awa life
A monthly newsletter for international residents of Tokushima, produced
by TOPIA, the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association.

on the temple trailt the end of March, I
had the opportunity towalk 60 kilometers of
the Shikoku pilgrimage
with two fellow pilgrims. One
was David Turkington, creatorof the most comprehensive
site in English about the
Shikoku Pilgrimage (http://
www.shikokuhenrotrail.
com/), who this year waswalking the temples in Kochi
prefecture, and the other was
Tom Ward, an avid traveler
and photographer, (http://
www2.gol.com/users/
tward/news.htm).
We began our journey at
Sabase station – 90 minutes
south of Tokushima along
the Mugi line and finished atCape Muroto. On the ﬁrst day
we walked about twenty-five
kilometers and the next day,thirty-five. However, unlike
the pilgrimage route from
Temple 11, Fujiidera to Temple
12, Shosanji which goes
through forests and up anddown mountains, this section
runs along Route 55 so, attimes, the traffic was noisy"TOPPY"May 2006 No. 191
by david moreton
dc_moreton@yahoo.caathe three travellers on the trail of the shikoku pilgrimage

and annoying. Yet there weremany opportunities to get off
the highway and pass throughsmall villages and ﬁshing ports
which are quiet and nostalgic.
The first night, we stayed ata small family-run minshuku
in Ikumi, Toyo-cho and forthe second night at a megasized, “5-star” accommodation
facility for pilgrims at Temple
2 4, H o t s u m i s a k i . D e s p i t e
the difference in scale, one

similarity between the two
was that the people we met
at each were interested inwhere we came from andwhy we had chosen to do thepilgrimage. We were happy
to see that we were treatedas fellow henro and not as
foreigners.
One interesting aspect oftraveling is the unexpected.
You meet people that you
might never see again andon the temple trail... con't on page 4

inside awa life this monthon the temple trail- 1,4 ... yūmei as ume part 1 - 3
staff introductions - 5 ... travel tokushima - oboke - 6
martin's anime corner - 7 ... shin-mai mama nikki / letter from suketo - 8
japanese lesson - 9 ... memoranda - 10 - 12

awa life

Exchange Association (TOPIA)
Clement Plaza 6F
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi
Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN
tel: 088.656.3303
fax: 088.652.0616
topia@fm.nmt.ne.jp
http://www.topia.ne.jp/

is a monthly publication of the Tokushima
Prefectural International Exchange Association(TOPIA)
Andrew Dahms & Claire Tanaka
Contributors This Month:
Andrew Dahms, Yusri Johan, Martin O'Brien,David Moreton, Yoshie Motoki, and Claire Tanaka

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

from the editors
ello from TOPIA! I hope you are all doing
alright with all the particulates in the air
blowing in from the Gobi Desert (calledkosa – yellow sand – in Japanese) as
well as the new school year causing children
everywhere to pick up new and exciting
bacteria and virii to bring home and sharewith the family. A certain Awa Life reader said
she tried Junko Kimura's suggestion of doing'nose gargle' to clear out the nasal passages,
and apparently it works great once you get
the hang of it! In this month's Awa Life, David
Moreton tells us about the Muroto Peninsula
leg of the Shikoku Pilgrimage, and Yusri Johanbrings us part one of a two part series on
cooking with ume.
Love, Claire.

hell, the sakura have come and gone,
and Spring is finally here. As I write
this, the flowers by the roads near
TOPIA are in full bloom, and the trees
are sporting a healthy green. I can't remember
having ever experienced a winter quite like theone we have just come out of, and spring is awelcome sight indeed. Now, in May we havethe wonderful Golden Week holidays, and thetemperature continues its upward (and very
welcome) rise. The weather is just great forgetting out and about, and I hope you makegood use of this opportunity to enjoy some
outdoor activities. I hope you enjoy reading thisissue of Awa Life, and you have very a fun-ﬁlled
May!
Cheers, Andreww

displays of plastic food like this outside of restaurants are common in Japan, and are a helpful way to make your choice
when you're unsure of the items on the menu. There are even companies that specialise in the creation of this kind of food,and can have a very hefty price tag!

-2-

cooking - yūmei as ume part 1

by yusri johanawalife@gmail.com

admit that the title is
a b i t c o r n y, b u t u m e
is quite popular in thiscountry. By now, I hope
you have enjoyed ume
hanami during the early partof March. Do you know thatume flowers were once theobject of hanami during the
Nara period? It was during
the Heian period that ume
blossoms were replaced bycherry blossoms for hanami.
Anyway, let ’s get back toume. When the petals fall,
the leaves will start appearing
from the tree branches. Next
come the fruits. Once June
comes, the supermarkets willfeature a special section for
ume and things related toimaking ume-based products.
Ume are unlike the plums,
for example, in the USA as
they are not meant to beeaten raw and unprocessed.
The fruit must be processed
before consumption. In its raw
state, ume has an unpleasanttaste and has prussic acid at
its core when unripe, which
can upset the stomach.
However, ume is very goodfor your digestive system once
the fruit has been processed.
In Japan, an umeboshi a
day is as good as an apple.
Here you can certainly findthe abundance of ume-based
products, such as umeboshi,
ume candy, ume syrup, umeshu, and much more.

