awa life
A monthly newsletter for international residents of Tokushima, produced
by TOPIA, the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association.

"TOPPY"
January 2007 No. 199

Happy New Year!

⨁⨐⨽⨖⨥⨉⩀⨦⨧⨅⨓⨕⨃⨽⨘⫝
artwork by hisatoyo murasawa

inside awa life this month
the usual year-end stuff - 3 ...
international ties - 4,6 ... mushroom's goodness - 5 ...
martin's manga corner - 7 shin-mai mama nikki / letter from suketo - 8 ...
japanese lesson - 9 ... memoranda - 10 - 12

awa life

Exchange Association (TOPIA)
Clement Plaza 6F
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi
Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN
tel: 088.656.3303
fax: 088.652.0616
topia@fm.nmt.ne.jp
http://www.topia.ne.jp/

is a monthly publication of the Tokushima
Prefectural International Exchange Association(TOPIA)
Andrew Dahms & Claire Tanaka
Contributors This Month:
Andrew Dahms, Kazue Inoue, Yusri Johan,Martin O'Brien, Claire Tanaka, and Takako Yamada

Download a PDF file of awa life or view theonline version by going to TOPIA's website!
http://www.topia.ne.jp/e_index/e_index.htm

from the editors
appy New Year! I wonder what everyone
h a s d e c i d e d f o r t h e i r N e w Ye a r s
resolutions this year? I have decided totry and save money by spending moretime thinking about what I really need insteadof just buying things impulsively. I still haven't
solved the puzzle of how to work full time andcook a proper dinner for my family every night
though. I'd like to make that my resolution, but
I don't think it is possible.
Well, in this edition of Awa Life, we present
our annual year-end kanji and catch-phrase
w ra p - u p, a s w e l l a s a n i n t r o d u c t i o n t othis year's overseas trainees, some handy
information about cooking mushrooms, and all
your favourite regular features too.
Love, Clairehappy New Year everyone! Is it just me,
or is it a lot warmer just now than it
was last year? Perhaps I've just gotten
used to it. It's funny, you know, when
you first arrive and everything is new. You duckand weave through each week, jumping overlittle hurdles like finding steak, real steak at
the supermarket or the atm chewing up yourcard when you pressed that button (how was
I supposed to know?). But then comes thesecond year, and you take a look back andwonder what all the fuss was about. You've got
it down, over, it's taken care of. Nay, when aproblems crops up you dodge it Matrix style,backflips and everything. I guess we're growing
with each little step.
Cheers, Andrewhpreparing osechi-ryori, or traditional japanese food eaten across the new year's holiday period. osechi can keep for a longtime, and is prepared before new year's eve to eliminate the need for cooking over the following few days. each item offood in osechi ryori holds a symbolic meaning, such as for health, prosperity or good luck. (photo by andrew dahms)-2-

the usual year-end stuff
v e r y D e c e m b e r, asingle kanji characteris chosen as capturing
the spirit of the past
year. This year's Kanji of theYear was ჏ - inochi, meaning"life". The Kanji of the Year ischosen by the general public,
who submit their choices alongwith a short explanation of
why they chose that particularcharacter. This annual traditionis administered by theJapan Kanji Aptitude Testing
Association.
Some of the reasons why"life" was chosen as this year's
keyword include the birth ofa male heir to the imperial
throne, Prince Hisahito, andseveral high profile bullyingrelated child suicides. Other
reasons included a rash of
drinking-driving related deaths,
the North Korea nuclear test,
various other highly-publicisedsuicides and murders, andnumerous problems related
to care for Japan's aging
population.
Many of the other kanji
characters that made the top
ten list were related to birth,
death, and nuclear testing.
Another year-end feature on
the Japanese media scene isthe annual "Catchphrase of theYear" ( ᅺ৪তോொ .!ryukogo
taisho) awards. This year's
number one catchphrase was
the name of Shizuka Arakawa's
signature figureskating move,
the Ina Bauer. Shizuka
Arakawa performed this move
during her gold-medal winning
performance at this year's
Winter Olympics. I knew I wascaught up in this craze when
I found myself calling it an"Ina Bauer" when my baby
daughter arched her back.

by claire tanaka
clairish@gmail.com

e"inochi" - chosen as the 2006 kanji of the year

Imagine my surprise when I
did a little research into the
Ina Bauer move and I foundout it has nothing to do witharching one's back! It is a
popular misconception that
the Ina Bauer is performedby skating sideways whilebending over backwards
in an arch. It is in fact thefoot placement alone which
determines an Ina Bauer.
Tied with "Ina Bauer" forcatchphrase-of-the-year was࿀ ެ (hinkaku - dignity,
panache) which became abuzzword thanks to the bestselling book, ਇ ‫ ݌‬Ѣ ࿀ ެ(kokka no hinkaku - thenation's dignity) publishedby mathematician Masahiko
Fujiwara.
Other top catchphrases
which became lodged in thecollective consciousness thisyear included:
erokakkoii - erotic cool - asexy fashion style embodied
by singer Koda Kumi.
kakusa shakai - a societyof disparity - this phrase isbeing bandied about more andmore as Japan experiences-3-

a widening gap between richand poor.
shinjirarenai - unbelievable- this rather commonplacephrase was forced into thelimelight when it was shouted
by Trey Hillman, coach of the
Nippon Ham Fighters, when
the Fighters won the Japan
Series.
tarako, tarako, tarako - codroe x 3 - this song from a TVcommercial advertising codroe pasta sauce has been on
the air for two or three years
now, but a recent releaseof the song on CD caused aboom in popularity, resulting
in school festivals across thenation featuring acts of kids
and/or teachers dressed as
giant cod roes and doing
choreographed dancing to thisrussian-sounding ditty.
Other phrases that madethe list included: nou tore
(brain training) after a newvideo game, hankachi ouji
(Handkerchief Prince) after ahigh school baseball pitcher,mixi after a social networking
website, and metabolic
syndrome.

