aWa life
TOPIA Hina
Matsuri

Awa Shoku:
Yusanbako, theMagic Children's
Picnic Box
International
Understanding
Forum

Tokushima’s
Mountainous Village,
Sanagouchi

March 2019
# 342

1

Awa Life is a Monthly Publication of the Tokushima
Prefectural International Exchange Association

Birds start to sing, flowers start to bloom and temperatures are getting milder: Spring spreads acrossJapan. March is a great season for the first jaunts into nature after the start of the new year, for relaxing
river-side walks and of course for hanami (cherry blossom viewing). In Tokushima, cherry blossoms
typically bloom from the end of March until the middle of April, depending on the location. How about
having a hanami picnic under the cherry blossom trees with your friends at one of the numerous
hanami spots in Tokushima? For some of you it might be your first spring in Japan, so this is something
you definitely should not miss! The beauty, the scents, the sounds: it all creates a special atmospherefilled with a pleasant anticipation for what the warm season will bring.
For all of those who like writing, please feel free to submit an article to us at any point in time aboutbasically anything. There are a few limitations though, such as you can’t write about religion, politics,
commercial activities or businesses or anything that we deem inappropriate. But, other than that, we
would be more than happy to receive articles about anything and everything including but not limited
to, concerts, lectures, other events, culture, sports, community group information or anything cool that’s
happening in your local community.
We highly appreciate all of your articles and we love reading them. So if that writing bug of yours isbuzzing about, grab a pen or a computer and write and send away! Please send all submissions to ouremail:

awalife@gmail.com
Your editors,
Daralyn and Nico
Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA)
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN, Clement Plaza 6F
Tel: 088-656-3303 Fax: 088-652-0616
http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Download a PDF file of awa life or view the online version by going to TOPIA's website!

Editors:
Daralyn Yee and Nico Bohnsack
Contributors This Month:Bethany Johnson, Uka Teki, Nan Zhang, Kazue Inoue, Lance Kita, and Fusa Tamaki

2Contents
Pg. 2-3:
Pg. 3-4:
Pg. 4-5:
Pg. 5:
Pg. 6:
Pg. 7:
Pg. 8-9:Tokushima’s Mountainous Village, Sanagouchi
TOPIA Hina Matsuri
International Understanding Forum
Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI
Awa Shoku: Yusanbako, the Magic Children's Picnic Box

Japanese Lesson
Events and Memoranda

Tokushima’s Mountainous Village, Sanagouchi
By: Bethany JohnsonD

id you know there is only one village
in Tokushima? There are many small
settlements in the prefecture that have beenabsorbed into towns over the years, but only one
official “village” remains,
and that is my home,
Sanagouchi（佐那河内村）.
Just over 2,000 people live
here, and despite beingclassified as a village,
Sanagouchi actually
covers quite a large area.
In Canada, I lived in thecity all my life, so when I
got my placement, I was
picturing a little hamlet
with a circle of homesthat would be a fiveminute walk across in any
direction. Not quite! Rather,
I was dropped in the heart of nature--deep, lush
green scenery, mountains scattered with an arrayof flowers that bloom even through the torrid
summer heat, glassy rivers fed by numerous
waterfalls, and rocky cliffs that my students love
to leap from during river play. I’ve lived here for ayear and a half now, and still I can’t get used tothe countryside’s scenery and the gorgeous views
I’m able to see. There’s not many people living
here, and my school is a joint ES and JHS that

numbers about 130 students, but I’m really glad
there’s an ALT position here! Although there’s
nothing of urban convenience here (apart from asingle conbini), the city became easily accessible
once I got a car, so
I feel like I got pretty
lucky in my placement. I
get to experience life in
the countryside without
being too cut-off fromshops and city life.
Sanagouchi is best
known for Sakura
Momo Strawberries(literally “cherry blossom
peach strawberries”)-the super delicious
yet very expensive
ones you may see inthe supermarket. Every year, the villagers makestrawberry daifuku out of them, too, which is
my favourite Japanese sweet. If you want to try
them, I recommend buying them in the village,
though, because they’re super pricey elsewhere!
I love nature, so my favourite spot in the village
is a place called Okawara Heights. High up in themountains, the hills bloom with blue and purple
hydrangeas during the rainy season, and the3Tokushima’s Mountainous Village, Sanagouchi

