aWa life

March 2016
# 308

Awa Shoku:
Sweet and Sour –Plums of Misato
Mamma
Mima TV!

A Glimpse into
the Life of an
Irodori Farmer
When to Wear
the Yukata

1

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

It's still blustery and cold but spring is a comin' and for some it means lots of pretty flowers everywhere
but for others, it means that they will be tortured by endless sneezes and a runny nose all thanks tothe ever so wonderful hay fever. But, with that said, hay fever or not, spring is still beautiful and there's
something nice about the warm spring air!
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 appreaciate all of your articles and we love readingthem. So if that writing bug of yours is buzzing about, grab a pen or a computer and write and send
away! Please send all submissions to our email:Your editors,
awalife@gmail.com!
Till and Jenifer
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!

Editors:
Jenifer Tanikawa & Till Dumke
Contributors This Month:
Pyke van Zon, Kazue Inoue, Jenifer Tanikawa, Melissa Palsenbarg,
Lance Kita, Yuki Kubo, Haruka Uenishi, Michi Mori, Till Dumke

Contents

Pg. 2-3:

Mamma Mima TV – Introducing Mima to the World

Pg. 3-4:

Letter From Suketo Nakayoshi

Pg. 4-6:

A Glimpse into the Life of an Irodori Farmer

Pg. 6-7:

When to Wear the Yukata

Pg. 7:

Awa Shoku: Sweet and Sour – Plums of Misato

Pg. 8:JICA Staff Farewell/Welcome Messages

Pg. 9:

Japanese Lesson		

2

Pg. 10-11: Events and Memoranda

Mamma MimaTV - Introducing Mima to the World!
By Pyke van Zon

Alittle over a year ago, Tanaka Kazuya, aresident of Mima city, in Western Tokushima,
tried to look up videos about his home town
on the internet, and realized that there were
little to no (interesting) videos available. So heapproached another Mima local, Sato Masatoshi,
a cameraman and friend of his, with the ideaof creating their own videos about Mima. They
decided they just needed someone who could
host the videos. Mr. Sato said he knew someone
who worked at city hall, and might make a fun
host. So in early January 2015, Mr. Tanaka and
Mr. Sato came and met with me, Pyke, the Dutch
CIR (Coordinator for International Relations) at
Mima city hall, and asked me if I wanted to makevideos about Mima with them. Having always had
a love for film and film making, I jumped at theopportunity, and that very same day, wewent out and shot the very first scenes
for Mamma Mima TV.
After releasing the first episode (about
Japanese umbrellas, or wagasa,
traditionally produced in Mima) on
YouTube in February 2015, we decided
on a weekly format for the show. Every
week, we visit locations, events andpeople throughout the city. Throughout

the first year of Mamma Mima, that resulted in
39 episodes about things ranging from traditional
foods to stunning vistas, from annual events
to historical sites and from local craftsmen to
outdoor sports. As you can imagine, making aweekly show is quite a lot of work, but more thananything, it’s a lot of fun! We get to see and show
sides of Mima, and the Japanese countryside asa whole, that even the locals don’t often see.
The way we make our episodes is relativelys i m p l e . A s I w r o t e b e f o r e , M r. S a t o i s aprofessional cameraman, and I have had aninterest in filmmaking for a long time myself.
So between the two of us, we have quite anarsenal of filmmaking equipment. Cameras,
tripods, microphones and even a drone! For each

3

Mamma Mima!

