aWa life
DMV Vehicle

August 2022
# 382

Introduction to JTM
Tokushima Japanese
Network

CIR Farewell Letters

Gairaigo Galore:
ドイツ1

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

After cancellations due to the COVID-19, the Tokushima City Awa Odori will finally be held this year!
Along with it, Arasowaren will be coming together once again to dance on August 14th. Arasowaren
is a ren (dance group) made up of people of a variety of nationalities who all come together to enjoy
Tokushima’s famous Awa Odori. Why not take the chance to get out in August and go see the Awa
Odori performances for yourself? It will certainly be a fun time.
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:
Zhanna Voznyuk, Joelle Seggert, Samantha Simmons, Mako Kobayashi, Fumiko Kanematsu, andYukiko Watanabe

Contents2

Pg. 2-3: DMV Vehicle, Kaiyo Town, Tokushima, Shikoku, Japan
Pg. 4:CIR Farewell Messages

Pg. 5:

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: 山の日

Pg. 5:

Gairaigo Galore: ドイツ

Pg. 6:

Introduction to JTM Tokushima Japanese Network

Pg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8-9: Events and Memoranda
DMV Vehicle, Kaiyo Town, Tokushima, Shikoku, Japan
By: Zhanna VoznyukTheir designs are instark contrast to thebreathtaking nature of Kaiyo
To w n , a n d t h e s e b r i g h t
vehicles running on theirroutes definitely stand out. At
first glance, their appearance
could be mistaken for a bus,
but there’s something justa little off … Sharp-eyedviewers will notice that it’s
not only the shape that’s a
bit different – astonishingly,
these compact vehicles run
on railroad tracks as smoothly
as they do on roads!
In December 2021, Kaiyo
Town’s Asa Coast Railway
Company launched theworld’s first full-scalecommercial operation of theDual Mode Vehicle (DMV),
a new generation of public
transport that is both a
bus and a train in one. It iscapable of running on bothroads and railroad tracks,transitioning seamlessly with
its ability to switch modes
in just fifteen seconds.

3

DMV Vehicle

The DMV is a revolutionary step in the region’stransportation system, making it more convenientand more efficient. DMV operation routes connect
southern Tokushima with Kochi’s Toyo Town,
stopping at local tourist facilities along the way.
On weekends and public holidays, the DMV’sroute even runs as far south as Kochi’s Cape
Muroto!

breezy design, together with a soaring whiteheron known as shirasagi, represents Tokushima
Prefecture.

The vehicle has been remodeled based on aminibus. When on the road, it runs on rubber tires,
while steel guide wheels mounted on the front andrear are hidden in the bonnet and trunk. Switching
to train mode is performed with passengers on
board at the interchange (MIC), that connects
the road and the railway tracks. The steel guide
wheels descend from the vehicle body, turning
it into a train carriage. The guide wheels lift thefront tires off the track while the driving rear tires
stay down to propel the DMV onto the railway.
Additionally, the steering wheel remains fixed inplace while on the railroad track, and the vehicle
is operated by the accelerator and brake pedals inthe same way as in bus mode.

Check out Deep South Tokushima's Facebook
and Instagram!
Southern Tokushima Points of Interest@deep_south_tokushima

There are three vehicles in service on the AsatoLine:
The blue “Surfing to the future” DMV 931, whose
motif is the dynamic waves of the Pacific Ocean.
It depicts the mascot of Shishikui Station, thespiny lobster, on his surfboard, as a symbol ofeffort and the ability to face tough challenges.
The green “Sudachi style” DMV 932’s light andThe bright red “Asa Coast Restoration” DMV 933
depicts a source of pride for Shikoku, historical
hero Sakamoto Ryoma and the sun shining on
his native Tosa. This design alludes to the zeal forregional revitalization.

CIR Farewell Messages
Joelle Seggert
As I sit down to write this farewell message, itfeels like little to no time has passed since mywelcome message in last year’s December issueof Awa Life. However, looking back at my life in
Tokushima and all of the precious memories andexperiences I've made, I realize how connected
I feel to this place and its people, despite
having only lived here for 9 months. Due to thepandemic, many things didn't go as planned –especially at work. Even though I came here asa CIR to promote intercultural understanding andhelp with all kinds of exchange events, most ofthem got either cancelled or postponed, leaving
little to no work for me. Nevertheless, this lack ofwork actually provided me with the opportunity to
be creative, come up with my own events, andwork within the limitations I had.
When I think about it now, this has probably
contributed to my personal growth on many
levels and even though a part of me still feels
like I could have done much more under different
circumstances, I can say with confidence that I
gave it my all.
As somebody interested in basically anything
Samantha Simmons
Over half a year has passed since I began
working as a CIR in the Sports Promotion Divisionat the Tokushima Prefectural Office. Although I
haven't been here for very long, it has been quite
a long, rewarding journey with many ups anddowns. I've had plenty of wonderful experiences,
overcome many obstacles, and succeeded inmany areas that I didn't believe possible before
coming here.
Unfortunately, I will have to say goodbye to mycolleagues at the Tokushima Prefectural Officeat the end of July. I would like to extend mysincerest gratitude to everyone I had the pleasureof crossing paths with since my appointment
in December 2021. The immense support andkindness of my superiors, colleagues, and fellow
CIRs has been paramount to my ability to settle
into my new life in Japan and to prevail in the faceof every challenge that came my way.

