#288

July 2014
The Many Possible Benefits of Taking a Journey to Five
Temples in Tokushima City
By David C. Moreton

Temple 14., Jōrakuji in 1934

If you would like to experiencepart of the Shikoku pilgrimage
route close to central Tokushima
city, then I recommend going
to Dainichiji (No.13), Jōrakuji(No.14), Kokubunji (No.15),
Kannonji (No.16) and Idoji(No.17). Visiting these temples

is called gokasho mairi - afive-site pilgrimage that it said
to have been created morethan 300 years ago. The total
distance is only about eight
kilometers and since the routeis on flat ground it can be easily
completed in a few hours.

Here are some details about
each of these temples that allseem to offer relief fromphysical problems or curesfrom sicknesses or ailments.
Dainichiji () - Before
1868, Ichinomiya Shrine, which

Benefits of Taking a Journey to Five Temples...continued on page 3

Page 1, 3-4: Benefits of Taking a Journey to Five Temples
Page 4-5: The Tokushima Air Raids Digital Archive
Page 5-6: What Remains of the City?; Page 6-8: From Brazil to Tokushima
Page 8: Irene's Recipe Corner; Page 9: Japanese Lesson
Page 10: Letter from Suketo Hoikuen; Page 11-12: Events & Memoranda
1

is a monthly publication of theTokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA)

Jenifer Tanikawa & Martin RathmannDavid C. Moreton, Austin Smith, Lance Kita,
Jenifer Tanikawa, Irene Wachuga, Yoshie
Motoki, Kazue Inoue

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: Awaglot
The literary corner of Awa Life,
Awaglot, is a combination of
the words "awa" and "polyglot",which means multilingual. Be
it fiction, nonfiction, prose or
poetry; funny, sad, long or short,
we want your submissions! If
you like to write, then express
yourself!
There is also a classifieds
section for you, our readers, topost ads in, but a few rules doapply!

If you have something you
Religious, political, or would like to share with thecommercial activities, businesses Tokushima community, email thesearching for clients or editors at
employees, things the Awa Life
editors deem inappropriate.

concerts, lectures,and other event information,
cultural, sporting, and othercommunity group information,
etcetera.

Crutches left behind by cured pilgrims at Temple 88 from 19342

Benefits of Taking a Journey to Five
Temples (Con't from Page 1)

is across the street from thetemple was the official sacredsite, but when Buddhism andShinto were forced to separate
in 1868 the temple took overthis position. This is the only
temple of the five that offers
accommodation for travelers
and is the only one among
the eighty-eight that is
administered by a woman
priest. The temple grounds
are very small. At the main
hall there is a red statue ofthe deity Binzuru and it isbelieved that if you touch thepart of his body that correspondswith the same place that is
not well with your body, youwill be cured of that ailment.

Jizō statue beside the Daishihall so that their children willstop crying at night. In themain hall there is a painting ofa woman whose clothes areon fire. It is believed that she
when visited here on a rainy
day in 1884 her wet clothes
suddenly burst into flames.
She realized that she wasbeing punished for treating
her mother-in-law cruelly, so
she repented and drew thispicture. Other people sufferingfrom eye and lung ailments,
rheumatism, and hemiplegia
are said to have become well
Kokubunji () - During after visiting this temple.
the 8th century Emperor) - The grounds
Shomu declared that national Idoji ((kokubun) temples be built in are quite large and include aeach of the sixty-six provinces cemetery and large parking
in Japan and this is the one area. The main hall, originallyfor Tokushima. At that time built from wood, was repeatedly
the temple grounds were destroyed by fire so themuch larger and there was a present building was madeseven-story pagoda and other from concrete. When Kōbōbuildings. The large rock garden Daishi visited here someone
beside the main hall is several said to him, “We suffer from ahundred years old and the
new Daishi hall was completed
this spring. The Ususama Myōōhall contains a statue of the“god of toilets” (secchin) andthere are tales of people being
punished by this god for not
keeping their toilets clean, butthere are also stories of others
who were cured of hemorrhoids
or eye problems.

