Issued in September 2005

Welcome to IUJ and UMEX

UMEX holds about 130 members and is supported by students, housewives, local government officials, businessmen and self-employed workers; and encompasses members from the early 20s to 70s of age. Thiswide diversity underpins various activities undertaken by UMEX, allowinginternational students to attain well-balanced understanding of theJapanese culture and society

Upcoming Events
Sep 30Friday Salon Gathering

Oct 2

Rice Harvesting

Oct 9

Hakkaisan Mountain Climbing

Oct 16

Exchanging Friendship to thechildren

UMEX annual events in autumn suchas the workshop for cross-cultural understanding will be announced at October.

UMEX provides the following
programs.
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.
7.

Helping with your questions on
every day life
Offering the Japanese/English
Language Program
Arranging the Home-stay/Home-visit Programs
Offering Japanese Cultureclasses such as Tea Ceremony,Flower Arrangement andCalligraphy.
Explaining how holidays arecelebrating in Japan, forexample New Year.
Serve as a source of
information of upcoming
activities in the neighborhood.
Having Country Presentation
Series by IUJ students, and soon.

What is UMEX?
UONUMA Association for Multicultural Exchange (called UMEX) was set up in May
2002 by the local people and IUJ staff to foster multicultural interaction, support foreign
residents and enhance Japanese people’s
awareness of foreign cultures. Furthermore,
UMEX through its various activities in association with the local people helps IUJ students
experience “Japan” and thus enrich theirknowledge about Japanese people, their culture and social life.
Though IUJ is located in Japan as lots of students say they cannot “feel” real Japan here.
It is the result of huge cultural diversity ofcoming students and the fact that common
language of IUJ is English. Before UMEX wasestablished lots of students left IUJ without
experiencing what is the tea ceremony, ikebana or kimono.
UMEX in short acts as a cultural bridge between the international students of IUJ andthe local community of UONUMA.
For further information, access the reportsection in UMEX homepage at
http://www.umex.ne.jp/E/

UMEX salon in SD 3
Members gather twice a week in the UMEX
salon is located at the IUJ Student Dormitory
No.3 (SD3) on the 1st floor. The salon is
open every Tuesday and Friday, from 13:00— 15:00 and 19:00 — 20:30 respectively.

Chat in English gathering held once a monthat UMEX salon

The UMEX salon is a place where everyone
could meet and talk on a continuous andregular basis to foster interactions. It is anexcellent gateway for IUJ students and theirfamilies to get to know local people andcommunity.
Conversations held at the UMEX salon areoften reflected to a variety of activities, including a bus trip, rice harvesting tour,
mountain climbing, wild vegetable cookingas well as presentation by international students or Japanese students of their traditional culture, lessons for Kado (flower arrangement), Sado (tea ceremony) or calligraphy, and assisting the hosting of the Japanese Night held by Japanese students.

Friday Salon Gathering★ Date & Time: Sep 30, 12:00 — 15:00★ Place: UMEX Salon★ Fee: Free of charge
Some UMEX members bring dishes, so wewould like IUJ students to join this gathering
to enjoy foods and conversation together.
You do not need to pay for it, but we would bevery glad you bring dishes of various countriesif possible.

Flower Arrangement ClassPage 2

Introducing UMEX activities
How to join us? Just step in the UMEX salon!

Tsunami Relief Effort by UMEX and IUJ students
Two natural disasters occurred in two physically remote areas last year. One was theChuetsu Earthquake in Niigata Prefecture on
October 23, 2004 and another was the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean on December 26,
2004. But the two areas turn out to be very
close.
TUSO (Tsunami Uonuma Support Organization) organized by the initiative of UMEX has
been trying to establish the linkage between
the people of UONUMA and the people inTsunami affected area through IUJ students.
Fund-raising through two fund-raising concerts in March and in April amounted to1,174,218 yen. 200,000 yen out of it was
donated to Minami-Uonuma City as “moneygift as a token of sympathy to the people
stricken by Chuetsu Earthquake,” and, as forthe remaining amount of money, 293,000
yen each were distributed to the representatives of four countries; Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
Thailand and India. IUJ students and alumni
who are working under TUSO project will report their activities to TUSO in October 2005.

We would like to welcome you as not only ourguests but our partners who can contribute totransforming UONUMA into the multiculturalsociety in which people with various backgrounds can live and work together.

