#279

november 2013
wander-ful tabi: our momiji spots
by lance kita

fall colors contrast the stark moat walls of Tokushima Castle (austin smith)

Fall is upon us, and theleaves are losing theirchlorophyll to reveal brilliant
hues of red, orange, andyellow. Where are the best
spots to view momiji) in Tokushima?
I

decided to ask foreign
residents, former andcurrent, for their favorite
places. The responses
are as varied as the huesof the leaves themselves.

One of the popular responses
was Tokushima Central
Park
), a
favorite for cherry blossoms
as well. Leminh (Canada)
often walks to work throughthere, and sometimes stops

page 1, page 3-5: wander-ful tabi: our momiji spots (con't)
page 5: fitness corner; page 6: irene's recipe corner
page 7: lesson from suketo hoikuen; page 8-9: japanese lesson
page 9-10: embracing the inaka life
page 11-12: events & memoranda

1

is a monthly publication of theTokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA)

Jenifer Tanikawa & Martin Rathmann
Lance Kita, Irene Wachuga, Kazue Inoue,
Michi Mori, Clint Eckstein

Clement Plaza 6F
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi
Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN
tel: 088.656.3303
fax: 088.652.0616
topia@topia.ne.jp
http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Download a PDF file of awa life or view theonline version by going to TOPIA's website!

show tokushima some love: awaglot
The literary corner of
AwaLife, Awaglot, is acombination of the words"awa" and "polyglot", whichmeans multilingual. Be it
fiction, nonfiction, prose
or poetry; funny, sad, longor short, we want yoursubmissions! If you like towrite, then express yourself!
There is also a classifieds
section for you, our readers,to post ads in, but a few
rules do apply!

Religious, political,
or commercial activities,businesses searching forclients or employees,
things the Awa Life editors
deem inappropriate.

If you have something you
would like to share with
the Tokushima community,
email the editors atconcerts,
lectures, and other event
information, cultural, sporting,and other community
group information, etcetera.

Mt. Tsurugi adorned in fall colours (jenifer tanikawa)

2

wander-ful tabi: our momiji spots(con't from page 1)

fallen leaves, quiet space...autumn in Tokushima Central Park (leminh luc)

to have lunch amid thecolors. Austin (U.K.) cycles
through it every day andnotices the gradual changes.
Stephen (Ireland) loves
the little park near theTokushima City Hall). Though small,the trees are tall and few
people stop there, making
it a quiet spot.
Others chose to highlighttheir favorite local spot.
Richard (U.K.) likes tocycle to Kamiyama) just to see the trees.
Ricardo (Portugal) says
that
the
view
from
Kirihata-ji Temple) along Route 318 is“wide and privileged...anever changing carpet ofwarm colors.”
Robert(Germany), who works in
the Bando area of Naruto), mentions
that it “is nice to walk thestreet to Oasa Hiko Shrine
and explore the areaaround it with the leaves
changing their colors” andalso recommends Ryozenji
Temple) and
Gokurakuji Temple).
The next gems require alittle more driving andeffort to find. Ian (U.K.)
found the fall colors in
Kamikatsu Town), his former workpost,“absolutely breathtaking.”
Dianne (New Zealand)

recommends the Naruto
Skyline), noting that “theleaves shower over you
as you drive up and down
the windy roads.” Craig(Australia)
says
that
Route 282 running westof Hanoura)
along the south bank of
the Naka River)“is quite narrow in manyof the parts, but the forest
is really dense andbeautiful...you pop out of
the forest every now andagain to get a glimpse of
the river. It's really liketaking a small trip awayfrom everything."A

coupleofpeople3

wander-ful tabi: our momiji spots(con't from page 3)

the Kazura (Vine) Bridge in Iya Valley, surrounded by brilliant
fall foliage (brianna forster)regarded Mt. Tsurugi) the best place in theprefecture. Liz (U.K.) says“the view is especiallyamazing when the sun isout and you are coming
down on the ropeway.”
Andrew (Australia) says
one should spend theweekend at a nearby onsen,
and it’s like “stepping intoanother world as you
move deeper into themountainsandthesurrounding trees takeon a sort of old-world
feel.” One adventurous trip
is to the Konosekyo

Jorokuji Temple (Tokushima
City)
When: Late November – Early
December
Where: 20 min by car from
Tokushima Stn.
Info: Jorokuji
TEL: 088-645-0334