Jōrakuji () - Unlike
other temples, this one does nothave a main gate (sanmon or
niomon) and the buildings are
situated on an outcrop of

Kannonji () - The temple
is located in a residential area
and the grounds are extremely
small. Parents come here topray to the yonaki (cry at night)

sedimentary rock called
Ryusuigan no niwa (gardenof running water rocks). To
the right of the main hall uphigh in a tree there is a statueof Kōbō Daishi called Araragi
Daishi to which people pray
to for cures of diabetes andeye problems. And, in front of
the main hall there is a statueof Jizō Bosatsu to whichpeople pray to prevent children
from wetting the bed and crying
at night, as well as to be
cured of toothaches and footpain.
Temple 16: Woman Pilgrim
Story from 1934

Main Hall of Kokubunji (No. 15)
from 19343

Benefits of Taking a Journey to Five
Temples (Con't from Page 3)
lack of clean water for ourfields, so can you do something
to help us?” Kōbō Daishi dug
a well (ido) in one night andpure water came up making
the fields fertile. It is said that if
you look into the well and do
not see your reflection thatsomething unfortunate will
happen to you within three

years. You can take some of the how people from the 19th
well water, which is believed to century benefitted by visiting
have medicinal benefits.
these five temples, please see:ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110008426437
The gokasho mairi gives youa small taste of the Shikoku Photos are provided by Davidpilgrimage and will surely be C. Moreton.
beneficial for your mental andphysical well-being, but if you
would like to read in detail about:
From Tokushima station, take No. 56, 57 or 58 bus (A4 bus stop), which goes via Myodo (orEnmei (
) areas to Ichinomiya fudasho mae () bus stop (about 30 min, 410 Yen)
Bus route: www.tokushima-tdm.jp/bus/bus/rosennzu/p027.pdf
To return, walk to Ko () JR station from Idoji and take the local train to Tokushima. (about 12
min, 220 Yen) Train schedule: www.hyperdia.com

The Tokushima Air Raids Digital Archive
By Austin Smith
Tokushima was one of anumber of Japanese cities
bombed during a major assault
which coincided with American
Independence Day. The bombing
began on the evening of 3rd
July 1945 and continued
throughout the night. Sixtytwo percent of the city was hit
by incendiary bombs from
B29 bombers. An area of
4,620 square kilometres was
reduced to ash and over 16,000

every July to mark theanniversary of this event. The
exhibition is held in the former
Takahara Building, a westernstyle building that survived
the bombing. It stands on thebanks of the Shinmachi Riverand the room in which theexhibition is held retains theoriginal windows which were
The Tokushima Air Raids cracked on that night. The
Archive is a small photographic photographs in the collection
collection which is exhibited span the twentieth century
homes were destroyed, affecting
more than 70,000 people.
Approximately one thousandpeople died and about two
thousand were injured. Tokushima
was paralysed, all methods ofcommunication and transportation
were suspended as well as
electricity and water supplies.

This photograph shows a line of Awa
Odori dancers passing over the
Shinmachi Bridge. Bon Odori was rebranded as “Awa Odori” by the Tourist
Association of Tokushima in 1932 topromote the event nationally as a
tourist attraction.

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The Tokushima Air Raids Digital
Archive (Con't from Page 4)
history of Tokushima City, with the 2014 exhibition andincluding pre-war, wartime and to make the modern history ofTokushima accessible to a wider
post-war images.
audience for years to come.
The Tokushima Air Raids Digital
Archive was launched in 2013 Every effort has been madeand is available all year round. to retain the essence of theI have written English explanations original Japanese text and all
for the collection to coincide of the information provided.

Some contextual information
has been added to aid
understanding for the foreign
reader. The responsibility for
any in-accuracies is entirely
my own.
Images are courtesy of theTokushima Prefectural Archive.

There was almost nothing left of the
Sako Otani area. Yet, surroundedby the misery of war, an elderly
couple relax in an open-air bath.
Beautiful colours usually grace
Sakoyama in spring but this wartime
scene is desolate.

