aWa life

TOPIA Staff
Welcome Messages

May 2016# 310

Awa Shoku:
Shoots into Spring

Kamikatsu's Leaf Business:
Empowering the Elderly

1

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

Last month, Kumamoto Prefecture was struck by a large earthquake, followed by numerous
aftershocks. Many were injured and homes and even lives were lost. We would like to express our
sincere condolences to those who fell victim to the earthquake, as well as our sincere sympathies for
all those who have been affected. As there is a 70% chance that a big earthquake will hit Tokushima in
the next 30 years, we need to do what we can now to prepare ourselves. For more information on how
and what to prepare, please check TOPIA’s website: http://www.topia.ne.jp/english/
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 is buzzing about, grab a pen or a computer and write and send away!
Please send all submissions to our email:awalife@gmail.com
Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA)			http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Clement Plaza 6F					topia@topia.ne.jp
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi				Tel: 088.656.3303
Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN			Fax: 088.652.0616
Download a PDF file of awa life or view the online version by going to TOPIA's website!

Your editors,
Till and Jenifer

Fresh tea leaves growing towards the sky in Kito Village

Editors:
Jenifer Tanikawa & Till Dumke
Contributors This Month:
Jenifer Tanikawa, Till Dumke, Toru Yasuda, Seiko Mori, Chie Suzue, Shintaro Inoue,
Robert Telschig, Yoko Aoki, Kazue Inoue, Lance Kita, Junko Kimura

2

Contents

Pg. 2-4:

Kamikatsu's Leaf Business: Empowering the Elderly

Pg. 4:

Goodbye Message

Pg. 5-6:

New Staff at TOPIA

Pg. 6:

Celebrating "Joy" in Naruto

Pg. 7-8:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8:

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

Pg. 9:

Awa Shoku: Shoots into SpringPg. 10-11: Events and Memoranda

Kamikatsu’s Leaf Business: Empowering the Elderly
By Jenifer Tanikawa (An interview with Tomoji Yokoishi Part 1)

Nestled deep in the mountains amongst
the Japanese cedar trees, lies a quaintlittle town called Kamikatsu. This town, said
to be one of Shikoku’s smallest, is home toapproximately 1,680 people and has beengarnering attention nationally and internationallyfor its leaf-selling business.
The Irodori business was established in 1986
and this leaf-selling business has been runningfor 30 years now. Various types of leaves, suchas maple, bamboo andcamellia, are sold as
garnish around Japan,
and there are 200
farmers, like Ms. Yukiyo
Nishikage, who growthese leaves.
These leaves are not
only beautiful but add
a seasonal touch to thedishes, as the type ofleaves used changes withthe changing season.
In the March issue of
Awa Life, we wrote about
our interview with one of
the Irodori farmers, Ms.

Nishikage. This month, we sat down with Mr.
Tomoji Yokoishi, the President of Irodori and themaster-mind behind the leaf-selling business.
I heard that you were eating at a restaurantand saw two girls admiring the garnish thatcame with their dishes and that inspiredyou. Can you tell me more about how you
came up with this idea of selling leaves as abusiness?
You don’t just get an idea out of nowhere. You
come up with an idea because you’re looking
for a solution to some problem. It’s because you
are actively looking for something particular, thatwhen you come across that situation, everything
falls into place. When I first came to Kamikatsu,
I soon realized that it was a patriarchal society.
The thing about rural farm communities in Japanis that, the men will order the women about andwomen avoid taking the lead role. I thought that
had to change. I saw a need to develop the local
workforce more, so I began looking for a job thatwomen and elderly people can do. Something
they can do for the whole year. And that very
answer was leaves. When I heard the girls
excitedly exclaiming, “It’s so lightweight” and“It’s so pretty”, I thought this was promising. It’s
something women can do and something thatcan be done in the mountains. It’s lightweight,
pretty and can be done all year round. It fulfilled

