Issue No. 44

Fall 2002

CLAIR UPDATE

16 Candles, the Conference and the Cat
By Archie Mochizuki
Programme Coordinator of CLAIR Tokyo“Is that a cage that I see?”

British Programme Coordinator to match theuniform of the Japan World Cup Soccerteam) who volunteered their time to guidethe new participants. Looking at the facesof the new JETs, one could see the effectsof the lengthy journey as well as a sense ofa foreign country very different from theirown. A year promising new experiences, newbeginnings, new friends and new perspectives. And although a year may seem like along time, the time flies by swiftly.

A visit to the Quarantine
Department at Narita Airport did
not happen just once, but approximately 3 times this year. It seemedthat spouses and children were notthe only dependents accompanying
the large number of participants
taking part in the 16th year of theJET Programme. One Coordinatorfor International Relations-Tokyo
Orientation Assistant (CIR-TOA)
became an expert on what to dowhen bringing pets into Japan
Pets, which are popular traveling companions, often end up indespite the fact that prior to depar- the Quarantine Department at Narita Airport.
ture, all travelers were advised notto!! This year, the orientation took placerelief at finally arriving in Japan. The sheerfrom July 28th to 31st (A) and fromvolume of luggage showed that the limits
August 4th to 7th (B).
proposed by the airlines were generallyignored. Snowboards, keyboards, surfboards,
As in previous years, terminals 1 and 2
bicycles, portable gym sets – the list wentof Narita Airport were filled with the energy
on and on. It definitely looked like the limitsof new and present JETs. CLAIR staff,
were broken and the costs incurred for extra
Tokyo Orientation Assistants (TOAs) andbaggage went way beyond what was expecttravel agents (clad in sky-blue JET Programme ed. Why so much baggage? These youngsters
t-shirts selected by a charismatic female
were preparing for a year away from home in

The day was long, stretching from
5:00am to 11:00pm. And it wasn’t over yet.
Narita Airport was just the prelude to the3-day orientation that was to follow. Oncethe bus ride from Narita Airport was over,
the Keio Plaza Hotel venue was suddenly
filled with the gleeful banter of foreign“Yes, that’s a cage….and there’s
definitely a cat in there!”

Copyright 2002 Published by Japan Local Government Center

continued on page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CLAIR UPDATE

16 Candles, The JET
Programme Conference
SISTER CITIESKanazawa and Buffalo
PREFECTURE TODAY

Kagawa Prefecture
DESIGNATED CITY

Sapporo CityJETAA ACTIVITIESNorthern Alberta JETAAJLGC UPDATEJETs Return to Hometown

134578Masthead: The sakura, or cherry blossom, is Japan’scherished national flower. Special hanami parties andexcursions are held during blossom time each year.

The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, Tokyo

CLAIR UPDATE

16 Candles, the Conference and the Catcontinued from page 1youths. Perhaps it was the excitement offinally arriving in the center of Japan andbeing surrounded by the incandescent neonlights that spelled Tokyo. For others, it may
have been the thought of finally leaving homeand tasting the flavor of independence. Morethan likely, it was something bigger than that.
The reality was that these foreign youths
were the participants of a prestigious international exchange program known to be thelargest and most successful of its kind in theworld.
If you were to watch the entire 3-dayorientation on fast forward, you would see
over a thousand people scurrying to workshops located on the ground floor, as well as
the 46th and 47th floors, of the hotel. You
would see those new participants listening
intently to the speeches given by the ministry
officials at the opening ceremonies. The elevators were continuously packed and longlines formed just waiting for them to arrive.
People wanted information on what they wereto do here in Japan and what the program wasall about. The Ministry of Education, Culture,Sports, Science and Technology held sessions
for the Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs)
while CLAIR and the Ministry of Public
Management, Home Affairs, Posts andTelecommunications provided information for
the Coordinators for International Relations(CIRs). TOAs ran workshops focusing on life
in Japan while JET Programme supervisorsfrom various prefectures held information
meetings. Despite the fast pace, the jetlag andthe immensity of the orientation, the new participants took notes intently and tried to makesense of it all. It may have been information

