance, and you can see them all over the world.

Try Using Them Like This!
You can use pictograms to communicate simple messages to visitors to yourfacility, such as places where entry is forbidden or requests to use caution.
We looked for pictograms around Toki Messe!

１．Pictograms in the Wild Around Toki Messe

１２

３

４

１．Bandaijima Art Museum Signboard ４．Restroom Facilities
２．Water Shuttle Station 		
５．Sado Kisen Terminal
３. Vending Machines

Situations Where Pictograms Are Useful
If you notice someone having trouble getting somewhere or finding
something, try to find nearby pictograms. If you can signal to pictograms

５with your hands or find a pictogram of their destination on a map, you
can communicate even if you do not speak the same language.
Pictograms arealso a useful tool

２．The Origin of Pictograms in JapanThe first sport pictograms in history were firstannounced at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 sothat people from around the world could enjoy
the games, regardless of what language theyspoke. Today, pictograms are used by people
all around the world.

country!
What pictograms arearound you? Try searchingfor pictograms in places
you live or work!

Source:MLIT

Informational Symbols（JIS Z8210）（2019/7/20）

https://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/barrierfree/sosei_barrierfree_tk_000145.html

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if you visit anotherForeign Resident Consultation Center of Niigata

What types of problems are foreign residents having?

2019 Consultation statistics

Immigration
The Foreign Resident Consultation Center of Niigata opened inProcedures
OtherOctober 2019 and has received about 60 consultations per
28%
40%month. It received approximately 500 consultations in 2019,
including those from before it was officially established.
Labor
14%
The most common languages for consultations were Japanese,
Childcare
Chinese, Filipino, and English. The most common types of1%
Education
consultations were related to immigration procedures（such asTaxes/7%Pension
changes to residency status）,
2%
Housing
Personallabor, child education, and4%4%personal（such as marriage ordivorce）.
The number of consultations related to COVID-19 has risen from Februaryof this year, reaching a total of 59（as of End of July）. Consultations for
COVID-19 included those related to residency status and immigration
procedures, procedures for those who suspected they were infected, andthe system for receiving stimulus payments such as the one-time stimulus
or business continuation payments.
COVID-19 Prevention Measures in Use

Foreign Resident Consultation Center of Niigata● Consultation Scope: Residence/visa status, jobs, education, healthcare, welfare, other consultations and information
provision about living in Japan in general※ Please not we do not translate official documents, assist with translation or interpretation for individual or businesspurposes, or dispatch interpreters to other locations● Consultation Methods: We accept consultations in person, by phone, and by email※ Appointments not necessary, consultations are free（normal phone rates may apply）
Address: Niigata-shi, Chuo-ku, Bandaijima 5-1, Bandaijima Bldg. 2nd Floor
Phone: 025-241-1881
Email: nia10@niigata-ia.or.jp● Consultation Hours: Monday-Friday, 10:00-17:00（Reception ends at 16:30）

Consultation Hours by Language
Japanese

MondayTuesday

WednesdayThursdayFriday10:00 ～ 17:00

10:00 ～ 17:00

10:00 ～ 17:00

10:00 ～ 17:00

10:00 ～ 17:00

10:00 ～ 14:00

10:00 ～ 17:00

Chinese10:00 ～ 17:00

English

10:00 ～ 14:00

Filipino

10:00 ～ 14:00

Thai

10:00 ～ 17:00

Vietnamese

10:00 ～ 16:00

Spanish

10:00 ～ 14:00

Portuguese
Other Languages

From the Consultation Window Foreign Resident Consultation Center of Niigata

From the Consultation WindowForeign Resident
Consultation Center ofNiigata Official Facebook

10:00 ～ 14:00
10:00 ～ 17:00

with the use of interpretation software● Specialist Consultations: Specialists from different fields will be available for consultations
Education: Every Tuesday10:00 ～ 17:00（Japanese, English, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese）
Administrative Scrivener（Gyosei-shoshi ）: 4th Wednesday of the Month 10:00 ～ 17:00（Japanese, Chinese）
Immigration Procedures： 2nd Tuesday of the Month13:00 ～ 17:00（Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese）
Legal Consultation: 3rd Thursday of Odd Months 13:00 ～ 17:00（Japanese, English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese）※ Schedule subject to change.

