aWa life
Awa Shoku: Reminiscingof River Fish

German Bathing
CultureJuly 2018

Firework Festivalsin Tokushima# 334

Keep Smiling:
Arasowa-ren Special
Dance Team

1

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

Summer has finally arrived and brought its humid weather along. Luckily there are a lot of delicious
options to help us cool down such as watermelon and shaved ice. One of the interesting things I(Daralyn) learned last summer is that adding a sprinkle of salt on watermelon is delicious! I never would
have thought of putting salt on a fruit, but by adding salt, it actually makes the taste of the watermelon
sweeter. You may think I'm pulling a prank on you, but I am only offering you the best advice out there!
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:Your editors,
awalife@gmail.com
Daralyn, Franzi, and Tom
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:
Daralyn Yee, Franziska Neugebauer and Tom Wehrmann
Contributors This Month:
Danielle Gally, Lilli Buschmin, Kazue Inoue, Yoko Aoki, Lance Kita

2

Contents
Pg. 2-3:

Keep Smiling: Arasowa-ren Special Dance TeamPg. 4:

German Bathing Culture

Pg. 5:

Firework Festivals in Tokushima Prefecture

Pg. 5:

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

Pg. 6:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 7:

Awa Shoku: Reminiscing of River Fish 		Pg. 8-9:

Events and Memoranda

Keep Smiling: Arasowa-ren Special Dance Team
By Danielle GallyAs the temperatures have started to rise,many people have begun hearing drums
and flutes coming from local community centersand parks. The Awa Odori season has begun!
For many foreigners in Tokushima, Awa Odori is
one of their favorite memories, myself included. I
despise the summer heat here, yet I look forward
to those four days in August like a small childwaiting for Christmas to come.
My first time dancing Awa Odori was with
Arasowaren. With a five-minute explanation andthen suddenly being thrown into a performancestage surrounded by hundreds of onlookers, it
seems daunting, but that remains one of the bestexperiences I have had. So last year when I saw
an opportunity to join a special dance group with
Arasowaren last year, I signed up immediately!
During July and August, we had just a few shortweeks to master this dance as best as we could
since we would be the ones “teaching” everyone
how to dance at the Arasowaren dinner before our
performance.
One of the best qualities of Awa Odori is that it
is a dance anyone can do. From small toddlers

to the elderly, anyone can join in this two-beatrhythm and dance along. Even so, there are still a
few rules for the dance.
1) Keep to the two-beat rhythm.
2) Your left hand goes forward at the same time
as your left foot, and the same for the right side.
3) SMILE!
Many ofus havelearnedtheser u l e s
and canalready
dance
A w a
Odori
as good
as anylocal, butwith just a little more practice, you can be goodenough to perform on stage!
With the Arasowaren Special Dance Group, we

3

Keep Smiling: Arasowa-ren Special Dance Team

were lucky enough to be
instructed by the deputy
leader of the famous
Nonki Ren. Mr. Niki spent
the first few weeks helping
us learn the rhythm andteaching us the basics ofthe men’s and women’s
dance.
We had weekly practices
with Tokushima Ren int h e P r e f e c t u r a l O ff i c ewhere slowly we adjusted to the music and theheat. Mr. Niki was so impressed with our drive tolearn the dance that he began to organize special
practices just for Arasowaren members where we
could get more one-on-one instruction. Once we
had mastered the beat, we learned how to move
our hands properly. This is when the real practicebegan and we had to work on our stamina.

Anyone who has danced with a ren during Awa
Odori knows how hard it is to keep your arms up
down those long performance stages. That is why
I was very glad to join the special dance group.
In a few weeks, we slowly increased the length of
our practice time, from 2 minutes, to 5 minutes,
to 8 minutes, and finally 13 minutes straight. I
was grateful for all this practice when on August
14th, 2017, the Arasowaren Special Dance Groupdanced in the front lines with Nonki Ren.
That was a completely different experience frommy first dance with Arasowaren. After practicing

for a few weeks andincreasing my stamina, I
was no longer focused on
if I was dancing correctlyor the fact that my arms
hurt, instead I was smilingat all the onlookers andhaving a blast! I reallyencourage you all to join
this group an experience
the difference yourself!
In February this year, wewere invited to dance with the famous Nonki Ren
again at the Lunar New Year’s Event at Tokushima
University. This time, instead of dancing in straightlines, we had one
practice to learn aroutine, and went out
on stage along with
Nonki Ren members.
As much as I love
the atmosphere of
Awa Odori in August,I must admit, I
enjoyed the shorter
choreographed danceon stage over the longstages throughout
Tokushima City. Still,
I would have never had this opportunity unless I
had joined this special group last summer. If you’d
like to experience the same thing, keep an eye
out for announcements from TOPIA as we will
be holding more practices this year too! Whether
you are dancing with Arasowaren, or just freely
in the streets this summer, remember the mostimportant rule: keep smiling!

