awa life
A monthly newsletter for international residents of Tokushima, produced
by TOPIA, the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association.

onsens of miyoshi-gun"TOPPY"
October 2005 No. 184
by lindsay hubertawalife@gmail.com

across in Miyoshi-gun is in
the Yoshinogawa Highway
Oasis, an expressway rest
stop in Miyoshi.
Highway Oasis Onsen
is great in many ways.
First, the price - only 500
yen. And you get so muchfor that 500 yen! They
have roomy changing
facilities, lots of showers,
Technical Details:
and seemingly numberless
Fo r m o s t o n s e n , yo u
pools inside. Hot baths,
don't have to bringwarm baths, jet bubble
anything except your wallet.
baths - a cool bath, too.
H o w e v e r, y o u c a n s a v e
Outside in the generouslymoney on buying or renting
sized rotemburo is a
towels if you bring yourview down to the river
spectacularvalleyview
frommiyoshi-gun's
iya
onsen
own. Also, all of the onsen
and the hills across them e n t i o n e d h e r e p r o v i d e Y o s h i n o g a w a H i g h w a y w a y. H i g h w a y O a s i s i s ashampoo, conditioner, and Oasis:great introduction, but it issoap free of charge.
the onsen of the Iya valley
500 yen
Avoid foreigner faux pas - hours: 10:00 to 21:00
that make the trip reallywash yourself with soap and last entrance 20:30
worthwhile.
r i n s e t h o r o u g h l y B E F O R E ࡦჾಖҜҔҩҫߖૠ‫ݵ‬ଂ
you get in the bath. You can ຝ๥ॡં঻ऎં঻෎ോૌ഑൉ Hikyo no Yu:
have a small towel to cover 2761
1000 yenyourself if you want to. If you
Hours: 10 am to 9 pm
don’t know the kanji for man
If you are driving from out ં঻ऎ౦ೊ൭અഠૌྐ‫ڮ‬໱຾
and woman, red curtains are East-a-ways on the 192, the 512 ཮එ
usually the women's onsen; first onsen you will come TEL 0883.87.2300
blue the men's.
re you an onsen
fan yet? Come way
out west to Miyoshi
gun and see the hotsprings we have got to offer!
From facilities offering pools
for every taste, to simple
outside baths (rotemburo),
you can find an onsen tosuit you.

aonsens... con't on page 5

inside awa life this month
onsens of miyoshi-gun - 1, 5 ... typhoon season - 3
yoga - paripurna navasana - 4 ... iaido - 6
martin's anime corner - 7 ... letter from suketo hoikuen, shin mai mama nikki - 8
japanese lesson - 9 ... memoranda - 10 - 12

awa life

Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA)
Clement Plaza 6F
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi
Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN
tel: 088.656.3303
fax: 088.652.0616
topia@fm.nmt.ne.jp
http://www.topia.ne.jp/

is a monthly publication of the Tokushima
Prefectural International Exchange Association(TOPIA)
Andrew Dahms & Claire Tanaka
Contributors This Month:
Andrew Dahms, Lindsay Hubert, Isao Nishitani,
Martin O'Brien, Kaoru Sakamoto, Claire Tanaka,
Jon Teakle

Download a PDF file of awa life or view theonline version by going to TOPIA's website!
http://www.topia.ne.jp/e_index/e_index.htm

from the editors
he humidity in the air has finally started
going down, and I see more people out on
the weekend getting things done in theiryards now the hottest part of the year has
finally passed. On this month's cover story,
Ikeda's Lindsay Hubert has done a bang-up jobof introducing the many hot springs locatedin the western part of the prefecture. It's apity we didn't have room to print all her lovely
photos as well. Also in this issue, I've started a
new column detailing my adventures as a new
mom - see page 8. Yes, as of this month, I will
be off on maternity leave for about four anda half months, during which I will be passing
the bulk of my Awa Life editorial duties on to
my trusty co-editor, Andrew Dahms. Ganbare,
Andrew!
Love, Claire.

ummer is now well and truly on the way
out, and while the heat still lingers during
the daytime, the mornings and evenings
have begun to cool down and offersome relief. And, as I walk through the streetsnear my home, I steadily begin to notice as
the color of some of the leaves in the trees
begins to change. Autumn in Japan is a special
time for me, where the cool breezes and fineweather provide a great sense of calm, and I
feel especially aware of the beauty of naturearound me. However, as the weather begins
to get cooler, it also becomes easier to catch acold. I wish all the best of health to you in theland of Awa in this time, and I hope you havethe chance to enjoy this special time of year.
Cheers, Andrew.

