aWa life

In this issue:

Giant Kites in Naruto
Japanese Lesson

September 2015
# 302

Shamisen and Bells
and Drums! Oh My!
Kamiyama Artist in
Residence

1

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

Every article you send us is appreciated so please consider becoming a writer! A few rules will apply
though so please look below to see what content we encourage you to write about and what kind of
stuff we cannot publish.
You can totally submit articles about concerts, lectures, and other event information, cultural,
sporting, and other community group information, etcetera.
BUT, the following will not be posted: Religious, political, or commercial activities, businesses
searching for clients 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 at:awalife@gmail.com!
Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA)			http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Clement Plaza 6F					topia@topia.ne.jp
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi				tel: 088.656.3303
Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN			
fax: 088.652.0616
Download a PDF file of awa life or view the online version by going to TOPIA's website!

You can access the Internet with your smartphone, tablet, or PC, regardless of your contract
carriers, including docomo, au, SoftBank, etc.
- You can use this service free of charge- You can enjoy high-speed Internet access- You can use this service as many times as you like by performing
reauthentication every 30 minutes- At the time of a disaster, this service is made available withoutauthentication (without entering e-mail address) or time limit.
- Anyone can use this service easily- Enjoy secure service
Use Tokushima's Free Wi-Fi service anywhere you see these flags! → →Accessible in 112 places throughout Tokushima!
For more information: http://tokushima-wifi.jp
Editors:
Jenifer Tanikawa & Till Dumke
Contributors This Month:David Moreton, Kazue Inoue, Toshiko Yamamizo, Till Dumke, Jenifer Tanikawa,
Brandon Bollom, Keizo Konishi

2Contents
Pg. 2-4:

Two Attractions of Naruto City – Whirlpools and Giant Kites

Pg. 4:A Letter from Suketo Nakayoshi

Pg. 5:

Shamisen and Bells and Drums! Oh My!

Pg. 5-6:

Kamiyama Artist in Residence: A Local Take on Art

Pg. 6:

Tokushima Cable Television ExperiencePg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8-11: Events and Memoranda

Two Attractions of Naruto City – Whirlpools and Giant Kites
By David C. MoretonN

aruto city, in the northeastern part of Tokushima
prefecture, was formed in 1947
by uniting Muya town, Okazaki
port, and some surroundingislands. Today, Naruto has apopulation of about 60,000.
Most visitors to Naruto cometo see the amazing whirlpoolsin the Naruto Strait, either up
close from a boat or from aboardwalk called Uzu no Michithat was constructed under thebridge that connects Shikoku
and Awaji Island. For hundredsof years people have written
about the whirlpools in books
or have drawn paintings of it.
One of the earliest references
was made by a German
naturalist and physician,Engelbert Kaempfer (16511716) in 1690. He wrote, “…The
whirlpool looks frightening, but
it is not considered dangerous
because with its terrifying soundaudible from afar it is easy to

avoid….” Later when Henry
Tristam (1822-1906), an English
clergyman, visited Tokushima in
1891 he wrote. “One day was
spent in a delightful expedition
along the coast to Muya, a large
straggling town twelve miles off… to the celebrated Straits of
Naruto. A party of six, we started
each in a kuruma drawn by twomen, pulling tandem. It wasa lovely ride.… It was a lively
scene … we found ourselves
at Naruto, one of the lions ofJapan. Here the tide coming
up the Inland Sea meets thetides form the north.” Nowadays
hundreds of thousands ofpeople from around Japanand around the world cometo see the whirlpools and tovisit other sites in the Naruto
area, including the Otsuka Art
Museum, Otani pottery studio,
and Temple 1, Ryozenji and
Temple 2, Gokurakuji along the
Shikoku pilgrimage route.

However, I would like to draw
attention to another significant
attraction of Naruto, which atits peak in popularity attracts
more than 50,000 people every
year. This is a giant-kite flying
event, which is referenced insome tourist materials publishedin English. For example, aneleven-page pamphlet entitled“Shikoku”,
produced by
Japan Tourist
Bureau in
1936, states,“Apart fromthe industrial
view-point,
Muya has an
attraction all
its own - giant
kites borneon the galein summer atthe beaches.
The biggesto f t h e s e

