aWa life

June 2021

Interview with Weijie
Jiang

Aesthetics, Amid
Rotting Wood andRusting Metal

Awa Shoku:
Sweet Music to My
Ears…of Corn

# 368

Tokushima Hydrangea
Map 2021
Gairaigo Galore:
ベッドタウン1

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

As we enter June, so too begins the rainy season. While those who don’t much care for the rain may
think of this season as a bit depressing, there are actually some things that you can only enjoy now!
For example, did you know that June and July are also when the hydrangeas come into bloom? There
are many places in Tokushima where you can enjoy these lovely blue, pink, and purple flowers. Checkout our “Tokushima Hydrangea Map 2021” in the Events Section for a list of places to visit!
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,
Sydney and Nicoawalife@gmail.com
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:Isreal Lutes, Qing Liu, Kayo Miyoshi, Junko Kimura, Lance Kita and Takako Yamada

2Contents

Pg. 2-3: Aesthetics, Amid Rotting Wood and Rusting Metal
Pg. 4:

Interview with Weijie Jiang

Pg. 5:

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: おしぼり

Pg. 5:

Gairaigo Galore: ベッドタウン

Pg. 6:

Awa Shoku: Sweet Music to My Ears…of CornPg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Events and Memoranda
Pg. 8-9: A Healing Journey: Beautiful South Tokushima
Pg. 8:

Aesthetics, Amid Rotting Wood and Rusting Metal
By: Isreal Lutes“W

hen we gaze into the darkness thatgathers behind the crossbeam, aroundthe flower vase, beneath the shelves, though weknow perfectly well it
is mere shadow, weare overcome withthe feeling that in thissmall corner of theatmosphere there
reigns complete andutter silence; that
here in the darkness
immutable tranquility
h o l d s s w a y. ” Tanizaki Jun’ichiro
Thoreau once
said, in contrast to
creating particular artworks, “it is far more glorious
to carve and paint the very atmosphere andmedium through which we look.” While creating
particular artworks introduces new, beautiful,and curious objects into the world, by molding
our mindsets we may transform the world itself
by changing how we come to see it. It is likephilosophers to overplay theory and downplay
practice, but there may be something to this idea.
One of the most fascinating works I have read

during my time in Japan is Tanizaki Jun’ichiro’s
essay, “In Praise of Shadows.” “In Praise of
Shadows'' is an aesthetic essay published in
the early 1930s. The
tone of the essay
is both elegiac andpleading. In the faceof modernity bringing
newness and light andvibrant color, Tanizaki
writes in praise ofage and shadow, themuted and mysterious.
Throughout thee s s a y, h e w r i t e smovingly of the simple,t h e o r d i n a r y, t h e
traditional Japan thatwas vanishing even while he wrote in hope thatsomething of it would remain.
While it is often problematic to play “the West”
against Japan as if either were static andhomogenous, it is sometimes insightful. Whenit comes to art, the influences of Platonic ideas,
Christian hopes for heaven, and humanistic/scientific optimism in the West seem to haveplayed a powerful role in Western aesthetics.
Stereotypically, Western art has aimed at

3

Aesthetics, Amid Rotting Wood and Rusting Metal

grandeur, clarity, light, and permanence.
In contrast, Japan has two traditions that stressvery different themes. In the native Shinto
tradition, we can see an appreciation for theunadorned, the temporary, and the natural. Take,for example, Ise
Shrine, one of theholiest sites in the
Shinto tradition.
This site, incontrast to manyof the world’s
grand churches,mosques, andtemples, is madeof unadorned
wood, is relatively
moderate in size,
and is torn down
and rebuilt every
twenty years.
The other tradition is Zen Buddhism, which is
not unique to Japan but which has powerfully
permeated the Japanese culture, especially inrespect to the arts. Indeed, several of Japan’s
aesthetic traditions were begun by Zen monks,
such as tea ceremony. Zen stresses the present
moment, contingency, the impermanence of allthings, and practice.
Through aesthetics, there are three main
approaches to reality. It can imitate reality. It canaugment reality. And, finally, it can transform ourvision of reality. Obviously, I am no expert onaesthetics, but I believe that the best aspects aim
to aestheticize the everyday reality. Through tea
ceremony, a simple act of drinking is transformed
into an event of solemnity and grace. It does not
aim at grandeur, permanence, or ornateness.
Through ikebana, a Buddhist emphasis on
impermanence is turned into an art form. “It is abeauty that embraces time, . . . that is manifest
out of the impermanency . . .” writes Nishitani Keiji
of ikebana.
Since coming to Japan, I have discovered a much