tssome people say these bottles are placed to keep cats away, but I have seen for myself that this is not effective.
could there be another reason? (photo by Claire Tanaka)-2-

typhoon season
very time I check theweather forecast, there
seems to be anotherset of concentric circles
on the satelite map aimed
straight at Tokushima - yes,
it's typhoon season. Whilesome typhoons manage tomiss Tokushima altogether
and others only bring us acouple days of rainy weather,those occasional direct hits
can be devastating.Many ofyou may remember Typhoon
Number 23 that hit Tokushima
last year, causing flooding andlandslides in the mountainous
regions, particularly in Nakagun.
If your Japanese skills are
not exactly pera-pera, it canbe handy to have a Japanesespeaker you can count on towarn you if there is any danger
on the horizon. However,even if you don't have suchreliable acquaintances,NHK, on channels 3 and 12,
provides dual-sound-channel
news broadcasts in Japaneseand English. If you have atelevision equipped with thebilingual function, you can
use the ‫ إ‬୊ ୨ ۟ button on
your television remote control
to change the sound channel
from Japanese to English.
Also, Tokushima prefecture's
new english website, Livingin Tokushima, has a section
devoted to providing up-todate local information aboutn a t u ra l d i s a s t e r s s u c h a s
typhoons and earthquakes.
See: http://ourtokushima.
net/e_living/index.php!! OK, knowing that a typhoon
is coming is one way to beprepared, but what can you
do to make sure you are safe
once it gets here? Make suree

by claire tanaka
clairish@gmail.com

the drains around your home
are free of debris, and that
items outside your home aresafely stored or tied down.
The dirt from flower boxes
and potted plants can get
washed away, clogging drains
and causing water to build up
on your veranda or aroundyour house, so consider
bringing your plants insideor covering them with a vinyls h e e t o r t a r p a u l i n . M a ke
sure you have enough easilyprepared food to last for acouple of days. Keep candles
or a flashlight close at handin case of a power failure.
Make sure you know where
your important documents
are in case you suddenly haveto evacuate your home due
to a flood or landslide. Findout ahead of time where yournearest emergency shelter
is. Local community centres
and schools usually serve thisfunction in the case of an
emergency.
Once the typhoon comes,
avoid going out in strong
winds. Sometimes during atyphoon, the wind will die
down for a minute, only topick up again a minute later,stronger than ever. If you mustgo outside, wear something toprotect your head from flying
debris.
Often, public transport istaken out of service during atyphoon; trains, buses, ferries,
and airplanes get shut down,
and often expressways areclosed as well. Local roads
can also get washed out in astorm.
Language can be a huge
obstacle during a natural
disaster. Last year at aroundthis time, I wrote an article-3-

about the various warnings
that are issued during
extremely bad weather. Here's
a review:
ळ၇ - keihō - alert, warningද‫ڝ‬၇ - chūihō - advisory
A keihō means it's really
dangerous. A chūihō means
you should probably be
careful. These are the kindof keihos and chuihos you
can expect to hear on TV andradio weather bulletins:༂ᇜ - harō - wavesോ‫ ۑ‬- ōame - heavy rain
ၯ࿭ - bōfū - strong wind৕య - kōzui - floods
Usually if there is a harōkeihō, people are advised
against going out to sea. If
your day does not involve any
kind of seafaring, then a harōkeihō is nothing to worry
about. However, if a heavy
rain keihō or strong windkeihō is issued, it's gererally
a good idea to find shelter
somewhere. Children do not
usually have to go to school
if a bōfū or ōame keihō isissued in their region. Keihōs
are usually announced during
the television and radio
weather report, and they
can also be found on online
Japanese weather sites.
If you do suffer property
damage due to a typhoonor other natural disaster,
you will need to get a risai
shōmeishö́ Ѿ ੆ ெ ა ୿ ͅ! a disaster victim certificate- which is issued by local
government offices and fire
departments in the event of adisaster. This can be used toapply for special benefits suchas tax relief and loans forrebuilding your home if it has
been destroyed by a natural
disaster.

yoga - paripurna navasanaby jon teakle
nathanteakle@yahoo.co.uk

Jon demonstrates the full boat posen this pose, the bodyresembles a boat with thearms looking like a coupleof oars, hence the name"full boat pose".
This is a relatively easy pose
to explain, but not an easypose to hold for any lengthof time. It will help to flatten
your stomach, depending on
how much flattening needs tobe done.
The main benefits of thispose include the strengthening
and toning of the abdominal
muscles, and strengthening of
the spine and the hip flexors.
It also stimulates a number ofinternal organs, including theintestines.