episode, Mr. Tanaka thinks of a
subject, and makes appointments
for filming. Then the three of us
go and shoot the actual episode(or sometimes, two episodes,
back to back). There are no
scripts, so basically everythingis improvised. After shooting, I
take the footage and use editing
software to make a coherent
episode out of it. This takes a
lot of time, but is, for obvious
reasons, very important to getright. In some cases I add some
simple special effects (in episode 5, for example,
I fly over the city!). Then we record the narrator’s
voice, Mr. Tanaka makes music if needed, and I
add subtitles to the episode. Finally we upload it
to YouTube, and promote it on our social media
pages. And then we get ready to film the next
episode!
When you think of Japan, you’ll likely think ofTokyo or Kyoto. Most people likely won’t think
about Mima, Tokushima, or even Shikoku. A lotof people, from abroad, from big cities in Japan,
and even from Mima itself, will look somewhat
incredulously at us when we say that we makea weekly show. “Won’t you run out of things totalk about very soon?” or “There isn’t that muchhere to talk about, is there?” are often heard
comments. But nothing could be further fromthe truth. Yes, Mima isn’t a very big city. But it is
steeped in history, culture and tradition. There
are tons of interesting episodes to be made about
all the things to see and do in the city. And morethan anything, it’s populated with interesting, kindand funny people. Everyone
has a story to tell! So with thatin mind, we aim to show Mimato the world: Show people that
there’s more to Japan than justthe big cities, and that life on theJapanese countryside is lovely!
And not only that, we want toshow the people in Mima thatthink that ‘there’s not that muchhere,’ that actually, they live ina wonderful place, filled withinteresting people! And finally, wewant to have fun doing it. Afterall, I believe that if you don’t have fun making
something, it won’t be fun to watch.
One year into the show, in January 2016, we wereat the ICT Tokushima forum, an annual event/competition for IT related projects throughout
Tokushima. And Mamma Mima was presented
with their grand prize! Quite an honor, as you
can imagine! This award has given us a renewed
drive for making the show. We’re already in fullgear for 2016, and don’t have plans on stopping!
So please come and join us on YouTube for our
weekly adventures in Mima city!
https://www.youtube.com/c/MammaMimaTV

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

By Kazue Inoue (Center for Early Childhood Education and Care SUKETO NAKAYOSHI)
Due to the effects of winter, spring has gotten a
bit of a head start this year. Spring is synonymouswith cherry blossoms in Japan and that veryseason is just around the corner.
With the arrival of April, many young children
will be embarking on a new chapter in theirlives by starting at a new school. As you all

begin preparations for the new school year andeverything, I would like everyone to strive to sleep
early, wake up early and eat breakfast. In order tostay healthy and strong while adjusting to a newgroup setting, its pertinent to start good habits
early like sleeping early, waking up early andeating breakfast.

4

Suketo Nakayoshi
Effects of sleeping early, waking up early andeating breakfast:- Sleeping early: Lots of growth hormones are
released during sleep, so by sleeping early you
can maximize your growth.
- Waking up early: By waking up early and getting
the most out of the morning sun, your brain andbody will be refreshed and ready to start the day.
- Eating breakfast: Breakfast will help give yourbrain a boost in the morning, preparing you for along day of play and learning.
＊＊ This Month’s Craft ＊＊Beaded Decorations

Directions
1) Color your paper clay by mixing paint into thepaper clay (no water needed).
2) Roll out the paper clay, then use a shape cutter
to cut out any shape you like. Decorate the shape
you just cut out by sticking beads into it.
3) Create a hole near the edge of the shape withany tool such as a gimlet. You will thread a string
through this hole later on.
4) Once the paper clay has dried, give it a coat ofdiluted wood glue (use water to dilute the woodglue) and you are done.
*Please make sure that your child doesn’t ingest
any of the beads.

Materials
Paper clay, paint, shape cutter, beads, gimlet orother tools that can create a hole, string and woodglue

A Glimpse into the Life of an Irodori Farmer
By Jenifer TanikawaImagine this, waking up at the crack of dawn
to head out to your garden to gather up someleaves, and then waiting in front of your computeror tablet to snatch up orders from around Japan.
Now, this may seem like a ludicrous idea but,in the small town of Kamikatsu in Tokushima
Prefecture, their so-called leaf business has
become a tremendous success, raking in morethan 160 million yen, annually.
Kamikatsu, like many other mountainous rural
towns in Japan, is reeling from the effects ofan ever decreasing and aging population. The
population of Kamikatsu
currently stands at justunder 1,700 people, withover 40% of the population
being over the age of 70.
But, what sets Kamikatsu
apart from all the othersmall towns is the fact that
it is revitalizing its town in avery unique way, one thatcreatively uses the valuable

but over-looked resources that Kamikatsu has
and this creative solution is embodied in the leaf
business run by a locally run company called
Irodori.
There are currently over 200 farmers who are
cultivating and selling leaf in this leaf business
and we had the chance to sit down and talk with
Ms. Yukiyo Nishikage, a 20-year leaf selling
veteran.
How did you get into the leaf business?
I used to work for a sewing company and mycoworker there used to say
to me every time I saw her,
“Yuki-chan, why don’t you
try selling leaves, we don’teven get paid much here
anyway.” So, after somepersistence on her part, I
decided to give it a try. The
first product I tried sellingwere hydrangea flowers.

