aWa life

Farewell Messages& TOPIA Staff
Introductions

Awa Shoku: Rakkyo,
Curry Rice’s Sidekick

May 2021

Olympic Torch Relay

Gairaigo Galore:
シュークリーム# 367

1

Awa Life is a Monthly Publication of the Tokushima
Prefectural International Exchange Association

Now that we are heading into May, there are many new faces here at TOPIA! Take a look at our TOPIA
Staff Introduction section to learn more about them!
Additionally, the Olympic Torch Relay has been going on in Japan, and the Tokushima portion was on
April 15th and 16th. Did you all have a chance to see it for yourself? Check out our article on page 8 toread about one runner’s first-hand experience with this historical event!
For all of those who like writing, please feel free to submit an article to us at any point in time aboutbasically anything. There are a few limitations though, such as you can’t write about religion, politics,
commercial activities or businesses or anything that we deem inappropriate. But, other than that, we
would be more than happy to receive articles about anything and everything including but not limited
to concerts, lectures, other events, culture, sports, community group information or anything cool that’s
happening in your local community.
We highly appreciate all of your articles and we love reading them. So if that writing bug of yours isbuzzing about, grab a pen or a computer and write and send away! Please send all submissions to ouremail:Your editors,
Sydney and Nicoawalife@gmail.com
Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA)
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN, Clement Plaza 6F
Tel: 088-656-3303 Fax: 088-652-0616
http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Download a PDF file of awa life or view the online version by going to TOPIA's website!

Editors:
Sydney Bartig and Nico Bohnsack
Contributors This Month:Atsushi Abe, Takako Harauchi, Isao Kobayashi, Mako Kobayashi, Kinuyo Yoshimoto, Yoko Mori,
Shoko Nomizu, Lance Kita, Takako Yamada and Kumiko Murakami

2Contents

Pg. 2:

Farewell Messages

Pg. 2-4: TOPIA Staff Introductions

ご

ろ

あ

Pg. 5:

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: 語呂合わせ

Pg. 5:

Gairaigo Galore: シュークリーム

Pg. 6:

Awa Shoku: Rakkyo, Curry Rice’s SidekickPg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8:

Olympic Torch Relay

Pg.9

Events and Memoranda

Farewell Messages

Atsushi Abe
It was only a little while ago that I wrote my
introduction message. I didn’t think it would be sosoon that I would be writing this farewell message.
Although it was only for 1 year, I was able to workwith a group of unique individuals and have a lotof fun.
In particular, I’m glad that I was able to assist
foreign residents living in Tokushima with someof their consultations. For these consultations,
we didn’t simply refer the person to a different
organization and that was the end of it, instead
we worked on a plan to see the issue through until
it was resolved. I think there are many foreign
residents who have difficulties, and I think there
are still many things we can do to help.
About 70% of the foreign residents livingin Tokushima are in their 20s or 30s. The
overwhelming majority are young. However,on the other hand, the local communities are
aging. Rather than just simply having theseyoung foreign
residents
come here forwork, I believe
they shouldhave a rolein supportingt h e i r
communities.
I think it would
be wonderful
if we couldchange it so that, rather than simply being
supported, we have foreign residents who are
helping to support.
Achieving these kinds of communities issomething I would like to continue striving towards
as part of my life’s work. I hope to have thechance to work with everyone again in the future.
Thank you for all of your support during this past
year.

TOPIA Staff Introductions
Takako Harauchi
Hello. My name is Takako Harauchi, and startingfrom April I have taken over the position of
executive director here at TOPIA from Abe-san.
From my time at the Tokushima Prefectural
Office, I’ve been involved in the fields of health,welfare, education, regional revitalization,
among others. I’ve been involved in a numberof projects, including measures for aid-requiring
children; nursing care, dementia measures andother countermeasures for an aging society;employment support and promotion of culture,arts, and sports for those with a disability;