i

Step by Step
1. Sit with your back straight,
knees bent, feet on the floor
with your hands under yourknees. Raise the feet off thefloor slightly, leaning back tofind your balance. Stay here
for a few seconds, balancing
on the triangle of yourtwo sitting bones and yourtailbone.
2. Keeping hold of your knees,straighten your legs so they
are at an angle of about 60°.
Your torso should be at asimilar angle, too. While trying
not to round your back, lift
up with the chest and keep
the knees locked. Release thehands from the knees, keeping
the palms facing each other,arms at the shoulder level andstretching towards the legs,
elbows locked.
3. Lengthen the torso towards
the head and the legs towards
the feet. Don’ t tense thestomach muscles. You will
be using them, but don’ tintentionally flex them, as it
will cause unnecessary strain.
Stay in this pose for 20-30
seconds, gradually increasing
the length of time withpractice up to a minute.
IMPORTANTKeep your back straight,
and don’t hunch up. Push the-4-shoulders back and lift thechest.
If you have neck pain, do
this pose with the back of yourhead against the wall.
If you find this pose difficult,take hold of the back of yourknees or thighs until you feelstrong enough for the fullpose.
Relax the muscles in yourface and don’t forget tobreathe. Many people holdtheir breath in this pose,
which causes them to tire out
quickly.
After this pose I usually bring
the feet back down as close
to the body as possible, wrap
my arms around my knees
and pull them into my chestas I stretch my back upwards,
breathing evenly. I find thishelps to relieve any fatigue inthe back after doing the boatpose.
As always, enjoy the stretch
and breathe…
NamasteJONonsens continued from page 1
Bus access available from
Ikeda and Oboke.
Hikyo no Yu Onsen is rightat the entrance to Nishi Iya- you can't miss the large
hotel complex! It's about a
40-minute drive from Ikeda
south on the 32, then west
on the 45 at Oboke. Hikyo
no Yu is one of my all-timefavorite onsen. There arelots of different-temperaturebaths inside to choose from,
including bubbly jet baths tomassage your back or calves.
There is even a cylinder where
yo u c a n g e t i n s i d e , p u s ha button, and have water
showered at you from every
conceivable angle. There isalso a fabulous salt scrub
sauna.
A n o n s e n m u s t h ave agood rotemburo to makeit worth my time, and Hikyo
no Yu delivers. Outside anddown some steps is a small
rock-lined pool with a viewof the hills above you. The
water gushes out of a bamboo
pipe onto some rocks; a veryrelaxing sound.
Iya Onsen:
1500 yen (500 yen for the
upstairs indoor onsen only)
Hours: 7.30 am to 6 pmં঻ऎඕโ෎பྐ 478.3
TEL 0883.75.2311
Bus access available from
Ikeda.
By car, take the old route
32 south down to Iya Onsen.
It branches off just after
the Iyaguchi train station in
Yamashiro, south of Ikeda.
Take the blue bridge andfollow the signs to Deai. You
can also get to Iya Onsen bygoing about 15 minutes UP theold 32 from Nishi Iya - it's not

such a scary drive that way.
Or, let the professionals do thedriving and take one of thethree buses a day from Ikeda(1 hour, 1020 yen) but don’t
think you can take the last bus
down to the onsen and catchthe last bus back to Ikeda you will get about 10 minutes
in the rotemburo, and missthe bus back. Ask me how I
know this.
In addition to being in close
proximity to the famous
peeing boy statue, Iya Onsen
has the ever-fascinating
feature of the cable car - youtake the car straight down
the side of the mountain rightto the riverside rotemburo.
There are no showers at therotemburo, but your ticket
also entitles you to use theindoor onsen and shower
facilities upstairs. This place
has some of the most stunning
primeval scenery around emerald water tumbling overwhite rocks far below, green
mountains soaring into themist above.
Kazura-bashi Hotel Onsen:
1000 yen
Hours: closes at 4 for nonhotel guests
TEL 0883.87.2171
ຝ๥ॡં঻ऎ౦ೊ൭અഠಷຝ
43
Bus access available from
Ikeda/Oboke.
Iya’s kazura-bashi, or vine
bridges, are one of the area’s
prime tourist attractions. So
it is fitting that the Kazurabashi Hotel offers one of thebest rotemburo in the area.
Although the third-floor indoor
onsen facilities are included inyour ticket, the real attraction
are the outside baths.
-5-

Kazura-bashi Hotel offers
another cable car adventure,
but this time the car is goingup. At the top of the hill you
can choose from the men’s,
women’s, or mixed baths. Theview onto the surrounding
mountains can’t be beat.
Because there is nobody nearenough to see you, the privacy
fence usual in a rotemburo
is all but non-existent, making
it possible to enjoy the view
without trying to see what isover the fence.
Transportation:
Most of these onsen are inor near the famously remote(and beautiful) Iya valley, soof course a car is handy. But if
you don't have one, there areother options.
From Ikeda, both express
trains and regular trains stopat Oboke station on their way
to Kochi City. From Obokestation you can take a bus or
taxi to many of the onsenin that area. The bus begins
in Ikeda. The most frequentbus stops at Oboke, Hikyo
n o Yu , a n d Ka z u r a - b a s h i
Hotel. Beware, though, thebuses can be infrequent. See
http://vill.nishiiyayama.
tokushima.jp for bus times
in English, as well as train
times and information on car
access.
Accommodation:
If your onsen of choice is
too far for a day trip, you canstay overnight at onsen hotels.
Rooms can be a little spendy,
often upwards of 10,000 yen- though meals are included.
There is also a youth hostel in
Ikeda and a few camping sites
in the area.

the art of iaido
or nearly five years now,
I have been studying the
traditional martial art of
iaido, a discipline focusing
on the use of the famous
Japanese blade, the katana.
Iaido has a long history that
dates back over five hundredyears, and to this day retains
many of the practices andformalities from when it firstbegan. While by no meansa well-known or necessarily
popular martial art today,
iaido embodies the spirit of
traditional Japanese martial
arts, and as such provides
not only a good way to keep
fit, but a unique insight into
Japanese culture and history.
Iaido was founded in the
16th Century by a man called
Hayashizake Jinsuke Minamoto
Shigenobu in the area aroundpresent-day Kanagawa. It was
designed to instruct samurai
in the use of the sword, andis commonly known as the artof drawing the sword from thesheath and attacking in thesame motion. Students wear
traditional dress and train
mostly by performance of solo
kata, or patterns common totheir school. Most training is
performed with the use of live
weapons, although wooden
swords are commonly adopted
during sparring practice forsafety.
As mentioned above, training
in iaido takes several different
forms, the most common ofwhich is are kata. Each schoolof iaido has its own set ofkata, as well as a set of 10
basic kata that are the samefor all schools across Japan.
kata are set around specificsituations involving anywherefrom one to sometimes fiveby andrew dahms
until_eternity@hotmail.com