international ties
ver the past three
years the Tokushima
Prefectural governmenthas been holding
an annual program inviting
trainees from overseas tocome study in various locationsin the prefecture for a periodof six months. This year weare pleased to welcome five
new participants, from Zambia,
Thailand, China, and Brazil
here to Tokushima as part ofthis International Cooperation
and Partnership Program.
This past December, I had
the opportunity to interview
the trainees about their studies
and their time in Japan. The
five participants are Kachofwa
L e w i s ( K L ) f r o m Za m b i a ,Santos Leonardo Nicolau (SLN)
from Brazil, Ni Yun (NY) from
China, U Nin (UN) from China,
and Chaichan Patcharinee (CP)from Thailand.

Oby andrew dahms
until_eternity@hotmail.com

What is your area of study?
KL: I am studying disastermanagement, specificallylife support systems, masscasualties and firefighting.
SLN: I am learning about
Microcontrollers and LEDs.
NY: Hospital management andpractices. I am based in the
Hakuai Kinen Hospital, and am
currently studying care andwelfare for the elderly at the
Heisei Ammenity inside thehospital there.
UN: Agriculture, specifically inthe field of cultivating soil forflowers and vegetables, andthe growing of various plants
and food.
CP: I am learning about carefor victims of natural disasters,
as well as counselling
techniques and how to treat
stress-related problems suchas post traumatic stressdisorder (PTSD).

How did you come to join
the program?
KL: There was a call forparticipants through anorganisation with which I havebeen affiliated for some time,and I applied through them as
I thought it would be a goodchance to progress my studies
in this field.
S L N : I wa s i n t e r e s t e d i nstudying overseas, but I often
say that Tokushima chose me,
and not the other way around.
Japan is often seen as a very
high-technological country so I
wanted to come to here.
NY: I haven't been overseasthat much, so I thought itwould be a good chance totravel and to study.
UN: In China I was involvedin a program where we often
welcomed visitors from Japanto talk about the local area
and agriculture. So I wanted tointernational ties ... con't on page 6(from left) trainees kachofwa lewis, chaichan patcharinee, u nin, ni yun, and santos leonardo nicolau(photo by andrew dahms)-4-

mushroom's goodness
t ' s r e a l l y q u i t e u n fa i r
to dedicate this muchspace to just talk about
mushrooms and why
they are good for you. Not
counting the wild varieties,
Japan has about 8 popularcommercial mushrooms,
i.e., maitake, matsutake,eringi, shiitake, enoki,
shimeji, hiratake, andnameko. Each in itself has
its own characteristics andtherefore should be used inrecipes that best enhancetheir flavors. If you don’t
like mushrooms, you should
give them a consideration with exception, of course, if
you have allergic reactions
towards them.
M u s h r o o m s h ave b e e ncredited with illness
p r e v e n t i v e a n d c u ra t i v eproperties. While I have no
way of proving that, I do
know that they are nutritious,and that they are good toeat. So, how nutritious are
they? Well, it really depends
on which particular type ofmushroom we are talking
about. For example shiitake
is a very good source ofprotein, amino acids, folate,potassium, phosphorus,
magnesium, selenium, andcalcium. On the other hand,
the humble enoki may not
be rich with protein andamino acids, but it is a very
good source of niacin, folate,potassium phosporus andmagnesium. In other words,
mushrooms are good for yourhealth.
If you have only eaten
mushrooms raw and in salad,
you can’t really appreciate
how wonderful they are
until you eat them cooked;

by yusri johanawalife@gmail.com

ia bean sprouts and eringi mushroom dishmushrooms usually need to
be processed to further tobring out their flavor.
One of the simplest ways
to use them in cooking is
by adding them to soups,
stews, or stir-fried dishes. Allof the mushrooms you findin a Japanese supermarket
are good for both soups andstir-fried dishes. The hardy
varieties, such as eringi,
matsutake, and shiitake,are good for broiling andgrilling. Of all the mushrooms
I mentioned, only shiitake
has a tougher to cook
stem, so most of the times,
only the caps are used forcooking. Regardless of whichmushrooms you choose, cookthem. Only in this way, you
can draw out the rich flavors
and also allow them to absorb
flavors from your foods.
Here is a simple stir-fry
recipe using some of themushrooms above. I am
focusing specifically on eringi
and shiitake. Of course, you
try it with other mushrooms
you like.
-5-