3

promotion of new forms of workstyles suchas satellite offices and work from home; etc.
Additionally, a number of people from overseas(primarily important political figures and toplevel business persons from Korea and China)
have visited Tokushima to observe our measuresrelating to regional revitalization and an aging
society, and I realized that an aging society,depopulation, and regional revitalization in local
areas are huge issues, no matter the country.
With less than 100 days until the opening of theTokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, thehopes of accepting spectators from overseas havebeen abandoned in order to avoid the spread of
COVID-19, and we have entered a critical phaseas we head towards the opening of the Games in
the midst of COVID-19. Taking into consideration
the projects put in place ahead of the openingof the Paralympics, which aim for an inclusive
Isao Kobayashi
Hello everyone. My name is Isao Kobayashi.
I’ve begun working at TOPIA as a coordinator for
local internationalization as of April 1st. My main
duties include responding to consultations fromforeigners and connecting local municipalities,
international organizations, etc. to support foreign
residents living here in Tokushima Prefecture.
Even in rural areas, internationalization isprogressing at a rapid pace. I’d like to work sothat the many foreign residents of Tokushima
Mako Kobayashi
My name is Mako Kobayashi, and startingfrom April 1st I have taken over the positionof multilingual consultation staff in charge ofEnglish here at TOPIA from Chie Suzue. The
multilingual consultation staff are primarily here
to provide tourism information to foreign visitors
and life consultations for foreign residents livingin the prefecture. I’m originally from Anan City inTokushima, but after turning 5 my family ended
up moving and living in Hiroshima, Hyogo, andOsaka.
In addition to Tokushima, Japan is home tosome wonderful prefectures. Although it’s difficult

TOPIA Staff Introductionss o c i e t y, I h a v ehigh hopes about
the progressionof international
cooperation
between athletes
and local citizens
through the pregame trainingc a m p s f o rGermany, Georgia,
etc., as well as the
Seika Olympic Torch Festivals in Host Towns.
To the best of my abilities I hope to work together
with everyone for the development of theInternational Exchange Center. Thank you verymuch.

Prefecture canlive with peaceof mind, andalso aim forthe creation ofa multiculturals o c i e t y. I a s k
for everyone’s
support andcooperation.

to travel to otherprefectures right now
due to COVID-19, I
can’t wait until thedays return when we
can freely enjoy travel
again. Once that day
arrives, please consider
a trip to the Chugoku or
Kansai region.
A d d i t i o n a l l y, TO P I A
hosts a variety of projects and events, including
Japanese classes and the Japanese SpeechContest. The Japanese classes are tailored

TOPIA Staff Introductions
to a variety of levels, and you also have theopportunity to learn about Japanese seasons,
events, and life in Tokushima. For those interested
in studying Japanese, please consider joining.

4

After such a long time, I’m looking forward
to rediscovering what makes Tokushima so
wonderful, and I hope to share those discoveries
with everyone.

Kinuyo Yoshimotoexperiences that will be
Hello, my name is Kinuyo Yoshimoto. This spring tied to my own personal
I started working at TOPIA as a long-term work growth, and afterwards
experience trainee. Ever since December 2019, I w i l l m a k e u s e o f
COVID-19 has spread across the globe in a short t h e s e e x p e r i e n c e samount of time. In response, our fixed ideas when returning to thecompletely changed. There were many things educational field.
that people noticed were possible that they hadoriginally thought were definitely impossible.
In order to realize thesegoals, I plan to do
Globalization is rapidly increasing. If we each my best while always
work to deepen our international understanding prioritizing health. I’ve
and accept diversity, then the world coming decided to make the 6
together as one is something possible as well.
km commute to work by foot. After this 1 year has
ended, hopefully I’ll have slimmed down a bit! I
During this one year, I hope to have new look forward to working with you all!
Yoko Mori
Hello! My name is Yoko Mori, and startingfrom February 2021 I’ve begun working as acoordinator for international cooperation in
Tokushima Prefecture.
As a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer,
I was dispatched to Ghana in March 2017
and spent 2 years there. I worked at a local,
vocational training institute as a PC instructor andtaught the fundamentals of computer knowledge
and operations. There were so many things
that I wasn’t used to, leading to some difficult
experiences. However, my 2 years in Ghana also
allowed for me to learn new ways of thinking andabout other viewpoints. It was truly a precious
experience. These experiences also made me
realize that I would like to do a job relating tointernational cooperation.
I’m from Kurashiki City in Okayama Prefecture.
I moved to Tokushima at the same time I begun
this job. The only things I know about Tokushima
are the famous things such as sudachi and the
Naruto Whirlpools. There’s so much that I don’tknow, but I plan to visit and experience manythings in Tokushima. I plan to learn more about
Tokushimaby visiting
places ands e e i n gthem with
my owneyes andlisteningwith myown ears!
The JICA Tokushima Desk is a local JICA position
that aims to connect developing countries with
Tokushima. In recent years, working towards
SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals),
increases in foreign labor, and other points ofcontact with overseas countries have been
increasing. I would like to be involved in activities
that help draw the attention of Tokushima’s
citizens to these topics.
For those with an interest in international
cooperation, international exchange, JICA
volunteers, etc. please feel free to contact the
JICA Tokushima Desk! I’ll be waiting for you!

