2011 年 4 月

阿波ライフ
TOPPY

249
APRIL

AWA LIFE
Shaking Up Memories
Lance Kita

I

just happened to bewatching TV and callinghome when the tsunami hit
the Tohoku Coast. At first, it
seemed like localized flooding,but the cars and boats kept
cascading over the seawall,and I soon realized a majordisaster was unfolding in frontof me again.
My memories flashed backto 1995. I had just returned
from a year’s study in Kobe,
my first time in Japan,
and as the new semester
started I spied a newspaper
headline: “KILLER QUAKEIN KOBE.” I rushed to mydorm to find other Japanese
students anxiously huddledaround phones, trying toconnect with family. All we
had were pictures of toppledexpressways, crumbleds t re e t s c ape s , and c loudsof black smoke rising overburning neighborhoods.
Our hearts and minds were
dominated with a sense that
there was nothing we could
do to stop it from happening.
However, people raced backThe desctruction after the Kobe quake.

to their rooms and starting
contacting anyone they
could in Kobe. As we got
information, we shared it withfriends in Hawaii, Australia,
Canada, and the U.K. Oneof the Kobe students flew
back to his hometown andused his bilingual abilities
to assist foreign residents
a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l re s c u eteams. Both Japanese andH awa i i a n s t u d e n t s s t o o din the campus center andcollected donations. My hostfamily had electricity back onthat day, and told me they felt
so bad that they had survived
unscathed, so they made riceballs and tea and delivered
them into the city with myhost brother’s moped.
The human spirit wasdetermined to stem thetide of nature’s destructive
force. Individuals rose to thechallenge of contributing what
they could, from spare change
to manpower, at a time when
the Japanese government
was sharply criticized for its
sluggish response.
Shaking Up Memories... continued on page 3

阿波ライフ
TOPPY

249
APRIL

AWA LIFE

This month in Awa Life
1

Shaking Up Memories

4

Goodbye Dear
Colleagues, Hello New
Team

Lance Kita

Departing TOPIA staff

7

Letter from Suketo
HoikuenKazue Inoue

89Japanese Lesson

Dearest Awa Life Readers,
I can’t tell you how relieved I waswhen I walked out of TOPIA the otherday at 6:00 at night and it was stilllight out. That made my day. Springis well on its way and I could not be happier for it.
I’m a little weary of spending all my time in the
one room in my apartment that has a heater.
But I digress. We have a brand spanking
new Awa Life issue for you to devour, with areflection on the recent devastating Tohoku
earthquake from Lance, and some helpful
information on earthquake preparedness. But
it gets a little more melancholy after that, withfarewell messages from four of our staff at
TOPIA. *Le sigh* Dig in folks, and also enjoy thephotos near the back of AJET’s recent musicalperformances of “Treasure Island.”

Shima Date

"Treasure Island" Photos
Christine Clifford

10 News & Events
12 Memoranda

Best,
Sarah

awa life

is a monthly publication of the Tokushima Prefectural
International Exchange Association (TOPIA).
Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA)〒 770-0831
Tokushima City, Terashima Honcho Nishi 1-61
Clement Plaza 6F
Tel
088-656-3303
Fax 088-652-0616
Email topia@topia.ne.jp
HP www.topia.ne.jp
An electronic version of Awa Life is also available fordownload from the TOPIA homepage.

2

TOPIA

Shaking Up Memories... continued from page 1
So when the deadly waves
washed over fields andh o u s e s i n To h o k u , w h a t
h a p p e n e d f r o m 1 6 ye a r s
ago immediately resonatedwith many people in Japan.
Again, individuals felt theurge to take action in thef a c e o f a d v e r s i t y. S o c i a l
networking sites quickly
became multilingual lifelines
when phone calls couldn’t go through. News footage
showed schools rallying theirteachers and students to set
up evacuation centers asdazed survivors wandered infrom flooded towns. Seafood
processing plants offeredfish from their failed freezers
when shelters were shorton food, even volunteering
to make soup and man
the barbecue grills. People
lined up around the country,
asking local municipalities
how to volunteer and donate
supplies.
H e r e i n To k u s h i m a ,u n i ve r s i ty s t u d e n t s w e recollecting donations in frontof the station just two daysa f t e r t h e q u a ke . A w e e kafter the quake and tsunami,
several charity parties were
held around Tokushima toraise funds for the relief
effort, including one that had
been planned for the recent
Christchurch quake but wasquickly modified by local New
Zealand teachers to include
Tohoku.
In the face of absolute
destruction, lost lives, anduncertain rumors, people andcommunities pulled together
to make the best of the worst.