Ingredients:
2 handfuls or 1 bag of bean
sprouts
6 shiitake caps or 2 mediumsize eringi, cut into 0.5 cm
thick slices
3 stems of green onion, cut
into 2cm long
2 cloves of garlic, minced, andsalt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp cooking oil
Steps:
1. Heat up oil in the frying
pan. When it is hot, add in theminced garlic and stir-fry forfew seconds. Then add in thesliced mushrooms and keep
stir-frying until fully cooked.
2. Add in the green onion andstir-fry for few seconds. Tossin the bean sprouts and stirfry everything until the bean
sprouts are halfway cooked.
Add salt and pepper to taste
and stir-fry for about a minute
longer.
3 . Tu r n o f f t h e h e a t a n dtransfer it to a plate. Serve
immediately.

international ties ... con't from page 4
come to Japan and learn about
practices and methods here as
well. I am sometimes asked toperform as an interpreter, so
it is a big help to learn about
agriculture here and progressin my Japanese.
CP: I think this is a very
good program, and my job in
Thailand is as a social worker
so I think this experience will
help me very much in myduties.
What impression do you
have of Tokushima, andhow has your time here
been so far?
KL: I have enjoyed mytime here very much. The
sightseeing is very good, andthere are many things here I
cannot see at home.
SLN: It's amazing. Everythingis clean, the people are polite,
and I've had a good time. Itis very different to San Paulo
where I come from. I havealso been able to meet a lot of
people, which has been reallygreat.
NY: Before coming to Japanand Tokushima, I wondered
what kind of place it would
be. When I arrived, I found it
was quite different from what
I expected. Initially I didn't
enjoy it very much, but I have
gradually come to like it here.
UN: I think there are a lot ofcars here, and even though
the roads can be quite narrowat times I find it amazing that
there are so few accidents.
The people are also very kind.
I have spoken with many ofthe local residents and they
are always willing to help mewith any problems. Also, I findthe winter here is really warm.
CP: The people of Tokushima
are very friendly. Whenever

there is something I don't
understand, I can talk about it.
My host family is also very niceand friendly so I am happy to
be with them. My teachers andfriends at Tokushima University
have also been a great help.
If there was one thing you
could tell everyone about
your home country, what
would it be?
KL: Zambia is very safe. It
is surrounded by many othercountries, and yet even if there
is war or conflict in them wehave peace. We also accept
refugees from the surrounding
areas and help support them
until they are able to return
home.
SLN: Brazil is very beautiful,with many lovely beaches.
There is also the carnivale, alarge dance festival similar to
Awa Odori.
NY: It seems to be a widelyheld belief that China is a poor
country, but it is very large andeach region is very different
from the others. Many areas
are highly developed as well,
yet when I am asked whatkind of place I live in and replythat it is developed I often get
a surprised look.
UN: Hmm, I think I would
say it is that China is very
developed. Over the years wehave recieved much help fromJapan, but I think we do notneed to rely on that so muchnow. Particularly the Southand along the coasts are quiteadvanced.
CP: Many Japanese people
come to visit Thailand. It is abeautiful country, and I would
like to think that if people here
had the chance to travel theywould like to come to visit
Thailand.
-6-

What do you think you
have learned from yourtime here? What will you
take back with you?
KL: First of all, that I think I
need to be a pioneer as there
is no real study for what I
am doing here where I comefrom. When I get back I
would like to send a proposal
to the government and use
what I have learned to work
towards furthering disastermanagement at home.
SLN: That's difficult to say- there are so many things.
That the people are so polite,a n d s o m a ny g r e a t i d e a slike separation of garbage,etc. It has been an amazing
experience for me, and there
are so many things I can dowith what I have learned backin Brazil.
NY:There are many things,
especially in regards to thecare and welfare of the elderly.
We do not have this kind ofwork in China, and I would
very much to make use ofthis experience there. I think
it could be very important in
China, as care for the elderly
is usually held at home andis seen as the duty of thechildren. However, due tothe limit of one child perhousehold this is becoming
increasingly difficult to do.
UN: I have learned a lot about
gro wing plant s and o t h e r
agricultural practies, as well as
being able to advance my skills
in Japanese.
CP: I have learned a lot ofJapanese. I would very much
like to be able to speak thelanguage well, and I hopethat if I can do so, next time
I come here I would be able
to travel and move about thecountry more freely.