5

You’ve been involved in the leaf business for 20
years now. Has a lot changed over the past 20
years?
Yes, so much has changed. So as I mentioned, I
started with hydrangeas and if I sold 7 to 8 casesof them, I could earn enough money to last me forthat month. It was also easy to do and didn’t takeup an entire day to do. But I couldn’t just leave
my job and focus solely on the leaf businessbecause I didn’t have any other plants to workwith. My husband really liked growing bonsais
and so we moved his plants
to the fields andhelped cultivate
more. With thisbusiness, youhave to invest
many years into it
since you have to waitf o r t h e p l a n t t o g r o w.
So, because of his effort
and everything, I’m able toparticipate in the leaf business. So starting withhydrangeas, I started the leaf business and didthat while going to work until retirement. Afterretirement, I continued to work at a store that sells
local goods and continued doing the leaf businesswhile working once again. In 2004, my husband
suffered a stroke so I began looking after him
while doing the leaf business. So, for these past
20 years, I’ve been doing the leaf business while
doing something else. Last year, my husband
passed away, so I’ve been doing this business
all by myself now with the help of the interns.
They teach me a lotof things and give metheir youthful energy.
Have you had interns
from overseas?
Yes, from India, Germany,
China, Korea andArgentina. I always
get the interns to cooksomething from theirhome country and theother time, I asked

Irodori
the intern from China to cook something and I
was able to eat real Chinese food and it was sodelicious.
How many different products do you grow?
There are 320 irodori products in total and I growabout 100 of those. Taking care of all these plants
by myself is not easy, so that’s why it’s so great
having the interns help out.
With over 200 farmers out there doing theleaf business, is there any rivalry between the
farmers?
I would be lying if I said there’s absolutely nocompetition or rivalry with myself and the otherfarmers. But we don’t hold anything against eachother and instead we help each other out.
When you first started the leaf business, were you
not at all worried about its success?
I was full of worry at first but after the “Jinsei,
Irodori” movie aired, tons of people came to ourtown for interviews and visits. As I was also in themovie, many people come to see me as well andmeeting and talking to new people is my purposein life now.
I’ve also had so many international guests
too. I’ve had people from Australia, Bhutan,
Germany, India, Jordan, Argentina, China, Korea,
El Salvador, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, France, Austria,
Turkey, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Malaysia,
Singapore, Myanmar, Lebanon, Sri Lanka,
Pakistan, Hong Kongand Belgium.
What was yourhappiest moment
since starting the leaf
business?
Now! Without the leaf
business I would be
a nobody, just youra v e r a g e o l d l a d y,but because of thisbusiness, so many

Irodoridifferent people come to see me
to interview me and to see what
I do. I couldn’t be happier.
What is irodori to you?
Something that allows me todream big and gives me a lot ofstrength. Even if I have a huge6headache to the point that I
have to go see a doctor, once I
successfully snatch up an order,
all that pain is forgotten.
This is part 1 of the Irodori
article series, part 2 will be in
next month's issue.

When to Wear the Yukata
By Melissa Palsenbarg

Congratulations! You are now the proud ownerof a gorgeous summer yukata. You’ve done
all the research, found one you like, found one inyour size, and know how to wear it on your own.
You’re looking fabulous at all the local matsuri andfestivals and you’re really, really, proud of yourself.
And of course, you want to share this moment withfriends and family back home. So you call them up,
show them your yukata through the webcam, andget the response, “But when are you ever going towear it again when you come back?”
Never fear! There are opportunities to wear yukata
outside of Japan! You just have to go searchingfor them. Yukata are designed to be worn under
two circumstances; the first is summer, and thesecond is casual. So as long as you can describe
something as a casual, summer event, you aregood to go for wearing your yukata.
Here’s just a short list of ideas for places to wear
your yukata listed from least intimidating to mostintimidating: around the house, a barbeque, a sushi
dinner, a fireworks festival, a Japanese cultural
festival, a convention, or visiting a Japanesegarden. There may also be some special interest
groups in your area who would love to see you
wear yukata such as a tea ceremony group or
kimono interest group.
What’s that? You say that you decided to up yourgame and you now have a kimono to take home?
Congratulations! But be careful. Matching a kimono
to an appropriate event can be more of a challenge.
Just like western clothes, kimono can run thegauntlet from very, very casual all the way up toceremonial. There are entire books written about
the TPO of a kimono. TPO stands for time, placeand occasion and to make the right choice you needto consider the type of kimono you have, the typeof fabric it’s made from, the presence or absenceof family crests, the placement of the design, theauspicious nature of the design, the seasonality ofthe design, the pairing of the kimono and the obi,
the occasion, the wearer’s role or duty, their gender,
their marital status (especially for women), and theirage. Outside of Japan, there is a little more leeway
in the TPO, but if you’re not careful, you could end
up wearing the equivalent of jeans and a t-shirt to a
wedding, or a wedding dress to a convention.
Ah, but I can hear one more question begging to beanswered. But this one is more politically charged. “Is
it ok for a non-Japanese person to wear a kimono
or yukata?” Inside of Japan, the answer is always aresounding “YES!!!” Outside of Japan though, theanswer will vary depending on who you ask.
Those who say “no” may call it cultural appropriation, the stealing of a part of a culture froma minority group by the majority group. There isa lot of debate, discussion, academic research,and internet yelling about this topic. It’s aninteresting topic and many things including kimono,
dreadlocks, Native American headdresses or art,
rap music, and the bindi have all been linked to
cultural appropriation at some point.
The discussion of cultural appropriation is a longone, way too long for one Awa Life article. So