3kites measuresmore than sixteen
meters in diameter
and weighs about
4,000 kilograms. It
takes 200 adults, it
is said, to fly eachkite.” In 1947 asimilar pamphlet
was published witha similar description,“Kite flying is a No. 1
attraction in the annual calendarof Naruto…. The flying season
is in July and August when thestrong wind prevails.” Then the“Japan – The Official Guide,”published in 1961, states, “Aninteresting annual kite-flying
festival was formerly held in
Naruto City. It originated morethan 200 years ago at the timeof the reconstruction of themain hall of Rengeji Temple....
More than 1000 kites … were
flown.” Unfortunately there is no
mention of the event in either
the 1966 or 1975 guidebooks on
Japan or any time after that.
Fortunately Japanese source
materials provide more
information about these kites
and the history of this event.
One reference states that thesecircular kites called Wan Wan
Dako ( わんわん凧 ) originated in
1692 when the framework of the
new main hall of Rengeji ( 蓮花寺 ) was completed. The mastercarpenter, to celebrate the workon the temple, made a circular
kite like a round (wan) bowl
with fifty sheets of paper each

Whirlpools and Giant Kites

measuring 32cm X 47cm. After
this there are no references to
the kites until the early 1900s,
and later in 1934-1936 when
so many people wanted to see
the 100+ giant kites flying that a
temporary bus service was set
up to transport people between
Muya train station and Ootebeach where the event was heldand businesses in town closed
for the day in order to allow
everyone to go. During WorldWar II the event was not run
and despite efforts madeafter the war to revive theevent and despite a surge
in interest in kites during
the 1960s, interest slowly
dissipated and it was
stopped. However, in 1999
a 26-meter diameter kite
was built as an attempt to
get it recognized as theWorld`s Largest Kite for the
Guinness Book of World
Records. In 2008 an eightmeter kite was constructed
and flown and in 2010, thistradition was designatedas an Intangible Folk

Cultural Property.
Smaller events havebeen held sincethen, for example,
on January 1, 2013,2014 and 2015 a 3
to 4-meter kite wasmade and flown tocelebrate the comingof the New Year, but
only about 100-150
people attended.
Then in 2014 students at Naruto
high school received help frommembers of the Naruto Large
Kite Preservation Group ( 鳴 門
大 凧 保 存 会 ) to create a threemeter kite. While kite-flying
events and workshops on how
to make mini wan-wan kites arestill held by this Preservation
Group, the scale of the event
continues to decrease because
the group members are elderly
and there are few who know
how to make these giant kites.

Whirlpools and Giant Kites
Here I have described two very
different attractions of Naruto –one tangible and one not; oneformed by nature, one formedby man; one that will always
exist, one that might not. Bothdeserve our attention to bepreserved for future generations
to enjoy.

2. Information in Japanese
about the kites:
http://www.naruto-bussan.jp/
jibasan/wanwan/4

h t t p : / / w w w. c i t y. n a r u t o .
tokushima.jp/koho/
html/2010_10/wanwan.html

References:
1. Article about tourist sites in
Naruto:http://japan-magazine.jnto.go.jp/
en/1504_naruto.html

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

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

hope you are doing well inthis hot weather, which willcontinue on for a while. Haveyou experienced a lack ofappetite or found that you get
tired easily because of summer
fatigue? Apparently food that ishigh in vitamin C like summer
vegetables (tomato, green
pepper, eggplant, pumpkin, etc.)
and food high in protein like fish,
meat, eggs and soy products
will help you recover fromexhaustion faster.
As we are approaching autumn,
we will soon be able to harvest
some delicious autumn crops.
For example, autumn is thespawning season for salmon.
Salmon is high in protein, lipids
and vitamins. I also highly
recommend sweet potatoes
as they are high in vitamin C
which helps build your immune

system and is also great formaking your body more resilient
against diseases (potatoes will
only lose a bit of vitamin when it
is cooked). As well, mushrooms
are a great source of vitamin
B1, which helps increase yourappetite, and they are also agreat source of vitamin B2,
which helps promote growth.
There are many fresh anddelicious crops during autumn.
I encourage you all to stayenergized by eating lots ofhealthy food.
＊＊ This Month’s Craft ＊＊Milk Carton Basket
Materials
Milk carton
Scissor
Strings
Permanent marker

Directions
1) Cut off the last 10 cm of a1000 ml milk carton (but do
not cut off it completely, makesure you leave the top portion
attached for one side of the
carton as it will function as thelid of the basket).
2) Cut holes on either side of the
carton so that you can attach ahandle made of strings on it.
3) Draw your very own designon the side of your basket todecorate.

5

A

Shamisen and Bells and Drums! Oh My!

