aWa life
Awa Odori Tokushima 2016 Poster(Issued by the Tokushima City Tourism Association)

August 2016
# 313

2016 Tokushima
Prefecture Japanese
Speech Contest:

Winning Speech

Behind the Scenes ofthe 2016 Tokushima

Awa Odori
PosterAwa Shoku:
Pike Conger,
Summer’s
Scary-not-scary
Delicacy

1

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

Awa Odori season is here! For the last few months, Tokushima's night air has been colored by thesound of drums, flute, bells and the shamisen as Awa Odori dance groups ("ren" in Japanese),practiced day in and day out for the big event, and now the actual festival is around the corner. In amatter of days, the streets will be filled with the excitement of the dance!
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 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 editor,
Jenifer
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!

Editor:Jenifer Tanikawa
Contributors This Month:
Tokushima City Tourism Association, Christopher Bunn, Lin Lin,
Atsushi Nii, Takaaki Fujimoto, Inoue Kazue, Takako Yamada, Lance Kita

2

Contents
Pg. 2-3:Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest

Pg. 4-5:

Behind the Scenes of the Awa Odori Poster

Pg. 5-6:

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

Pg. 6,8:

Goodbye Message

Pg. 7-8:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 9:		

Awa Shoku: Pike Conger, Summer’s Scary-not-scary 		
DelicacyPg. 10-11: Events and Memoranda
Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest
Winning Speech by Lin Lin

T

he Tokushima Prefecture Japanese
Speech Contest was held on Sunday,
July 10th at the Awagin Hall. Elevencontestants from four countries, including
China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil, took
to the stage to present their speeches.
The topics ranged from language andcultural differences to realizing one’s
dreams.
Here is a list of the top five winners of the
speech contest:
Grand Prize: Lin Lin (China)
Tokushima Prefectural Assembly International
Exchange Federation – Chairman’s Award:
Wang Ju Mei (China)
Runner Up Awards: Xu Peng (China), Bruno
Ribeiro (Brazil), Chen Yue (China)
This year, Lin Lin from China won the grand prize forher speech, “Becoming a Mother in Japan.” Please
read on for a translation of her winning speech.

Becoming a Mother in JapanH

ello everyone, my name is Lin Lin. Last
year in May, I gave birth to my first child andbecame a mother. There may be many mothers
out there in the audience today and of course,
men who cannot bear a child. But we are all here
today because of our mothers. So, please listen
to my speech while keeping that in mind. Today, I
would like to share with you all my thoughts andfeelings since becoming a mother in Japan.
First of all, I would like to talk about the differencesthat I felt between China and Japan regarding how
mother’s spend their time after giving birth. WhenI gave birth, my mother came over from China tohelp me out. In the northern part of China where I
was born and raised, there are a set of beliefs thatare followed a month after birth, based on Chinese
medicine. For example, you can’t go outside, you3

can’t read for a prolonged period of time, you can’t
be exposed to the wind, you can’t eat anything
cold, and so on. Another example is you can’t
come in contact with water, so it’s not all too rare
to find mothers who refrain from taking a shower
or washing their hair for up to a month after giving
birth. In Japan, it’s normal for mothers to spend
about a week in the hospital then go back to theireveryday routine. As for myself, I took a shower
the day after I gave birth. There were cold salads
and yogurt with the meals served at the hospital.
When my mother saw this, she was shocked andtold me, “You can’t eat that! If you do, you won’t
be able to produce breast milk,” and scarfed down
all of my cold food. I pushed these postpartum
Chinese beliefs that my mother went on about into
the corner of my mind and went with the “Whenin Rome, do as Romans do” belief and had a niceand comfortable postpartum
life.
Next, I would like to touchon child rearing. Before
coming to Japan, I had
always thought that in Japan,
women always became ahousewife after marrying. In
reality, there are more andmore women who put theirchild into nursery schools andwork. A recent trend in Japan
is “ikumen,” or men who help
with child rearing, but overall,
it is still the women who takes
care of the child. On the other hand, in China adual income household is the norm; however, as
there are not many nursery schools that will lookafter a child that is under the age of two, many
people will either hire a babysitter or have thegrandparents look after the child. Once my motherreturned home, it was a start of a new life withour child for my husband and myself. I was in the
midst of doing research for my doctoral program,so we tried to apply for a nursery school, but wewere put on a waiting list. While we were waiting
for a spot to open up in a nursery school, withhelp from the Tokushima Family Support Center,
we were able to have our child be looked after,

