aWa life

2021 Tokushima
Prefecture Japanese
Speech Contest

Gairaigo Galore:
ベッド、ベット

Awa Shoku:
KAKI, on Tree or in Sea

Differences Between
Life in Japan and Life inFranceSeptember 2021
# 371

1

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

It’s finally September! We hope you have all been staying cool and taking steps to avoid heat stroke
during these hot months. Hopefully it should start cooling down soon and we can enjoy the nice autumn
weather. Autumn is said to be a good time for reading, so we hope you will enjoy reading this month’s
Awa Life as always! You can find a translated version of the winner’s speech for the speech contest
that took place in July, so make sure to give it a read. Perhaps it will inspire you to work on your Japanese studies?
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:
Mako Kobayashi, Takako Harauchi, Lance Kita and Fusa Tamaki

2Contents

Pg. 2-3: 2021 Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest
Pg. 4:

Differences Between Life in Japan and Life in France

Pg. 5:

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: 敬老の日

Pg. 5:

Gairaigo Galore: ベッド、ベット

Pg. 6:

Awa Shoku: KAKI, on Tree or in Sea

Pg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8-9: Events and Memoranda
2021 Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest

O

n July 18th, Tokushima Prefecture andthe Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association held the 32nd Japanese
Speech Contest for Foreign Residents at the
Awagin Hall.
14 participantsfrom 9 differentc o u n t r i e ss p o k e o n
topics such as
understandingd i f f e r e n t
c u l t u r e s ,differences
between Japan
a n d t h e i r
c o u n t r y, a n dtheir life here in
Japan.
The grand prize
winner was Li
Yan Lin, a participant form China who is currently
studying at Naruto University. The winner of theTokushima Prefectural Assembly’s Federationof International Exchange Assembly Member
Chairman’s Award was Alcander Imawan, aparticipant from Indonesia who is currently
attending the National Institute of Technology,
A n a nCollege.
Due to thec u r r e n tsituation with
COVID-19,
we put inplace many
preventative
measuresand limited
the numberof people.
However, you
can watch
the speechc o n t e n t
on YouTube. We hope that the situation with
COVID-19 will settle down and the speech contest
can be held as normal next year.

You can view a news article about the speech contest online for free on YouTube! Make sure tocheck it out. We'll send the link when the whole speech contest is available!
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQmsAl4SXRQ

32021 Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest

Small Happiness in Japan
By: Li Yan Lin (Grand Prize Winner)
Hello everyone. My name is Li Yan Lin, and I’mfrom Henan Province in China. I came to Japan
in 2018. Before coming to Tokushima, I lived
in Tokyo for half a year. When I was young, I
watched Japanese anime, and in middle andhigh school I grew to enjoy Japanese dramas
and variety shows. Then I was finally able to visit
Japan.
Before coming to Japan, I did a lot of research on
the internet and found a post saying, “Japanesepeople are very serious and a little cold, therefore
it’s hard to make Japanese friends. There are also
many manners you need to keep in mind to fit into
Japanese society.” At that time I felt a little worried
about the Japan which I had been looking forward
to experiencing.
When I came to Japan I ran into many problems,but I was able to overcome each of them with thehelp of the people here in Japan. There was atime when I dropped my wallet and a Japaneseperson came running after me to return it. There
was also a morning when I had to ride a bus totake an exam. However, I had no clue where
the bus stop was. A person who was going toride the train listened to where I needed to go
and helped me find the bus stop. At my work the
manager and my coworkers are all very kind andhave taught me the basics of Japanese businessmanners, such as saying “ おはようございます ”
in the morning and immediately responding with
“ は い ” when someone calls out to you. During
our time off we would eat together, go shopping
together, and even go see the flowers together.
The more time I spent in Japan and the more time
I spent with Japanese people, I began to realize
the differences between Japan and China. Amongthese, the biggest difference that I noticed wasthat Japanese people tended to live quietly anddo their own thing while doing their best not tocause trouble for other people. That environment,
which had a bit of a distant feeling, was great fora person like me who likes the quiet.
In Japan, you will hear words like “ こんにちは ”,“ ありがとう ”, and “ すみません ” wherever you
go. People say “ ご ち そ う さ ま で し た ” after ameal and “ お疲れ様です ” after work is over. From
the outside, this may appear as cumbersome
to some people, but these words, which show
consideration for others, have given me small
pieces of happiness.
After coming to Tokushima, the teachers at myuniversity would always treat me warmly, andmy Japanese friends who lived in the dorms
would often bring me omiyage treats. I received
cookies from Kobe, tea, sweets, and cakes that
their families had made. Here’s something that
happened when I went to the Gyomu Super near
my house. I want to buy some persimmons, but
I wasn’t sure which ones to buy. At that time, anearby elderly woman helped me pick one.
To tell you the truth, before coming to Japan I was
more fearful than excited or hopeful. However,
all of that fear has disappeared, and instead I
feel a warm feeling all the way to the bottom of
my heart towards Japanese society. Whenever I
experience the warmth of Japanese society, I am
reminded of these song lyrics: 君と出会えた幸せ
祈るようにーー（風になる）.
This is the end of my speech. Thank you forlistening.

