aWa life

April 2017
# 321

SpringMotifs inJapan

Awa Shoku: Rooting for
Aizumi’s Carrots

TOPIA Staff
Farewell Messages

1

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

Finally spring has arrived and flowers are starting to bloom everywhere! It is the time of flower viewing
and of course cherry blossoms! So grab your picnic gear and partake in some hanami (cherry blossom
viewing) to enjoy the warm sun and gain some new energy.
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:

awalife@gmail.com

Your editors,
Daralyn and Franzi

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!

To our readers,Thank you for submitting your surveys back to us. We appreciate your feedback and lookforward to serving you better in the near future. We have taken a look at the data and hada meeting.
There was a large amount of requests to write restaurant reviews about specificrestaurants, however we are unable to respond to this due to the fact that this correlateswith commercial activities, which is one of the topics we are not allowed to write about.
Also, starting from this month, Awa Life will be decreasing in page length from 12 pages
to 10 pages. A majority wanted it to stay at its current length, but we promise to make useof those 10 pages well by writing about topics that you have asked us to write about.
On the other hand, we have some exciting news! Awa Life will be done in color twice ayear! We look forward to sending you a beautifully colored edition of Awa Life during thenext fiscal year.
Also, we would like to announce a brief hiatus from Awa Life for the May edition. The bothof us will be on an extended absence due to other duties. We ask for your understandingat this time, and hope to be able to send you a nice June issue!
Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu! Thank you for your cooperation!
Editors:
Daralyn Yee and Franziska Neugebauer
Contributors This Month:
Kazue Inoue, Melissa Palsenbarg, Lance Kita, Yoko Koyama,
Shintaro Inoue, Seiko Mori, Dian Liu

2Contents
Pg. 2-3:Spring Motifs in Japan

Pg. 3-5:

TOPIA Staff Farewell Messages

Pg. 5:

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

Pg. 6:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 7:

Awa Shoku: Rooting for Aizumi’s Carrots 		

Pg. 8-9:

Events and Memoranda

Spring Motifs in Japan
By Melissa Palsenbarg

Spring is the season of flowers. They’reeverywhere and it’s nice to see spots ofcolor popping up after a long winter. Surprisingly,
there aren’t that many flowers in Japanese culturethat make people automatically think of spring.
Probably because the cherry blossom is soubiquitous that it’s the only floral marker people
need to think of spring. But despite this, there area few other flowers and plants that make the listof spring flowers.

Cherry Blossom/Sakura ( 桜 )It’s almost impossible to think of spring in Japan
without thinking of cherry blossoms (sakura). The
sakura forecast is reported in all the newspapers,
coffee shops come out with sakura flavored drinks
and treats, and hanami parties are held in eventhe tiniest parks. Sakura are associated with new
beginnings and they’re iconic for the start of the
new school year in April. Sakura are so popularthat they have become the unofficial flower ofJapan and can be seen everywhere all year
long. Sakura are iconic of the Japanese feelingof mono no aware ( 物 の 哀 れ ). This concept
roughly means the awareness of the fleetingness
and transience of life. The short life of the sakura
encompasses this feeling perfectly. Sakura arevery easy to identify, both in art and in real life.
There are five petals on each blossom, and eachpetal has a notch at the end making each petal
look like an elongated heart.
Weeping Willow/Yanagi ( 柳 )The sight and sound of a grove of weeping
willows (yanagi) is a unique experience, and evenas far back as the Heian period, classical poets
wrote about the yanagi. It was used as a visualclue that the poem or story was set in spring, thetime when the yanagi starts to regrow its leaves
after winter. Yanagi also has a connection toghost stories and ghostly lovers in Japan. The
story takes several forms, but the basic story
revolves around a young man (either a farmer ora low-ranking samurai depending on the version).
He saves a willow tree from being cut down, andsoon after meets and marries a young woman.
They’re very happy together and have a son
together. Some years later, the man is startled bycries of agony coming from his wife. He rushes
to her and she tells him that her tree is being cut

3

down and it’s killing her. He’s confused, until she
elaborates that she is the spirit of the yanagi tree
he saved from destruction so many years ago.
As the yanagi tree is chopped down, the wife
disappears.