German Bathing Culture
By Lilli BuschminTokushima Prefecture and Naruto City holdmany ties with Germany. In this month’s
issue, Naruto City’s German CIR, Lilli Buschmin,
will introduce us to German Bathing Culture. We
hope that you take this opportunity to expand yourhorizons and learn about another culture!
Everybody who has
already been to Germany
may know, but bathrooms
in Germany have abath tub, shower, sink
and a toilet in a single
room instead of a typicalJapanese araiba, which is a separate room forbathing. Although many think that German houses
and apartments are quite spacious, the averagearea of German bathrooms is only about 7.8m².
Single-family homes sometimes possess a visitor
toilet but normal apartments and condominiums
don’t. Japanese often are shocked when they
hear that even bathrooms without bathtubs
are not that rare. One of those reasons is that
Germans don’t have the habit of taking a batheveryday like Japanese people.

Instead ofreviewing
the past day
and relaxing in the bath tub, Germans focus oncleaning the body and the majority of people feelthat taking a shower is enough. Another differenceis that Germans are used to taking a shower in4
the morning and not at the end of the day, in orderto start the day off fresh. Of course Germans
take a bath if they want to relax, but on the other
hand some believe that it is a waste of water sothey don’t do it every day. There is no customof keeping the hot water for the next person, so
people either take a shower before, or enter the
tub without showering.
The average time Germans need for their bodycare is 35.9 minutes.
On the topic of onsen, there are also onsen inGermany. Some towns in Germany have thewords “Bad” or “Baden” in their names, whichis the equivalent of onyoku ( 温 浴 ; hot bath) inJapanese. It means that these towns have a long
tradition of being visited by many people as healthresorts. You can find some spas in famous tourist
spots and major cities that don’t have this typeo f h i s t o r y.
In the cold
winter ofG e r m a n y,when thesun is barely
shining,Germans
enjoy visitingthese healthresorts andsauna.
There are many places just like in Japan where
people enter a large bathtub naked. Because
bathing with the opposite sex is common in a spa
environment in Germany, it is very popular among
couples and groups that consist of both sexes.
Most of the baths are quite deep so that you caneven swim in it. In comparison, people relax at
the sauna and do not talk very much. If you areplanning to go to Germany one day, why don’t you
visit a spa?

5

Firework Festivals in Tokushima Prefecture
徳島県内の花火大会
Tsurugi Town Gion Festival
Fireworks
When: July 15th (Sun) 20:00~
Where: Mima-gun, Tsurugi Town,
Sadamitsu, Sadamitsu
Junior High School Grounds

Kamikatsu Town Summer Festival
When: July 28th (Sat) 18:00~
21:00~ Fireworks Show
Where: Katsuura-gun, Kamikatsu Town,
Fukugawa Grounds

Wajiki Summer Festival
When: July 21st (Sat) 17:30~
20:30~ Fireworks Show
Where: Naka-gun, Naka Town,
Hojonomori, Sports
Complex Park Grounds

Maruyama Gion Festival
Fireworks
When: July 16th (Mon) 20:00~
Where: Miyoshi City, Ikeda Town,
Maruyama Shrine

Anan Summer Festival
When: July 20th (Fri), 21st (Sat)
18:30-22:00 Awa Odori Dance
22nd (Sun) 20:00 Fireworks Show
Where: Anan City Tomioka-cho, Tono-machi 12-3
Around Anan City Hall etc.

Komatsushima Port Festival
When: July 14th (Sat) 17:00~ Awa Odori Dance
July 15th (Sun) 20:00~ Fireworks Show
Where: Komatsushima Station Park & Port

Shishikui Gion Festival
When: July 16th (Mon) 20:30~ Fireworks Show
July 17th (Tue) 10:00~ Festival
Where: Kaifu-gun, Kaiyo Town, Shishikui
Around Yasaka Shrine

Yoshinogawa Festival
When: July 27th (Fri), 28th (Sat),
29th (Sun) 20:50~
Where: Tokushima City, Yoshinogawa
Grounds (Yoshinogawa-bashi,Nangan River Bank Hiroba)

