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

"TOPPY"
November 2005 No. 185

sticking around for mochi-tsuki
ou may have noticed that
there are many festivals
at this time of year. Not
only are these festivals
an avenue for asking the gods
for favour, they also serve
as a means for promoting
community spirit. One such
festival exemplifing the cooperation required for building
morale is that of mochitsuki, the making of sticky
rice cakes.
Since mochi-tsuki istypically a community event,
it is most commonly held
at a focal point within theneighbourhood such as akindergarten, school or shrine.
It is held every year at various
times throughout November
and December in preparation
for the New Year rites andcelebrations (more on thislater).
For those of you unfamiliar
with mochi rice cakes, they
have a gooey, doughy-liketexture. Mochi also comesin many different forms, andcan be both sweet or savoury.
Sweet mochi is often referredypounding the rice to make mochi-tsuki

to as daifuku. It contains an red bean paste, an acquired
taste it seems judging by the
many foreigners that don’t like
it! The mochi from mochitsuki however is usually justplain sticky rice and has no
special ﬁlling.
The preparation required formaking mochi is relatively
simple. Glutinous or sticky riceby matthew lindsay
matshoe@hotmail.com

known as mochi-gome isused rather than ‘normal’ rice.
On the day prior to making themochi, this rice is soaked inwater overnight. The following
morning the rice is steamed
for a couple of hours until ittakes on a soft texture. Oncethe rice is cooked thoroughly
it is then placed into a large
mortar (a stone bowl) in
readiness for the mochi
making event when it comesalong.
If you studied chemistry at
school or have prepared spices
for a curry, you will probably
be familiar with the mortar
and pestle combination. The
mortar used for mochitsuki is so big, however, thatrather than a pestle, a large
mallet is used for the processinstead. Technique is very
important for the handling of
this mallet. It should hit themochi dough evenly, and if ithits on an angle, it might also
hit the mortar. If this happens
splinters could come off themochi-tsuki... con't on page 5

inside awa life this monthsticking around for mochi-tsuki - 1,5 ... nengajō - 3 ... autumn leaf viewing - 3, 8
yoga - utkatasana - 4 ... travel tokushima - whirlpools - 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, Fumiko Kanematsu, Matthew
Lindsay, Martin O'Brien, Kaoru Sakamoto, Claire
Tanaka and 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
ovember in Canada is always regarded
as a rather boring month - the only
holiday we have is Remembrance Day(commemorating the end of World WarI) which is kind of depressing, and it's rightafter Halloween but still quite a ways before
Christmas. The leaves have already fallen, but
the snow hasn't started yet, so the dominantcolours tend to be grey and brown... However I
personally love November, because my birthday
is in November, and November in Japan islovely! The leaves reach their peak of colour,and the temperature is just right for walking
around outside, helping build an appetite forall those tasty Autumn nabe (hot pot) dishes!
I hope this issue of Awa Life helps you get themost out of your November. Love, Claire.

he weather has well and truly started
to cool down, and I find myself out andabout in the evenings sporting a jacket
to keep myself warm and to try prevent
myself from catching a cold. The leaves on
the trees sport an orange tinge, and every sooften the skies bear a clear and beautiful blue,
followed by a crisp breeze. Autumn is here.
This month in Awa Life we have a selection ofarticles celebrating the colder months in Japan,
including a look at the making of traditional
rice-cakes at new years, a recap on how tomake nengajō, and also some information
on where to see the autumn leaves this yearin Tokushima. I hope you enjoy this month's
edition, and keep warm as the temperature
continues to fall.
Cheers, Andrew.

nt

the cosmos ﬂower - symbol of the Japan Small Kindness movement begun in 1968 with the aim of spreading
kindness across Japan through a variety of activities such as cleanups and community work (photo by Andrew Dahms)-2-

nengajōwby claire tanaka
clairish@gmail.com

ell, it has come around to that time of the year again. In last November's edition, we
showed you how to make Japanese nengajō - cards that are sent out at year-end much
like Christmas cards are in the west. Let's have a recap of how to go about it.