Differences Between Life in France and Life in Japan
By: Mako Kobayashi

Why France?
When I was a university student, I studied in
France for approximately one year. In university
I studied English, but in high school my school
had had a French class, and I loved Frencheven before entering university. When asked
what it is that I love about French, it would haveto first be the pronunciation. You can find theconcept of “liaison” in many languages. It’sespecially prevalent in French, where the usuallyunpronounced end of the word is pronounced in
combination with the initial vowel. Thanks to thisliaison, the words are fluid and flow beautifully. I
had also thought it would be good to be able tospeak a language other than English, so I madeuse of the study abroad exchange at my university
and went to France.

Differences in Greetings
When it comes to business greetings, Japan andFrance aren’t all that different. However, greetings
between friends are quite different. What are
they like in France? Well, in France they havesomething known as “bisous”. Bisous means“kiss”. It means kiss, but it’s more of a kiss on the
check. In the northern part of France, they tend to
do this twice as a greeting. However, I heard thatin the southern part they do it more than threetimes. This kind of greeting is very close andallows for you to feel the person you are greeting.
I really love this kind of greeting. Also, even when
you don’t directly meet with someone, you cansay “bisous” at the end of a phone call or write itat the end of a letter.

4

Differences in Holidays
When I studied abroad in France, I really thoughtthat their holidays are so long. You also hear
this word in Japanese, but in France they use
the word “vacances” for long holidays. In Japan,
it’s difficult for adults to take long holidays unlike
students. However, this is different in France.
There is a 2~3 week vacation you can takefrom the end of June to August (les vacancesd'été), a break around Christmas (les vacancesde Noël), and an Easter break (les vacancesde Pâques), something not very well known inJapan. There are also many other holidays thatexist in France. Other than the holidays, theweekend (le weekend) is also a time for students
and those who are working to rest. I often thought
to take the time on the weekends to do things I
couldn’t do during the week! I tried to go and buy
ingredients, but the nearby stores would close
their doors on Saturday and Sunday. It might also
be a sort of religious reason not to work much on
the weekends. In comparison, convenience storesin Japan are always open, and there are many
stores where there is also someone there to work
24/7. There are so many differences between
Japan’s holidays and those in France.

