aWa life
Living in Japanas a Vegan

Japanese Culture& Reading Corner:
子どもの日

Awa Shoku: Little
Fishies, Lotta Good
Eats

Farewell
Messages

May 2020# 355

Life in Corona Times
Gairaigo Galore:
マンション

1

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

We hope all of you are able to enjoy the nice temperatures, of course while practicing social distancing
at the same time. This is surely easier in Tokushima than in big cities. As readers of Awa Life know, ourlast two pages are always full of event information. However, we can no longer ignore the fact that mostof those events have been cancelled due to the current situation. Hence, we have decided for the firsttime in Awa Life’s history not to post any events, but rather to post the voices from people all aroundthe world about how the current situation is affecting their lives and how they are dealing with it. We
hope that through this we all can get some inspiration on how to handle this difficult situation.
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,
Sydney 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:
Sydney Bartig and Nico Bohnsack
Contributors This Month:
Alessa Peters, Satoko Saito, Toru Yasuda, Shoko Nomizu, Lance Kita, Yoko Aoki, Gyunyu,
Amanda White, and Ina BohnsackContents

Pg. 2-3: Living in Japan as a Vegan2

Pg. 3-4: Farewell Messages
Pg. 5:

Japanese Culture & Reading Corner: 子どもの日

Pg. 5:

Gairaigo Galore: マンション

Pg. 6:

Awa Shoku: Little Fishies, Lotta Good Eats

Pg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8-9: Life in Corona Times
Living in Japan as a Vegan
By: Alessa Peters
aybe you’ve heard the word 'vegan' being
increasingly used in recent years – by news
media, food and lifestyle blogs or at restaurants.
But what does it mean? The word itself is a
shortened version of the word ‘vegetarian’.
Vegetarians are people who do not eat meat or
fish. Vegans are people who avoid all animal
products – not only meat and fish, but also eggs,
dairy products (including butter and cheese),and usually honey. This also applies to clothing– vegans try to avoid buying items made fromleather or wool.

M

People who choose to become vegan come fromall backgrounds - they do not do so for religious
reasons, but for ethical and environmental ones.
In modern society, our consumer choices havea direct impact on the world around us – vegans
and vegetarians are aware of this and try tominimize the harm we all cause to animals andthe environment. Of course, a plant-based dietcan also have health benefits. There is an old
stereotype that vegans are weak, but in fact there
are quite a number of vegan and vegetarian
professional athletes all over the world. In recent
years, the number of vegans and vegetariansin Germany and many other Western countries
has increased considerably, as has the numberof products on the market, making a plant-based
diet more accessible to everyone.
So, what about Japan? Truth be told, the conceptof veganism is still relatively unknown here.
Nevertheless, everybody knows shojin ryori, thetraditional, vegetarian cuisine of Buddhist monks.
So, eating a plant-based diet is not something
new to Japan at all. However, there are somedifficulties I encounter living in Japan as a vegan.
In bigger cities, especially Tokyo, it’s not much ofa problem. There are plenty of vegan restaurants
and cafes in Tokyo, and you can even buy alarge number of vegan snacks at stores. Here inTokushima, I struggle to find places to eat out as
there are only a few. In my daily life, I prepare mymeals at home and take them with me to my placeof work, so it’s not a problem at all. One thing thatis very different from German supermarkets is thefact that in Japan, no products are labelled ‘vegan’or ‘vegetarian’. In Germany I can usually see with
one glance if a pre-packaged product I want tobuy is vegan or not. In Japan, I have to carefully
read the ingredients list. On a positive note,however, this has greatly improved my Japanese.
I’d like to also introduce you to what I eat – as I’m
sure that’s a burning question you have if you’ve
read this far. The way I structure my meals is bychoosing a base – either white rice, brown rice,udon, soba or potatoes (I’m German, after all) –and then think about what to eat with it such as
vegetables, beans, lentils, or tofu for extra protein.
Adding flavor is no problem, there are plenty of
spices to choose from at the supermarket as well
as konbu dashi, soy sauce or mirin as a basefor Japanese flavors. Teriyaki sauce and “sosu”

