NAPIA

VOL.60Sep. 2022

NAPIA English Edition - Vol. 60
Established May 2009

NAPIA is a newsletter issued by Nagasaki International Association for foreign residents.
Edited by: Nagasaki International Association

Let’s compare: Japan and Thailand!

PopHi, my name is Mansri Pattaweewan Mansri. Please call me Pop. Since April 2022, I have been
studying Japanese at Kwassui Women’s University as a short-term exchange student. In the future
I would like to work at a company that deals with Japanese food or beverages. In this issue, I would
like to discuss about what I think are the differences between Japan and Thailand.

What are Thai people like?
I believe Thai people are laid-back and kind. In Thailand, no matter where you go, if you are in trouble, someone
will come help you. Thai people always have a smile on their face. Thai people are also good at expressing theirthoughts clearly. For example, when it comes to declining an invitation, Thai people will directly say “I can’t go” or“I don’t want to go”. It is not considered impolite and there is no need to explain the reason. On the other hand,when Japanese people want to decline an invitation, they will be indirect and say “Today’s a bit...” or “It seemsdifficult”. In this way, I believe Thai people and Japanese people are different.

Nicknames (=Chuelen) are used a lot in Thailand
Thai names are written in the order of Given name, Surname, which is the opposite of Japanese names. Also,Japanese people often call others by their Surname. However, in Thailand people often call others by theirnickname. In Thailand, people have a nickname (chuelen) which is different from their real name. Nicknames areused more often than real names in Thailand, and people give out their nickname when asked for their name.
These nicknames are created by the parents. My nickname is POP. Everyone in my family has a name beginningwith the letter P, so my name was created to also start with a P. In business settings, real names are used, but it
is usually just the Given name that is used. Surnames are not used that much, which is why I sometimes forget
my friends’ Surnames!

Thai Greetings and Meals
In Japan, you often hear the greeting “Hi, how are you?”. However, in Thailand, instead of saying “Hi, how areyou?” people say “Hi, have you eaten?”. In the past, Thailand was all countryside, and so there used to be a long
distance to reach the nearest house or market. Therefore, when meeting an acquaintance, people would say“Have you eaten?” as a means of asking “Are you tired? Are you hungry? Would you like to take a rest?”. Basedon this tradition, Thai people still use this greeting to express their care for the other person.
Additionally, when you go to a large restaurant in Thailand, meals areserved on a large platter, instead of single servings. Even if you order one
rice, it will be brought out in a large bowl, and served by either the waiteror the customer. If you want to order food for one person only, you must
inform the waiter.
Everyone, when you come to Thailand, I hope you challenge yourselves
to experience things you can’t experience in Japan, get to know Thailand,
and have lots of fun!
Thai large platter meals

Let’s have a look at the hazard map for the area you live in!
In this issue, we will introduce the “Flood Hazard Map” and “Landslide Hazard Map” created by Nagasaki City.
Nagasaki City has limited areas of flat land, so many houses are built on slopes. Therefore, in the event of torrential
rain: overflowing rivers, flooding of urban areas, and collapse of slopes can easily occur. Each city and town creates
their own hazard map. Before a disaster strikes, please go over the hazard map for your area and prepare yourself
for floods and landslides!

What is a “Flood Hazard Map”?
The “Flood Hazard Map” is a map that shows inthe event of heavy rain and overflowing rivers:① anticipated areas of flooding and flood levels② evacuation sites and shelters.
＜①Anticipated areas of flooding and flood levels＞
A range of colors are also used to represent the areas
which are anticipated to flood. Different colors (yellow,orange, red etc) are used to represent the different
levels of flooding expected.
＜②Evacuation sites and shelters＞
ひ なんば しょ

●避難場所(Evacuation sites): an open area or park
you can temporarily escape to, to avoid the dangersof a disaster.
ひなんじょ●避難所(Evacuation shelters): a building you can

Source: “Nagasaki City Nagashima River Flood Hazard Map”

from the Nagasaki City website
https://www.city.nagasaki.lg.jp/bousai/210002/p038970.html

temporarily stay in if you can’t live in your home due
to a disaster.

What is a “Landslide Hazard Map?”
The “Landslide Hazard Map” is a map that shows
landslide hazard areas and special landslide hazard
areas, as well as evacuation sites and shelters in theevent of heavy rain.
ど し ゃ さいがいけいかい く い き● 土砂災害警戒区域 (Landslide hazard areas): Inthe event of a landslide, these are the areas in which
the lives of residents may be in danger. These areas
are represented in yellow.
ど し ゃ さいがいとくべつけいかい く い き●土砂災害特別警戒区域 (Special landslide hazardareas): In the event of a landslide, these are the areasin which buildings may collapse, and the lives ofresidents may be in danger. These areas arerepresented inside the red borders.

Source: “Landslide Hazard Map” from the Nagasaki CityWebsite
https://www.city.nagasaki.lg.jp/bousai/210002/p025535.html

Don’t just check the location of your nearest evacuation site and shelter on the map.
Make sure you actually visit the evacuation site and shelter yourself and determine
how to get there. Also, make sure to write down these locations on a piece of paper
and keep it in your emergency bag.
Additionally, some cities and towns post useful information on disaster prevention
such as how to access weather information, and warning signs of a landslide. Make
sure to check out this information, together with the hazard map!
You can access the hazard map for each city and town from the NagasakiPrefecture website.

TheFloodHazard Map
for each cityand town isavailable here!
The Landslide
Hazard Map
for each cityand town isavailable here!

