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

japanese speech contestt"TOPPY"
October 2007 No. 208
submitted
awalife@gmail.com

his past Monday July
16, the annual Japanese
Speech Contest for Foreign
Residents was held inTokushima City's Kyodo Bunka
Kaikan. A total of elevenparticipants took to the stage
to test their skills, and while
the competition was once
again very high this year,
it was Kong Qing Yue who
ended up taking first prize.
The title of her speech was'The Meaning of International
Understanding I Acquired by
Coming to Japan'...

At university I studied theJapanese language andculture, and before coming
here myself I spent my time
listening to NHK on the radio
and studying all I could aboutt h e c o u n t r y. I fe l t p r e tty
conﬁdent about my knowledgeof Japan because of this, andhardly felt out of place when
I arrived at Kansai Airport.
More accurately, since mostof the signs were in kanji Ikong qing yue, winner of this year's japanese speech contest

almost felt at ease. But soon
something would come alongthat dashed my conﬁdence topieces. That something was awreath.
It was April that year when
I saw two wreaths along theroadside while riding on mybicycle down a small street
to school. Dear me, I thought
as I went by, someone at thehouse here must have passed

away. It wasn't even a week
later until I saw yet more
wreaths at a different house.
This time there were four.
What? Had someone passed
away here, too? It seemedalmost odd to me. Then, afew days later as I was riding
down a large road I saw large
wreaths all about a pachinko
parlor. It was here that I
first thought something was

speech contest ... con't on page 3

inside awa life this monthjapanese speech contest - 1,3,4 ... the festival do japao - 4
caving in - 5,6 ... martin's manga corner - 7
letter from suketo hoikuen, autumn driving safety - 8
japanese lesson - 9 ... memoranda - 10, 11, 12

awa life

Tokushima Prefectural International
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)
Editors:
Andrew Dahms & Mario Dammann
Contributors This Month:
Andrew Dahms, Mario Dammann, Kazue Inoue,
Matthew Lindsay, Martin O'Brien, Mitsutoshi
Ogata, Fusa Tamaki and Kong Qing Yue

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

from the editorsdhear Awa Life readers, how have you
all been surviving the belated onset of
autumn? For a while there it seemed as
though we were set to skip it entirely
and move straight into winter. And after suchstubborn hot weather I was half-inclined tobelieve it. On the other hand, we seem to havebeen spared the worst of typhoon season thisyear as barely a storm has touched shikoku
past one or two early-birds in June and July.
Well, the word on the street is that weatherof all kinds has been in a strange state thesedays, and this certainly does seem to be
the case. But as cool biz saw its end at the
beginning of October I am glad to see somecooler temperatures before doning a full suit
to work once more.
Cheers, Andrew

ello and Guten Tag! Welcome back to
Awa Life. As I said last month, I went
to Germany on a business trip. It wasan exhausting week, but it was worth
the effort everybody put into the project;
Tokushima and a province called Niedersachsen
in my home-country were able to sign anagreement for the exchange of culture,
education, etc. I am going to write about it innext month's Awa Life, so keep a lookout for it.
Also the temperature has fallen, rain falls, but
the people still sit in their car, reading mangawith airconditioning and the engine running.
I personally started 'Chopstick-Life', and carry
my own chopsticks with me to avoid using
disposable sets. We have to save the planet!
Danke! Mariothe chrysanthemum, national ﬂower of japan and one of the symbols for the onset of autumn(photo by andrew dahms)-2-speech contest ... con't from page 1
definitely astray. It couldn’t
be that someone had passed
away here, right? All in all it
was a bit of a stretch for me
to believe, and to top it off, inthe middle of all these large
wreaths was the kanji for‘celebration’. I wondered what
they could possibly be for.
When I spoke to one of myJapanese friends later on,
they explained to me that they
were symbols for celebration.
In China, no matter what thecolour, wreaths are only eversent for funerals. On the other
hand, in times of celebration
proper ﬂowers are sometimes
used instead. But in Japan,
flowers of different colours
represent entirely different
things - whether they are used
for funerals or for celebrations.
Well, I guess it did seem
strange that so many people
started dying around the newyear...
As I began living in Japan,
I started to see a lot ofdifferences between theculture of Japan and China.
For example, where things
such as apples and gyoza
are sold by weight in China,
in Japan they are measured in
numbers. And while you canusually use a bank card for
payments in China, in Japanif you don’t have a credit cardthen you are completely outof luck. What’s more, in China
many students don’t wear
makeup even after entering
university, many students inJapan wear makeup evenin high school. And whensomething not understoodarises in conversation the
person you are talking withat the podium - kong qing yue
presenting her speech