By Jenifer Tanikawa

long with the warm summer

provided support to Arasowa-ren

started to promote a peacefulheat comes the wave ofin terms of music and dancers.

s o c i e t y w i t h n o w a r, t h e

anticipation of the long-awaited

This year, Mr. Kumagai, theArasowa-ren has been carrying

dance festival, Awa Odori –President of the Tokushimaon this very message for 35

Japan’s biggest and the world’s

Prefectural International Ex-

years.

second biggest (after Rio dechange Association

Janeiro’s Carnival) traditional(TOPIA) cum Vice

dance festival.

Governor of Tokushima prefecture,

For the 35th year, the Arasowa-

also joined us.

ren dance troupe hit the streetsof Tokushima on the night of

The Arasowa-

August 14th. Approximately

ren participates in

250 participants from over 15

this cultural event

countries and 2 regions danced

every year as partthrough the City Hall Stage andof TOPIA’s initiative

the Aibahama Stage. As withto promote cultural

other years, the Yasaka-ren

exchange throughand the NTT West Japan-ren

Awa Odori. Originally

KAIR: A Local Take on ArtA

s with many rural towns inJapan, Kamiyama, locatedamongst the mountains in thecenter of Tokushima Prefecture,
is dealing with the problem of ashrinking and aging population.
Much spotlight has been
shone on regional revitalization
as a possible solution tosuch problems. In particular,
Kamiyama has been taking on
many creative initiatives
to fight against the everdecreasing and aging
population and thesenew projects have beenbreathing in new life into

By Jenifer Tanikawa

this humble town of about 6,000
people.
All of the new initiatives taken
have one thing in common– they capitalize on the factthat Kamiyama is located in a
beautiful natural surrounding
and on the warmth andhospitality of the local people.
And with these new initiatives,
whether you are an IT specialist

or an artist, there is somethingfor everyone.
Many large companies locatedin metropolitan areas are
opening up satellite offices in
Kamiyama. The appeal being, apeaceful environment to work inwithout the busy commute yet
still having access to services
pertinent to their work such as ahigh-speed Internet network.
Another major project thatis being undertaken in thislittle town is the Kamiyama
Artist in Residence (KAIR)
Program. KAIR is a self-

KAIR
supported, volunteer-run
program focused on creating
art and culture in this town.
The program was establishedin 1999 with the hopes ofinviting artists to Kamiyama
to experience rural living andworking with the locals tocreate art projects. Since its
establishment, 57 participants
have been invited to Kamiyama
from both inside and outsideof Japan. This year 4 moreparticipants from three different
countries will be joining thisbeautiful town as a temporary
resident for two months from
September to November.
Since the start of the program
to now, KAIR has been joinedby artists from 19 countries andregions, and this year Krišs
Salmanis from Latvia, Claire
Healy and Sean Cordeiro from
Australia, and Quynh Vantu fromthe U.S were chosen out of 160
applications and will be making
art in Kamiyama over the next
few months.

Not only are they there to create
their own art, but they will also
be working closely with the

6local community by holding
workshops, participating in
cultural events and holding open
studios.
Through the artists’ closeinteraction with the local people
and by being fully immersedin the natural environment, wehope that their unique work
will be infused with a tasteof Kamiyama. Their finishedartwork will be displayed during
early November.
Access: 60 minutes by local bus
from JR Tokushima Station or
40 minutes by car.
For more information, please
visit: http://www.in-kamiyama.jp/
en/art/Watch Me Being Awkward on TV (Tokushima Cable Television)
By Till DumkeL

ast month I was asked by
Cable Television Tokushima
to appear in their show “A World”
to experience Tokushima frommy (foreigner ’s) perspective
while being filmed andinterviewed. I decided to explore
was the famous Awa-Indigo
dying technique. So I went
to the so called Ai no Yakata(The House of Indigo), where
I learned about the rich historyof the indigo dying tradition andalso had a hands on experienceof dying something as well.
After hearing about the history
of indigo I advanced to dying apiece of cloth myself. I chosea pattern and continued to dye

my handkerchief according
to the instructions of the nicelady onsite. By submerging
the crumbled up cloth into theindigo bath repeatedly I createda nice pattern on it. During theprocess of dying it appeared
more brownish green than blue
which is due to the residueof the outside of the leaves
in the solution. After rinsing it

out under clean water only thebeautiful deep blue dye remains
on the textile.
If you feel like seeing me
awkwardly fumbling aroundtrying to figure out what to dowith my hands while talking andstruggling to not look weird infront of the camera please tune
in on one of the following airing
dates.
Cable Television Tokushima(111ch, the 11 on your remotecontrol)
September 6th – October 3rd
Mondays 11:30 – 11:45, 18:00 –18:15, 22:30 – 22:45
Saturdays 19:15 – 19:30
Sundays 13:30 – 13:45