views rival those seen from an airplane. On
clear days, you can see Ishii, Tokushima city andNaruto in the distance, and then beyond, to thesea. It’s pitch black at night, so you can see an
expanse of bright stars, and the cities glowing
from afar. Needless to say, it’s a pretty nicehidden spot for views! You can also get up close
to the wind turbines (they look like they’re going tofall on you when you stare at them from below…)
and walk around some lovely trails, or even visit a
quaint little farm with cows (who sometimes try toescape their pens…).
Anyway, from the valley, it takes about 30 minutes
to drive up to the top of the mountains, and in thewarmer months, you can visit a little shop andbuy ice cream. It’s much cooler up there, so I likegoing in the summer to escape the heat! Although
there are several events held there throughout
the year, like stargazing activities and festivals,
the best known
event is probably
the hydrangea
festival in July.
If you likehydrangeas, oreven flowers,
Okawara is thebest spot inTokushima to seethem.
I f y o u ’ r einterested inseeing more ofTokushima’s countryside and enjoying its wild
and beautiful nature, I hope you’ll come visit
Sanagouchi! From Tokushima station, you can gethere by bus, and it’s only a 20 minute drive fromthe city. Actually much closer than you’d expect!

TOPIA Hina Matsuri
By: Uka TekiOn March3rd, thetraditional
Japanese festival"Hina Matsuri"
is celebrated
throughout
Japan. Families
with daughtersline up Hinadolls and makeofferings such as
Amazake (sweetsake), Hishimochi (multicolored rice cakes)
and peach blossoms while praying for healthand growth of girls. Katsuura Town in Tokushima
Prefecture hosts the Big Hina Matsuri every year.
People can enjoy tens of thousands of Hina dolls,
which is the largest number of Hina dolls gathered

in one single
location in Japan.
That is why it isalso called the“Pioneer of all
Hina Matsuris”.
On February
2nd I took part inone of TOPIA's
events andhelped to preparea Hina Matsuri
display together with 23 people from twelve
different countries and locals in Fureai no Sato
Sakamoto in Katsuura. Everybody chose theirfavorite dolls, lined them up from the highest step
down to the lowest and decorated everything withorigami cranes and paper cuttings. Moreover,

4

TOPIA Hina Matsuri

with players of Tokushima's baseball team Indigo
Socks who were very bright and cheerful andcame to help. I heard that their opening game
will be held on March 31st, and decided to attend
their match to cheer for their success. Good luckto the team!

each person wrote an individual message
expressing their feelings. Through our collective
efforts, we managed to build up TOPIA's display.
It was such a pleasant experience!

Through participating in the event, I was able todeepen my understanding about Hina Matsuri.
Having the opportunity to meet fellow participants
and locals made for one fulfilling day. I would
also like to express my thanks to the people ofKatsuura.
I hope that everybody takes the opportunity tovisit the Big Hina Matsuri between February 23rdand March 31st.

I also had the chance to have fun conversations

International Understanding ForumBy: Nan ZhangIn recent years, there has been a largeemphasis placed on facing new challenges
such as immigration reform, decreasing birthrate, aging population, lack of laborers, and theever growing inboundtourism. Currently withan overseas resident
population of 5,600,
our home of Tokushima
is urgently increasing
local recognition andpublic awareness of ourinternational community.
Recently, six of TOPIA’sregistered International
Understanding Lecturers
from five different
countries were invited
to share a presentation on their home country,
and about their honest opinions as a residentof Tokushima. 100 people of eight nationalities
gathered as one for this event. This event
provided a time of open discussion and theopportunity for deeper mutual understanding.
First, Ms. Mayila Yiliyasi from Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region introduced the naturalscenery, Uygur lifestyle, food culture, and Muslim
culture, then talked about her experience during
the Hokkaido Earthquake as a foreigner. She
then performed a traditional Uygur dance with
Maruhaba Aruken.
Following this,Mylac Lai (Vietnam),Gantulga Uuganbaatar(Mongolia), andMs. Elizabeth
Ugochi (Nigeria)
shared pictures ofnature and cultureof their respective
countries, played
games, demonstrated
c h i l d r e n ’s t o y s , a n dalso performed theircountry’s traditional dance. Lastly, Daralyn Yee
and Nan Zhang presented under the title of “Our
Awa Life and Awa Seikatsu”. Both expressed
their deep devotion to Awa Odori, and how they
have been able to use the knowledge that they
have gained thus far in their current positions.
They have also played a key role in Arasowaren’s
numerous performances. Through their work they
have been able to build international ties with