3(most, but not all, brands are vegan – check theallergen label!) are also an easy way to add flavor.
Vegetables may be more expensive here in Japan
than in Germany, but they are always high-quality,
and as a food-lover eating well is important to me.
In contrast, the tofu here is a lot cheaper than inGermany.
All in all, there are certain foods that I miss here
such as cereal or hummus, but I also enjoy
preparing Japanese vegetables such as satsuma
imo, daikon or shiitake. I often get asked if living
in Japan as a vegan is hard, and even though
it’s certainly harder than in Germany, I find it not
so difficult in my daily life. Only when I travel
outside of big cities do I wish that there weremore options, but people are usuallyaccommodating once I explain my ‘dietary
restrictions’. I only wish that in the future,
the Japanese would see it as less of an‘eccentric foreigner thing’ and more of across-cultural way of living.
Last, but not least, here is an easy recipe
that I prepared for my lunch box recently.

Living in Japan as a Vegan
Brown Fried Rice with Veggies and PeanutSoy-Sauce
Ingredients: brown rice, firm or fried tofu,
carrots, champignons, leek, frozen green peas.
Alternatively, you can of course use any leftovervegetables or whatever you like.
For the sauce: sesame oil, konbu dashi, soysauce, mirin, garlic, peanut butter.
Preparation: Prepare the brown rice according to
the instructions on the package.
Dice the carrots and tofu, and cut thechampignons and leek. Heat the sesame oil in a
pan and put in the vegetables. Add flavors for thesauce (I use minced garlicfrom the tube, but of course
fresh is good too). Let
simmer until tender. Add
frozen green peas. Add thecooked brown rice and stirfor another few minutes.
Serve in a bowl or store in
the fridge in your lunchbox
for the next day.

Farewell Messages - “T-O-P-I-A” that I Learned at TOPIA!
By: Satoko Saito
am very surprised that my time at TOPIA has
passed so fast. When I learned of my new
position, all I knew about TOPIA was just that it’sa place for international exchange and supporting
foreigners, but now I can strongly say that thisplace was a must in my life. For my farewellmessage, I will introduce five things (“T-O-P-I-A”)
that I learned from my experiences.

I

First is “Teamwork.” Multicultural, multilingualand multi-skilled members are united as one
team at TOPIA. They are, of course, good atcommunication in different languages, areknowledgeable about various cultures, and are
well experienced in supporting people from othercountries. They depend on each other and always
work to the best of their abilities. I really loved
to talk and work with them. I was so lucky toexperience and learn different ways of thinking,values, and viewpoints from them. I also learned
the importance of “the Omotenashi sprit”. Even if

it takes a l ong time to deal with just one problem,
my co-workers have always been supportive of
foreigners. In addition, I was happy to help with
events that promote international exchange.
Each event might have been just a small chance
to learn about different cultures, but they were
“Pieces for world peace.” I believe sharing timewith people whohave various cultural
backgrounds will
broaden our minds andwill help us becomekinder to each other. In
this way, as a teacher, I
got a lot of “Inspiration”
to support my students
with new approaches,
help them get interested
in both Japanese andother cultures, andencourage them to see the real world. Finally,

“T-O-P-I-A” that I Learned at TOPIA!

thanks to the opportunity to join Arasowaren, I
learned how to dance Awa Odori for the first timeand made lots of friends from all over the world.
Through this entire experience, I was able to lookat myself objectively, which was a great chance
for me to think about education from a broad

4

perspective, encouraging me try new things
with confidence. I am glad that the people at
TOPIA saw me not as a token teacher, but as atrue member who worked together with them topromote multicultural understanding. Thank you
so much for all your support.

Farewell Messages
By: Toru Yasudan April of 2016 I was transferred from theTokushima Prefectural Government to TOPIA.
With the recent staff changes, I will now betransferred back to the Tokushima Prefectural
Government. Over these roughly 4 years,
thanks to the support of the TOPIA staff, relatedorganizations, and foreign residents, we havebeen able to attempt new endeavors each year. I
would like to begin by thanking everyone from thebottom of my heart.