7

Japanese Lesson

By Toshiko Yamamizo

This months Japanese lesson will teach you how to use the grammatical form “ ～そう ” .
あめ

ふ

あめ

ちが

ふ

わ

「雨が降りそうです。
」と「雨が降るそうです。
」の違いが分かりますか。
ふた

かた

い

ちが

がくしゅう

この二つの言い方の違いについて学 習 しましょう。
み あ

そら

くも

１. Ａ（空を見上げて）「わあ、ずいぶん曇ってきましたね。
」
あめ

ふ

」
Ｂ「あっ、ほんとう、雨が降りそうですね。
あし た

うみ

およ

い

２. Ａ「明日、海へ泳ぎに行くんだけどいっしょにい」
行きませんか。
あし た

てん き よ ほうあめ

ふＢ「ええ、でも明日は、天気予報では雨が降る
そうですよ。
」
らいしゅう にちよう びいＡ「そうですか。じゃ、来 週 の日 曜 日に行きましょう。
」
Ｂ「ええ、ぜひ。
」

A									

BThe “ ～そう ” in the first sentence is used to describe what the speaker has seen or felt or to state theirpredictions while stating their own opinion as well. (Situation)
The “ ～そう ” used in the second sentence is used when the speaker is trying to relay something he/she has heard about or learnt about to a third person. (Heresay)
どう し

ぶん

つく

かた

動 詞「～そうです」の文の作り方
（

ようたい

けい

様態

） Ｖます形＋そうです
れいぶん

例文

に もつ

お

１、あっ、荷物が落ちそうです。
いちばんうえいまと２、一 番 上のボタン、今にも取れそうですよ。
でんぶん

（

伝聞

ふ つうけい） Ｖ普 通 形 ＋そうです
れいぶん

例文

てん き よ ほう

きょ う

ゆうがた

たいふう

とくしま

ちか

１、天気予報によると今日の夕方ごろ、台風が徳島に近づくそうです。
た なか

らいげつけっこん

２、うわさでは、田中さんは来 月 結 婚するそうです。
れんしゅうもんだい

ないよう かんがてきとう

えら

練 習 問 題：内容を考えて、適当なものを選んでください。
もうしょ

つづ

ひと

た

こ

たお

Ｂ . 倒れる）そうですよ。
なか

3. おにぎり一つしか食べて来なかったので、お腹が（Ａ . すき
でん わ

た なか

ぷん

おく

4. 今、電話があって、田中さんは３０分くらい（Ａ . 遅れ
よう す

し ごと

じ

お

5. この様子では、仕事は５時に（Ａ、終わり

お

Ｂ . すく）そうです。

おくＢ . 遅れる）そうです。

Ｂ、終わる）そうもありません。

４、Ｂ， ５、Ａ

いま

３、Ａ

たお

２、Ａ

かぜ

１、Ｂ

き み

2. あの木見て。風で（Ａ . 倒れ

つづＢ . 続く）そうです。

もんだいかいとうなつ

問 題 解答こ とし

てん き よ ほう1. 天 気予報によると、今年の夏は、猛暑が（Ａ . 続き

Events & Memoranda

8

Tokushima Prefecture Disaster Prevention Center Study TourThe importance of preparing for the Great Nankai Trough Earthquake expected to hit Tokushima is
only increasing. If the earthquake occurs, what will you do? The Tokushima Prefectural Government,in conjunction with the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA) is proud toannounce a study tour for foreign residents at the Tokushima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Center toprovide information on what to do in case of a natural disaster.
During the tour you can experience earthquakes, strong winds and more via simulation, as well as
learn about what to do when a disaster occurs.

