Published by Kagoshima International Association

Commemorative Symposium for the 30th Anniversary as a Recognized Local International Exchange Association
As a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation ( 公益財団法人 ), Kagoshima International Association became a Recognized Local International
Exchange Association ( 地域国際化協会 ) by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 1990, and celebrated its 30th anniversary in2019.
In this period, the number of foreigners living in Kagoshima has
increased, exceeding 10,000 people by the end of 2018, and we have
Presentation by Tokushima University Professor
now come to live together with many foreigners. On 16th February, asymposium on multicultural coexistence was held to commemorate the30th anniversary of the Association’s recognition as a Local International
Exchange Association. The symposium aimed to promote the acceptanceof foreign residents living in Kagoshima as members of the communityand for participants to think about the creation of a society where people
help one another.
Presentation by Hungarian journalist
Guest speakers included a professor from Tokushima University whose
work is related to building a multicultural society, as well as a Hungary-born journalist who lives in Kagoshima.
The speakers talked about mutually coexistence with foreigners.
The need to recognise and accept the cultures and customs of people of different nationalities and ethnicities
will continue to increase in the future, as will the need for policies to create an equal and multicultural society.
The symposium was a good opportunity to think about these issues with citizens of the prefecture.

About the International Exchange Plaza
Services
・Event bulletin board
・Rental of flags, ethnic costumes, map, and UNICEF videos
・Foreign language newspapers, books and magazines for browsing
・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,registration of homestay host families, and volunteer interpretersetc. Please do not hesitate to stop by if you have any enquiries.
Consultation Desk for Foreign Residents:
Support is available in English, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and manyother languages.
Plaza Opening Hours: Tue ― Sun: 9:00~17:00
Closed on Mondays (If Monday is a public holiday, the office will beclosed on Tuesday instead.)
Closed during the end-of-year period (29th December~3rd January)
For the Consultation Desk, or enquiries regarding the International Exchange Plaza or this 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 / FAX: 099-221-6643 E-mail: kia@kiaweb.or.jp
HP: https://www.kiaweb.or.jp Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kagoshima.Intl.Assoc/
4Ⓒ K.P.V.B（Chiran green tea field, Kikunaga District）

April.’19-Mar.’20

Consultation Desk for Foreign Residents
The “Consultation Desk for Foreign Residents” was opened on 4 thOctober, within the Kagoshima Prefectural Citizens Exchange Center(inside the International Exchange Plaza). The Consultation Desk advises
foreigners living in Kagoshima on issues such as their residential status
or visa, employment, healthcare, welfare, natal and childcare concerns,
as well as the education of children. In order to convey appropriate
information and places to consult in a timely fashion, the consultation
Consultation Desk
desk is run by a Japanese staff and a Vietnamese staff. The consultation
desk is available in a total of 19 languages, including Japanese, English, and Vietnamese, as well as the use of amultilingual call centre that supports other languages such as Mandarin, Tagalog, Korean, and Bahasa Indonesia.
Please feel free to visit the consultation desk regarding your troubles.

Multiculturalism Project[Japanese Language and Culture Class using Model Districts]

From end-September to the start of December, a total of 6 workshops
were conducted in Aira City. The workshops brought together Japanese
language support training for Japanese people, and Japanese language
and culture lessons for foreigners. Each workshop accepted 15participants.
We received feedback from the participants, including a foreign
Discussion on Waste Separation
participant who said “It was interesting to be able to learn Japanese thatis useful for communication”. Another Japanese participant remarked that “When speaking to foreigners, I learnt
that it was important to understand the other person, and carefully think about how to respond.” The know-hows
and achievements of this project will be compiled into a report and provided to municipalities in the prefecture.
We hope that it will be helpful for regions who conduct their own Japanese language workshops.

[Workshop on Supporting Foreigners in Times of Disaster]

A workshop was held for language volunteers and those willing tosupport foreigners in times of disasters.
Before participating in the prefectural integrated disaster prevention
exercise held in Aira City this year, participants first attended thepreparatory training on 11th May, where they learnt about the issues thatforeigners would immediately face and the first-step responses when
At the Preparatory Training
supporting foreigners.
The prefectural integrated disaster prevention exercise on 19th May was initially planned to join with theoperation drill of the evacuation centre, but the exercise to be suspended due to a natural disaster within theprefecture. Although the results of the preparatory training could not be realised, we hope that the training will
be helpful for the support of foreigners in times of disaster.
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Japanese Language and Culture Class Workshop for Foreigners in Kagoshima

Alumni of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and Foreign Students as Teachers

This fiscal year as well, the Japanese Language and Culture Class washeld to teach foreigners living in Kagoshima abut Japanese customs anduseful everyday phrases. A total of 60 classes (30 Wednesday afternoon
classes, 30 Thursday evening classes) were held.
During the lessons, the students learnt phrases that are used atschool events, disaster-related vocabulary, as well as everyday phrases insituations such as sending a picture postcard at the post office or when
A game in Japaneseboarding a train. The lessons were also a good opportunity for students
to discuss and exchange information with their peers, and also realise the similarities and differences between theirhome country and Japan.
For the last lesson of each term, the students reflected on the past term and also described the name and recipeof the home-cooked local dish that they had brought to the potluck party. Students conveyed their desire to study
Japanese, through comments such as “I want to express my own thoughts in Japanese, so the discussion times werevery useful” and “Hereon as well, I want to study more”.