5

けいろう

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: 敬老の日
By: Takako Harauchi

ねん

にほんじん

2020 年 のへいきん じゅみょう

つせかい

スイスに次ぐ

まいとし

だんせい

さい

じょせい

さい

じょせい

せかい

日 本人の「平 均寿 命」は、男 性 81.64 歳、女 性 87.74 歳 でした。女 性は

だんせい

男性は

ひ

がつ

だい

い

こうせいろうどうしょうはっぴょう

世界２位と

げつようび

い

世 界１位、なりました。
（2021.7.30 厚生労 働 省発表）

ねん

がつ

にち

けいろう

ひ

ながい

毎年 9 月の第 3 月 曜日（2021 年 は 9 月 20 日 ）を、「敬 老の日 」 といいます。長 生きしている

としよ

いわ

お年寄りの

かんしゃ

き

も

つた

ひ

こくみん

しゅくじつ

ちょうじゅ

お祝いをしたり、感謝の気持ちを伝える日で、「国民の祝日」になっています。長寿をいわひとお祝いするとちょうじゅ

まわりの人もきかい

長寿にあやかるそうです。

みまもこの機会に、いつもとしよ見守ってくれている
かんしゃ

くなど、
「ありがとう」の
としよ

しゃかい

お年寄りに

ようす

社会の様子や

き

も

贈ったり

つた

感謝の気持ちをで き ご とおく

お年寄りに、プレゼントを

むかし

はなし

か

書

なが

伝えてみてはどうでしょう。

出来事など、昔の話を

てがみ

お手紙を

き

い

また、長く生きている
はっけん

聞いてみるとおもしろい発見があるかもしれません。

Vocabulary List
けいろう

敬老

respect for the aged

へいきんじゅみょう

平均 寿 命average life span

こうせいろうどうしょう

厚生労働省

ちょうじゅ

長寿 longevity

あやかる

share somebody's good luck

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

きかい

機会 opportunity

Gairaigo Galoreとしよ

お年寄り elderly
みまも

見守る guard
はっけん

発見 discovery

ベッド or ベット ?
By: Nico Bohnsack
Many people in Japan prefer to sleep on a futon, but beds are actually quite popular, too. Haveyou ever realized that there are two gairaigo you can use to refer to a bed: ベッド and ベット ?
Japanese learners might wonder what the right one actually is. Even many Japanese don`t reallyknow. However, the answer is that both words are totally fine and neither is wrong. ベッド stems
from the English word “bed” and ベット has its roots in the German word “Bett” which also means“bed”. While ベッド is probably used more often nowadays,
both versions can still be found in everyday life language. It issaid that first the German word became part of the Japanese
language when Western styles of living were adopted in the
Meiji Era (1868–1912). The exchange of medical knowledge
between Japan and Germany was very intensive at thattime which resulted in the use of many German words in the
medical field. It is believed that the German word “Bett” cameinto use to refer to hospital beds and later also beds foreveryday life. However, when English words were adopted
on a large scale the word ベ ッ ド slowly became more
popular and dominant. So in case you were wondering which
version to use: don’t worry and just use the version which fits
you more!

Awa Shoku: KAKI, on Tree or in Sea
By: Lance KitaO

ne of my favorite things about Japanesecuisine is how it embraces the seasonalityof ingredients. Using what is available at a certain
time of year is not only practical, but also makes
the most culinary sense because an ingredient inseason will taste the
best.

6

mold. Dried persimmons (hoshi-gaki 干し柿 ) areenjoyed from early winter until stocks run out inlate spring or early summer. They have an intense
and rich sweetness similar to dried dates. Most
are eaten as a snack, but they can be chopped up
and added to cakes, scones,
or cookies.

KAKI in the Sea
In English, any monthwith the letter “R” is a safe
month for oysters, so theseason generally runs from
September to April. The
calm waters of the Seto
Inland Sea is prime oyster
bed habitat, which is why
A fruit or a shellfish, “kaki” is truly a fall flavor. Hiroshima is the top oyster
producer in the country. Hereon Shikoku, Tokushima’s
Actually, the words have different accents in their Naruto City and Kagawa’s Higashi-Kagawa City
pronunciation. In west Japan, there is no change are also famous for their oysters. One great way
in accent for persimmon (ka-ki), and oyster is to enjoy them is at an oyster shack (kaki-goya 牡
accented on the second syllable (ka-KI). In the 蠣 小 屋 ) where you can eat buckets of oysters
Kanto region (around Tokyo), persimmon is ka-KI grilled on large skillets. (See February 2017 Awa
and oyster is KA-ki.
Life)
As we move fromsummer to autumn,
there is a fruit andshellfish that arecoming into season
with the EXACT
SAME NAME. Kaki か
き is both persimmon
柿 and oyster 牡 蠣 inJapanese, and bothare fall delicacies.