Living in Yamakawa, I am
lucky to have an ume tree
right behind my apartment.
Thanks to my eikaiwa
students who are cooking
enthusiasts, I am able to learn
what I can do with the ume
fruit. In the first part of thisarticle, I am going to sharewith you the recipes for ume
miso, ume syrup, and ume
shu. In the second part, I
will give you in details on how
to make umeboshi with orwithout red shiso/beefsteak
plant. Please note that in allthese recipes, the containers
used for storage should beof non-reactive materials andthe ume used should not beyellow/ripened.

Ume MisoIngredients:
1 kg miso (any kind is ﬁne)
1 kg sugar
1 kg small ume

Ume Syrup
Ingredients:
1 kg fine granulated/castersugar
1 kg big ume

Ume Shu
Ingredients:
1 kg rock sugar
1 kg ume (big is preferred,
but small will work)
1.8 l 35% Alcohol Sho-chu

1.Wash your ume and soak
them in water overnight.
2.Dry them and remove thecalyxes using a skewer or atoothpick.
3.Mix well all ingredients in aceramic/glass bowl.
4. C ove r t h e b o w l w i t h aplastic wrap and store it in acool dark place.
5.Over the next few weeks,
use a spoon to mix everything
once or twice daily.
6.At the end of thesecond week, move it tot h e r e f r i g e ra t o r a n d s t i r
occasionally to blend well.
7.After one month, remove
the wrinkled up ume. Storein an airtight container.
8.Use this miso as a basefor a salad dressing or othersauces that you can think of.

1.Wash your ume and soak
them in water overnight.
2.Dry them and remove thecalyxes using a skewer or atoothpick.
3.Sterilize your container byboiling it in water or wash itwith really hot water. Let it dry.
4.Poke each of your ume in
3-4 places using a fork.
5.Starting with the sugar, place
the sugar and the ume in thecontainer alternating between
the two. You should ﬁnish withthe sugar on top.
6.Cover and store in a cooldark place for about 1 week.
You should get your syrup
within this time. If not, let it sit
longer. Once all sugar liqueﬁes,
remove the ume. You could
use the meat from the ume inbaking if you like.
-3-

1.Wash your ume and soak
them in water overnight.
2.Dry them and remove thecalyxes using a skewer or atoothpick.
3.Sterilized a 2 liter container
by boiling it or wash with very
hot water. Let it dry.
4.Starting with the sugar, place
the sugar and the ume in thecontainer alternating between
the two. You should ﬁnish withthe sugar on top. Pour yoursho-chu in.
5.Cover and store it in cooldark place undisturbed until
all the sugar has dissolved
and your ume drops to thebottom, about 9 months to 1
year.
Next time - that wonderful
Umeboshi.

on the temple trail... con't from page 1

friends on the temple trail

at times, people seem more
willing to assist each other.
The same occurs along the
Shikoku pilgrimage route. If
you are only traveling along
it for a day or are doing thewhole 1, 200 kilometer journeyover 6-7 weeks, it is most
likely that you will experiencevarious unexpected events.
In our case, during the ﬁrst
day an elderly woman waved
to us and invited us to comeinto the henro rest hut that
she was taking care of. She
quickly brought out snacks,
fruit and tea for us and asked
us to sign the visitor book.
Further down the road, we met
two women selling mikans
and when they spotted us,
they filled bags of oranges

and gave them to us. Lateron, a man gave us a buntan– sort of like a grapefruit.
On the second day when westopped for lunch, there werea group of people at the park
area already and they gave
us some of what they were
eating. Also, twice along theroute, I found money on the
sidewalk. Someone later said
that it was a gift from Kobo
Daishi (774-835) - founderof Shingon Buddhism andbelieved to be founder ofthe route. These unexpected
gifts (or o-settai о ಄ സ )and meetings made this trip awonderful experience. One ishumbled by such generosityand one learns the importanceof saying, 'thank you'.
Recently, a Japanese woman
who is doing the pilgrimage
by car a few temples at a time
asked me, 'where can I go toreceive o-settai?' I repliedthat there are usually not
fixed places where organizedgroups provide such gifts. The
giving of o-settai is mainly
a spontaneous act between
walking henro and otherpeople, whether they behenro or people in Shikoku.
There is no guarantee that
one will ever receive anything,nor should one go around thepilgrimage expecting to be fed-4-and taken care of gratuitously.
O-settai comes in all sorts
of forms both tangible andi n t a n g i b l e . Fo r e x a m p l e ,food, money, towels, trinkets,rides in cars, allowing you toleave your bag somewhereetc. There is a strong belief
that when one gives to apilgrim, one is actually giving
to Kobo Daishi and thus one
will achieve merit (or kudoku঱ ຝ ) in this life, so it isconsidered impolite to refuse
o-settai. However, there arethose who want to walk every
step of the pilgrimage, so if
and when you are offered afree ride to the next temple,
thank them politely for theoffer and say that you plan towalk.
Our three day journey
together came to an end
quickly. I made it back toTokushima in 90 minutes. By
bus and train I traveled what
took two days to walk! Tomﬂew back to Tokyo from Kochi
and David was left to continue
his journey on his own.
The Shikoku pilgrimage
route is always changing.
Everyone who takes part init experiences something
different and everyone is facedwith different unexpectede v e n t s . H o w e v e r, t h ecamaraderie among pilgrims,
the interaction between thelocal people and pilgrims andthe custom of o-settai will
always be there especially for
those who chose to walk thepilgrimage.
If you have questions
about the Shikoku pilgrimage
route, please look at
D a v i d Tu r k i n g t o n ' s s i t e
and/or ask the author at
dc_moreton@yahoo.ca

