aWa life
English Camp: An ALT's
First Impression ofTokushima and Teaching

Introduction of our
New Editors

Awa Shoku:
What is Uirou??

September 2016
# 314

Picture provided by Jennifer Bach

Tokushima Prefectural
Disaster Prevention
Center Study Tour1

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

After a month full of fireworks and the vibrant Awa Odori Dance Festival, we have slowly started toenter the harvesting season. All around Tokushima the rice fields are close to being harvested thismonth. Furthermore, we are awaiting the old tradition of tsukimi ("moon viewing"), also related to theharvest in autumn. On September 15th, people will decorate their viewing scene with pampas grass,serve white rice dumplings, and offer sake to the moon in order to pray for an abundant harvest.
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 new 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!

Editors:
Daralyn Yee and Franziska Neugebauer
Contributors This Month:
JTM Tokushima Japanese Language Network, Matt Gozun, Kazue Inoue,
Takako Yamada, Lance Kita, Jennifer Bach

2

Contents

Pg. 2-3:

Our New Editors!

Pg. 4-5:

English Camp: An ALT's First Impression of		

Tokushima and TeachingPg. 5-6:

TOPIA Summer School for Kids

Pg. 6:

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

Pg. 7-8:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 9:

Awa Shoku: What is Uirou??			

Pg. 10-11: Events and Memoranda
Our New Editors:
I finally made it! Greetings from the New German CIR
By Franziska Neugebauer
In my 7 years of studying I had the chance to goince the first time I came to Japan, which wasS
6 years ago, I wanted to travel to Tokushima to Japan twice, both times as an exchange andespecially to see the Naruto whirlpools. I nevermade it, even though I was living in Kobe, itjust did not happen. Now I think it was fate,that one day I would havethe opportunity to work inTokushima prefecture andhave plenty of opportunities
to visit this beautiful
landmark. My name is Franzi,
I was born in Germany andjust started working as a
Coordinator for International
Relations in the Tokushima
Prefectural Office, and am
one of the JET Programme
Prefectural Advisors here. I
grew up in a small village inthe Eastern part of Germany,
went to Hamburg and Leipzig
to study Japanese, andfound myself travelling the world extensively. I
spent some time in Australia, New Zealand, andTanzania, only to always come back to Japan in
the end.

research student, once at Kobe University and theother time at Mie University. Altogether I spent one
and a half years living here and consider myself
lucky to receive that opportunity
again.

Some things I'm really looking
forward to doing here are definitely
walking and hiking through thebeautiful mountain and forest
areas in Tokushima, and eatingsome delicious specialities of thisregion. Besides getting out into
nature (maybe something I got
from my childhood in a tiny village
in the middle of a great landscape)I enjoy drawing and painting, as
well as swimming. My weakness isdefinitely anything sweet. I just can't
resist ice cream, chocolate, fruits
and desserts, and it gets especially hard when it
comes to matcha or kinako flavoured sweets.
Another thing that makes me really happy is when

3

I get the chance to help people out, assist them,or just conjure a smile on their face. I'm looking
forward to being a prefectural advisor, working at
TOPIA and in the prefectural office to deepen and

Our New Editors
strengthen the relationship between my homecountry and Japan. See you soon somewherearound Tokushima!

Howzit and Aloha from your New Awa Life Editor!
By Daralyn Yee

loha! My name is Daralyn Yee and alongAwith being the new editor for Awa Life, I am

also the new English speaking Coordinator forInternational Relations and JET Prefectural
Advisor in Tokushima Prefecture! I was born andraised in Hawaii and am a Chinese-JapaneseAmerican. My mother is a Japanese-Americanborn and raised in Hawaii, while my father wasborn in Hong Kong and raised in Hawaii. We
speak English at home. My mother does not
speak very much Japanese, so a good amount of
the Japanese that I have learned is from school.

This is my fourth time being in Japan.
I started learning Japanese about 9 years ago
in order to learn more about my family’s culture.
In Hawaii, almost every school has Japanese
language as an elective class, so as soon as I
was eligible, I started taking Japanese classes.
At the time, it was more of a hobby. However,as I met people from around the world, and fromJapan, I realized that learning Japanese could
help me to communicate different ideas andthoughts between different cultures. Now, as I
have been given the opportunity to work as a
Coordinator for International Relations, I hope totake away cultural and language barriers, andhelp Japan and other countries develop positive
relations with each other. I am looking forward to
the opportunities that this job will bring me.
I believe that it is fate that has brought me here toTokushima. My favorite musical artist, Angela Aki,is from Tokushima. The first ramen shop I ate atwhile studying abroad was Tokushima’s famous
ramen shop, Toudai. Lastly, I also was able tosee Awa Odori when I traveled to Osaka with myfamily. I hope that I will have the opportunity totake in Tokushima to its fullest extent. If you see
me around, please feel free to say hello!