7

Yukatawhy did I bring it up? Because if you do makethe decision to wear a kimono or yukata outsideof Japan, you may be confronted by somebody
decrying it as cultural appropriation. And how areyou going to respond? What will your argument bein support of your choice? I’m not trying to scareor put off anyone who wants to wear a kimono

or yukata outside of Japan. I would do it myself.
But I do want to warn you that not everyone will
be as happy to see you wearing it as they are inTokushima.
Enjoy wearing your yukata wherever you feel
comfortable!

Awa Shoku: Sweet and Sour – Plums of Misato

By Lance Kita

A

Misato has been growing plums since at least
World War II, and the town prospered from sellingits “green/blue diamonds” ( 青いダイヤ ) mostly tomake umeboshi ( 梅干し ). This pickled plum is thecrimson-red dot on the white rectangle of rice inany bento lunch, nicknamed Hi-no-maru ( 日の丸 )for resembling Japan’s flag.

Enter plum wine (umeshu 梅酒 ), made with a different triad(plums, rock sugar, and an
alcohol base like white liquor,
shochu, sake, or even brandy).
In 2008, Misato became a“special economic zone” (Keizai
tokku 経 済 特 区 ), lowering theminimum output needed to geta winery license. Today, five wineries create
delicious umeshu that range from tart and cloying
to light and refreshing. There is even a bar in
Tokushima City that showcases these local plum
wines. It’s no coincidence that one of the wineries’
labels is called “Blue Diamond,” for plums havefound a new lease on life in a glass.

How are umeboshi made? The plums are salted
and weighted, releasing lots of liquid. Next, redpurple perilla/beefsteak leaves (shiso 紫 蘇 )are added, and the plums pick up their familiar
red color. Finally, the plums are dried slightly,
intensifying flavor and improving preservation.
Three simple ingredients combined in a step-bystep process result in a sour, salty, soft pickledplum that not only perks up your appetite, but also
wards off bacteria. That’s why an umeboshi often
guards the center of a rice ball.

Though Wakayama Prefecture is the number one
producer of umeboshi in the country, do consider
buying Tokushima-grown umeboshi, bainiku
paste, umeshu, and other plum-based items. Or
you can even buy plums and make your own
umeshu at home (just buy the three ingredientsat the supermarket, mix in a glass jar, and wait
several months). Not only will it wake up yourtaste buds, but also perk up the local economy.
(Thanks to Kensaku Kishimura for contributing
insight and information to this article.)s you receive this issue, thefirst harbingers of spring turntrees pink and white in places like
Misato ( 美 郷 ) in Yoshinogawa
City. Not cherry blossoms, but
plums (ume 梅 ) whose flowers
withstand the lingering snow andfrost of February and March.

The plum’s flesh can also be scraped into a paste
called bainiku ( 梅肉 ) that goes perfectly with leanchicken breast, added to dressing for a tart punch,
or a dip for fish like pike eel (hamo 鱧 ) or sardines(iwashi 鰯 ).
As imported plums sent prices plummeting,Misato sought a higher value product for its crop.