Impression Regarding Charity Concerts
Oranoot Withitwinyuchon (Thailand)
Natural disaster is something we cannot expect or forecast precisely when it will occur. As withthe humanitarian assistance that will surely come even though we are not expecting; it comesoverwhelmingly from people all around the world to those suffering victims.
The first time I heard that UMEX was planning to arrange activities to help people in four affected
countries; the generosity of local people in this area came to my surprise. They are the people
who just suffered from the big earthquake but they still think of other people suffering indifferent corners of the world. All the staff in UMEX have been working so hard to raise funds,
tirelessly only to help their unlucky counterparts in those countries.
Every activity that UMEX comes up with reflects their sincerity and aspiration in helping Tsunami
victims. We organized two charity concerts and the results were extremely successful. Both IUJ
students and distinguished guests contributed actively to the shows and loads of people
attended the concerts. We raised a significant amount of funds which will be used for thepurpose of relief aid.
UMEX is not a huge or powerful organization but it overwhelmingly succeeds in arranging charity
concerts because all the staff and IUJ students were worked together as a single unit. Countless
thanks from me go to dedicated UMEX staff who sacrificed their free time to realize the concerts.
Many thanks are also given to IUJ students and honored guests who created those marvelous
performances. All the wholehearted support from everybody reminded me that whenever weare in distress, there are always other people who are willing to pull us out of it. For every
time you cry, there is always someone nearby to blot your tears.

Japanese Language Program

Kids & Baby Salon
The kids salon will be held once amonth at the UMEX salon and thebaby salon will be held every Tuesday at Tatami-room in MSA.
Mothers, children and babies get
together and have fun. Please comeand join us with your kids.
For more details, contact
Mrs. Kazuko Takahashi(yokunkokun@nyc.odn.ne.jp).

The UMEX offers two Japanese programs: one
is a classroom style and the other is a one-onone conversation partner program. It goes
without saying that the Japanese language isalready part of the IUJ official curriculum, but
those who are weak in English or those whocannot find an appropriate level of a classmight not be able to take it as part of the official curriculum. UMEX serves as a plaza forthose students as well as their families andother foreigners living in the community tolearn Japanese.
How to Register:
Application will be ready at the beginning ofOctober. The purpose of our programs is toease communication difficulties of nonJapanese residents by teaching Japanese andalso to help make their life here easier andmuch more comfortable. The services are freeof charge.
For more details, contact
Ms. Etsuko Ohira(ecchanumex@yahoo.co.jp)

Page 3

UMEX acts as a cultural bridge between the international students of IUJ and the local community of UONUMA
Issued in September

Cross-Cultural interactions in the campus
Jorge H. Primavera (Philippine)
IDP Batch 2005
Having just graduated from IUJ last June andhaving returned to the Philippines, I now lookback and examine the experiences I’ve had at
IUJ during my two-year stay there.
As a graduate student in Japan, there were somany adjustments that I had to make uponcoming to IUJ. Not only were the demands ofthe academic workload really terrible, findingways to overcome the day-to-day challenges
posed by living in a foreign country was a constant preoccupation of mine which took up a
substantial amount of my time. Interacting
not only with fellow IUJ students but also withthe local Japanese people seemed quite difficult and daunting.
However, the Uonuma Association for Multicultural Exchange (UMEX…of which I am aproud member) is an organization in IUJ whichworks at fostering and developing crosscultural interaction between IUJ students andthe local Japanese community in Urasa andnearby areas.
UMEX organizes and holds
activities which facilitate the adjustment offoreign students to life in Japan. UMEXsponsored activities give IUJ students opportunities to interact and mingle with the localJapanese people and learn and experiencethe local culture.

Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle

UMEX makes students’ life in IUJ more interesting. It is said that IUJ is not in Japan andone would really have to go out of his way toexperience the real Japan. UMEX helps make
IUJ students see and experience the real Japan. During my two-year stay in Japan, Iwould say that the best way to know the country is by knowing its people. Life as a graduate student is not all study and academics.
Joining UMEX activities would give you a better
understanding of the Japanese people…and ofJapan.

e f ro mMessag

Ms. Yulia, Center left

Alumni

Explain how to use a sickle

Welcome new IUJers to Minami Uonuma-shi !
Valerie Cicero (U.S.A.)IRP Class of 2005
Two years ago I was where you are now - livingin the middle of rice fields, surrounded bybeautiful mountain scenery, in a country withdifferent customs, traditions and language
and studying with students from over 50 different nations who too have their own language and customs. While it is very exciting, itis also a bit intimidating and a littlescary. This is why I would encourage all of you
to become active in UMEX.
UMEX helps bring IUJ students and the local
community together. Through UMEX you willmeet many new friends as well as have theopportunity to enjoy a multitude of local experiences that would not otherwise be available to you. I can not stress enough how
important and valuable these connections
are. Now, back in my home country, I miss all
the wonderful people I met through UMEXand regret that I did not take advantage off all
the activities they had to offer. I hope that as
you settle down to your studies at IUJ you enjoy the generous hospitality of UMEX and Minami Uonuma-shi.

Exchange with people in Hirokami

Rice Harvesting Trip is scheduled for October 2, 2005
Tentative schedule
09:30 Leaving IUJ
10:30 Starting Rice Harvesting in Tokamachi city (Gannyu community)
12:00 Lunch and Exchanging friendship gathering
14:00 Leaving Tokamachi city (Gannyu community)
15:00 Arriving at IUJFee: 500 yen for Bus and Lunch / Capacity: 25
For details, please check information on the bulletin board in front of the SPSC.

Though IUJ is located in Japan, you cannot “feel” real Japan here withouta bit your effort. Join us to approach to real Japan.

Enjoy Cultural Exchange through Homestay Program
Yoshiko Takahashi
I’m living in Yuzawa and occasionally invite IUJ students to my home as a partof my UMEX activities. In fact, my daughter studied in the United State. When I
visited her, I was touched by realizing that my daughter was supported by manypeople there. This is the motive from which I am offering the invitation ofhomestay to IUJ students.
However, it seems that I have gotten priceless returns than things I had offeredto the students. I’m learning about various countries and the cultures of thosethrough the exchange with students, which I enjoy very much. Luckily, my husband and my mother-in-law are very helpful and cooperative with my UMEX
activities.
Please take a look at a photo on the top There were three guests at my home in the middle of July; Ms. Frances of the Philippines, Ms. Khet of Myanmar and Ms. Rin from Thailand. Two out of three will graduate from IUJ and return to their countries by
the end of August. I hope that visiting my home would be one of the pleasant recollections of Japan for them.
Who will visit my home first in this autumn? I am looking forward to being able to meet as many of you as possible at UMEX
events.

We need your help

English Tutor Program

To better organize events and programs ofUMEX, we need your help. If you are interested in volunteering for the following things,
please contact us or send an email at office@umex.ne.jp.

UMEX has an “English Partner Program” asa counter-program to the “Japanese Language Program”. To establish reciprocal
relationship between foreign residents(mainly IUJ students) and the local people,
we need to overcome the language barrier
with a mutual effort. Both UMEX Japaneseand English language programs will be offered for this purpose.

Basic Conditions:
1. One group consists of a maximum of
three students (local people).
2. One group pays 1,000 yen per one
hour to their tutor each session.
3. The content of the lessons is to be
decided by students and their tutor.
Basically, the lesson is held once perweek.

The program outline is as follows. We hopethat as many of you as possible will participate in this program as our partner.

For further information, please contact Mr.
Masashi Watanabe at the UMEX salon or
send an email at office@umex.ne.jp.

●

Communication supporters between
international students and local people. We need person who can speak
both in English and Japanese.

●

English writing reporters for UMEX
homepage and UMEX newsletter.

●Speaker who introduces his/her country to local people either in Japaneseor English.

●English tutors for UMEX members.

Procedures:
1. Those who wish to join this programplease submit the registration form toUMEX office at your pleasure.
2. UMEX office accepts the application
form from UMEX members at any time.
3. UMEX office matches partners uponrequest from UMEX members and IUJ
student tutor.

See UMEX homepage at http://www.umex.ne.jp/E/
For more details, please contact：
Mr. Toshiyuki Moriyama at the MLIC (toshi@iuj.ac.jp)
Mr. Masashi Watanabe (office@umex.ne.jp)
Mr. Tolgahan Dilgin, 2nd year student (tolgahan@iuj.ac.jp)
Mr. Go Kumagai, 2nd year student (gordius@iuj.ac.jp)

Calligraphy Session at Japanese Night