NIA LETTER
Published by Niigata International
Association (NIA)

On the Cover

Vol.

23
2022. 3NIA Oﬃcial Facebook

International Understanding Presentation Contest (Top Left), Yasashii Nihongo Workshop(Top Right), Supporting Foreign Residents in a Disaster Workshop (Bottom Left), Discover theWorld from Asia! (Bottom Right)

Contents
for Multicultural Coexistence－Conveying feelings with“Yasashii Nihongo”
Feature Efforts
Report on the Yasashii Nihongo Workshop, and Introducing a Point-Talk Card!

2

ほか■Exchange Student Representative’s 2021 Activity Report ……………………………………………………… 4■From the Foreign Resident Consultation Center・CIR Introduction ………………………………………… 5■World Column ～ Vol.2 Hello from Uganda! ……………………………………………………………………………… 6■NIA Report and Notices from NIA ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 7■Foreign Language Tidbits ～Korea Edition～・Comic………………………………………………………………… 8

入れましたFeatureFeature : Efforts for Multicultural Coexistence -- Conveying feelings with“Yasashii Nihongo”

Efforts for Multicultural Coexistence－ Conveying feelings with
“Yasashii Nihongo”

On July 17(Sat.), 2021, the Niigata International Association (NIA) and Kamo City’s International
Association jointly hosted a workshop for Yasashii Nihongo.“Yasashii" has two meanings in Japanese: it canmean simple and easy, and also kind or friendly. "Yasashii Nihongo" is Japanese that is simple, easy tounderstand, and also kind. They invited Katsura Kaishi, a rakugo (Japanese storytelling) performer, for the“Let’s Try Yasashii Nihongo!”workshop. While following infection prevention measures, around 60 local
residents and exchange students were able to participate in the event.
Kaishi’s rakugo stories were easy to understand, and so funny! The hall was filled with laughter, and it
was a good opportunity to learn about Yasashii Nihongo in a relaxed atmosphere.

Kaishi’s“Yasashii Nihongo”rakugo performance. He
explained rakugo’s history and storytelling tools, andtold some short stories in Japanese that were easy
for anyone to understand.

By changing his voice, he could perform multiple roles
by himself.

Giving Yasashii Nihongo rakugo a try. The students
sat on the stage and performed using stories from
Kaishi.

A Yasashii Nihongo skit. In pairs of Japanese andforeign residents, they per formed skits about
everyday life, such as helping someone who is lost.

Participant’s Opinions We received these impressions from questionnaires and from
responses from reports by the Exchange Student Representatives!
I learned that it’s easierf o r foreign residents tounderstand Yasashii Nihongo.
I hope that COVID-19
goes away soon so thatJapanese and foreign
people can enjoy having
conversations again.

As a foreigner, it was my first time watching rakugo, but Katsura Kaishi made itt beeneasy for anyone to understand. Although it is my 3rd year in Japan, I haven’
able to participate in nearly any Japanese cultural events. I first heard about rakugo
when I was in Tokyo, but I wasn’t brave enough to participate. I felt that the event
would be difficult for foreign people like myself to understand, so I gave up. I thinkovercoming cultural hurdles is difficult for anyone. But, thanks to Katsura Kaishi, I
could learn more about Japanese culture, and we could have an event where evenforeigners could understand Japanese culture. I’
m truly happy.

If people use simpler words, it’s much easier for us
exchange students to understand. Learning keigo(honorific Japanese) is an important skill for us toacquire, but keigo and other complicated Japaneseterms are very difficult for us foreigners to learn, andthere are times when we don’t perfectly understand.
If you use Yasashii Nihongo, it makes communicationeasy for everyone.

2

The rakugo performance was slow
and easy to understand,with
explanations too, and content thatwas fun to listen to. I thought about
how important it is to communicate
at work and with other people, and to
speak slowly, making sure that they
understand what I am saying.