from crafting tooutdoor activities,
life in Tokushima has
provided me withmany opportunities
to try and experience
new things. Things,
I could have neverexperienced if I had
stayed in Germany.
But it has also led tomany beautiful encounters.

4

There are so many people I feel thankful to, that
I don't know where to start. To all the volunteer
members that fill my day with good energy, fun,and warmth every morning before work and on
the weekends, to my koto, sado and ikebanateachers who have always been patient andencouraging, to everyone at Musou-ren forallowing me to dance with them in this year’s
Awa-Odori festival, to my fellow JETs and all myother dear friends here in Tokushima: Thank you.
You have made this place feel like home.
I'll be back. Next Stop? Miyazaki!

Though it will bedifficult to leave thef a m i l i a r, f r i e n d l yenvironment of theSports Promotion
Division, I am pleased
to announce that I
have been blessedwith the opportunity
to continue working as a CIR in Tokushima after
July. The next chapter of my journey will takeplace at Tokushima City Hall, where I aspire tocontinue down the path of career development
and self-improvement.
I am very grateful to all of the wonderful people
at the Tokushima Prefectural Office, and I lookforward to continuing to live and work in thisbeautiful city! Cheers!

みな5Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: 山の日
By: Mako Kobayashi
やま

ひ

し

皆さんは「山の日」を
やま

ひ

やま

この山の日は 「山に
やま

ひ

い がい

ひ

知っていますか。

に ほん

き かい

え

機会を

得て、山の恵みに

しゅんぶん

ひ

じ さん

とえば、富 士 山 で

き せつ

し ぜん

自然に関係する

しゅくじつ

日本の祝日です。
もく てき感謝する」ことをがつ

うみ

ひ目的としています。
がつ

しゅうぶん

ぎ ふ けんおお

祝日が多くあります。

ひ

山の日もしず おか けん有名な

静 岡 県 は、2 月 23 日 を 「富 士 山 の日 」と
か

さん

ひ

がつ

にち

あるようです。た

ゆう めい

がつ よう

かい

ふや

会を

増やしてみませんか。

じ さん

ひ

やま なし けんやま

山 梨 県 は 「やまなし

山 の日 」、

ひ決めています。
い

キャンプや

ふ

きま

岐阜県では 「ぎふ山の日」と

山へ

に ほん

かん しゃ

しゅくじつ

やま

その県独自の

決 めています。そして、8 月 8 日 を

やま

めぐ

ひ

かんけい

けん どく じ

きま

皆さんも

やま

がつ

季節や

けん

みな

ひ

8 月 11 日は「山の日」という親しむそれぞれの県では
ふ

やま

3 月は 「春分の日」、 5 月は 「みどりの日」、7 月は 「海の日」、 9 月は 「秋分の日」など、日本には

また

にち

した

がつ

山の日以外にもがつハイキングにやま

行って、山での

あそ

き

遊ぶ機

Vocabulary List
した

親しむ Get Familiar With
き かい

機会
え

得る
めぐ

恵み

Opportunity
Get
Blessings

ドイツ (Germany)
By: Nico Bohnsack

かんしゃ

し ぜん

感謝する Appreciate

自然

もくてき

かんけい

目的
い がい

以外
き せつ

季節

PurposeExcept For
Season

関係する
どく じ

独自
ふ

増やす

NatureBe Related To
UniqueIncrease

Gairaigo Galore

In Japan I sometimes get asked why Germany is actually called ド イ ツ in Japanese since, forexample, in French the country is called “Allemagne” and in English people callthe country “Germany” which both sound totally different from “doitsu”. Moreover,the English expression “Germany” is also sometimes used in the Japanese
language. Something that can be seen very often is using it as an adjective, suchin ジャーマンポテト , but also ジャーマニー in the meaning of the country namecan be seen in rare cases. The usual expression, however, is ドイツ .
Now many of you probably know that Germans calltheir country “Deutschland” in German and it seems
highly likely that the Japanese ド イ ツ stems from the German word
for “Germany”. But why isn’t it called ド イ ッ チ ュ ラ ン ド then? One
explanation would be that the Japanese just shortened the word abit. After all, Japanese love abbreviations, as we all know. Anotherexplanation says that the German word for “German” (Deutsch) is the origin of ドイツ . However,there is also a theory which says that the word ドイツ stems from the Dutch word “Duits” (German).
Since Japan came into contact with Germany through the Dutch during the Edo period, it would
actually make sense that the Japanese took over the Dutch word for “German” and began to use it
in the meaning of “Germany”.