4

Gorge
) in theKito region of Naka Town). Anna (New
Zealand) suggests one to“park your car andwander up the road. Look
across the valley to views
you wish your camera
would do justice to...If
you're artistically inclined,
set yourself up on a
comfortable stone withsome water-colours.”
My personal pick is also
loved by Chris (U.S.) and
Brianna (U.S.). Briannasays “This is probably a

Taisanji Temple (Kamiita-cho)
When: Late November – Early
December
Where: 25 min on the Donari
IC
Info: Taisanji
TEL: 088-694-5525

no-brainer, but for me it
was definitely Iya Valley). Just the scale ofthe surrounding mountains
covered in bright greens,reds, and yellows wasabsolutely breathtaking,both at the destinationand during the drive there."
Chris adds, “Specifically thearea around the vine
bridges. Absolutely gorgeous.
Plus, soaking in a rotenburoin the Iya Valley with theleaves changing colorand gently falling aroundyou? Priceless." Couldn’t
have said it better myself.
I hope you found a new
discovery in this article,
and thanks to everyone
who contributed their ideas.
Get out and enjoy thebrisk weather among theglorious colors of theseason!
(Contributors’ full comments
and more pictures can befound on my blog:
wanderfultokushima.word
press.com)

Tonokawachi Keikoku(Kamikatsu-cho)
When: Late October – Early
November
Where: 130 min by car from
Tokushima Stn.
Info: Kamikatsu-cho Industry
Division
TEL: 0885-46-0111

wander-ful tabi: our momiji spots(con't from page 4)
Otodoro no Taki (Naka-cho)
When: Early November – Late

Mt. Tsurugi (Mima City)
When: Mid to late OctoberNovember
Where: 150 min by car from
Tokushima Stn.

Where: 90 min by car on theMima IC
Info: Mima City Commerce andInfo: Naka-cho Tourism
Association

Tourism Division
TEL: 0883-52-2644

Oboke/Koboke (Miyoshi City,
Yamashiro-cho)
When: Mid to late November
Where: 40 min by car on the
Ikawa Ikeda IC
Info: Miyoshi City Tourism
Division
TEL: 0883-72-7620

TEL: 0884-62-1198

fitness cornerby clint ecksteinHey everyone! Well, we'removing into the time ofyear where we can all quit
complaining about the heatand humidity, and instead
start to complain about the
cold! What happens when it
starts getting cold? If you
don’t brave the elements
do you have to hibernate
through the winter? Of
course not!
But Clint, you say, it’s too
expensive to join a gym,
I’d rather save my money
for traveling than buy abunch of weights, and myapartment is small, there's
nothing I can do!
There are actually tons ofthings you can do where
you only need about 4
square meters of space tohave an awesome workout.
Here’s one workout thatyou can finish in 20
minutes, and will give youa full body workout
without leaving your cozyapartment! Perform these
exercises back to backwithout resting:• 10 push ups

Keep your hands a little wider
than shoulder width apart, andwith your fingers pointing
forwards and your legs straightlower your chest to the floor
while keeping your back andlegs straight and your core
tight.

out in front of you. Bending
your elbows, lower yourself
down until your forearm andupper arm make a 90-degree
angle before pushing back up.

• 15 squats
Squat down, leaning slightly
forward, your knees should bebehind your toes so you do not
put extra pressure on yourknees, pretend you are sitting
in a chair• 20 lunges (ten each leg)
Keeping your back straight,
step forward with one leg sothat your front and back leg
make approximately 90 degree
angles. Return to standing andrepeat with the other leg• 20 one-legged calf raises(ten each leg)
Keep one foot off of theground. On your grounded
foot, raise your heel off of theground as far as you can while
you stand on the tips of yourtoes. Use a chair or countertop
for balance if you need to.

• 15 chair tricep dips
Find a chair (without wheels!).
Place your hands shoulder
width apart on the front edgeof the seating area of the chair• 10 burpees
My favorite full body exercise.
Start in a standing position.
Squat straight down and put
your hands on the floor. In one
motion, push your arms
straight and jump back into ahigh plank position. Then jump
forward so that your feet andhands are close together andyou are back in a squatting
position. In one motion, jumpstraight up in the air from thesquat position. That is one
repetition. If you want to makethis more difficult, add in apush up!