3

Kamikatsu's Leaf Businesseverything I was looking for. So I knew that thiswas it.
What was the initial reaction like to youridea?
It was bad, not a single person was with me
on it. I was even ridiculed when I first broughtup the idea. That’s because no one realized
the true worth of it at the time. Since you can
get leaves anywhere, it was like picking up
garbage to them. That’s why they didn’t want to
do it at all. They really are proud people. As an
example, if there was 100 million yen piled up in
front of you and you had to divide that amongst
five of you, everyone there would be excited at
the thought of getting 20 million yen. If they wereanimals instead of humans, they wouldn’t care if
there was money in front of them, it would mean
nothing to them. Now, if the money were food, itwould be a different story. Unfortunately, people
in farm communities don’t realize the valuable
things that they have right at their fingertips.
How did you get them to change their minds
then?
You can’t just change their minds like magic.
They’ve been living their whole lives in a certain
way, so to change their minds, you need tochange the environment. You just have to proveit to them by succeeding. But, unfortunately it
didn’t sell well at first, at all.
How long did it take you until you started
making a profit?
In my first year we made 1.16 million yen. We
started picking up in the second year, but it
wasn’t until the fifth year when we started doing
well.
What have you gained from doing
this business?
I’m not looking to be
thanked by people oranything like that. I’m
just happy knowingthat the elderly
folks in this town
are glad to be
doing this. I don’t
really want much
I suppose. I guess

as a businessman that’s not a good thing, but I
don’t ask for much.
In 1996, I was thinking of leaving this businessand starting up my own company. It was great
being able to do something that made people
happy, but I’ve always wanted to start up myown company as well. I was planning on leaving
this town, but this elderly lady, her name is
Ms. Mikie, she went around the whole town,
going door to door to all 200 Irodori farmers,
and collected petitions to get me to stay. These
sheets of paper are everything to me.
You’d be surprised by this woman. The day shecollected all of these signatures, she asked mewhat I was going to do, so I told her I’ll sleep on it.
She told me to call her before heading home afterwork and I did as I was told, then she told me towait there. She showed up at the office on her
small motorbike and asked me what my verdict
was. I told her I’d have to talk it over with my wifeand got in the car, ready to leave. She then stoodin front of my car, with her arms spread wide andsaid, “You’re gonna have to drive over me if you
want to leave.” She continued on to tell me thatwithout me here, there was no point of her living.
She must’ve felt the weight of responsibility upon
her shoulders since
she was the one
who went andcollected all thesesignatures. So I
told her, “Okay, I
understand, I’ll
stay.”

Kamikatsu's Leaf BusinessThis made me really think, what’s mostimportant to Japan, for the young and old alike,is that feeling that you have a place in theworld and you are contributing something. It is
important for the local economy to improve, but
at the same time, I think it’s good to create asociety where people all have a place.

4

How do you keep the farmers encouraged?
Just like I mentioned, I tell them, “Only you cando this.” When people feel needed and when
they feel like they are making a difference,they’ll work hard naturally.
Please cheack the June issue for part 2 of thisinterview.

Goodbye Message
By Till DumkeT

he time has come that I have to bid farewellto all you lovely people in Tokushima. After ayear and 9 months living on our beautiful island,
I heard my calling to return to the big city. This
time my destination will be Tokyo. I was planningon leaving this August but I really wanted to makesure that I wouldn’t end my tenure without a job
lined up. So I started looking for a job, and I found
one way earlier than I anticipated. My last day inTokushima will be the 22nd of April and on the 23rd
I’m off to Tokyo.
I will be missing the beautiful landscapes andthe nature that I was able to explore on my bikerides. Especially the mountains that I kept trying
to conquer in ever faster times are somethingthat I will be missing dearly. Mount Tsurugi almost
knocked me out and Mount Bizan became mygood friend for after work rides. I always loved thepeace and tranquility while I went along the rivers
and through the woods. One time I encounteredmonkeys picking each other’s lice on the street,another time I went to a seemingly abandoned
temple hidden in the woods. I doubt I will be able
to experience anything that comes close to thatwhen I live in Tokyo.
I was also looking forward to dancing the Awa
Odori this year but I’m sure there will be more
opportunities to do that in the future.
Being a CIR I’ve made so many valuable
experiences and met so many interesting
people. During all the exchanges and my various
interpreting jobs I was certainly able to develop
as a person, because of all the failures andmistakes I made. But along with the characterbuilding experiences (happy little accidents) I also