Above: Signs of Hawaii in Tokushima:
Passion Orange juice.
Left: Rabbit Island and Makapu'u lighthouse area on Oahu, Hawaii.

English Camp: An ALT's First Impression of Tokushima
and Teaching

4

By Daralyn Yee and Franziska Neugebauer
very year, TOPIA holds an English Camp soon Language Teachers (ALT) of the Japan-wideEafter the new JET Programme participants arrive JET programme placed in Tokushima. Awa Lifein Tokushima. During this camp, the students
communicate only in English with their native
English teachers and experience intercultural
exchange. At the same time English Campfunctions as an orientation for the new Assistantspoke with one of the new ALT's, Matt Gozun,
about his experience at English Camp playing
with and teaching Japanese students and about
his general goals while participating in the JET
programme.

Q: Please tell us a few things about yourself.
A: My name is Matt Gozun and I am from Mililani,
Hawaii, a town on the island of Oahu northof Honolulu. I am 23 years old and a recent
graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, where I double majored in Biology andEconomics. I studied Japanese in high school
and college, but never exceeded an intermediatelevel of fluency. Now that I am in Japan, I hope toincrease my level of understanding, though it may
take some time since Awa-ben can be confusing
at times!

have been impressedby the prefecture’s
natural beauty andthe friendliness of its
people. I think mostWesterners picture
Tokyo or Osaka when
they think of Japan,
a n d s o To k u s h i m a
was a nice change
from the Japan
often seen on TV. What really struck me was
the energy and excitement that filled the streets
during Awa Odori with what appeared to be theentire prefecture coming together to put on such
an amazing display of local culture. It was obvious
to me that everyone, from the performers to thestreet vendors, held such a deep amount of pridefor their home and were eager to show it off to therest of the world.

I decided to apply for JET during my final year
at Marquette having heard about it from myJapanese teachers in college and high school. I
also had a friend who was a JET for five years inEhime prefecture and so I was able to learn about
the specifics of the program from him. Growing
up in Hawaii, with its large Japanese-American
population, I have always been fascinated by
Japanese culture. In college, I participated in aninternational exchange program in which students
from other countries would come to Marquetteand lived with local students. Having become
friends with people from all over the world, I knewthat I wanted to travel after I finished college,
and because I had studied Japanese and wasfamiliar with Japanese culture, I knew the JET
Programme would be the right fit for me.
Q: What was your first impression ofTokushima?
A: I actually didn’t know Tokushima existed until I
found out my JET placement! Since coming here, I

Q: Is there anything that you are look forward
to doing specifically in Tokushima?
A: I am looking forward to enjoying Tokushima`snatural and cultural heritage. Although some mayview living in a more "inaka" part of the country
as a challenge, I view it as an opportunity toexperience the elements of "old Japan" that may
not be found in places like Tokyo and Osaka. I
hope to explore Tokushima`s hidden forests andvalleys while experiencing the beauty of traditional
Japanese architecture. As a hiker, I want to climb
Tokushima`s many mountains, including Mt.
Tsurugi and Mt. Bizan. At the same time, I want tolearn about Japan`s unique culture and spirituality,

5

English Camp: An ALT's First Impression of Tokushima and Teachingwhether it be through learning traditional arts like
papermaking or through visiting some of the 88
temples on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.
Q: What was the best part about English
Camp?
A: The best part of English
camp was developing abond with the students who
attended. Since I arrived
in the middle of summer
vacation, I did not have
many opportunities prior to
English camp to spend timewith students and get a feelfor what my job as a new
ALT would entail. Having
had time to test my ability toteach and communicate with students, I now feelbetter prepared to tackle the challenges I know
I will experience in the coming year. Like I told
the students at the camp, the key to doing well inanything is confidence, and I believe that same

principle can be applied to teachers as well as
pupils.
Q: What are you looking forward to as an ALT?
A: As an ALT, I hope to make a difference in the
lives of the Tokushimac o m m u n i t y, b u t
most importantly, mystudents. Going off toteach so soon after
being a student myself
can be a bit intimidating,but I think that thisgives me an advantage
in being able to relatewith the high schoolers
I will be working with. I
look forward to a yearof new memories and self improvement and hope
to see how much I will have changed after a year
abroad. Besides getting better in Japanese, I also
hope to travel extensively and see what every
corner of Japan has to offer.