martin's manga corner
Title: Tsukidate no Satsujin( ैࠛѢ੸గ )Author: Aratsuji Yukito
Illustrator: Sasaki Noriko
Publisher: Shogaku-Kan(IKKI COMIX)
Published:Japan (2005)
No of volumes: Twosukidate no Satsujin is amurder mystery manga
set aboard a luxury
t ra i n r u n n i n g t h r o u g h
the more desolate and ruralparts of Hokkaido, and isan accomplished modern
variation of Agatha Christies
well known mystery "Murderon the Orient Express". Like
Christie's classic, Tsukidate
no Satsujin is a whodunittype mystery set aboard a
train travelling in one of theblizzards that are common in
Japan's northern climes. As
familiar as the setting might
be to mystery novel fans, thepassengers on the train andthe circumstances that broughtthem together provide a castof intriguing characters thatallow an insight into certain
curious aspects of Japaneseculture as well as bringing
a unique twist to this wellestablished fiction genre.
The story begins not in
H o k k a i d o b u t i n O k i n awa
where we are introduced
to the main character, an
enigmatic and enduring third
grade high school student
called Sorami who receives a
strange request from a lawyer
known as Nakazaike. She issummoned to Hokkaido tomeet with her grandfather, awealthy and reclusive railway
baron in order to discuss her
inheritance.
After flying to Hokkaido,ts h e i s m e t b y N a k a z a i ke ,and brought to a small rural
station where she is left
unaccompanied to travel to
Tsukidate via the mysterious
Genya line. On this ten hour
journey through the wilds
of Hokkaido, there are only
seven passengers, namely
Sorami and six others. The
passengers she meets are
curious people who are known
as tetsutaku, or what weknow as Trainspotters. The
six tetsutaku are fanaticalin their passion for all things
to do with trains, each having
a particular interest in one
aspect of railway culture.
The focus of their hobbies
ranges from collecting signs
and interior fittings to taking
photographs of trains, visiting
stations and collecting
timetables.
As Sorami is cast among
the six tetsutaku we get astrong sense of the lonelinessand uncertainty that a young
girl from Okinawa would feeltravelling alone in Winterthrough Hokkaido. Poor Sorami
doesn't exactly endear herself
to her fellow travellers, as she
casually mentions that this is
her first time on a train. Upon
hearing this the tetsutaku
are predictably and somewhat
amusingly appalled. Unable tosettle down, Sorami retires forthe night in her compartment.
Her uneasy sleep is disturbed
some time later by acommotion outside, as oneof the younger tetsutaku isfound dead in his compartmentby the train conductor. In
true "Murder on the Orient
Express" style the door of his
compartment has been lockedfrom the inside.
-7-

by martin o'brien
martinobrien2004@gmail.com

And so the mystery begins
with the conductor Kawamata
leading the investigation to
discover the killer. While it
might seem that whoever is
responsible has to be among
the passengers and staff, wesoon come to the realisationthat the Genya line is no
ordinary train, and that themurder and mayhem mightjust continue after they reach
their destination. If they reachit, that is. As the plot unfolds,
the shadow that Sorami's
grandfather casts on all theforeboding events is slowly
revealed, yet despite all themysteries and intrigue that
becomes unraveled, in true
Agatha Christie style we get noclue as to who the murderer isuntil the very end.
Tsukidate no Satsujin remains
suspenseful and satisfying
throughout. It is difficult for
the reader to quickly ascertain
definite suspects due to thearray of bizarre and somewhat
sinister characters making up
the tetsutaku passengers.
The love that they have forrailway culture conveys animage of them as a close andcliquish bunch, yet it's clear
their obsessions are stronger
than any fellowship that theymight appear to possess. Theirrelationship is ultimately why
the manga is so stylish, withits bizarre cast fitting perfectly
into the Agatha Christie
murder mystery style.
The manga is a collaborative
work written by Aratsuji Yukito
a n d i l l u s t ra t e d b y S a s a k i
Noriko. Available originally inserialised form in IKKI Gekan,
it has now been publishedin comic book format and isavailable in two volumes.

letter from suketo hoikuen
happy New Year to you
all! How have your New
Year holidays been?
January in Japan isthe best time of the year toexperience Japanese culture.
Even at Suketo Hoikuen we
include various traditional
games and activities forthe children around thistime,which are a part of aculture that has been handed
down through families andchild-rearing groups.
While we live in a very
convenient age in comparison
to the past, children thesedays have fewer opportunities
to engage in active activities
or play together in groups.
A n d s o a l l t h e m o re i t i simportant to enjoy playing
games such as with spinningatops, karuta cards andtraditional kite flying withothers, and understand thefun playing with others aswell as being able to deepenfamily relationships. Somegames also require a certain
degree of skill, so it is nice tofeel a sense of achievement
after having worked hard forsomething.
How to make a spinning
top: First, cut out a circularpiece of card with a radius ofshin-mai mama nikki
his December, we had thewinter concert at Sofie's
daycare. Each class had aperformance where they
showcased the new skills they
had learned. Sofie's class, thelittlest class, showed how they
could say please and thankyou. The kids who couldn't
talk yet put their hands
together for please and bowed
their heads for thank you.
The older kids did things like:
perform on the hula hoop,
dress up as insects and talkabout the special qualities ofvarious insects, play musicalinstruments, and of course
there was lots of singing anddancing. The daycare teachers
performed a dance to the"tarako, tarako, tarako" songwhich was voted one of the2006 Catchphrases of the Year.
This year, the norovirust

has been running rampant allover Japan. This year is said
to be a ten-year high for rates
of infection of the norovirus.
Having the norovirus isbasically like having foodpoisoning, and indeed it ismost often caught througheating contaminated food.
It's very scary having a baby
in daycare when something
like this is around, but so far
everyone in Sofie's school has
been fine.
Last Christmas, Sofie was so
small that I didn't feel like I
had to do anything special forher for the holiday, but thisyear she is starting to becomeaware of her surroundings,
so I wanted to do something
Christmassy. I know a lot of myfriends back in Canada have a
hard time during the holidays
because their personal beliefs-8-

by kazue inoue
suketo hoikuen staff

two centimeters. Then stick a
tooth pick through the middle,
and you have a makeshiftspinning top!
How to make a kite: First,
take a normal shopping bag
and paint a picture on thefront of it. Then, tie a string
onto each of the handles as
per the diagram below, cut itto the desired length and wind
it around a peg or stick for ahandle.

