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17Pu bl is h ed byKagos h i ma I nternati o na l Associati o n

Copyright: Kirishima City (Wake Park "Wisteria Festival")

Let's Talk About the World in Kagoshima – The 22nd Japanese Speech Contest for Foreigners
Out of the 21 contestants from 10 countries/regions
who took part in the preliminary rounds on 7 January
2017, 9 foreigners from 6 countries/regions were selectedto participate in the finals held on 21 January. The winner
was Ms Jiang Hui Ling from China, a student at Kamimura
Gakuen High School with her speech “The Importance ofCommunication” .
Ms Jiang spoke of coming to Japan, a country she had
always adored, and her delight at learning the distinctive
Winner: Ms Jiang Hui Ling

way of communication and choice of words employedby the Japanese in their consideration of the otherparty. To the gathered audience of 465 people, she also
cheerfully enthused about discovering the wondrous
bliss of meeting, talking with, and gaining a mutual
understanding with people through her interactions withclassmates and teachers at school, and members of her
host family, and made a wish for world peace.
The other contestants gave speeches ranging froman introduction of their home country, to what theySpeech contest

have learnt while living in Japan, and the importanceof interacting with people from other countries. Theireloquent Japanese speeches were peppered with humor
and the audience was kept entertained throughout.
The contestants’ confident delivery of their speeches
despite their nerves is a testament to their hard work so
far in Japan, and it captured the hearts of the audience.
We hope to continue providing the opportunity for thecitizens of Kagoshima to interact with people of differentnationalities and cultures.

Front row: participants; back row: judges
1Japanese Language and Culture Class

Japanese language class

The Japanese Language and Culture Class was held from May
2016 to February 2017 to educate foreigners living in Kagoshima
on Japanese customs and useful everyday phrases. The
Wednesday and Thursday classes were held 30 times each for a
combined total of 60 sessions.
This fiscal year, the students introduced their home country’s
culture and history in Japanese, and learned practical words fordaily life such as when they visit a hair salon. In addition, therewas an outdoor activity in which they practiced asking Japanesepeople for directions to reach their destination.
The students actively engaged in learning the language, andfeedback from them include “I now understand the Japanesepublic announcements I hear everyday”, “I would like to put to
use the Japanese I have learnt”, and “I want to become evenbetter at Japanese”.
Through studying the Japanese language, supporting and encouraging one another regardless of nationality,
gender, age and cultural differences, the students have also deepened their friendships with one another.

Japanese Language Chat RoomThe Japanese Language Chat Room, for foreigners with a graspof conversational Japanese, was held between May 2016 andMarch 2017 for a total of 20 sessions.
Guest speakers including officials from the Kagoshima Sabo
Volunteer Association and Kagoshima Chuo Police Station wereinvited to provide information useful for living in Kagoshimasuch as on sediment-related disaster, traffic safety, and crime
prevention. We have also invited long-term foreign residents totalk about topics like education and healthcare based on theirexperiences in Japan.
Comments from the participants include “I want to be able toAn introduction on Egypt and a discussion
speak Japanese as well as the guest speaker one day”, and “I haveon education around the world
made many friends from all nationalities and this chat room has
become something I look forward to.” We hope this chat room
will provide participants with the opportunity to make new friends and fuel their desire to learn Japanese.

Cultural Seminars by Prefectural Coordinators for International Relations
The Cultural Seminars by Prefectural Coordinators forInternational Relations (CIRs) are led by the 4 prefectural CIRs
from South Korea, China, USA and Singapore to promoteinternational understanding among Kagoshima people andraise an awareness of multiculturalism in the society. A total of 6seminars that introduce the culture and cuisine of the CIRs’ homecountries were held. Many residents of Kagoshima Prefectureattended these seminars, including the “Food and Sightseeing inSingapore” seminar at Satsumasendai City, the “Chinese Cuisineand Culture” seminar at Ichikikushikino City, and the “YusuiBistro” at Yusui Town.
CIR from Singapore Quek Ying Yan led a cooking and cultural
Cooking seminar at Satsumasendai City (lecturer in middle)
seminar at Satsumasendai City, preparing three dishes – friedrice that uses copious amounts of salami, ABC soup made frompotatoes, carrots, onions and corn, and pisang goreng (fried banana). The participants expressed surprise at theirdiscovery that these common kitchen ingredients can become such different cultural dishes. After the meal, she
presented on Singapore’s history, popular tourist attractions, the local pidgin English ‘Singlish’, and the pros andcons of living in a multicultural country. A participant commented that “it was a very interesting lecture”. Theseseminars serve as a useful platform for the residents of each town to interact with the prefectural CIRs and learn
about their home countries.
We also held a seminar in collaboration with the Gender Equality Promotion Division to provide multiple
viewpoints and to promote a deeper understanding of gender equality and multiculturalism in the prefecture.
The participants gave comments like “this collaborative seminar that educates you on gender equality andmulticulturalism is international in itself, and I am glad I could attend it. I hope that by spreading the word littleby little, we can raise awareness of gender equality and eventually build a society where it is natural for men andwomen to coexist on equal footing”.
2Public Seminar on International Understanding by Foreign Lecturers
This year, KIA organized 2 public seminars on international
understanding, which are led by foreigners residing in Kagoshima
who make use of the opportunity to introduce their home culture
to the locals.
At the seminar led by a speaker from the Philippines, the local
Filipino residents sang the national anthem and performed a folkdance. At the seminar led by a speaker from Paraguay, there was
Spanish conversation practice (Spanish is the official language ofParaguay) and an introduction to Paraguay dishes and mate tea.
The atmosphere at both seminars was lighthearted, withParaguay cultural seminarthe speakers blending humor as they introduced their homecountry and interacted with the local residents. Feedback fromparticipants include “I was able to learn about the Philippines’ complex and diverse cultural background, rather
than the biased image projected by TV news reports”, “before, I had no knowledge of Paraguay and it felt like afaraway country, but through this seminar Paraguay doesn’t seem so distant anymore”. We would like to organize
more of such seminars to allow for mutual interaction between foreign residents and locals, and to provide themthe opportunity to become better acquainted with one another’s cultures.