Mugi Himegami Festival(Summer Fireworks Show)
When: July 29th (Sun) 9:00~ Shinto Rituals,
20:00~ Fireworks Show
Where: Kaifu Mugi Town, Around Mugi Port

Hiwasa Turtle Festival
When : July 14th (Sat)
15:00~ Shrine Rituals on Ohama Coast
17:00~ Stage event, etc. Sakura Machi Street
21:00~ Fireworks show Hiwasa Riverbed
Where: Kaifu-gun, Minami Town

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

By Kazue Inoue (Center for Early Childhood Education and Care SUKETO NAKAYOSHI)R

ecently it is said that there are more andmore children who don’t sweat. Even at theCenter, I feel that the number of children who
become red in the face and do not sweat; andchildren whose body temperatures rise with theoutside temperature has risen.
Human body temperature rises usually when
the outside temperature is high, after doing
sports, after eating and when having a fever.
The body sweats to cool down when bodytemperature rises. This vital function is known as
the thermoregulatory function. The body can only
develop sweat glands (active sweat gland), which
are needed to act as a thermoregulatory function,in the first three years after being born. Thatmeans, it is really important to get your child tosweat by the age of three. If the thermoregulatory
function does not develop, it is easier to become
tired, irritated, and leave the child at higher risk forheat stroke, hypothermia, and low immunity.

In this season, please allow your child do some
sports that will allow them to sweat, and use theair conditioner properly. Of course, please wipe
the sweat after sweating to prevent rash, anddon’t forget to hydrate!
＊＊＊
Jumping Grasshopper
1) Cut a piece of milk carton from the middle toget a 4.5 cm wide ring. Then, make the legs andantennas with pipe cleaner, and attach with tape.
Draw in the eyes, and a grasshopper will appear
magically.
2) Open little holes about 5mm in size at the headand bottom area and insert a rubber band.
3) Lay the grasshopper in a flat position. When
you let go of it, the grasshopper will jump with thepower of the rubber band.

6Japanese Lesson
By Yoko Aoki

Particle「も」In this lesson, we will learn how to say “Item A is this, and item B is this, too.”
やまだ

にほんじん

Mr. Yamada is a Japanese person.

山田さんは日本人です。
たなか

にほんじん

Ms. Tanaka is Japanese, too.

田中さんも日本人です。

Note that these two sentences are almost identical in shape. This is natural, as they both claim thata certain person is Japanese. The second sentence, however, is different from the first in that we do
not find the particle は in it. We have も instead. も is a particle that indicates that that item, too, has
the given property. One thing that you should watch out for is exactly where the particle is placed. In
English the word “too” can be placed after the sentence as a whole, as in the example above. Not so inJapanese. In the above example, も must directly follow Tanaka san. (Genki I by Eri Banno et al., 37)
Other examples: えん
このかばんは 5000 円です。
えん

あのかばんも 5000 円です。

This bag is 5,000 yen.
That one is 5,000 yen, too.

＊ You can also use も when two or more people perform the same activity.

わたしき の う きょうといI went to Kyoto yesterday.

私 は昨日京都へ行きました。
す ず き せんせい

き の う きょうとい鈴木先生も昨日京都へ行きました。 Professor Suzuki went to Kyoto yesterday, too.
＊ Or when someone buys, sees, or eats two or more things.
くつかMary bought shoes.

メアリーさんは靴を買いました。
か

メアリーさんはかばんも買いました。

Mary bought a bag, too.

In both cases, も directly marks an item on the list of things or people that have something in common.
Observe that も replaces the particles は , or を in these sentences. (37)
＊ You can also use も when you go to two places, do something on two different occasions, and soforth.
わたしせんしゅうおおさかいI went to Osaka last week.

私 は先 週大阪へ行きました。
きょうとい

I went to Kyoto, too.

京都へも行きました。
れんしゅう

練 習 practice: Translate the following sentences into Japanese.
1) This is my bicycle. That is my bicycle, too.

2) I drink beer. I drink wine, too.

3) Mary will go to Hokkaido this year...She will go to Okinawa, too.