fan iaido kata in motion

or more opponents, and arecomprised of a number ofcomplex movements thatteach the student how to react
to a given threat. While theperformance of kata is almost
ritualistic in nature, every
small movement of the blade
and the body is considered of
the utmost importance, andthe practice of kata requires a
great deal of concentration inorder to perform correctly.
In addition to kata, however,there are two other mainm e t h o d s o f t ra i n i n g . T h e
first is in sparring, wherestudents train in pairs andpractice cutting and blocking
techniques. This partner
practice is important inunderstanding timing anddistancing. The second
method is called tameshigiri,
in which students use live
blades to perform cutting
practice on bamboo or rolls oftatami. Tameshigiri is also
very important, as it allows
students to perfect theircutting technique and provides
a realistic feel for practice.
-6-

However, students of iaido
are not only required to be
proficient in the use of theblade, but also to learn about
the background and history ofswords and the art. A gradingfor iaido is generally broken
into two parts, including not
only a display of kata set
for the student’s level, but awritten test for knowledge as
well. The test covers a wide
range of topics, from names ofthe various parts of the sword
to etiquette and theory as
well.
Being a very traditionalmartial art, etiquette is
inseparable from the studyof iaido. Lessons are usuallyquite formal in structure,including a bowing in and out
ceremony, as well as learning
various rules for handlingof the sword and paying
respect to those about you.
Needless to say, training withlive weapons is a dangerous
activity, so the rules of the
dojo are generally very strict
and clear in regards to thesematters.
While the practice of iaido
tends to sound formal andstrict, it is good for a varietyof things, from discipline andc o n c e n t ra t i o n t o p hy s i c a l
exercise and the opportunity tolearn about Japanese history
from a unique viewpoint.
Iaido imparts many things to
its students, and I feel it has
been a very good influence
on my life. And, though theuse of the sword is obsolete inmodern times, I still feel thisstudy holds an important placein Japanese society.
For information on iaido
classes in Tokushima, contact
TOPIA.

martin's anime corner
Title: Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade) గᇟ *
Directed by: Hiroyuki Okiura
Creators: Mamoru Oshii / Bandai
Visual / Production IG
Released: Japan (1998) U.S. (2002)
Length: Approx 102 minutes

in-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
is a love story set in Tokyo
in an alternative past. The
film is based around theexperiences of Kazuki Fuse,a soldier in the elite counterterrorist Capital Police's Special
Unit. The Wolf Brigade is an
SS-style military unit that is
responsible for the supressionof political activists. Kazuki’s
unit is similar to the Nazi SS,
as in this alternative past,
Japan lost the Second World
War to not America but Nazi
Germany. Many years after the
Nazi troops have left, Japanis a nation in great politicalturmoil with multi-tiered,divided security organizations
vying for control of the nation
against a determined leftwing political organization
known as “the Sect ”. The
Sect's main weapon against
the regime are “Red Riding
Hoods” - little girls who carryaround bombs and blow up
government targets. Deep
down in the sewers of Tokyo,
Kazuki’s unit encounters oneof these “Red Riding Hoods”.
Kazuki is traumatized by theincident and he is unable toforget the little girl's face. The
main question in his mind is why she wouldn't surrender?
Why would she choose to die?
Kazuki’s hesitation in killing thegirl gives her the chance todetonate a bomb, which kills
her. Kazuki is punished for hishesitation, and his superiors

jsend him back to the Academy
for retraining.
In the time that follows,
Kazuki visits the child’s grave,and there meets her older
sister Kei, a woman who bears
a striking resemblance to herdead sister Nanami. A romance
blossoms between Kazuki and
Kei, but their lives are soon
affected by an internal power
struggle in the Capital Police.
There are two main factions in
the Capital Police - the Public
Security Division, which is thebureaucratic arm of the force,and the Field Division, whichis responsible for the actual
policing. The political tension
exists due to rumors that theField Division will be abolishedor will come under controlof the regular police force.
The Special Unit of the Field
Division is also a source ofanxiety for the regime as it isrumored that there is a roguegroup within the Special Unit
called The Wolf Brigade.
Ka z u k i a n d Ke i b e c o m epawns in this internal struggle
as some of his superiors want
to use Kazuki to create apublic relations disaster for
the Special Unit, so that they
can get it abolished. It is animpressively violent action
film, yet it also offers a great
deal of subtlety, and may
be somewhat confusing due
to the complicated storyline
with its numerous plots andcounterplots concerning
political tensions between
the various factions of theCapital Police. While the loveaffair between Kazuki and
Kei is somewhat drawn out
and tedious, the plotting andintrigue of the members ofthe various factions of the-7-