Speech Contest
which helped put our minds at ease. Furthermore,through our child, we were able to make newfriends and I am very thankful for that.
From pregnancy to birth, I can truly say that I felt
protected by the Japanese society. For example,
during my early stages of pregnancy, I received amaternity sticker and a parking pass, which wereboth very helpful. I was also able to get check-ups
for free and was given financial assistance for thefees incurred at childbirth. All of the assistance I
received were so kind and helpful. I was also met
with a lot of warmth from the strangers aroundme. A clerk at a supermarket helped pack all mypurchases into a bag and helped carry it to mycar. The words the clerk said to me in parting, "Itmight be tough, but keep going," made me really
happy. Other happy words that I received werefrom my neighbor. Everytime
she saw me, she would tellme, "If you ever need help,
let me know, I'll come running
over." All of these experiences
put me at ease knowing that
I could raise my child in sucha great environment and it
made me feel really happy.
Tokushima will continue to be
my home and I will continue
to be a part of this society for
years to come. My Japanesehusband and I are hoping
to raise our child so that heis familiar with both the Japanese and Chinese
culture. In the future, I do hope that children fromintercultural marriages, like with my husband andI, will grow up to be globally-minded individuals
that will act as a bridge between Tokushima
and the rest of the world. Only after becoming amother, did I begin to hold dreams like this. So,
I have a favor to ask all of you. Please create agood environment in Tokushima where we can
all accept people from a variety of backgrounds
and learn to respect and help each other andultimately create a place where we can all live
and grow together. This is what I think is of utmost
importance in Tokushima.

Behind the Scenes of the Awa Odori Poster
An Interview with Atsushi Nii and Takaaki FujimotoEvery year, the Tokushima City Tourism
Association creates a poster to promote the
Awa Odori (Awa Dance) Festival held from August
12th to 15th annually. This month, I sat down with
Atsushi Nii (N), a professional copywriter, andTakaaki Fujimoto (F), a professional designer, bothof whom have been involved in the creation of theposter for many years.
How and when did you get involved withcreating the Awa Odori posters?
N: From the poster that was created in 2011.
F: So from 5 years ago.
N: The poster design changed from around thesame time as well. We have been helping out here
and there for a while now but 2011 is when it reallychanged.
F: Up until 2003, the posters were all madei n t e r n a l l y b y t h e To k u s h i m a C i t y To u r i s m
Association. In 2003, they decided to enlist thehelp of designers and so that’s when I started to
get involved. When we were discussing what to do
the following years, I suggested getting JAGDA,
the Japan Graphic Designers Association,
involved, and they agreed. Two years after, we got
a group of creators for the purpose of promoting
and supporting the Awa Odori. That’s when Mr.
Nii got involved. So this group was in chargeof creating the posters for a while. From about
2011, the tourism association began using photos
chosen from a photo competition.
N: So the competition was open to the public.
During the time the posters were made internally,
the tourism association used photos taken byprofessional photographers. From 2011 onwards,
we began using photos from the public that waschosen through a competition. So, the individuals
who submit photos could be anyone from acomplete amateur who just loves awa odori to aprofessional photographer.
So what are the exact processes of making
this poster?
N: We’re both involved from the part where
they select the photo. The Awa Odori Planning
Committee makes the final decisions, but we
do have a bit of input as well. Once the photo is