KAKI on the Tree
Although Nara and Wakayama across the Kii
Strait are major harvesting areas for persimmons,these trees are ubiquitous throughout Japan andcan be found in many yards. Come autumn, theleaves fall and the trees burst into orange fruits.
You’ll see neighbors trying to pass off bags ofpersimmons to friends, family, and coworkers.
If you do get a bag, it's important to ask if they
are ama-gaki 甘 柿 or shibu-gaki 渋 柿 . Amagaki are, true to its name, sweet and can beeaten raw.Just slice up and eat fresh, or try
dicing them into potato salad, tossed salad, or on
yogurt.. Japanese cooking uses them in a lightly
marinated salad (namasu 膾 ) or as a dressedsalad (aemono 和え物 , see May 2018 Awa Life).
You can also make jam or sauce with it.
Shibu-gaki, on the other hand, are highly
astringent and cannot be eaten raw, but areusually peeled, and hung out under roof eaves todry. Often, they will acquire a white crust of edible

Most people will order breaded deep-fried oysters(kaki-furai カ キ フ ラ イ ）as part of a set meal(teishoku 定 食 ) at a neighborhood restaurant.
Another great dish is takikomi-gohan 炊き込みご
飯 , where oysters are added with a splash of soy
sauce when cooking rice in a rice cooker, where
they plump up nicely and add their briny umami
to the rice. I like to sauté oysters in butter andadd ponzu (citrus soy) to glaze them in amber
goodness. As the weather gets colder, an oyster
hotpot (kaki-nabe 牡蠣鍋 ) is definitely the way togo.
Dried persimmons or grilled oysters? Persimmon
salad or oyster stew? How about a fusion of
both… make a salsa of finely diced persimmon,
minced onion, sliced fresh chiles, squeeze of
sudachi, salt/pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Spoon that over a raw or lightly grilled oyster andslurp it from the shell. Which KAKI will you choose
to savor for fall’s flavor?

7Japanese Lesson

By: Fusa Tamaki
Keigo
け い ご
に ほ ん ぶ ん かみなふくざつに ほ ん ごけい「敬語」という日本文化は、皆さんにとって複雑で、めんどうなものかもしれません。しかし、日本語では「敬ごに んげんかんけい

あい て

たいせつ

おも

き

も

ひょう げ ん

たいせつ

つか

わ

こんかい

はたら

けい ご

語」は人間関係をスムーズにし、相手を大切に思う気持ちを表 現するのに大切な 働 きをしています。「敬語」
し ゃ かい て き た ち ば

かんけい

した

した

かい

は社会的立場や関係が親しいか親しくないかによって使い分けられます。今回から 5回にわたって、このコ
べ ん きょうおもーナーで勉強 したいと思います。
けい ご

おお

わ

□敬語は大きく分けて 3 つあります。
て いねい ご

い

い

かた

め

まえ

ひと

て いねい

はな

①丁寧語…「～です」「～でございます」「～ます」をつけて言う言い方（目の前の人に丁寧に話す）
そんけい ごあい てけんじょうご

じ ぶ ん

ぶ ちょう

も

あ

い

かた

あ い て

い

あ い て

ぶちょう

②尊敬語…相手（部 長 ）を持ち上げる言い方（相手がすることを言う） →相手（部長）が…なさいます
さ

い

かた

い

③謙譲語…自分（わたし）を下げる言い方 →わたしが…いたします（わたしがすることを言う）て い ねい ご

そ ん け い ご

け ん じょう ご

丁寧語

尊敬語

わたし・あなたがする部長がする →部長が なさいます

ぶちょう

謙譲語

ぶちょう

わたしがする→わたしが いたします→わたし・あなたが します

けい ご

つか

□これらの敬語は、どのように使うのでしょうか。
けい ご

つか

ば あい

か ぞく

した

例１

ひと

「敬語」を使わない場合（家族・親しい人など） どうりょう と も
れい
あ し た
か い ぎ
しゅっせき
例１：明日の会議だけど、わたしも出席するよ。 同僚（友だち）わたし
例2て いねい ご