Introduction to JTM Tokushima Japanese Network
By: Fumiko Kanematsu“Convey the Importance of Japanese, ShareOur Work from Tokushima”… 25 Years ofConnections
The JTM (Japanese Teaching Methodology)
Research Association was founded in June
1997 as a study group for teaching foreigners
Japanese, and the group has now reached its
25th anniversary.
At the time of our founding there wereapproximately 2,500 foreign residents living inTokushima. In 2002, just a mere 5 years later,that number increased to 4,996. Afterwards,
the number then peaked in 2004 at 5,911 andremained at around 5,000 until June 2018. It
then showed signs of increase just before April
2019 when the revised Immigration Control Act
came into effect at the end of 2018, exceeding
6,000 for the first time at 6,073. The COVID-19
pandemic then swept the world, and restrictions
on foreigners entering the country continued. The
number of foreign residents in the prefecture now
remains at about 6,500.
Along with the continual increase in foreign
residents, JTM’s activities have also developed.
In 1999, along with the creation of the textbook“Konnichiwa Tokushima”, we held a course on
how to teach the text, and many of today’s core
members took part in said course and grew to befriends. In 2001, under the concept of “Convey
the Importance of Japanese, Share Our Work
from Tokushima”, our group’s name was changed
to “JTM Tokushima Japanese Network”. Since
then, our volunteer activities have also spread,including a “Japanese salon”, “summer vacation
Japanese classes for children”, “haiku exchange
meeting”, etc. After forming a teacher’s group in
2003, we aimed to increase our knowledge in
specialized fields including Japanese for technicalintern trainees and local Japanese classes.
In 2005, immediately
after taking on therole of representative
and attending a
Japanese speech
contest held by
TOPIA, I wasshocked to hear a speech by a Japanese spouse
who called for more Japanese education bystating, “I want a chance to learn Japanese,demonstrate my abilities, and be of use to myfamily and society.” This was a big turning point
for me. “Just how much do I really understandabout what foreign residents are feeling?”
Throwing away our preconceptions, we learned

6

from awarenesssurveys andopinion exchange
meetings thatthose who livein Japan for alonger time had
more worries,
and noticed that it was connections with others
that made them want to make the most of theirabilities. This led to the unchanging directionof JTM, which is to challenge the possibilities
of Japanese education and aim for “realizing asociety where foreigners can live together withlocals”.
As a cumulation of the knowledge and practice
we have had for the realization of a local society,
we have implemented many initiatives, including
a “mid-level Japanese class” started in 2006, a“Japanese terakoya” started in 2009, the “Country
Pride and Potluck Party” held every March since2010, a “skill development class for Japanese
instructors” as commissioned by the Agency of
Cultural Affairs, creation of a textbook “Konnichiwa
Tokushima for Living Together With Your Children”
for parents and guardians, a “Japanese course forparents and guardians”, a “career advancement
Japanese course for obtaining beneficial
skills for job seeking”, and more. The spreadof COVID-19 has severely limited Japaneselearning opportunities, so in order to create asustainable learning environment, we have held
study sessions on how to utilize online platforms
for Japanese instructions, as well as hold online
Japanese classes and round-table talks.
Looking back, in addition to our regular activities,
our organization has had countless chances toparticipate in projects with the cooperation of
TOPIA, including the “summer school” that wewere commissioned for by TOPIA, seminars andworkshops with experts in the field of Japanese
education, opinion exchange meetings and panel
discussions with foreign residents, courses toexperience and learn about Japanese culture,etc. Through this our knowledge, exchange
experiences, and activities have accumulated.
From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful.
With a declining population, the opportunity
for foreign residents to play an active role willcontinue to expand and diversify. With this inmind, we hope that we can continue to challenge
the possibilities of Japanese language education
through our ties with TOPIA and other related
institutions and organizations. We ask for yourcontinued guidance and encouragement.