by claire tanaka
clairish@gmail.com

don't quite match up withwhat is expected behavior at
Christmas time. For example,
they don't eat meat but
they are expected to eat aturkey dinner, or they don't
have much money but they
are expected to buy a lot ofpresents for people. I suppose
I am lucky to be here in
Japan where I can make myown Christmas in any style I
please. The freedom is almost
too much! In the end, we had
no room in our apartment fora tree, so I took a big pieceof paper and drew a tree on
it and tacked it to the wall,then Sofie and I put stickers
on round pieces of coloured
paper and taped them to thepaper tree. Maybe this can be
our new family tradition!

japanese lessonby takako yamada
fukuwarai

he good luck smile, or make-a-face game ( ࿵஼и ) is one of the
traditional New Year games in Japan. A blindfolded person puts
parts of face on a blank face with the help of others who tellhim or her where to place the pieces. We usually use the face ofo k a m eопѵ (a round funny face of a woman similar to the diagram to theright).
Please try this game of giving directions
in mJapanesesuch asmousukoshimigi
hidario t t o u eѶ к஛ы‫( ی‬a little more to the right)̜ਬ (left)̜Ѷ їќ௑ (higher)̜
shita݀ (lower), etc. This month’s Japanese lesson also deals with a parttof the face again. How many of them do you know? (The literaltranslation is italicized.)kuchi

঵̡mouth indicates the manner a person speaks and personality which relates to the way he/her speaks.
kuchi g a u m a i؋঵ ркѲи̡to have a glib tongue
a n o otoko w a kuchi g a u m a i k a r a
d a m a s a r e n a i y o u n i k i o tsukete k u d a s a iжѢ ඍ ѣ ঵ ркѲипѽ̜єѲщҀўиѼкџࡂ҆јхњуєщи̝Be careful not to be deceived by that man because he has a glib tongue. ̛঵ р‫ٵ‬и̡to have a bad mouth , to have a bitter tongue, to be sarcastic
kare w a kuchi g a w a r u i g a
s o n n a n i w a r u i hito d e w a n a iླྀѣ ঵ р‫ٵ‬ир̜ё҇ўџ‫ٵ‬иగћѣўи̝He is sarcastic but he is not a bad guy.
kuchi g a k a t a i঵ р॒и̡to have a hard mouth, to be tight-lipped
kare w a kuchi g a k a t a i k a r ashinyou d e k i r uླྀѣ ঵ р॒ипѽ̜௸ᄿћсѿ̝He is reliable because he is tight lippedkuchi g a k a r u i঵ рऴи̡to have a light mouth , to have a loose tongue, cannot keep a secretkare w a kuchi g a k a r u i k a r ad a i j i n a hanashi w a d e k i n a iླྀѣ ঵ рऴипѽ̜ോૈў ᇭ ѣ୞ᅖўи̝He cannot keep a secret, so we cannot
kuchi g a w a r u i

،
‫؍‬
؎

؏
ؐ

tell
him something important.
kuchi g a o m o i঵ р୓и̡to have a heavy mouth, to be a man of few words, to be reticent about
j i b u n n o shiseikatsu n i t s u i t e w akare w a kuchi g a o m o i૛ကѢશౠߊџјињѣ̜ླྀѣ ঵ р୓и̝He is reticent about his personal life.
kuchi g a l p f u f j s v঵ р྆мњиѿ̡to have a fat mouth, to be particular about one’s foodkare w a kuchi g a k o e t e i r u n o d e
k o n o r e s u t o r a n wa k i n i i r a n a i d a r o uླྀѣ ঵ р྆мњиѿѢћ̜чѢӞҫҺӛӥѣࡂџ໚ѽўиєҁк̝As he is particularo about
what he eats, he would not like this restaurant.
i w a n a i঵ рᇂхњѶ̻҆ॸ҃ўи̡not to say ̻ even if the mouth tears.