may begin to laugh, which canbe considered rude in someplaces.
You can also see differences
between Japan and China in
the way that things are shown
on TV. In China you would
never see live broadcast ofpolitical discussions, let alone
anything related to the actual
state of parliament. On theother hand, in Japan it isquite the opposite. Just theother day I was able to see
a meeting about the budget
on TV, live! These sessions
a re a l m o s t l i ke m i n i a t u rewars to me. I was surprised
to see so many people taking
w h a t seemd to be a very
disrespectful attitude towards
the prime minister, and also at
the depth of freedom in manyp e o p l e s ’ s p e e c h . Pe r h a p sthese things seem normal
to the Japanese, but to me
it seemed very strange. The
leader of state in China holdsa very respected position, andit would be almost unthinkable

to hear such casual terms ofaddress as those I witnessed
being used towards Prime
Minister Abe here in Japan. I
felt this was very rude.
Something else that struck
me was the news. In China
I saw on the news once thatthe economy was beginning togrow, and that the lifestyles ofthe people there was peacefuland good. But when I cameto Japan there were murders,drink driving accidents and all
kinds of news I found rather
frightening. If you relied upon
the newspapers and news as
your sole source of information
on Japan, it might seem arather dangerous place. At
the time all I could about was
getting back home to China assoon as I could. When the sun
went down I couldn’t bringmyself to take even a stepoutside my door. And when I
had to go outdoors for somereason or another, I felt veryscared whenever someone
came nearby.
However, after living here
for a long time I have cometo realize I have never myself
seen any such incidents. The
problem was difference inthe style of the Japanese andChinese media in how they
publicize these cases. In China
there are many stories aiming
to build the morale of thepeople, such as good resultsfrom international meetingsand other stories designed
to build pride in the people.
Well and good, it invites thedanger of making unclear the
problems that face the society.
The other day, I saw a story
on the news in Japan about

japanese speech contest ... con't on page 4-3-

japanese speech contest ... con't from page 3
the water problem in China.
They showed several scenesof water being waste andused needlessly, and I felt
keenly just how big a problem
the water shortage in China
is. They even showed somescenes where people watering
their plants simply left the taps
on after they had finished.
I couldn’t take my mind
away from that scene. It wasalmost painful watching thecarelessness of these people inregards to their use of water.
I think that if they showedstories like this in China theywould understand more aboutt h i s p r o b l e m , a n d m ay b eeven try to better use thesupply of water. That is, theChinese media should bringup these kind of problems to
the people of the country, andat the same time I think theJapanese media should try to
introduce more stories thatfill the country’s people withpride.
I think we must all consider
whether what we believe inis correct, and whether or
not the messages we put out
are getting across the way
we intended. The same goesfor international exchange.

the festival do japao

by mitsutoshi ogata
awalife@gmail.comthis past July the Centro
de Exposições Imigrantes
in Sao Paulo, Brazil
became the home of the10th Japan Festival, where it
was met with great success.
Blessed with fine weather
everyday of the event, theJapan Festival drew a crowd ofover 160,000!
The Japan Festival showcase
culture from across Japan,
ra n g i n g a l l t h e way f r o m
Hokkaido in the north to
Okinawa down south. In
addition to hosting a numberof introductions to various
Japanese cultural traditions,
there was also a stage area
in which various dancesand performances could be
displayed. Japanese food such
as Tempura also saw huge
popularity, and the festival
even drew the attention of
the local City Mayor Gilberto
Kassab.
However, the event that drew
the most popularity was aperformance of our very own

There are many people whoknow only one view of acountry. However, since I
came to Japan I think I havebeen able to attain a deeper
understanding of its culture,
and at the same time I think I
have been able to learn more
about my own country as
well. You only understand aforeign culture properly once
you live there yourself. And
in doing so, you also gain agreater perspective of yourown origins. Understandingof foreign cultures is linked tounderstanding of your own. I
am glad I came to Japan.