TOPIA

Residents of all nationalities
were inspired to pitch in andcontribute, as if the survivorsin Tohoku were their own
family. Amid human tragedy,
humanity was not forgotten.
Indeed, the foreign media
reported with awe about
how survivors took things instride, waited in line for whatlittle supplies were available,
and relied on each other until
outside help came.
Lessons learned fromtragedies past become lights
of hope for the future. In
fact, the 1946 Alaska and1960 Chile megaquakes senta destructive tsunami to myfather’s home island in Hawaii,
which led to the establishmentof the Pacific Tsunami Warning
Center and the field of tsunami
research, which contributed
directly to the early warning
systems that no doubt
helped reduce the number ofcasualties during this quake.
It’s remarkable when people
and events oceans apart,
generations apart, can make adifference for one another.
The disaster is far from over,and there is a long road ahead
for the relief and rebuilding
effort. What can each of
us do, how can each of us
respond to those images on
the TV screen? All of us should
be inspired to find some way,large or small.
The following are excerpts
on earthquake preparedness
taken from the English
Liv ing G uide ava i la ble o n
the prefectural website:
http://www.pref.tokushima.
jp/docs/2009092400208/files/

livingguide_english.pdf
Earthquakes
Japan is a country prone toearthquakes. The HanshinAwaji Earthquake of 1995
was an invaluable lesson inwhich countless precious
lives and property were lostin an instant. It is important
to be prepared mentally andmaterially for earthquakes, nomatter where or when they
may occur, so that losses are
kept to a minimum.
Everyday Measures*Check where the safest
place in your house orapartment is.
*Store enough drinking
water – 2-3 litres per person,
per day.
*Prepare a rucksack or
emergency bag and store it ina place familiar to everyonein the family. Example ofitems to put in the rucksack /emergency bag: (a) flashlightand batteries, (b) drinking
water and food, (c) portableradio (d) money (including
some 10 yen coins for using apublic telephone), (e) copies
of identification materials suchas passports and bankbooks,
etc., and other valuables, (f)matches, lighter and candles,(g) a first-aid kit (including
medicine for those requiring
regular medication), (h) ahelmet or other protective
headwear, (i) cotton work
gloves, socks and underwear,(j) heat insulating andwaterproof blankets, (k) rope,
etc.
*Use metal fittings to securefurniture and prevent it fromfalling over.

Shaking Up Memories... continued on page 6

3

Goodbye Dear Colleagues,
Hello New TeamI

t is that time of theyear again. Usually themembers at TOPIA change
every few years, but never
have there been changes
as drastic as this year. This
April five members are goingt o l e a v e u s fo r d i f fe r e n t
reasons. Having to partw i t h s o m a ny c o l l e a g u e s
we have worked with for along time and started having
a good relationship with istough, but at the same time
we are going to meet our
new co-workers who wil lhopefully also become dear
col leagues in the future.
So, to all our parting staff
members: “Farewell and goodluck!” and to our new staff:“Let ’s work together andbecome a good team!”

Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!

Fumie
Murasawa

I

would like to thankeveryone from the bottomof my heart for the 10 years
I spent at TOPIA doing work
involved with international
exchange. Last year I
had the privilege of helping
to create the DVD and panel
on multiculturalism, and thisyear I was a part of TOPIA's
20th Anniversary Festival.
In a d d i t i o n t o a c t i v i t i e s ,the experiences I had
working on these criticalprojects are a treasure tome, and something I am

4

Photo by Shoko Nomizu, left to right Keiko Kasai, Jin Yanling, and Fumie Murasawa

proud of. I will hold them in
my heart forever.
To the foreign residents
I had the opportunity
to meet through this work,
as well as the volunteers
and registered organizations
a t TO P I A , t h a n k y o u s omuch. Also, I would like toexpress my gratitude to themembers of the International
Affairs and Strategies Divisionof the Prefectural
Government, the other staff
at TOPIA, and others involved
for so many years in thework of international
exchange, for guiding me asa member of TOPIA. I wish
you the best of health andluck in your future endeavors.
Let’s meet again!