5

local residents and the opportunity to play anactive role in their local community.
Following the presentations,
there was an open
discussion and an exchange
p a r t y. T h e l e c t u r e r s ,participants, and staff
joined in and had numerous
conversations under afriendly atmosphere, andhad deep discussions about
multicultural understanding
and international exchange.
And finally, a group of Japanese and overseas
residents who are passionate about international
exchange and Tokushima danced as a part ofInternational Understanding Forum
Arasowaren’s Special Dance Team. They gave
an amazing performance, arranged and musicallyaccompanied by Nonki-ren.
All of the participants wereable to directly hear about
the experiences of TOPIA’sregistered lecturers, andwere able to deepen theirthoughts about a society
where both Japanese andOverseas residents can live
together. In all, it became
an opportunity to further
emphasize the importance and significance ofinternational understanding education, and create
one-on-one interaction and exchange.

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

By Kazue Inoue (Center for Early Childhood Education and Care SUKETO NAKAYOSHI)T

he warm spring has finally arrived. The
spring waiting upon us becomes a great timeto embrace the outdoors with the sound of small
birds chirping, and the fragrance of spring flowers
lingering in the air. Why not take your child to thepark? I recommend using the playground equipment at the park, which can be used to develop
the athletic abilities of your child.
Pull-up Bar - Grasping, hanging, spinning around(Develops a sense of balance and muscles in thearms and abdomen)
Monkey Bars and Jungle Gym- Playing using
hands and feet (Strengthening the leg muscles
and connected to developing physical strength toprotect one’s body when falling down)*Hide and seek, and tag are also some games
that families can enjoy together.
When people increase their muscle strength by
exercising their body, their body temperature will
increase. As body temperature rises, immunity
increases, lessening the chances of becoming ill.
Let’s enjoy some exercise, and enter into the newschool year with confidence.

＊＊＊
Milk Carton Maracas

1. Prepare two 500ml Milk Cartons. Cut one
carton at the 7cm mark in the shape of a square.
Cut the remaining carton 2mm shorter than thefirst carton that was cut.
2. Place a bell into the shorter carton. Turn thelonger carton on its side and insert the shorter
carton in the opening.
3. Decorate the cube as you wish by gluing
colored paper on each side and drawing pictureson it.
With the bell, this can be played as an instrument.
Due to its rectangular shape, it can also be
utilized as building blocks.
(The toy will last longer if you cover the surface
with clear tape)Awa Shoku: Yusanbako, the Magic Children's Picnic Box

6

By Lance Kita
the outside, sliced to showcase thene day in the far past, I
middle. The middle drawer usually
was walking through theheld nishime 煮 染 め , a medley
Shinmachi Shopping Arcade andof fried tofu patties, vegetables,
peered into the shop window ofshiitake mushrooms, fishcake, anda lacquerware shop, my eye waschicken simmered in dashi stock
drawn to a petite box with a metaland flavored with soy sauce, sake,handle attached to the top. Its
and mirin み り ん (sweet cooking
pasty pink exterior told me thissake). The bottom drawer was
was in a different league from thedessert, often uirou
外 郎 (seeelegant black, vermillion, and gold
Sept. 2016 Awa Shoku article) or
leaf masterpieces surrounding
a gelatin like kanten 寒 天 . Truly ait. However, this box was open
three course feast for little mouths.
on the side, and three boxlike
What hidden treats lie in thedrawers were spread out in front drawers of a yusanbako? Findof it, one of each primary color. out about this distinctly Tokushima The shop lady shared a wonderful
There was a wooden lid that spring tradition for kids in this article. m e m o r y : s h e s a i d t h a t k i d sslides down in front of the opening. As I entered would share each other’s food and taste eachthe shop and approached the box, a kindly older household’s flavors. When the drawers werelady came out from behind a split curtain and empty, they would run back to the neighborhoodsaid, “Have you ever seen a Yusanbako 遊山箱 and knock on doors, and mothers would add more
food. Then the outdoor romp would continue.
before?”O