awa odori at the festival do japao in brazil(photo by ohara clovis)

Awa Odori, ﬁlling the seats of
the audience with excitement
and wonder.
Next year is an important
year in international relations
with Brazil, as it marks the100th anniversary since thebeginning of immigradtion
from Japan to Brazil. The
support of the Tokushima-4-

Prefectural Citizen's
Association, TOPIA, and theTokushima Brazil Goodwill
Association has all played a
big part in these relations, andwe hope that many people
from Tokushima can come andparticipate in the anniversarial
event on May 25, 2008.

caving inby matthew lindsay
awalife@gmail.com

it was yet another steaming
hot day as J-boy and J-girland I headed west towards
Sanagochi. Following thesigns for Ogawara Kogen fromthe main road, the car engine
gradually became hotter as
we steadily climbed toward
the highland. I switched the
air-conditioner off and put
the windows down to ﬁnd the
fresh mountain air appreciably
cooler.
From the summit wedescended the other sideof the mountain past rockoutcrops and waterfalls
to our final destination,
Jigen-ji temple (it is actuallymore commonly known as
Jigan-ji). The temple is notpart of the famous 88-temple
henro pilgrimage but is analternative bangai temple,
known for the cave locatedbehind it.
On previous visits to Jigen-ji
I had been thwarted fromentering the cave, as I’d been
too late to take the guided
tour. This time, however wearrived in plenty of time.
Upon paying the tour fee
t h e t e m p l e ’s p r i e s t- c u m receptionist handed us whitepilgrim coats. He advised
us to leave our belongings
behind in the lockers provided
because we wouldn’t be able
to pass through the cave withthem.
Our guide, a lady all of ﬁve
foot nothing, appeared shortly
after dressed in a pilgrim’s
coat, jeans and sneakers.
After greeting us we soon
departed out of the temple
grounds and onto a pathleading uphill. Guide-san wasa particularly reverent woman

relieved spelunkers

it seemed, stopping to bow
and pray at each statue wepassed.
Uninitiated in the ways oftying pilgrim coats, I tiedmine the wrong way. J-girlkindly instructed me of thecorrect manner of tying it up. I
remarked that it was the sameas baby clothes. Guide-sanseemed less than impressedby the comparison.
After a steep climb up theslope we came to a small
shrine at the foot of a cliff. We
were informed that praying
here was beneficial to one’s
health. Guide-san encouraged
us to pray but we just waited
while she said her prayers.
When she had finished, she
opened an iron gate and led
us up some stairs.
At the top Guide-san halted
us once more to inform us thatthe Buddhist deity Fudo-Myouwas present to protect us. She
pointed out a statue of the
ﬁerce, warrior-like god on theother side of a rock overhang.
She then encouraged us tochant with her for our safe
passage. Again we stood andwaited silently, bewildered by
the religious jargon.
Prior to entering the cave, wewere each given a lit candle.
Entering the darkness I trailed
the guide with J-girl behindme and J-boy at the rear. It
soon became apparent that
our little spelunking adventure
would be no lark. Following
Guide-san’s directions, we had
to duck, wriggle and twist ourway through narrow crevices
and cracks.
It was a relief way when wereached a chamber and wereable to stand upright once
more. While we regrouped,
Guide-san began to rattle off
her tour speech again. With
the aid of her candle cleverly
attached to a stick, she
explained to us some images
apparently of Buddhist deities
carved into the rock face highabove us. Once more we stoodsilently with little or no idea ofwhat she was saying.
Moving on from the firstcaving in ... con't on page 6-5-

caving in ... con't from page 5

j-boy ready to go!