Wisteria/Fuji ( 藤 )Wisteria (fuji) bloom from late April into May.
The trees can take anywhere from 3-5 years tomature and bloom for the first time. The moststunning aspect offuji in Japan is thetunnels that havebeen developed
at gardens all overJapan. Seeing (andsmelling!) thesetunnels of hanging
purple blossoms is
an incredible sight.
Kawachi Fujien
in Kitakyushu isthe most famous

Spring Motifs in Japan
wisteria tunnel in Japan. A little closer to home,
Ishii is famous for cultivating wisteria. So much sothat their town mascot is a wisteria person! Many
temples and shrines all over town have wisteria
on display. Jifukuji Temple ( 地 福 時 ) hosts a fuji
matsuri every year from the middle of April to thebeginning of May. It’s not a full tunnel, but still an
impressive sight.

Peony/Botan ( 牡丹 )The last flower on this list falls on the border
between late spring and early summer. The
peony (botan) naturally blooms around May, but
cultivators have developed different breeds thatwill bloom during any season. The botan was
imported to Japan from China during the Nara
period. It’s an auspicious motif and it’s considered
an appropriate offering at Buddhist temples. The
botan is also known as “The King of Flowers” andit’s often paired with “The King of the Beasts” theshishi (lion). Botan can be identified by their large
blooms with petals that have ragged edges.
Enjoy the spring flowers and the warmer weather!

TOPIA Staff Farewell Messages
Finishing Work at TOPIA
By Seiko Mori
ime has passed by quickly and my one
year working at TOPIA has come to an end.
There were many aspects that were different fromworking at a middle school, but I am thankful that
I was able to accomplish every task I have done
due to the kind advice of the staff here. Also, I am
glad to have had the opportunity to learn many
valuable lessons that I could not have learned in
the educational field from the many people I have
met through TOPIA from around the world.

T

Through working in collaboration with TOPIA andthe schools, I had the opportunity to send TOPIA
registered teachers to educational organizations
across the municipalities of this prefecture andactually was able to participate in the exchange
events at the elementary and middle schools as
well. I, along with the teachers, have been moved
by being able to see the students learn in a lively
manner through watching the presentations andmusical and dance performances, and reading
the heartwarming thank you letters and messages
sent after the lectures.

TOPIA Staff Farewell Messages

4

Also in the same way with the middle school, highschool, and university work experience and career
learning program, I was able to receive a lot ofenergy from the sincere attitude held by thoseparticipating in the program. Within that, I also
realized the direct effectiveness of this programin the “Tobitate Study Abroad Japan National
Internship”. I found that the practical studies was
useful for the “Direct Study Abroad International
Understanding Studies” portion of the program
and realized again the effectiveness of the work
done at TOPIA.
Also, after completing such duties such asplanning, operations, and hosting of theInternational Understanding Forum, being an
instructor for the Japanese courses, conducting
the “One World” children’s support program,
preparing for the Japanese Language SpeechContest, listening to Tokushima University’s“International Understanding Theory” courses,
and also guiding overseas visitors, I found each
duty to be profound and I am thankful that I wasable to have these opportunities that I could only
gain at TOPIA.
Throughout this year, learning about the culture
and customs of all of the people I have met fromall over the world, and their strongly built way
of living has broadened my horizons. There is asaying that says “The scales dropped from myeyes”. In the same way, I have become able tosee things that I hadn’t seen before, and there
is a clear difference in the depth of international
understanding I had before and after working at
TOPIA. I hope to be able to put the things that I
have learned in to practice in the educational field.
Thank you very much.