4

Atsushi Nii andTakaaki Fujimoto

chosen, I write the slogan for it and Mr. Fujimoto
designs the poster.
Where do you get the ideas for your slogans?
N: It’s a very logical process. Anyone who sees
the poster can see that it’s a photo of awa odori. I
want the slogan to act as an extra push for thosepeople who knows what awa odori is and makethem want to see the dancers more or make themwant visit Tokushima more.
For the longest time, the Awa Odori posters
didn’t have a slogan. That’s probably because it
didn’t need a slogan. So, from my standpoint asa copywriter, I thought about what purpose theslogan should serve. The slogan shouldn’t be an
explanation of the photo, but the words shouldmake it stand out more and entice people more to
awa odori. So I basically consider the photo andthe given theme and run with it. Of course part of it
is instinctual but it’s more or less a logical process.
How is the layout put together?
N: He (Mr. Fujimoto) has to work with the entire
space and figure out the layout. Of course wenormally only see the end product where the photoand the words are laid out in place already. But
there’s a long process and well calculated thought
behind every detail that goes into the placementof the items in that space. For example, the words
can be arranged anywhere on the page and in any
way like vertically or horizontally, the size can bedifferent, and it can be arranged in any possiblecombination. But in a good design, everything falls
perfectly together when you see the final product.

5

Awa Odori Poster

Anything you are particular about in terms ofdesign?
F: Because of the way that the older posters were
made, the font size for the word “Awa Odori”
was quite large. When I really thought about it,
I wondered why the word “Awa Odori” was solarge when it was pretty obvious just by looking at
the picture that it was of awa odori. That’s why I
decided to make that smaller and make the slogan
bigger so there’s more of a contrast with the “Awa
Odori” text and the slogan. A poster is only a single
sheet of paper but it's a powerful communication
tool. I really thought about things like, what words
were the first to jump into your sight when you
looked at the poster. I can understand Mr. Nii’s
thoughts and feelings put behind the slogan aswell, so I also try to respect that.
Do they give you any guidelines of what theywant?
N: No, we are more or less free to do what wewant. But, there is one thing that they ask us tokeep in mind. Awa Odori has been catching firearound Japan, and various areas have developed
their own Awa Odori, like in Koenji and Koshigaya.
In Tokyo, there may be people who believe that
the Awa Odori in the kanto area is the real one
and the one in Tokushima isn’t. From the point ofview of the organizing committee in Tokushima,
they want us to promote the fact that the Awa
Odori in Tokushima is the original. For example,
they tell us they want it to say “Tokushima Awa
Odori” just like the other places are “Koenji Awa
Odori” and “Koshigaya Awa Odori.” But from how
we see it, because we don’t write anything in
conjuction to “Awa Odori,” we are the original. We
sell it for what it is because we are the original.
Just like how the font for the text “Awa Odori” issmall as well, we don’t need to go out of our way
to say that its awa odori because it’s obvious
when you see it and it proves that we are theoriginal.
F: If you look at the 2013
poster, you can see theoutline of the mountains.
Nowhere else in Japan
can you close off major
streets to do this festival
like we do in Tokushima.
It’s not an explanation,
we just want people tosee it and feel it.
N: My top priority is tothink about how the2013 Poster
audience will perceive the poster. We really think
about the poster from the citizen’s point of view tothink about what makes it good and what doesn’t.
Putting our attention onto this year’s poster (seecover photo), can you tell me more about it?
N: So a direct translation of the slogan would be“beautiful two-beat.” But that’s not exactly what
I’m trying to say. Back in the days, “beppin ( 別品 )” used to refer to a high-quality, extraordinary
item, different from everything else. But overtime
it became an adjective associated with beautifl
woman ( 別嬪 ). Looking at the root of the word, it
refers to both men and women and was used todescribe something that was extraordinary andunlike anything else. For the layout, I asked thatthe word “beppin” and the “nibyoushi” (two-beat)
be in one line. I didn’t want people to read it andthink that it meant a beautiful woman. I wanted
to refer to the beauty of the beat or the rhythm of
the dance, so it’s not just about a beautiful woman
dancing.