T

Keiko Kasai

ime flies! These words
best describe my feelings

right now. During my two
years here, TOPIA became
an unforgettable work placethat taught me many new
things about the world, andI would not have been able
to get by without the warm
support of my fellow staff.
TOPIA has enriched my life
with two fulfilling years ofinteracting with people frommany different countries andlifestyles, making mine atruly multicultural experience.
Even after I leave I hope
to continue forming bonds
with foreign and Japanese
friends and exchange andincrease information oninternational understanding
and education. I also hope to
use the knowledge I gainedat TOPIA to make the bestof my next job, and cherish
every day with my students.
To everyone who supportedTOPIA

me along the way, thank youvery much!

Sumiyo FukudaFor the past three years
I have had the pleasureof working as Coordinatorof International Cooperation
for JICA at TOPIA, handling
public relations andanswering inquiries related
to international cooperation.
I also worked to inform
citizens of Tokushima about
opportunities to volunteer at
JICA, and the work of ODA,
among other NGOs operating
in and outside the prefecture.
A t TO P I A I wa s l u c k yenough to meet people fromall backgrounds and walksof life and hear about theirexperiences. During my time
there, I was also inspired by
how foreigners as well asinternational organizations
and civilians in the prefecture
are striving to deepen theirunderstanding of foreigncountries and cultures.
I hope that I can continue
to tell others about this kindof international appeal thatbinds us all together. Thankyou for a great three years!

Sumiyo Fukuda

working abroad. I was very
anxious at the beginning,
but with a little help frommy friends I was able toovercome the difficulties.
As a Coordinator ofInternational Relations
working at the Prefectural
Office I enjoyed using
my Japanese skills tofacilitate exchange between
C h i n a a n d To k u s h i m a .
Japan and China aredifferent in their ways ofthinking and doing things,
and when dealing withthis there were times
when I felt lost andunsure of my actions, but
because of this I became
even better acquainted

with the culture of bothcountries.
I was impressed by
Japanese people’s kindness
to others and how methodical
and earnest they are with
their work, and I fell in lovewith the beauty of Tokushima:
its clear Shinmachigawa river,the bridges that lead to it,
and the majestic Mt. Bizan.
In particular, participatingin the Nichuren Awa Odori
dancing troupe and having
a rousing good time witheveryone on stage despite myclumsy dancing was the best
feeling.
I also had the privilege
to offer support services
at TOPIA to local Chinese,a s s is t w i t h t h e Ja p a n e s eSpeech Contest andMulticultural Festival, andbecome acquainted withthe volunteers at these
events. I don’t think it is
too much to say that myperspective and way of life
were greatly influenced bythese encounters. Even afterI return to China, I would liketo continue my exchange with
Tokushima.

Jin YanlingI

t is hard to believe it has
been a year since I cameto Tokushima last April, but
now it is already time to leave
again. I still vividly remember
everything I experienced
here as though it happened
yesterday.
When I look back on it, it
was a very fulfilling experience
as my first time living and

TOPIA

Sketch by Sarah Nelson

5

Shaking Up Memories.. continued from page 3*Use shatter-prevention
film on windows, cupboards,
shelves, etc. where glass isused.
*Make a note of emergency
contact telephone numbers
and the contact detailsof someone who cancommunicate in yourlanguage.
*Confirm where yournearest emergency shelter
and hospital are and how to
get there. Inquire at yourcity, town or village office
to confirm the whereaboutsof your nearest emergency
shelter.
When an Earthquake
Occurs*Ensure your personalsafety and get to the nearest
safe place.
*Switch off the gas and all
gas-powered cookers andappliances in use. Switch
off all other appliances suchas cooking and heating
appliances that may cause a
fire.
*If a fire breaks out,
extinguish it immediately with
the nearest fire extinguisher.
*Open all doors, including
the front door, to ensure aclear escape route.
*Listen to the TV and radio
regularly, or telephone forearthquake information.
*Do not rush out of ab u i l d i n g . Wa i t u n t i l t h eearthquake has temporarily
stopped, then get youremergency bag, put on ahelmet or other protective
head covering and make yourway to an open space.
* Tr y n o t t o b e c o m e