kuchi g a t b l f u f n p

ؑ

ؒ

ؓ

not
to reveal kuchi
theg asecretwhatever happens.
k o n o himitsu w a
s a k e t e m o i e m a s e nчѢྃႹѣ̜঵рᇂхњѶॸмѲя̝҇I can’t tell you this secret whatever happens.
kuchi g a t v q q b l v n a r u h o d o iu঵ р઒їѥуўѿѯѝॸк̡to say ̻ repeatedly enough for one’s mouth to becomesour,
to say ̻ over and over again
osake o n o n d a r a unten s u r u n a t okuchi g a s u p p a k u n a r u h o d o i t t a n o n ikare w a i n s h u u n t e n d e t s u k aоଢ҆‫҇ۃ‬єѽ‫ۥ‬฼эѿўќ̜঵р઒їѥуўѿѯѝॸїѓѢџ̜ླྀѣ‫ۃ‬ଢ‫ۥ‬฼ћјпm a t t e s h i m a t t eѲїњыѲїѓ̝I warned him again and again not to drive after drinking, but hewasfinally arrested for drunken driving.
a i t a kuchi g a f u s a g a r a n a i‫ލ‬иѓ঵ рѩщрѽўи̡unable to close one’s open mouth, be struck dumb by
surprise.
kanojo n o h a d e n a k a k k o t o w a g a m a m a n a t a i d o n i
m i n n aa i t a kuchi g a f u s a g a r a n a k a t t aླྀஅѢ༃ଚўެ঻ќ҃рѲѲўഺ๗џ̜ѳ҇ў̜жиѓ঵ рѩщрѽўпїѓ̝We were dumbfounded at her loud clothes and selfish behavior.
঵ рߌѿ̡the mouth slips, to be careless enough to say ̻kare w a t s u i kuchi g a s u b e t t e tsuma n i n u s u n d a kane n o kakushi b a s h o o h a n a s h i t e s h i m a t t aླྀѣји঵ рߌїњ̜ਾџ๮҇єࣞѢ‫ۉ‬ы௘୸҆ᇭыњыѲїѓ̝He was carelesskuchi g a s u b e r uؔenough to tell his wife where he had hidden the stolen money.
-9-

memorandaਇੑᅫ‫ݶ‬ફ‫܍‬Í¬±ØÒ

InternationalForumѸэѽтѢਇӈ̶ұӥ̝HOQ̈́ਇჁೳౠઌͅѼѾ HOḮਇ
Tshering Cigay Dorji, from Bhutan, will talk about hisჁೳূ࿵ͅಶབ̡໘ႎত҆ᇭяѿా஛ўиӈ̶ұӥగ̛country and it's GNH (Gross National Happiness) over GNPҩҙӜӥ̠ҫҕ̶ҤҖ̠һӝҪળѢ৬܏ঝབ̡иҁ҇ў(Gross National Product) policy (in Japanese). FollowingਇѢగќѢপᅺ‫ݵ‬the speech will be a chance to interact with people fromvarious countries.
When: February 17 (Sat) 13:00 - 16:00 Cost: Free໘ૐ ;! 3 ै 28 ໘̈́๘ͅ24;11 ̻ 27;11 ࣞ޽̡!Ⴥᆍ

Where: TOPIA (Clement 6F)

௘୸ ;! ຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫̈́ݵ‬ҡӞӓӥҺӉӛҨϬ‫ͅގ‬

Info: call Noguchi-san 088-656-3303

ை੍ ;! ჾ঵Ѳћ̡199.767.4414

or e-mail topia@topia.ne.jp̛̛̛̛ӓ̶ӝ̡upqjbAupqjb/of/kq̛

Doitsu-kan EventsһҖҶࠛҖӋӥҺ

There is going to be a piano recital by Takashi Tanaka heldһҖҶࠛћѣโඨࡌનщ҇џѼѿӆҔӀӜҧҖұӝр৪at the Doitsu-kan҃ҀѲэ̝

When: Sunday, January 21 doors: 1:30, start: 2:00
Cost:໘ૐ̡̛ϧैϨϧ໘ ) ໘ͅ2;41 ‫ލ‬௘̛3;11 ‫ލ‬ડ1,500 yen for general entry, 500 yen for middleࣞ޽̡̛‫ڴ‬ཤ 2-611 ‫̜܅‬ඨசౠ 611 ‫܅‬school students and below (may be subject to!

change).

΀ဥ৏щҀѿ݈໷ౕржѾѲэ

A display of items and materials related to the newspaperཛྷ๪ቢᆆଭᄴ୸ఁဍ͐ҹҕ̠ӂӛҵң͑Ѣౌ‫ވ‬Ѣึᅥ‫ݵ‬'Die Barracke' written by German POWs of the BandoрһҖҶࠛћ৪҃ҀѲэ̝

encampment is going to be held at the Doitsu-kan.
໘ૐ̡̛2 ै‫ڴ‬໘̈́ैͅпѽ 2 ै 39 ໘ ) ໘ͅ

When: Monday, January 1 - Sunday, January 28
Cost:ࣞ޽̡̛‫ڴ‬ཤ 511 ‫܅‬

400 yen for adults, and 100 yen for junior high!

school students and below.

ඨசౠ 211 ‫܅‬For more details and information on the Doitsu-kan, take aһҖҶࠛѢҘҙӈҧҖҺџѶࡆಉѢҖӋӥҺ௜၇ўѝрlook at the Doitsu-kan homepage for more seasonal eventж Ѿ Ѳ э̡iuuq;00xxx/djuz/obsvup/uplvtijnb/kq0̛

information and other details, here at: http://www.city.

hfsnboipvtf0joefy/iunm

naruto.tokushima.jp/germanhouse/index.html

Playing Badminton! ӂһӑӥҺӥ!ҡӛӈ
Join us and have fun!