つか

て いねい

い

ば あい

て いねい

はな

あい て

て い ねい「丁寧語」を使って、丁寧に言う場合（丁寧に話したい相手）
れい

あ し た

か い ぎ

て いねい ごしゅっ せ き丁寧にて いねい ごはな

あい て

例２：明日の会議 ですが（丁寧語）、わたしも出 席 します。（丁寧語） 話したい相手
そんけい ご

つか

はな

あい て

も

あ

けい い

あらわ

ば あい

あい て

わたし

い

「尊敬語」を使って話し相手を持ち上げて、敬意を 表 す場合(相手がすることを言う)
れい

あ し た

か い ぎ

て いねい ごぶ ちょう

しゅっ せ きそんけい ご例3：明日の会議ですが（丁寧語）、部 長 は出 席 なさいますか。（尊敬語）
け ん じょう ご

つか

じ ぶん

さ

けい い

あらわ

ば あい

じ ぶん

例 3・４

い

「謙譲語」を使って自分を下げて、敬意を 表 す場合（自分がすることを言う）
れい

あ し た

か い ぎ

ていねいご

しゅっせき

ぶ ちょう

部長

けんじょうごわたし

例4：明日の会議ですが（丁寧語）、わたしが出席 いたします。（謙譲語）
もんだい

【問題】
か せん ぶか

ばんごう

い

次の文の下線部は、①～④のどれに変えたらいいでしょうか。番号を（て いねい ごつか①「丁寧語」を使う
せんせい

ひる

そん け いごつか②「尊敬語」を使う

はん

た

A:「先生、お昼ご飯を食べた？」（
にい

にちようび

ぶ ちょう

し りょう

くるま

）

で

B：「お兄さん、日曜日、車 で出かける？」（

けんじょうごつか③「謙譲語」を使うた）に入れてください。

かよ④変えなくて良い

せんせい＜食べたのは先生ですか、わたしですか。＞
にい

かんけ い

した

した

） ＜「お兄さん」との関係は親しいですか、親しくないですか。

＞
まい

し りょう

C：「部 長 、この資 料 は 3枚コピーしたけど、あの資 料 は…」（

ぶちょう

） ＜コピーしたのは部長ですか、わたしで

すか＞
し

ひと

たず

と し ょかんたか

D：知らない人に尋ねる。「あのう、図書館はあの高いビル？」（

はな

あい て

かんけ い

した

） ＜話し相手との関係は親しいですか。
した

親しくないですか。＞
Answers A ②

B④

C③ D①

8

Events & Memoranda
Japanese Classes 2021
Time: 10:30-12:00

Term 2 TOPIA Japanese Classes Schedule

Location: Meeting rooms at TOPIA

Textbook: We will be using the “Minna no Nihongo I” (2 nd edition) textbooks (2,750 yen for the book and audio CD). Please prepare
the textbooks on your own. Additionally, there will be themed lessons on various topics such as seasons and life in
Tokushima.
Fee: Free
DAY*There may be changes due to the COVID-19 situation. Please check TOPIA’s website for the latest information.
TEACHERLEVELCLASS DESCRIPTIONSTATE DATE

We will study verb conjugations, te form, nai form, dictionary form, etc.,
TUE

Ms.Tamaki

Elementary 1

as well as sentence patterns that utilize these.
Text: Minna no Nihongo I – from Chapter 14~25

Sep.28(20 times)

This is a flexible group study class split up into 3 different groups.
(Beginners included.)
WED

Volunteers

Group Lesson*For parents of young children, a childcare worker will be on hand to lookafter your child during the lesson. (Please inquire in advance. Depending

Sep.29(20 times)on the current COVID-19 situation, this service may not be offered.)
We will practice Japanese conversations relating to a variety of topics.

