awa life

#270

"TOPPY"
January 2013

prosperous business =by lance kita
new year “ebisu”-ness
Starting off the
new year inJapan requiresa clean house,a new calendar,
auspicious foods…and a lot ofluck.

Families will ﬂock to temples
and shrines for hatsumode
初詣 , and buy lucky charms
for health, safety, excellent
studies, or prosperity.
Businesses are no exception,and the Kotoshironushi
Shrine 事代主神社 in the heartof Tokushima City comes tolife for three days in January
for those seeking shobaihanjo 商 売 繁 盛 (businessprosperity) in the coming
year. The shrine is located in
the Toori-machi 通町 sectionof town between the stationand the Shinmachi River.

Contributors: Vincent, Diallo, Marianne, Maissa, Akari, Ms. Moriwaki
The Ryogoku Shopping Arcade's merchant group "Ebisu Parade"

The Ebisu Festival え び す 祭
り , affectionately known
at Ebessan え べ っ さ ん bylocals, is held every year
from January 9 to 11, 8:30
a.m. to 10 p.m. Actually,
the shrine above is also
called“ Ebisu Shrine”(see Page 3 for further explanation).

Shop owners line up
to buy bundles of sasa
bamboo decorated
with an arrow and othersymbols that ward off evil
and bring in good luck.
These will be displayednext to the kami-dana
神 棚 (Shinto altar) or in aprosperous business = new year “ebisu”-ness ... con't on page 3

inside awa life this monthpage 4-5: tokushima & lower saxony - 5 years of friendship;
page 6: irene's recipe corner;
page 7: letter from suketo hoikuen; page 8: japanese lesson;
page 9-12: events & memoranda
1awa life

is a monthly publication of the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA)
Editors:
Emma Boardman & Martin Rathmann
Contributors This Month:
Lance Kita, Junko Kimura, Martin Rathmann,Kazue Inoue, Irene Wachuga, Yoshie Motoki

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

show tokushima some love: awaglotT

he literary corner of
Awa Life, Awaglot, is acombination of the words"awa" and "polyglot", whichmeans multilingual. Be it
fiction, non-fiction, prose
or poetry; funny, sad, longor short, we want yoursubmissions! If you like towrite, then express yourself!
There is also a classifieds
section for you, our readers,to post ads in, but a few
rules do apply!

The following will not be
posted: Religious, political,
or commercial activities,businesses searching forclients or employees, things
the Awa Life editors deem
inappropriate.
BUT, you can totally submit
this stuff: offers to sell or
exchange personal goods,
concerts, lectures, andother event information,
cultural, sporting, andother community group
information, etcetera.

If you have something you
would like to share with
the Tokushima community,
email the editors at
awalife@gmail.com!

Whitebait ﬁshing on the Yoshinogawa (photo by Junko Kimura)2

prosperous business =new year “ebisu”-ness... con't from page 1

prominent high position in thestore. Families can also buy
similar talismans for safety inthe home.
T h e s u r r o u n d i n gneighborhood beats off the
mid-winter chill as booths
line the streets, bringing bothactual warmth (takoyaki, hot
sweet sake, fried chicken,etc.) and convivial warmthwith games and toys forchildren. Adding to thefestive atmosphere arestalls selling live plants andkumade 熊手 , bamboo rakes
lavishly decorated with pine
leaves and lucky symbols.
These kumade further add
luck to a shop or business.
Which Ebisu?
Ebisu is often depicted asa portly man garbed inhunter’s clothes, carrying a
fishing pole and a red sea
bream. He is included in the
Shichifukujin 七 福 神 , Seven
Lucky Gods revered by theJapanese.
Howver, a quick perusal of
Wikipedia shows at least
seven different ways to write“ Ebisu” 夷、 戎、 胡、 蛭 子、 恵
比寿、恵比須、恵美須 . It turns
out that in addition to being
one of the Lucky Seven, Ebisu
is also the patron deity of theoceans revered by ﬁsherman.
So connected to the ocean
is Ebisu that until recently,
some fishermen referred tolarge sea creatures (dolphins,
whales, whale sharks) as“ ebisu.”

Drop doughnuts

In addition to the Ebisu shrine talismans, shop owners
can also visit a street booth and purchase a kumade (raked e c o r a t e d w i t h a u s p i c i o u s s y m b o l s ) f o r t h e c o m i n g y e a r.

