aWa life

More Welcome
Messages

Awa Shoku: The Edible
Fungus Among Us

Tokushima Multilingual
Consultation Service

Gairaigo Galore:
バイキング

November 2019
# 349

1

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

It’s finally starting to really feel like autumn! Are you all interested in seeing the beautiful foliage that
Tokushima has to offer? Make sure to check out the foliage map in the ‘Events and Memoranda’section so that you can know the best times and places to make the most of the autumn colours.
Have you also heard that TOPIA has established the Tokushima Multilingual Consultation Service? It’s
specifically set up to help foreigners who may be having a hard time in their daily lives, so make sure tocheck out this month’s article for more details.
For all of those who like writing, please feel free to submit an article to us at any point in time aboutbasically anything. There are a few limitations though, such as you can’t write about religion, politics,
commercial activities or businesses or anything that we deem inappropriate. But, other than that, we
would be more than happy to receive articles about anything and everything including but not limited
to concerts, lectures, other events, culture, sports, community group information or anything cool that’s
happening in your local community.
We highly appreciate all of your articles and we love reading them. So if that writing bug of yours isbuzzing about, grab a pen or a computer and write and send away! Please send all submissions to ouremail:

awalife@gmail.com

Your editors,
Sydney and Nico

Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA)
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN, Clement Plaza 6F
Tel: 088-656-3303 Fax: 088-652-0616
http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Download a PDF file of awa life or view the online version by going to TOPIA's website!

Editors:
Sydney Bartig and Nico Bohnsack
Contributors This Month:
Alessa Peters, Anne-Marie Marker, Toshiro Taki, Kazue Inoue, Akiko Tsuji, Lance Kita

2

Contents
Pg. 2-3: Welcome Messages
Pg. 3-4: Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI
Pg. 4-5: Tokushima Multilingual Consultation Service
Pg. 5

Gairaigo Galore: バイキング

Pg. 6:

Awa Shoku: The Edible Fungus Among Us

Pg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8-9: Events and Memoranda
Even More CIRs in Tokushima!
Alessa PetersHello, my name is Alessa Peters and I’m from
Germany. I moved to Berlin seven years
ago, but originally I’m from a small town near the
Dutch border in the state ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia. As
a teenager I often visitedthe city of Düsseldorf where
there are many Japanesecompanies, shops and ahuge summer festival eachyear.
My path in life until thispoint cannot be told without
my connection to Japan. I
started studying Japanese
in my free time when I was ateenager – I was interested
in the language, and thenbecame interested in the
country’s culture and history,
too. My first stay in Japanwas 10 years ago, as an exchange student to ahigh school in Saitama prefecture. During my time
there I joined the Karate club and lived with a hostfamily. I still have a picture of the Karate club on
my windowsill at my parents’ house.
I moved to Berlin to study Japanese and politicalscience at Freie Universität Berlin. During

my time there, the university had just started apartnership with Okayama University and I took
the chance to study there for a year. I loved
getting to know Western Japan
this time and spent lots of time
outdoors, riding my bike andhiking in the mountains.
My special interest in Japan is
the Old Tokaido Road, about
which I wrote my bachelor
thesis and walked a part ofit as well. Now that I live inTokushima, my dream is tocomplete the Pilgrimage Routeto the 88 Temples on foot.
The reason I applied to the
JET Programme was because
I wanted to contribute to thefriendly relations between
Germany and Japan,
and because I enjoy living in the Japanesecountryside. I am interested in sports as well,which makes my work as a CIR at the Sports
Promotion Division fun and interesting. I enjoy
watching women’s soccer and basketball in myfree time. I am happy that Tokushima is such anice place to live, and I am excited to get to know
its local culture, history and people.

3

Welcome Messages

Anne-Marie Marker

water and hiking trails. But I studied andworked in Cologne. From preschool on,
I was always interested in other culturesand other kids’ lifestyles. When I graduatedfrom high school I decided to start learning
Japanese from zero and majored inJapanese culture and language, and alsoin European art history. My longest stay inJapan was only for 4 months, as I internedat the German Center in Tokyo.