THU

Ms.

Conversations

YamadaAdditionally, while studying Japanese we will experience Japanese culture& Culturaland seasonal events firsthand.

Activities*For those who have finished up to Chapter 13 of Minna no Nihongo I.

Oct.7(20 times)(Schedule is subject to change.)

FRI

Ms. Aoki

Beginner

We will take the first step towards learning basic expressions.
Text: Minna no Nihongo I – from Chapter 1~13

Oct. 8(20 times)

We will practice Japanese conversations relating to a variety of topics.
Conversations
SUN

JTM

Additionally, while studying Japanese we will experience Japanese culture& Culturaland seasonal events firsthand.

Activities*For those who have finished up to Chapter 25 of Minna no Nihongo I.

Oct. 3(20 times)(Schedule is subject to change.)
Volunteers

Group Lesson

This is a flexible group study class split up into 3 different groups.

* Please register for Group Lessons at least a day before the class. (If you do not sign up in advance and show up on the day of theclass, we may not be able to find a group for you to study with.) Additionally, as the number of groups are limited, we may not beable to find a group that suits your level.
* If you are unable to attend class, please call and let us know. (088-656-3303)* The Volunteer Classes on Wednesday and Sunday will be cancelled if no students show up within the first 30 minutes.

TUE

Ms. Kimura
Ms.Yoshimoto

SpecialA class for those who cannot read or write hiragana or katakana. We

You may

Beginners

will study the basics, such as the Japanese alphabet, greetings,

join atnumbers, and items. We will also be learning about Tokushima.

anytime.

Class*Classes may be cancelled if there is a typhoon, heavy rain, heavy snow, etc. Please call and confirm if classes will still be held.
Japanese classes are also available at the Anan International Association, Aizumi Town International Exchange Association,
Yoshinogawa International Exchange Association, Mima no Sato, Minami Multicultural Coexistence Network "Harmony", the Clubfor Thinking about Multicultural Coexistence "Tomoni" in Tsurugi Town, Awa International Exchange Association, and the NPO"Attakaiyou" in Kaiyo Town.

9

Events & Memoranda

Tokushima Prefectural Disaster
Prevention Center Study TourThe chance of the Great Nankai Trough Earthquake occurring increases every year. If the earthquake
occurs, what will you do?
Tokushima Prefecture Government, in conjunction with the Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA) is proud to announce a study tour for foreign residents at the Tokushima
Prefecture Disaster Center to provide information on what to do in case of a natural disaster.
During this study tour you will be able to experience simulated earthquakes, strong winds, and learn
how to extinguish a fire. Let’s learn about the importance of disaster prevention.
Date: September 26th, Sunday 13:00 - 16:00
Location: Tokushima Prefecture Disaster Center (Kitajima-town, Tainohama Aza Onishi 165)
Details: Disaster prevention lecture, disaster prevention guidance via video, simulation ofstrong winds / earthquakes, fire fighting, etc(English interpretation is provided. Chinese/Vietnamese interpretations may beprovided.)
Applications: Please send in the following information by fax to the address below. You can also
apply by sending the same information by email or postcard.
1. Name 2. Gender 3. Address 4. Nationality 5. Phone number 6. E-mail address 7. Occupation
Send Applications To:
FAX: (088) 652-0616
E-mail: coordinator1@topia.ne.jp
Postcard: Koekizaidan Hojin Tokushima-ken Kokusai Koryukyokai (TOPIA)
Clement Plaza 6F, 1-61 Terashima
Deadline: September 16th (Thu.)** For more information, please contact Ms. Kimura at (088) 656-3303** The event may be cancelled due to the current COVID-19 situation.

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)