the spectacular kanchou waterfall

c h a m b e r, w e p a s s e d a
protruding knob of smooth,marble-like rock. Guide-san
instructed us to rub it andthen wherever was sore on
our bodies while chanting'namu - daishi henshokongoh'. This would help
to heal the afflicted area
she advised us. A slight airof tension had developed
between Guide-san and us(perhaps due to a perceived
lack of spirituality) and since
the chant was decipherable,
we complied.
As we contorted our way
along, J-girl wasn’t so amusedwith our predicament. “I’mgoing to kill you when I getout of here,” she threatened.
Nonetheless we managed tomake our way to the next
chamber without incident.
With the aid of her candle
Guide-san showed us theform of a dragon on thesurrounding walls. Usinga little imagination, its
head and fangs, hands andfeet and tail were indeed

recognisable. According tolegend Kobo Daishi, patron
saint of the pilgrimage,trapped the dragon.
The struggle continued tothe third and final chamber.
By the time we reached it,
we had covered a distance ofsome 100 metres, definitely
not at a sprint. A statueof Kobo Daishi seated in
Zen meditation greeted us.
Apparently Daishi had entered
this cave to meditate at theripe old age of nineteen.
Why Daishi would wantto hang around in suchconﬁned quarters eluded me,
particularly if there was an
unfriendly dragon trappedin the next chamber. Maybehe had gained some sortof enlightenment here, I
suggested to Guide-san in myfar from correct Japanese.
She had no idea what I was
talking about. And then in
the silence that followed
her final description she hada realisation – we had no
idea what she was on about-6-either!
It was time to get out ofthese confined quarters, we
all agreed. The exit routediffered slightly from the way
in but was by no means any
easier. J-boy was convincedat one point that he wasstuck and would never see
the light again. Shortly after
what little light he did havewent out with his candle.
J-girl’s candle followed suit
immediately after. 'Glad I’m
not claustrophobic', she dryly
remarked.
After relighting thecandles, we squirmed
and twisted our way on.
E ve n t u a l l y t h e w e l c o m esight of daylight reappeared.
'Taihen deshita', Guides a n s a i d . S h e wa s r i g h t
too – it had been bloody
hard! No doubt though, it
was definitely a memorable
experience. J-girl’s sore footeven stopped hurting - for awhile, anyway.
Jigen-ji Cave Tours:
Information Tour times: 7:00
am to 3:00 pm. There are notours during winter, so you
need to get in before thecold weather sets in.
Tour fee: The cost for atour is 3000 yen per tour,
up to a maximum of threepeople.
Access: Follow route 438
along through Sanogochi andOgawara Kogen. Then, takeroute 16 via Kami Katsuura,
just after Sakamoto. And be
sure to check out the cooltimber sculpture on the way
uphill!

martin's manga corner
Title:
Manga-ka:
Publisher:First published:
No of volumes:iSenmu Shima Osaku ( 専務島耕作 )Hirokane Kenshi
Morningu KC(2006)
Two (3rd due in 2007/11)

n the Japanese workplace,whether it be the private
or public sector, rank andhierarchy are very clearly
defined. The need for a clear
distinction between one's
position relative to others
is frequently expressed andrecognised through the useof work titles, which are often
used instead of names. As isoften the case, a worker ina Japanese company might
address other coworkers by
their title, such as bucho(department head) as opposed
to, say, Mr. Oka.
This month we take a lookat Senmu Shima Kosaku(Executive Director Shima
Kosaku). Shima Kosaku is
the name of the character
whose life and times form thebasis of a multi-series saga
written by Hirokane Kenshi.
Each series in the saga isdistinguished by the particular
step of the corporate ladderthat Kosaku has climbed, andthe entire saga encompasses
36 years of Kosaku's life as
an employee of Hatsushita
Electric Corporation, afictional company in theguise of Hitachi or Panasonic.
The Shima Kosaku saga
is especially popular with
office workers as it offers forthe most part an accurate
portrayal of business culture
and office relationships inJapan.
Shima Kosaku himself issomewhat unremarkable.
His dependable and modest

character contrasts severelywith the ruthless andcharismatic characters that
Hollywood has given us overt h e ye a r s . A s a p o r t raya lof business life, the Shima
Kosaku series is undeniably
much more sympathetic andrealistic.
While some might find sucha series somewhat mundane,
there is much more to thetrustworthy Mr. Kosakau thanmaking sure the accounts
are balanced. Outside of thebusiness world, Kosaku's mainconcern is romance and heis undeniably something ofa ladies' man. One wonders
how he manages to balance
the time-consuming task ofclimbing the corporate ladderwith his frankly complex love
life. This romantic side might
be off-putting to some, but
it is done in a very fresh andunsentimental manner that
doesn't alienate its malereadership.
As the name might suggest,
the series deals with Kosaku'stime as an Excutive Director
at Hatsushita. Kosaku's is in ahigh-ranking poisition of great
privilege and power, but also
responsibility. Unlike earlier
series, Senmu Shima Kosaku
is a portrayal of a lifestyleof a jet-setting international
executive. We are afforded a
glimpse of life at the upperechelon of the Japanese
corporate world, while at thesame time being party tothe personal triumphs and-7-