I

Thinking back, I have nothing but fond memories
of TOPIA. For example, in 2017 the “Arasowaren
Special Dance Team” for foreigners living inTokushima was formed. This was made possible
with the help of the prefectural CIR at that time,
Daralyn, Fujii-sensei, who was dispatched to
TOPIA from the Prefectural Board of Education,
Takeda-kun, at that time from STNet, and thefamous ren “Nonki-ren”, which gave us guidance
during our dance practices. Thanks to everyone’s
efforts, we were able to provide a place forforeigners who love the Awa Odori to danceother than just during the Summer Awa Odori.
Arasowaren has continued for 3 years, and thanks
to the efforts of Saito-sensei, who was dispatchedto TOPIA from the Prefectural Board of Education,
approximately 30 foreigners were able to dancein the opening program of the Autumn Awa Odori,
the “Sekai Awa Odori Summit”, which made for avery exciting time. Hearing how this experience
had made the dancers grow to like Tokushimaeven more, and seeing everyone’s smiling faces,
made me truly happy we had formed this team.

Natural Disaster Training
Drill for Foreigners”, held
in preparation for the
Nankai Trough Earthquake.
We partnered withmany organizations andborrowed the Beer Gardenn e x t t o TO P I A . T h e r e ,we established a mockevacuation shelter andallowed foreigners livingin Tokushima the chance
to experience life at anevacuation shelter, as wellas things such as the construction of a simple
toilet. Thanks to the support of Clement Plaza, wewere also able to provide an emergency rations
tasting experience. Japan is a country that can’t
avoid damage caused by earthquakes. However,through this drill our foreign residents were able
to understand that the Tokushima prefectural
government and many other organizations are
there to support them in times of disaster. I hopethat foreigners can live in Tokushima with peaceof mind, and that the number of foreigners will
only continue to increase.
I still, of course, have many memories, and thefaces of everyone at TOPIA, the Tokushima CIRs,
and all of our foreign residents clearly appear in
my mind. I ask for everyone’s continued supportof TOPIA.

Finally, from the bottom of my heart, I hope foreveryone’s health, happiness, and endeavors, as
Another memory of mine is the 2018 “Large Scale well as TOPIA’s endeavors and growth.
*Notice* In order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), from April 12th
(Sunday), the Japanese classes held at TOPIA will be cancelled for the time being. Once the date toresume classes has been determined, we will post an update on our website. (You may also contact
us by phone to check.) Additionally, with the safety of the children in mind, the childcare service
offered on Wednesdays will be cancelled as well for the time being.

5Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: 子どもの日
By: Shoko Nomizu

ごがつ いつかこひ「子どもの日」で5 月 5 日は、
しあわ

にほん

しゅくじつ

こ

日本の

祝日です。

子ども一人ひとりをひ

幸せになるようにする日、そして、おかあさんに

ひ

むかし

たんご

せっく

この日は、昔から 「端午の節句」とも
おとこ

こ

男の子の

い

ひとり

かんしゃ

ひ

感謝する

日です。

ちゅうごく

つた

言います。中国から

こい

こ

子ども達が

おとこ
しんぶんし

つく

ねが

願って、鯉のぼりや 5 月人形を飾ります。また、新聞紙でり、かしわ餅や、ちまきを

かざ

にほん

食べたりします。日本のいえいる家では、

けんこう

た

こ

たち

伝わりました。男の子が健康をもち

ご が つ にんぎょう

たいせつ

大切にして

ばしょ

かぶとを
こ

たち

いろいろな

場所では、子ども達がどこでも一緒ですね。

作った
たの

楽しめ

ひら

る

イベントが

こ

たち

子ども達の

たくさん

開かれます。

けんこう

しあわ

せいちょう

ねが

健康で

幸せな

成長を

願うのは、世界

せかい

いっしょ

こい

鯉のぼり

ご が つ にんぎょう

五月 人 形

Vocabulary List
しゅくじつ

祝日（public holiday）
かんしゃ

感謝する（to show appreciation）

けんこう

健康（health, wellbeing）

ねが願う（to pray）

マンション (Mansion)
By: Sydney Bartig

かぶと

ちまき

もち

かしわ餅

かざ

飾る（to decorate）

しんぶんし

新聞紙（sheet of newspaper）

せかい

世界（world）
いっしょ一緒（together)