сїњ

①

7 7 0 0 8 3 150② ໩‫ݰ‬

put
your

ѡ҇р

②
໩‫ݰ‬
nenga / New Year's
Card
This will let the postman know to post yourcard on January 1st.
ќыєѲ

③
о໩ࣈ
otoshidama / New
Year's Gift
The otoshidama
lottery is held around
January 15th every year
- check your numbers
at the post ofﬁce to see
if you won a prize!

addressຝ๥ॡຝ๥દ્๥ႎ෎౦⇀∤⇅⇀̛̛̛̛ ≏⊈⊀⊎≧̠≶⊅≖⇅‫ގ‬nengajō sold by thepost ofﬁce already havea stamp printed onthem. If you make yourown, you'll have to buy
a 50 yen stamp to put
on it. There are somewith special New Year's
designs that include
otoshidama lottery
numbers.

ᄧ̛̛ာ̛̛ѣ̛̛р̛̛с

①

ცഠ ୱ!ત̛ ᄻಂଚkitte / stamp

④

⑤

here

⑥

ᑚ
̜̫̱̤̠̮̰̞̳̀͛́͂͘͘

③

A7777 ೎The address ④
is written on theright hand side,starting with theprefecture, thenc i t y, g e t t i n gsmaller until
the apartment
number is at the
end.

о໩ࣈ

777777

When you address ⑤
your nengajō, makesure you щѲ
write thehonouriﬁc ᄻ! (sama)at the end of therecipient's name,but be careful not towrite it at the end ofyour own!

ࡓ౞ᕴ
inu / dog⑥

People usually decorate their cards with
an illustration of the Chinese Zodiac
animal for the coming year, or the kanji
for that zodiac animal. There are no hardand fast rules, though, making it theperfect opportunity for you to express
your creativity!

There are lots of different ways to wish someone
a 'Happy New Year' in Japanese. Aside from the above, you
чќы
сѻѡ҇
я ҃
ѡр
could also write ࢌ໩ѣоౌᇭџўѾѲыѓ̝ਗ໩ѶѼҁыуоࠪиыѲэ!)kyonen wa osewa ni narimashita.
kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu - Thanks for all your help in the past year. I'm depending on youр҇ѓ҇again this year). Don't forget to include the date - January 1st has its own special kanji: ७൸ .!gantan.

autumn leaf viewing
he turning of the leaves
in Autumn is a very
beautiful sight, and there
are several places around
Tokushima that are known
for their beauty as the leaves
change from green into deep
reds and yellows. Here is a
short list of where you canfind some of these places, aswell as information on when is
the best time to go, and how
to ﬁnd more information.

tby andrew dahms
until_eternity@hotmail.com

Miyoshi - Minoda no Fuchi
When: Early to late November
Where:The Minoda lake in
the Prefectural Nature Park,
Miyoshi-cho, Miyoshi gun.
Access: 5 minutes by car fromthe JR Tsuji station, or 4 km
along the Tokushima Ikawa Ikeda expressway (IC). Parking
is available.
Information: Call the
Miyoshi Industry and Finances e c t i o n a t : 0 8 8 3 .7 9 . 5 3 3 9-3-Oboke / Koboke
When: Mid to Late November
W h e r e : Ya m a s h i r o - c h o ,Miyoshi-gun.
Access: 20 miniutes walkfrom the JR Oboke station,
Dosan line.
Information: Call the
Yamashiro Industry
and Finance section at:
0883.86.2432...con't on page 8

yoga - utkatasanaby jon teakle
nathanteakle@yahoo.co.uk

1.

2.

jon demonstrates the chair posetkatasana actuallymeans powerful, but
this pose is often given
the nickname of 'chairpose'. It helps to strengthen
the ankles, thighs, calves andspine, and it also produces agood stretch in the shoulders
and chest.

U

Step by Step
1. From standing position(Tadasana), feet together,
toes spread, raise the hands
up, either keeping the arms
parallel or palms together.
2. After a deep breath in,exhale and bend your knees toabout 60 degrees. The knees
will project forward over thefeet and the torso will lean
forward slightly. Your upper
body and thighs will form aright angle (picture 1).
3. Keep the weight on theheels, not on the toes, and lift
the torso upwards, stretching
the rib-cage and pulling thelower back in. Stretching thearms up, keeping the shoulder
blades firm and open, thetailbone should be pushing
downwards as you lengthen
the spine.
4. Looking forward, hold thispose for 30 seconds, breathing
evenly. To release, straighten
the legs as you inhale andthen bring the arms down as
you exhale.
Twisting Chair PoseIf you want to push this posea little further, after following
steps 1-3 above you can moveinto a twist (picture 2).
Take a deep breath in andon the exhale lower the torso
as you bring the right elbow
down to the outside of theleft knee. Bring the palms of
the hands together in front of
the chest with the left elbow
pointing upwards. Turn yourhead so that you are looking
over your left shoulder.
Hold this pose for a few
breaths and then on an inhale-4-