Date ： Sunday, September 13, 10 ： 30 ～ 13 ： 00
10 ： 30 – Leave Tokushima Station by bus for the center
13 ： 00 – Arrive back at Tokushima Station by bus
Location ： Tokushima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Center (Kitajima-town, Tainohama Aza Onishi 165)
Target ： Foreign Residents in Tokushima Prefecture
Details ： Disaster prevention guidance via video, simulation of strong winds / earthquakes, fire fighting
and disaster control exercises (English and Chinese Interpreting)
No. Places ： 30 people
Cost ： Free
Applications ： Please fill out the form below and send in by fax to the address at the bottom of theform. You can also apply by sending the same information by email or postcard.
Deadline: September 8th (Tuesday)
Name

GenderM ・ F

AddressTEL

Nationality

E-Mail Address
Name of Union/Occupation

Workplace Address

Applications to:
FAX: Tokushima-ken Kokusai Koryukyokai FAX （088） 652 – 0616
Email: coordinator1@topia.ne.jp
Postcard: 〒 770-0831Tokushima-shi Terashima Honcho Nishi1-61 Clement Plaza 6F
Koekizaidan Hojin Tokushima-ken Kokusai Koryukyokai (TOPIA)
Contact: TOPIA (Kimura) TEL （088） 656-3303

9

Events & Memoranda
Japanese Classes 2015
Term 2 Schedule

Classes are from 10:30-12:00 and will be held in the meeting rooms at TOPIA
We will be using the “Minna no Nihongo I” or the “Minna no Nihongo II” (2nd edition) textbooks (2,700 yen
for the book and audio CD). As well, there will be themed lessons on various topics such as seasons andlife in Tokushima.

DAY

TEACHERTUE

Ms. Motoki

WED

Volunteers

THU

Ms. Yamada

FRI

Ms. Aoki
JTM

SUN
Volunteers

LEVEL

CLASS DESCRIPTION

We will study various forms and expressions such as
Elementary potential, volitional, imperative, prohibitive, conditional,
reasoning, passive, causative, and honorific expressions.
2, 3
Text: Minna no Nihongo II – from Chapter 26~50
This is a flexible group study class split up in different levels.
*For parents of young children, a childcare worker will be onGrouphand to look after your child during the lesson (please inquire
Lessonin advance). Due to unforeseen circumstances, the rooms
may change.
We will take the first step towards learning basic
Beginner
expressions.
Text: Minna no Nihongo I – from Chapter 1
We will study various verb forms and sentence patterns
Elementary
using those verb forms.
1
Text: Minna no Nihongo I – from Chapter 14
We will study reasoning, passive, causative and honorific
Elementary
expressions.
3
Text: Minna no Nihongo II – from Chapter 38
Group
This is a flexible group study class split up in different levels.
LessonFrom
9/8(25 times)
From
10/7
(20 times)
From
10/1
(20 times)
From
10/2
(20 times)
From
10/4
(20 times)＊Please register for Group Lessons at least a day before class (if you do not sign up in advance and show up
on the day of class, we may not be able to find you a group to study with). As the number of groups are limited
we may not always be able to form a group that fits your level.
＊If you are unable to attend class, please call and let us know.
A class for those who cannot read or write hiragana or
You may
Ms. Kimura,Specialkatakana. We will study the basics such as, the Japanese
join at
THU
Ms.
Beginners
alphabet, greetings, numbers, and items. We will also beanytimeMiyamotoClasslearning about Tokushima.
2 sessions
duringOctober/November
1. Location
2. Fee

A 2 day intensive class to review materials covered in the elementary andintermediate level. The class will focus on conversational Japanese
Ms. Motoki Intensive
needed for daily life so you can better communicate with your coworkers
Ms. Aoki(2 days)and neighbors.
We will post more details around October on our official website.
Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA)
6F Clement Plaza, 1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City 770-0831
TEL: 088-656-3303
FAX: 088-652-0616

free

All classes arethis year (we would like to provide Japanese lessons to as many
people as we can).
Classes may be cancelled due to inclement weather such as typhoons, heavy rain, or
snow. Please confirm by calling TOPIA at 088-656-3303.

Japanese classes are also available at the Anan International Association, Aizumi Town Interntional Exchange
Association, Yoshinogawa International Exchange Association, and NPO Mima no Sato
Please visit TOPIA’s Japanese Classes page on our official website for more information (available in Japanese,
English and Chinese).