TOPIA Summer School for Kids
By JTM Tokushima Japanese Language Network

ight before 10 o’clock on August the 4 , manyR
children gathered in the lobby of TOPIA on thethlast day of this year’s Summer School, eventhough it was early in the day. All of them had a
big smile on their face. It is hard to believe thatthey looked nervous on the first day when theycame with their parents and anxiously waited for
Summer School to start at 10 o’clock.
This year, the Summer School was held for the
12th time during the period of July 22nd and August
4 th . A total of 29 children participated, which
includes 20 elementary school students and9 middle school students who hold roots in 10
foreign countries. Besides the 21 staff, university
and high school students also took part in thisyear’s Summer School to assist and support
with the great number of children as they did lastyear. With the one-to-one friendly assistance,
the students were able to complete summer
homework among other things.

Above all else, a sense of unity was born during
the group learning sessions since all participants
did things together like word games, folded
origami and completed one map. After every
session, the children displayed their personality
and all of them seemed to be playing aroundwith their new acquaintances like they had been
friends from before. During the session where
they read aloud to one another, some children
presented what they read between the lines. I
once again realized how important Japanese
language learning was for them.

6

TOPIA Summer School for Kids
Lastly, the children communicated their individual
thoughts and dreams and wrote these down ina picture diary. A great variety of future dreams
were mentioned, including, “scientist”, “cartoonist”,“police officer”, “English teacher”. I hope that they

will achieve these dreams and make the most of
their life in Japan after this. Also, I hope that since
the children now know they have friends who
are doing their best just like them, that they will
be able to work with self-confidence during thesecond semester.

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

By Kazue Inoue (Center for Early Childhood Education and Care SUKETO NAKAYOSHI)
fter the Obon season, Japan slowly gets seasonal products packed with the necessaryAcooler and you will be able to hear the crickets energy for this period and are able to enjoy
chirping from the grass fields in the evening.
Autumn has finally arrived.

This month, I would like to introduce ways toincrease the amount of food your children like.
First, you’ll want to gather the whole family
together and create an enjoyable atmosphere. If
the rest of the family says something like “Yum,it's tasty (^_^)”, your child will want to try the foodas well. (It is best to do this even before you startwith baby food.) While your child is eating, it isimportant to encourage them. Let’s try to scold
less, and encourage them more. When your childgets older, I recommend doing things like cooking
or growing vegetables together as a starting point.
Other methods include arranging a life rhythm
or giving the child enough time to play. After
spending a long time playing, their hunger will
make the food taste even more delicious.
Autumn is also called the harvesting season,
when many different delicious produce areavailable. Furthermore, it is the best time of theyear to partake in sport activities, sports festival
events, and hiking. I hope that you eat a lot of

autumn!

＊＊＊Handmade Toys: Flexible StickMaterials
Milk Carton, Scissors, Colorful Cloth, Glue, Tape
Directions
1. Take a 1 liter milk carton. Cut the top off and cut
one side along the edge so that you can unfold it
into one sheet as shown in the picture. Fold it to
the middle.
2. Wrap a cloth with a nice pattern around the
stick (for looks) and glue it together. Then cut thefour corners round.
3. Stick each end together with a tape and put alittle whole in each end.
4. After you have put together 6 sticks, tie them
together with an elastic band. Now you can enjoytransforming the sticks into different shapes.