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

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

n Japan, summer is pool season! The kids at
our nursery school go out and play their hearts
out in the pool almost every day. Spending time ina nice and cool pool, away from the hot summer
heat has its perks as well – kids can get just theright amount of exercise and they can get a goodnight’s rest! With all this sleep and exercise, I’msure that they will have grown a lot bigger andstronger by the end of summer.
This month, I would like to introduce some goodtips for getting your kids to go to the bathroom onSuketo Nakayoshi
their own (potty training).
・0 to 1 years old: If your child is crying out of
discomfort, make sure you quickly tend to them! A
great tip is, when you are changing their diapers,
say things like “so nice and clean” or “doesn’t it
feel good” in a gentle voice. By expressing to yourchild how great it feels to have a fresh new diaper,
you can help them remember the feeling as well.
・1 to 2 years old: Once they start going to thewashroom every 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, you canstart potty training! Start by getting them to siton the toilet more often. A great tip for this is, try
putting up things like your child’s favorite pictureon the wall they are facing when they sit on the
toilet. If they get the timing right and go to thetoilet while they are sitting on it, try showering
them with praise.
・2 to 3 years old: Once your child can startgoing to the washroom when they feel the urge
to go, they will begin telling you that they needto go and start going by themselves. Once they
can successfully do this a few times, it’s time tomake the changeover from a diaper to wearing
underwear! As kids get easily distracted andimmersed in playing, they will accidentally go intheir pants from time to time. Around this age,they will also begin developing a strong sense of
not wanting to fail and shame. If your child or achild around you accidentally wets themselves, try

6

to be understanding and deal with it in a very calmmanner, so as not to make the child feel bad.
＊＊＊Handmade Toys: Ghost Balloon
Materials
Colorful sponges, scissors, clear plastic bag, andcircle stickers.
Directions
1. Cut up sponges of various colors into different
shapes, like triangles and circles. (Make sureit's big enough so your child doesn't accidentallyswallow it.)
2. Decorate a clear plastic bag with circle stickers
to create a face. Fill the bag with five to ten piecesof the sponge that you cut in step 1 then tie up theend of the bag at the handles to close.
*There's lots of different ways to play, such as
throwing and hanging the bag, taking the sponges
out and putting it back in and etc.!

Goodbye Message
By Jenifer Tanikawa

Three years in Tokushima has come and gonein the blink of an eye. When I first learned that
I would be moving to Tokushima Prefecture to workfor the Tokushima Prefectural Government as a
Coordinator for International Relations (CIR), I had
no idea where Tokushima was, or even Shikoku
for that matter. I hurriedly looked it up on Google
map and was both surprised and horrified that I
would be living on a small, rural island, away fromthe mainland. But I soon realized that I was oh sowrong, as Tokushima was not small nor that rural,
and was connected relatively well to many partsof Japan via ferry, train, bus and plane. I instantly
fell in love with this prefecture and its people, andTokushima is a place where I can call home.

As a CIR in Tokushima, I had the chance toexperience and learn so many things and, I met somany people from all over the world and all walksof life. One of my most memorable experiences
as a CIR was creating a promotional video for
Tokushima with The Foundation for Kansai
Region Promotion. I had the chance to plan theentire itinerary with the help of my colleagues andscripted the entire video (video can be seen here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV2uc_AQodM).
Overall, this job was a highly gratifying andinteresting one as a lot of the materials I helped
translate or check would actually be used, suchas on a poster or in a pamphlet and so on! I havegained so many valuable skills on this job and am(Continued on page 8)

7Japanese Lesson
By Takako Yamada

ていねいたいふ つうたい丁寧体と普通体（１）This month, we will be learning how to use the polite style and informal style.

こんげつ

ていねいたい

ふつうたい

がくしゅう

今月は、丁寧体と普通体について学習しましょう。
The polite style is what you usually learn when you start Japanese lessons. It is used when writingor talking to someone older, superior, or unfamiliar to you, or in formal occasions. Meanwhile thecasual style is used when talking to close friends or family, or writing diaries, etc.
にほんご

ふた

かたち つかていねいたい

ふつうたい

ふた

ぶんたい

にほんご

べんきょう はじ日本語には２つの形を使った丁寧体と普通体という２つの文体があります。日本語の勉強を始めると、
さいしょ

つか

ていねい ひょうげん がくしゅう

ていねいたい

てがみ

めうえ

ひと

「～ます」などを使った丁寧な表現を学習します。丁寧体は、手紙、目上の人やあま最初は「～です」
した

かいわ

ひと

つか

ふつうたい

にっき

か

しんぶん

き じ

した

り親しくない人などとの会話などで使われます。普通体は、日記などを書くときや、新聞の記事、親ひと

かいわ

いんようぶん

つか

しい人との会話、引用文などで使われます。
Let’s practice changing the word from formal style to casual style. Please refer to the graphs for help.