Events & Memoranda

10

Ningyo Joruri Tokushima-za with Tomosuke-kai
人形浄瑠璃とくしま座 with 友輔会

Seminar: Continuing on the tradition – Thinking of ○ セミナー：伝統の継承「阿波鳴を考える」
Awa-naru○ 公演：「傾城阿波の鳴門 順礼歌の段」
Performance: Keisei Awa no Naruto – Pilgrimage
Song Scene
浄瑠璃の言葉の美しさや、リズミカルな語りと三For more information: http://joruri.info/jurobe/
味線に、人形の繊細な動きが合わさって実現する
When: September 13 (Sun) 15:30-17:00「人形浄瑠璃」の世界！一緒にたのしみませんか。
Entrance fee: General admission 410 yen, high 詳細：http://joruri.info/jurobe/school/university students 300 yen, elementary/ 日時：9 月 13 日（日）15:30 - 17:00
middle school students 200 yen
入場料：一般 410 円、高大 300 円、小中 200 円
Venue: Tokushima Prefectural Awa Jurobe Yashiki 会場：徳島県立阿波十郎兵衛屋敷
TEL: 088-665-2202
TEL：088-665-2202
Organizer: Tokushima Prefecture General Local 主催：徳島県地域伝統文化総合活性化委員会ほか
Traditions and Culture Promotions Committee

Kitagawa Outdoor Puppet Stage
北川農村舞台This outdoor Ningyo Joruri puppet theater stage islocated in Kito, Naka-cho, which is on the borderof Kochi and Tokushima. With its location in the
deep reaches of the mountain, there is an air of
mystery and magic surrounding the stages. There
will also be a small local products market.
When: September 27 (Sun), 13:00~
Where: Hachiman Shrine, 18 Funadaniguchi, 		Kito-Kitagawa, Naka-cho, Naka-gun
Admission Fee: Free
Info: Naka Town Office – Kito Branch
TEL: 0884-68-2311

高知県との県境に位置する那賀町木頭にある農村舞台。人里から高く離れた山奥で見る農村舞台は神秘的であり、幻想的です。ミニ物産コーナーもあります。
日時：9 月 27 日（日）13:00 ～場所：那賀郡那賀町木頭北川字船谷口 18
八幡神社境内
入場料：無料
問合せ：那賀町役場木頭支所
TEL: 0884-68-2311

Shishikui Hachiman Shrine Festival
宍喰八幡神社祭り
On Saturday, there will be various stalls set up atnight. On Sunday they will be doing ceremonial
events involving portable shrines at 10:30, anddanjiri carts and small boats from 14:00.
When: September 26-27 (Sat-Sun)
Where: Shishikui Hachiman Shrine
Kubo, Kaiyo Town, Kaifu-gun
Fee: Free
Info: Kaiyo Town Tourism Association
TEL: 0884-76-3050

日時：9 月 26−27（土日）9/26（土） 夜店
9/27（日） 午前 10:30 ～お神輿お浜出、14:00 ～だんじり・関船が出ます。
場所：海部郡海陽町久保
宍喰八幡神社周辺
料金：無料
問合せ：海陽町観光協会
TEL: 0884-76-3050

11 Events & Memoranda
Oki Shrine Festival (Motonei Fireworks Festival)
沖神社祭（元根井花火大会）

2000 fireworks will light up the sky by Motonei
Fishing Harbor.
When: September 12 (Sat)
Where: Oki Shrine, Motonei, Komatsushima-cho,
Komatsushima City
Info: Komatsushima Fisheries Cooperative 		Motonei Branch
TEL: 0885-32-3521

元根井漁港より約 2000 発の花火が夜空を美しく彩ります。
日時：９月１２日（土）場所：小松島市小松島町字元根井
問合せ：小松島漁協元根井支所
TEL：0885-32-3521

沖神社

Information Regarding Japanese Classes
日本語クラスのお知らせ
Japanese Classes for Caretakers (will be heldin Tokushima City) and Japanese Classes for
Individuals Seeking Employment (held in Anan
City and Mima City) will begin in September.
Come and join our classes!
For more information, please check either http://
tokushima-rofuku.net/ or the Japanese Classes
page on TOPIA’s official website.
Organizer: Tokushima Prefecture Labor andWelfare Council

介護の日本語講座 （徳島市） と就職のための日本語講座 （阿南市＆美馬市） が９月より始まります。
ぜひ一緒に勉強しませんか？！
詳細：http://tokushima-rofuku.net/ か TOPIA ホー
ムページの日本語教室サイトをご覧ください。
主催 ： 公益社団法人徳島県労働者福祉協議会
TEL 088-625-8387

Information on the National Population Census
国勢調査のお知らせ
As of October 1, 2015, the Japanese government
will be conducting a Population Census. All
people residing in Japan, regardless of nationality
are required to complete this survey.
Your responses will not be used in any way for
immigration control, police investigations or othersuch purposes.

From around the beginning of September,
Population Census Workers will be visiting all
households to distribute information on how to fillout the Census forms.
The forms will be available online as well.
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs andCommunications Tokushima PrefectureCounselling 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)