staff introductionseby nameawalife@gmail.com

very May, we publish a few words fromeach of the TOPIA staff members. This
year, we've asked everyone to tell us alittle about what their role is at TOPIA.

Toshiyuki Kawakami
Hello to the 6000 people livingin Tokushima who have foreign
citizenship! How have you been?
I am the managing director of
TOPIA, working as both memberof the board and executive ofﬁcer.
At TOPIA, there are six staff
members doing work related tointernational exchange and cooperation, three
Coordinators of International Relations (CIRsfrom the JET Programme) and one employee
of JICA, the Japan International Cooperation
Agency. Add to this prefectural Cultural andInternational Affairs Division employees, relatedorganisations, and volunteers, and you have thewide scope of people who make TOPIA such anoasis of International Exchange and Cooperation.
Please don't hesitate to drop by for a visit.
Yukie Matsumura
A year has already passed since
I started working as the JICA
Coordinator for International
Cooperation. Thanks to everyone
who helped me with the Japan
Overseas Cooperation Volunteers,t h e G ra s s Ro o t s Pa r t n e r s h i p
Program, the Youth Invitation Program, and theTrainee Hosting Program. I hope I can count on
your help again in the coming year.
Isao Matsushita
This is my second year working
at the passport office next door
to TOPIA. My main dut is issuing
passports entrusted to the ofﬁce.
Through this work, I would liketo try in even a small way to
be involved in the international
scene.
Akira Harada
I am in charge of managing
general affairs, and the Awa
Odori group "Arasowaren" here
at TOPIA. If you ever have any
opinions about how we can-5-

improve TOPIA, please let me know!
Fumie Murasawa
The main part of my job
is coordinating Japanese
language classes, classes forpeople who want to become
volunteer Japanese teachers,
and classes for people to learn
how to help foreign residents
in emergencies. I'm looking
forward to getting to know you!
Toshihiro Noguchi
It is my job to lower the wall
between the Japanese and nonJapanese people of Tokushima.
If you would like to help me byvolunteering to introduce yourhome country to the citizens ofTokushima, please contact me!
Chiho Miyagi
Hello, I am largely in charge of
the Japanese Speech Contest,
and consultation on issues indaily life. Please feel free to ask
me about any concerns or issues
you may have while living here
in Tokushima. Contact me byemail or phone anytime! We'realso looking for applicants to the Japanese
Speech Contest.
Hiroko Kimura
I started work here from April
this year. There are still manythings I am unfamiliar with, but
I would like to try my best tooffer my assistance to you all.
Zhao Jun
Hello Everyone!
I am Zhao Jun, from Shenzhen,
Guangdong, China. Shenzhen
is a young, immigrant city withpeople from all over China andthe world coming to live, with all
kinds of cultures and customs. If
you ever get the chance, I strongly suggest avisit to this fascinating city.
I am very happy to have come to work inTokushima as a Coordinator of International
Relations. I’ve only just arrived, but I alreadyfeel at home. I’ll do my best to do a good job
while I’m here. Thank you!

travel tokushima - oboke
his month, we head out
from the city and off to thefar west of the prefecture
to take a look at the
m a j e s t i c O b o k e ・ Ko b o k egorges in Yamashiro Town ofMiyoshi city.
The Oboke・Koboke gorges
are situated in the far westernreaches of the Yoshino riveras it runs into neighbourin
Kagawa prefecture, covering a
stretch of around 8km in total.
With a fast-flowing current,
and jagged rocks along theentire coastline and in thewater itself, the gorges hold along-standing reputation forbeing a dangerous stretch ofwater. Not only that, but therocks that form them are said
to have been standing there
for over two hundred million
years!
The somewhat unique names
belonging to the gorges comesfrom none other than theirreputation for danger. Thereis a saying that if you 'take
big steps, it's dangerous, andeven if you take small steps,tit's still dangerous', and it is
the condensed form of thissaying, made into kanji, that
forms their names.
What to do there
A variety of outdoor activities
are on offer by the gorges andthe surrounding area.
First of all, the surrounds
are host to several tracks forwalking and hiking, and it isalso possible to take a boatride down the river for some
4km (cost for the boat rideis ￥1050 for an adult, buthalf price for children). The
boat ride lasts for around30 minutes, and is a goodchance to see some of thesurrounding countryside.
There is also a museumn e a r b y, c a l l e d t h e " L a p i s
Oboke", located only a short
one minute walk from thetrain station. The museum hasrare rock displays from thegorge areas, as well as tourist
information, a gallery, stalls for
local products, and a corner
where you can have a try atby andrew dahms
until_eternity@hotmail.com