6separated from family
members or neighbours.
Check you are all together
and make your way as quickly
as possible to a shelter.
*If you are driving, avoid
braking suddenly. Reduce
your speed slowly and moveover to the left shoulder ofthe road. Do not park the car
next to a gasoline station or
high-pressure gas facility, or
under a pedestrian bridge.
*If you are walking along
a wide road, move out tothe centre. If downtown, be
careful of falling objects suchas signs, telegraph poles andglass from windows, etcetera.
After an Earthquake
After an earthquake, thereis the danger of after-shocks
and tsunami. If possible, get
accurate information from theradio, newspaper, television,etc. If you find you cannot
return to your residence after
a big earthquake, informyour country’s embassy or
consulate, your place of
employment or school of thesafety of both you and yourfamily.
Emergency Telephone
Message Service (Saigai-yo
Dengon Dial) - Tel. 171
When a disaster occurs,
it is often difficult to makephone calls to the affected
area. In such circumstances,use the Saigai-yo Dengon
Dail service (telephonemessage service in times ofdisaster). People outside thearea can listen to recorded
messages made by those in
the affected area regarding
their safety, etcetera. It is likea voice recorded message
board.
Similarly, people outside
the area can send messages
to people in the affected
area. Notification of thei n t r o d u c t i o n o f t h e N TT
Saigai-yo Dengon Dial service
is made on the radio andtelevision, etcetera. You use
the service by dialing 171
and following the guidance inJapanese to record or listen
to messages.

TOPIA

Letter from Suketo Hoikuen
Kazue InoueT

he beautiful sakura arein full bloom, and it is a
fun season for going out ofdoors. When you go out into
the ﬁelds and parks, you willencounter dandelions, whiteclover flowers, as well as
insects and all kinds of small
living things. This month, I
will introduce a craft you canenjoy outside.
Dandelion:
1. Flute: Cut both ends of thestem, crush one end between
your fingers, and put the
crushed end between your

TOPIA

lips to blow and make music!
2. Blowing the seeds: blow on
the fuzzy white seeds of thedandelion as hard as you canand watch them ﬂy.
White Clover:
3. Use a hair band as thec e n t e r r i n g a n d w ra p t h eclovers around one at a time.
Tie it off with a stem andyou’re done!
4. Clover Sumo: Twine the leaf
stems together and pull, andwatch them come apart.
Pine tree:
5. Pine Needle Sumo: Put two

pine needles in V shapes
together and pull on them.
The first one to come apartloses.
6. Cut a pine needle in halfand put it in water to watch it
swim around.
Lotus:
7. Ring: Insert a notch in thestem of one ﬂower with yournail and pull the bottom of
the stem through to make aring!
8. Bracelet: Peel one
ﬂower’s stem into two, and tie
the ends to make a bracelet.

7今月の日本語Japanese Lesson
Shima Date

Are you good at katakana ? Many advanced students of Japanese believe that they are not goodat katakana. In addition, compared to hiragana or kanji, not much attention is given to it. But the
number of foreign loan words in katakana increases everyday !
So this month's Japanese lesson deals with katakana.
★ Is it really important to learn katakana?
Let's take a look at the following writing. Please guess what is written here by reading theparts written in hiragana.
ホテルに着いたら、まずフロントでチェックインします。受付のカードに名前、住所、電話番号を書いて、外国人はパスポートを見せます。チェックアウトするときは、忘れ物がないか、部屋の中をよく見ましょう。
Isn't it difficult to understand the content? Next, try only reading the katakana in the sentence.
ホテルに着いたら、まずフロントでチェックインします。受付のカードに名前、住所、電話番号を書いて、外国人はパスポートを見せます。チェックアウトするときは、忘れ物がないか、部屋の中をよく見ましょう。
Diﬀerent from hiragana, katakana helps a lot to understand the entire sentence. Now let's read theentire article. This shows that katakata is very important to be able to read !
ホテルに着いたら、まずフロントでチェックインします。受付のカードに名前、住所、電話番号を書いて、外国人はパスポートを見せます。チェックアウトするときは、忘れ物がないか、部屋の中をよく見ましょう。
Understanding kanji is usually very important as everyone knows. But katakana is almost equallyas important.
These are some Katakana exercises!
【Practice】Choose the most appropriate word among a 〜 f to complete the sentences below.
a. メモ