About the “Multilingual KIKIKURU” published in NAPIA vol.59
The “Multilingual KIKIKURU” introduced in NAPIA vol.59 has a slight amendment to the 5 colors representing
disaster risk. Please check this out on KIKIKURU, as it will serve as your guideline for evacuation in the eventof a disaster.
★The purple colors have merged into one★The black color (imminent disaster) has been added●Until 30th June 2022
Check weather
bulletin

CautionWarningHigh risk

Equivalent to Alert
Level 2Equivalent to Alert
Level 3Equivalent to Alert
Level 4

CautionWarning

DangerEquivalent to Alert
Level 2Equivalent to Alert
Level 3Equivalent to Alert
Level 4Extreme risk

●From 1st July 2022
Check weather
bulletin

Imminent Disaster
Equivalent to Alert
Level 5The Japanese Culture Experience Class~ Ikebana Experience ~ was held!
On Saturday 18th June 2022, a Japanese Culture Experience Class
was held for foreigners living in the Prefecture, providing them withthe opportunity to experience Ikebana.
This time, 7 participants from 6 countries (Vietnam, Thailand,Australia, Belarus, Italy and Ukraine) participated. Participants
experienced Ikebana by using the theme of “my flower” to express
themselves and arrange a beautiful creation inside the vase.
Before arranging the flowers, the participants learned how to increase the longevity of the flowers. First, is“cutting in the stem in water”. Fill a bowl with water, and cut the stem inside the water. By cutting the stem in thewater, the plant absorbs the water. Even flowers that have wilted a little bit become revived when the stem is
cut in water. Next, remove all the leaves that will be in the water inside the vase, to prevent the leaves fromrotting and contaminating the water.
After learning how to cut the stem in water and such, participants created their unique Ikebana flower
arrangements with advice from Sogetsu School’s teacher Mrs. Ayaka Noguchi. As Mrs. Noguchi said, “Ikebana
can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere, with any container and with any flowers”. In this way, we hope that all
foreigners will enjoy experiencing Ikebana both in Japan and in their home countries.

Consultation Centre for Foreign People Q&A
Q: I want to leave my child somewhere while I work, what can I do?
A: For parents who are unable to look after their children due to work or illness etc., daycare centers areavailable for infants and young children from the age of 0 up until commencement of elementary school.
Daycare fees are set by each city and town based on national standards and are determined according to
the guardian’s income and the child’s age.
To use a daycare center, you must submit an application form to the city or town office. The requireddocuments are determined by each city and town, so please ask your local city or town office for further details.

Event Information“Gallery Talk for Foreigners” (Hosted by the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture)
For the exhibition about Nagasaki in the past, staff members will provide explanations while guiding guests througheach room. There are days for explanations in “easy Japanese”, and days for explanations in English. Bookings areessential.
Theme: History and Festivals of Nagasaki (each session is from 3pm until 4:30pm)⚫

English: Friday, 23rd September 2022 (public holiday)⚫

Easy Japanese: Saturday, 24th September 2022

Bookings for September
available here!

Theme: Exchange Between Nagasaki and China (each session is from 3pm until 4:30pm)⚫

English: Saturday, 22nd October 2022⚫

Easy Japanese: Saturday, 12th November 2022

Bookings for October andNovember available here!

≪Location≫ Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture Level 2 Exhibition Room(1-1-1 Tateyama Nagasaki City)≪Who can attend≫ Foreigners living in Nagasaki Prefecture, people with a foreign background≪Capacity≫ Up to 10 people each day (first 10 people to make a booking)≪Admission Fee≫ Those attending this event must pay the admission fee*Adults 500 yen / Senior high school students 250 yen / International students, elementary school students andjunior high school students living in Nagasaki Prefecture have free admission*International students must show their student identification card.
≪Other≫ Japanese citizens accompanying foreigners residing in Nagasaki Prefecture are also welcome to attend.
Please use the QR code above to make a booking.
≪Contact≫ Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture Attention: Ms. Sueyoshi（TEL：095-818-8389）“24th Nagasaki International Festival”
For the first time in 3 years, the festival will be held face-to-face! It is a day where you can experience different
cultures by looking at exhibitions of international exchange organizations, purchasing fair trade goods, participating
in a tea ceremony while wearing a kimono, and much more. This year there will also be stage performances of musicfrom around the world! We look forward to seeing you there!
≪When≫ Thursday, 3rd November (public holiday) 11am to 4pm≪Venue≫ Conference Hall, Nagasaki City Citizen’s Plaza Hall (Level 5, Merca Tsukimachi, 3-18 Tsukimachi,Nagasaki City)≪ Exhibiting Organizations ≫ 29 organizations from within Nagasaki Prefecture will exhibit activities ofinternational exchange. There will also be a tea ceremony experience while wearing kimono.
≪What’s on≫ Exhibitions of the activities of international exchange organizations within Nagasaki Prefecture, stageperformances (musical performances from around the world), booths to experience Japanese culture, booths toexperience trying on traditional outfits such as sari or ao dai, flea markets, display and sale of fair trade goods andhandicrafts from overseas, conversations in foreign languages, and introductions to foreign cultures etc.
※To prevent the spread of the new variant of COVID-19, there will be no cooking booth this year.
※We would like to recruit volunteers to help out on the day of the festival. The recruitment notice will be posted on
the Nagasaki International Association website and Facebook page, so if you are interested, please check it out!

Nagasaki International Association
2-11 Dejima-machi Nagasaki City
E-mail：nia@nia.or.jp

TEL：095-823-3931

FAX：095-822-1551

Website：https://www.nia.or.jp/

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/nia.nagasaki/
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