making accessories from local
wood and stones.
It is also possible to go
rafting down the river from
May through to October,although while it may provide
an unforgettable experience,
it is not for the faint-hearted.
There are various rafting
opportunities available,
ranging from half-day courses
to full day course and more,
but they can be slightly
expensive at around ￥6,000
and upwards, so it is a goodidea to plan in advance.
How to get there
The gorges are quite easy
to access, located only a 30
minute drive south of the
Ikawa-Ikeda IC on route32, and free parking is alsoavailable in the vicinity.
If going by public transport,
you can reach the gorge by
bus and train. By bus, it isa 37 minute trip from Ikeda
station, and by train for 30
minutes from the Awa Ikeda
station for ͩ440.

a section of the rapids in the oboke koboke gorge of yamashiro town (photo by miki wada)-6-martin's anime corner
Title: ҫҳ̶Ӓӎ̶Җ!0!Steamboy
Director: Katsuhiro Otomo
Creators: Mash Room / Steamboy
Committee
Released: Japan (2004) USA (2005)
Time: 125 min

his film, directed by
Katsuhiro Otomo of "Akira"fame sets a retro futuristic
adventure in a historicallyalternative version of VictorianEngland. It is a world where
scenes of old-fashioned
cottages and idyllic country
pastures contrast with thefactories and smoke stacks ofindustry.
"Steamboy" is a very visually
innovative film. The richly
imaginative world in which
the action is set is filled withrobots, flying machines, andother ingeniously conceived
devices whose presence
perfectly fits into the storyof a brave new world of
new technologies and new
ways of doing things. In thisimaginative realization of 19th
century Britain, Otomo depicts
a world that deviates from how
Victorian England would haveactually been. The presenceof technologies and concepts
that we would associatewith more modern eras is
one of the more interesting
aspects of the animation. All
these contrivances are steam
driven, so they never seem
historically out of place. This
type of thematic approach is
not original to "Steamboy",
it can be also seen in recent
Hollywood films such as "TheLeague of Extraordinary
Gentlemen" and "Sky Captainand the World of Tomorrow".
This retro-futuristic approachtholds great potential forﬁlmmakers, as it allows for theuse of modern technologies ina rich historical setting.
The thematic style is often
referred to as Steampunk,a sub genre of science
fiction in which alternativeinterpretations of history aree m p l oye d . W h i l e O t o m o ' s
approach is not original it
has to be said that in termsof this particular sub genre
it represents something of ahighpoint. In Otomo`s world,
we see the pageantry of
the 1851 Great Exhibition in
London juxtaposed with steam
driven robot soldiers containedin suits of armor. In this sense
it is a visual treat.
The steamboy of theanimation's title refers to Ray,a prodigious kid who on one
quiet afternoon receives aparcel in the post containing
a mysterious steel ball device.
Soon after he examines thecontents of the package,
two mysterious men call tothe house, to try and get
it off him. Ray outwits his
pursuers at first but it isn't
long until he becomes caught
in up in a conflict between
his father and grandfather,both great inventors. Prior totheir falling out, the two men
had completed their greatest
invention, the "Steamball",a kind of perpetual motion
device that allows them togenerate unlimited steam,which in a world driven bysteam means unlimited power.
The plot revolves around thestruggle between Ray's father
and grandfather and various
business and government
interests to gain control of
the Steamball. Ray's father-7-

by martin o'brien
martinobrien2004@gmail.com

represents the unchecked
destructive nature oftechnological progress, while
his grandfather represents thebenign, enriching effect it canhave on humanity.
The impact of technology
on our lives is a common
theme in anime ﬁlm, and while"Steamboy" is not exactly an
introspective philosophicalfilm (when you consider theamount of time devoted to
explosions), it neverthelessexplores the whole themeof the out-of-control natureof science and industry, andthe negative impact it canpotentially have on society.
Steamboy represents ten
years' hard work on the parto f O t o m o, s a d l y h o w e ve r
S t e a m b oy wa s n o t n e a r l y
as popular as his previous
hit, "Akira". The film cost
approximately 26 million
dollars to create, making it themost expensively produced
full-length animated film
to ever come out of Japan,
however it only took in 7
million at the box office. Its
undeniably a stylish film but
culturally there is nothing
Japanese about it whatsoever;the characters are westerners
in a western culture, who
speak Japanese. Perhaps thatwas the reason for its lack ofsuccess in Japan. Culturally, it
is in no way a groundbreaking
production, unlike thewatershed "Akira", and in thissense it disappoints. After 10
years people were expecting
something really special
from the creator of the great"Akira". This complaint aside,
Steamboy is still a beautiful
animation with an engaging
story.