b. マークc. シャンプー①自転車のタイヤが (d. アピールe. パンク) している。

②急いでいますので、すぐにこの資料をわたしの家に (③来週の予定を言いますので、(④美容院では、() してください。

) してください。

) するとき、頭のマッサージもしてくれる。

⑤見たいテレビ番組があったら、赤ペンで () しておいてね。

⑥あなたの一番いいところがみんなにわかるように、大きな声で (Answers：f. ファックス) してください。

①e②f③a④c⑤b⑥d

Reference：カタカナ語スピードマスター J リサーチ出版

8

TOPIA

Treasure Island Photos!
Photos by Christine Clifford

TOPIA

9

news events&

April 1
- May 1For the most recent news and event information, check Living in Tokushima at our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/ . To post an
event of your own, send the details via email to Awa Life at awalife@gmail.com .

Tokushima LED Art Festival 2013 HOP
徳島 LED アートフェスティバル 2013 HOP
As a lead-up to the next triennial LED Art Festival

トリエンナーレ（3 年に一度）形式で開催が決まった徳島

in 2013, there will be a 2011 event called HOP! In

LED アートフェスティバル。次回開催の 2013 年に向けて、Tokushima city center affectionately called Hyotanjima

2011 年は HOP と題し、イベント が開催されます。徳島市

by locals, there will be displays of LED art, and theの中心部にある「ひょうたん島」を舞台に、LED アート作

Hyotanjima Light Up Project will decorate night time

品の展示や、ひょうたん島ライトアッププロジェクトが夜

Tokushima. There will also be a river-side restaurantの街を彩ります。また、「水上レストラン」や「ひょうたんand a Hyotanjima Music Festival going on, making it

島音楽祭」などのイベントも満載で、「水都・とくしま」をinto a Water Town Tokushima experience you won’t

体感できる内容となっております！

want to miss.
When: April 22 (Fr.) – April 24 (Sun.), 2011

日時：2011 年 4 月 22 日（金）~ 24 日（日）Where: Tokushima City Hyotanjima Area

場所：

徳島市ひょうたん島周辺

Info:

問合せ： 徳島市商工労政課内Tokushima City Division for Commerce andLabor Administration

徳島 LED アートフェスティバル実行委員会事務局

Tokushima LED Art Festival Executive Committee

TEL:

TEL:

088-621-5225

入場料： 無料！

Cost:

free!

088-621-5225

Hana-Haru-Festa 2011 (Flower-Spring-Festa 2011)
はな・はる・フェスタ２０１１
This is the big event that comes in a close second to the

夏の阿波おどりに次ぐビッグイベント！

summer Awa Odori Festival! At Shinmachigawa park,

徳島駅近くの新町川公園一帯で繰り広げられる有名連によnearby Tokushima station, famous Awa Odori dancing

る華麗でエネルギッシュな演舞は、県内外の観客を巻き込

troupes will be bringing their superb, energetic routines

んで、ますますパワーアップ！

to attract visitors from in and outside the prefecture,

徳島のグルメや土産も盛り沢山。有名連も一挙大集。

making this a truly powered up performance! Tokushima
food vendors and souvenir stands will also be available,
along with many famous troupes performing.
When: April 22 (Fr.) – April 24 (Sun.), 2011

日時：2011 年 4 月 22 日（金）~ 24 日（日）場所：

徳島市 藍場浜公園（メーンステージ）

問合せ： はな・はる・フェスタ実行委員会事務局

Where: Tokushima City Aibahama Park (Main Stage)
Info:

Hana-Haru-Festa Executive Committee

TEL :(Tokushima Shinbunsha Planning Project)

入場料： 無料！

TEL:

088-655-7331

Cost:

free!