return to the centre as inpicture 1. On the next exhale
repeat on the other side.
Important
Make sure you don’t lean
forward too much, as it will
shift the weight onto yourtoes. Your heels should befirmly down - if they aren’t,
you'll strain your thigh muscles
and they will quickly tire.
Don’t stay in this pose toolong. Listen to your muscles
and don’t push too hard.
As with all stretching posesin yoga, you should be looking
for a good stretch. The
weightlifting ‘no pain no gain’
mentality does not apply toyoga. If you feel any pain ina pose, back off slightly anduse your breath to deepen
the pose again. If the pain
continues, release and rest.
Keep stretching
NamasteJONsticking around for mochi-tsuki con't from page 3...
mallet, spoiling the mochi foreverybody!
H o w e v e r, n o t o n l y d othe mallet swingers needtechnique, they also require
rhythm. They must ensure that
their helper’s hands are free ofthe mortar before every strike.
Furthermore, if there are two
people with mallets, they alsoneed to be careful that themallets do not collide during
the pounding process.
These mochi-mashers
have a relatively risk-free job,however, compared to theirhelpers. The helper’s job isto apply water to the mochi
between each strike in orderto prevent the mallet fromsticking to it. He or she also
needs to flip the dough sothat the mochi gets an evenbeating. Obviously, this job
is potentially dangerous. The
helper must make sure heor she is clear of the mortar
before the mallet comes down,otherwise disaster could easily
strike!
C l e a r l y, c o m m u n i c a t i o n
a n d c o o p e ra t i o n b e t w e e n
the mochi-masher and themochi-flipper is essential for
mochi-tsuki to be successful.
A good mochi-tsuki teamin action is like poetry inmotion. The helper is so fast
to wet and ﬂip the mochi thatthe person with the mallet
doesn’t need to hesitate in theslightest between strikes.
Once the mochi has been
beaten sufficiently so thatthe rice grains are no longer
visible, (and everyone has had
a turn with the mallet), it istime to separate the doughinto individual rice cakes. Onceagain, co-operation between
participants is essential. While

all hands need to be clear
when beating the dough,m a k i n g t h e m o c h i c a ke sneeds a hands-on approach.
If the dough cools too much,the mochi will harden making
i t d i ff i c u l t t o e a t , s o t h emore hands the better! To
begin with, sweet rice ﬂour issprinkled over the dough sothat it won’t stick to hands.
Balls of dough are then broken
off and rolled to form thesmall rice cakes.
Naturally, participants in themochi-tsuki are rewarded
for their efforts. Once thesticky rice cakes have been
made, they are passed aroundfor all to enjoy. There are
a number of ways that themochi can be eaten. Thereis plain grilled mochi, (yakimochi) or mochi wrappedin nori seaweed and thendipped in soy sauce (isobem a k i m o c h i ) . Fo r t h o s ewith a sweet tooth there ismochi dipped in soy sauce
and sugar or sprinkled withsoybean powder and sugar(kinako mochi). In addition,
you can find a nearly endless
supply of different mochi
types in various gift shops
and supermarkets, all with aslightly different ﬂavour.
Mochi is also distributed tothe participants to take home.
This mochi takes on special
significance at New Years. It
is part of the ﬁrst meal of the
New Year, served in a soup
dish known as ozōni. (Thisdish is potentially hazardous if
the mochi is not thoroughly
chewed. Sadly, ozōni has
been the last dish for many anunfortunate victim, (usuallyaged) who has choked on themochi.)-5-