5

がつ

とくべつ

ひ

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: ５月の特別な日
ご

ろ あ

あ

（語呂合わせ )By: Shoko Nomizu
ご

ろ

し

みなさん、
「語呂合わせ」を知っていますか？ 「よろしく」を「4649」としたり、「おはよう」を「0840」
ゆうめい

すう じ

も じ

おと

い み

つく

すう

とするのが 有名です。数字や 文字に ほかの音や ほかの意味を かさねて 作ります。このように 数
じ

よ

字の

読みかたの「いちく

あにさん・・・」や、
「ひい

ご ろ あ

ふう

つく

みい・・・」
、
「ワン

はつおん

ツ－

む り や りスリ－・・・」

つくを 組み合わせて、語呂合わせを 作るのです。すこし 発音を かえて 無理矢理に 作ることも ありま
まいにち

せいかつ

なか

ご ろ あ

ひ

とくべつ

ひ

す。 毎日の生活の中でも、語呂合わせをして、その日を 特別な日に しています。
がつついたち こい

ひ

がつ

がつ

にち

ふつか こうつう

ひ

がつ

みっか

ひ

がつ

むいか

ひ

がつ

とおか

5 月 1 日（恋の日）、5 月 2 日（交通の日）、5 月 3 日（ゴミの日）、5 月 6 日（ゴムの日）、5 月 10 日（ コッ
ひ

ひ

がつ

にち

ふう ふ

ひ

がつ

にち

ひ

5 月 22 日（ご夫婦の日）
トンの日）、5 月 18 日（ことばの日）、、5 月 30 日（ゴミゼロの日）などです。
しら

とくべつ

ひ

がつ

調べると いろんな 特別な日が 5 月にも ありますね。 このほか
かいしゃ

みせ

－ト、会社や店の

れき し

ねんごう

くるま

歴史の年号やでん わ ばんごう

ご ろ あ

電話番号など、いろんなもので語呂合わせをします。

車のナンバ－プレ

25-74
じ こ

な

がつ

にち

ひ

5 月 30 日（ごみゼロの日）

事故無し

がつ

にち

ふう ふ

ひ

5 月 22 日（ご夫婦の日）

Vocabulary List
ご ろ あ

はつおん

く

こうつう

語呂合わせ Play on Words
あ組み合わせる Combine

シュークリーム (cream puff)
By: Nico Bohnsack

発音 Pronunciation

む り

や り

無理矢理 Forcibly

れき し

ねんごう

歴史の年号 Historical Era

ふう ふ

交通 Transportation ご夫婦 Married Couple

Gairaigo Galore

Have you ever had a tasty bite of a shoe cream? In Japan, you can easily find these at almost
every convenience store and supermarket. But no worries, these delicious
pastry balls called シュークリーム , filled with whipped cream, custard and soon, are not actually made of “shoe cream” - that’s just the Japanese word forthem. The actual English expression is “cream puff” and the reason why thistasty pastry is called シュークリーム in Japan is that the loanword stems fromthe French name of the pastry. In French, people call it “chou à la crème”. The
abbreviation loving Japanese just skipped the “à la” and voilà,
the result was シ ュ ー ク リ ー ム . What’s interesting is that
the French pronunciation of “creme”（クレーム）was replaced with the English
pronunciation of “cream”（クリーム）.
It is said that the pastry was introduced by a French person who opened a pastry
store in Japan during the Bakumatsu, the last years of the Edo period and the
Tokugawa shogunate, before the beginning of the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
These delicious treats continued their triumph throughout the years and becamea must in every bakery assortment. Nowadays, there are a variety of fillings. In
addition to the standard whipped cream and custard fillings, you can also findmatcha, sakura cream, or ice cream fillings.