She explained that she had owned one when she
was a young girl, and she painted her favorite
designs on the outside. All of her friends had
one as well, and they took it out as the weather
warmed into spring and the cherry blossoms
were bursting into pink clouds. Kids used thisyusanbako as a picnic bento 弁 当 box, filledwith savory and sweet snacks for excursions to
the mountains, riverside, and beach. Indeed, thename of this box is 遊 “play,” 山 “mountains,” and箱 “box.”What I love about the yusanbako is how it
harkens back to a simpler time, when it took avillage to raise a child, when they could play
freely anywhere in the town, and go to any
house knowing the adults would know their nameand share their snacks. It is a celebration of
the changing of the seasons, which instills theenjoyment of nature and home cooked food at a
young age.

Some people say it was for cherry blossom
season, others say it was a tradition for
Hinamatsuri 雛祭り , the Doll Festival on March
3rd. Since the lunar calendar puts the 3rd dayof the 3rd month around late March to mid-April,
these memories could be one and the same. With
this timing, many people say that this was forgirls, but all children seemed to own them, andthe shop had a powder blue box next to the pinkone.

Though the yusanbako fell out of popularity by
the end of the 20th century, there has been a
recent movement to reimagine the yusanbako forcontemporary tastes. The paintjob is becoming
more stylish than primary colors. Cafes now offer
yusanbako lunches worthy of a social media shot,
integrating locally-grown ingredients and cuisine.
JR Shikoku’s tourist train is even using theyusanbako for its lunch service. So keep an eye
out for this clever box with nostalgic memories formost older Tokushima residents, and maybe start
this spring custom with your own children.

So what goes into a Showa Era kiddie picnic? Top
drawer had makizushi 巻 寿 司 , rice and fillingrolled into a cylinder with nori 海 苔 seaweed on(Thanks to Ms. Yoko Shimauchi of the Yusanbako
Project for allowing use of her photo for thisarticle.)7

Japanese Lesson

By: Fusa Tamaki

Color Words
あお
あお
You
have
most
likelylearnedJapanesewords
forcolors.
For
example,
words
such
as
in
「青
い」
「青
い
かさ
か
あか
しろ
such
as
and
which
are
傘を買いました」. There are plenty きofい words
「赤
い」
「白
い」
「～い」-adjectives.
ろ
き いろ
いろ
You will also encounterwords like「黄色い」in「あの黄色いカバンをください」which end with「色い」.
みどり
But what about「緑」?
みどり

みどり い ろみどり

みどり

It みどりmustbe「これは緑い？ 緑 色い？シャツです」, right? Actually in the case of「緑」we say「その緑のいろ／緑色の シャツをください」. The word does not become an adjective, but a noun. There are many
names and words for colors but which rules apply for these?
あか

た

① 赤
いリンゴを食べました。 I ate a red apple.
くろ
ねこ
ある
② 黒
い猫が歩
いています。 A black cat is walking on the road.
き いろ
ふうせん
色い風
船をもらいました。 I received a yellow balloon.
③ 黄
ちゃいろ
ぼ う し
I have a brown hat.
④ むらさき茶色
い帽
子があります。
いろ
す てき⑤ 紫 色のスカートが素敵です。 The purple skirt looks wonderful.
⑥ ピンクのハートがかわいいです。 The pink heart is cute.
いろ

な まえ

あか

くろ

For ① andmake use of the rule「色の名前＋い」, so that it becomes「赤い」and「黒② , you can
あお
しろい」.「青い」and「白い」can also be used in the same way. You might think there are many color
words that utilize this pattern but actually only four of these exist.
いろ