had a lot of fun and good moments, like whenI remembered the word "pump storage hydropower station” during an interpreting job for thevice-governor. Of course everyone in the room
took it for granted that I would know such a word
but in my head it was Till 1 everyone else 0.
As an editor for Awa Life I always tried to makethe magazine a little bit better looking and eventhough I know I often failed, maybe a couple oftimes it even came out kind of OK. I hope mysuccessor will do a better job and I’m sure thanks
to my thorough instructions he or she will be agreat CIR and PA.
I want to thank everyone who I have met along
the way during my time as a CIR in Tokushima
and I know I will always look back fondly on
the nights at the bars in Akitamachi and thedays either working for an interesting exchange
project or cycling over the mountains in beautiful
Tokushima. Thanks a lot and see you soon!

5

New Staff at TOPIA

By Toru Yasuda, Seiko Mori, Chie Suzue, Shintaro Inoue

Toru YasudaHello everyone, my name is Toru Yasuda. I
officially began my post as the executive
director of the Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association on April 1st.
Up until now, as a prefectural office staff, I havebeen in charge of the spread of and maintenanceof ICT (Information & Communication Technology),
large-scale events run by the prefecture, among
others. I believe that both ICT and events are agreat tool to help make communication become
more smooth and to create a space for people tolearn more about each other.
Hikari Fiber (fiber-optic internet) has been set up
all across the prefecture and so Tokushima has
one of the nation’s leading telecommunication
infrastructures. Furthermore, as Tokushima
is home to several temples of the 88 Temple
Pilgrimage, it has fostered a culture of warmly
welcoming many people such as the pilgrims, acustom known as ossettai. Finally, Tokushima ishome to the nationally famous dance, the Awa
Odori and Tokushima truly has a beautiful natural
surrounding and the food is delicious here.

Seiko MoriH

ello everyone! My name is Seiko Mori and I
am a middle school teacher. I’m really gratefulfor this opportunity to work at TOPIA, as I believe it
will give me a chance to broaden my mind throughinteracting with people from around the world andby learning about many other cultures.
Chie Suzue

H

i everyone, my name is Chie Suzue and I
joined the staff at the Tokushima Prefectural
International Exchange Association on April 1st of
this year.
I have always had an interest in cultural exchange
and when I was a student, I had the chance tostudy abroad in the United States of America.
Through this exchange, I had lots of opportunities
to learn about and experience other cultures fromthe locals and from the other exchange students.

I personally love Tokushima and everything that it
offers. I really do hope that I can use the skills andexperiences that I have gained through my job toprovide support to all of the foreign residents andvisitors.
More than anything, I want more people to know
about Tokushima and to fall in love with it.
I will try and be involved in lots of things, so I
would love to work together with all of you tomake your life and your trip to Tokushima anamazing one!

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games
is just around the corner and it is becoming evenmore pertinent to learn about and understand theworld around us from a more global perspective.
So, as a teacher, I will work hard to be a liaison
between various schools and the individuals
who are involved in international understanding
education.
Interacting with people from all over the world
became an important part of my life then. With
the increase of visitors from abroad to Tokushima,
my hometown, I hope I can use the experiencethat I have gained to help relay all of the amazing
places that Tokushima has to the visitors so thatthey can have an even better experience.
Furthermore, adjusting to a new living environment
isn’t easy, so I hope that I can help give good
advice and information to help ease the transition
to Tokushima of as many people as I can. I lookforward to meeting and working with you all.

6

New Staff Introductions
Shintaro InoueM

y name is Shintaro Inoue and as of April 1st,
I have been employed at the Tokushima
Prefectural International Exchange Association(TOPIA). I am still new to the job and still learning
the ropes, so every day I’m breaking out into a cold
sweat, not knowing what to do. The warmth of thepeople at TOPIA and the visitors keep me going.
I have always been interested in other countries
and understanding other cultures, so I feelhonored to have this opportunity to help theforeign visitors and residents in my own
hometown, Tokushima, through working at TOPIA.
I will work hard to meet the needs of each individualby seeing things from their perspective and try and

L to R: Inoue, Mori, Suzue

provide useful information to all of the visitors fromabroad and to the foreign residents, all the while
being willing and ready to learn along the way.