3) メアリーは今年北海道へ行きます。沖縄へも行きます。
ことし ほっかいどう い

おきなわ

い

Answers: 1) これは私の自転車です。あれも私の自転車です。2) 私 はビールを飲みます。ワインも飲みます。
わたし じてんしゃ

わたし じてんしゃ

わたし

の

の

I

7

Awa Shoku: Reminiscing of River Fish

By Lance Kita

salt-grilled (shioyaki 塩 焼 き ) sweetfish,skewered and arranged around a hibachi ( 火鉢 ) of hot coals. There’s nothing like biting into
the crispy skin with the sharp accents of salt,then savoring the steaming
juicy flesh, tinged with a slight
bitterness from the innards
July and August are the peak
and maybe a slightly herbal
months for catching river fish
aftertaste from the fish’s dietlike sweetfish (ayu 鮎 ) orof river algae. In ryokan or
red spotted trout (amego ア
restaurants, the fish will often
メ ゴ ), and you’ll see manybe salt-grilled with its bodyfisherman standing kneein an S-shaped curve, thendeep in the Yoshino River,served “swimming upstream”
scanning the rocks intently,
Swim
to
my
stomach!
Salt-grilledon the plate.
and you may surprised tosweetfish (ayu) are a mainstay ofsee a fish already at the end
mountain food stands.
One of my fondest memoriesof their line when they castin Tokushima involved ait out. Ayu are caught with atrip to the mountains ofrather unique method called
Kisawa Village (now merged
tomozuri ( 友 釣 り ), where ainto Naka Town) about 20
live lure sweetfish is hooked
years ago to join the local
by the nose and cast near
Tsurara Festival ( つ ら ら ま
another sweetfish’s territory.
つ り ). The area gets giant
The other fish come out tonatural icicles in the winter,vigorously defend their area,
and the locals saved large
and are snagged by unbaited
hooks trailing off the main Of course, sudachi goes well with salt- chunks in sawdust-insulated
grilled sweetfish (ayu).
storehouses. In the heat of theline. Artificial lures can also
be used, but the fisherman must control the summer, the villagers carved giant ice bowls andfilled them with water and thin somen noodles.
movements carefully to mimic the live fish.
We each got a cup of dipping sauce, and the local
W i t h s o m a n y c l e a n r i v e r s i n T o k u s h i m a grandmothers brought us a freshly grilled ayu,
connected to the ocean (mating occurs in the breaking the meat into our cups. I’ll never forget
lower parts of the river in spring, with the eggs the sensation of slurping cold noodles with thehatching and drifting to the ocean in fall and fragrant oils and juices from the fish. To this day,the young growing up over the winter), there I’ve never had noodles quite like it, and it’s one ofare many places in the mountains to enjoy the top three food experiences I’ve had in Japan.
ayu fishing, but permits are needed and only
experienced fishermen know how to handle the Unfortunately, I don’t think the festival islive lure fishes, so look for official fishing areas happening anymore (and was by invitation of athat offer gear rentals, advice, and predetermined local ALT), but Tokushima is one of Japan’s top
suppliers of farm-raised sweetfish, often raised inspots if you want to try your hand at this.
natural river water to maintain quality. Check out
Rather than catching them, most people enjoy a Japanese restaurant in the mountainous areas
eating them, and ayu is one of the quintessential or even in Tokushima City and try this summer
foods to enjoy in the mountains during the river fish. Although you may not get an icicle bowl,
summer. The exit of the Iya Vine Bridge (kazura- I hope a crispy salt-grilled ayu will bring you good
bashi かずら橋 ) is lined with food stalls peddling memories of your time in Japan.
t’s the brink of summer, when mountains
officially open to the public (they close
mountains?) and weather is hot enough to warrant
a float down a river on an inflatable tube. If you
do, watch out for…hooks!

8

Events & Memoranda
Dance with Arasowa-ren
あらそわ連参加募集中

The chance to join the Arasowa-ren dance troupe and to secure your place in the 2018 Awa Dance
Festival is here! Make sure you sign up soon, as places go quickly! We are also looking for individuals
to play the instrument, be a staff or to help us dress all the dancers. To play an instrument with us, noexperience is necessary, and there will be practice sessions before the event.
When: August 14th (Tue)Meeting place: Meet at the Awa Kanko Hotel

日時：8 月 14 日（火）集合場所 : 阿波観光ホテル

Schedule:
15:00-16:00
		

スケジュール:
15:00～16:00 集合
16:00～
開会式
踊り開始
17:50～
21:30
踊り終了
参 加 費：3,000円
小学生以下：1,500円

17:50-21:30

Arrive at Awa Kanko Hotel
Opening ceremony of the predance party
Dancing

Participation Fee:
3,000 yen for General admission
1,500 yen for Elementary school students
and below
How to Apply: Apply in person at TOPIA or reply
via paid postcard (see below). On receiving yourapplication, TOPIA will mail you whether you canparticipate or not. We will include a post-officebank account number to where you can pay theparticipation fee within one week. Or you can pay
at TOPIA. PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept
applications by fax or telephone. You cannot applyon 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. Group Applications arelimited to 5 people per application.
★ If your application was successful, pleasecheck-in at the venue by no later than 16:00.