しあわ幸せ（happiness）
せいちょう

成長（growth）

Gairaigo Galore

When learners of Japanese hear the word マンション for the first time, they are often surprisedthat the Japanese meaning of word doesn’t quite match up to their expectations. Of course, formost English speakers, their idea of a mansion is a large, elegant, and expensive building owned
by someone wealthy. However, the Japanese word is quite different in meaning. A Japanese マン
ション is actually an apartment building, where many different families and people live.
However, you may have also noticed that Japan has another word for apartment buildings, アパー
ト . So, what exactly is the difference between these two words? While they are both ‘apartmentbuildings’, ア パ ー ト are smaller and tend to be no more than three floors tall. マ ン シ ョ ン ,however, typically have three floors or more and are the larger of the two.
(Here you can also see the similarities with a western-style mansion as,
although certainly different, both are large-scale buildings.) The materials
they are made from also differ. マンション tend to be made with materials
such as steel frames and reinforced concrete. On the other hand, アパート
tend to be made from wood or light gauge steel.
Hopefully this information can be useful to you if you ever find yourself
needing to house-hunt in Japan!

Awa Shoku: Little Fishies, Lotta Good Eats
By: Lance Kita
hat the… are those tiny fishes all over
my food?!?” Many ALTs in the prefecture
have been surprised during school lunch by asprinkling of baby fish over blanched vegetables,
rice, or even their miso soup. This is whitebait(shirasu し ら す ), and in Tokushima is mainly
baby sardines smaller than 1 centimeter in length.
Although the idea of eating whole fish (head,eyes, bones, and all) seems to be horrific to some,it’s considered a delicacy to others and Tokushimais blessed with theright ocean conditions
to harvest it.

“W

Tokushima has a lotof rivers, and most ofthem flow east into
the Kii Strait at theentrance of Osaka Bay
and the Seto Inland
From soup to rice, shirasu S e a . T h e n u t r i e n t s
adds umami to an entire
washed out into theJapanese meal.
relatively shelteredwaterway create a bloom of phytoplankton, which
attracts the spawned sardines that are carried infrom the Pacific Ocean. The season for catchingwhitebait starts in May and continues through latefall, with a pair of boats dragging a large, scooplike net between them, with a high speed “jacker”
ジャッカー boat scouting ahead for the schools offish.
The key to maintaining freshness is a race
against time. The jacker rushes the catch backto port, where the silvery, glistening masses are
immediately blanched in saltwater, turning thebaby fish white. This is called kama-age shirasu
釜 揚 げ し ら す (literally “fresh out of the pot”).
To extend its shelf life, the blanched kama-age
are then dried in the sun on flat trays to produce
chirimen ち り め ん , which is the most common
form found in supermarkets. The dried, crinkled,silver-gray chirimen drying on the trays resembles
an expensive crinkled fabric of the same name(chirimen 縮緬 ), hence the name.
Because the whole fish is eaten, shirasu are arich source of calcium and many minerals. The
fresh or kama-age have a light salty fragrance
reminiscent of sea foam, and soft almost fluffy
texture. The dried chirimen is chewier, and theflavor is concentrated into a wonderful umami.
Some of the fishing ports will have eateries
offering the raw shirasu (nama-shirasu 生 し らす ) served over rice as a donburi 丼 with grated
ginger, green onions, sudachi, and soy sauce.
Wadajima Port 和 田 島 (Komatsushima City) has

6

recently become popular for this dish, and you
can also find namashirasu-don in Anan City andNaruto City. Because of the fleeting freshness,quantities may be limited, and it is only available
during the harvest season.
Luckily, we can find both kama-age and chirimen
in local supermarkets. I really love the soft kamaage, and will often eat it with grated radish(daikon-oroshi 大根おろし ), a squeeze of sudachi
and a splash of soy sauce. It can also be servedin clear soup with wakame seaweed or miso
soup. Like the raw version, kama-age also makes
a great donburi. It also goes really well with eggs,
whether scrambled over rice or in a rolled omelet.
Whitebait is considered a gourmet food in New
Zealand and is often eaten in omelets or as aseafood fritter.
The dried chirimen adds a lot of umami to avariety of dishes. Sprinkle it over blanchedmustard greens or spinach (this dish is calledohitashi お 浸 し ). Add it to a dish of marinatedcucumbers and wakame seaweed (namasu なま
酢 ). You can make your own fresh furikake ふりかけ with chirimen, sesame seeds, chopped crunchy
umeboshi 梅 干 し (salted pickled plums), andnori seaweed to sprinkle over hot rice. They canalso be stir-fried with shishito peppers 獅 子 唐 or
cabbage. Italians eat whitebait (called bianchetti)
on pizzas, as fritters, or as an appetizer.
If you have beensqueamish about
these baby fishes,
try making a pasta
agile e olio by
sautéing sliced
garlic in olive oil,
add a dried chili,
and a handful ofchirimen. Toss in the
pasta with a scoop Try using shirasu in a simpleof pasta boiling water. garlic and oil pasta.
You’ll be amazed at
the depth of flavor that these baby sardines add
to the dish. Another idea is pizza toast. Spread
tomato sauce or mayonnaise on lightly toasted
bread. Sprinkle either kama-age or chirimen
followed by a handful of shredded cheese. Drizzle
with olive oil and toast again until the cheese ismelted.
I hope you will give shirasu another chance. They
are nutritious, delicious, readily available, andquite versatile. Let these little fishies add some
big sea flavor to your dishes. Enjoy!