Pickled plums (umeboshi) waiting for a rice ballThe Kindness of the People Around Me and My Fun Two
Years
By Yuki Kubo

As I’ve always wanted to work closely with thepeople of Tokushima and as I’ve always had aninterest in the field of international cooperationand international exchange, I decided to work asa Coordinator for International Cooperation for theJapan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
at the Tokushima desk in TOPIA. Through mywork as a coordinator, I provided support to thetrainees visiting
Tokushima fromvarious countries,
including Africa
and Asia. As well, I
also helped spreadthe word about
JICA’s activities sothat more people
i n To k u s h i m a
could be aware
about international
cooperation and to8

deepen their understanding of it. I really enjoyed
my two years as a coordinator as I had thechance to see a new side of Tokushima, met a lotof new people and learned a lot along the way.
Starting March, I will be working at the Embassyof Japan in Senegal as an office staff. As Senegal
is relatively a safe place, there is a lot of exchange
going on between Japan through culture andsports. I’m hoping that I can let more people
know about all of these exchanges through myjob. From this year, both Japan and Senegal will
be a non-permanent member of the UN Security
Council so I’m expecting more exchanges
between Japan and Senegal. Two years ago, I
would’ve never expected to be working in Africa! I
hope that through this opportunity, I will be able tolearn much more about the world. I really do hopethat I can use what I have learned in Tokushima
and through JICA in my new job. Thank you all foryour support during the past two years.

Hello to Everyone in Tokushima
By Haruka Uenishi

A big hello to everyone in Tokushima. My nameis Haruka Uenishi and I will be taking over for the
Coordinator for International Cooperation positionin Tokushima Prefecture. Just until September oflast year, I had been working in Kenya in Africa
as part of my two year term as a Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteer. In Kenya, I was employedat the local agricultural office in a rural town
and my main duties were to improve the lives ofthe locals and to promote regional revitalization
through agriculture. Some of the things I was
involved with was running an agricultural clubat elementary schools, went around to different
areas to teach different people and helped planvarious events for the farmers.
During my two years living in the countryside of
Kenya, I thought about my hometown, Tokushima,from time to time. Once I finished my term asa Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer, I
wanted to return to Tokushima to find a job where

I could use the experience that I had gained tocontribute to Tokushima’s internationalization andrevitalization through international cooperation.
Living in Tokushima, you don’t really feel like weare connected to other countries, but I think that
Tokushima has a lot to offer to the world, liketheir amazing people, culture, industry and its
beautiful natural surroundings. I want to show thepeople of Tokushima that those are all the things
that do contributeto international
cooperation and I
would like to create
more opportunities
where Tokushima
can be connected
i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y. Ivery much lookforward to meeting
all of you sometimein the future.

9Japanese Lesson

By Michi MoriThis month, we will be learning how to use the sentence-ending particles, “ ね ” and “ よ ”. Just as
the name implies, these particles are added to the end of sentences and are usually used in spoken
Japanese. If you can successfully use these two particles, your conversations will sound even morenatural.
かいじょう

かいわ

＜パーティー会 場 での会話＞
たなかひと

A：あのう、すみません。田中さんってどの人ですか。
たなか

B：田中さん？

まどたひと

ほら、あの窓のところに立っている人ですよ。
めがねひと

A：ああ、あの眼鏡をかけている人ですね。
“ よ ” is used when the information you just relayed is new to the listener. “ ね ” is used when both thelistener and the speaker is aware of the information and is used to confirm this knowledge.

まど

Mr. A does not know Mr. Tanaka. As Mr. B knows who Mr. Tanaka is, he tells Mr. A, “ あの窓のところにた立っている人ですよ (He’s the person standing by the window).” Mr. A learns that Mr. Tanaka is the man
めがね

ひとwith glasses, so to confirm he says, “ あの眼鏡をかけている人ですね (He’s the man with the glasses,
right?).”
Conversations can sound unnatural if the particle “ ね ” is missing, such as in the example below.
れい

まいにち

さむ

A：毎日、寒いです。

例

B：そうです。

まいにち

さむ

Let’s say Mr. A and Mr. B both thinks that “ 毎日、寒い (It’s been cold every day).” Here, Mr. A is looking
for Mr. B’s agreement on this matter. Furthermore, Mr. B would like to show that he agrees with Mr. A.
In such a situation, the use of “ ね ” is pertinent.
れい