The famous dance festival which
had been suspended during the
war years was restored in 1946.
This is a scene from that time, infront of Tokushima City Hall.
The presence of occupying
soldiers watching is a symbol ofthe post-war era.
If you would like to view the full collection visit the second floor of the former Takahara building
this month or visit the links below:
Tokushima Air Raids Digital Archive (Japanese): www.shinmachigawa.com/tarda_photo.html
Tokushima Air Raids Digital Archive (English): impressionsofeastasia.com/tokushima-airraids-digital-archive/

Wander-ful Tabi: What Remains of the City?
By Lance Kita
The American air raids of 1945
(see accompanying article)
destroyed much of Tokushima
City’s center, but a few remnantsof the past can be seen. They
are wonderful examples ofWestern-style Showa architecture,

which are sadly disappearing are testimony to the intense
as buildings are modernized. heat generated from the burning
rows of wooden shops that once
lined this street. This Registered
Cultural Property is presently
The cracks in the second floor home to an anime production
German fire-resistant windows office and gallery space for5

Wander-ful Tabi: What Remains of the City?
(Con't from Page 5)

Former Mikawa House (Lance Kita)

community exhibitions, like theone this month about theTokushima Air Raids. Locatedon the Shinmachi River
Boardwalk, the scratch-tiled
Romanesquefaçadeisunmistakable along the streetside.

the only example of classicarchitecture in Tokushima. Its
arches and columns gleam
white across the street fromthe former Takahara Building.

Ever notice the German“gingerbread house” along the
JR tracks as they cross the
Shinmachi River near thePrefectural Office? Concrete
house, concrete balconies,
concrete fence, and even a
concrete cave storehouse
typical of Baroque gardens Dr.
Yoshiyuki Mikawa’s reinforced
Former Nihon Kangyo Bank Bldg. abode survived the fires from
(Lance Kita)
the air raids (though his wooden
clinic next door didn’t fare sowell). Tokushima City was gifted
this Important Cultural Property,
Though its name has changed and hopefully will open it toseveral times since its the public in the future, but for
construction in 1929, this has now, you can stroll by and admire
always been a bank, and is this one-of-a-kind architectural

gem from outside its irongates. Look for the concretegargoyle on the roof andconcrete lion in the garden.
Two more of note:
1) The original Prefectural Officebuilding also survived thebombing, and a portion of it
was relocated to Bunka-noMori to be used as the Prefectural
Archives ().
Even if literary materials are notyour cup of tea, make the visit
to walk through the foyer with
its granite floor and plaster ceiling,
and climb the ornate staircase.
2) Miraculously, the former Harada
residence, a wooden samurai
house topped with a tile roof,
did not burn down in the flamesthat engulfed its neighborhood.
Read the April 2012 Awa Life
online issue for a write-up
about this amazing houseand its special cherry tree.

Former Takahara Bldg.
(Lance Kita)

Tokushima Vortis - From Brazil to Tokushima
The world is abuzz with soccer
fever, but for Tokushima, they
have long been in soccer fever
since 2013 when the Tokushima
Vortis won against the Kyoto
6Sanga F.C. to advance into
Division1oftheJapanProfessional
Football League, a first for any
soccer team in Shikoku!

We had the opportunity tointerview midfielder, Kleiton
Domingues Barbosa (K), andforward, Dyanfres Douglas
Chagas Matos (D), both soccer

Tokushima Vortis - From Brazil to
Tokushima (Con't from Page 6)month ago and Douglas has
been here for five years. Theyboth aspired to play overseas, so
upon receiving an offer fromthe Tokushima Vortis they bothhappily accepted.

have been playing soccer
since eight years old. Kleiton
joined a team when he was
13 and Domingues when hewas 17, and since then they
have been playing soccer.

What are your impressions ofTokushima?
The atmosphere of this city
is very relaxed and calm. It’s also
very quiet, which reminds me of
my hometown. It’s a really easy
place to live in.
The people here are so warmand have such an open heart.
When I first arrived here, there
weren’t many people from Brazil
living here, but they still welcomedme with open arms. I also
think that Tokushima reminds
me of home and it’s a quiet andmore rural area. The culture isn’t
too hard to adjust too either. Even
Dyanfres Douglas Chages
after five years, my impressions
Matos (© Tokushima Vortis)of Tokushima are still theFirst of all, what inspired you to same. I still think Tokushima is
be a soccer player?
full of warm hearted people.
I have an older brother. Ever
since I was young, he lived away What has your experiencefrom home and was training to been like, living here as a
become a soccer player. And non-national?
I aspired to be a soccer player
There are major culturaldifferences like language andjust like him as well.
Brazil is known for being the food, but Japan as a whole is‘Country of Football’ and since a well-developed country, so I
the moment you are born, you never really had a hard time
will be presented with a soccer adjusting in that sense.
ball. So many aspire to be a
I feel the same as Kleiton,soccer player from a very young both Tokushima and Japan areage, even if it doesn’t come true, well-developed so I never had
many dream to be one, and for much of an issue. And even if I
me, I’m really happy that dream can’t eat something, there arecame true.
options available.