Awa Shoku: Rakkyo, Curry Rice’s Sidekick
By: Lance Kita

There’s nothing more beloved than a bowl ofJapanese-style curry rice カレーライス , with
its thick roux and chunks of meat and vegetables,
a comforting stew that warms you up in more
ways than one. And just when the spice starts toramp up, you spot two containers of pickles on
the counter (assuming you’re at a restaurant).
One is fukujin-zuke 福 神 漬 け , a red-orange
mix of chopped vegetables (daikon, eggplant,
lotus root, sword bean, cucumber, etc.) pickled
in a sweet-ened soy sauce. The other containerholds translucent white bulbs in a clear liquid,
and their re-freshing crunch and sweet vinegarytang is a fantastic contrast to the rich, piquantcurry. Those pickled scallions, or rakkyo らっきょ
う , along with the fukujin-zuke pickles, are thequintessential sidekicks to curry rice.

6

and mirin, along with a dried chili. They’re readyto eat in about a week, but will keep for months.
You can buy bags of fresh rakkyo if you wantto pickle your own, and your local supermarket
even has rakkyo pickling liquid (rakkyo-su ら っ
き ょ う 酢 ) premade in bottles. Rakkyo-su is not
only good for these scallions… it’s sweeter thanmost pickling liquids, and is good for more pungent ingredients like ginger (make your own sushi
ginger!), regular onions, and young ginger (myoga ミ ョ ウ ガ ). It’s also perfect for light summer
pickles like cherry tomatoes, cabbage, shredded
carrots, cucumbers, or bell peppers (capsicums or
paprikas to some of you).

But back to the rakkyo pickles themselves. Are
they only good
Although thefor curry rice?
major rakkyo
Absolutely
producingnot! They are
prefectures
a great side
are Tottori andfor crispy pork
Fukui, you canchops, teriyaki
find locallychicken, orgrown rakkyo
char-grilled
on Ogejima in Rakkyo (pickled scallions) are the ubiquitous accompaniment to curry s a l m o n .
rice, but they’re surprisingly versatile.
Naruto, which
These wereis the island between the Ko-naruto and O-naruto also my go-to refrigerator pantry items when I
Bridges where you can also find the Otsuka Art was in graduate school, because they are an
Museum, whirlpool sightseeing boats, Eddy no easy way to bring some oniony crunch and spice
Michi, and many of Naruto’s seaside resorts.
with a balanced sweetness and tartness for a
sub-tle “fresh crispy umami.” I minced them in
The mineral-rich sandy soil is a prime place to my tuna salad and egg salad instead of relish.
grow these scallions, along with the famous Minced rakkyo and mayonnaise make a delicious
Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes. Rakkyo scallions emergency tartar sauce. Slice them and sprinkle
are planted in late summer, and bloom tiny purple over your salads, or add to your coleslaw. I
flowers on slender stalks in early November (a sautée them with canned sardines and garlic andspecial photo opportunity in fall for flower lovers). chili flakes in lots of olive oil for one of the mostAfter surviving the winter, they are harvested in addictive (and quickest) pasta sauces.
May and June.
Rakkyo is more than just a crisp condiment for
Only the underground bulbs are used, which are curry. It really enhances a wide variety of food,the size of your thumb. The bulbs are washed, so don’t let its traditional sidekick role restrict you
trimmed, soaked, and peeled to yield clean white from using up that jar of pickled scallions in yourpearls of oniony crispness. After that, they just fridge!
need to be pickled in a mixture of vinegar, sugar,

