OFIX NEWS
Osaka Foundation of International Exchange News

Notice103

vol.

Jan 15, 2023

■ New Year's Impressions for 2023
■ Volunteer Interpreter and Translation
Training Report■ Counselor Training Session forForeigners Report■ Global Voices

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January 2023

Official Character

Bora-chan

New Year's Impressions for 2023

Osaka Foundation of International Exchange

Happy New Years!
This year’s Chinese zodiac sign is the rabbit. Rabbits are known
for their docility and calmness, and are also a symbol of safety. In
some cultures they also represent leaps in improvement due to theirprowess in jumping.
Japanese has beautiful words for each season, for example,welcoming the new year is called “Geishun,” which means
welcoming spring instead of just waiting for it to come. At last year’s
soccer World Cup, videos of origami cranes left in the Japaneseplayer’s locker rooms and the Japanese fans cleaning up the stadium
were seen throughout the whole world, leading to an outpouring ofpraise for the “kind” and “respectful” heart shown.
The spread of the COVID-19 disrupted international exchange
activities and travel for the past three years, but since the end oflast year, restrictions around the world and in Japan have finallybeen eased and many overseas tourists, students, and workers have
gradually returned to Japan.

Hidetaka Yoshikawa, Chairman

With the return of visiters and new
residents from abroad, I am convinced thatwhat is needed is more projects providing
multilingual information and support byplaces such as our Osaka Foundation forInternational Exchange. Cultural exchange
and businesses will be more active than ever in preparation for theupcoming Osaka-Kansai Expo in 2025.
We would like to promote Japan as a safe place to vacation,
study, and work by providing easy-to-understand information
on Japanese language, daily customs, and culture, as well as
information and answers to inquiries about disaster prepardness,
all while maintaining a spirit of hospitality. Our entire staff willcontinue to work hard together this year, and we ask for yourfurther understanding and cooperation in this endeavor.

"I want to do something for the children and students in Osaka!""I want to practice and use my Japanese!" and "I want many people to know my country and people!"Why don't you introduce your country to the children of Osaka?

OFIX International Understanding Education
Foreign Supporters Wanted!
Official Character Bora-chan

Would you like to introduce your country's history, culture and share your traditional clothing, musicalinstruments or games with the students of Osaka and contribute to making multicultural coexistance a
reality in Japan? We are always looking for more OFIX Cross-Cultural Awareness Education Supporters!

Who can become a Cross-Cultural AwarenessEducation Supporter?
1. F oreign nationals or those with roots abroad, living, studying, or working in the Kansai region
2. Those who want to introduce their country at schools in Osaka Prefecture
3. Those who have Japanese ability to present in Japanese (N3)* Permission to engage in activities outside your status of residence might be required depending on your status of residence.
* We will give you an honorarium of 6,000 yen (including transportation and tax) per school visit.

For details, please refer to "Supporter Activities"
https://www.ofix.or.jp/supporters/

Osaka Foundation of International Exchange (OFIX)
5th Floor, MyDome Osaka, 2-5 Hommachibashi, Chuo-ku,Osaka 540-0029
TEL: 06-6966-2400 FAX: 06-6966-2401 E-mail: info@ofix.or.jp

OFIX Volunteer Interpreter Translator Training Report
Volunteer Interpreter Translator Trainingin time of disaster for International Students ofMomoyama Gakuin University (St. Andrew's University)
On Tuesday, November 29, training was held for international students from
Momoyama Gakuin University. We signed a cooperative agreement with theuniversity to provide students with disaster preparedness interpreter/tanslator
volunteer opportunities. 18 people participated in the training.
In the first half, we watched a disaster prevention video provided by Sendai
Tourism Convention and International Association, "What should we do if
there is an Earthquake!?" and discussed in groups how to be prepared in caseof an actual earthquake. In the latter half of the session, participants practiced
interpretation role-plays that simulate actual volunteer activities.
About this training, participants commented, "It was useful because there are
not many earthquakes in my country," "It was a good experience because I could
imagine what kind of advise I would receive in the event of an actual disaster,"and "I learned some Japanese words that are not used in everyday speach such as"temporary housing," "rationing," and "hot food distribution," etc.