by martin o'brien
martinobrien2004@gmail.com

security organizations merits
a great deal of attention.
A second viewing might benecessary in order to fully
make sense of how all thepieces fit together. Even if it
still proves challenging, youwill have however gained
a broader understandingof *ahem* office politics inJapan. The interaction of thecomplex characters, which
are allied with the various
factions, makes for a very
intense, rewarding storyline.
It is sometimes difficult tounderstand why people act
in certain ways, and much isleft unsaid, as is the case inJapanese organizations. In thisrespect, with one’s Westerncultural bias in play, things areoften difficult to understand,but with patience the film
unravels very intriguingly.
The director of the film isHiroyuki Okiura, a protégé ofMamoru Oshii - the director
most famous for the acclaimed
Ghost in the Shell. Oshii wrote
the story for Jin-Roh: The
Wolf Brigade. The personr e s p o n s i b l e fo r t h e d a r k ,intense visuals characterizing
Jin-Roh, Hiromasa Ogura,creates a very compelling
vision of an alternate past,
which is eminently believable
due to the attention to detailthat, is employed in creating
this alternative world. The
robotic appearance of theSpecial Forces contrasts
strongly with the almost sepia
toned, nostalgic imagery of therecent past. The dark tones
used suit the foreboding moodof betrayal and death that is
omnipresent in this excellent
film.

letter from suketo hoikuen
he cool wind and theangle of the sun tells usthat autumn is on theway. Autumn in Japanis synonymous with Sports!
Food! and Reading Books!
What are your plans for the
coming season?
Another common saying inJapan is "aki no yonaga"
which means "long autumn
nights." Do you find yourlittle children are losing trackof time and staying up withthe adult night owls? This
month I'd like to take a look atchildren's sleeping habits.
There's an old Japanese
saying, "neru ko wa
sodatsu" which means"children who sleep well, growwell". It's true - sleep is very
important for a child's mental
and physical development.

tDespite this, many children
get caught up in the late-night
sleep patterns of their parents,and lose their sleep rhythm.
It's almost as if they're
suffering from a sort of chronic
jet-lag. How can you get yourkids back on track with their
sleep patterns? Here are a few
suggestions:-Play hard during theafternoon.
-Create an environment
conducive to sleep at bedtime.
- turn the volume down on the
TV or stereo.
-Don't take too long of anafternoon nap.
-Here are some things towatch for at bathtime: it canbe hard to sleep when yourbody is too hot, but easy to
sleep once it cools down. So,
use hotter water for an earlyshin mai mama nikkit was a little over one
year ago when one of myco-workers approached
me about including more
content on childrearing
i n Awa L i fe . T h e y fe l t i t
was important to include
information that was usefulto all kinds of people in
Tokushima - not just young,single folks but those whohave settled here with theirfamilies as well. At that time,
I never dreamed that I would
soon be one of those settleddown, family-types myself.
Well, here I am, just over a
year later, and 6 weeks todue date with my first child.
So, I wasn't too surprised
when TOPIA's Murasawasan approached me about
recording my experiences in
Awa Life for the benefit ofTokushima's English-speakingicommunity. She called it my"shin-mai mama nikki" shin-mai means literally "newrice" but in this case I thinkthat "a new mom's diary" is agood translation for the title ofthis column.
I have had a smoothpregnancy so far - the doctors
and midwives at the clinic
have been very kind to me,
speaking mostly in Japanese,but using English for difficult
words like "gestational sac"and "placenta." Japan's
national health insurance does
not cover pregnancy, so I have
had to pay all my pregnancyrelated medical bills in full. This
comes from the reasoning that
pregnancy is not an illness,so it shouldn't be covered by
medical insurance. Fortunately,
the city provides a 300,000
yen birth allowance to offset-8-

by kaoru sakamoto
awalife@gmail.com

bath, and lukewarm water fora late-night bath and it'll beeasier for your child to sleep.
-develop a nightly pattern, ie.
first bath, then pyjamas, thenbrushing teeth, etc.
-lie down in bed with yourchild or read them a bedtime
story (a long one!)-put them to bed with afavourite stuffed animal or
blanketEven if late at night is the
only time you have to spend
time together with yourchildren, put them to bed
early and get up early inthe morning and spend time
together then instead! Let's
not forget "early to bed, early
to rise" is best for the growthof your child!

by claire tanaka
clairish@gmail.com

this cost. The only thing I
have found difficult so far is
the restriction my doctors
have put on my weight gain.
According to them, I should
only gain eight kilograms
during my entire pregnancy!
My western pregnancy books
recommend gaining 12 to
1 6 k i l o g ra m s , w h i c h h a scaused a difference in opinion
between the clinic staff andmyself. Needless to say, with
six weeks to go now, I havealready exceeded their eightkilo limit...
I'm looking forward to using
this space to explore issues
related to becoming a new
mom in Tokushima! If you
have any ideas or themes
you'd like to see me write
about here, drop me a line
at the e-mail address listed
above.

japanese lesson

by Isao Nishitani
jtmtoku-lesson@mbk.nifty.com

n these busy days, you might have experienced something interrupting you whilst you arealready doing something. For example, when you are going to take a shower, somebody
knocks on the door, or when you are about to leave for school you get a long distance call,and so on. In such cases, please use following form to describe the situation.