Celebrating "Joy" in Naruto
By Robert TelschigOne of the few factoids about life in Japan thatis often cited outside of it in media acrossthe world is the popularity of Beethoven’s Ninth
Symphony in general and its ending music piece“Ode to Joy” in particular. Hopefully, most of you
reading this already know that Naruto City is
the home of the first known performance of thisclassical piece of music within Japan. The City of
Naruto celebrates this by organizing a big concert
on the first Sunday of June every year, which will
fall on the 5th of June of this year.
As always since this concert started in 1983,
joined by the local Tokushima Orchestra, there
will be a huge choir singing the Ninth Symphonyon stage at the Culture Hall in Naruto City, justaround the corner where the annual fireworks
display happens as well.
Since this piece of Beethoven has also beenrecognized as one of the cornerstones defining
Tokushima prefecture itself, the prefectural
government has started to organize its very own
concert, the first of which happened in January ofthis year and featured a choir of 2000 people, withcertainly more to come in the future.

Currently, many in Japan are looking to the year
2020, with the Tokyo Olympics coming up fast.
However, people not only in Tokushima, but
all of Japan should also be aware of the year
2018, which will mark the 100th anniversary of
the first performance of the Ninth Symphony byGerman POWs in the POW camp of Bando. This
anniversary will be celebrated by a big concert
right here in Naruto City. Details are still in theplanning stage, but if you want to know how it
might feel like, go attend the upcoming 35th
concert on June 5th to get an idea.
Tickets can be purchased on the day for 2500
Yen for adults and 500 Yen for students, but also
before at several places, including, among otherplaces, the Naruto German House, the Naruto
Culture Hall, all stores of the company “Kurosaki
Gakki” and the Koyama Jyogakukan book stores.
The concert starts at 13:30 and will close around
15:30. Since there is no reserved seating, it might
be wise to be there a bit early to grab a good seat.
See you there in June.

7Japanese Lesson

By Yoko Aoki

1.「～てくれて ありがとう。
」 ／ 2.「～てくださって ありがとうございました。
」
こんげつ かんしゃ

き も

あらわ ひょうげん まな

しんせつ

ひと

こう い

たい

れい

い

今月は感謝の気持ちを表す表現を学びましょう。親切にしてくれた人や行為に対してお礼を言いたいとき：
This month, we will be learning how to express gratitude in Japanese. Use the following expressions
for when you want to thank someone for being kind to you or if they have done something nice for you:ともか ぞく したひと
1. 友だちや家族、親しい人には
Use the expression below with those you know well like a friend or family member.
どう し

けい

「動詞～て形＋くれて ありがとう。
」
れい

とも

例）友だちに てつだってもらいました
Ex. Your friend helped you out with something.
「てつだってくれて ありがとう。
」
め うえ

ひと

した

ひと

2. 目上の人や あまり親しくない人には １より ていねいなことばで
Use this more formal expression with those that are in a higher position than you or to those that you
don’t know well.
どう しけい「動詞～て形＋くださって ありがとうございました。
」
れい

せんせい

ほん

か

例）先生に 本を貸していただきました＊ ]い（＊「～ていただきました」は「～てもらいました」の ていねいな言いかた）
Ex. Your teacher lent you a book.
「～ていただきました」is the more polite form of「～てもらいました」
ほんか「本を貸してくださって ありがとうございました。
」
かい わ れい

せんせい

れい

い

【会話例】～先生に お礼を 言います (Saying thanks to your teacher) ～
た なか

せんせい

ほん

か

田中： 先生、いい本を貸してくださって ありが
ほん

とうございました。この本でに ほん ご

たくさん

べんきょう
しちがつ

に ほん ご のうりょく し けん

先生： そうですか。７月に 日 本 語 能 力 試験をう

た なか

was really useful. I learned a lot about Japanesewith this book.