‫୽ڴ‬џӂһӑӥҺӥ҆޼ыѳѲыѻк

Team Freedomҳ̶Ӓ̠ӇӜ̶ҲӒћэ

When: (almost) every Saturday 18:00 - 21:00

໘ૐ ;̈́ѯѰͅႚୃ๘ᄹ໘ 29̡11 ̻ 32̡11

Where: Tokushima City Youth Centre 2F

௘୸ ; ຝ๥દ౬஛໩ҭӥұ̶ϨG

Info: call Joe: 090-4780-0609

ை੍ ; Ҫә̶ 1:1.5891.171:-10-

memoranda
Awa Pilgrimages
Exhibition٬༂Ѣ୲ᆵᆅќࡅѾѢທ

A display is going to be held at the Tokushima Prefecturalဌ݁Ѣఃџжѿຝ๥ॡᅵ༨࿾ࠛћѣ٬༂Ѣ୲ᆵ҆Ҹ̶Ӑ

Museum in Bunka no Mori, exhibiting various historicalќыѓึᅥ‫ݵ‬р৪҃ҀѲэ̝99 Ө୸єхћѣўу̜ഢџ

artefacts related to lesser-known pilgrimages and templeѶᄻ̳ў୲ᆵѣ౶пѽжїњ̜ਗ‫ݷ‬Ѣึᅥ‫ݵ‬ћѣૃᆍў

circuits in Tokushima.
When: Friday, January 19 to Sunday, March 18
9:30 to 17:00 (closed on Mondays)
Cost:

Free

Where: The Tokushima Prefectural Museum, Bunka noѝрึ૘щҀњиѲэ̝໘ૐ ;! 2 ै 2: ໘̈́ࣞͅпѽ 4 ै 29 ໘̈́໘ࣞͅ޽̡! Ⴥᆍ
௘୸ ;! ဌ݁Ѣఃೳ৽র‫܆‬џжѿ

Mori

!

Call Bunka no Mori at 088-668-3636

ை੍ ;! ဌ݁ѢఃѲћ 199.779.4747

The Sun and Green
Recycling
Association

OQP ၓగ
തᅉќᆜѢ‫ݵ‬Info:ຝ๥ॡᅵ༨࿾ࠛ

Looking for someplace to donate your used clothes, toys,ચ҃ўуўїѓоѶѕѷ̜ᄼ࿴̜௳࠯̜ўѝжѾѲя҇п̣dishes, and other unwanted things? Or perhaps you'reёҀќѶ̜ࣻѾ୞ы࿾҆൷эѢр঻сћэп̣തᅉќᆜ

looking for some bargains? The Sun and Green RecyclingѢ‫ݵ‬ѣჁࠖྋ۪ᅦආലћ௏‫҆ޔ‬૏їњиѿగ̳рप۪э

Association (Taiyo to Midori no Kai) is a non-profitѿӜҧҖҡӝҩәҵӉћэ̛̝࿊ᄿ࿀҆‫ۂ‬сଘїњуҀorganisation-run recycling shop staffed by people withѲэ̝૛ကћ૏їњ৪хўи௘৽ѣ‫ݷ‬ଭџᅖњуҀѲэ̝disabilities. They will take your donations of used goods,
and they will also do remote pickup if you have a lot ofthings that you can't move by yourself.

໘ૐ ;:̡11 ̻ 29̡41̈́ชࡷ໘̡యᄹ໘ͅ
௘୸ ; ຝ๥દ຾пѽᅖѿ௘৽ѣ 41 ৼದћ‫ࣰچ‬ಖ҆ํїњ

When: open from 9:30 - 18:00, closed Wednesdaysэфџ‫ی‬џѲрїњ̜ӍҸӝ KK ѢᅮџжѾѲэ̝Where: (coming from downtown Tokushima) turn rightை੍ ; ใᇭ̡199.754.2165

off Route 30 right after crossing the Akui River and it'sӍ̶Ӓӌ̶Ҫ̡http://www2.ocn.ne.jp/~t-midori/behind Hotel JJ.
Info: call 088-643-1054
or see the homepage: http://www2.ocn.ne.jp/~t-midori/

Asian Youth Culture ൌ 22 ‫ݷ‬ҔҪҔႱ‫ึݬ‬
Exhibition of manga from 10 different Asian countries.