i

JustbeforeI goto pon
the train, thedoor shut.̛̛̛̛̛̛
efotibo js p v
uptijubsb e p b h b t i j n b s j n b t i j u b
ใଆ! !џ! ௔ҁк!!
ќыѓѽһҔрဘѲѾѲыѓ̝
uptijubsb
nbtijub̈́W Ѳыѓͅ
S1(V is in volitional form)̛͖!ќыѓѽ̛̛͖T3!
When you are about doing S1, S2 has happened and S1 is notcompleted yet. While the speaker was about to get on, anotherthing had happened. In this case the door had shut and he missed the train.
Please make S2 past form when you describe past events.
Do you remember how to make volitional form?
e f l b l f

n b t vlvsvnb h b

q b o l v tijnbtv

V1 Change last mora of dictionary forml b v
l b p vto “o” and put “u”.!༝к΂༝ок!ଆ р̈́ӃӥҡыѲэͅ୞пх̈́Ѳэͅe f l b l f z p v uptijubsb
lvsvnbhb q b o l v t i j n b t i j u b୞пхѼкќыѓѽ! ଆрӃӥҡыѲыѓ̝n j s v

When I was about to leave, I got a flat tire.
divvtiplvebj

n j z p v

V2̛Change “ru” to “you”/!ॣѿ΂ॣѼк
V3̛ᅖѿ΂ᅖѼк̛эѿ΂ыѼк

ibsbjnbtv

upnpebdijhb

i b s b u u f l v s f n b t vත௳൉҆̈́࿻иѲэ̛ͅᄕ൥р̈́࿻їњуҀѲэͅdivvtiplvebjpi b s b p v
uptijubsb
upnpebdijhb
ibsbuuf l v s f nbtij u bත௳൉̛̛҆࿻ок̛ќыѓѽ̛ᄕ൥р̛࿻їњуҀѲыѓ̝
When I was about to pay for my lunch, a friend paid for me.
When you describe something whilst excusing yourself, thisexpression would be useful.

Let’s Practice:e p v t i j u f kjlplv o j p l v s f n b t i j u b l b

B; ѝкыњૐਅџඛҀѲыѓп
̛How come you're late?
e f l b l f

n b t vl p e p n p o j gvlv p

zphptbsfnbtv

C; ћпх̈́Ѳэͅત࢝џ࿴҆̈́‫ܞ‬щҀѲэͅ΂̝؋
!!When I was about to leave, my kid messed up my clothing.
c b t v o jo p s j n b t v

nbojo

e f t v̛Ⴐ‫̈́ڿ‬ћэ̛ͅ΂،ӂҫџ̈́௔ѾѲэͅI tried to get on the bus, but I found it was full.
l f j u b j e f sfosblv

tijnbtv

efodij h b

l j s f n b t vढഷћᇌᅛ̈́ыѲэͅใඕр̈́ಂҀѲэͅ΂‫؍‬I tried calling you with my mobile phone, but the battery was dead.
Answers
B; ёкћыѓп̝ѓиѬ҇ћыѓѡ̝!!I see. That was too bad/e f l b l f z p v u p t i j u b s b l p e p n p o j gvlv p z p h p t b s f n b t i j u b

u b j i f o e f t i j u b o f؋̛୞пхѼкќыѓѽત࢝џ࿴҆‫ܞ‬щҀѲыѓ
c b t v o j o p s p v uptijubsbnbojoeftijub،̛ӂҫџ௔ҁкќыѓѽႰ‫ڿ‬ћыѓ̝
l f j u b j e f sfosblv t i j z p v u p t i j u b s b e f o d i j h b l j s f n b t i j u b‫̛؍‬ढഷћᇌᅛыѼкќыѓѽใඕрಂҀѲыѓ̝t p v e f t i j u b l b-9-memoranda
Doitsu-kan Events

Uchimachi
OrienteeringһҖҶࠛҖӋӥҺ௜၇

Slide show and speech on *The Influence of Richard຾෎ҜӜҚӥҸ̶ӜӥҢ

Wagner and Nature on Ludwig II (King of Bavaria) and his
Castles" Speech is in German with Japanese translation

The Tokushima Uchimachi Neighbourhood Association andcost: free

Uchimachi Elementary School present a day of orienteering

when: October 23, 14:00

around the downtown Tokushima City area. The course
will take participants around ten historical spots as well

"Deutsches Fest in Naruto" - A number of events including

as the Castle Museum, providing an opportunity to learn

performances, exhibitions, and more. German beer andabout Tokushima's history. Why not join the Elementarysausages will be served.

students and area residents? Come alone or bring yourwhere: In and in front of the Doitsu-kan

family! English instructions will be provided.

cost: entry is free
when: Novermber 1, 9:30 - 12:30

when: October 30, 9:30 - 17:00

where: Uchimahci Elementary School, near Tokushima
All events are held at the Doitsu-kan in Naruto, near

StationBando JR Station.

cost: free
for more info: contact HIROBA's Ms. Yamada

for more info:

fax. 088.652.4846

phone: 088.689.0099

e-mail: meyamada@mb3.tcn.ne.jp

e-mail: doitukan@city.naruto.lg.jp

Hey International
Families!

Japanese Lessons໘ႎতࢱ૬Ѹе̜ਇੑ‫݌‬ഖѓѕ̤

JTM Tokushima's "Nihongo Salon"
Practice speaking Japanese conversation.