日 本 語の勉 強 をしました。
せんせい

Tanaka: Thank you for lending me this book, it

受けますか。
う

Teacher: That’s great. Will you be taking theJapanese-Language Proficiency Test in July?
Tanaka: Yes, I will.

田中： はい、受けます。
せんせい

Teacher: Best of luck to you.

先生： じゃ、がんばってくださいね。
た なか

田中： はい、がんばります。ありがとうございます。 Tanaka: I will work hard, thank you very much.
Exercises
れんしゅう【練習してみましょう】「～てくれて ありがとう」「～てくださって ありがとうございました」
ともおく

1.（友だちに） ① うちまで
えき

		
か ぞく

（家族に）
		
せんせい

2.（先生に）

② 駅まで

→

送ります

むか

き

迎えに来ますあたらか→③ 新 しいゲームを 買います
④ USJ にに ほん ごつい→

連れて行きます →⑤ 日 本 語のまちがいをなお直します →

8

Japanese Lesson
		

しょうたい

⑥ パーティーに 招 待します
に ほん

ぶん か

しゅうかん

おし

→

		

⑦ 日本の文化や習 慣を 教えます →		⑧ おいしい料 理を ごちそうします →りょう り＊ごちそうします To treat someone to
8. おいしい 料 理を ごちそうしてくださって ありがとうございました。
りょう り

6. パーティーに 招 待してくださって ありがとうございました。 7. 日本の文化や 習 慣を 教えてくださって ありがとうございました。
しょうたいに ほん ぶん か しゅうかん

おし

4. USJ に 連れて行ってくれてありがとう。 5. 日 本 語のまちがいを直してくださって ありがとうございました。
ついに ほん ごなお

1. うちまで 送 ってくれて ありがとう。 2. 駅まで 迎えに来てくれて ありがとう。 3. 新 しいゲームを買ってくれて ありがとう。
Answers

おく

えき

むか

き

あたら

か

Letter From Suketo Nakayoshi
By Kazue InoueI

t is that time of year when we are blessed withthe clear blue skies and fresh verdure colors
our surroundings. In Japan, May 5th is Children’sDay. On this day, it is customary for families to
put out carp streamers, or koinobori ( 鯉のぼり ).
Families will also put out samurai dolls. This isdone to celebrate and wish for the healthy growthand development of their child. Just like thecarp streamers waving through the air, making
the carps look like they are gallantly swimming
through the air, I really do hope that all of yourkids will continue to grow big and strong.
During May, though you might want to encourage
your child to go out and play in the sun more, you
should be careful of the UV rays from the sun!
Back in the days, having a nice golden tan wasa sign of health but these days, more attention
is being given to the harmful effects of UV rays,
such as premature aging of the skin and damage
to the eyes. If you are going to let your child play
outdoors, make sure you take precautionary
measures to avoid UV rays, such as using
sunscreen, avoiding the time of day when UV ray
is the harshest (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and playing
in shaded areas. Another thing to look out for isdehydration. Make sure your child stays hydrated.
When you sweat, you lose minerals, so you needto make sure your child replenishes those lostminerals. You can create asports drink that has been
diluted or mix 200ml ofwater with 1/4 salt, honeyand lemon.

＊ Handmade Toy: Milk Carton Truck ＊Materials
1000ml milk carton
2 sheets of newspaper
Duct tape
500ml milk carton
Scissors
500ml milk carton
Wrapping paper or cloth
Black construction paper
Directions
1) Stuff a 1000ml milk carton with 2 sheets ofballed up newspaper. Fold up the top of the cartonand tape it down so it lies flat.
2) Cut off one side of a 500ml milk carton. Create
two cuts on the corners of the open side of the
carton to create flaps. Fold up the flaps and tapeit up to close off the side. You should now have a
box with an open top.
3) Tape the small box (open side facing up) on
top of the big box. Cover up both boxes withwrapping paper or cloth. Cut out four tires fromblack construction paper and stick it on the sidesof the bottom box and there you have it, your very
own handmade truck. You can even put things in
the top box as well.