"There is no goodbye! Only see you later!"
By Shintaro Inouet seems like yesterday when I didn’t know
anything and broke out in to a sweat as I
became flustered, but one year passed by in ablink of an eye, and the time has come for me tosay good bye. This year, with everyone’s support
I was able to meet many people, learn, and smile
all while on the job. I am full of gratitude.
Wo r k i n g a t TO P I A w a s a n e w a n d f r e s hexperience for me. Sometimes I had opportunities
to guide tourists. I was happy to be able to show
them around Tokushima where I was born andraised, and to be able to make small talk withthem. Seeing their smile as they left made me feelenergized and I was often left thinking “I’m glad
I was able to help them. I want to keep on giving
my best.”After I finished working at TOPIA for one year,
I felt a close relation to foreign language andcultures from around the world once again. I
realized that if I assisted people wholeheartedly, I
was able to convey my message. My experiences
here have greatly developed my skills
Finally, I would like to use this opportunity to
express my gratitude to all of the people that I am
indebted to and the staff at TOPIA, and also for
the fact that though it was a short period of one
year, I was able to have the opportunity to have apleasant experience on the job. I hope to see you
all again. Thank you very much.

Thankful for Encounters and Parting Ways
By Dian Liu
his year, April, the month when the cherry
blossoms bloom, has come. As the cherry
blossoms fall, my two years as a CIR (Coordinatorfor International Relations) have come to a close.
I am thankful for Tokushima that has been so
warm and hospitable like a second home to me.

During these past 2 years, everyone in Tokushima
has always been so patient and has supported
me so kindly. 2 years ago when I first arrived
in Tokushima, the rain continued to fall gently. I
rode in the car with my new coworker and I, who
had just left Tokushima Airport, was filled with
nervousness and excitement. As I looked at thelandscape outside, I imagined my new life in this

I

T

5

town that was about to begin. As I look back on it
now, since that day, I always remember it clearlyjust like it was yesterday. It feels like I just greeted
everyone with “Nice to meet you” and now it istime to tell everyone “Goodbye”. 2 years is such ashort period that went by in a blink of an eye.
When I first arrived, I didn’t know much about
Tokushima. However, through being involvedin numerous jobs such as the translation of
documents, meeting interpretation, attending
to visitors, the publication of Awa Seikatsu,
and much more as a CIR, slowly I was able toclearly see the lively image of Tokushima. Every
day of these past 2 years I have been able toabsorb various information about Tokushima
like a sponge. As the days became closer to say
goodbye to everyone in Tokushima, I realized how
much I have come to love everyone deeply here.
These years were longer than I thought. I willremember the uncountable memories that I have
had in Tokushima, and I will recall each of them

TOPIA Staff Farewell Messages
as I move on in life.
I am thankful for each person I have met. Thankyou to Tokushima and the people of Tokushima
for being a part of my life. I will not forget this jobor the experience. I also won’t forget the days
that I was nervous, or broke out in to laughter
and am also thankful for everyone. The passionthat everyone holds for their work and the strict
attitude that was held has lit a fire in my heartand became a newfound energy to me. The
determination and affection that all of you hold inyour lives has impacted me and it made me thinkthat I would like to fulfill my life further.
Lastly, I am thankful to part ways. Especiallybecause we are parting ways, I have become able
to better understand the importance of encounterswith others and the value of each memory. Also,
parting was gives me a new opportunity to reunitewith everyone again. I am looking forward to the
day where I will be able to meet each and every
one of you again.

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

By Kazue Inoue (Center for Early Childhood Education and Care SUKETO NAKAYOSHI)T

he cherry blossoms are starting to bloom andJapan’s most beautiful season has arrived.
I think a lot of families are starting a new part oftheir lives and are really busy during spring. When
you are busy your body is more vulnerable, so
please take care of your health.
This month I would like to introduce the good
points of crafting toys:
1. When using hands and fingers your child will
not only become more skillful in doing so, but it isalso connected to the stimulation of the brain.
2. Their creativity and ambition will grow.
3. Through working together and being taught,
your child’s communication and comprehension
skills will develop.
4. Your child will acquire the ability to think andconcentrate through having to fix their mistakes.
5 . Yo u r c h i l d c a n e x p e r i e n c e a s e n s e o faccomplishment and satisfaction.
6. Since it took much effort to craft the toy it will
become more valuable.
Also crafting toys together with mum and dad
itself will become a great memory for your child.