Typically two round mochi
cakes are set aside for adecoration known as kagamimochi. One mochi is placed
on top of the other and thenthese mochi cakes are placedon a sheet of white paper(representing purity) andput on a tray. A mandarin,(representing longevity), isplaced on top. The kagamimochi is then placed in thefront guest room of older
houses or in the Japanesetatami room of newer
dwellings where it remains
until kagami-biraki is held,(around the January 10th)
when it is cut up and eaten.
If you happen to be stuck
here for the winter break, why
not get out and attend mochitsuki for yourself ? Besides
being fun, participating will
give you a sense of belonging
with your local community(and help you forget any
homesickness you might befeeling). A few well-aimed
swings of the mochi malletshould relieve any frustration
you may be feeling if you’drather be elsewhere!
As an Aside - Full Moon
Mochi!
You’ve probably heard of theman in the moon, but what
about the rabbit in the moon?
According to the Japanese,a rabbit can be seen in theautumn equinox full moon,(otherwise known as theharvest moon). This ain’t noordinary bunny though - heswings a mallet, pounding
mochi by the light of the fullmoon. It is a very popular
myth in Japan, and the rabbit
and moon can be readilyfound in many images.

travel tokushima - whirlpools
een living in Tokushima,
but haven’t been able
to get out and see thesights? Maybe you’reinterested in getting a look at
what’s out there, and wantsome more information.
Well, from this month I will
be starting a regular column
introducing various sights
around Tokushima, including
details on how to get there
and how much the trip might
cost. First up, we have thewhirlpools of Naruto
The Naruto whirlpools are awell-known tourist destinationin Tokushima prefecture, lying the uzushio kanko kisen by the whirlpoolsin the Naruto straits separating dissipating. In April, however,
Shikoku and Awaji Island. the tides are especially strong,
They are a naturally occuring and provide the best viewing
feature that has been the t i m e f o r t h e w h i r l p o o l s ,subject of poems and artwork sometimes reaching a hugediameter of 20 meters each.
in Japan for many centuries.
There are many ways to
The whirlpools are causedby the difference in sea levels get out to see the whirlpools,of the Seto Inland Sea and each presenting a uniquethe Pacific Ocean. The tide experience.
experiences a change of nearly
one and a half meters between The Uzu no Michi: Beneath
low and high tide, and the the bridge connecting Naruto
width of the straits causes a to Awaji is a walkway aroundlarge amount of water to drain 450m long, and 45m above
through a small area several the straits below. It costs
times a day. This causes a 500 yen for an adult to enter,very fast-moving current that, 400 yen for high and middle
rushing over the formations schools students, and 250 yen
in the seabed, results in the for primary schoolers. Once in,whirlpools. In fact, the Naruto you can enjoy the great view
whirlpools are regarded as the of the whirlpools directly below
third strongest in the world through glass panelling on(Number one is Moskstraumen the floor. The Uzu no Michiin Norway, and number two is open every day except
the Old Sow between New Mondays, from 9:00am to
Brunswick and Maine) with a 5:00pm, but the last time it ispossible to enter is at 4:30pm.
speed of nearly 20km/h!
Generally, the whirlpools are You can ﬁnd a detailed website
around ten meters in diameter in English with information on
and two meters deep, and parking, site details and more:carry along for several seconds http://www.uzunomichi.
w i t h t h e c u r r e n t b e f o r e jp/e/index.phpb-6-

by andrew dahms
until_eternity@hotmail.com

The Uzushio Kanko Kisen:
You can also see the whirlpoolsby boat. The Uzushio Kanko
Kisen costs 1,500 yen for an
adult, 750 yen for a child andleaves every half hour. The trip
lasts for approximately thirty
minutes, and takes you rightout beside the whirlpools,
providing an excellent chancefor photography and to
experience the whirlpools up
close. The waters can be very
choppy, however, so please be
careful if you are susceptible
to motion sickness.
Eddy: If you have seen thewhirlpools, there is anotheroption open to you in theform of the whirlpool museum'Eddy', containing information,
virtual bike rides, a viewing
deck and much more. For
full details, check the english
homepage at http://www.
uzunomichi.jp/e/e.php.
Viewing Times: Certain times
during the day are favourable
for larger and more dramaticwhirlpools around the tides.
You can find a chart of thesetimes at the following address:
http://www.uzunomichi.
jp/uzunomichi/3.php.
Times in red are the best forviewing, followed by blue andthen black.
How to get there: Naruto
is easy to access. If travellingby car, simply follow route 11
from Tokushima City north
towards the coast until you
reache the bridge. Buses run
from outside the Clement
Plaza in Tokushima City to
Naruto Park for 690 yen one
way. The trip takes around 60
minutes.