letter from suketo hoikuen
ay is here, with
its warm sunlightand soft wind.
Children who started
something new this April havefinally begun to settle down
and relax again, I hope? Somechildren start to get worn
down from the excitement
around this time as well.
This is the perfect time ofyear for parents and children
to go walking together! The
clean crisp air will refresh you
both. Here are some toys you
can make with scrap paper toplay with in the wind.

m

Kurukuru-dako

Hirahira-ribon

Cut a spiral shape into a circle of paperwith scissors, then attach a string to
the middle and run while holding theMake strip of paper into a circle, thenflatten it in the middle with a staple.
Drop it from a tall place and watch it
ﬂap down to earth.

string to make the paper spin around.

If you want to be able to play well, it's important to have a good
breakfast! Just some of the few beneﬁts of breakfast:-nutrition for the brain helps concentration-blood circulation improves and the body can move easily-excess weight gain can be prevented

shin-mai mama nikki
ofie entered the local
hoikusho (daycare) atthe beginning of April,and by the end of her
first week, she had alreadyacquired the trademark runnynose. By the middle of her
second week, she was finebut she’d passed it on to therest of the family!
The daycare has a special
notebook for each child withspaces for the parent to fillin every morning, and spaces
for the caregivers to fill out
during the day. I have towrite down her temperature,what she had for breakfast
and dinner, whether she’s
had a bath, whether she’s got
any scratches or other minor
injuries, and how many times
she’s pooped. The caregivers
do the same for me during
the day, and they’re always
sure to write a cute little noteon the side, like “She smiles
and says “Ooo” when we holdher.” Still, I wonder what shesby kazue inoue
suketo hoikuen

is really doing there every day.
Do they pick her up when shecries? Do the other kids likeher?
The nutritionist at the
daycare has talked to me
about starting to feed Sofie
foods other than breastmilk– she wants me to start withhomemade apple juice thinned
with boiled-then-cooled water(yusamashi in Japanese).
Making the apple juice kindof reminds me of the tea
ceremony. I grate a quarter ofan apple, squeeze the gratingsin gauze, thin the juice out
with warm water from thekettle, then I feed a drop of
it to her with a spoon, she
makes a face, I try anotherdrop, she shields her mouthwith her hands, grabs thespoon, throws it on the floor,
and I end up drinking the juicein the end. OK, maybe it's notquite the tea ceremony.
I have been reading both
English and Japanese books-8-

by claire tanaka
clairish@gmail.com

about what to feed babies
when they start to eat solid
foods. My English books say
to avoid citrus fruits until
the baby is at least a year
old, but the Japanese books
suggest mikan juice as aﬁrst food! Tofu and egg yolks
are also considered 'early'
foods in Japan and 'late'foods in English-language
books. The Japanese system
also recommends preparing
baby for new tastes by
feeding her drops of various
juices and vegetable soups
from about 4 months or so,while the English language
books recommend waiting
until the baby is 6 months
old and then starting withfood such as rice cereal andmashed banana. My darlinghusband, always the voiceof reason, said that bothmethods are probably equallyvalid, and that I should just
do whatever I feel is right.

japanese lessonby yoshie motoki
awalife@gmail.com

ave you ever said something in Japanese which you know was technically correct, butwhich was misunderstood by the listener? Or they made a strange face at you? Or you
simply couldn't get your message across at all? This is the ﬁrst part in a series of lessons
focusing on use of Japanese beyond mere grammar patterns. This month's theme is "nandesu ka?"h(one day in a Japanese classroom)
tfotfjt i p l v h z p v

x b obo e f t v l bౠ̜͐ыѻутѻк͑ѣ݃ћэп̣
S: ಐ
f
b o p
tiplvhzpv x b o j i p o h p lzpv t i j e f t v h b̜௰ࣄѣ໘ႎতࢱધћэр̜̜̜
T: м̣жѢ
j j f
t i p l v h z p v
x b obo e f t v l b
S: ̣̣̣иим̜͐ыѻутѻк͑ѣ݃ћэп̣
̜
̜
̜̣̣̣̜
̜
̜
̜
T:̜
Do you see what has happened in this conversation? The student wanted to know the meaningof the word "shokugyo" (occupation) but she couldn't get her message across. This is because"shokugyo wa nan desu ka" means "what is your occupation" in Japanese. You can see why
the teacher was confused when her student asked her this question. If the teacher
had been payt i p l v h z p v
x b
ing
attention,
she
might
have
realisedtheintentofherstudent,
andexplainedѻутѻк͑ѣ͐ы
tij h p u p
o p l p u p e f t v͐ышќ͑Ѣчќћэ̝("occupation" mt i p l v h z p v