Create opportunities to play with your child to
make great memories with them!
＊＊＊Play in Nature During Spring

How about going to a nearby park and playing
with flowers on a sunny day?
・Take the stem of a dandelion and split it into twoparts and put it around your wrist. If you tie theends together you will have a wristwatch.
・ Flowers with long stems like dandelion or whiteclover are great for crafting crowns or necklaces.
Take two stems on the long end and use themas the center stem. Now, wrap one flower stem
after the other around the two center ones andknit them together. In the end loop it and bind it
together with a long grass stem.
・ Tulip petals which have fallen off can be playedwith as a plate or little ship.

6

Japanese Lesson
By Yoko Koyama

さそ

う

とき

じょうず ことわ とき誘いを受ける時と、上手に断る時
Accepting/refusing an invitation

This month, we will be learning expressions for accepting or refusing an invitation politely. You have been
invited to a place that you have always wanted to go to. Please choose the appropriate answer.
さそ

う

とき

＜誘いを受ける時 When you accept an invitation ＞
こんしゅう ど よ う び

なると

み

い

いっしょ

い

Ａ：Ｂさん、今週の土曜日、鳴門のうずしお、見に行くんですけど、よかったら一緒に行きませんか。
(I will go to see the whirlpools in Naruto on Saturday this week, would you like to go with me?)い

Ｂ：① はい、行きます。 (Yes, I will go!)
いちど み

おも

ねが

② 一度見たいと思ってたんです。ぜひお願いします。
(I always wanted to see them, please allow me to join you.)い③ そうですか。行きましょう。 (Is that so? Let's go.)Answer: ② Explanation: You express your happiness well.
さそことわ とき＜誘いを断る時 When you refuse an invitation ＞
こんしゅう ど よ う び

なると

み

い

いっしょ

い

Ａ：Ｂさん、今週の土曜日、鳴門のうずしお、見に行くんですけど、よかったら一緒に行きませんか。
(I will go to see the whirlpools in Naruto on Saturday this week, would you like to go with me?)いＢ：① すみません、行けません。 (I'm sorry, I can't go.)いやくそく

② 行きません。約束があるんです。 (I won't go. I already have plans.)
いひそうべつかい③ 行きたいんですが、その日は送別会があるんです。
(I would like to go but I have a farewell party that day.)
ざんねん

Ａ：そうですか。残念ですね。 (Is that so? That's too bad.)Answer ③ Explanation: You would like to go but you give a reason why you can't.
れんしゅう

では、練習しましょう。 Let's practice:
さそ

う

とき

１）＜誘いを受ける時 When you accept an invitation ＞
こんしゅう ど よ う び つるぎさん のぼ

Ａ：今週の土曜日、剣山に登るんだけど、いっしょにどうですか。
(I want to climb Mt.Tsurugi this week Saturday, would you like to come with me?)
ねが

Ｂ：
さそ

。ぜひ、お願いします。

ことわ とき２）＜誘いを断る時 When you refuse an invitation ＞
こんしゅう ど よ う び

はなみ

さんか

Ａ：今週の土曜日、みんなで花見するんだけど、Ｂさんも参加しませんか。
(We are going to do a Hanami this week Saturday, would you like to join us?)
はなみ

Ｂ：花見ですか。

んですが、

んです。

ざんねん

Ａ：そうですか。残念ですね。 (Is that so? That is too bad.)２）行きたい／参加したい・来 週の試験の勉 強をしなければならない
いさんか

らいしゅう しけん べんきょう

１）一度登りたいと思ってたんです
いち ど のぼAnswers:

おも

7

A

Awa Shoku: Rooting for Aizumi’s Carrots

By Lance Kita

izumi Town ( 藍 住 町 ) is more than just thegiant shopping center in its center. Just drive
through the town and you’ll see rows of plastic
hothouses (biniiru hausu ビニールハウス ) with
their rounded roofs. As the weather gets warmer,
peek through the vent holes or door flaps…
chances are you’ll see thin tufts of green growing
in rows. Underneath those slender leaves is
Aizumi’s biggest crop, carrots (ninjin 人参 ).
Tokushima is the third largest
carrot-producing prefecture in
Japan, after Hokkaido and Chiba.
Carrots love cool weather, and if
you look at the three prefectures’geographical placement, you’llthat each area provides carrots
at different seasons. Tokushima
harvests in the spring and earlysummer, Hokkaido in the fall,and Chiba in winter. Most ofTokushima’s carrots end up insupermarkets in the Kansai andWestern Japan.
Because we live so close to a
carrot-growing paradise, be sure
to check out farmer’s markets
in the next couple of months for
great deals on misshapen andodd-sized carrots. Sometimes,
a huge bag of strangely-shapedroots can go for just a couple
hundred yen. They’re great for
juicing or shredding.

in butter or olive oil until they get sweet, tender,and caramelized.
It seems funny to suggest how to use carrots,
since they are one of the most common veggies
around the world. In Asia, however, carrots andtheir cousins were seen as more medicinal (thinkginseng) and don’t show up in traditional dishes
as much. Luckily, the sweet flavor of carrots and atexture that ranges from crisp to melty-soft lends
itself to a variety of traditional
cooking methods.

Spring carrots have a highmoisture and sugar content,
perfect for eating raw

The easiest dish is namasu ( 膾 ).
Shred carrots (and daikon if youlike), sprinkle with a teaspoon ofsalt, and let sit for 10 minutes.
Squeeze and drain all of theliquid. Add equal amounts ofvinegar and sugar (more vinegar
if you don’t want it to sweet) andstir. Garnish with sesame seeds.
A Korean namul is almost easier.
Just julienne or shred carrots,
season with salt and sesame oil,mix and serve right away.

My mother ’s side is from
Okinawa, and they makesomething called ninjin shirishiri ( に ん じ ん し り し り ).
Shred carrots using the graterwith the biggest holes (you want
thick shreds for texture). Sauté ina hot pan with oil. Sprinkle somedashi powder and a splash of soy
sauce. Pour a beaten egg or two
You’ll have access to carrots
Ninjin Shiri-shiri (with someover the carrots and mix well tosold with the leaves on them.
fishcake for variety)...simple
scramble the eggs. Season with
Double bonus! The leaves
Okinawan carrot cooking
black pepper and serve. What an
have an herbal green flavor likeparsley, but don’t toss them out. Make tempura easy dinner dish! So good with a hot bowl or ricewith them, or mix into your scrambled eggs for (and a quick cook for your kids’ bento lunches).
more nutrition.
The veggie that is so close to home for many
Also available are thin baby carrots. Lightly people is even closer than you think. As thesteamed or boiled, they make a simply elegant weather warms up, enjoy carrots hot or cold andgarnish to a piece of meat, or you can sauté them “root” for Aizumi’s agriculture industry!

Events & Memoranda

8

Tokushima Prefecture 2017
Japanese Speech Contest - Apply Now!
1. PURPOSE

True internationalization cannot be achieved without first coming in touch withother cultures and ways of life, fostering a sense of international awarenessand gaining 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 a voice to the international residents of Tokushima Prefectureand engage them in a dialogue to further discourse on cross-cultural
understanding and fostering multiculturalism.

2. DATE & PLACE				

July 23th, 2017 (Sunday), 13:30 - 16:30
Awagin Hall (Tokushima Prefecture Kyodo Bunka Kaikan)
Small Hall (5F)

3.

Only foreign residents whose native language is not Japanese are eligible toapply.
(However, foreign residents who have had over three years of compulsory
education in Japan and those who have previously won the Grand Prizeor the Tokushima Prefectural Assembly's Chairman of the Federation ofInternational Exchange Assembly Members Award are not eligible to apply.

ELIGIBILITY

		

4.

SELECTION

Application will be open to all foreign residents of Tokushima Prefecturethat fulfil the eligibility requirements. We will ask all applicants to submit an
outline of their speech (about 800 characters), and after reviewing all of theapplications, roughly 10 or so applicants will be chosen to proceed to the finalcontest.