Conveying feeling with a point:

NIA has finished making a Tomodachi Card. This is a type ofcommunication card you use by pointing.
The Tomodachi Card was made in collaboration between
Shibata City Hall, Shibata City’s Joint Local Government
Association, and NIA’s Exchange Student Members.
There are 5 languages on the card: English, Chinese,
Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Yasashii Nihongo.
It can be used as a tool for communication to connect
Japanese nationals and foreign residents in regional areas. If
you find speaking another language difficult, or you aren’tused to speaking in Japanese, why don’t you try talking to lotsof people using the Tomodachi Card?

The exchange students who provided
translations
What’s on theTomodachi Card?
◇ Greetings / Self-introductions◇ Questions◇ Food・Free Time・Work◇ Neighborhood Associations/
Taking out Trash/Consultations

Thant Sin
(English)

He Yaoqiang(Chinese)

Tomodachi Cards are available at the
Niigata International Plaza and the Foreign
Resident Consultation Center of Niigata!

Ha Phuong
Nam(Vietnamese)

Regina AncillaNatasaya(Indonesian)Check out
our website formore details:

Did you know? The Number of
Foreign Residents in Niigata
Number of Foreign
Residents living in Niigata

17,571(0.8% of total
population of Niigata)
Niigata City

5,496

Nagaoka City

2,316

Joetsu City

1,786

Minamiuonuma City 974
Kashiwazaki City

930

Resident Status of Foreign
Residents#1 Permanent
Residents

5,174#2 Technical Intern Trainees
2,837#3 Students
1,796
Nationalities of Foreign
Residents#1 China

4,406

#2

Vietnam

3,820#3

The Philippines 2,675(Ministry of Justice, Statistics on Foreign Residents, June 2021)

As of June 2021, there were 17,571
foreign persons living in Niigata
Prefecture. When we look at the data foreach area, even though Niigata City,
Nagaoka, and Joetsu have the greatest
number of foreign residents, all 30 towns
and cities in the prefecture have foreign
residents. By resident statuses, although
it seems that technical intern trainees aretrending upward, permanent residents are
actually the biggest group. Chinese,
Vietnamese and Filipino residents make up
the largest portion of foreign residents,
and the number of Vietnamese residents isincreasing.

Feature : Efforts for Multicultural Coexistence -- Conveying feelings with“Yasashii Nihongo”

Tomodachi Card3

2021 Fiscal Year Exchange Student Representatives’Activity Report
2021 Fiscal Year Exchange Student Representatives’Activity Report

Foreign exchange students who have a desire to join international exchange activities can sign up
as an“Exchange Student Representative”with the Niigata International Association. In the 2021
fiscal year, we had 32 members registered as exchange student representatives, and they
participated in various exchange projects throughout the prefecture. Let’s take a look at part ofwhat our Exchange Student Representatives have done over this past year.

2021 Fiscal Year Exchange Student Members’Accomplishments(May 2021 ～ January 2022)
Number of activities/events… 39
Number of people dispatched… 179 in total
Main dispatch locations… elementary, junior high and high schools, local governments,
international associations, etc.

■ Sado Online Exchange Session
September 11 (Sat.), 2021, online (ZOOM)“DSI Volunteer Interpreters of Sado,” a privateorganization which provides support to foreign residents
living on Sado Island, held an online exchange session
with the Exchange Student Representatives, where theytalked about the experiences they want to have on Sado
Island when the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

■ Let’
s Learn About Countries of the World
October 13 (Weds.), 2021 at Yahiko Elementary School
The Exchange Student Members introduced theculture, language and traditional clothing of their homecountries to 6th graders at Yahiko Elementary School.
The students enjoyed learning about foreign cultures
through games prepared by the Exchange Student
Members and had time to ask questions.

■ Shibata City International Understanding
Lecture - What is Myanmar Like?
November 14 (Sun.), 2021, at Ikunes Shibata＊ The Exchange Student Representative presented from online

At this International Understanding lecture for citizensof Shibata City, an exchange student from Myanmar
explained about the ethnicities, religions, traditional
clothing, and social situation in their home country. Afterthe lecture, there was a choir performance by people
from Myanmar that are working in Niigata Prefecture.