Tokushima City's Suketo Hoikuen and TOPIA present

Mondays 10:30 - 12:00 at TOPIA

International Child-rearing Salons. Please come and meet

Saturdays 19:00 - 20:30 at the Seishonen Youth Centre

other international families like yours! There is no fee forparticipation.

Watari-sensei's free class at TOPIA:
Wednesdays (starts October 5) - beginnerat TOPIA

Every first and third Thursday (starts October 6) - people(Tokushima City, Clement Building 6F)

with one year of Japanese study experience

when: every 3rd Sunday from 13:00 - 15:00

Every second and fourth Thursday (starts October 13) -cost: freepeople with two years of Japanese study experience

for more info: 088.656.3303

Classes run from 16:30 - 17:50
at Suketo Hoikuen
The following international associations hold(Tokushima City, Nakayoshino-cho 1-61)

Japanese lessons. Call for more information:

when: every Thursday from 10:00 - 14:00

Tokushima City: 088.622.6066

cost: free

Yoshinogawa City: 0883.24.5112

for more info: 070.5681.1230

Komatsushima: 08853.2.0454
Aizumi: 088.692.9951 (new class starts in October!)also...

Anan: 0884.23.6323

Contact Ms. Murasawa at TOPIA about Japanese lessons

Mima: 0883.63.4527

for parents with small children, and Chinese and English
language child-rearing consultation services.

-10-

memoranda
Japanese Lessons
in Aizumi-cho Fall Semester

Counselling
Service at TOPIA

ᅣ୉෎!໘ႎত৬ਸ਼̛ଷ޺࠼TOPIA offers a counselling and advisory service to allҺӆҔѢ೰ඎೱ঵

foreign residents to help with issues involving accidents,
Classes are taught by Aizumi International Exchange

working conditions, housing, visas, international marriage,

Association Members Akiko Tsuji and Kaori Tamada.

and more. Counselling is available in English andJapanese. Please note that although every effort will be

when: Thursday nights 7:00 - 8:30pm from October 6

made, we may not be able to deal with all cases.

where: Aizumi Welfare Center, near Aizumi Town Officecost: ]1000

Monday to Friday

text: Minna no Nihongo I (starting from Chapter 20)

10:00 - 16:30

for more info: e-mail: aizumi_kokusai@garnet.nmt.ne.jp

tel. 088.656.3303 or 088.656.3320 (allows three way

tel. 088.692.9951

conversations with an interpreter)

fax. 088.692.1626

J-Test૲ᄿ໘ႎতख़ชThe J-Test of Practical Japansese is another Japanese
language proficiency exam which is can be taken at 5
different times of the year in various locations throughout
Japan. There are 2 levels: Level A-D (Middle to Advanced)
and Level E-F (Beginners).
For application details, please contact J-Test office at
info@jtest.org
application period: (before October 25 for exam on
November 20))
test dates: Febuary, April, June, September, November
test locations: Kobe, Osaka, Tokyo and at various
locations throughout Japan. Exams have been held inTokushima before however future examinations depend on
the number of applicants.

Tokushima Vortisຝ๥ӎӝҸҕҫ໘ธ

Upcoming home games for Tokushima's J-League soccer
team, Vortis. Home games are held in Naruto at the
Naruto Athletic Field.
October 15 (Sat) 14:00 vs Kyoto Purple Sanga
October 29 (Sat) 14:00 vs Thespa Kusatsu
November 19 (Sat) 14:00 vs Yokohama FC
December 3 (Sat) 14:00 vs Mito Hollyhock
web: www.vortis.jp
tickets: in advance: ]1500 (B seats) ]2000 (A seats)at the gate: ]2000 (B seats) ]2500 (A seats)
Tickets can be purchased in advance at Lawson's
convenience stores and at local sports supply shops suchas Sasakura Sports and Alex Sports.

cost: 2800yen A-D (Middle to Advanced) 2300yen Level
E-F (Beginners)
for more info: www.jtest.org

Outdoor JapanҔҘҺһҔ̠ҪӕӃӥTV and Cinema
Listings?

UW ќۭ‫ݬ‬௜၇ѣѝкыѓѢ̣You can now find up-to-date TV, cinema, and local
sports listings in English at the new Living in Tokushima

OutdoorJapan.com is a site (in English) dedicated to thosewebsite produced by the Tokushima Prefecture Cultural

seeking fun outdoors in Japan. Whatever you want to do,

and International Affairs Division, as well as information

if it's outdoor you'll find it at OJ.

on various aspects of daily life. Check it out at: http://

contact: Matt Lindsay @ surfmatt@outdoorjapan.com

ourtokushima.net/e_living/index-11-memoranda
Mutsumi Matsuri
MedicalInterpreting Course ѴјѳੋѾ‫ڭ‬ᆑ෬ᄅӎӛӥҸҕҔफ़ଲ‫ݵ‬This year's Mutsumi Matsuri festival features food fromall over the world: Indian curry, meat pie, gyoza andຝ๥ॡ຾џѣॵ੓̜ϬϦӨਇ‫ڒ‬௑ᄃϬϦϦϦగѶѢ‫ޒ‬ਇsteamed pork buns, Korean chijimi, and a tea lounge!