まいにち

さむ

A：毎日、寒いですね。

例

B：そうですね。
Exercise（

なかい）の中に「よ」または「ね」を入れてください。
きんようび

じ

1. A：金曜日のミーティングは３時からにしましょう。
じ

B：３時からです（
きょう

かいぎ

）
。わかりました。
じ

2. A：今日の会議、３時からでしたね。
よてい

か

あした

B：ううん、予定が変わって明日になったんだ（
かい ぎ しつ）。

がい

3. A：会議室は３階です（）
。

B：はい、そうです。
がつあたた

4. A：２月なのに暖かい（

）
。

はる

B：うん、春みたいだ（
けいたいでん わ）。
わす

5. A：あのう、携 帯 電 話を忘れています（）
。

B：あっ、すみません。ありがとうございます。
Reference
新日本語の中級（スリーエーネットワ－ク）
Answers
１．ね

２．よ

３．ね

４．ね

ね

５．よ

Events & Memoranda
Japanese Classes
2016JapaneseClasses2016
Term
1
Schedule
Term 1 Schedule






10

Class are from 10:30-12:00
Location: Meeting rooms at TOPIA
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 bring your own textbooks to class. As well, there will bethemed lessons on various topics such as seasons and life in Tokushima.
Fee: All classes are free.

DAY

TEACHER

TUE

Ms.
Shinomiya

WEDVolunteers

THU

Ms. Yamada

FRI

Ms. Aoki

JTM
SUN
Volunteers

LEVEL

CLASS DESCRIPTION

We will take the first step towards learning basic
expressions.
Text: Minna no Nihongo I – from Chapter 1
This is a flexible group study class split up in different
levels.
*For parents of young children, a childcare worker will beGroupon hand to look after your child during the lesson (please
Lessoninquire in advance). Due to unforeseen circumstances, therooms may change.
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 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
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
Lessonlevels.
Beginner

From
April 5(20 classes)
From
April 6(20 classes)
From
April 7(20 classes)
From
April 8(25 classes)
From
April 3(20 classes)＊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 arelimited 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.

THU

Ms. Kimura

SpecialBeginnersClass

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

You mayjoin atanytime＊Contact Info: Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA) 
6F Clement Plaza, 1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City 770-0831＊Clases may be cancelled due toinclement 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).
(この日本語教室は文化庁事業です)11 Events & Memoranda
TIA Futsal Event
TIA フットサルイベント

The Tokushima International Association (TIA)
holds a monthly futsal event at the indoor facilityin Tokugin Tomony Plaza. Futsal for kids will takeplace between 13:00 to 14:00. From 14:00 to
17:00, the adults will take over the court. 4 to 8
teams will be created with 5 player each. Eachgame lasts for 8 to 10 minutes. Please come join
us and foster international friendship as you playwith participants from all around the world. This
international exchange event has been going on
for 4 decades now and started by the banks of the
Yoshino River and at Tokushima University.
When: March 20, April 17, May 15, June 5
Where: Tokugin Tomony Plaza (10 minutes on footfrom JR Tokushima Station)
Fee: 100-500 yen (depends on the number ofparticipants) and free for kids
Info:
Morimoto 090-7999-1426
Adam 090-2822-9102
TIA 088-622-6066

TIA（徳島市国際交流協会）は毎月フットサルを
美しい室内施設で開催しています。1 時から 2 時は幼い子供たちの球技遊び。2 時から 5 時は一般です。チーム編成はジャンケンで 5 人作り、4 ～8 チームで、ゲームを各 8 ～ 10 分間します。約40 年前に吉野川河川敷や徳大グラウンドで始まり、継続しているフットボール国際交流活動に、皆様ご参加ください。お待ちしております。
予定日：3 月 20 日、4 月 17 日、5 月 15 日、
6 月 5 日（日曜日の午後）
場所： とくぎんトモニプラザ（徳島駅から徒歩10 分、旧青少年センター）
料金： 一般 100 円～ 500 円（少人数の際は 500 円になる場合があります）
小学生以下は無料
問合先：森本さん 090-7999-1426
アダムさん 090-2822-9102
TIA 088-622-6066

AJET Tokushima English Musical 2016
Performance Schedule:
March 5 (Sat) Minami-cho Community Hall
15:00-17:00
March 12 (Sat) Kitajima Town Library - Sousei Hall
15:00-17:00
March 13 (Sun) Higashi Miyoshi Town OfficeMikamo-chosha Multipurpose Hall
14:00-16:00
March 19 (Sat) Naruto University of Education
15:00-17:00
March 20 (Sun) Wakimachi Theater Odeon-za
18:00-20:00
For more information: www.ajetmusical.com

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)