JLGC Newsletter

overload, but it isalways better to havetoo much of something
than too little of it.
Things went relatively smoothly andthankfully no major
mishaps occurred.
There were some JETs
who fell ill and needed
to rest or be taken tothe hospital. One
The 3-day orientation was held at Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo for the new
Programme Coordinator
JETs who have just arrived in Japan.
had to take it easy due
to the pressures of the all-consuming daily
their home for a year or more. Like hanabi
activities. But, underneath the sweltering heat (fireworks) that race across the fall sky atof the Tokyo fall sun, the orientation ran itsnight, all that remained is the quiet moment
course. The hustle and bustle of the 3-dayafter everyone has gone home.
event came to a close and the new JETs wereon their way to the prefectures that would be
And the cat? It arrived safely in Kyushu.

All About the JET Programme

For Those Who Are Interested
in Living and Working in Japan
If you would like to obtain more information about the Japan Exchange and Teaching(JET) Programme or know of someone who is interested, please check the following links:www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/jet/outline.html (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
www.jetprogramme.org (Council of Local Authorities for International Relations)
Recruitment begins in autumn of every year for positions commencing in July and Augustof the following year.
To download an application form, please visit the following links:
US – www.embjapan.org
Canada – www.embassyjapancanada.org

2Issue 44

Fall 2002

SISTER CITIESKanazawa and Buffalo
Kanazawa
City Emblem

The City of Kanazawa in Ishikawa
Prefecture and the City of Buffalo in New
York State have had a sister-city relationshipsince 1962. They marked their 40th year
anniversary in 2002.

implemented a variety of exchange activities,
including visits from sister-city delegations toeach of the cities and cultural and academic
exchanges. To celebrate this 40th anniversary
year, a delegation of twenty people fromKanazawa City is locatednorthwest of Tokyo, on the Japan
Sea, and has a population of about
450,000. The city is one ofJapan’s foremost castle towns andboasts many places of historic andaesthetic interest. It also has manyflourishing traditional crafts suchas gold leaf, Yuzen (formalkimono), and pottery. In contrast
to its policy of valuing architectural and cultural traditions, recently
the city has begun to promote
modern development. A lookdown any of Kanazawa’s streets
illustrates the coexistence ofmodern and traditional styles.

188 countries. This work of art illustrates thespiritual and genetic thread that connects allpeople, tying us together with hope and inspiration. It is an environmental work sponsoredby the Division of Sustainable Development
at the United Nations. The project
includes clay presented by
Kanazawa City in 1998. InKanazawa, about 100 participantsfrom various age groups with someconnection to Buffalo placed theirhandprints in a spiral pattern in theclay to make this sculpture.

“Common Ground World Project in Kanazawa.” The completed work is
a curved section assembled into one large spiral. Shown in this picture isMr. Tamotsu Yamade, Mayor of Kanazawa City (left) and Mr. Neil
Tetkowski, ceramic artist (center).

Buffalo City, located on theshores of Lake Erie, is known as
the “Queen City of the Lakes.”
Niagara Falls, one of the world’s sevennatural wonders, is only 25 miles away. It has
hot and dry summers and very severe winters.
After the building of the world’s largest storehouse in 1843, Buffalo developed as a gateway to the East. The nearby Erie Canal supported the early growth of iron industries andmills. Buffalo also owes its reputation as acultural and academic city to the existence of
the world-class Albright Knox Art Gallery,
the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the State
University of New York at Buffalo.
Until now Kanazawa and Buffalo have

JLGC Newsletter

Buffalo, headed by Mr. Gleed, the executive
assistant to the mayor, visited Kanazawa lastJuly. During their stay in Kanazawa they paida courtesy visit to Mr. Yamade, Mayor ofKanazawa, tried on Japanese kimonos, andjoined an exchange meeting with public elementary school students.
In conjunction with their stay, Kanazawa
City also celebrated the “Common Ground
World Project in Kanazawa,” produced byMr. Neil Tetkowski, a ceramic artist from
Buffalo. This project is a collaborative workthat includes both people and materials from3

BuffaloCity Seal

At the same time this delegation was visiting Kanazawa, a delegation of seven members from theKanazawa City Council, headed byMr. Kohichi Kawa, Chairperson,
visited Buffalo. They paid a visit toMr. Masiello, Mayor of Buffalo,
visited the Japanese gardens, andparticipated in an exchange meeting with members of the BuffaloKanazawa Sister City Committee.