ҔҪҔ 21 ӨਇѢႱ‫݌ݬ‬Ѣ‫҆ފ‬ா‫ݴ‬ыѲэ̝

When: January 25 - February 4, 9:00 - 17:00

໘ૐ ;2 ै 36 ໘̻ 3 ै 5 ໘̛:̡11 ̻ 28̡11

Where: Bunka no Mori 21 Century Hall௘୸ ; ဌ݁Ѣః 32 ౌࡈࠖ

Entry: Freeை੍ ;̛ใᇭ 199.779.2222

Info: call 088-668-1111-11-

memoranda੆‫ޔ‬ૐ‫ޒ‬ਇగફ‫܍‬ҿҵҺӡ̶ҡ‫ࡢݵ‬‫ݰۏ‬ᄕ௸щ҇џѼѿ৬܏੖ආၓగຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫ݵ‬ћѣ̜ॡѢ‫ڙ‬൛ૈࣄќыњ͐੆‫ޔ‬ૐ‫ޒ‬ਇగફ‫܍‬ҿҵҺӡ̶ҡ‫ࡢݵ‬̻ఁ߅ඨ‫܁‬එఖџохѿ‫ޒ‬ਇగ྇੆̠ફ‫܍‬௡ࢳ҆޺Ѫ ͑̈́র‫ލ‬৬܏҆ͅ‫ލ‬ਹ඙ыѲэ̝๪໊‫ކ໊̠ކ‬එఖѣ̜ਗౌࡈಶབџѶཇౠэѿќᄫഐщҀњиѲэр̜ࡼഃыњиѿ੓୉‫ޒ‬ਇగѢඨџѣඑఖџ࠘эѿඐૡр࿊഑ыњиѿၑѶണиѓѵ̜ၻ੆ඐૡѢณ࢝҆ࠞѴ੓୉‫ޒ‬ਇగѬѢสಂўഴ‫ܤ‬Ѣ୮ྏрࡼჃќўїњиѲэ̝ёѢѓѵ̜৪౗̜OHP̜ӎӛӥҸҕҔ๷Ѣ‫މ‬щ҇ѽћ̜੓୉‫ޒ‬ਇగફ‫܍‬ѢҿҵҺӡ̶ҡ҆छౖы̜࿗ඌпѽ‫ߌ܅‬џ௜၇Ѣপ߹̠ࢢᄛ҆నѿല౑੢ѾрࡿѵѽҀњиѲэ̝ёчћ̜๴ࢤ‫ݵ‬ћѣ̜ఁ߅ඨ‫܁‬එఖѢੑ̜‫ޒ‬ਇగફ‫܍‬џоињോсўᄂ߆҆‫ݐ‬ѓы̜ਇੑࢤᆛ
‫ވ‬ѢҝӜҫӐќыњඐѽҀњиѿ̜ఁ߅ॡෙܰદਇੑপᅺҭӥұ̶ෙ̜‫ݰۏ‬ᄕ௸щ҇҆оसмы̜प५џ࠰љуඑఖѢੑѢ‫ޒ‬ਇగ྇੆଄ѬѢફ‫܍‬ല౑џјињоဍсы̜ຝ๥ћѢફ‫܍‬ѢжѾၑџјињ̜‫މ‬щ҇ќш‫୽ڴ‬џৣмѓиќ઩иѲэ̝໘̛ૐ̡̛ဓౖϧϯ໩Ϩैϧ໘̈́ც̛ͅঙঝϨ̡Ϫϫ̻Ϫ̡ϧϫ௘̛୸̡̛੖ආၓగຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫ࡢݵ̛ݵ‬૬܏̛ൎ̡̛͐ఁ߅ඨ‫܁‬එఖџохѿ‫ޒ‬ਇగ྇੆̠ફ‫܍‬௡ࢳ҆޺Ѫ͑৬̛ધ̡̛‫ݰۏ‬ᄕ௸щ̛҇̈́ෙܰદਇੑপᅺҭӥұ̶ෙͅ઄݇ྉ̡̛Ⴥᆍ
ჴи৽҃я̡̛੖ආၓగຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫̛ݵ‬̛̛̛̛̛̛̛΁ 881.1942!ຝ๥દ્๥ႎ෎ 2.72̛¹ÛÓÞÅÍàØ¼ßϬ‫!!!!!ގ‬ใᇭ̡̛199.767.4414!!Í¨°¹¾̡199.763.1727
Ó±Ứ̡dppsejobups2Aupqjb/of/kq! !
!
̛̛!൶๴̡̛ഠេ࿗झ
Ͱ‫ݰۏ‬ᄕ௸щ̛҇ӉӟӇҕ̶ӝͰෙܰદਇੑপᅺҭӥұ̶ෙ̜ຍદࢱ‫̝ڿڙڱ‬2:91 ໩̜ҝӥӎҪҔໍჁ‫܍‬ஃ‫ڭ‬ᆑӉӟҪҙҡҺѢ
‫ڭ‬ᆑුౘ‫ڿ‬ќыњұҖџ࿡ໞ̝ёѢঝ̜તѝѶѢ૛ᅵ҆წપэ͐૛ಹଡ଼͑҆ଗਹ̝3112 ໩пѽෙܰદਇੑপᅺҭӥұ̶ෙќыњ̜દќମဩѢਇੑপᅺ̠ਇੑࢤᆛૈࣄѢఀࢹѸપຏўѝ҆৪к̝દࢱ‫̜ڿڙڱ‬ఁ߅ॡ OHP ҿҵҺӡ̶ҡঔჴ̜KJDB ਇੑࢤᆛҧӏ̶ұ̶ўѝѶჃѵѿ̝එၑཇѢਇੑࢤᆛ҆૲ಯыњиѿಐఔඑ‫̜ڰ‬ෙܰџохѿඨ௾గ࿾̝ਇੑࢤᆛ‫ވ‬Ѣ͂ҝӜҫӐ̓ќыњඐѽҀѿ̝

Counselling Service at TOPIAҺӆҔѢ೰ඎೱ঵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 is available in English and Japanese. Please notethat although every effort will be made, we may not be able to deal with all cases.
Monday to Friday, 10:00 - 16:30
tel. 088-656-3303 or 088-656-3320 (allows three way conversations with an interpreter)ଥх઱ѵњиѲэпగग़Ѣ୓ѳ
-12-