martin's anime corner
Title: Doraemon ) һӛҚӔӥ *Broadcast on Friday evening on TVAsahi (Ch 6) at 19:00
Title: Anpanman ( ҔӥӃӥӐӥ）
Broadcast on Friday evening on NTV(cable) at 16:30

n this issue, I havedecided to veer awayfrom my normal offerings
to write about some of
the many anime films andprograms aimed at Japanese
kids. Watching anime aimed
at a younger demographic
is a great way to learn
Japanese, as the level ofspeech tends to be easier.
If you want to practice yourlistening comprehension, andlearn some new words forconversation then children’s
anime is the way to go.
As much of the anime aimed
at young kids of elementary
school age is broadcast firston TV, you can tune in any
weeknight and ﬁnd somethinginteresting. Previously
broadcasted programs arealso usually sold in series
form, where you get 3 or 4
programs as opposed to a fulllength feature ﬁlm.
Some of the heroes of kid’s
anime include Doraemon,
Anpanman, Obake no Q-Taro,
Crayon Shin-chan andPokemon. All of the titles
mentioned here have beenreleased in Western markets
in some shape or form.
Both Crayon Shin-chan andDoraemon have been dubbed
and released on Western TV
with little success. This isprobably due to the fact thatmany children’s programs
are based around everyday
Japanese life and thereforeithe cultural setting doesn’t often sit well with Americana n d E u ro p e a n a u d i e n c e s .
Characters that sit on thef l o o r, b a t h e c o m m u n a l l y
and always eat dinner withchopsticks seem very strange
when dubbed with American
accents. Other characters suchas Pokemon have settings infantasy worlds that are wellremoved form the Japanesecultural experience, and thisis why they are more readily
accepted abroad.
In this week's column, I
am going to introduce twoof Japans most popular kids
anime characters - Doraemonand Anpanman. The headhoncho of kid’s characters ismost definitely Doraemon. If
you have lived in Japan foreven a short period of time,
you will find it impossible not
to at some stage encounter
this ultra famous blue robotic
cat. Doraemon is the Japaneseequivalent of Mickey Mouse,and his smiling face can beseen on everything from potsof yogurt to t-shirts.
Doraemon has been aroundfor some while and manydifferent generations havegrown up with him. Doraemon
came into the public eye backin the 1970’s and has remained
popular ever since. So who is
Doraemon? Well it all starts
with a fourth grader Nobita
Nobi. Nobita is lying aroundthe house one day when he isvisited by a futuristic boy anda large blue robotic cat. The
futuristic kid is a twenty-thirdcentury descendent of Nobita,
who gives him the robotic
c a t a s a g i f t . D o ra e m o n ,with the help of his various
special powers and abilities-7-

by martin o'brien
martinobrien2004@gmail.com

is entrusted to look after andguide the young Nobita. One
of Doraemon`s main powers
is his trusty four dimensional
pocket form which he regularly
extracts various gadgets that
help solve some of life’s little
problems. However, Nobita’smischievous nature ensuresthat things don’t always go toplan.
Doraemon’s main rival forthe hearts and pocket moneyof Japanese Elementary
school students is Anpanman.
Anpanman, as his namemight suggest, has a facemade from sweet anpan(bread filled with bean jam).
Anpanman is basically asuperhero who helps thosein need or in danger. His
arch-rival is called Baikin-man
or bacteria man. Anpanman
helps people by letting themeat some of his face, once
eaten he can restore himself
endlessly. Fighting Baikin-man
isn’t easy as he has his own
personal spaceship, and someformidable gadgets at his
disposal.
H o w e v e r, w h e n t h i n g s
get too tough, Anpanman
has the option of calling on
someone from a motley crewof superhero mates who are
happy to drop everything to
run to his aid. Some of theseinclude Omusubi Man who is in
the shape of an Omusubi. He
is basically a samurai riceball.
There’s also Hakupan Man,
Yakisoba Man, and Hamubaga
Man who all have their own
talents and personalities.
Anpanman and Doraemon
are both classics of Japanesechildrens' animation. Be sure
to check them out.