Alumni of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and Foreign Students as Teachers
This school visit program is jointly organized by Kagoshima
International Association, the Supporting Organization of Japan
Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) in Kagoshima, and theJOCV Kagoshima Alumni Association. The program dispatchesreturnee JOCVs and international students to over 40 schools
every year, and since its inauguration in 1995 the guest speakers
have visited more than 870 elementary and junior high schools
in the prefecture. The program began dispatching speakers tospecial needs schools from 2016.
Comments from the children include “The phrase ‘never give
At Satsumasendai City Kuroki Elementary School
up your dream’ strongly resonated within me. I learnt that it isimportant to try everything”, and “I felt that the world I know nowis but a small circle around myself. I want to make efforts to widen my horizons.” It appears that through listening
to the JOCVs’ activities and the experiences of international students, the students gain not just an interest in
foreign countries, but also the opportunity to reflect about themselves and think about their dreams and goals.

Regional International Exchange Promotion ProgramThis initiative aims to stimulate interest in international
exchange through the setting up of international exchangebooths at local festivals with the cooperation of foreign residents
and international exchange associations. This fiscal year we haveparticipated in the MBC Summer Festival in Kagoshima City, theKoyama Yabusame Festival in Kimotsuki Town, the Chi Kaete
Matsuri in Ichikikushikino City, and the Marugoto Ijuin Festival inHioki City.
At the MBC Summer Festival in July 2016, we set up a booth
togetherwith Kagoshima International Exchange Foundation.
At MBC Festival
Besides distributing our Association’s pamphlets, we carried out
activities where children collected stamped greetings in various
languages, made bookmarks using stamps from around the world, designed their own postcards using handcarved rubber stamps of Singapore’s motifs, and played a Korean tangram puzzle with the help of prefectural
CIRs and international students. Adults and children alike searched for their favorite stamp design to incorporate
into their own bookmark. The Korean tangram puzzle involves arranging the parts to form shapes like a boat or amountain.
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Multiculturalism Project
On 20 November 2016, Kagoshima International Association
organized a study group for volunteer interpreters and foreign
residents to introduce the difficulties faced by foreigners in timesof crises and when they visit a medical facility. A member of NPO
Multi-language Information Center Kanagawa was invited tospeak to the 19 participants gathered.
At the seminar, participants learnt basic interpretation skills
and knowledge, and experienced firsthand interpreting for asimulated health consultation conducted by an evacuation
center’s disaster relief nurse. The participants gave feedback suchas “it was an impressive talk that got me interested in the field ofSeminar on assisting foreigners in times of crises and at medical
medical interpretation”, and “as a foreigner myself, I would like tofacilities (during the interpretation workshop)
be able to help in any way fellow foreigners who are experiencing
trouble.”On 17 December 2016, Kagoshima International Association organized a seminar “Multiculturalism in theAmami Islands” at Amami City. A lecturer from NPO Council of Multicultural Co-habitance Managers of Japan
spoke to the 24 participants about reevaluating tourism promotion of the Amami Islands’ attractions from theviewpoint of a foreign resident. Highlighting the foreign residents’ cultural, language and lifestyle differences, theparticipants then held discussions on community revitalization through collaborations with them and harnessing
such differences.
Three foreign residents in Amami from China, Cambodia and Vietnam were also invited to talk about theattractions of the Amami Islands. A participant commented that “I would like to collaborate with foreigners livingin the Amami Islands to promote the region”.

Services at the International Exchange Plaza・Events bulletin board
・Rental of flags, ethnic costumes, maps, and UNICEF videos
・Foreign language newspapers, books and magazines for browsing
・Consultation for foreign residents
・Chinese Language Lunchtime Conversation (Tue; 12:00 - 13:00)
・Korean Language Lunchtime Conversation (Wed; 12:30 - 13:30)
・Lunchtime English Club (Fri; 12:00 - 13:00)
We also handle queries on international exchange
matters and JICA volunteer work, registration ofhomestay host families, volunteer interpreters, etc. All
personal information will be kept confidential, so do
not hesitate to stop by if you have any enquiries.

Opening hours: Tue – Sun; 9:00 – 17:00
Closed on Mondays (if Monday is a public holiday, theoffice will be closed on Tuesday) and during the New
Year holiday (29 Dec – 3 Jan).

To contact us about the International Exchange Plaza and/or South Wing publication,
Kagoshima International Association
Kagoshima Prefectural Citizens Exchange Center 1F, 14-50 Yamashita-cho, Kagoshima City, Japan 892-0816
TEL: 099-221-6620				E-mail (general enquiries): kia@po.synapse.ne.jp
FAX: 099-221-6643				
E-mail (consultations): kia8@po.synapse.ne.jp
URL: http://www.synapse.ne.jp/kia/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kagoshima.Intl.Assoc/

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