■ Sports Exchange with Foreign Residents
November 28 (Sun.), 2021, at Kashiwazaki Sports House
At a sports exchange organized by the Kashiwazaki
Sports Promotion Committee, Exchange Student
Representatives deepened their connections withJapanese and foreign resident participants throughplaying“boccia,”an official Paralympic sport.
4Foreign Resident Consultation Center of Niigata (FRCN)～ Improving the skills of our counselors and interpreters ～Monday - Friday 10:00 ～ 17:00
Niigata-shi, Chuo-ku, Bandaijima 5-1,Bandaijima Bldg. (Toki Messe) 2F

025 － 241 － 1881
nia10@niigata-ia.or.jp
Online Consultations (reserve on our website)
For details:(our website)

Here at the FRCN, our Lifestyle Counselors (hereafter: counselors) and Consultation Interpreters (hereafter: interpreters) work
as a team in order to efficiently respond to consultations.
By building a connection network of relevant agencies and experts, our counselors make the most of their wealth of resources inorder to offer the best advice possible. Our interpreters not only act as a bridge between languages, but they also provide comfort
to our counselees by carefully listening and talking in their mother tongue, and can help to organize the problems faced by the
consultee by thinking about how to deal with them together with the counselor.
Through deeply understanding our roles as counselors and interpreters, and based on the FRCN manual, we aim to carefully andthoughtfully respond to any consultation, no matter how small they may seem.
We are also building up our staff’s credentials by having regular meetings and workshops at the FRCN.

（１）Meetings
At the end of every workday, we have a full-staff reflection meeting. We discuss what consultations we had that day, what we
can do next to resolve it, as well as share the decisions we struggled with, and how we can improve next time. By talking throughall of the doubts and psychological burden placed on the counselors through their work, no one has to bear any problems alone.

（２）Case Conferences
Once a month, all our staff members have a meeting. We take a look at difficult consultations and cases that have not yet been closed
over the last month, and discuss how to deal with them. In addition, we discuss how we can improve overall as a Consultation Center.

（３）Workshops
The FCRN implements workshops and training sessions to improve consultation support and interpretation skills. In 2021, workshops
for counselors were held by various organizations in the prefecture in order to improve methods for supporting foreign residents and tobuild a cooperative system. An online training session specifically for consultation interpreters was also conducted.
In addition to this, we actively participate in workshops and study sessions hosted by outside organizations for administrative
scriveners, lawyers, and immigration officers.
【Practical Workshop for Counselors on Supporting Foreign Residents】

On Tuesday, November 2nd,
we invited Yamaura Ikuko, an
instructor at The Institute forMulticultural Society
Professionals (TaSSK), to
conduct our workshop for our
FRCN Interpreters. We
covered the duties andethical codes of consultationinterpreting, learned sometips, and had a casediscussion of actual situations and how to respond appropriately.

On Sunday, November 14th, we had
the pleasure of having Kado Miyuki at
our workshop on the theme of handson Multicultural Social Workers at the
Niigata Unison Plaza. The event was
attended by 27 participants fromInternational Associations and Social
Welfare Associations from within theprefecture, as well as administrationand foreign resident support group
employees. We had lectures about social work and exchanged opinions.

CIR Introduction【Internal workshop for interpreters(online)】・
From the Foreign Resident Consultation Center

From the Foreign Resident
Consultation Center:
Connecting Niigata

Introducing a New Coordinator for International Relations!
Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) are hired by local governments though the JET Programme to assist
with local international exchange activities. Our CIRs can usually be found in the International Affairs Division of the
Niigata Prefectural Government, providing advice and assistance the planning and implementation of international
exchange projects, translation of publications, interpretation for events, and other activities.