7Japanese Lesson

By Takako Yamada

ていねいたいふ つうたい丁寧体と普通体（2）This month, we will be learning how to use the informal style.
こんげつ

ふつうたい

かいわ

がくしゅう

今月は普通体の会話について学習しましょう。
Last month, we learned about the difference between formal and informal style. It is basically the same
during conversations, although there are some points we must pay attention to.
せんげつ

ていねいたい

ふつうたい

ちが

がくしゅう

かいわ

とき

きほんてき

おな

き

先月、丁寧体と普通体の違いを学習しました。会話の時も、基本的には同じですが , いくつか気をつてん

けなければならない点があります。
① When asking questions the「か」at the end will generally be omitted and the intonation
is raised at the end of the sentence to signify a question.
ぎもんぶん

さいご

つうじょうしょうりゃく

ご び

あ

ぎもん

あらわ

疑問文の最後の「か」は、通常 省 略 され、語尾を上げて疑問を表します。
かいしゃ

い

かいしゃ

い

＊あした会社へ行きますか。→ あした会社へ行く？（↗）(Are you going to work tomorrow?)② Not only the「か」but also the「だ」is omitted when asking questions with nouns or 		
adjectives like「元気だ」「何時だ」.
げんき

なんじ

けいよう しぎもんぶん

しょうりゃく「元気だ」「何時だ」のような、な形容詞や疑問文のときは、「か」だけでなく、「だ」も省略します。
げんき

げんき

＊元気ですか。→ 元気？（↗）(How are you?)
いま

なんじ

いま

なんじ

＊今、何時ですか。→ 今、何時？（↗）(What time is it now?)③「だ」is also omitted when answering and instead ending particles like「よ」or「わ」areused. But these are different for men and women.
げんき

げんき

だんせい

＊はい、元気です。Yes, I am fine. →うん、元気だよ。( 男性 ) (Men)
げんき

じょせい

→うん、元気よ。( 女性 )(Women)④ Phrases like「はい」
「いいえ」
「こちら」
「あちら」
「どちら」transform into「うん」
「ううん」
「こっち」
「あっち」
「どっち」.But these words should not be used when talking to asuperior since they are extremely impolite. Please be careful when using them.
「はい」「いいえ」
「こちら」
「あちら」
「どちら」などは「うん」
「ううん」
「こっち」
「あっち」
か

ことば

めうえ

ひと

たい

つか

しつれい

「どっち」のように変わります。これらの言葉は、目上の人に対して使うととても失礼なので、き気をつけてください。
⑤ Particles like「は」「が」「へ」「を」are also often omitted.
じょし

しょうりゃくおお「は」「が」「へ」「を」などの助詞は省略されることが多いです。
たなか

き

たなか

く

＊田中さんは来ますか。→ 田中さん（は）来る？ (Is Tanaka coming?)
たた＊このケーキを食べますか。→ このケーキ（を）食べる？ (Are you going to eat this cake?)
いま

い

いま

い

＊今から TOPIA へ行きますか。→ 今から TOPIA（へ）行く？ (Are you going to TOPIA now?)8

Japanese Lesson⑥ The informal styles「ている」「ていない」of「ています」「ていません」are often changed
into「てる」「てない」during a conversation.
ふつうけい

かいわ

「ていない」は、会話では「てる」「てない」に「ています」「ていません」の普通形「ている」
かおお

変わることが多いです。
まいにちべんきょう＊毎日勉強していますか。(Are you studying every day?)
いいえ、していません。(No, I haven’t been.)
まいにちべんきょう→ 毎日勉強して（い）る？

ううん、して（い）ない。

⑦ The「が」in「～が、････」is changed into「けれど」during an informal conversation, andcan furthermore be omitted into「けど」. In addition,「しなければ」transforms into「しなくちゃ」 and「では」into「じゃ」.
ふつうたい

かいわ

さら しょうりゃく

更に省 略して「けど」にかわります。
「～が、････」の「が」は、普通体の会話では「けれど」に、
このほか、「しなければ」は「しなくちゃ」に、「では」は「じゃ」にかわります。
わたし あ し た き

やまだき

わたし あ し た く

やまだく＊私 は明日来ますが、山田さんも来ますか。→ 私 、明日来るけど、山田さんも来る？
(I will come tomorrow, but is Yamada also coming?)
Let’s practice changing the following conversation into a conversation between friends.
れんしゅう

した

ていねいたい

かいわ

ともだち

かいわ

なお

では、練習してみましょう。下の丁寧体の会話を、友達との会話に直してみてください。
ひる

はん

た

① マリア：えみこさん、もうお昼ご飯を食べま →したか。
(Emiko, did you eat lunch already?)② えみこ：いいえ、まだです。
→(No, not yet.)たい③ マリア：では、いっしょに食べに行きませんか。 →(Well then, will you go to lunch with me?)④ えみこ：はい、いいですよ。
(Yes, that sounds good.)→
たなか⑤ マリア：田中くんは、どうですか。
(Tanaka what about you?)
→
たなか
いま
か
⑥ 田中：わたしは今メールを書いていますから、
おい終わってから行きます。
→(Since I’m writing an e-mail right now, I will go assoon as I finish it.)