This is one complete set.
Depending on your fitnesslevel, you can take 1-2
minutes to rest in between
each set, and complete 35 sets. Have fun, andmake sure to warm up
before and stretch after!
5irene's recipe cornerby irene wachuga

SUDACHI
It's raining sudachi. Left,right, everywhere you turn,you'll know its sudachi
season in Tokushima. If
you are like me, and dearfriends are gifting you
with kilos of sudachi ,there’s only so much
grilled fish you can use
on. So, why not try othernew ways to use thisgreen citrus fruit and up
your vitamin intake whileat it...

- Equal amount sudachi
and rock candy sugar- A glass jar, pickling or(just plain jam jar)

1. Wash and dry off thesudachi.
2. Cut them into halves,
quarters or rounds anddeseed.
3. In a glass jar add
alternating
layersofsudachiandsugar.
4. Cover tightly andrefrigerate until all thesugar
isdissolved.
5. Use as you would anyother sweet/tart syrup,
comes especially handy
in the cold months ahead,just add hot water for acup of warmth.

6

sudachi syrup (irene wachuga)- 3-4 sudachi- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise- 1 tsp sake- 1 tsp olive oil- Salt...to taste

1. Cut the sudachi in halfand squeeze out thejuicesintoabowl.
2. Take out any seeds.
3. Add sake, olive oil,mayonnaise and salt totaste.
4. Mix thoroughly.
5. Use instead of justplain mayo.

- Sudachis freeze very
well. Freeze them wholeand just thaw out in room
temperature when needed.
- Use instead of vinegar.
- Good for colds and lotsof vitamins.

letter from suketo hoikuen
by kazue inoue

Last month, we roasted
sweet potatoes in our
nursery school courtyard.
Sweet potatoes taste
delicious
steamedorroasted, but another great
way to eat it is by boilingit then air drying it. Dried
sweet potatoes were evenfeatured in the Octoberissue of “Cooyon,”aparenting magazine, as a“tasty pacifier.” The type ofdried food that you should
be using as this “tasty
pacifier” is something thatis a bit larger in size thanyour baby’s hand andsomething hard enoughso that it can’t be crushed
or chewed through.
If you are using sweet
potatoes, boil them (orsteam them) and then cut
them into 3 millimeterslices and lay them out todry until hardened. (Youcan also bake hardened
rice or use dried whiteradishes or fruit as a“pacifier.” As well, nowadays
they even sell dry foodmakers that will let you
make dried food moreeasily and quickly.)
Using food items that help
increase the production
and release of saliva as a
pacifier will contribute to
the development of thedigestive system, foster
hunger, and will help train
the jaw, which is a great
way to prepare for eating
baby food.

Materials
Milk carton
Scissors
Tape
Pens, stickers, etc.

shown in the picture.
Next fold up the carton oneither side on the dottedline to form the side of
the box. Tape up the side
to create your lid. For thebottom portion of the box,
you will be using thesame template, but makesure you cut the templateapproximately 2 millimeters
smallerthanthe lid.
3. To finish, decorate yourtreasure box by drawing
on it, putting stickers on
it, or with anything else.
4. Every time you find aleaf on the ground or treenuts, you can store itaway in your very own
treasure box.

Instructions
1. Cut off the bottom andtop of a 1 liter milk carton.
Cut the remaining carton
length wise, as shown in
the picture below, so you
end up with two parts.
2. You will first make thelid of the box by cuttingout the shaded parts as7

japanese lessonby michi mori8

japanese lessonby michi moriembracing the inaka life

inaka life! (clint eckstein)

As a first year JET, I’ve
spent most of the first twomonths here in Tokushima
just trying to figure out
which way was up. I hit the
ground with zero knowledgeof or background inJapanese language orculture, and I’ve been sobusy trying to study
Japanese and work on

fitting into my school that I
haven’t really had muchof a chance to take abreath and see what
Tokushima has to offer.
That all changed over thelong weekend when I
finally had a chance toexperience the real inaka.
A friend in Katsuura waskind enough to invite anumber of JETs, including
my wife and I, to spend a
day swimming, hanging
out, and enjoying a latesummer day in September.
We arrived in Katsuura andthe beauty of Tokushimaoutside of the city became
immediately apparent.
Just the view from the car
window was breathtaking.
Rolling hills of lush green
surrounded us. They may
not have been the Rocky
Mountains, but the stiflinghumidity that I often
complained about finallypaid off in the density ofvegetation and trees lining
the hills. It is so dry inColorado that I never get
the opportunity to seeanything but rocks in themountains.
Our first stop was at a
crystal clear river for some9