Katelyn DePalmer◇ Where are you from?
That is a difficult question! I was born in the USA in Virginia, but I moved a lot as a child,so Niigata is the 17th place I’
ve lived. Currently, my parents live in Colorado, so I guess
you could say that I am“from Colorado”now.
◇ Tell us about your hobbies and any special skills you have.
My hobbies are playing tennis and embroidery. I also love cooking. I want to learn more
about Niigata’s local dishes, so please teach me your favorite recipes!
◇ What made you interested in Japan?
When I was 16, I was able to stay in Fujiyoshida City for 1 month though a sister-city
exchange. My host family really took care of me and taught me all kinds of things about
Japanese culture and history, which made me want to learn more about Japan.
◇ How is life in Niigata?
It’s colder than I expected it to be! But Niigata City is a comfortable place to live. I especially like taking walks
around Furumachi and Bandai City. Niigata has some incredible food, and the people are kind too. Although I’
m not
a fan of snow, I’
m excited to try some snow sports!
◇ If you have a message for our readers, let us know ！
Living in a foreign country can be really hard, but there are so many good things about it, too. It’s a wonderfulchance for locals and foreign residents to learn about each other’s cultures. If you are ever invited to something,
you should go for it! You never know what other great opportunities it could open up for you.

5World Column～ Vol.2 Hello from Uganda ～Introducing Japanesenationals living abroad!

Hoshino Kyoko
World Column

・She was born in Tsubame City, Niigata, in 1992
・ After graduating college, she worked for a
pharmaceutical company for 4.5 years
・ She left this job in order to join the Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers, but after completing her
training, her dispatch was postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic・ While waiting, she worked for an NPO which aims tonarrow the education disparity gap
・She was dispatched to Uganda in September 2021

As a member of JICA’s Japan Overseas Cooperation
Volunteer group, I am working to combat infectious
diseases and AIDS in Uganda. I came to Uganda
because I wanted to work on public health issues indeveloping countries and support HIV-positive
people, making use of my experience working for a
pharmaceutical company and a non-profit
organization in Japan.
【Life in Uganda】
Uganda is a country rich in nature, and it never getstoo hot or too cold throughout the year, so it has avery comfortable climate. Over half of the populationis under the age of 18, so it is a really energetic
country full of children and young people.
I was assigned to the Mpigi district, which islocated around 1.5 hours away from the capital cityof Kampala by car. This area has problems with power
and water outages, but neighbors will share food andwater amongst each other, and will help with laundry
and cleaning, so you can live feeling the kindness of
Ugandan people here.
When I came to Uganda, I was surprised by thevitality of the children here. Schools in Uganda havebeen closed for around 2 years due to the COVID-19
pandemic, and children as young as 10 years old are
helping their parents by doing household chores suchas washing dishes and laundry, selling things by theroad, and taking care of livestock. Even though there
are no sports grounds or parks like there are in Japan,
you can see children playing soccer with balls madefrom fruit shells, or making model cars from tree
branches. I really feel the strength and spiritualrichness it takes to live in such harsh conditions.
However, as schools have been closed for such a longtime, teenage pregnancies have been increasing andmany children are already working, so it is expectedthat there are a fixed-number of children who will not
be able to return their education even after theschools reopen. I want to learn a lot from the people
around me and continue to think about what I can do.
【Current Conditions】
I was assigned to an NGO that supports children invulnerable situations, HIV orphans, and HIV positive
people in Mpigi. We make home visits to interview
people about their lives and health conditions, andthink of ways to support the issues that we find.
We recently held an informative event on handwashing with local elementary schools. Hand washingawareness is low among Ugandan children, and therea r e n’t enough places for handwashing in theneighborhood schools. When the schools closed, wewere worried about the spread of COVID-19, so we
informed students and their guardians how to properly
use soap and wash their hands, and installed simple
handwashing stations in the schools. Furthermore,
there are reports that the number of HIV-positive
cases are increasing due to the COVID-19 pandemic
in Mpigi. Going forward, we would like to collaborate
with health centers and government administrations
to conduct field surveys, promote testing, and support
the continuation of treatment.

An event to promote hand-washing.
We visited schools to teach students and theirguardians proper hand-washing methods.