He is also the grandson of
Izanagi and Izanami, theShinto gods who created
the Japanese archipelago.
This incarnation was
originally named
Kotoshironushi 事 代 主 .
Sounds familiar? Yes, theEbisu Festival’s shrine reveres
this incarnation of Ebisu. The
main shrine for this branch
is Miho Shrine in Shimane.
Other famous Kansai Ebisu
festivals (held on the same
January 9-11) are also of thisline, including the Imamiya

Ebisu Shrine in Osaka andNishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo.
Need to start off 2013 on theright foot? Join in the New
Year festivities in your local
community, or join the crowdaround the Kotoshironushi
Shrine January 9 to 11, 8:30
a.m. to 10 p.m. Ebisu is
waiting, whether for businessor just pure luck.
(Thanks to Mr. Shinichi Satoof Kotoshironushi Shrine forproviding and clarifying someof the information in this article.)3

tokushima and lower saxony

by Martin Rathmann

Last year marked
t h e 1 5 0 t hanniversary of
the GermanJ a p a n e s er e l a t i o n s , started

in autumn 1860 with
the Prussian East Asian
Expedition under Count
Eulenburg. One year later
Prussia and Japan signed
a bilateral trade treaty,
and the official diplomatic
relations the both countries
began. In 2011 there werea lot of events in both
Germany and Japan tocelebrate these relations
and the friendship whichgrew from it.
It is now 2012 and anotheryear has passed. Timereally passes quickly. This
year there was also ananniversary related toGermany and Japan the 5th anniversary of
the relationship between
Tokushima Prefecture andfederal state Lower Saxony
in Germany. Governor
Iizumi and the former
minster president Wulff
signed a bilateral exchange
agreement in 2007. Whilst
this may sound unexpected,
there is actually a long
history between the twoareas.
In 1914 after the 1st World
War, which Germany lost,
soldiers from the Germancolonial Qingdao in east
China, were brought tothe prisoner-of-war camp
Bando (present-day Naruto)
in Tokushima in 1917. There
the prisoners were treatedvery well and furthermore
interacted in various ways
with the Japanese people.

4

Vice Governor Saito meeting the Lower Saxony Environment Minister, Dr. Birknerat the State Chancellery reception (Interpreter: Martin Rathmann - me!)One of the most famousstories from this time is theperformance of Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, which
had its Asian debut in
Bando. After the war theprisoners returned to theirhomes, and this story
seemed to be forgotten,
but one grandchild of
one of the former war
prisoners, who lived in
Luneburg in Germany,found a newspaper article
about Naruto. To make itshort - the good treatment

and memories createda friendship, and thisfriendship resulted in thesister city relationshipshared between Luneburgand Naruto (begun a longtime ago in 1974).
This connection toGermany, a productof the Bando prisonerof-war camp and thesister city relationshipbetween Luneburg andNaruto built the base forthe partnership between

5 years of friendship (part 1)
Tokushima and the federal
state Lower Saxony (which
Luneburg is belongs to).
So, this year in 2012 was
the 5th anniversary of
the partnership, andsubsequently saw a lotof different events taking
place in both Tokushima
and Lower Saxony. In
spring there was a scientiﬁc
symposium about thedemographic change
and related problems. Tworesearchers from Germany,
one from the Germany
Institute for Japan studies
and one from the Universityof Dui s b urg-E s s en wereinvited to Tokushima to
exchange opinions withcare staff, researchers
and residents. Anotheraspect of their visit was theinspection of Japanesecare facilities to get anunderstanding of different
approaches in different
cultures.
Totally different but
also interesting was theTokushima Marathon
in April. On account of
the 5th anniversary, 5
marathon runners and5 sport representatives

came to Tokushima from
Germany. The aim wasto participate in themarathon, but also to havetalks about the future sport
exchange. The talks went
well, but unfortunately the
marathon was a disaster.
Untypical for April, there
was a heavy storm and fora moment it was unclear if
the marathon would eventake place. In the end it
did, but heavy rain andhurricane-like winds make it
hard to ﬁnish the course. All
5 runners somehow madeit through, and it made foran unforgettable memory
about sport in Tokushima.
After this active Spring,
the Summer was reallyrelaxed, meaning so
there was enough timeto enjoy the Awa dance
and Summer season. At
the break of Autumn theexchange got very busy.
The 5th anniversary saw
a delegation including
the Vice Governor anduniversity representatives
from Tokushima, (andmyself!) visiting Lower
Saxony. In Lower Saxony
there were some festivities.
There was a reception at