గр੓୉ыњиѲэ̝ႚ໩ёѢాѣഃ݇ы̜ёҀџཔи̜Entertainment features professional taiko drumming੓୉‫ޒ‬ਇగѢ၎мѿჴൎѸ໴ѳѶണ࠴џ҃ѓѾ̜Ѳѓ࿷

(starts from 12:00), Japanese hako mawashi puppetry,੺џўїњсѲыѓ̝ёѢඨћѶຟџ୓ᅅў೰ඎќыњ̜

and Phillipine traditional dance. You can also try your hand‫ڭ‬ᆑ࠿࠘ћѢчќѤѢჴൎржѾѲэ̝ߵ଄ќ‫ڭ‬ધѢࠖ

at indigo dying!

ћѢѸѾќѾћѣ̜ྸࡂѸхрѢ௡ഺѸёѢ૓ᆑၓўѝ̜ౝްў௜၇প߹рྡྷᅅћэ̝‫ڭ‬ᆑ࠿࠘Ѣඨџѣ‫ޒ‬ਇতћ

when: October 30 (Sunday) 10:30 - 15:30

ഴ‫ܤ‬ћсѿ࠿࠘ѶжѾѲэр̜ёѢాѣѲєѲє஛ўиwhere: Mutsumi Kaikan in Kokufu-cho, Tokushima CityѢрॵ௡ћэ̝ёчћ̜੖ආၓగຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫ݵ‬ћѣ̜

cost: free͐‫ڭ‬ᆑ෬ᄅӎӛӥҸҕҔफ़ଲ‫҆͑ݵ‬ϧϦै̛Ϩϯ໘̈́๘ͅfor more info: 088.642.2155 (ask for Mr. Chono)ќϩϦ໘̈́໘ͅѢϨ໘ࠖџ҃ѓїњ‫ލ‬ਹэѿчќџўѾ
Ѳыѓ̝ॸতѣ̈́໘ႎত̷۷তͅћэ̝ѐѦчѢ࠿‫ݵ‬џ̜‫ڭ‬ᆑ෬ᄅӎӛӥҸҕҔџјињफ़ଲ҆ଥхњиѓєс̜‫ڭ‬ᆑॵ௘ћѢ‫ޒ‬ਇగફ‫܍‬џшࢤᆛ҆ૄѿчќрћсҀѤ
ќജьѲэ̝඾শȇ! 21 ै 3: ໘̈́๘ͅঙঝ 2̡41 ̻ 5̡41̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛‫ڭ‬ᆑ෬ᄅ಺ཤџјињಊა̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛‫ڭ‬ᆑ෬ᄅಐఔਇѢॵ௡!

21 ै 41 ໘̈́໘ͅঙಶ 21̡41 ̻ঙঝ 5̡11!!̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛‫ڭ‬ᆑ෬ᄅѢ࠰೉࡙ୟ̛̛
̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛‫ڭ‬ᆑ෬ᄅѢ௾ຜ̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛‫ڭ‬ᆑѢ࠰೉ඐૡ̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛෬ᄅ૲ಯ̠ӟ̶ӝӉӞҖાȁਫ਼ȇ!੖ආၓగຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫ࡢݵ̛ݵ‬૬࣒ȁ঍ȇ!ЃϿϹпўр̛҃۷ত෬ᄅҫұҵӇ̈́ఃโෞ!

ྖ৬ધ̜โഠა࿍৬ધͅഢ೰ȁ֥ȇ!ϩϦ჎ธ๗४‫ح‬๯ȇ!Ⴥᆍ
оఇыਔѳ̡۷তख़ช୮ϧࢇ‫ڒ‬௑Ѣၑ̝ળ჎̜୉୸̜ใ
ᇭ཮ৼ̈́૛ൔ̜ढഷͅ
̜Ӈғҵҡҫ཮ৼ̜ӓ̶ӝҔһӞҫ҆о୿сџўѾ̜Ӈғҵҡҫпӓ̶ӝ̜Ѳѓѣᄧ೽ћ๴ࢤ‫ݵ‬џоఇыਔѳуєщи̝ຟџᄻૠѣжѾѲя̝҇ϧϦैϨϧ໘̈́ࣞͅѲћџоఇыਔѳуєщи̝ѓєы̜ช‫ڿ‬џўѾ૑ൌนѵಂѽяњиѓєсѲэ̝

Cooking Columnist
WantedᆍᅫҥӛӒҽҫҺျ୆ඨAfter many informative articles and tasty recipes, Don΁ϭϭϦ͗ϦϮϩϧ̛ຝ๥દ્๥ႎ෎౦ϧ͗Ϭϧ

Weiss has put down the pen for Tastes of Awa. We areҡӞӓӥҺӉӛҨ̛Ϭϼ!੖ආၓగຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫ݵ‬

now looking for new columnists to write for Awa Lifeഩდȇ̛199.767.4414-!Í¨°¹¾̡199.763.1727

on the topic of cooking with local ingredients. Send anÓ±Úȇ̛upqjbAgn/onu/of/kq

email in to Awa Life at awalife@gmail.com if you would౜൚ȇ̛ഠេ̛࿗झ

be interested in writing an article or two on this theme.

గग़ଙїњࡏуა໘
-12-