5.

THEME

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

6.

LENGTH

Speeches should be no more than 6 minutes in length.

7.

AWARDS

8.

HOW TO APPLYGrand Prize --- one person (Prize: 50,000 yen gift certificate)
The Tokushima Prefectural Assembly's Federation of International
Exchange Assembly Members Chairman’s Award --- one person (Prize:
30,000 yen gift certificate)
Runner Up Awards --- three people (Prize: 30,000 yen gift certificate)Special Awards --- to be decided (Prize: 10,000 yen gift certificate)Special Effort Award --- to be decided (Prize: 5,000 yen gift certificate)						*All participants will receive a participation award.

9. DEADLINE		

Submit your application form by mail or fax. Alternatively, you may submit
your application in person.
May 29th, 2017 (Monday)
Applications must be turned in by 17:00.

10. WHERE TO APPLY Tokushima 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★ Please visit the TOPIA website to download the application form.

9

Events & Memoranda
Hana Haru Festa 2017
はな・はる・フェスタ２０１７This year marks the 20 th anniversary of thefestival. On this occasion, there will be special
events as well as the popular Awa Odori
dance and other traditional culture activities toexperience.
When: April 15 (Sat) – 16 (Sun)
Where: Tokushima City, Aibahama park, 		Shinmachi Boardwalk and other locations
Info: Hana Haru Festa Executive Committee
TEL: 088-655-7331

今年、第 20 回目を迎えて、特別イベントと共に、
阿波おどり、又徳島のおいしいものが並ぶグルメ
ストリートや、ステージイベント、伝統文化の体験コーナーなどがあります。
日時： 4 月 15 日（土）～ 16 日（日）場所： 徳島市 藍場浜公園、しんまちボード		ウォークほか問い合わせ : はな・はる・フェスタ実行委員会
事務局
TEL: 088-655-7331

Kitajima Tulip Fair
きたじまチューリップフェア
About 45,000 tulips of 60 different varieties will beon display at the 1,800 km² park. Mini events will
be held during the flowering period.

この公園は 1800 平方メートルの圃場に約 60 種類
4 万 5 千本のチューリップが咲き並びます。期間中はミニイベントも行われる予定です。

When: April 1 (Sat) – the end of April
9:00 - 17:00
Where: Itano-gun, Kitajima-cho, Nakamura-aza,Higaino (Kitajima Central Park)
Info: Kitajima Lifestyle Industry Division
TEL: 088-698-9806

日時： 4 月 1 日（土）～ 4 月下旬
9 時～ 17 時
場所： 板野郡北島町中村字日開野（北島中央公園南正面）
問い合わせ : 北島町生活産業課
TEL: 088-698-9806

10th Spring Performance: Ono Sakura Nobutai
小野さくら野舞台第 10 回春の定期公演
There will be a performance of Awa Puppet
Theatre and Fusuma no Karakuri by the Yorii-za.
The event will take place in a tranquil location in
the valley, surrounded by greenery.

寄井座による人形浄瑠璃・襖からくりの上演があります。新緑に囲まれた山あいの閑寂なロケーション。

When: April 9 (Sun)
Where: Myozai-gun, Kamiyama-cho, Jinryo-aza,Moto-ono; Ono Tennou Shrine
Info: Kamiyama Town Tourism Association
TEL: 088-676-1118

日時： 4 月 9 日 （日）場所： 名西郡神山町神領字本小野
小野天王神社境内
問い合わせ : 神山町観光協会
TEL: 088-676-1118

Counselling Service at TOPIA・トピアの相談窓口

TOPIA offers a counselling and advisory service to all foreign residents to help with issues involving
accidents, working conditions, housing, visas, international marriage, and more. Counselling isavailable in English and Japanese. Please note that although every effort will be made, we may not beable to deal with all cases.
Everyday, 10:00 - 18:00 (closed during the New Year's holidays)
Tel: 088-656-3303 or 088-656-3320 (allows three-way conversations with an interpreter)