Kanazawa has given a lot ofthought to what a city should be, and has
worked hard to honor their history, promotescholarship, and enrich their local culture.
These days, a worldwide “borderless society”
is being created and exchanges between peoples are increasing. Kanazawa has seven sister cities in seven countries, including
Buffalo. The city makes aggressive efforts to
expand its exchanges with the entire world
and promote personal, cultural, and industrial
exchanges. All of Kanazawa hopes that theexchanges of citizens through the sister-city
program will contribute to the peace andprosperity of the world.

Issue 44

Fall 2002

PREFECTURE TODAY

Kagawa Prefecture
Beautiful Island Place
Kagawa Prefecture is situated in northeastern Shikoku, which itself is in southwestern Japan. This area enjoys a so-called “SetoInland Sea climate” which means it is mild
throughout all of the four seasons. Kagawa
enjoys more than 2,100 hours of sunshine per
year and, with an average annual rainfall ofjust 1,100mm (43.3 in), is one of driest prefectures.
A Prefecture Rich in Sightseeing
Kotohiragu Shrine is an ancient shrine
dedicated to the guardian god of the sea. It issituated at Mt. Zozu, which stands 521m(1,709 ft.) above sea level. To reach the MainShrine, one must climb 785 stairs. Those hoping to reach the Inner Shrine must tackle
1,368 steps which lead almost all the way tothe peak of the mountain. Famous throughout
Japan, Kotohiragu Shrine attracts millions ofvisitors each year from all over the world.
Yashima is a roof-shaped lava
plateau, which takes the form of a peninsula
rising out of the Seto Inland Sea. It is wellknown as the site of the famous Gempei
Battle in 1185. The name Gempei is derived
from the two clans involved, the Genji andthe Heike. The view from the observatory
at the top of the mountain is spectacular,
offering a wonderful panoramic view of
the Seto Inland Sea area and its many
beautiful islands.
Ritsurin Park is a traditional strolltype garden created over 350 years ago in
the style of the Edo feudal lord. The parkis arranged against Mt. Shiun near the heartof Takamatsu City, and features numerous
ponds and hills. Beautiful in every season,
Ritsurin Park delights visitors from all overJLGC Newsletter

Kagawa PrefecturalEmblem

Japan. It isblessed withbeautifulscenery in
all four seasons: cherry
blossoms inthe spring,
lush, green
foliage inthe summer,
gold and red
leaves inautumn andsnow-covered
landscape inwinter.

A picturesque scene from Ritsurin Park, featuring numerous ponds and hills.

The Seto Ohashi Commemorative
Park is a memorial park located on thecoast, situated at the Shikoku end of the
Seto Ohashi Bridge. In the park there aremany buildings to explore, such as the
Seto Ohashi Bridge Memorial Hall.
Additionally, the panoramic view of the
Seto Ohashi Bridge is breath-taking. Thebridge spans the calm, blue sea, and themany beautiful islands that lie between
Okayama and Kagawa.
FoodKagawa prefecture’s udon noodles
are so famous that one always thinks ofSanuki (the ancient name of Kagawa)when one hears the word udon. Made froma superior quality of wheat and salt, thesethick and tasty noodles are a must for every
visitor. Somen noodles are another wellknown kind of noodle produced in Kagawa.
Also made from a superior quality of wheat,
this noodle is kneaded by hand and is then4

stretched out into extremely thin threads anddried in the sun.
Industries
Popular traditional industries in
Kagawa include Takamatsu’s lacquerware and bonsai trees, Marugame’sround uchiwa fans, glove manufacturing(particularly in Shirotori Town), theproduction of somen on ShodoshimaIsland and stone processing in the towns
of Aji and Mure. Today, various new
genres of local industry are emerging
from among these traditional industries
and adopting their special techniques andhigh standards of quality.
Globalization
Today, Kagawa has been making
impressive strides in globalization. Kagawa
currently has 21 sister-city affiliations, including links between the prefecture, its
continued on page 6

Issue 44

Fall 2002