u u fobo e f t v l bϧ̟͐ыѻутѻк͑їњ̜݃ћэп̣t i p l v h z p v
o p j n j x b
obo e f t v l bϨ̟͐ыѻутѻк͑Ѣ‫ڝ‬Ⴓѣ̜݃ћэп̣t i p l v h z p v
u p j v o p x b
e p v jv
j n j e f t v l bϩ̟͐ыѻутѻк͑ќикѢѣ̜ѝкик‫ڝ‬Ⴓћэп̣Of the above examples, number 1 is the most casual. Try practicing asking the meaning of words
using this pattern of "noun + tte" with the following words:
s f

o

l

z

v

v

ϧ̟Ҁ҇сѹк
t b utv l jϨ̟щјс
l p j o p c p s jϩ̟чиѢѰѾ
These are all words related to the month of May. Ask your Japanese friends to explain what theymean.
The "noun + tte" form is used when the two speakers do not share the same information. In thefollowing example, 'A' knows about the store in question, while 'B' does not.
l j o p v

u u f njtf fjl j n b tij u b

B/͐сѢк Y їњืѬ৪сѲыѓ͑u u f e p o o b njtf e f t v l b
C/͐Y їњѝ҇ўืћэп̣͑In this example, 'A' knows 'X-san' but 'B' does not.
l j o p

v

t b

o o j

b

j n b tij u b z p͑B/͐сѢк Y щ҇џ‫ݵ‬иѲыѓѼ̝ft b o uufe b s f e f t v l b
C/͐м̣ Y щ҇їњ̜єҀћэп̣͑Do you have any questions about Japanese usage? Where you understand the grammar andmeaning, but you're still not quite sure how to use a phrase? Please write in with your questions
and personal episodes, and I'll use them in my future columns.
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memoranda
Speech Contest໘ႎতုᇪോ‫ݵ‬Participants Wanted!

୞௘଄ျ୆̤

2006 Tokushima Prefecture

3117 ໩๗‫ޒ‬ਇగџѼѿຝ๥ॡ໘ႎতုᇪോ‫ݵ‬Japanese Speech Contest For Foreign Residents୿ᆬ௽ਮџњ 21.23 ჎ธ๗҆ರৣыѲэ̝ਇੑ௱ၟпџэ

Around 10-12 contestants will be selected basedѿѓѵϧпਇϧ჎ธ๗̝‫ܤ‬ျ଄рണиਇџјињѣϨ჎ธon country of origin, ensuring that a wide variety ofnationalities are able to participate. There will be an event๗ќыѲэ̝ോ‫ݵ‬๴໘ѣ̜ണాѢ‫̠܍ܤ‬౤‫҆܍‬оസѕыњ

following the contest, where contestants will be availableиѲэ̝ཇླ଄ќѢ‫ॣڝ‬প߹‫ݵ‬Ѷо޼ыѳџ "to answer questions from the audience.

໘̛ૐ̡ဓౖ 29 ໩ 8 ै 28 ໘̈́ै̠୙໘ͅ
!

date: 17 July, 2006 (Holiday Monday)௘̛୸̡ຝ๥ॡ౬஛໩ҭӥұ̶!

!

place: Tokushima Seishonen Centreഴ̛௉̡ຝ๥ॡ੓୉Ѣ‫ޒ‬ਇగ!

!

for: Foreign Residents of Tokushima̛̛̛̛Ҹ̶Ӑ̡ਇੑᅫ‫̠ݶ‬ਇੑপᅺ̠ࢤᆛџ࠘эѿѶѢўѽ૛ᄡ!!

theme: A topic of your choice relating to Japan,ૐ̡̛ࠖϭက‫ڒ‬຾!!

international affairs, international cultural exchange, and!

!

ఇ̛ਔ̡̈́੖ͅຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫ݵ‬Ѳћ̝

cooperation.
time limit: under 7 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!୸ชѢఇਔᄿસ҆оํыыѲэ̝!

apply to: TOPIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!ை੍ѣ๴ࢤ‫ݵ‬Ѳћоჴи৽҃я݀щи̝!!!

Applications accepted while places are available.

!

for more info: TOPIA.

ჴ৽я̡̈́੖ͅຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫! !ݵ‬TEL: 088-656-3303

UFM;!199.767.4414!!

FAX: 088-652-0616

GBY;!199.763.1727

Wakimachi English
Libraryᇰ৸Ѣన୿ࠛѢ۷তҥ̶Ҽ̶඄ౠ

A new English books library has opened in Wakimachi,ྖ༉દѢᇰ෎џఁыи۷তѢన୿ҥ̶Ҽ̶р඄ౠыѲыMima-shi. The Midwest Library was established to provideѓ̝ຝ๥ॡѢ౦Ѹඨ‫ܡ‬࿪џ୉҇ћиѿລ଄ѓѕѢѓѵћ

greater access to English language material for all levelsчѢ۷তѢசಊҥ̶Ҽ̶рћс̜ѝўѓћѶ‫ڿݵ‬џўҀof readers in the centre and west of Tokushima Prefecture,and membership is open to all. To borrow a book, please
register on our website at:ѿ̝ைыичќѣӍ̶Ӓӌ̶ҪႦѣӓ̶ӝѲћ̡
xxx/uplfstbkfu/dpn0xbljmjcsbsz

www.tokersajet.com/wakilibrary.