deeper appreciation of rust, rot, grime, and decay.
I have come to appreciate everyday entropy. I
enjoy driving into the mountains and exploring
the abandoned buildings dispersed along disusedroads. The Japanese concept of wabi sabi ( 侘び 寂 び ) might be described as something along
the lines of “the aesthetic
appreciation of everyday
entropy.” Wabisabi ischaracterized by a senseof loneliness, decline,
and chill. It is close to theaesthetic equivalent ofautumn.
Another concept thathas filtered into myconsciousness is theconcept of yuugen ( 幽玄 ), often translated,“mysterious profundity.”
It is, in a sense, all thatyou don’t see, but the absence of which leads toa feeling of awe and curiosity. It is the feeling thatink wash paintings attempt to provoke throughthe large blank portions of canvas left untouched.
In everyday life, I feel that this concept capturesand informs my own experience, for example, of
seeing the mountains around my city envelopedin mist and mystery. At these times, “The limitless
vista created in imagination far surpasses
anything one can see more clearly.” 1
The Japanese aesthetic tradition is incredibly rich,and, I feel, it has an intimacy with everyday life.
For me, the insight of Japanese aesthetics is notthat beauty and art is removed or rare. For me, theconcepts of wabisabi and yuugen, among others,
open my often drooping eyes to the wonder of all
the things around me: steam floating, twirling froma tea cup, or shadows gathering in quiet corners.

1. Nancy G. Hume

Interview with Weijie Jiang
By: Qing Liu, Kayo Miyoshi, Nico BohnsackWe had the chance to interview Weijie Jiang,a Singaporean who is working in Dubai.

[Since you work in Dubai, why are you studying
Japanese here at TOPIA in Tokushima?]
While working for a company in Singapore, hisboss talked to him about working in Dubai. As areserved person, he thought that he wanted tochallenge himself in a foreign country and ended
up deciding to work at an oil company in Dubai.
There are many people in Dubai who believe thestereotype that all Asian people are shy. However,the Weijie Jiang here at TOPIA is very cheerfuland sociable. While in Dubai, he met his wife, aTokushima-born woman who works for an airline
company. He thought it “was best to get marriedby the time he was 30”, so the two decided to getmarried. He didn’t really know much about Japan,
but Japanese manga are apparently quite popularin Singapore. In fact, he’s been told that he’s
similar to the character Giant from Doraemon.
[Please tell us about Dubai.]
There are some diligent people in Dubai, but
the majority of people are very relaxed. From
November to April the temperature is about 18
degrees making it very comfortable and a greattime to visit. Schools and companies operatefrom Sunday to Thursday with Friday being the
day to visit the mosque and Saturday being a
day for rest. School and working hours are from
8 to 4. Many people in Dubai are followers ofIslam, however, he is not. You can get alcohol
at restaurants and hotels that have received
permission to serve it, but it’s very expensive.
[What is your impression of Japan?]He has been sightseeing in many places inJapan, including Tokyo, Kanagawa, Nara, Osaka,
Kyoto, etc. He noticed that each place had its
own unique differences, and each were very
interesting. Among those, Tokushima’s charm is
its nature. The beautiful mountains and rivers of
Iya and Kamiyama, Kaifu’s sea, the quietness…
he also really loves Tokushima Ramen. Blessedwith nature, he was surprised at the quality of the
fresh vegetables and meat of Tokushima. While4
studyinga tt h eJapaneseclassesoffered at
TO P I A , h eremembers
first learning
the words“ お じ いち ゃ ん、 お
ば あ ち ゃん、 and にこにこ ”, and starting to use them left
an impression on him. The reason for this is thatpeople in Dubai who にこにこ (smile) are seen as
suspicious.
However, what he had to say next may beessential for Tokushima’s future. “Tokushima
is full of wonderful things such as rich natureand industries. However, it’s a shame that one
can’t make the most out of this. The land is so
expensive. I also wish they would explain the
tax system to foreigners in a way that’s easy tounderstand.”Finally, we asked him about his plans for the
future. He plans to continue working in Dubai,
however, he would like to visit Tokushima oncea year for several months. Until his children
enter elementary school, he would like to reduce
his work and do what he can so that they have
many experiences. Both Singapore and Dubai
are international cities so it’s possible to enjoy
foods and cultural elements from a wide array ofcountries. It seems that the nature of Tokushima
has gripped his heart. However, he also noted that
because of how time goes by slowly in Tokushima,
he would lose sight of the outside world if hestayed here for too long. When returning to Dubai
from Tokushima, he noted it would take at leasta week to return to his usual work pace. Finally,
he noted how he “hopes that corona gets undercontrol so that he and his family can see more ofJapan”.