3. じゃ、いっしょに食べにいかない？

るから、終わってから行くよ。
おた

2. ううん、まだ。

い6.（ぼくは）今メール、書いていまか

1. えみこさん、もうお昼ご飯、食べた？ 5. 田 中くんは、どう？

Answers:

ひろ

はん

た

たなか

4. うん（ええ）、いいわよ。

9

Awa Shoku: What is Uirou??

By Lance Kita

sk even a Japanese person to explain what Personally, I like the simple texture and sweetnessA“uirou” () is, and you may get of uirou. It’s a good way to be introduced into
外 郎、 う い ろ う

the world of Japanese sweets. It goes well withboth coffee and tea, and is a gateway for Japan
newcomers to get acquainted with the worldof Japanese sweets. This unassuming lumpy
Though places like Nagoya City, Odawara City, dessert harkens back to the economic heyday
and Kyoto are more famous nationwide for their of Tokushima, and with recent innovations, will
uirou, Tokushima’s Awa Uirou（ 阿 波 う い ろ う ） find ways to stay in the hearts of Awakko for
has a history of its own, thanks to the prosperity generations to come. I hope you’ll try it andof the province during the mid-Edo Period. The expand your wagashi（和菓子）repertoire.
production of cane sugar flourished, leading to
the export of high-grade refined wasanbon sugar Some of the information in this article comes from
（和三盆糖 ). In celebration of this new cash crop, http://tokushima-bussan.com/foods/awa-uiro/.
the lord of Awa and merchant families ate uirou
made with wasanbon sugar on the 3rd day of the
3rd month of the lunar calendar (today celebrated
as Girls’ Day or the Doll Festival). So uirou isentrenched in the sweets history of Tokushima.
some furrowed brows. They’ll know that it’s aJapanese sweet with a simple flavor and chewy
texture, but anything more will stump them.

But what is it? Well, it’s a cross between glutinous
rice cakes (mochi 餅 ) and jellied sweet beanpaste (youkan 羊羹 ). In very general terms, flourand sugar are mixed with warm water to form apaste, then placed into a mold and steamed. In
Awa Uirou is regular sugar, wasanbon sugar, anda pinch of salt is mixed with smooth sweet beanpaste. After that, glutinous rice flour (mochiko
餅 粉 ) and rice flours (komeko 米 粉 ) are added,
then water until the mixture is of the rightconsistency. This runny paste is poured into a pan
and steamed for about an hour. Finally, it is cut
into blocks and wrapped for sale.
In the last couple of years, there has been a push
to increase the brand recognition of this simple,
understated sweet. Instead of large bars, uirou
is shaped into little sticks or balls and wrapped
individually. Some shops use other flavors like
Naruto Kintoki sweet potato, matcha, or sudachi
instead of sweet bean. As we head into autumn,
you’ll find uirou embedded with whole or chopped
marron glace (sweetened chestnuts). I even saw
fried uirou at a farmer’s market this year. The
crispy crust on the outside of the uirou contrasts
wonderfully with the soft, chewy inside.

Uirou is usually cut into large bars. Some havecandied chestnuts in them.

These bite-size stick uirou are perfect for
snacking.

Events & Memoranda

10

地域日本語指導ボランティア養成講座
in 阿南～外国人の方への日本語の教え方を一緒に勉強しませんか？～使用テキスト：スリーエーネットワーク出版＊各自でご購入ください。
前 期『 み ん な の 日 本 語 初 級 I 第 ２ 版 本 冊 』      後 期『 み ん な の 日 本 語 初 級 Ⅱ 第 ２ 版 本 冊 』
      
日程 :( 全土曜日 )10:00 ～ 16:00（昼休憩を含む
ためお弁当・軽食・飲み物などをご持参ください） （各 2,700 円）
前期 青木洋子先生 10/15・29・11/12・19・26   受 講 料：無料
申し込み：氏名・住所・連絡先を下記まで。
後期 山田多佳子先生 1/14・21・28・2/18・25
主催・問合せ：阿南市国際交流協会 担当：小野
場所：阿南市富岡公民館１階小会議室
TEL: 0884-44-6652
TEL：0884-22-1028（受講人数により羽ノ浦公民
E- メール：himawari_aia_2012@yahoo.co.jp
館に変更する可能性あり）
詳細：TOPIA ホームページをご覧下さい。