Hi, hello and nice to meet you!
My name is Anne-Marieand I will be working together
with Alessa as a German CIR in
the Sports Division of Tokushima
Prefectural Government. I’m super
happy that I get the chance to live
in beautiful Tokushima and support
the friendship of the prefecturewith Germany. When I got myplacement, all my Japanese friends
were super excited because
Tokushima is known for its relaxed
lifestyle and friendly people. So
I’m looking forward to a uniqueexperience!
Originally I come from a small city called
Gerolstein, which is only famous for its sparkling

I am a creative mind, so my main interest
is Japanese aesthetics and performing
arts. As I really love doing handicrafts especially with fabric, like sewing my own
bags and clothes - I’m looking forward to
experiencing indigo dying and also washi
making. Besides those I want to try Awa Odori, so
you might meet me at the Awa Odori Kaikan soon!

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

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

ne of things that mothers always tend to ask
me about is food for their children! Manymothers worry about if they are feeding their child
too little or too much.
For children who don’t eat a lot, the biggest worry
is that their child will feel hungry. It’s important
to make time for meals and snacks as well as
time for your child to move their bodies and be
active. You shouldn’t force the child to eat, rather
the important thing is that they want to eat. For
snack time, you shouldn’t give your child sweets
or candy. Instead, I recommend giving themcarbohydrates or fruits such as steamed potatoes
or apples.
For children who eat too much, you should
encourage them to take small bites and chew
their food thoroughly. Limit them to one additional
serving if they are hungry. If you cut their foodinto bigger pieces and boil it so it is tougher, it will
require the child to take more bites and increase
their feeling of `fullness`. Getting children into thehabit of thoroughly chewing their food is especially
important because the secretion of saliva has avariety of benefits such as aiding in digestion,
keeping the mouth clean, and promoting brain
activity!
***

Homemade Snack: Lotus Root Mochi
Ingredients: 5cm Lotus Root, 2cm Carrot, 1
Teaspoon of Potato Starch, 1 Teaspoon of Broth,
A Small Amount of OilLetter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI
Directions:
1.)
Peel the skin off of the lotus root andcarrot and then grate them.
2.)
Mix the lotus root and carrot with thepotato starch and broth.
3.)
Make into a round shape and placethem flatly onto a pre-oiled frying pan. Thenbake them.

4

the child to taste different textures. If you pair it withnori, cheese, or tuna it’s also a great snack thateven adults can enjoy. The lotus fruit is in seasonfrom autumn to winter. It’s a vegetable full of dietaryfibers and vitamin c and is great for preventing
constipation and colds. If you grate it and pair itwith boiled or pickled foods into a soup you canenjoy the chunky texture.

The thinly sliced and baked lotus root will allow

Tokushima Multilingual Consultation Service
By: Toshiro TakiThe Tokushima International Strategies
Center (Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association; TOPIA) has recentlye s t a b l i s h e d t h e “ To k u s h i m a M u l t i l i n g u a l
Consultation Service”. The service provides
consultation for foreign residents in Tokushima
and aims at creating local communities where
foreign residents canlive without issue.
From October 1st
onwards, TOPIA has
expanded and now
provides consultationin the following 18
languages:
English, Chinese(Mandarin), Korean,
Vietnamese, Indonesian,Thai, Malaysian,
Ta g a l o g , N e p a l e s e ,B u r m e s e , K h m e r,
Mongolian, Portuguese,
Spanish, French,
German, Italian and Russian.
English, Chinese (Mandarin) and Vietnamese are
spoken by the consultation staff at TOPIA whichallows for direct consultations. For every otherlanguage, an interpreter from the interpretation
center will join the consultation either by phone ortablet.
By extending the number of languages that canbe interpreted, those who were not able to receive
consultation due to a difference in language,or those who had to use a foreign language topartake in consultation, can now easily receive
consultation in their mother tongue.
TOPIA will be able to provide consultation for avariety of issues
one may have inlife such as work,
medical issues,child education,and so on.
TOPIA has formed
a network withall administrative
organizations
at the state,
prefectural, andmunicipal levelo f To k u s h i m aprefecture aswell as with
relevant non-governmental organizations thatprovide consultation for foreign residents.
Hence, consultation together with the respective
governmental or non-governmental organizations
is also possible.
In detail, the Tokushima Multilingual Consultation
Service provides consultation for issues suchas immigration procedures, labor issues, social