申込み方法：往復はがきにて、①名前②性別③住所④電話番号⑤出身国/地域⑥年齢⑦緊急連絡先（氏名、住所、電話番号）をご記入の上 TOPIAまでお申し込みください。また、女踊り(先着5
名:衣装不足の場合は、男踊りとさせていただく
場合がございますことを予めご了承ください。)
ご希望の方はその旨をはがきにご記入下さい。
（それ以外の方は男踊りとなります。）応募者には返信用はがきにより参加の可否をお知らせ致します。参加可能な方には郵便局の振込口座番
号をお知らせしますので、返信はがき到着後、1週間以内に参加費をお支払い下さい。尚、一度払い込まれた参加費は、いかなる場合でも払い戻しできませんのでご注意下さい。
注意：電話・FAX での受付はご遠慮下さい。当日参加は不可能です。募集定員 80 名になり次第締め切ります。
*グループ申し込みは5名までです。
★当日受付は午後 4 時で終了いたします。運営・
着付けスタッフ及び、鳴り物の方、大募集！

front
7 7 0

back

0 8 3 1

往信
Tokushima Prefectural
International Exchange
Association (TOPIA)
Clement Plaza 6F
1-61 Terashima Honcho
Nishi, Tokushima City

返信

Leave this space blankWrite your name andaddress here

Write the following information
here:1) Name (Last, First)
2) Gender3) Complete Address
4) Telephone Number5) Home Country/Region6) Age7) Emergency Contact-Name (Last, First)-Complete Address-Telephone Number*Write if you will dance thewomen's style dancing costume(subject to availability)

9

Events & Memoranda

Summer School Japanese Lessons
夏休み子ども日本語教室

Why not enroll your child in the Summer School
Japanese Lessons held at TOPIA? Japaneseteachers will be on hand to help your child with
their summer homework in class and there will be
fun activities as well, like games and quizzes.
For: Elementary, junior and senior high school
students whose first language is not Japanese.
When: July 24, 26, 27, 28, 31 & August 2, 3, 4
10:30 - 12:00
Cost: Free

Deadline: Applications must be received by
Monday, July 17th.
Where: TOPIA, Tokushima Station Clement
Building 6F
How to Apply: Fill out the application form andsend it to TOPIA via post, fax, e-mail ordrop it off in person.
For more information, please contact Ms. Nomizu
at TOPIA (088-656-3303 or coordinator2@topia.
ne.jp) or visit our official website www.topia.ne.jp.

Tainohama Beach Opening
田井ノ浜海水浴場開き
The beach will be open for swimming! There will
also be various events held.

海開き初日がきました！イベントも随時予定されています。

When: July 1st (Sun) Shrine Ritual 10:00Swimming period: July 1st (Sun) August 31st (Fri)
Where: Tainohama Beach, Kaifu-gun,
Minami-cho, Tai
Fee: Free
Info: Minami Town Tourism Association
Tel:
0884-77-1875

日時： 7 月 1 日（日） 10 時～ 神事
遊泳期間：7 月 1 日（日）～ 8 月 31 日（金）場所： 海部郡美波町田井 田井ノ浜海水浴場
料金： 無料
問い合わせ：美波町観光協会
TEL: 0884-77-1875

Water Play Festival Asobandee 2018
水遊びの祭典 あそばんでぇ 2018 年

With the slogan “Let’s play in the middle of 自然の中ででっかく遊べ！！を合言葉に、今年もnature”, Asobandee 2018 will be held this year 「遊ばんでぇ 2018」を開催します♪競技参加者以
as well. There will also be some events for 外のお客様もお楽しみいただけるイベントが用意
observers, so please come and watch!
されております。是非ご来場ください！
When: July 22nd (Sun) 9:00-15:00*In the case of rain, the event will be on
July 29th (Sun)
Where: Mizube no Gakkou Bamboo Park,
Yoshinogawa City
Fee: Free
Info: Yoshinogawa City Chamber of CommerceTel:0883-42-5642

日時： 7 月 22 日（日） 9 時～ 15 時
※雨天の場合、7 月 29 日（日）へ順延
場所： 吉野川市 水辺の楽校 バンブーパーク
料金： 無料
問い合わせ：吉野川市商工会
TEL: 0883-42-5642

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)