9S

pring has officially sprung, and many people
are hiking into mountains in search for the
king of edible sprouts, bamboo shoots (takenoko筍 ). The kanji consists of bamboo 竹 (which is thegeneral kanji component meaning “plant”) over 旬
which means “in season.” Indeed, the harvestingseason is limited to a couple of months with apeak window of a fortnight.

Awa Shoku: Shoots into Spring

By Lance Kita

My favorite is tempura of the thin slices, with justa sprinkle of salt in lieu of the dipping sauce.
Wakatake-ni ( 若 竹 煮 ), which combines thelate spring bamboo shoots with the early spring
wakame seaweed in a popular dashi-simmered
side dish. Perfect with Naruto’s incredible
wakame! Without the seaweed, the dish is called
Tosa-ni ( 土佐煮 ), deriving from its use of bonito
stock (bonito’s the major catch in Kochi, formerlyTosa). Some will slice them thin and eat themsashimi-style with a dab of wasabi and soy sauce.
Other people will chop the shoots into their ricecooker with a splash of soy sauce for simple
bamboo shoot rice (takenoko-gohan 筍 ご 飯 ),which is the perfect ending to a meal with theother dishes.
With the season for bamboo shoots running
into June, there’s still time to enjoy them at their
sweetest and crispiest, so visit your local izakaya
for some good spring eats, or find a friend andgo dig some up for yourself (get permission fromlandowners before entering groves or forests).
Happy hunting!

Bamboo forests are one of my favorite places...
swishing leaves, swaying stalks, cool fresh air

For several years, I’ve been invited to go digging
for shoots (takenoko-hori た け の こ 掘 り ) at myfriend’s grove. The best harvesters are said to beable to see the shoots just pushing up soil among
the leaf litter. A cautious unearthing ensues to
dig deep around the shoot without damaging theouter sheath as you try to get as much of thetender stem base as possible.
Bamboo shoots start developing an alkaline
bitterness as soon as they’re harvested, so
fanatics will build a fire and roast them on the
spot. Normal folk will take them home, split themin half, and boil them in a big pot of water witha handful of rice bran (nuka 糠 ) and a whole
dried chili pepper to leach out the unpleasantflavors. The key is to let the shoots come to room
temperature in the water-filled pot, resulting ina sweet, tender vegetable that’s best enjoyed insimple dishes.

Freshly-dug shoot... Look how much awaits thepatient digger underground!

Sliced bamboo shoots make the perfect crunchy
addition to rice

Events & Memoranda

10Tokushima Prefecture 2016 Japanese Speech Contest
Apply Now!

1. PURPOSE

True internationalisation cannot be achieved without first coming in touch withother cultures and ways of life, fostering a sense of international awarenessand gaining mutual understanding with people of the world to create a society
in which we can all work and live together in harmony. This speech contest
seeks to give a voice to the international residents of Tokushima Prefectureand engage them in a dialogue to further discourse on cross-cultural
understanding and fostering multiculturalism.
2. DATE & PLACE
July 10th, 2016 (Sunday), 13:30 - 16:30
		Awagin Hall (Tokushima Prefecture Kyodo Bunka Kaikan)		
Small Hall (5F)
3. ELIGIBILITY
Only foreign residents whose native language is not Japanese are eligible toapply.
		(However, foreign residents who have had over three years of compulsory
education in Japan and those who have previously won the Grand Prizeor the Tokushima Prefectural Assembly's Chairman of the Federation ofInternational Exchange Assembly Members Award are not eligible to apply.
4. SELECTION
Application will be open to all foreign residents of Tokushima Prefecturethat fulfil the eligibility requirements. We will ask all applicants to submit an
outline of their speech (between 400-800 words), and after reviewing all of
the applications, roughly 10 or so applicants will be chosen to proceed to thefinal contest.
5. THEME
The topic is left to your discretion, but it should relate to the event's purposeof fostering cross-cultural understanding and multiculturalism.
6. LENGTH
Speeches should be no more than 6 minutes in length.
7. HOW TO APPLY
Submit your application form by mail or fax. Alternatively, you may submit
your application in person.
8. DEADLINEMay 17th, 2016 (Tuesday)		Applications must be turned in by 17:00.
9. WHERE TO APPLY Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA)〒 770-0831 1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City, Clement Plaza 6F
TEL: 088-656-3303 FAX: 088-652-0616*For more information please check TOPIA's website: http://www.topia.ne.jp/english/