5

Tokushima Multilingual Consultation Service

insurance/medical issues, pension/taxes,
childbirth/childcare, child education, disasterprevention, housing, Japanese language learning,and more.
If you are interested in receiving consultation,please visit TOPIA or contact TOPIA by phone.
Consultation is free of charge. However, any
telephone fees are the responsibility of the caller.
Be assured that the center keeps all consultation
matters strictly confidential.
This service is available every day from 10:00

until 18:00 (except at the end of the year and New
Year's holiday).
This service is located in the rooms of theTokushima International Strategies Center(Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange
Association; TOPIA) on the 6th floor of theTokushima Station Clement Building.
Phone numbers for consultation: 088-656-3312
and 088-656-3313.

お知らせ
今年の「国際理解支援フォーラム」（12 月 15 日 , 10:00-16;00）は，人権フェスティバル「とくしま共に生きるフェスタ 2019」の中で行います。美馬市にあるミライズにて行います。国際理解支援講師の方のお話や，様々な文化体験コーナーを予定しています。詳細は後日発表します。
InfoThe“International Understanding Forum” (December 15th, 10:00-16:00) is going to be held asa part of the Human Rights Festival “ とくしま共に生きるフェスタ 2019" this year. It will be in
Miraizu in Mima City. We are offering the opportunity to listen to talks from international exchange
volunteer teachers, and to experience various kinds of culture in small booths and so on. Moredetails will be available in the next issue.

Gairaigo Galore

バイキング (viking; meaning: buffet)
By: Sydney Bartig
So you’re walking about the town looking for someplace to stop for dinner. There’s an array of signs
each displaying their own delicious delicacies, but one sign in particular catches your attention:‘ バイキング ’. ‘Viking’? Huh?! Naturally, the first thing that would come to one’s mind is an imageof old warriors riding upon a ship with a dragon’s head. What does that have to dowith restaurants though? Is it just a peculiar name? Perhaps a theme? Actually, it
has nothing to do with ‘warrior vikings’, but rather it means a ‘buffet’! How does thisloanword differ so much from its original meaning? Well, this word actually has quite
an interesting history!
In old Japan the idea of an all-you-can-eat buffet did not exist. However, thischanged in 1957 when a manager of the Imperial Hotel(located in Tokyo) decided to take a trip to Sweden. He was so intriguedby their smorgasbord (buffet) style that he decided to take this idea back toJapan. The idea was well received, however the problem laid in the name.
‘Smorgasbord’, even when turned into a katakana, wasn’t easy enoughfor people to pronounce. A hotel member actually came up with the word
バ イ キ ン グ after watching the movie The Vikings (1958). Since both‘smorgasbord’ and ‘vikings’ were from the same area it seemed like a good fit. バイキング was alsomuch easier for people to pronounce. The new Japanese バイキング then gained popularity andcan be found all around Japan today!

Awa Shoku: The Edible Fungus Among Us
By Lance Kita

As autumn colors the mountains with the huesof falling leaves, resourceful foragers turntheir eyes to the forest floor, searching for edible
mushrooms (kinoko キ ノ コ ) on tree trunks andin the leaf litter. However, only experts should
hunt for wild mushrooms, as identification canbe tricky and some edible mushrooms look likeextremely toxic ones.
Luckily, Japanese supermarkets are a treasure
trove of flavorful fungus,
and you can get a wide
variety of mushrooms
that are grown in climatecontrolled indoor
farms, which provides
consistency of productand year-round availability.
H e r e ’s a g u i d e t o t h emajor types of kinoko
you can buy, and somesuggestions for cooking
them that takes advantageof their flavor and texture.