7Japanese Lesson

By: Takako Yamada[ ～て ] & [ ～って ]This isn’t something you study in beginners Japanese, but it’s something you will often hear in everyday
conversations. Therefore, this month and next month I would like to introduce [ ～て ] and [ ～って ] .
These are used in everyday conversations, but are not often used in speeches, presentations, orformal occasions.
1. [ と ] → [ て ] [ って ]
きんえん

えい ご

なん

英語で

何 [ と ] 言いますか。

＊「禁煙」は
きつえん→「禁煙」は

い

えい ご

なん

英語で

何 [ て ] 言いますか。

いなん（「何」のあとは、「て」になります）＊“No smoking”[ と ] 言います。
→“No smoking”[ って ] 言います。
はやし

きょう

やす

い

＊林さんは、かぜをひいたので今日は休む
はやし

きょう

[ と ] 言っていました。

やすい→林さんは、かぜをひいたので今日は休む[ って ] 言っていました。

めい し

めい し

2. [ という ] ＋名詞 (Noun) → [ っていう ]・[ って ]
た なか

ひと

＋ 名詞 (Noun)

でん わ＊田中さん [ という ] 人から電話がありました。
た なか

ひと

でん わ

→a. 田中さん [ っていう ] 人から電話がありました。
た なか

ひと

でん わ

→b. 田中さん [ って ] 人から電話がありました。
（More casual than a）
くに

かえ

き

＊キムさんが国へ帰る [ という ] うわさを聞きました。
くに

かえ

くに

かえ

き

→a. キムさんが国へ帰る [ っていう ] うわさを聞きました。
き→b. キムさんが国へ帰る [ って ] うわさを聞きました。(More casual than a)Practice: Try changing the following sentences so that they use [ て ] or [ って ].
に ほん ごなんい①“Good Bye”は日本語で何と言いますか。
い②「さようなら」と言います。
てん き よ ほう

あ した

あめ

ふ

い

③天気予報で、「明日は雨が降る」と言っていました。
し④「マハラジャ」というレストランを知っていますか。
に ほん

いえ

なか

くつ

は

しゅうかん

し

⑤日本には家の中で靴を履かないという習慣があるのを知っていますか。
Answersに ほん ごなんい①“Good Bye”は日本語で何て言いますか。
い②「さようなら」って言います。
てん き よ ほう

あ した

あめ

ふ

い

③天気予報で、「明日は雨が降る」って言っていました。
し④「マハラジャ」っていうレストランを知っていますか。
に ほん

いえ

なか

くつ

は

しゅうかん

し

⑤日本には家の中で靴を履かないっていう習慣があるのを知っていますか。

Olympic Torch Relay

By: Kumiko Murakami (TOPIA Japanese Support Volunteer)H

ope Lights Our
Way
The light of the
Olympic flame unites
people under thethemes of supporting,
accepting, andencouraging one
a n o t h e r. I t ’ s t h esunrise of a new
era that lights up
the path of hope forpeople. This is theconcept for the Tokyo
2020 Olympic andP a r a l y m p i c To r c h
Relay.
The application period for the Olympic Torch Relay
was from July to August 2019, and the ones whoreally pushed me to apply were my friends. “You’re
involved in international exchange and run fulllength marathons too!” Additionally, as someone“striving to realize a multicultural society”, I met
one of the fundamentals for the selection ofrunners.
As a charter member of the Komatsushima
International Exchange Association, I’ve been
involved in international exchange for morethan 30 years. Recently I’ve been involved withteaching and supporting Japanese studies forchildren with foreign roots. Some of these children
are unable to see a future for themselves, andthey have no hope. I want those children to believein themselves and have hope. Your dreams will
come true! This was what I wrote as my motivation
for applying.
The results of the Olympic Torch Relay selection
were announced by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic
Organizing Committee on December 25th,
2019. I was selected as one of the runners for
Komatsushima! It was truly the greatest Christmas
present. I also appeared on TV alongside thestudents I have been supporting.