embracing the inaka life
(con't from page 9)

swimming.
We were sandwiched
betweentwo
peoplefishing, but they werevery accommodating, andthere was plenty of roomon the river for good fishingand good swimming. The
water was amazingly cool(a bit too cool for some)and clear. It felt so goodto swim in the middle ofthis peaceful place. The water
was deep, the current
was mild, and if you got
too cold you could warm
yourself on the beach.
After a great time here,
we hit the road andheaded just down the roadto Kamikatsu. Another
JET lived here, and wasfortunate enough to bewithin five minutes of awaterfall. Walking up boarded
path through some trees,
I listened to my friend talkabout the first time he
was here, “It was justsurreal, I didn’t know what
to say, and I almost
started getting kind of
emotional because it wasso beautiful.” He didn’t
oversell it. Even though it
has been fairly dry overthe past few weeks, thewaterfall was powerful andstriking.
There was a large rockwhere you could jump off
into the water, and it was
kind of scary because the10

who wants some veggies? (clint eckstein)water was so clear it
almost looked like youwere jumping straight into
the rocks!
I decided to take theplunge anyway and had a
bit of a shock since thiswater was considerablycolder than the river! The
shock quickly wore off when
I looked around and realizedthat I was swimming...in awaterfall... on an island...
in Japan. Surreal doesn’treally even begin todescribe the experience.
After swimming, climbing
on the rocks, and taking a
number of pictures, we
packed up and headed
back to make dinner in
Katsuura. We stopped at
a fruit and vegetable
stand to pick up somedelicious fresh ingredients.
Everything looked sogood, and it was so
inexpensive! Maybe thiswhole “inaka life” thingwasn’t so bad after all.
We finished the evening
by making burritos andplaying some games. It wasa nice bit of home cooking,and with the ingredients
everyone brought, we had apretty good selection fordinner!
I returned to the city,
stuffed full of good food,
good friends, and my firstexperienceofthecountryside. Though I stilllove my apartment in thecity, I definitely will betaking more trips out west
and down south to try andenjoy all of the beauty
that Japan has to offer. I
feel so fortunate to beliving in Japan, and I can’t
wait to see what else is instore for me in the future!

events & memoranda

1st "Let's Go Watch Joruri" Tokushima Performance
From a cheerful and easy to understandperformance of “Sanbasou” for first time
Joruri puppet theater watchers, to theold and the new works, there issomething for fans of Joruri and fans ofjust music and recitations alike to enjoy.
So, even if it’s your first time, why notcome out and enjoy some Joruri.
When: November 3 (Sun)17:00 (Doors open at 16:30)
Where: Tokushima Prefecture Education
Centre; Tokushima City
Kita-Tamiya 1-8-68
Cost: General 2000; Students free
Info: "Let's Go Watch Joruri"
Committee
TEL: 080-6383-3755
11events & memoranda
Misato Plum Wine Festival
Misato, in Yoshinogawa City, is the firstever area to be designated as the “plumwine zone” in all of Japan and the plum
wine festival will be happening again
this year. Why not spend a relaxing day
trying out a variety of plum wine andfood.
When: November 23-24 (Sat/Sun)
10:00-16:00
Where: Yoshinogawa City, Misato
Cost: For 6 tickets: Advanced 1000;
Same-day 1200
Info: Misato Plum Wine Festival
Committee
TEL: 0883-43-2216)
10:00-16:00

Supernatural Yokai Creature Festival
At the Supernatural Yokai Creature
Festival there will be a Yokai shrine,
band, processions, homemade yokai
costumes, local goods and food market
and much more.
When: November 24 (Sun)10:00-16:00
Where: Fujinosato Park
Miyoshi City, Yamashiro-cho,Kamimyo
Info: Fujikawadani no Kai
TEL: 0883-84-1155)
10:00-16:00

TEL: 0883-84-1155

Counselling Service at TOPIA
TOPIA offers a counselling and advisory service to all foreign residents to help withissues involving accidents, working conditions, housing, visas, international marriage,and more. Counselling is available in English and Japanese. Please note that although
every effort will be made, we may not be able to deal with all cases.
Everyday, 10:00 - 18:00
Tel: 088-656-3303 or 088-656-3320 (allows three-way conversations with an interpreter)12