6

and tear the mushrooms apart into smaller pieces.
You can chop them up and add them to miso
soup, simmer them in hot pots, or sauté them withbutter. They add an unobtrusive umami to any
dish and the thin filaments offer a unique texture.
Frilly petals, hen-of-the-woods (maitake 舞茸 )These are one of my favorites. The petal-likepieces have no sliminess and have a great
texture and pleasant earthiness. They stay firmeven when overcooked,
and can be a great meat
replacement. They
are perfect in hot pots,
especially in sukiyaki
where they stand up to
the strong soy-sugar
flavors. Grilled over thefire, wrapped with foilwith butter and roasted or
baked, or deep-fried as
tempura.

Seafood of the forest, kingtrumpets (eringi エ リ ン
The most famous, shiitake These are the mushrooms in your neighborhood ギ )market: (clockwise from top left) shimeji, maitake,椎茸
shiitake, enoki, eringi
The new kid on theTokushima is one of theblock, the king trumpet
leading producers of shiitake mushrooms, which (or king oyster) mushroom is originally from theare grown on pine sawdust blocks rather than Mediterranean, and hit the wide market in Japanthe natural pine trunks. With good-sized caps, in the 1990s. Unlike the other mushrooms, thethey are meaty and full of umami. Slice off the thick white stem is the main edible part. The
woody stems (and use them to make stock, don’t texture is meaty and firm, and resembles scallops
waste them) and grill them lightly in your fish grill or abalone when cooked. Cut thick cross sections
or toaster oven, then splash some soy sauce and (for scallops) or sticks (for abalone/shellfish) andsudachi juice over them, followed by a dusting of toss in cream sauce with pasta, roast in foil withbonito flakes (katsuo bushi 鰹 節 ). They also butter and garlic, or stir-fry with vegetables towork in stir-fried dishes and add great richness to create vegetarian versions of seafood dishes.
hot pots (nabe 鍋 ).
Mini-minis, shimeji しめじ
You may have seen clumps of tiny mushrooms
in packs, like a terrestrial clump of coral. These
are shimeji mushrooms, and they are some of
the most versatile. The most common varieties
are buna-shimeji (brown caps, whitish stems) andbunapi (all white), and you just have to cut off thebase where it was attached to the growth medium.
They are great in pasta, marinated, sautéed withbutter or ponzu, or folded into omelets.
Skinnies, enoki えのき
These thin, string-like white mushrooms get theirname from the Chinese hackberry tree (enoki 榎 )where they usually grow in the wild. Be sure to
cut off the bottom 5 cm of the cultivated bunches,(I left out the Uber-expensive matsutake 松 茸mushroom, since it is not very accessible to theaverage family and deserving of its own article in
the future. )So forage around your local supermarket andpick out some fantastic fungus for your next
meal. Mushrooms are great for vegetarians, andmay convert carnivores with their meaty texture
and abundant umami. They’re rich in B-vitamins
and minerals, low in calories and high in fiber.
Tasty and healthy, no reason why you shouldn’tcelebrate the gourmet season of fall (shokuyoku
no aki 食欲の秋 ) with this wide array of kinoko.
Fun times with fungi!!