Spc;!sthgmfudifsAipunbjm/dpn

Contact Rob: rsgfletcher@hotmail.com.

Awa Connection٬༂ҥҿҡҩәӥ

Awa Connection is a new, vibrant international exchange٬༂ҥҿҡҩәӥѣຝ๥џ୉҇ћиѿިਇѢ‫މ‬щ҇роগorganisation dedicated to deepening mutual understandingиџᅫ‫҆ݶ‬ఆѵѿѼкџࢤᆛэѿਇੑপᅺආല̝୞ఒඑрamong the various nationalities living here in Tokushima.

ѝчћжїњњѶ̜сїќ޼ыѵѿѼкўҖӋӥҺѸߊຌWherever you come from, we're sure to have somethingџ઄݇ћсѲэѼ̤ைыуѣӓ̶ӝѸӍ̶Ӓӌ̶ҪѲћ̡

fun and interesting going on that you can get involved in!
ӓ̶ӝ̡bxbdpoofduAzbipp/dpn

for more info: awaconnect@yahoo.comӍ̶Ӓӌ̶Ҫ̡xxx/hfpdjujft/dpn0bxbdpoofdu

homepage: www.geocities.com/awaconnect-10-memoranda
TOPIA's Library

UPQJB Ѣన୿૬

TOPIA is currently in the process of converting the bookcollection to a standard library classification system andUPQJB Ѣన୿૬ћѣॵ੓̜న୿҆ใત݁щҀѓҹ̶ұӋ̶

creating an online database of book records. The projectҫџಂѾ഼мѿ਻ඨћэ̝чѢ੢ࣄ҆ଚ฿їњуҀѿӎ

involves some computer work and also labelling andӛӥҸҕҔ҆൷ыњиѲэ̝ӃүҥӥѢҹ̶ұ໚ᆛ̜ё

re-shelving books. We are seeking volunteers to help
out with the work. Anyone with some free time and aninterest in taking part can contact Kevin McDowell at
mcdktm2@yahoo.com. Thanks for your help.

ыњన୿џҩ̶ӝѢ฻Ѿ࿋хўѝрଗў੢ࣄќўѾѲэ̝ࢹႳѢжѿၑѣңӅӥ̠ӐҡһҘҚӝѲћшᇌᅛуєщи̝ndelun3Azbipp/dpn̛ѼҁыуоࠪиыѲэ̤

Tokushima Freude
ConcertќуыѲ̓ӇӟҖҹ̓ҥӥҧ̶Һwhat: Music from Beethoven's Egmont, and the 9th̡݃Ӌ̶Һ̶ӦҙӥѢҚҢӔӥҺஆࣆќপࢽࣆൌϯ཮Symphony.

иј̡ϧϮ໩Ϭैϩ໘!ঙঝϩૐϩϦကпѽ

when: June 3, from 3:30pm

໚௘ᆍ̡‫ڴ‬ཤ౲Ϩ̞ϦϦϦ‫̠܅‬৸৑ౠ‫݀ڒ‬ϧ̞ϦϦϦ‫܅‬

how much: 2,000 yen / 1000 yen for Students
2,500 / 1,500 yen at the door
where: Tokushima Bunri University Murasaki Hall
contact: 22nd Kokumin Bunkasai Tokushima Prefecture!

๴໘̈́Ϩ̞ϫϦϦ‫̜܅‬ϧ̞ϫϦϦ‫ͅ܅‬!
ѝч̡ຝ๥ဌᅫോ޺ѴѽщсӍ̶ӝைыу̡ൌϨϨ‫ݷ‬ਇჁဌ݁ੋຝ๥ॡ૲৪‫ૈݵڿڙ‬Ⴣࣅ̡

Executive Committee Ofﬁce at: 088-621-2112

088-621-2112

Misato Firefly
FestivalྖࢻѯѓѿੋѾ໘ૐ̡Ϭैϩ໘̈́๘̜ͅϪ໘̈́໘ͅ௘୸̡ࡦჾಖદ̜ྖࢻѯѓѿࠛඵଆ௘

what: Local dances and markets, as well as free maps forlocations to see the ﬁreﬂies
when: 3/4 of June (Sat and Sun)̡݃! ઴ત࿧̠ჟ࡚ืѢ୞ื̠ѯѓѿӐҵӉѢჅᆍ༕࿑ўѝр‫ލ‬ਹщҀѲэ̝

how much: freeை ы у̡ ྖ ࢻ ஒ ি ‫ ࢻ ྖ ̜ݵ‬ѯ ѓ ѿ ੋ Ѿ ૲ ৪ ‫̛ݵ ڿ ڙ‬

where: Misato Fireﬂy Hall Parking Lot,

0883-43-2505

contact: 0883-43-2505

ࣞ޽̡ჅᆍChiiori ProjectѕиоѾӉӟҪҙҡҺ

The Chiiori Project in Iya Valley is currently looking forѕиоѾӉӟҪҙҡҺѣॵ੓ӎӛӥҸҕҔ҆ျ୆ыњиvolunteers.