by martin o'brien
martinobrien2004@gmail.com

tribulations of Kosaku's life.
The two most recent volumes
deal with research that Kosaku
is responsible for in the US andIndia. The ﬁrst book deals withhis private life, harking backto an earlier series where hebumps into a former lover withwhom he had an illegitimate
child (who becomes a famous
pop star at the age of 18, anddies when a plane crashes into
her apartment, all in the first
volume).
Yet while there are events in
Kosaku's life that are somewhat
sensational, it is for the mostpart very insightful. Especially
impressive is his research trip
to India, which clearly showsa great deal of research on
the part of the the author.
Kosaku's adventures in India
are done with a great deal ofcultural sensitivity and charmand are also hugely insightful.
Modern India as it is in 2007is really brought alive in thissecond volume. The various
cultural insights are just the tipof the iceberg, and throughout
the first two volumes we are
given an insight into a variety
of modern day social andtechnological developments.
Senmu Shima Kosaku is thelatest in the Kosaku saga andwas first published in 2006,
earlier installments including
Jyomu (Executive Managing
Director) Shima Kosaku
2005-2006, Torimashimayaku(Managing Director) Shima
Kosaku 2002-2005, and others.
Considering the popularityof the saga over the years it
is safe to say that the everdependable Kosaku will be asure bet for future promotions,perhaps even the company
presidency of Hatsushita.

autumn driving safetytwere senior citizens. We
would ask that drivers pleasebe careful on the road andlook out for senior citizens
during their travels.

Elderly Citizens
The number of accidents
i nvo l v i n g s e n i o r c i t i z e n s
is very high. Of the road
fatalities this year to date,
22 of the 40 fatalities (55%)

Drink-driving
An amendment to the traffic
laws on September 19 haslaid down heavier penalties
for drink-drivers. Anyone
caught driving while drunk
is now liable to a maximum
1,000,000 yen fine or up
to five years in jail. Beingcaught while driving under
the influence is liable to a
300,000 yen fine or a up to

his past September 21
to 30 saw the annual
Autumn National Safety
Driving campagin.
Amongst the goals of thiscampaign were several
new changes to traffic lawsthat will affect all drivers
in the near future. Here isa rundown of this year's
campagin:

letter from suketo hoikuent

he other day I had theopportunity to take a walkthrough the mountains.
Amongst the trees I saw
red leaves and the green shellsof chestnuts. Even all this heatis not enough to halt the onset
of autumn, it seems. In fact,
there are many interesting
things happening in the world
around us during Autumn.
Take the time to discoversome of these with your child.

Getting in tune with theworld around you:
1: Take the time to look at
t h i n g s i n yo u r i m m e d i a t esurroundings. When your mind
and body become accustomed
to their presence you can feelcalm and at home nearby.

by andrew dahms
until_eternity@hotmail.com

three years in jail. Likewise,
the penalties for those who
knowingly offer alcohol topotential drink drivers, orallow a drunk person todrive have been set at these
new levels as well.
Use of Seatbelts
Starting from June 19, 2009,
it will become mandatory towear your seatbelt even in
the rear seat of a car. Failingto do so will result in a one
point ﬁne to the driver.
Above all, drive safe thisautumn and take care!
by kazue inoue
suketo hoikuen staff

3: Don't be afraid to join yourchildren in the never-ending
quest of asking 'why?' Findingout the answers to mysterious
in the world about you helps
to foster independance andleads to building an inquisitivemind.

a walk!

4: Look at the world around
you through the eyes of achild. If you as a parent cansee the world through thesame eyes as your child, youwill be able to share in theenjoyment they feel. If you
show an interest in the worldabout you then your child will
come to share this interest.

2: Decorate the belt withfallen leaves you ﬁnd while out
walking by using double-sided
tape.