7Japanese Lesson

By: Yoko Aoki

あいさつ
Today, let’s study simple greetings and phrases in Japanese.
１）おはようございます＊おはよう (Good Morning)＊「おはようございます」is more polite than「おはよう」.

２）こんにちは (Hello, Good Afternoon)

３）こんばんは (Good Evening)４）さようなら＊しつれいします＊じゃ、また (Good-Bye)＊「しつれいします」is more polite than「さようなら」. Use it when speaking to
your superiors.
Use「 じ ゃ、 ま た 」with people you are close to, or those who are younger thanyou.

５）ありがとうございます＊ありがとう (Thank you)＊「ありがとうございます」is more polite than「ありがとう」.
Conversation: When B-san has done something such as help A-san, or
has given them a present.
A さん :「ありがとうございます」
B さん :「どういたしまして」

６）すみません (Sorry, Excuse Me)
Used when ① calling out to someone, or when ② apologizing.
れい
みず「すみません。お水をください。
」①（例：レストランで）(Example: At a restaurant) “Excuse me, could I get some water?”
れい
やくそく
じ かん
おく
②（例：約束の時間に遅れて）「おそくなって、すみません。
」(Example: When you are late to meet someone) “I’m sorry for being late.”＊「ごめんなさい」is used for people you are close to, or children.
「もうしわけありません」is very formal.
【How should you respond?】
はな
1. トピアのスタッフに話しかけたいとき : (When calling out to a TOPIA staff member
し
ひと
しんせつ
2. 知らない人に親切にしてもらったとき : (When a stranger does something kind for you))（Answers: 1.「すみません」 2.「ありがとうございます」）

8

Life in Corona Times
Life as a Teacher
By: Gyunyus the coronavirus spread across China, allschools closed their doors. I watched ashealth care workers came running to help areas
affected by the coronavirus and wondered what
I, a teacher, could do. As the number of people
coming to Shanghai rapidly increased, it became
necessary to strengthen protective measures atlarge stations. As a result, they started asking
young people to volunteer. Seeing these notices, I
decided to volunteer.

A

From February 5th, I started working as avolunteer at the Shanghai South Railway
Station. Our main duties consisted of collecting
information from those who arrived at the station,
as well as instructing people to follow quarantine
orders (for example, those coming from Wuhan
or Hubei Province had to be quarantined at adesigned hotel for 2 weeks, while those comingfrom some other areas could do so at home for 2
weeks).

arrived to test him. However, this man showed no
symptoms, his temperature was normal, and hehad not recently visited Wuhan. According to thepolice investigation, he was from Hubei Province
where there were many cases of infection. As
many areas of Hubei Province were on lockdown,
he had not been able to return home or return to
his work. The police, feeling sympathetic towards
the man, arranged for a place for him to stay. (Thiswas a unique case…)
During this time, I often saw people, alongside
their children, coming to Shanghai for work.
Hoping for better opportunities, many people
parted with their families and hometown andcame to the city.
Those who have finished with their volunteer work
must self-isolate in their homes for 2 weeks.

While working, we had to wear heavy, protective
gear that covered our whole body. We would
put on our protective gear along with 2 layersof masks, a set of gloves, and goggles. Our
shifts would then last for 6 hours. Health care
workers have to work while wearing evenheavier protective gear which I imagine must bevery difficult. I hope that soon this disease willcompletely disappear, and that the health care
workers can return home and rest with peace ofmind.