Republic of Uganda
Population：44,270,000
Capital:Kampala
Land area：241,000 km2（About the size of Honshu in Japan）

National language： English,Swahili, Luganda≪ Data from ≫The local marketplace

6

A typical meal. Matoke (a typeof banana) and small fish.

https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/area/uganda/index.html

NIA Activity Report

Recent Seminars and Workshops
Job Hunting Seminars for Exchange Students

A series of seminars for international understanding on world
history and culture with the theme of“Discover the World from Asia!”
was held at 4 locations across the 3 cities of Niigata, Tainai andKashiwazaki. 156 people participated in the seminar, including fromonline, as part of the seminar was streamed.
■ October 9 (Sat.) Korea’s pop culture gaining world popularity (theKorean Wave) ～ In the middle of Asia’s pop culture trends ～■ October 23 (Sat.) Vietnam’s Women’s Day: Are Vietnamese womenstrong and tough?
■ November 3 (Weds., national holiday) Food is the God of thePeople! Food and Agriculture in China■ November 21 (Sun.) Sustainable Regional Development from
Global and Asian Perspectives

The“Job Hunting Seminar for Exchange Students”was held at theToki Messe on November 10 (Weds.), 2021. Seminars included
information about job hunting in Japan and the paperwork necessary
for changing one’s status of residence in order to look for work. 18
exchange students and 12 members of private companies or schoolrelated persons attended.
■ Seminar ①“Let’s learn about job hunting in Japan”
The Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia Cai Shengxi■ Video Message Niigata University of Management Graduate Le Thi Bich Ngoc
■ Seminar ②“Let’s learn about visas for job hunting”
Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau Yasumoto Daisuke■ Seminar ③“Let’s hear about Niigata companies”
Presentations from companies within Niigata

October
23 rd,
Niigata City

November
3 rd, Tainai
City

Supporting Foreign Residents in a Disaster
Workshop 2021 in Joetsu
When a major disaster occurs, it is difficult to get important information toforeign residents who do not understand Japanese, and puts those who do nothave knowledge or experience with disasters in a very hard situation. In orderto solve this problem and adequately support foreign residents in a disaster, aworkshop with essential information and tips was held at the Joetsu Kyoiku
Plaza on December 5 (Sun.). The director of the Institute for Multicultural
Society Professionals (TaSSK), Kikuchi Akiyoshi, led the event titled“Let’s think
together! Regional disaster prevention in an age of multicultural coexistence,”
which included quizzes and discussions of experiences with the Great East
Japan Earthquake, and practice exercises with Simple Japanese.
42 people participated, with government employees, social welfare council
members, international exchange association members, disaster prevention
experts, Japanese language volunteers and exchange students at theworkshop. We heard comments such as:“It was an eye-opening experience to
see not only how we can help foreigners, but also help each other. It made me
realize the importance of communication”and“It was a great opportunity todirectly hear the opinions of foreign nationals that participated.”

International Understanding Presentation Contest
The“International Understanding Presentation Contest 2021”washeld at the Tokki Messe International Conference Center’s Marin Hall on
December 18 (Sat.). The 5 junior-high and 10 high-school division teams
presented the results of their daily studies and activities.
7 Exchange Student Representatives volunteered and helped theevent run smoothly.
【Junior High School Division】● First Place・Go! Ecotto (Arakawa Junior High School）● Award for Excellence
・Demeter(Niigata Meikun Junior High School）
・Glocal Group (Tsubame Secondary School）

NIA Repor t and Notices from NIA

Seminar on International Understanding:
Discover the World from Asia!