ひょう さんこう

ていねいたい

ぶん

ふつうたい

なお

表 を参考に、丁寧体の文を普通体に直してみましょう。
ていねいけい丁寧形 (Polite form)
どう し

動詞
Verb

けい よう しい形容詞
i-adjective

けい よう しな形容詞
na-adjective

めい し

名詞
Noun
しちじ

ふ つうけい普通 形 (Casual form)

い

い

行きます

行く

い

い

行きません

行かない

い

い

行きました

行った

い

い

行きませんでした

行かなかった

おお

おお

大きいです

大きい

おお

おお

大きくないです

大きくない

おお

おお

大きかったです

大きかった

おお

おお

大きくなかったです

大きくなかった

しず

しず

静かです

静か （だ）

しず

しず

静かじゃありません

静かじゃない

しず

しず

静かでした

静かだった

しず

しず

静かじゃありませんでした

静かじゃなかった

やす

やす

休みです

休みだった

やす

やす

休みじゃありません

休みじゃない

やす

やす

休みでした

休みだった

やす

やす

休みじゃありませんでした

休みじゃなかったお→① けさ、７時に起きました。		
I woke up at 7 a.m. this morning.
あさ はん
た
→
② 朝ご飯を食べませんでした。
I didn't eat breakfast.
きょう→③ 今日はとてもあついです。
It is very hot today.
たなか
しんせつ
		
→
④ 田中さんは親切です。
Mr. Tanaka is very nice and helpful.
き の う いちにちじゅうあめ→⑤ 昨日は一 日 中雨でした。
It rained all day yesterday.

じ しょ けい辞書形 (dictionary form)
けい

ない形 (nai-form)
けい

た形 (ta-form)
なかった (nakatta)
じ しょ けい辞書形 (dictionary form)
けい

ない形 (nai-form)
けい

た形 (ta-form)
なかった (nakatta)
じ しょ けい辞書形 (dictionary form)
けい

ない形 (nai-form)
けい

た形 (ta-form)
なかった (nakatta)
じ しょ けい辞書形 (dictionary form)
けい

ない形 (nai-form)
けい

た形 (ta-form)
なかった (nakatta)_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8

Japanese Lesson
ていねいけいふ つうけい丁寧形 (Polite form)

普通形 (Casual form)

いい行きたいです

行きたい

はたら

はたら

働いています

働いている

ご び

い

行かなければなりません

行かなければならない

いい

行かなくてもいいです

行かなくてもいいいい

行くことができます

行くことができるいい

行ったことがあります

行ったことがある

れんしゅう

次のような語尾の練習もしてみましょう。
なつやすい

し やくしょLet's practice other sentence patterns.

つぎ

とうきょう

い

⑥ 夏休みに東京へ行きたいです。
I want to go to Tokyo during the summer
holidays.
→ _____________________________________
ぎんこう はたら⑦ ABC 銀行で働いています。
I work at ABC Bank.
→ _____________________________________

い⑧ 市役所へ行かなければなりません。→ _______________________________________________
I have to go to the city hall.
ほっかいどう⑨ 北海道へ行ったことがあります。 → _______________________________________________
I have been to Hokkaido.
We will practice casual style conversations next month.

らいげつ

ふつうたい

かいわ

がくしゅう

来月は、普通体の会話を学習します。
7. ABC 銀行で働いている。 8. 市役所へいかなければならない。 9. 北海道へ行ったことがある。
ぎんこう

はたら

し やくしょ

ほっかいどうい

5. 昨日は一日 中 雨だった。 6. 夏 休みに東 京へ行きたい。

4. 田中さんは親切だ。

2. 朝ご飯を食べなかった。		

1. けさ、７時に起きた。

たなかAnswers

しんせつ

しちじ

お

き のう

あさ

いちにちじゅうあめはん

なつやす とうきょう いた

3. 今日はとてもあつい。
きょう

Goodbye Message (continued from page 6)
so happy to have been placed here. I also had thechance to appear on local television a few times
and on the radio on a weekly basis.
I also met a few famous Japanesepeople, including an actor from
Tokushima who played the roleof Tsukushi's younger brother inthe drama version of Hana Yori
Dango (As a fan of J-dramas,that was pretty cool).
Furthermore, during my time inTokushima, I had the chance tovisit most of Tokushima's beautiful
locations, from Kamikatsu to
Naruto and all the way west
to Oku-Iya. Every area inTokushima has its own characterand I have been wowed by its beauty time andtime again. My favorite spot by far is Kamikatsu
and the Iya Valley. The Valley of the Dolls or