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NIA INFORMATION
Niigata International Cooperation Fund

Niigata International Cooperation Fund
The Niigata International Association supports individuals and private organizations engaged in international
cooperation activities by way of the Niigata International Cooperation Fund.
Previously, the fund has been used to support

a number of NPO projects such as

education and job training

in a children’s home in Vietnam and to support agricultural community maintenance in Heilongjiang, China.
These activities are supported by donations from around the prefecture.
International Cooperation Fund Mascot
Earth-kun

More Information Here!

Support Activities in Vietnam

Donations To Date:＼ 15,953,436 Yen ／Donation Box
Locations in Niigata asagawa NagareSYuhi Kaikan

 ado InformationSCenter iigataFurusatoNVillage Appeal Hall
NiigataScienceMuseum
 orthern Culture
NMuseum
TSUBAMESANJORegional Industries
Promotion Center he Niigata PrefecturalT
Museum of Modern Art
La Napu miterasuU
NadachiDonation boxMarine
Dream Nou

132 Donation Boxes in the
Prefecture Total（At Road Stations, Onsens, etc.）

There’s One Here Too!
There is a donation box in the Earth-kun monument at Toki Messe,
where NIA is headquartered.
Keep an eye out for it if you visit!
Donation box in the Earth-kun monument

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NIA INFORMATION

Niigata International Plaza
Access to Toki Messe【By Car】 5 Minutes from Niigata Station

Toki Messe

Parking Lots A-E Free for 60 Minutes【By Bus】15 Minutes from Niigata Station
Departs from Bandai Terminal 3
Take bus for「Toki Messe / Sado Kisen」【 Other 】 10 minutes from Niigata Station by bikeoare als
There nsulates,, co
offices rt museum!
anadan25 minutes from Niigata Station on footNiigata International Plaza
２FInternational Plaza

You can see all ofNiigata city fromthe Observation
Deck!

Address：Niigata-shi, Chuo-ku, Bandaijima 5-1
Bandaijima Bldg. 2nd Floor（In Toki Messe）
H o u r s：Monday to Friday, 9:00a.m-5:30p.m（Closed weekends, holidays, and NewYear’s）

Things to Try at the Niigata
International Plaza
Anyone can use the multipurpose space for free. We
also lend out materials from the plaza to oursupporting members.

COVID-19 Countermeasures in Place
We are using increased ventilation, hand sanitizer,and partitions to help reduce the risk of spreading
COVID-19.

１２３

４

１
２
３４International Plaza
Foreign Magazines
Library Corner
Picture Book Corner

Plaza Fair
The Niigata International Plaza holds Plaza Fairs tomatch with seasonal events and events held by TokiMesse. We have a photobooth and a world clothing
exhibition!
１

２

３

４

１ Chinese New Year（January）
２ Maslenitsa（February）
３ Summer Break Fair（August）
４ Christmas Fair（December）

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Foreign Language Tidbits Vol.1

Simple phrases to use onsocial media!

Foreign Language Tidbits / Exchange Student Comic

ChineseIf you get a like on Facebook orInstagram:』『点賛（点赞）Refers to a like or thumbs up on social media.
Read as diǎn zàn.

「谢谢给我点赞！」（“Thank you for the like!”）EnglishLine Conversation
When thanked by another:『NP』

A「Thanks！」

An abbreviation of "no problem.”Often used in
response to a thanks.

Exchange Student Comic

B「NP」（“No problem.”）A foreign exchange student introduces
an experience from their life in Japanthrough manga!

～ Message from the Author ～My name is Kohane, from Malaysia. I am currently a student at Japan Animation and Manga College. I was interested inJapanese culture from the time I was a kid. Living in Japan can be hard, but there are fun things too ! I want to becomea professional manga author in the future!

Vol. 5
Title:In Japan, people
sometimes have parties
where they maketakoyaki with theirfriends or family.

Did you
really use
chocolate?

I checked on theWe’ll be fine!
Time to eat!

It tastes
surprisingly
good! A bit
like a waffle!

internet and foundall sorts ofingredients to use!

『TakoyakiParty』
Test taste.

Pen Name:

KohaneMalaysia
Japan Animation andManga College（JAM）,Manga Illustration MasterCourse（3rd year）

12■ Published by the Niigata International Association
83Bandaijima Bldg.（Toki Messe）2F, 5-1 Bandaijima, Chuo-ku, Niigata City 950-0078
Phone: 025-290-5650 Fax: 025-249-8122 Email: nia21c@niigata-ia.or.jp
Website: https://www.niigata-ia.or.jp

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