7Japanese Lesson

By: Akiko Tsuji

Correct Use of まだToday we’re going to study how to use 「まだ」. Think about the differences in how 「まだ」 is used in
the following 2 replies.
Yamashita-san is an employee at a company. It is now 1:00 PM. He was quite
busy during the morning so he is a bit late to eat lunch and plans to eat now. He
then invites Tanaka-san and Maria-san to lunch.
やました

た なか

ひる

はん

た

：田中さん、もう昼ご飯を食べましたか。 Tanaka-san, have you alreadyeaten lunch?
た なか
たNo, I haven’t eaten yet.
中 ：いいえ、まだ食べていません。
田
やました
た
い
山下 ：じゃ、いっしょに食べに行きませんか。Then would you like to eat
lunch together?
た なか
い
let’s
go.
田
中
：ええ。行
きましょう。Sure,
やましたた
山下 ：マリアさんはもう食べましたか？ Maria-san, have you alreadyeaten?
わたし
た
won’t
eat
for
the time being.
はまだ食べません。I
マリア：私
やました
Eh?! Why?
山下 ：えっ？！どうしてですか？
し ごとじおマリア：この仕事を１４時までにしなければならないんです。これが終わってかたら食べます。I have to finish this work by 2:00 PM. I’ll eat after I finish.
やました
山下 ：ああ、そうなんですね。がんばってください。 I see. Good luck.
山下

How was it? Did you notice the difference? When Yamashita-san was talking to Tanaka-san theconversation went very smooth. However, when he talked to Maria-san he was a bit surprised at her
answer. This is because Yamashita-san had asked if Maria-san had already eaten, but she responded
that she “would not eat”. Let’s look at the difference between these two replies.
た「まだ食べていません」I haven't eaten yet.
This form
is used to express something that you either have to do or want to do, but have not yet done.
た「まだ食べません」I won't eat for the time being.
This form is used to express that you won’t do something for the time being because certain
preparations or conditions have not yet been met.
Based on the above information, if Maria-san had answered in the following way theconversation
probably
would have gone smoother.
わたし
た
いま
た
マリア：私もまだ食べていません。でも今はまだ食べることができません。
Practice Questions
Choose the correct form forみthe following questions.
えい がましたか？わたし み
Ａ：あの映画おもしろかったですよ。Ｂさんも見みみおもＢ： いいえ、まだ（
a.
見
ていません
・
b.
見
ません
）
。私
も見
たいと思
っているん
こ ん しゅうにち よ う びみいです。今週の日曜日、ぜひ見に行きます。
かい ぎ
し りょう
Ａ：会議の資料、もうコピーしましたか？
いま
Ｂ：あっ！すみません。まだ（a.
していません
・
b.
しません
）
。今
すぐします。
す てき
こい びと
けっ こん
Ａ：Ｂさん、素敵な恋人がいるんですね。結婚しないんですか？
かねたかんが
Ｂ： まだ（ a. していません ・ b. しません ）。もっとお金が貯まってから、
考えます。
答え
こた

①見ていませんみ②していません③しません8
Events & Memoranda
Tokushima Fall Foliage Map
徳島県紅葉マップ

11th Misato Umeshu Festival
第 11 回 美郷梅酒まつり

Known for being Japan’s first ‘special
ume ward’, Misato in Yoshinogawa City ofTokushima Prefecture will hold their annual
Umeshu Festival. You will be able to enjoyumeshu that was made with love from the ume(Japanese plums) grown by local farmers.
You will be able to taste a variety of differentumeshus as well as different foods. Misato is
overflowing with beautiful nature, so why don’t
you stop by, relax, and enjoy the tastes ofautumn?

全 国 初 の「 梅 酒 特 区 」 徳 島 県 吉 野 川 市 美 郷 地

Please make sure to bring your own glass forthe event.