This month's toy: Let's playwith the objects we ﬁnd during

2: Make full use of all fivesenses. Look at the world
around you from a variety
of different viewpoints andyou can find a whole varietyof new ways to enjoy yoursurroundings.
-8-

Leaf Belt
1: Make a belt out of ordinary
paper and tie the two ends
together by fixing a rubberband to either end (fold theends over and stick down).

Leaf Vest
1: Cut a plastic bag so thatit can be worn over the arms
and head.
2: Decorate it with leaves andother objects by using doublesided tape.

japanese lessonhby fusa tamaki
jtmtoku-lesson@mbk.nifty.com

ave you ever found yourself in a pinch while living in Japan? In times like these you need
to be able to sort out your needs and also understand the position of those you are talking
to when trying to ﬁnd a solution to the problem. In this month's Japanese lesson we aregoing to take a look at what kind of language you can use to make suggestions to others.

t a t o e b at e i t a d a k u t o k a

いただくとか」
1：「たとえば～て
i t a d a k u「
いただ く 」is used when asking
The verb
someone to do something. It is a oneway expre s s io n t o e x p re s s yo ur
desire,k i n e n s e k i
andis used in phrases such as「 禁 煙 席ot s u k u t t e i t a d a k i m a s u
を 作 っ て い たt aだt oきe bまa す 」.
A softer way
s h i t e i t a d a k u
「
た
と
え
ば
～
し
て
いただく
to
say
this
is
t o k aと か 」 o f fe r i n g a va r i e ty o f o p t i o n s .
This is useful for asking favours of people.
Example1: A crowded restaurant at lunchtimekyaku
o r y o u r i w a t o t e m o o i s h i i n d e s u g a tonari n o hito
客
：お料理はとても美味しいんですが、隣の人
n o t a b a k o n o kemuri g a k i n i n a t t eのたばこの 煙 が気になって…
The food is great, but I
am a little bothered by the
person sitting next to me
smoking...
tenin
k a n k i s e n o san dai secchi
店員
換気扇を３台設置：
shite o r i m a s u g a fuujubun d e s h o u k a
しておりますが不十分でしょうか。
We have three fans working right now - arethey insufﬁcient?
kyaku
e
e
t a t o e b a kinenseki o t s u k u t t e i t a d a k u
客ええ、
例
えば禁煙席を作っていただく：
t o k ao mise g a k o m u j i k a n t a i w a z e n seki k i n e n n i s h i t e i
と
か、お
店
が
込
む時 間帯は 全 席 禁 煙に し てい
t a d a k u t o k a
ただくとか …
What about setting aside a non-smoking area,
or making the store non-smoking during busy
hours...
Example2 - anofﬁce at the university
senseisaikinryugakusei g a a r u b a i t o d e i s o g a s h i k u t e
先
生：最
近、留
学生が
ア ルバイトで 忙 しくてjugyou n i d e t e k o n a i n d e s u
授業に出てこないんです。
Lecturer - Lately the exchange student is busy
withpart-time
work and hasn't been in class.
daigakus o r e w a komarimashita n e
大学：それは困りましたね。
University- Hmm, that's quite a problem.
senseidaigaku n o h o u d e nani k a taisaku o k a n g a e t e i t a d a k e
先生：大 学の方 で 何 か 対 策を 考 えてい ただけ
m a s e n k at a t o e b a shougakkin o m o r a t t e i n a i
ませんか。たとえば奨 学金を も らってい ない
r y u g a k u s e i h a j u g y ouryou o y a s u k u s h i t e i t a d a k u toka
留学生は授業料を安くしていただくとか …
Maybe we can think of a way to solve it at thisend. For example, lowering fees for students

withoutt scholarships...
o i u n o wa d o u desuka
2：「～というのはどうですか」This expression is a polite way of bringing up
your opinion with another person. Amongst
t o i
「～と
い
friendsamore
relaxed
form
would
be
u n o w a d o u d a r o u k at o i
u n o w a d o u
うのはどうだろうか。／～というのはどう？」.
Example1: A trafﬁc jam on the wayk e nto
work
b a s u y a j i t e n s h a d e t s u k i n s u r u hito n i
g a hojokin
バ
スや
自
転車で
通
勤す
る人
に
、県
が
補助金
1o ：
d a s u t o i
u n o w a d o u d e s u k a
をだすというのはどうですか。
How about giving an allowance to people
commutingto work by bus or bicycle?
kuruma n o z e i k i n o t a k a k u s u r u t o i u n o w a d o u d e s u k a
2：車の税金を高くするというのはどうですか。