the guest house of LowerSaxon State Chancellery
with the Environment
Minister as host and a lotof official guests, aswell
as a concert by the youth
choirs Tokushima andHannover in a church.
Musical exchange
agreements were signed
between the choirs. There
was also a GermanJapanese seminar about
energy change, and ameeting with the Prime
Minister McAllister. It was
an incredibly long, butinteresting 6 days. I still
do not understand thelogic of travelling as far as
Germany for only 6 days,
especially when 2 of thoseare spent ﬂying! I suppose
this is just the Japaneseapproach to travel,
but it is quite a culturaldifference.

So, here I am at theend of my article andwe've only just reachedthe Autumn! The WinterSeason offered just as
much excitement, so staytuned for Part 2 in next
month's AwaLife!

The Spring sports delegation (including Marathon runners and sports representatives)

5irene's recipe cornerby irene wachuga

good luck meal
Around the world different
cultures celebrate/
welcome the New Year withthe hope of new beginnings.
In Japan, many people partake Ozoni soup, thanking
the gods for the bounties ofyester year and hoping thenew one will blessed as well.
Our fate might be sealed,
but who says we can’t entice the lucky stars forgood fortune in the New
Year?

Cooked greens;collards, kale and cabbage
are widely consumed towelcome the New Year inmany countries. The green
leaves look like foldedmoney thus symbolizing
economic fortune and thedark green color denotes
good health.

Pork/ham; pig symbolizes
progress and whether madeinto a roast, in pork chops orjust the plain old sausage,
nothing compliments
cabbage like pork.

let’s double
our luck!

Drop doughnuts

pork & cabbage
Ingredients
350-400g shredded
cabbage
250-300g boneless pork
cubed
2 medium sized onions,chopped
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp salad oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:1.
In a small bowl, blend
well the soy sauce, sugar
and ginger.
2.
On medium flame,heat the skillet until very
hot. Add the oil and fry the
pork until browned on all
sides about 5 minutes. Add
the onions and continue
cooking until the onions
are soft and the pork is nolonger pink.
3.
Stir in the cabbage
and the soy sauce mixture.
Cover and simmer until
cabbage is tender and theflavors are well blended.
About 10-15 minutes.
4.
Adjust the taste withsalt and pepper.
5.
Serve hot.
Bon appétit, and Happy

New Year!
6letter from suketo hoikuen
happy new year!

I hope you enjoyed your fillof delicious Japanese New
Year treats?
In Japan, the turn of theyear is the time for dishes
such as“ Zoni”, a rice cakesoup, and “ Osechi” - A
week later, overindulged
stomachs are given a rest.
On January 7th, people
turn to "NanaKusa Gayu” (7types of spring vegetables
eaten with creamy rice)as an expression of theirhopes for good health in the
coming year.
It’s all too easy to catch acold or the flu during thewinter season, and thismonth I’d like to introduce
you to some nutrients thancan help you strengthen
your body against thoserisks.
�Proteins (Meat, Fish,
Tofu etc): Proteins warm
your body and maintainyour strength.
�Vitamin A (Carrots,
Pumpkin): Vitamin A fortiﬁesskin and mucus membranes,
and helps to strengthen yourbody against viruses.
�Vitamin C (Japaneseradish, Chinese Cabbage,
Mandarin Oranges): Vitamin
C protects your bodyagainst stress and the cold,
aswell as suppressing viruses.
"NanaKusa" creamy rice isa great way to get thesenutrients!

Spinning Top

by kazue inoue
suketo hoikuen staff

Materials:
1000ml milk carton
Crayons
Tape
Instructions:
1.
Make the handle of the spinner by cutting
the top third of the Milk Carton off, and folding it
as shown in the picture.