Scarecrows in the small town of Nagoro is a mustsee! There are literally hundreds of dolls strewn
throughout the town.
I really had a great three years
and wouldn't change it for theworld.
More than anything, I want tothank every single person fromthe bottom of my heart that I have
met here in Tokushima. Also, a
big thank you to all the readersof Awa Life for your support.
Without you all, I wouldn’t be theperson I am now and wouldn’t
have had the same amazing
experience. Saying goodbye ishard and I will miss everyone
and everything tremendously, but I’m also looking
forward to my next stage in life. Thank you andsee you again somewhere on this planet.

9

Awa Shoku: Pike Conger,
Summer’s Scary-not-scary Delicacy

By Lance Kita

W

ho would think that a fearsome, fish could
transform into blossoms of delicate meat?
Pike conger (hamo 鱧 ) is a silvery, toothsome,eel-like fish well-known in the Kansai and Shikoku
regions. Averaging a meter in length and sportinga gaping fanged mouth, catching one is fraught
with peril. Yet, hamo is a quintessential summer
ingredient in Kyoto’s kaiseki menu, so much sothat its famed Gion Matsuri in July is sometimes
nicknamed the Hamo Festival.
To tame this wild beast requires the skilled hand ofa master chef. The long body is filleted, revealing
pale flesh riddled with thin bones. These make theflesh quite inaccessible to the amateur, and hamo
is often used to make steamed fishcake (kamaboko
蒲 鉾 or tempura 天 ぷ ら ) since grinding up themeat is the easiest way to make it edible.
Here’s where the Japanese culinary genius comes
into play. Chefs take a special flat knife and slice
across the fillet, 0.5 millimeters apart, quickly andprecisely as not to smash and damage the meat or
cut through the skin. After 2 dozen slices, the bitesize piece is sliced off and the process repeated
for the rest of the fillet. This is called honekiri 骨切り (literally, “bone cutting”), a technique developed
just for hamo. Such a tedious task is what allows
us to enjoy the texture and flavor of hamo meat
without sticking ourselves in the throat.
The finely-sliced pieces are blanchedin boiling water for seconds,
causing the skin to curl and theflesh to “bloom” like a baby whitechrysanthemum, then quickly cooledin ice water. Hamo yubiki 鱧の湯引き
is accompanied by salted plum paste(bainiku 梅 肉 ) or a miso-vinegarmustard sauce (sumiso 酢みそ ). Its
light fluffy texture matched with thesetart sauces makes for the perfectsummer dish. The blossoming
meat is sometimes marinated withcucumbers and ginger or simmeredin a light stock. It can also be fried

tempura-style or breaded like a katsu cutlet.
What many people don’t know is that Tokushima
is a major supplier of hamo to Kyoto, and recently
a branding campaign ensures that “Tokushima
Hamo” is clearly labeled in Kyoto’s famed
Nishiki Market. It’s also readily available here,
so look for hamo yubiki or hamo fishcake in local
supermarkets. Enjoy this fearsome, yet delicate
taste of summer...gourmet fare at hometown
prices.
Special thanks to Masami, Kumiko, and Miwa
Nishimoto for allowing me to photograph the fishand preparation at their restaurant.

Don't let the pike conger's toothy grin intimidate you fromeating it.

Thin cuts across the bony flesh toprepare the fish for blanching.

Hamo yubiki, fish "flowers" servedwith tart sauces

Events & Memoranda
Dance With the Niwaka-ren!
にわか連で、踊ろう！

People who want to experience Awa Odori firsthand, can dance freely with the Niwaka-ren. No
experience is needed as members from famous
dance groups will be teaching you the steps
before you enter the big stage.
When: August 12 (Fri) – 15 (Mon)
From 18:30 or from 20:30
Where: Meet in front of the Tokushima City Hall or
the Motomachi dance area
Cost: Free*
Info: Tokushima City Tourism Association
TEL: 088-622-4010*Optional: 3000 yen deposit fee to rent a happi.
When you return the happi, 2500 yen will be returned
to you (500 yen will go towards dry cleaning fees).