letter from suketo hoikuen

by kaoru sakamoto
awalife@gmail.com

lap as you read to them, you
draw closer to the child andthat time becomes even more
special. When 10 years oreven 20 years pass by, it may
only be then that you realise
the true meaning of readingbooks to your children when
they say to you ‘when I wasyounger, you always read tome’, but reading like this isan act of love you can only
perform now, in the present.
Here are some points forwhen reading to your children:- Have them sit on your lap,
and show them the pictures
well. Show them from thecover to the back page.
- Choose a story with a simple
beginning and a happy ending.
- Refrain from stopping partway through to ask themquestions or to explain aspectsof the story, as well as asking
them their opinion after
finishing. Let them remain in
the world of the story.

hildren love picture
books. We hold readingsof picture books at
our international childrearing salon and they arealways very popular. Let’s givethem the chance to read themat home, as well.
Even one book a day is ﬁne.
When a mother or father reads
a book to them, children are
happy as that time belongs tothem, and them alone. And
if you have them sit on yourcshin mai mama nikkis I write this, I'm
halfway throughmy 37th week ofp r e g n a n c y, w h i c hmeans I could have the baby
anytime in the next month.
By the time you all read this,she could very well havebeen born. In the meantime,
I have been finding life on
maternity leave to be ratherinteresting. I've finally beenable to experience the lifeof a stay-at-home housewife
in Japan. For example, I
ﬁnally got around to ﬁguring
out when all the different
bargain days are at our local
supermarket (half price ice
cream on Mondays! 1 yen
for a package of eggs witha 1 0 0 0 ye n p u rc h a s e o nSundays!) and I've gotten
much better at separating
the garbage. I even bring theflattened milk cartons andstyrofoam trays back to thesupermarket for recycling,
now that I know where thebins are! Not only that, but I
am getting to know all about
daytime TV - my favourites
are the kid's programson NHK in the morninga(particularly Do Re Mi no Telebi
on Wednesdays, from 9:00 to9:15) and the variety show,
Waratte ii Tomo on weekdays
at noon on Channel 8.
With a baby on the way, bothmy husband and I have started
to feel an increased sense of
responsibility. Last week, hetold me he wanted to makean emergency earthquake
kit. I have always known that
Tokushima is in an earthquakeprone area, and I've even been
personally involved in helping
w i t h d i s a s t e r p r e p a ra t i o nworkshops since I've comehere, but I never got aroundto making an earthquake kit
until now. Now we have a
backpack placed near the front
door, containing raincoats,by claire tanaka
clairish@gmail.com

extra socks and underwear,
cans of tuna, bottles of water,a radio, a first aid kit, someinstant food, a package ofcoffee, and various otheressentials. My husband
thinks the other people at the
emergency shelter will lookat us funny for having it, but
I don't care. I think that if I
was stuck in a shelter after
my neighbourhood had been
destroyed in an earthquake,I'd want a cup of coffee. I
considered putting somechocolate in the kit as well,but I was afraid it would spoil
before the Big One came.
By next month's edition,
I'll have someone new tointroduce to you all!

autumn leaf viewing con't from page 3...
Kazura Bashi
When: Early to mid-November.
Where: Kazura Bashi, west
Iya, Miyoshi-gun.
Access: 15km on Route 32
from Tokushima City, or by
local bus from the JR Obokestation, Dosan line.
Information: The Nishi
I ya To u r i s m A s s o c i a t i o n :0883.87.2001.
-8-

Todoroki Falls
When: Mid-November.
Where: Todoroki falls, Kainancho, Kaifu-gun.
Access: Ten minutes walkfrom JR Awa Kainan station on
the Mugi line.
Information: The Kainan
Industry and Construction
section at: 0884.73.4162.

japanese lesson

by fumiko kanematsu
jtmtoku-lesson@mbk.nifty.com
c b

j j e f t v l b

his month let’s study how to request advice by using “ ̻Ѥ̜иићэп ”. Please take a lookat the following conversation.