10

（徳島新聞社企画事業部内）
088-655-7331

TOPIA

Tokushima Marché
徳島マルシェ
Tokushima Marché is held on the last Sunday of every

徳島産のこだわりの農産物や加工品をパラソルショップで

month and features canopy-covered vendors selling lo-

販売する「とくしまマルシェ」が、徳島市の新町川ボード

cal and processed produce on the boardwalk along the

ウオークで毎月最終日曜日に開催されます。マルシェとは、

Shinmachigawa river. Marché is French for “marketplace”

フランス語で「市場」を意味する言葉で、本場フランスのand is a strikingly stylish event resembling a real French

ようなおしゃれで楽しい空間で「行くだけで、元気になれる」

market that is fun just to go to. Also nearby, there is

場所を演出します。また毎月最終日曜日は、ボードウォー

Wakuwaku Nichoshi, in Koyacho close by the boardwalk,クからすぐ近くの紺屋町で新鮮な農産物などを販売する「わwhere you can by fresh produce on the last Sunday of

くわく日曜市」も開催されています。

every month.
When:

日時：

Last Sunday of every month,

毎月最終日曜日のみ開催
9:00 〜 15:00

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Where: Tokushima City, Higashisenbacho 1

場所：

Info:

Tokushima Marché ofﬁce

問合せ： とくしまマルシェ事務局

TEL:

080-4030-7140

TEL :

Cost:

Free!

入場料： 無料！

徳島市東船場町 1 丁目
080-4030-7140

Japanese Lessons at Suketo Hoikuen (free)
助任保育園の日本語教室 ( 無料 )When: Every Thursday, 11:00 - 12:00

日時：

毎週木曜日、11:00 〜 12:00

Cost:

Free, and child care is also available!

金額：

託児付き（無料）

Info:

Call TOPIA at

問合せ： トピアまで

TEL 088-656-3303

TEL 088-656-3303

Kitajima Tulip Fair
北島チューリップフェア
Kitajima’s specialty tulips are blooming in great numbers

北島特産のチューリップを多数植え付け、開花期は公園としat this time of year and have been released in all theirて開放しています。期間中の日曜日はミニイベントも行ってglory. While they are in bloom, every Sunday will fea-

います。この公園は 2 千平方メートルの圃場に 45 種類約 4

ture mini events going on. This park has 2000 square

万本のチューリップが咲き並びます。

meters of cultivated land, with 40,000 tulips in about 45
different varieties in bloom.
When: April 2 (Sat) – 30 (Sat), 2011

日時：9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Where: Itano-gun, Kitajimac-cho, Nakamura

2011 年 4 月 2 日（土）4 月 30 日（土）9:00 〜 17:00

場所：

Azahigaino, Kitajima Central Park South Side,

板野郡北島町中村字日開野（北島中央公園南正面）
北島チューリップ公園

Kitajima Tulip Park

問合せ： 北島町生活産業課

Kitajima Life and Industry Department

TEL:

TEL:

088-698-9806

入場料： 無料！

Cost:

Free!

Info:

TOPIA

088-698-9806

11

Japanese Classes by Awa City International Association
Period:April 10th to September 18th
Every Sunday, 10:00 - 12:00

Location:

Tomioka Kominkan (Anan City, Tomioka Town Nishi Ikeda 135-1)

Lecturer:

Ms. Rika Tsuyutani (addition civic volunteer)

Cost:

1000 yen (for 20 lessons)Text:2500 yen each – ‘Minna no Nihongo 1’, ‘Minna no Nihongo 2’

Please select the text applicable to your Japanese level. Lessons from “Minna no Nihongo 1” will begin at chapter 1
and lessons from “Minna no Nihongo 2” will begin at chapter 26. Lessons for individual levels are also available on
consultation.
Application Process:Please write and send the following information to the Association:1.) Name 2.) Address and e-mail address 3.) Telephone number 4.) Nationality 5.) Which characters you are able toread (hiragana, katakana, kanji) 6.) Previous study of Japanese.
Please also indicate which textbook you would like to use (‘Minna no Nihongo 1’ or ‘Minna no Nihongo 2’), which you
may pay for, along with the class fee, at the Association during the first lesson.
Please use this address for your reply:

For more information, contact

774-0005

Midori Hayashi at:

阿南市向原町天羽畭 103-1

E-mail: etonne@stannet.ne.jp

西野建設 ( 株 ) 内

TEL: 088-423-5599

阿南市国際交流協会

行き

FAX: 088-423-1383

Weather, Earthquake and Tsunami Information Updates
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) provides a web site containing the weather, earthquake and tsunami
information in Japan's disaster regions in English:
http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/2011_Earthquake.html
Additionally, there is a Tohoku area, pacific offshore earthquake multi-language support center available here:
http://eqinfojp.net/

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 is available in English andJapanese. Please note that 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)

受け止めていますか人権の重み
12TOPIA