10

本場徳島で阿波踊りを体験したい人は、にわか連
で自由に踊れます。阿波踊りを全く知らなくても大丈夫。有名連の手ほどきを受けて、演舞場へレッ
ツゴー！参加自由。
日時：8 月 12 日（金）－ 15 日（月）18：30 ～、20:30 ～場所： 集合場所
徳島市 徳島市役所前、 元町おどり広場
参加費：無料＊
問合せ：徳島市観光協会
TEL: 088-622-4010* はっぴの貸出時に預かり金として、1 枚当たり3000 円が必要、返却時にクリーニング代 500 円
を除いた 2500 円をお返しします。

Naruto City Summer Fireworks Festival
鳴門市納涼花火大会
5000 fireworks will be lighting up the night sky!

5000 発の打ち上げ花火は迫力満点です !

When: August 7 (Sun)19:45-20:50
Where: In and around the Naruto Culture Center& Muya River Park
Info: Naruto City Uzushio Tourist Association
TEL: 088-684-1731
URL: http://www.narutocci.or.jp/awaodori/

日時：8 月 7 日（日）19:45-20:50
場所：鳴門市 鳴門市文化会館・撫養川親水公園
周辺
問合せ：鳴門市うずしお観光協会
TEL：088-684-1731
URL: http://www.narutocci.or.jp/awaodori/“Shikoku no Migishita” Road Ride 2016
四国の右下ロードライド 2016
Date: November 13 (Sun)
Venue: Anan City, Naka-cho, Mugi-cho, Minami-cho,and Kaiyo-choStart/Finish: Maze-no-Oka auto-camping site
Course: 160km, 95km, or 43km

開催日：11 月 13 日（日）開催場所：徳島県阿南市、那賀町、牟岐町、美波町
海陽町
スタート・ゴール：まぜのおかオートキャンプ場
コース：160km、95km、43km

Application deadline: October 16 (Sun)
Please apply online (www.sportsentry.ne.jp) or byphone (0570-550-846).

申込期間：10 月 16 日（日）まで
インターネット：www.sportsentry.ne.jp
電話申込：0570-550-846

For more information, please see:shikokunomigishita.jp/docs/2016070500010/

詳しくはホームページをご覧ください：shikokunomigishita.jp/docs/2016070500010/

11 Events & Memoranda
Tokushima Prefectural Disaster
Prevention Center Study TourThe importance of preparing for the Great Nankai Trough Earthquake expected to hit Tokushima is
only increasing. If the earthquake occurs, what will you do? The Tokushima Prefectural Government,in conjunction with the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA) is proud toannounce a study tour for foreign residents at the Tokushima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Center toprovide information on what to do in case of a natural disaster.
During the tour you can experience earthquakes, strong winds and more via
simulation, as well as learn about what to do when a disaster occurs.
Date: 		Location:Target:Details:
Capacity:
Cost: 		Sunday, September 11, 13:00-15:30
13:00 – Leave Tokushima Station by bus for the center
15:30 – Arrive back at Tokushima Station by bus
Tokushima Prefectural Disaster Preventaion Center
165 Onishi, Tainohama, Kitajima Town, Itano-gun
Foreign residents in Tokushima Prefecture
Disaster prevention guidance via video, simulation of strong winds/earthquakes, fire 		fighting and disaster control exercises (English and Chinese interpreting available)
30 peopleFree

How to Apply: Please send in the following information by fax to the address below. You can also apply
by sending the same information by email or postcard.
		① Name				⑤ Phone number② Gender		⑥ E-mail address③ Address		
⑦ Occupation④ Nationality

Deadline: September 8th (Thursday)
Send Applications To:
FAX: 		
(088) 652-0616
E-mail:coordinator1@topia.ne.jp
Postcard:
Koekizaidan Hojin Tokushima-ken Kokusai Koryukyokai (TOPIA)		
Clement Plaza 6F, 1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City, 				770-0831
		For more information please contact Ms. Kimura at (088) 656-3303.

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)