7Japanese Lesson
By: Yukiko Watanabe

ひらがな

カタカナ

かんじ

漢字

Did you know that hiragana and katakana were made from kanji? In the past, Japan had aspoken language, but not a written one. They then borrowed kanji from China and began towrite with them.
However, kanji have many stroke counts, and they take a lot of time to write. In order to write
quickly, lines were erased to form hiragana. Katakana was formed by writing just a portion of
the kanji.
Hiragana was mainly used by women who served in the imperial court. Katakana was firstused by monks in order to read sutras. Both date back to the 8 th ~ 9th century.
Remembering many kanji is difficult, right? However, thanks to the different kinds ofcharacters in Japanese, it is easy to tell the breaks in sentences. It’s also convenient that you
can see a katakana word and immediately recognize it as a foreign word.
か んじ【漢字→ひらがな・カタカナ】※The original kanji areslightly different whenbecoming hiragana andkatakana.

【Quiz】 Try to guess what I wrote. Try to imagine the hiragana from the cursive-style characters.

【答】こんにちはEvents & Memoranda

8

徳島市阿波おどり
Tokushima City Awa Odori
Taking into account the COVID-19 situation withthe spread of the variants and the fact that it
cannot be predicted if the situation will be fully
under control, this year’s Awa Odori will be held
on a smaller scale than usual. While monitoring
the COVID-19 situation, the event will be held
based on the “2020 Awa Odori Next Model” aswell as the “2021 Awa Odori New Normal Model”
that were held during COVID-19 with anti-infection
measures taken into place.

新型コロナウイルス感染症の変異株が拡大し、そFestival Eve (Asty Tokushima)
Senbatsu Awa Odori (Awa Gin Hall)
Paid Stages: Aibahama, Minamiuchimachi
Free Stages: Ryogokuhoncho, Shinmachibashi
BridgeDancing Squares: Shinmachibashi higashi,
Ryogokubashi minami,
Amico Dome,
Civic Center Sakura Hall

前夜祭 ( アスティとくしま )、の収束も十分見通せない状況にあること等を踏まえ、「2022 阿波おどり」は、コロナ禍において万全の感染防止対策を講じ開催した「2020 阿波おどりネクストモデル」
や「2021 阿波おどり ~ ニューノーマルモデル ~」を参考に、感染状況に注視しつつ、通常より縮小した規模で開催いたします。

選抜阿波おどり ( あわぎんホール )有料演舞場 ( 藍場浜、南内町 )
無料演舞場 ( 両国本町、新町橋 )おどり広場等 ( 新町橋東、両国橋南、
アミコドーム、
シビックセンターさくらホール )When: August 12th (Fri.) – 15th (Mon.)
日時：8 月 12 日（金）～ 15 日（月）*August 11th (Thur.) is the festival eve※ 8 月 11 日 ( 木・祝 ) は前夜祭
Inquiries: Awa Odori Mirai he Tsunagu Executive
お問い合わせ：阿波おどり未来へつなぐ
Committee Secretariat
実行委員会事務局(Within the city’s Festivities and Exchange
Department)（徳島市にぎわい交流課内）
TEL: 088-621-5233
TEL: 088-621-5233
URL: https://www.awaodorimirai.com/
URL: https://www.awaodorimirai.com/*The event may be cancelled based on theTokushima Alert level.

* とくしまアラートレベルによっては中止になる
かもしれません。

9

Events & Memoranda
四国酒まつり～夏の陣～
Shikoku Sake Matsuri ~Summer Version~

The “23rd Shikoku Sake Matsuri” that was
postponed due to COVID-19 will be held thissummer as a “summer version”.
*Depending on the COVID-19 situation, thecontents of the event may change. Thank you in
advance for your understanding.

新型コロナウイルス感染拡大の影響を受け、開催を延期していました「第 23 回四国酒まつり」を“夏の陣”として今夏開催いたします。
※ 新型コロナウイルス感染状況により、開催内
容が変更になる場合がありますのでご了承ください。

When: August 13th (Sat.) 13:00 – 17:00
Where: 2175-3 Ikedachō Machi, Miyoshi City
Flat Square(2 minute walk from JR Awa Ikeda Station)
Fee: Only day-of tickets are available.
You will get 5 drink tickets for 1,000 yen.
Inquiries: Shikoku Sake Matsuri
Executive Committee Secretariat(Within the Awa Ikeda Chamber ofCommerce and Industry)
TEL: 0883-72-0143
URL: http://www.shikoku-sakematuri.com

日時 : 8 月 13 日（土）13:00 ～ 17:00
場所 : 三好市池田町マチ 2175-3
ふらっとスクエア（JR 阿波池田駅より徒歩約 2 分）
料金 : 当日券のみの販売
1000 円で５杯試飲できます
お問い合わせ：四国酒まつり実行委員会事務局（阿波池田商工会議所内）
TEL: 0883-72-0143
URL: http://www.shikoku-sakematuri.com

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 isavailable 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.
Japanese, English, Chinese: Everyday, 10:00 - 18:00 (closed during the New Year's holidays)
Vietnamese: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, 10:00 - 14:00
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, 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)