The school visit programme is jointly organised by KIA, the Supporting
Organisation of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) in
Kagoshima, and the JOCV Kagoshima Alumni Association. Returnee JOCVs
and international students are dispatched to elementary and junior highschools which express interest.
The lessons aim to teach international cooperation and understanding.
Indonesian musical instrument, the anklung
The JOCV alumni share their experiences in the country they weredispatched to, including the things they did and the local culture and customs, while the international students
speak of the difference between their home country and Japan. Students were able to actually see and touch
folk instruments and costumes that are rarely seen, and further develop their interest towards foreign countries.
This fiscal year, the programme reached approximately 2,600 students from 36 schools. The students expressed
opinions such as “I too would like to work hard towards my dreams, just like the JOCV Alumni” and “I now know
how lucky we are to be able to study in such a privileged environment”.

Japanese Language Chat RoomThe Japanese Language Chat Room is for foreigners with a grasp ofconversational Japanese to network with one another and improve theirJapanese. In this fiscal year, the Japanese Language Chat Room was held atotal of 19 times.
Guest speakers from Hello Work Kagoshima and Kagoshima City Hall
provided useful information on the theme of living in Japan, such as how
to use Hello Work and about the National Health Insurance. ParticipantsParticipants Dancing
also learnt about Satsuma proverbs, the Japanese culture of gift giving,and Kagoshima’s Instagram spots. The feedback for the event included “Although the system was difficult, I was gladthat I could ask many questions”, and “I would like to make my Japanese even better”.
Please see the Association’s website and Facebook for more information on participating in the Japanese
Language Chatroom, including the dates and themes.

Let’s Talk about the World in Kagoshima ― The 25th Japanese Speech Contest for Foreigners

Cultural Introduction Workshop（Nepal & Jeollabuk-do Province, South Korea）
Cultural Introduction Workshops invite foreigners staying in Kagoshima
prefecture to introduce their own country’s culture. The Nepal CulturalIntroduction Workshop was held on 13th October, and aimed to deepen
prefectural citizens’ understanding of the creation of a multiculturalregion. The presentation introduced Nepal’s ethnic groups, culture,traditions, and recommended places, and received a positive response
from the participants, such as “I learnt about a country that I seldom
Introduction of Nepal’s Ethnic Costume
encounter, in a way that is enjoyable and easy to understand”.
Participants exchanged simple greetings in Nepali, and exclaimed in surprise at times during the presentation.
They were able to become more familiar and deepen their understanding of Nepal.
This fiscal year, Kagoshima and Jeollabuk-do province also celebrated our 30th anniversary of exchange. KIA
organised a Jeollabuk-do province cultural introduction workshop on 2nd
February in order to let prefectural citizens know more about the history,
culture, and many natural attractions in Jeollabuk-do province.
The speaker graduated from a university in Jeollabuk-do, and is now
working in Kagoshima prefecture. She introduced the tourist attractions
and food culture of Jeollabuk-do. The Kirishima Shokuiku Kenkyukai(Kirishima Food Education Research Institute), also made a report on
Jeollabuk-do Cultural Workshop
the Jeollabuk-do Cultural Expedition which they participated in. The
participants remarked that “The presenter speaks very beautiful Japanese” and “There are so many deliciouslooking foods that now I want to go”.

Out of the 32 contestants from 10 countries/regions who took part in
the preliminary round, 10 contestants from 5 countries were selected forthe finals held on 25th January. The winner was Wang Shan Shan, a Chinaborn student from Kagoshima University, with her speech “Obasan”(aunt). Through the story of her parallel encounters with two obasan
in Japan, Ms Wang reflected on discrimination against foreigners andhow we should treat people. She reminded us anew of the importanceParticipants (Front) & Judges (Back)of a warm heart in receiving people. Accompanied by hand and bodygestures, her speech brimmed with humour and captivated the 350-strong audience.
Participants expressed their own personal experiences and thoughts using the Japanese that they had learnt
so far, and weaved their efforts in Japan so far into narratives that captured the hearts of their audience. Hereon,
we would like to provide citizens of the prefecture with opportunities for international exchange that transcend
national and cultural differences.

This initiative aims to stimulate interest in international exchange
through the setting up of international exchange booths at local festivals,
in conjunction with foreign residents and international exchangeorganisations. This fiscal year, booths were set up at the MBC Summer
Festival (24th, 25th July) in Kagoshima City and the Marugoto Ijuin Festival(8th December) in Hioki City. Booth activities included an “InternationalGreetings Stamp Rally”, where visitors would exchange greetings in a
MBC Summer Festival
foreign language, and then search for the country on the map, as wellas “Bookmark Making”, where visitors would make bookmarks from the foreign stamps that they liked, while
enjoying a chat with the Coordinators of International Relations (CIRs) and foreign students. We hope that thischance to come into contact with foreign languages makes visitors feel more familiar with international exchange.

23Regional International Exchange Promotion Programme