Is the soccer here different fromthan in Brazil? Things like rhythm
and play style seem to differ, but
has the way you looked at itchanged since coming here?
It definitely has changed. I’mcompletely used to Japanesesoccer now, so I don’t noticemuch of a difference anymore.
I am so used to the play style,all over again here that if I
were to ever go back and playsoccer in Brazil, I’ll have to getused to their style all over again.
The rhythm of play is different.
Because the players play as
one big group as opposed toas individuals within a team,the rhythm is much faster. As
Brazil focuses more on individual

players on the Vortis team hailingfrom Brazil, the host country of
the 2014 FIFA World Cup. We
sat down and asked them
about soccer and about theirexperience in Tokushima.

Kleiton moved to Tokushima 6 Kleiton and Douglas both

Kleiton Domingues Barbosa(© Tokushima Vortis)

7

Tokushima Vortis - From Brazil to
Tokushima (Con't from Page 7)
skills, the rhythm is much slower. me, I’ll go. But since Vortis
has a great playing environment
What is special about Vortis? and the team is strong, I wouldn’t
The team really is united. For mind staying here at all.
example, we’re not in the
I’ve been here for a while,
best of positions right now, but but I wouldn’t mind staying for
we’re all still holding our as long as I can. But of course,
heads up and giving it our I’m also open to playing
very best as a team. The soccer elsewhere as well.
resilience and team spirit ofVortis really defines the team. What do you want to the fans
I agree with Douglas, even to look for when they come tothough I haven’t been here for watch?
that long, I really feel like theyNo matter what the situation
work hard as a team. It’s not just is, either good or bad, once we’rea bunch of individuals playing, on the field we give it all thatbut rather, we play as one, we can, we give it our 100%.
we play as one team.
I’m injured right now, butsince we’re not doing too well
Where do you foresee yourself right now, once I’m back onin the future?
the field, I want to do all that I
I want to improve as a football can to change this situation. I
player, so wherever that takes want to win some games andI want to win it for the fans.
(He is currently back on thefield, but back on the field, but
was injured at the time of theinterview)
This month we will be doing a
special giveaway! Please email
us your name and contact
information to:awalife@gmail.com
We will be drawing a name at
random from all our entries andthe lucky winner will receive anotebook signed by Kleiton andDyanfres! We’re looking forward
to your emails!

Irene's Recipe Corner(Thicker than crepes,
thinner than hot cakes. No fuss.
Supereasy.)- 500g all purpose flour,- 400-500cc water- 2 Tbsp sugar- 2 whole eggs (slightly beaten)- Oil (for cooking)8

make a smooth consistency.
Rest the batter for 15-30
minutes. Oil a griddle or fry
pan lightly and pour a ladleful,swirl to make it round, cook
about a minute, when it browns
on the underside, flip andcook the other side. ServeMix all the ingredients together, with jam, honey or whippedjust add enough water to cream.

Japanese Lesson
By Yoshie Motoki

9Letter From Suketo Hoikuen
By Kazue Inoue
Once the rainy season is over,summer will be fully upon us.
One of the illness that you
need to be careful of during
this season is heatstroke.
Heatstroke happens as a resultof being in a high temperature
and a very humid environment.
If you notice you are experiencing
various symptoms associatedwith heatstroke, such as a redface, excessive sweating or dry
lips, you may be experiencing
the early stages of heatstroke.
You need to go to a hospitalright away if you experiencenausea or vomiting and can’t
hold down liquids, your face is
red and you are not responding
to anyone’s call, and if yourfever is not going down.

day (from 10:00-14:00). As well,take breaks periodically, especiallyfor younger children, they can’t
manage themselves well, so
it is the responsibility of the adults
to make sure they are okay.
There are many events andactivities that are fun forfamilies, including going to thepool or the ocean and summer
festivals or camping. By looking
out for your own health and yourfamily’s, we hope that you’ll
have a fun-filled summer.

1) Fill a container with water
2) Rub the petals in the waterwith your fingers.
*There are many ways to playwith colored water, you can evenpretend to be a juice shop (Forexample, red water can be
strawberry and pink can bepeach. You can also use othermaterials like grass to make
Have fun playing with flower green tea and soil to makepetals (morning glory and four coffee.)o’clock flower)!