Here in China, the corona situation has improved,
but elementary and middle schools remainclosed. Every day I wake up, and after washing
my face, I turn on my computer. This is the startof my day as a teacher. I create presentations for
my classes, do live lessons on the internet, andcheck the homework of students who are using
the internet. Classes
are completely online,
and while it may
seem convenient at
first, there are many
aspects of online
learning that are notvery efficient.

One day, a man arrived at the station asking to bequarantined. The staff led the man to a temporary
quarantine room, and health care workers quickly

I truly hope that
schools will be able toresume soon.

Life as a Student
By: Amanda White’m not what you would think of as astereotypical student, and COVID-19 has, in away, made my situation easier to manage. By day,
I’m a full time employee at a local government
agency. By night, I take four hour long classes allin the hope that in two years time I’ll graduate.
Oddly enough, I’m in my last semester and thosefour hour long classes are online.

I

It started with an email from the president of myuniversity extending Spring Break, this was mostly
to give professors time to make the transition
from in person meetings to an online format. This
also includes office hours as well. From previous
experiences with online classes in high school
and undergrad, I was apprehensive to say the9Life in Corona Times

least. Yet here I am four weeks in, enjoying it.
Not confined to a rigid desk with a table top notlarge enough to hold my aging laptop, I sit at my
kitchen table with not only said laptop but all of
my textbooks, articles, and stationary. I even keepa snack just off camera. Class is given via videoconferencing sites so I can still see and interact
with my classmates and professors on a normal
basis. I feel closer to my classmates as I get
to see into their home lives and they mine. I’ve
met wives and children and many, many pets I
otherwise would not get the chance to.

Classes flow smoothly as the usual troubles withconnecting to projectors or televisions, the glareof the lights, standing up to see the PowerPoint,
are all removed. All of these are negated as theprofessor’s or another student’s screen can beshared with a few clicks. I can see everyone’s
face as opposed to just the side or the back of
their heads. Even the chat feature is handy as,
without embarrassing anyone, I can tell someone
to mute their microphones or share a link to anarticle. Because my class is now online, theprofessor has invited the author of one of our
textbooks to speak to us in the upcoming weeks.
In all, I’m making the best of the opportunity.

Life as a Photographer
By: Ina Bohnsackince March 25th, 2020 we have been livingwith lockdown restrictions in Germany.
We can go out for grocery shopping, go to thedoctor, go for a walk or play sports
in nature. We can go alone, orwith a maximum of 1 other person.
Many people have lost their jobs orare only working a portion of theirnormal hours.

everyone suddenly became. Musicians streamed
concerts live from their balconies via Instagram.
Photographers started shooting self-portraits whilein quarantine. Fashion designers converted to the
production of masks. Suddenly I had 1,000 ideas
and have been trying to implement
many of them since then. I create photobooks for my customers, sell picture
prints, and soon I will sell my own
magazine that I have been working
on. Crises make you creative, but you
always have to keep in mind that many
professional groups, especially in the
I am an artist and mainly work as aart field, have lost their main source
photographer at concerts, festivals,of income. I inform myself every day
events and weddings. This means
about the newly infected and hope hourthat I lost all of my work overnight. At
after hour that the curve continues tothe beginning I was totally helplessflatten and that we can soon live in one
and desperate because it seemedworld again ... With open borders, withlike I lost everything I had built up
Photo:
Jennifer
Rumbachpossibilities, and maybe with a little
over the last 14 years. The first few
days I was paralyzed and could not think clearly. more charity that we obtained through this crisis.
One rejection after another ended up in my Every crisis always brings something good with
it and I'm happy to see the creativity of people
mailbox and I just had to accept everything.
around the world. Let's hold on to this, because
After about a week, I noticed how creative we are all in this together.

S

Counselling Service at TOPIA・トピアの相談窓口
TOPIA provides consultation on everyday life, education, labor, medical institutions, and disasterprevention; and information on sightseeing spots to overseas residents and visitors. When necessary,
we will refer you to the appropriate organization that can assist with your needs.Counselling is available
in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese. Please note that although every effort will be made,we may not be able to deal with all cases.
Everyday, 10:00 - 18:00 (closed during the New Year's holidays)
Tel: 088-656-3312 or 088-656-3313 (allows for three-way conversations with an interpreter)