How about raising the tax on cars?
Example 2: The Kanji on material you arehandedduring a meetingis too hard to read.
muzukashii k a n j i n i
f u r i kamei o f u r u t o i
u n o w a
１：難
しい漢
字に
、振
り仮
名を
振
ると
い
うの
は
d o u d e s u k a
どうですか。
How about if we put the readings for difficult
kanjim aine m hiragana?
o t t eshiryou o w a t a s h i t e m o r a i y o n d e o k u
２：前
も
って、資
料を渡してもらい読んでおく
t o iu n o w a d o u d e s u k aというのはどうですか。
How about handing the material out in advanceso they can be looked up?
3 Imagine... You have been in Japan fora total of six years now. You have learned to
speak Japanese and through this have become
close to your neighbours. Then, because it isyour turn, you are asked to become the headof the local town residents' association (a local
body that exists in towns and smaller municipal
areas). However you are afraid your Japanesemight not be up to the task. What do you do?
Do you accept or decline? Use these phrases
and try put forth your ideas!
＊ Some examples can be found on the JTM
homepage. Let us know what you come up
with, too! http://homepage2.nifty.com/jtmtoku/-9-memoranda
Let's Enjoy Rakugo
in English!

英語で落語を楽しもう！

Come along for this fun event, with a display of rakugo in

上方落語協会の新進落語家、桂あさ吉による①講演「英English as well as workshops and a speech on the fun of

語落語の面白さ」②英語落語「ときそば」等③ワークショッ

rakugo in English!

プなど超お楽しみイベント満載！！

When: Sunday, October 14

日時：1:00pm -13：00 ～

Where: The Kyodo Bunka Kaikan in Tokushima City, 5f
Cost:

10 月 14 日（日）

#6

場所：

徳島市、郷土文化会館５階、6 号室1000 yen

金額：1000 円Contact: Call Mrs. Yamada at 090-2787-3597

問合せ： 山田まで 090-2787-3597

Uchimachi Culture
Fair

第７回
内町文化展

Call for submissions of calligraphy, photos, art, crafts,

書、絵画、写真、手芸品、収集品などの個人作品を展示

collections, or any other personal creations to display at

するため、募集しています。

the 7th Uchimachi Culture Fair.
日時：

11 月 23 日 ( 金、祝日）、24 日（土）10:00 ～ 16:00

場所：

内町コミュニティーセンター（市役所の近く）

When: November 23th (national holiday, Friday) &24th(Saturday) 10:00 - 16:00
Where: Uchimachi Community Centre, near Tokushima

申込期間：10 月 1 日～ 11 月 12 日

City Hall
Application for submissions: October 1 - November 12

申込方法：山田（meyamada@mb3.tcn.ne.jp ）まで、件名を Uchimachi にして連絡してください。申込用紙をお送

For further information, write to Ms. Yamada at

りします。

meyamada@mb3.tcn.ne.jp with "uchimachi" in the subject
line.

主催：内町まちづくり協議会

Announcements

お祝いの発表A new birth in the family? Have you recently gotten

最近、結婚・出産などのおめでたいニュースがあった方、

married? Then good news! Awa Life is looking for阿波ライフではあなたの家族のお祝い事を読者の皆さん

submissions from readers to help you get the word out!
Send us the details and a short blurb, accompanied by apicture if you have any on hand, and we will post it forに発表したいと思います！ 100 文字程度の文章と（もしあったら）写真を阿波ライフまで送っていただけたら次

you in the next issue of Awa Life!

号の阿波ライフに掲載いたします。

Send any submissions to the awalife email address at:

阿 波 ラ イ フ の メ ー ル ア ド レ ス ま で お 送 り く だ さ い：

awalife@gmail.com.

awalife@gmail.com-10-memoranda
Deutsches Fest in
Narutoドイチェス・フェスト
in 鳴門

Come along for the 14th Deutsches Fest in Naruto,

このイベントは今年で第 14 回目を迎えます。イベント中

featuring a display of the 9th symphony, concerts andに「普段着の第九」、コンサートやドイツの食べ物・飲みgerman food and drink availble, amidst many other fun

物の販売など、たくさんのイベントを企画しています。

events throughout the day!