5

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: おしぼり

By: Junko Kimura
い
なに
き
おお
日本のレストランや カフェに 行ったとき、何か 気がついたことは ありませんか。多くのレストラ
に ほん

きゃく

せき

みず

て

ふ

だ

ンなどでは、お客さんが 席についたら、お水と 手を拭くタオルを 出します。そのタオルを「おしぼり」
ぬの

かみ

なつ

つめ

ふゆ

あたた

といいます。おしぼりには 布のおしぼりと 紙のおしぼりが あります。夏は冷たいのを、冬は温かい
だ

みせ

に ほん

へいあん じ だいく げ

いえ しょうたい

きゃく

ぬ

ぬの

のを 出すお店が あります。日本は 平安時代に、公家が 家に招待した お客さんのために、濡れた布だはじ

むろまち じ だい

やど や

たびびと

みず

を 出していたことが おしぼりの始まりだそうです。室町時代になると、宿屋が 旅人のために 水を
い

おけ

も めん

て

よう い

たびびと

て

おけ

みず

入れた桶と 木綿の手ぬぐいを 用意するように なりました。旅人は 手ぬぐいを 桶の水に つけてし
よこ

て

あし

ふ

と

とき

こう い

ご げん

ぼり、汚れた手や 足を 拭き取ったそうです。この時の「しぼる」という行為が「おしぼり」の 語源
い

いま

くに

だ

になったと 言われています。今では、ほかの国でも おしぼりを 出すところが あります。あなたのくに国は どうですか。

Vocabulary List
せき

席につく Take a Seatふ拭く
へいあん じ だい

平安時代
く げ

公家
しょうたい

招 待した

Wipe

ぬ

濡れた
むろまち じ だい

Wet

おけ

桶
ふ

と

室町時代 Muromachi Period (1336-1573) 拭き取る Wipe Off

やど やHeian Period (794-1185) 宿屋

Inn

しぼる

Nobility

Traveler

語源

Invited

Pail

たびびと

旅人
て

手ぬぐい Hand Towel

ご げん

Wring
Word
OriginGairaigo Galore

ベッドタウン (commuter town)
By: Sydney Bartig
This month I would like to introduce another interesting wasei-eigo(Japanese-made English) word. When you hear the word ベ ッ ド
タ ウ ン (bed town), what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?
Although the English translation of this word is a bit different, you
may have been able to guess that it’s a commuter town (sometimes
referred to as a bedroom community, dormitory town, etc. dependingon the area).
These areas are primarily residential with many of the people
living there commuting somewhere else for work, hence the name“commuter” town in English. Especially in Japan, it’s not uncommon for people to take the train
and commute to work each day. There are also people who work in Tokyo, but rather than living inTokyo as well, they live in a neighboring prefecture.
Some examples of ベッドタウン in Japan include Tachikawa City, Mitaka City, and HigashikurumeCity of Tokyo. There are also many other examples that can be found in Tokyo, Chiba Prefecture,
Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Osaka, and Hokkaido. For those thinking about working
in one of these larger prefectures in the future, perhaps you may want to consider living in a ベッド
タウン !

Awa Shoku: Sweet Music to My Ears…of Corn
By: Lance Kita

J

une is the season for golden ears of corn, andin Tokushima that means sweet corn ス イ ー
トコーン . Most of the locally grown crop comesfrom the middle of the prefecture in Awa City,
Yoshinogawa City, and Myozai County (Ishii andKamiyama Towns). Stop by the farmer’s markets
and roadside stations in those areas and you’ll begreeted with rows of corn still in their husks withplayful names like
Kankan Musume
甘 々 娘 and Gold
Rush ゴールドラッシュ .

6Every pizza and Hokkaido ramen seems to betopped with it, and there are salads made only ofcorn kernels. Corn potage is the standard soupfor many Western-style set meals. There are evenvacuum sealed packs of corn on the cob at yourlocal supermarket, with a longer shelf life and theconvenience of having a cob on hand whenever
you feel the urge for a snack (or need a quickside veggie for a
weekday hamburg
steak dinner).