2.
Cut down the 4 Corners of the remaining
carton shaft, and use crayons to decorate the 4sections.

3.
Sellotape the handle to the center of theopened packet.

Spin the top & enjoy!
7

japanesebylesson
yoshie motoki

89memoranda

10memoranda
観光庁主催・通訳案内士養成セミナー開催のお知らせ
報酬を受けて外国人に付き添い、外国語を用いて旅行に関する案内をする「通訳案内士」の制度や業務、通訳案内士試験について周知する「通訳案内士養成セミナー」が、次のとおり開催されます。
当日は、現役通訳案内士の貴重な体験談も聞ける予定です。外国語を使った仕事に興味のある方や、既にボランティアガイドとして活動している方、海外から日本を訪れるお客様と接する業務に従事している方など、幅広い方のご参加をお待ちしています。
日時：2 月 5 日（火） 14:00 〜 17:00
場所：徳島県ＪＡ会館（徳島市北佐古一番町）
定員：45 名（先着順）
費用：資料代として一人 300 円
申込締切：1 月 21 日（月）問合せ・申込み：通訳案内士養成セミナー事務局（社団法人

日本添乗サービス協会）（担当

中込、石田）

電話：03-3432-6032
FAX：03-3431-8698
Ｅメール：seminar@tcsa.or.jp※詳細は、セミナー事務局ホームページでご確認ください。

（http://www.tcsa.or.jp/interpretation̲guide/index.html）

queries concerning the new foreign resident
system...?
外国人住民の住民基本台帳制度に対しての問い合せ窓口

July 9th, 2012 saw the introduction of a new foreign registration system in Japan. The government
has provided information on various aspects of this in a number of languages, so if you have any
concerns, don't hesitate to take a gander at the websites or make a telephone enquiry.
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Call Center
TEL: 0570-066-630 (Navi Dial); 03-6301-1337 (IP Phone/PHS Calls)
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday (excluding public holidays) 8:30 - 17:30
02.04.2012 - 29.03.2013
Available Languages: Japanese; English; Chinese; Korean; Spanish; Portuguese
Procedures applicable to foreigners who recently entered Japan:
http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/pdf/english03.pdf (English)
http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/pdf/espanol18.pdf (Spanish)
http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/pdf/portugues23.pdf (Portuguese)
Procedures applicable to foreigners changing residences within Japan:
http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/pdf/english04.pdf (English)
http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/pdf/espanol19.pdf (Spanish)
http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/pdf/portugues24.pdf (Portuguese)
General Information:
http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/zairyu_english.html (English)
http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/zairyu_espanol.html (Spanish)
http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/zairyu_portugues.html(Portuguese)11memoranda

udatsu themed 假 屋 崎 省 吾
r e n a i s s a n c e 「うだつをいける
華ルネッサンス」
ikebana
Ikebana artist Shogo Kariyazaki, renowned forhis superb artistic delicacy and sense, will holdan Renaissance Ikebana exhibition in MimaCity.
The “Yoshida Jyutaku”, a house which
ﬂourished from the Awa Indigo industry,
provides the backdrop to the event, andarrangements include Cymbidium plants
cultivated by Kawano Mericlone (a breederof specialist Cymbidiums based out of Mima
City), not to mention ﬂowers, bamboo andwood from the nature-rich mountainsides ofMima City.

美馬市に拠点を置く世界的な洋ランのシン
ビジウム総合メーカーである河野メリクロ
ンが丹精込めて育てたシンビジウムを中心に、山野の花・竹・樹木など美馬市の豊かな自然の素材を活かし、藍で栄え、重厚かつ趣き深い「吉田屋住宅」を舞台に、優雅で大胆、そして繊細にして華麗な時空を越えた世界を紡ぎ出します。

The exhibition offers adventure, delicacy
and elegance, woven together to create an
magical environment that will surpass eventhe most fantastical expectations. The ﬂowers
and arrangements, a fusion of East and West,are sure to touch your hearts and calm yourworries.
When:
Where:
Cost:
Info:
TEL:
Website:「美を紡ぎだす手を持つ人」と称される華道家假屋崎省吾（かりやざきしょうご）さんによる華道展「うだつをいける 華ル
ネッサンス」を、今年も開催いたします。

その花々と佇まいは、まさしく和と洋の融合であり、訪れた人々の心を和ませ、豊かにおもてなしをいたします。

January 9th - February 20th
9:00 -16:30
The Yoshida Home,
Mima City (Wakimachi area)
500 Yen Entry
Mima City Tourism Association
0883-53-8599
HP of the Mima Tourism
Association (Japanese)

2013/1/9( 水 ) 〜 2/20( 水 )9:00 〜 16:30
開催地：美馬市脇町 うだつの町並み「藍商佐直（あいしょうさなお）吉田家住宅」
料金： 入場料 500 円
問合せ：美馬市観光協会
TEL： 0883-53-8599
URL： 美馬市観光協会ホームページ
日時：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 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)

人権守って輝く明日12