Community Interpreter Volunteer Training 2022
On Friday, December 9, Mr. Eiji Tamura, Chief Senior Staff of the Suita Child Family Center in Osaka Prefecture, Ms.
Asuka Iwaki, Deputy Executive Secretary General Affairs of the Minoh Association for Global Awareness, and Ms.
Makiko Mizuno, Professor of the Department of English, College of Humanities at Kinjo Gakuin University wereinvited to give lectures about "The Need for Interpreters at Child and Family Centers", "Community Interpreters
and Their Roles", and "Interpretation Skill Training Theory and Practice", and to facilitate practical role plays.
We learned about the need for interpreter support with specific locations in mind and were exposed to thecurrent situation surrounding community interpreters as revealed by actual data trends. It was an opportunity for
us to rethink how we should act as community interpreters, including the need to be careful because as intepreters
we can be deeply involved in privacy and are the only ones in the conversation
merhabaHalloSveikiwho understand both languages. We also learned about foundational abilities
Ahojsuch as how to train memory and how to use interpreting memos effectively
and other methods to improve interpreting performance. During the role play,CiaoHolaHallå
participants were divided into Chinese, Korean, and English, and challenged
to interpret conversations with native staff in real-life situations. The 24participants were able to have fun while also learning.

The First Training in 2022 for Counselors and Interpreters
On Friday, November 11, we invited Mrs. Muramatsu from the Hyogo International Association to give us a lecture
and run a workshop titled "Preparing Counselors and Interpreters - Biestek's Seven Principals". She summarized
the roles required for counseling people with foreign roots, and further introduced the "Biestek's Seven Principals,"
which allows for analysis of the feelings of consulters based on seven indicators. Interspersed with group work,
we shared what we felt from each other's experiences, which helped us to better understand the lecture content.
She advised that the counselors themselves, who have the role of hearing about other people's hardship, can beat risk for things such as "burnout and secondary injury" and that there are things they should keep in mind on aregular basis. At the end of the session, we experienced "peer counseling" in which we listened to each other withfellow counselors and received hints on points we had questions about on a daily basis. The 14 attendees had a fun
and meaningful time together, and the day was a great reminder of how wonderful it is for people to come together
in a real way. The next meeting will be held on Friday, January 27, 2023.

INOFIX

Osaka Information Servicefor Foreign Residents
A free consultation service for foreign residents.

TEL

06-6941-2297【Consultation Hours】【Languages available】
Monday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (excluding holidays)
English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese,
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Filipino, Thai, Indonesian, Nepali, Japanese, Russian, Ukrainian(excluding holidays)【E-mail】j ouhou-c@ofix.or.jp Second and fourth Sundays of each month: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
(only in Japanese and English)【Professional Consultation】【FAX】06-6966-2401 
Professional consultations and labor consultations with a(only in Japanese and English)
public notary or lawyer【URL】https://www.ofix.or.jp/life/japanese/*Appointment required

Global Voices

Name:

Thomas Fujita
Nationality:

Brazil
Self-introduction:

I’m from Sao Paulo, Brazil. I love reading andlistening to music. Relaxing with a good bookand a warm cup of coffee is my favorite activity.

Why did you decide to come to Japan?
I am half Japanese and half Brazilian. I came to Japanbecause I wanted to know more about my roots.

Was there anything that surprised you
when you came to Osaka?

Were there any problems you faced
when you came to Osaka?

I was surprised by the people of Osaka. I’ve lived inother parts of Japan before, but it was a shock at firstto see how easy it was to talk to people in Osaka andMy bicycle has been stolen. Before I came to Osaka, I
hardly locked my bicycle, and when I went to Osaka,
my bicycle was stolen. After that, when I went to thehow energetic they all are.

police but, they just got mad at me.

How do you feel about being a supporter?
Japanese people don’t know much about Brazil otherthan soccer and samba. When I go to a school, I feel
healed by the inquisitive faces of the children.

Ingredients:

Thomas’s recommended:

Brazilian pancake
It is minced meat, sauce and cheese
wrapped in a savory pancake. It isdelicious when eaten with rice.