JHS Division First Place- Go! Ecotto【High School Division】● First Place・Cacao (Kokusai Joho High School)● Award for Excellence
・Chocomin-to(Kashiwazaki- Shoyo Secondary School)・Anpan Girls (Niigata Commercial High School）● Encouragement Prize
HS Division First Place・Meguro-Shoji Sanjo Branch- Cacao(Sanjo Commercial High School)

Notices from NIA
On September 22 (Weds.), 2021, the Niigata International
Association had a presentation ceremony for the Korean ethnic
clothing and traditionally designed panel that were graciously
donated by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Niigata.
Right: Lee Su-jeong, Deputy Consul General of the Consulate
General of the Republic of Korea in Niigata Left: Sakai Takenori,
Executive Director of the Niigata International Association

Borrow national flags and ethnic clothing!
We lend flags and ethnic clothing to our supporting members,
exchange institutions, and public organizations. You can use them forinternational exchange events or school studies. For more information,
check our website.
〈Examples of uses〉
International Exchange Organization:
Foreign culture presentations,children’s events,
e xchange student meetings, local
festivals, etc.
Schools, universities:
Club presentations, cultural
understanding seminars
Prefectural or Municipal uses:C onsular or ambassadorial visits,
signing ceremonies

Korean ethnic
clothing

The Exchange Student
Member volunteers whohelped out at the event!

Become a supporting member!
Help support our international cooperation andexchange activities by becoming a supporting
member, either as an organization or an individual.
We accept new members year-round, and we’recurrently recruiting for April 1 to March 31 of next
year. The fee to join is 10,000 JPY for an
organization or 3,000 JPY for an individual.
To see all the benefits included with becoming a
supporting
member,check ourwebsite.
Website7

NIA Foreign Language Tidbits: ～ Korea Edition ～NIA Foreign Language Tidbits and Comic

To all readers of the NIA Letter, hello!
I’m Yoo Minhyoung. Thanks to you all, I have been a Coordinator forInternational Affairs for 1 year now at the International Affairs Division of
Niigata Prefecture. Although I came to Niigata a year ago, I’m still not used to
Niigata’s winters. While praying for this cold winter to end and for spring tocome, let me tell you about how we spend springtime in Korea.
When we think of spring weather in Korea, one word absolutely comes tomind. We have the Korean word“got-sem-chu-ui”( 꽃샘추위 ), which means“thewinter envies the flowers.”The Japanese equivalent word“hanabie”. This word
is used when the weather is beginning to slowly warm up at the beginning ofspring, and then suddenly it becomes cold again. In preparation for the sudden
chilly weather, people bring a thick cardigan or jacket when they go out.
Also, Korean schools are different from Japanese ones, in that our school entrance ceremonies ands still cold then, so when you look at school entrance ceremony
our school year begins on March 2nd. It’pictures, many students are wearing warm jackets.
In Japan, there is a strong image that“spring = cherry blossoms,”but in Korea, we think of cute pink
“Jindalrae”(Korean azaleas) and yellow“gaenari”(Korean goldenbell) flowers. According to the oldcalendars, March 3rd was traditionally a good day for going out and seeing flowers. People would eat
and have a picnic with“hwajeon”( 화전 ), a korean chijimi pancakewith bloomed azaeleas, while
enjoying“hwajeon nori”( 화 전 놀이 ). This is the Korean version of“hanami,”or“flower viewing”in
English. If you have the chance
to go to Korea, definitely tr y“hwajeon nori”!
Korean Azaleas and Goldenbells

Comic

Korean Azaleas

Episodes about life in Japan as an exchange student, in comic form!

Nice to meet you!

#8It’s been 3 days since I
moved in, better clean
up these boxes…
I’
m yournewnext-door
neighbor.

Ding-dong“Moving-in

In China, whensomeone moves
in, theydecorate theirdoors withduilian ※…

The next day
Although I’
m a littlelate, I came to give
you a present andsay hello too!

But in Japan people
give a greeting and apresent!
Ding-dong

greetings”

This is justsomethingsmall, but…
What
beautiful
towels…

Pen name:

Hm? Who could
that be?

Nekotaro①～ Message from the artist ～

②

Huh?!
Thank you!

③④

※ Duilian…A couplet in Chinese poetry, but also refers to
traditional Chinese decorations of hanging scrolls.

Hello, I’
m Nekotaro. I’
m from Niigata, and I love cats. I usually draw illustrations and comics with
deformed characters and young boys and girls. Nice to meet you.
◇ Nekotaro ◇ Japan Animation and Manga College - Manga and Illustration, 2nd year

8

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