But there arerecipes that shiftcorn (especially
The Japanese
fresh sweet corn)word for corn is
into the center
tomorokoshi ( トspotlight. If you
ウモロコシ 、玉slice down the蜀 黍 ) which
length of the cob
probably derived
Eaten raw or fried, sweet corn's natural flavor comesand keep the kernels
from the words
through.
together, the pieces“tou 唐 ” (referring
to something Chinese) and ”morokoshi も ろ こ can be fried as tempura with a sprinkling of salt to
し ” (sor-ghum). Interestingly, it is called “namba garnish. It also makes a great kakiage かき揚げ ,な ん ば ” in Awa dialect, a shortened version of which is a tempura made by mixing thinly sliced
Namban-kibi 南 蛮 黍 , one of the oldest names veggies in a thin tempura batter and frying themfor this vegetable in Japan. Namban refers to as a crisp, flat cake. Try a combination of cornsomething imported from Portugal, and it’s said and edamame, both of which don’t need to bethat corn was first brought through Nagasaki by sliced.
Portuguese traders in the late 1500s.
One easy recipe is a seasoned rice (takikomiBut the sweet corn at the farmer’s markets isn’t gohan 炊き込みご飯 ). Add 2 cups of washed rice
your grandmother’s “namba.” These specially- and water to your rice cooker along with a pat ofbred varieties are 18% sugar on average, making butter and a pinch of salt. Cut the kernels off one
them as sweet as many fruits! I’ve eaten them raw cob and add them (along with the cob) on top ofoff the cob, and the kernels were crisp, juicy, and the rice. Then cook as usual. When it’s done, takesweet without the starchy mouthfeel you get from out the cob, add a splash of soy sauce, and mix
regular varieties. Imagine opening your cooler box everything together. The left-over corn takikomiand crunching down on chilled cobs of raw sweet gohan makes fantastic rice balls, which get evencorn on a humid rainy weekend afternoon. Of better grilled with butter or olive oil.
course, you can still steam or grill the cobs in thehusks, but who wants a steamy or roasted kitchen Time to rediscover commonplace corn… grab
on a summer day? I like to pop them unhusked fresh ears from a farmer’s market and try theminto the microwave for 2-3 minutes per cob (don’t raw, order some corn tempura from your local
overdo it with sweet corn). Sweet corn is so good, izakaya, or do some cooking with ears from yoursupermarket. Make locally-grown Tokushima
you won’t need any salt or butter.
sweet corn your “namba”-one summer vegetable!
Corn is ubiquitous in the modern Japanese diet.

7Japanese Lesson

By: Takako Yamada

つかかた[ って ] の使い方
This month I will continue my explanation on how to use [ って ].
しゅだい

3. 主題 (topic)[ は ] → [ って ]

めい し

めい し

●名詞＋ [ は ]ぶん→

名詞＋ [ って ]ふ つうけいぶん●文（普通形）＋ [ の ] [ は ]はやしに ほん ご＊林さん [ は ]せんせい

日本語の先生ですか。

はやしに ほん ご→林さん [ って ]はる

ふ つうけい→ 文（普通形）＋ [ の ] [ って ]

てん き

せんせい

日本語の先生ですか。

かかさ＊春の天気 [ は ] 変わりやすいですから、傘をもっていったほうがいいですよ。
はる

てん き

か

かさ

→春の天気 [ って ] 変わりやすいですから、傘をもっていったほうがいいですよ。
かん じ＊漢字をおぼえる [ の ] [ は ]むずかしいです。

かん じ→漢字をおぼえる [ の ] [ って ]むずかしいです。

てい ぎ

4. 定義 (definition)[ とは ] [ というのは ] → [ って ] [ っていうのは ]「A[ とは ( というのは )] B のことです」→「A っ [ て（っていうのは）]B のことです」
い み「A[ とは ( というのは )] B という意味です」
い み→「A[ って（っていうのは）]B という意味です」
どくしん

けっこん

＊独身 [ とは ]、結婚していない人のことです。
どくしん

けっこん

→独身 [ って ]、結婚していない人のことです。
ねこじた

あつ

た

い み

＊猫舌 [ とは ]、熱いものが食べられないという意味です。
ねこじた

あつ

た

い

み

→猫舌 [ って ]、熱いものが食べられないという意味です。
れいぶん

わたし

ねこじた

あつ

ちゃ

の

（例文：私は猫舌なので、熱いお茶が飲めません。
）
Practice: Try changing the following sentences so that they use [ って ] or [ っていうのは ].
① TOPIA は、どこにあるんですか。
あま