Assistance for Foreign Citizens
Who Would like to Acquire a Japanese Driver’s License
Learn Japanese traffic rules and how to get yourdriver’s license so that you can get to work andtake your kids around!
① Japanese Lecture on how to raise your reading
comprehension (27 sessions):
Start Date: September 27 (Every Tuesday andFriday, 10:30 - 12:00)② Subject Lecture (14 sessions): October 5(Every Wednesday, 9:30 - 12:30)
Where: Work Pia Tokushima 2nd Floor
Capacity: 12 people
Fee: Free (Purchase text books on your own)
Sponsor: Tokushima Labor and Welfare Council
TEL: 088-625-8387★ Please see the TOPIA Website for more details.

Enjoy the moon and flowers
月花遊々「煌めき和みと癒し」
In occasion of the full moon, delicate woodwork
and seasonal flowers will adorn the buildings ofthe mansion of former village headmaster Nagai.
Two-layered short pillars with paper lanterns willline the streets and food stalls will offer Ohagi,
Buckwheat soup and much more.
When: September 16 (Fri) - 18 (Sun)
From 18:00 to 21:00
Where: Nagai estate (Mimangu Sadamitsuaza
Nishiura 37); lanters along Sadamitsu
Kita-machi and Minami-machi
Info: Tsurugimachi Chamber of Commerce andIndustry
TEL: 088-362-2222

名月にちなんだ飾りつけがされます。旧永井家庄屋屋敷では、精巧な木工細工や、季節の花々が建物いっぱいに飾られます。二層うだつの町並みには手作りの行燈が並び情緒豊かです。おはぎやそば米雑炊などの出店も並びます。
日時： 9 月 16 日（金）－ 18 日（日）18：00 － 21：00
場所： 永井屋敷（美馬郡つるぎ町貞光字西浦37); 二層うだつの町並み（美馬郡つるぎ町貞光北町～南町）
問合せ：つるぎ町商工会
TEL:

088-362-2222

11 Events & Memoranda
Japanese Classes 2016: Term 2 ScheduleWhen:
10:30-12:00
Where: Meeting rooms at TOPIAFee:
All classes are free.
Textbook: 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). Please purchase the textbooks on your own. As well, there will be themed
lessons on various topics such as seasons and life in Tokushima.
DAY

TEACHERLEVELCLASS DESCRIPTION

TUE

Ms. Miyoshi

Elementary 1

We will study various verb forms and sentence
patterns using those verb forms.
Text: Minna no Nihongo I – from Chapter 14

From
October 4(20 times)

Group Lesson

This is a flexible group study class split up in different
levels.
*For parents of young children, a childcare worker
will be on hand to look after your child during thelesson (please inquire in advance). Due to unforeseen
circumstances, the rooms may change.

From
October 5(20 times)

Elementary 2, 3

We will study various forms and expressions such as
potential, volitional, imperative, prohibitive, conditional,
reasoning, passive, causative, and honorificexpressions.
Text: Minna no Nihongo II – from Chapter 26~50

From
September 15(25 times)

Beginner

We will take the first step towards learning basic
expressions.
Text: Minna no Nihongo I – from Chapter 1

From
October 14(20 times)

We will study reasoning, passive, causative andhonorific expressions.
Text: Minna no Nihongo II – from Chapter 38
This is a flexible group study class split up in different
levels.

From
October 2(20 times)

A class for those who cannot read or write hiragana
or katakana. We will study the basics such as, theJapanese alphabet, greetings, numbers, and items.
We will also be learning about Tokushima.

You may join
at anytime

WED

Volunteers

THU

Ms. Yamada

FRI

Ms. Aoki

SUN

THU

JTM

Elementary 3

Volunteers

Group Lesson

Ms. Kimura
Ms.Mori

SpecialBeginnersClass＊ Please register for Group Lessons at least one 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.
＊ Contact Info: Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA) 6F Clement Plaza, 1-61 Terashima
Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City 770-0831＊ Classes may be cancelled due to inclement weather such as typhoons, heavy rain, or snow. Please confirm bycalling TOPIA at 088-656-3303.
Japanese classes are also available at the Anan International Association, Aizumi Town International 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).( この日本語教室は文化庁事業です )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)