1) Wear a hat when you are
outdoors (make sure you
periodically wipe your sweat too)2) Stay hydrated – dissolve 1gram of salt (pinch of salt) in 1
liter of water to make salt water3) Avoid going out during the

Events & Memoranda
Fireworks in Tokushima
When:
Where:

July 13 (Sun), 20:00Aibahama Park

When:
Where:

July 21 (Mon), 20:00Komatsushima PortWhen: July 25 (Fri)–27 (Sun), 20:50-21:20
Where:
YoshinogawaRiversideGrounds,
Tokushima City
10

- Container (you can use oldfood containers, tofu cases, oreven ice cream cups)- Water- Flower petals (after they havefinished blooming)

Events & Memoranda
Apply to Participate in the Arasowa-ren Dance Troupe!
The chance to join the Arasowa-ren and secure yourplace in the 2014 Awa Odori Festival is here! Make
sure you sign up soon, as places go quickly! You canalso sign up to play an instrument. No experienceis necessary, and there will be practice sessions
before the event.
When:
Location:Time:

Thursday, August 14
Meet at the Awa Kanko Hotel
15:00 - 15:40 Assemble
16:00- Opening Ceremony
and pre-dance party
17:40- Dancing
21:30 End
Participation Fee: 3000 Yen Japanese
2000 Yen non-JapaneseApplications:-Apply in person at TOPIAor reply via paid postcard(see below)- On receiving your application, TOPIA will mail you
whether you can participate or not. We will include
a post-office bank account number to where you
can pay the participation fee within one week. Or
you can pay at TOPIA. PLEASE NOTE: We cannot
accept applications by fax or telephone. You cannot
apply on the day of the event. Also, we cannot
refund the participation fee for any reason. In the eventof rain, the party and dance will take place inside
the Awa Kanko Hotel. Participants will be limited to
the first 80 applicants. Musicians Wanted!!!!

Fold the postcard so the address of the intended recipient is facing out and post it like a regular postcard.
Return-paid postcards (- oufuku hagaki) can be purchased at the post office or atconvenience stores for 104 Yen.

11

Events & Memoranda
Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest
Foreign residents whose native language is not
Japanese will be giving a speech in Japanese
on various topics such as cultural differences, theirexperiences with life in Tokushima, and more.
Please come watch and cheer on the participants!

When: July 13 (Sun), 13:30 - 16:30
Where: Awagin Hall, Small Hall, 5F(Tokushima Pref. Kyodo Bunka Kaikan)
TEL:088-622-8121
Entry: Free

English Rakugo/ HIROBA
Performance of traditional Japanese comedic
rakugo, in English! Stories include “The Substitute
Quack”, “A Cat and Goldfish”, etc. There is also arakugo workshop, magic and shamisen performance.
Attendance limited to 60, contact HIROBAby July 31!
When: August 3 (Sun), 14:00 - 16:00
Where: Tokugin Tomoni Plaza, 6F
TEL: 090-2787-3597
Email: welcometotokushima@yahoo.co.jp
Entry: 500 Yen (actual cost)

Crime Prevention Tips: Combatting Cyber Crimes
Protecting yourself fromunauthorized access to youronline accounts
Please be extra careful of youronline account informationsuch as your user ID and yourpassword. Avoid using easy toguess combinations, such as“12345” or “password” for yourpassword. If you share one
among several accounts and if
a third party figures out the
password for one of youraccounts, they will be able toaccess all your other accounts,

somplease choose a different As well, avoid downloading
password for every account applications that requests
unnecessary permissions.
you create.
Protecting yourself fromcomputer viruses
Always make sure youroperating system is up to date.
As well, install a virus protection
software and always makesure that it is updated. When
downloading applications on
your smart phone, make surethat you can trust the site thatyou are getting the app from.

Protecting yourself from billingscam websites
While browsing a free website,
if a pop-up suddenly appears
with an unwarranted request,
asking you to pay forregistration or to unregister,
before you make a decision to
pay or to call to talk to them,make sure that you consult
someone you can trust.

Counselling Service at TOPIA /TOPIA offers a counselling and advisory service to all foreign residents to help withissues involving accidents, working conditions, housing, visas, international marriage,and more. Counselling is available in English 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: 088-656-3303 or 088-656-3320 (allows three-way conversations with an interpreter)12