日時：

When: Sunday, October 7

10 月 7 日（日）10:00 - 17:00

10:00-17:00
Where: The Naruto City Doitsu-kan

場所：

鳴門市ドイツ館

Cost:

金額：

無料

Free!

Contact: Call the Doitsu-kan at 088-689-0099

問合せ： ドイツ館まで電話 088-689-0099

The 14th Oasis
Festival

第 14 回
オアシス祭りThis event at the Yoshinogawa Highway Oasis features

第 14 回オアシス祭りでは阿波おどりなどの伝統芸能のawa odori, performances of traditional Japanese arts,

実演のほか、地域特産物の展示販売、餅つきや物作り体

mochi making, small craft workshops and much more.

験など、たくさんのイベントを予定しています。

When: Sunday, October 7

日時：10 月 7 日（日）場所：

9:00 - 18:00
東三好町、吉野川ハイウェイオアシス

9:00 - 18:00
Where: The Yoshinogawa Highway Oasis, HigashiCost:

Miyoshi-cho

参加費： 無料

Free!

問合せ： 三好町商工会まで電話

Contact: Call the Miyoshi-cho Chamber of Commerce and0883-79-2368

Industry at 0883-79-2368

Universal Tokushima
Sports Festival

ユニバーサルとくしま
県民スポーツ祭

Participation in this sports event is open to all residents

ユニバーサルとくしま県民スポーツ祭に誰でもお気軽に

of Tokushima prefecture, including both local and foreign

参加できます！参加者は地元の住民、在住外国人、障害

residents as well as people with disabilities. You canchoose to play a variety of sports such as soccer, tennis,
volley ball, track and field and much more! Registration

者などを含め、サッカー、テニス、バレーボール、陸上など、各種のスポーツを楽しむことが出来ます。トピアにも申forms are available at TOPIA!

し込み書があります！

When: Saturday, October 20

日時：

10 月 20 日（土）Where: The Naruto Otsuka Sports Park場所：

鳴門・大塚スポーツパーク

Cost:

金額：

無料

Free

Contact: Call the Universal Tokushima Sports Festival
Executive Committee at 088-634-3173.

問合せ： ユニバーサルとくしま県民スポーツ祭実行委員
会まで電話 088-634-3173-11-

memoranda

The 5th Anan
Children's Festival

第 5 回阿南市こども
フェスティバルThis event is all about helping parents and their children

家族や親子が一日楽しめるイベントです。子どもが特技

have fun together. That’s why there are some 35 boothsを発表したり、色々な遊びにチャレンジしたり、 サイエ

where parents can enjoy a whole day together with their

ンスショーを見たりできます。また、親子でものづくり

children. There is space for children to display their talents
to others, engage in fun exper. Furthermore at this festival, parents and children can make things together as wellをしたり、大型の機械や乗り物にふれたり乗ったりできるフェスティバルです。

as enjoy rides and other play equipment.
日時：
When: Sunday, October 14 from 9:30am~3pm

2007/10/14（日） ※小雨決行
9:30 ～ 15:00

Where: Anan City, Anan-shi Science Center

場所：

阿南市

Cost:

金額：

無料

Free

Contact: Call the Division for Lifelong Study at the Board

阿南市科学センター

問合せ： 阿南市教育委員会生涯学習課 TEL 0884-22-3391

of Education of Anan-City at 0884-22-3391

Living inTokushima

徳島県生活情報
ウエブサイトIn need of information for daily activities? Come and日常生活において情報をお探しですか。ぜひ、徳島県がtake a look at the Living in Tokushima website hosted

ホストしている生活情報ウエブサイトをご覧ください！

by Tokushima Prefecture, home to information such as
earthquake and typhoon-related messages, tv and movie
guides, events, contact numbers and more.

このウエブサイトから地震・台風についての情報、テレ
ビや映画のガイド、イベント情報などがの情報にアクセスできます。パソコン・携帯版両方提供しています！

Living in Tokushima Computer Website

http://our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/index.php

パソコンサイトhttp://our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/index.php
Living in Tokushima Mobile Website

携帯サイト

http://our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/m

http://our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/m

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 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)

人権守って輝く明日-12-