な まえ

いろ

き いろ

In theちcaseof ③ and ④ , you can make use of the rule「色の名前き＋色it becomes「黄色い」
い」, so that
ゃいろ
いろ
ちゃいろ
and「茶色い」. The colors that utilize this pattern are limited to「黄色い」and「茶色い」.
いろ

な まえ

いろ

むらさき い ろ

In examples ⑤ and ⑥ , you can make use of the rule「色の名前, so that it becomes「紫 色
（色）
＋の」
の」
あか
or
This wording can be used with any color. ① , ② , ③ and ④ can be changed into「赤の「ピンクの」.
はこき いろ箱」「黄色のリボン」and so on.
In conclusion, many color words exist in the Japanese
language, but an「～い」can only be added
いろafter “red”, “black”, “blue” and “white”, and an「～色い」can be only be added after “yellow” and “brown”.
【問題】
こた
つぎ
ぶん
なか
いろ
ただ
かたち
なお
ただ
ひと
かぎ
次の文
に（
）の中
の色
を正
しい形
に直
してください。正
しい答
えは一
つとは限
りません。
は る やすかさか
みず い ろ１） 春休みに（）傘を買いました。
（水色） I bought a light blue umbrella during spring 									vacation.
こきくろ２） 子どもたちは（
）T
シャツを着
ていた。
（黒） The children wore black T-shirts.
とり
こえ
な
あお
３） （にわ）鳥がきれいな声
で鳴いている。
（青） The blue bird is singing with a beautiful voice.
はな
さ
き
４） 庭
に（
）花が咲いている。
（黄） Yellow flowers are blooming in the garden.
はい い ろちかた５） 近くに（ ね こ
）ビルが建
った。
（灰
色） Grey buildings were built nearby.
ねちゃis sleeping on the sofa.
６） （
）猫かなら
がソファーで寝ている。
（茶） The brown cat
よ う し
か
しろ
７） レポートは必ず（）用紙に書いてください。
（白） Please always write your report on								white paper.
ゆ う ひ（オレンジ） The orange evening sunset is very beautiful.
８） （）夕日がとてもきれいです。
答えはい１）水
色の ち ゃ ２）黒い/ 黒の / 黒 色の ３）青い/ 青の / 青色の ４）黄色い / 黄
色の
いろ
いろ
ちゃいろ
しろ
しろ
し ろいろ
いろ
５）灰色の ６）茶色い / 茶色の ７）白い / 白の / 白色 ８）オレンジの / オレンジ色のこた

みず い ろくろくろく ろ いろ

あお

あお

あおい ろ

き いろ

き いろ

8
Events & Memoranda
Japanese Classes 2019
Term 1 Schedule

Hour: 10:30-12:00
Location: Meeting rooms at TOPIA
Textbook: We will be using the “Minna no Nihongo I” or the “Minna no Nihongo II” (2nd edition)
textbooks (2,700 yen for the book and audio CD). Please prepare the textbooks on your own. As well,there will be themed lessons on various topics such as seasons and life in Tokushima.
Fee: Free.
DAY

TEACHER

LEVEL

TUE

Ms.Tamaki

Beginner

CLASS DESCRIPTION
We will take the first step towards learning basic expressions.
Text: Minna no Nihongo I – from Chapter 1~13
This is a flexible group study class split up in different levels.
*For parents of young children, a childcare worker will be on
hand to look after your child during the lesson (please inquirein advance). Due to unforeseen circumstances, the rooms maychange.
We will study various verb forms and sentence patterns using
those verb forms.
Text: Minna no Nihongo I – from Chapter 14~25
We will study various forms and expressions such as potential,
volitional, imperative, prohibitive, conditional, reasoning, passive,
causative, and honorific expressions.
Text: Minna no Nihongo II – from Chapter 26~50
We will study various verb forms and sentence patterns using
those verb forms.
Text: Minna no Nihongo I – from Chapter 14~25

WED

Volunteers

Group
Lesson

THU

Ms.
YamadaElementary
1

FRI

Ms. Aoki

Elementary
2, 3

JTM

Elementary1

Volunteers

Group
LessonThis is a flexible group study class split up in different levels.