Based in the 300-year-old thatched roofѲэ̝ѕиоѾѣ̜ຝ๥ॡ๪ೊ൭અഠџжѿඝϩϦϦ໩

farmhouse featured in Alex Kerr's book "Lost Japan", ourѢߟ࿮сܴਠѢॽჁ‫݌‬ћэ̝ෙ࠼ӎӛӥҸҕҔѣ਻ฃ 3daily work includes farming, hosting guests, and raisingfunds to rethatch our roof. Positions are: one month asa farmhand, six months as a cook/host, and two years as໩‫ڒ‬௑̜ൽ࠼ӎӛӥҸҕҔѣ̜2 Өै‫ڒ‬௑Ѣ໺੢ࣄஃଚќ
7 Өै‫ڒ‬௑ѢӁҘҫҟ̶Ӄ̶ћэ̝

ofﬁce administrator or caretaker.
For more information on these positions, please see:ைыуѣ

http://www.chiiori.org/visiting/volunteer.en.html

iuuq;00xxx/dijjpsj/psh0wjtjujoh0wpmvouffs/kb/iunm-11-

memoranda
Doitsu-kan EventsһҖҶࠛҖӋӥҺ

May 1 - 14Ϫैϧ໘̻ϧϪ໘

Soccer World Cup Poster Exhibitionҧҵҝ̶ӡ̶ӝһҝҵӉӏ̶ҫұ̶ึfor more info: Call the Doitsu-kan at 088-689-0099

ைыу̡һҖҶࠛѲћใᇭ!199.79:.11::

Take a look at the Doitsu-kan homepage for more seasonalһҖҶࠛѢҘҚҵӈҧҖҺџѶࡆಉѢҖӋӥҺ௜၇ўѝ

event information and other details, here at: http://
www.city.naruto.tokushima.jp/germanhouse/р ж Ѿ Ѳ э̡iuuq;00xxx/djuz/obsvup/uplvtijnb/kq0

index.html

hfsnboipvtf0joefy/iunm

Haigyu Noson
Butai Koen༌ࡺ໺ഠ࿧ൊর܏
ང‫ܪ‬તଆగछќ٬༂గछ௠ᆨᅬ̛xjui! ఁ຾ࣖ௠ᆨᅬ̝ܴ
‫ޒ‬Ѣ฿๻ศўҫҸ̶Ҫћ٬༂గछ௠ᆨᅬ҆ല५ыњѳњ

There is going to be a display of Ningyo Joruri (traditional
Japanese puppetry) in Naka-cho. View Japanese puppetry
in its original setting - an outdoor theatre like the onesуєщи̝!
໘ૐ̡! ϫैϨϮ໘̈́໘ͅfrom old times.

!
when:

௘୸̡! ༌ࡺ໺ഠ࿧ൊ

May 28 (Sunday) 13:00 - 15:30 (doors at 12:00)

where: Haigyu Noson Butai (Naka-gun, Naka-cho,!

Haigyu)cost:ϧϩ̡ϦϦ̛̛̻ϧϫ̡ϦϦ̛̈́ϧϨ̡ϦϦ‫ލ‬௘̈́ͅຽ‫ݰ‬ऎຽ‫ݰ‬෎༌ࡺૌͅ

໚௘̡! Ⴥᆍ

Free

Even in the event of light rain, the show will go on.

ச‫ूۑ‬৪

The theatre is around 2 hours from Tokushima City by car.

ຝ๥દпѽଆћᄃϨૐ̝ࠖ୞৽Һӥҿӝ҆уфѾ̜ც൘

Turn on to the road bound for Kisawa (route 193) afterၑნѬෞఔы̜༌ࡺ঵Ѣ౾иࢲ҆ํїѓќчҁ҆‫ی‬ಆы

passing through the Deai Tunnel on Route 195, then turnњуєщи̝

right after the red Haigyu-guchi bridge. The theatre isabout 10 minutes down the road. It's a very narrow road,༌ࡺ঵пѽ༌ࡺ໺ഠ࿧ൊѲћѺїуѾ೼їњᄃϧϦကфso please drive carefully! Follow the staff guidance toѽићэр̜ທр੍иѢћшද‫ڝ‬уєщи̝Ѳѓ̜ඵଆ

designated parking when you arrive.

௘୸ѣऒ‫ڿ‬Ѣપ૘џୌїњуєщи̝Counselling Service at TOPIAҺӆҔѢ೰ඎೱ঵TOPIA offers a counselling and advisory service to all foreign residents to help with issues involving accidents, working
conditions, housing, visas, international marriage, and more. Counselling is available in English and Japanese. Please notethat although every effort will be made, we may not be able to deal with all cases.
Monday to Friday, 10:00 - 16:30
tel. 088-656-3303 or 088-656-3320 (allows three way conversations with an interpreter)ౝыиඐૡћਭဠ‫ݶ‬ய
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