8

However, due to COVID-19 the event was
postponed for 1 year. It was very disappointing,but I believed that “one day I would be able torun!”, and kept running every day.
On April 16th, 2021 the day of the event
finally arrived. I was to run 200 m between
Komatsushima and Anan. It looked like it mightrain, but everyday the children made teru teru
bouzu to ward off the rain. It definitely won’t
rain! Let’s enjoy the Olympic Torch Relay! The
shoelaces of the shoes I had prepared were
rainbow colored.
The weather ended up being cloudy, but I wasable to run without any rain falling. It was sucha fun experience. I was nervous, but the staff’s
guidance was very clear. Many people stood on
the sides of the road to watch, making sure tofollow precautions against COVID-19. Amidst theapplause, I was able to happily run the 200 m. It
took about 2 minutes. I’ve run about 20 full-length
marathons, but none could rival the fun of this 200
m run. People around Japan were able to watch
via a live stream on the internet.
The next day, I brought the torch to show to thestudents and their mothers. Their faces lit up withjoy! I showed the torch to many others, and they
all had great smiles, making me feel so happy.
Connecting With HopeI was able to have a very precious, once in a
lifetime wonderful experience. I’m so thankful to
all the people who supported me. I’m also prayingthat the Tokyo 2020 Olympics happen as planned.

9Events & Memoranda
TOKUSHIMA PREFECTURE
2021 JAPANESE SPEECH CONTEST

1.

PURPOSE

True internationalization cannot be achieved without first coming in touch withother cultures and ways of life, fostering a sense of international awareness andgaining mutual understanding with people of the world to create a society in which
we can all work and live together in harmony. This speech contest seeks to give avoice to the international residents of Tokushima Prefecture and engage them in a
dialogue to further discourse on cross-cultural understanding and fostering
multiculturalism.

2.

DATE & PLACE

July 18th, 2021 (Sunday), 13:30 - 16:30
Awagin Hall (Tokushima Arts Foundation for Culture) Small Hall (5F)
Based on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, this event
may be held so that it is open only to related parties (staff,
participants, supporters, etc.)
We will notify everyone once the details have been decided.
Thank you for your understanding.
Last year’s contest →3.

ELIGIBILITY

Only foreign residents whose native language is not Japanese are eligible toapply.
(Additionally, foreign residents who have had over three years of compulsory
education in Japan, or those who have previously won the Grand Prize or theTokushima Prefectural Assembly's Chairman of the Federation of International
Exchange Assembly Members Award, are not eligible to apply.)

4.

SELECTION

Applications will be open to all foreign residents of Tokushima Prefecture that fulfil
the eligibility requirements. We will ask all applicants to submit an outline of theirspeech (about 800 characters), and after reviewing all of the applications, roughly
10 or so applicants will be chosen to proceed to the final contest.

5.

THEME

The topic is left to your discretion, but it should relate to the event's purpose of
fostering cross-cultural understanding and multiculturalism.

6.

LENGTH

Speeches should be no more than 6 minutes in length.

7.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit your application form by mail or fax. Alternatively, you may submit yourapplication in person.

8.

DEADLINE

May 25th, 2021 (Tuesday)

9.

ORGANIZED BY

Tokushima Prefecture & Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange
Association (TOPIA)

Applications must be turned in by 5:00 PM.

10. CO-ORGANIZER(Planned)

Tokushima Regional Conference for Promotion of Student Exchange

11. WHERE TO APPLYTokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA)〒770-0831 1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City, Clement Plaza 6F
TEL: 088-656-3303 FAX: 088-652-0616 EMAIL:coordinator2@topia.ne.jp※Based on the COVID-19 situation, there may be changes made to the speech contest. Any changes will be posted
on TOPIA’s website, so please confirm.
You can download the application form from TOPIA’s website!

Counselling Service at TOPIA・トピアの相談窓口
TOPIA provides consultation on everyday life, education, labor, medical institutions, and disasterprevention; and information on sightseeing spots to overseas residents and visitors. When necessary,
we will refer you to the appropriate organization that can assist with your needs.Counselling is available
in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, 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 (closed during the New Year's holidays)
Tel: 088-656-3312 or 088-656-3313 (allows for three-way conversations with an interpreter)