Ms. Kimura
Other

SpecialBeginnersClass

A class for those who cannot read or write hiragana or katakana.
We will study the basics such as, the Japanese alphabet,greetings, numbers, and items. We will also be learning about
Tokushima.

SUN

TUE

From
April 2(20 times)
From
April 3(20 times)
From
April 4(20 times)
From
April 5(20 times)
From
April 7(20 times)

You mayjoin atanytimeFor more information see TOPIA's homepage: https://www.topia.ne.jp( この日本語教室は文化庁事業です )25th AJET Tokushima English MusicalBe sure to enjoy "Aladdin: A Whole New World" ,at a venue near you!
Performance Schedule:
March 3 (Sun) 15:00-17:00
Ishii Chuo Kominkan
March 9 (Sat) 14:00-16:00
Yoshinogawa-shi Kamojima Community Center
March 10 (Sun) 17:00-19:00
Matsushige Sougou Kaikan/ Multipurpose Hall
March 16 (Sat) 16:00-18:00
Katsuura Nouson Kankyou Kaizen Center
March 23 (Sat) 17:00-19:00
Wakimachi Theater Odeon-za

9Events & Memoranda
Tokushima International Film Festival
徳島国際映画祭 2019

The “Tokushima International Short Film Festival” 2016 年にスタートした西日本最大規模の短編映
which started in 2016 as the largest short 画 祭「 徳 島 国 際 短 編 映 画 祭 」 が、2018 年 か らfilm festival in West Japan was reborn as the「徳島国際映画祭」として生まれ変わりました。
“Tokushima International Film Festival” in 2018.
2019 年の上映作品のプログラム等は、徳島国際This year's movie program and other information
映画祭 HP をご覧ください。
will be announced soon.
When: March 8 (Fri) – 10 (Sun)
Where: Awagin Hall
Info: Tokushima Prefecture
Regional Revitalization Division
TEL: 088-621-2130
URlL: https://tiff.theater/

日時：3 月 8 日（金）～ 10 日（日）場所：あわぎんホール
問い合わせ：徳島県地方創生局地方創生推進課
TEL: 088-621-2130
URL: https://tiff.theater/

Past and Present of the Dreamy Yusanbako Lunch Box
美馬市 幻の弁当箱「遊山箱」のいま・むかし
Guests will be able to enjoy a special exhibitionof about 100 Yusanbako lunch boxes, which haveexisted since the Edo Period until the present day,coordinated with a landscape arrangement. Cometo enjoy Ikebana, Tokushima's traditional indigo
dyeing, and cute Yusanbako lunch boxes.

江戸時代から現在に至るまでの遊山箱約 100 点をWhen: March 30th (Sat) – April 7th (Sun)9:00-17:00
Where: “Aisho Sanao Yoshidake Jutaku” inside ofUdatsu Townscape (Mima-shi Wakimachi Oaza
Wakimachi 53)
Fee: 510 Yen (adults), 250 Yen (children)
Info: Mima Tourism Bureau
TEL: 0883-53-8599

日時：3 月 30 日（土）～ 4 月 7 日（日）特別展示し遊山の風景をコーディネートします。
草月流出村丹雅草グループによるいけばな、徳島伝統の藍染め、そして可愛い遊山箱の共演をお楽しみください。

09：00 ～ 17：00
場所：美馬市脇町大字脇町 53
内

うだつの町並み藍商佐直 吉田家住宅

料金：大人 510 円、小人 250 円
問い合わせ：美馬観光ビューロー
TEL: 0883-53-8599

Reminder: The 2019 Tokushima Marathon will take place on
Sunday, March 17th! The application period is already overbut be sure to go out and cheer on the runners!

Counselling Service at TOPIA・トピアの相談窓口
TOPIA offers a counselling and advisory service to all foreign residents to help with issues involving
accidents, working conditions, housing, visas, international marriage, and more. Counselling isavailable in English and Japanese. Please note that although every effort will be made, we may not beable to deal with all cases.
Everyday, 10:00 - 18:00 (closed during the New Year's holidays)
Tel: 088-656-3303 or 088-656-3320 (allows three-way conversations with an interpreter)