Misato Firefly Festival
美郷ほたるまつり
Back in 1970, the Misato region located in
Yoshinogawa City was designated as a Natural
Monument of Japan for being the home to andbreeding ground of fireflies. During this festival,lots of different events will be planned such as,a Misato firefly shuttle bus, Misato firefly cleanup activities, firefly viewing groups and much
more! Local goodies and other food will also be
available for purchase.
When: May 30 (Mon) - June 14 (Tue) 17:00-22:00*Fireflies can generally be seen from late May to
mid-June.
Where: Kawata River, Misato, Yoshinogawa City
Info: Misato Firefly Museum
TEL: 0883-43-2888
URL: http://www.misato-hotarukan.jp/

吉野川市美郷地区は 1970 年に地区全域が「美郷のホタル及びその発生地」として国の天然記念物に指定されています。 美郷ほたるシャトルバス、
美郷ほたるクリーンアップ活動、ほたる観察会等、イベントが盛りだくさんです！物産販売・軽食販
売などもしております。
開催期間：5 月 30 日（月）～ 6 月 14 日（火）17:00 － 22:00＊ホタル観賞期間 5 月下旬～ 6 月中旬
開催地：吉野川市美郷
川田川周辺
問合せ：美郷ほたる館
TEL：0883-43-2888
URL: http://www.misato-hotarukan.jp/

11 Events & Memoranda
Takegashima Shrine Festival
竹ヶ島神社祭り

Fireworks will be lighting up the sky from 7 p.m.
on Saturday. On Sunday, the abare mikoshi event
will take place, where a mikoshi (portable shrine)
will be gallantly carried into the ocean waves.
When: May 21-22 (Sat-Sun)
Where: Takegashima Shrine
Kaiyo Town, Kaifu County
Info: Kaiyo Town Tourism Association
TEL: 0884-76-3050

土曜日には午後 7 時から花火が打ち上げられ、夜空を色鮮やかに染めます。日曜日は海中へ入っていく暴れ神輿が見ものです。
開催期間：5 月 21 日・22 日（土・日）
開催地：海部郡海陽町
竹ヶ島神社周辺
問合せ：海陽町観光協会
TEL: 0884-76-3050

Labor Consultation
労働相談会
If you are experiencing any problems at yourworkplace, such as dismissal from work, power
harassment and non-payment of wages, pleasefeel free to consult us. Services are provided forfree and will be kept confidential.
When: Every Thursday from 14:00-16:00
May 12, 19, 26
June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Where: Tokushima Prefectural Office 11F* Please make a reservation by 3pm the day before.
* Please bring an interpreter with you if you
cannot speak Japanese.
Contact: Tokushima Prefectural Labor Committee Office
TEL: 088-621-3234
URL: http://www.pref.tokushima.jp/soshiki/roudouiinkai/

賃金未払い等、労使関係のトラブルでお困りの方
は、お気軽にどうぞ！
相談無料、秘密厳守です。
開催日時：毎週木曜日 14 時～ 16 時
5 月 12 日、19 日、26 日
6 月 2 日、9 日、16 日、23 日、30 日
場所：徳島県庁 11 階
＊前日の午後 3 時までに予約してください。
＊日本語が話せない方は、通訳できる方とご一緒にお越しください。
お問い合わせ：徳島県労働委員会事務局
TEL: 088-621-3234
URL: http://www.pref.tokushima.jp/soshiki/roudouiinkai/

Yorisoi Hotline・よりそいホットライン
Helpline for Foreigners / 10AM~10PM
Call the toll-free number and after the Japanese guidance, press 2.
The available languages vary depending on time.
0120-279-338
http://279338.jp/yorisoi/foreign / https://www.facebook.com/yorisoi2foreigners

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 isavailable in English and Japanese. Please note that although every effort will be made, we may not beable 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)