• 2 eggs• 300 g of minced meat• 300 ml of milk• 120 g of flour• 250 g meat sauce• CheeseRecipe:
1. Mix the wheat, eggs and milk with a mixer until creamy.
2. Put oil in a pot and when it gets hot, add the minced meat andfry until the moisture is gone. Add salt to your taste.
3. When it dries, leave a little (about 50g) meat sauce in thecan while adding the rest to the pan and mix with meat. Thisfinishes the filling.
4. In a new pan, apply a little oil and heat it over medium heat.
After that, take the cream mixture with a ladle and put it in thefrying pan little by little. After the bottom part is cooked, flip itover.
5. Put cooked meat and cheese in the middle of the pancake androll it up.
6. Pour the meat sauce left over in the can over the top, sprinkle
grated cheese if you like, and bake in the oven or microwave
for 2-3 minutes to complete.

OFIX Has Produced a Promotional Video!

“OFIX For Life in Osaka”
OFIX has produced a promotional video focusing on our main activities: ourconsultation service at the Osaka Information Service for Foreign Residents,
the activities of our Cross-Cultural Awareness Education Supporters andthe Sakai International Hall (Orion House) in Osaka Prefecture.
Writer / Director: Mana Yasuda
Cast: Shanti Miyata Dash, Sunny Francis, and others.

You can also watch it on the OFIX YouTube channel!

SYNOPSIS

Harisha (the main character) moved toOsaka with her family of three, hermother from Osaka and her father from India, and since she could not speak
Japanese, she spent her days being lonely and helping her father in his Indian
restaurant. One day, an international student from Orion International House
comes to the restaurant and tells her about OFIX. With OFIX's help, she isable to find a place to learn
Japanese. By learning Japanese,
Harisha and her father start tofeel more at home in Osaka. It
is a heartwarming story abouta family with foreign roots
living in Osaka.

https://www.youtube.com/@ofix_jp

It will be broadcast on cable TV (J:COM channel 11)
from January 1 (New Year's Day)!
*Scheduled to be broadcast until March 2023.
Broadcasting time differs depending on the area. For details,
please refer to the J:COM website (Program Guide).
https://www2.myjcom.jp/tv/

Writer/Director: Mana Yasuda
Director and Writer. Born in Nara, and lives in Osaka Prefecture. Directed the following
works: "The Switch to Happiness" which is a movie about a family that owns an appliancestore featuring Juri Ueno and Kenji Sawada, "TUNA GIRL" a coming-of-age story featuring
Fuka Koshiba who is raising Pacific Bluefin Tuna at Kinki University, and “Parents' Day”
which is an experimental short film by Reiko Kataoka. 
https://yasudamana.com/

We are looking for supporting members!

AccessAnnual membership: 50,000 yen for corporate members,
3,000 yen for individual members
https://www.ofix.or.jp/donate/◆Provision of OFIX's printed materials, reports and otherpublications free of charge or on a priority basis

https://www.ofix.or.jp/banners/English page: 5,500 JPY banner/monthhttps://www.ofix.or.jp/english/banners/

For comments and suggestions, go to▶info@ofix.or.jp

12Naka Oe
4ElementarySchool
Naka OePark
Osaka Chamberof Commerceand Industry

Tanimachi LineJapanese page: 11,000 JPY banner/month〒Hanshin Expressway

Want your banner to shine on our page?

SakaiSuji Ave.

Donations to public interest foundations are eligible for tax benefits

Sakaisuji Line

◆50% off banner advertisements (for corporate memberswith two or more accounts)

5Tanimachi Ave.

◆OFIX News (quarterly) containing information on OFIX'sactivities and international exchange

Tosabori St.
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Temmabashi〒Sta.
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Ave.

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Sta.

4〒Hommachi
St.
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Osaka Foundation of International Exchange (OFIX)
JICA Osaka Desk @OFIX

TEL：06 - 6966 -2400
E-mail：jicadpd-desk-osakafu@jica.go.jp

公益財団法人

大阪府国際交流財団

Osaka Foundation of International Exchange

5th Floor, MyDome Osaka, 2-5 Hommachibashi,
Chuo-ku, Osaka 540-0029
TEL: 06-6966-2400 FAX: 06-6966-2401
E-mail: info@ofix.or.jp▶ OFIX News Back Numbers

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