当 日 は マ イ グ ラ ス ご 持 参 に ご 協 力 く だ さ い。

When: November 23rd (Sat), 24th (Sun) 10:00 16:00
Where: Misato in Yoshinogawa City
Info: Misato Umeshu Festival Information Desk
(Misato Hotarukan)
TEL: 0883-43-2888
URL: https://www.misato-hotarukan.jp/?md=4

日時：11 月 23 日（土・祝）・24 日（日）10：00～ 16：00

区 で、 今 年 も 梅 酒 ま つ り を 開 催 し ま す。 生
産 者 の 顔 が 見 え る「 安 心・ 安 全 」 な 美 郷 産の 梅 を 使 っ て、 梅 酒 を 愛 情 込 め て 造 り ま した。 開 催 期 間 中 は、 い ろ ん な 種 類 の 梅 酒 や
食 事 が 味 わ え ま す。 秋 の 味 覚 を 楽 し み な がら、 の ん び り ゆ っ た り し ま せ ん か？ 豊 か な
自 然 あ ふ れ る 美 郷 へ ど う ぞ お 越 し く だ さ い。

場所：吉野川市美郷ほたる館
問い合わせ：美郷梅酒まつり総合案内所（美郷ほたる館）
TEL: 0883-43-2888
URL: https://www.misato-hotarukan.jp/?md=4

9

Events & MemorandaŌtani Ware Festival
大谷焼窯まつりThis grand pottery market is held on thesecond Saturday and Sunday of every
November at the grounds of Torinin. Here you
can buy a variety of ōtani ware such as pots,
tableware, accessories, and the ever popularzodiac animal items for next year. Prices will
be much lower than usual. ♪

毎 年 11 月 の 第 2 土 曜 日・ 日 曜 日 に「 東 林 院 」の境内において、盛大に陶器市が行なわれます。
鉢、食器、小物、そして人気商品の来年の干支などの大谷焼製品を持ち込み、平常よりもかな
り安く販売されます♪
県外からのお客様も多く訪れています。

Many customers from other prefectures are
expected to visit as well.
When: November 9th (Sat) and 10th (Sun)
Where: Yamada-59 Oasacho Otani, Naruto (Atthe Torinin Grounds)
Info: Ōtani Ware Association (Secretariat:
Ooasa Society of Commerce and Industry)
TEL: 088-689-0204
URL: http://www.tsci.or.jp/ooasa/ootaniyaki.
html

令和元年度

日時：2019 年 11 月 9 日（土）・10 日（日）9：00 ～ 16：00
場所：鳴門市大麻町大谷字山田 59 東林院境内
問い合わせ：大谷焼陶業協会（事務局：大麻町商工会）
TEL: 088-689-0204
URL: http://www.tsci.or.jp/ooasa/ootaniyaki.
html

地域日本語支援ボランティア養成講座 in 阿波市～外国人の方への日本語の教え方を一緒に勉強しませんか？～
阿波国際交流協会では、地域の日本語教育事業として（公財）徳島県国際交流協会（トピア）と徳島
県との協力で「日本語支援ボランティア養成講座」を開催します。講座参加後は、「日本語支援ボラン
ティア」として地域の外国の方に日本語を教えてみませんか？ 〈70％を受講した方には、修了証をお渡しします〉
日時：11 月 16 日（土）、23 日（土）、30 日（土）、12 月 8 日（日）12 月 14 日（土）、1 月 18 日（土）、2 月 1 日（土）、2 月 9 日（日）場所：阿波市林公民館図書室 / 吉野川市文化研修センタ－（12 月 8 日（日）、2 月 9 日（日）のみ）
参加費：無料
問い合わせ：藤本 功男（阿波国際交流協会）
TEL: 090-4976-4846
Mail: awakokusaikouryu@gmail.com
詳細は TOPIA のホームページをご覧ください。

Counselling Service at TOPIA・トピアの相談窓口
TOPIA provides consultation on everyday life, education, labor, medical institutions, and disasterprevention; and information on sightseeing spots to overseas residents and visitors. When necessary,
we will refer you to the appropriate organization that can assist with your needs.Counselling is available
in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese. Please note that although every effort will be made,we may not be able to deal with all cases.
Everyday, 10:00 - 18:00 (closed during the New Year's holidays)
Tel: 088-656-3303 or 088-656-3320 (allows three-way conversations with an interpreter)