た

す

②甘いものを食べ過ぎるのはからだ

よ

体に良くないです。

③カラコンとは（というのは）、カラーコンタクトレンズのことです。
き そく

まも

い み

④コンプライアンスとは（というのは）、規則を守るという意味です。
Answers① TOPIA って、どこにあるんですか。
あま

た

す

からだ

よ

②甘いものを食べ過ぎるのって、体に良くないです。
③カラコンって（っていうのは）、カラーコンタクトレンズのことです。
き そく

まも

い み

④コンプライアンスって（っていうのは）、規則を守るという意味です。

Events & Memoranda
Tokushima Hydrangea Map 2021
徳島県あじさい案内図 2021

8

A Healing Journey: Beautiful South Tokushima
By: Qing Liu

After heading down from Tairyuji Temple,
we checked in at the seaside guesthouse“Sabi”, which is located in Mugi Town. Sabi is athree-story, ochre colored building located on thebeach. The walls were a clean white, and a small
reception desk was located near the entrance.
There was an aquarium in the waiting room to theleft that was filled with vivid tropical fish swimming
about. To the right was a stairway leading to
the guest rooms. Our dinner was an exquisite
Japanese meal primarily featuring locally caught
fish.
With nowhere to go in the evening, I fell right tosleep. When I woke up it was 3 AM. I opened thecurtains and was greeted with a pure black sky
and stars that seemed to expand endlessly. It
seemed like if I stretched my hand out I would be

able to touch them, and I was overwhelmed withemotion. The sky was filled with both small andlarge shining stars, and they danced above theclouds. The ocean was quiet and I couldn’t hear
the sounds of the waves. When the stars began
to fade and the light appeared, the ocean waves
shined brilliantly.
After a 30 minute car ride from Mugi Town, we
arrived at Ohama Beach, the famous spot where
sea turtles come to lay their eggs. These blue
waves and white sands were chosen as one of
the “top 100 beaches in Japan”. Every year frommid-May to August at nighttime, sea turtles returnto their birth place from far away to lay their eggs.
The people of Minami treasure the beach, andevery year they eagerly await the arrival of thesea turtles. Before Marine Day, a festival is held

9

A Healing Journey: Beautiful Hiwasa

to express appreciation for the turtle’s return.
Next, we took a 5 minute car ride from Ohama
Beach to Yakuoji Temple. Yakuoji Temple is the23rd temple of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage,and it is also the final temple in Tokushima. It was
the end of February, and the mid-day sunlight
was warm. We put on our white pilgrim garb andsugegasa hats, and with our pilgrim’s staff inhand, bowed at the old main gate and entered
the temple. The local people have a tradition ofvisiting Yakuoji Temple on their “unlucky years”
in order to protect against misfortune. They ward
off misfortune by placing coins on the steps, withthere being steps for both men and women.
Once you climb the stairs, the Shingon sect main
temple building is located behind the flowers
and trees. Behind the main temple building is afountain. Located next to a stone statue of Kobo
Daishi, it is said by believers to be a miracle
water, and for travelers it is a high-quality mineralwater.
Yakuoji Temple is a famous spot in Shikoku forsakura (cherry blossoms). If you look upwards
from the road approaching the temple, the redpagoda of Yakuoji beneath the blue sky will besurrounded by pink sakura, an almost dreamlike
scene.
Located close to Yakuoji Temple is the “Sakura
Road”. Every year around April, the “Sakura
Road Yume Marathon” is held in Minami. Other
than the marathon, the Tokushima/Minami Oiwa
Course has been chosen by the Japan Walking
Association as one of the “New Japan Walking
Path Travelogue 100 Series”. Rich in green
nature, the approximately 150 meter above sea-level Oiwa lies close to an old town that once
prospered as a fishing town.
At the end of the day we stayed at anotherguesthouse. A French sculpture artist turned a
200 year old large house into the guesthouse
while being careful to preserve the retro style.
While sitting and looking out of the window on
the 2nd floor at the old road, I heard the sound ofchildren’s footsteps. They then disappeared into
one of the nearby shops. The old lady at the shop
had been creating Yakushi Yokan since 1973,
and every time the old register would close shut itwould make a “kaching” sound, making it feel liketime had stopped for that moment.
My trip to Hiwasa was truly a healing journey.

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: 088-656-3312 or 088-656-3313 (allows for three-way conversations with an interpreter)