t

sjj

b

t

v

u

j uplvtijnb f

j l j u b j o e f t v h b

e p v z b u u f

j l f c b

j j e f t v l bӜ̶̡̛ҔҫҸҕќуыѲѬ̛৪сѓи҇ћэр̜ѝкѸїњ̛৪хѤ̛иићэп̝!
!!I would like to go to ASTY Tokushima. How should I get there?
lblbsjopijupc b o o p s j c b o p
c b t v o jo p u u f
cvosjebjhblvnbfef
p s j u fl v e b t b jऒѢగ̡4 ཮ѢѾѤѢ̛ӂҫџ!௔їњ̜ဌᅫോ޺ಶћ̛৵Ѿњ̛уєщи̝Take
the numberb 3bus, and get off at Bunri Daigaku-mae.
x b l b s j n b t i j u b
s j h b u p v h p { b j n b t i j u bӜ̶̡̛҃пѾѲыѓ̝жѾрќкшъиѲыѓ̝I see. Thank you.
sjj

͎conditional form of verbs͏
.form!
V1̡Change
the last sound ofc !Ѳэ
f
b
!м
.
!Ѥ
/
into theline and attachs f c bn b t v
W3̡Attach!ҀѤ!to the!Ѳэ .form/l j n b t v
l v s f c b
tijnbtvt v s f c bW4̡ᅖѲэΥуᅖҀѤ̛ыѲэΥэҀѤʄ ʄ ɿ ʀ ʎ ʐ ʆ ɼInterrogative Ќ conditional form иићэп
This expression is useful when you ask fordirections or suggestions. Let’s take a look atsome more examples.
upnpebdijoj

b l b d i b o o jv n b s f u b o e f t v h b

p j x b j o jobojp

q v s f { f o u p t v s f c b j j e f t v l b

؋!ᄕ൥џ̛౾ѕѷ҇р̛ౠѲҀѓ҇ћэр̜о୙иџ̛̛݃҆ӉӞҮӥҺэҀѤиићэп̝
̛!A baby was born to a friend of mine. What should I give her for a present?
p p z b t b o o p
j f o jtipvubjtbsfubo eftvhb
e p o o b
u f n j b h f
n p u u f
j l f c b j j e f t v l b
،!ോ‫݌‬щ҇Ѣ̛‫݌‬џ̛ணസщҀѓ҇ћэр̜ѝ҇ў̛ଚ๘ઌ̛҆૏їњ̛৪хѤиићэп̝!!!I was invited to my landlord’s home. What should I bring as a small gift?
l z b t t i v l b b e p
botipvcbohpvp
xbtvsfuft i j n b u u b o e f t v h b
e p v t v s f c b j j e f t v l b‫!؍‬ҟӕҵҩӗҝ̶һѢ̛‫ڍ‬ெ཮ৼ̛҆ၬҀњ̛ыѲїѓ҇ћэр̜ѝкэҀѤиићэп̝!!!I forgot the code number for my ATM card. What should I do?
c b
j j e f t v l b
u b s bj j e f t v l b
obojp! !̻͂Ѥ! ! и ићэп̓! can be restated!̻͂ѓ ѽ! ! и ићэп̓-! tvdi! bt!͂݃ ̛҆[Note]
q v s f { f o u p t i j u b s b
j j e f t v l be p o o b
u f n j z b h f
n p u u f
j u u b s b
j j e f t v l bӉ ӞҮӥҺыѓѽ̛и ићэп̓-!͂ѝ ҇ў̛ଚ ๘ઌ̛҆૏ їњ̛৪ їѓѽ̛и ићэп̓-!
e p v t i j u b s b
j j e f t v l bboe!
͂ѝкыѓѽ̛иићэп̓/
u b

s b

j j e f t v l b

Interrogative!Ќѓ .form ѽ̛иићэп

u b s bj j e f t v l b“ ̻ѓѽ̜иићэп̓!sounds more colloquial

Let’s try to ask for suggestions!
؋ You are invited to a wedding reception, and wondering what to wear. You ask your co-worker
for advice.
، You don’t know how to separate garbage, so ask the owner of your apartment for advice.
‫ ؍‬Your child has a fever on a Sunday. You ask a friend living next door for advice.
Last month, you studied volitional form. Regarding how to make the volitional form, conjugation
by Hiragana rather than Roma-ji would be easy to understand. In this case, please refer to theother explanation like below.
Do you remember how to make volitionalform?
V1̡Change last
moral ofdictionary form to “o”,
l b v
b p v
and put “u”.!༝к΂༝ок n j s v n j z p v!ॣѿ΂ॣѼк
V2̡Change“ru”
to “you”.
l j n b t v
l p z p v
tijnbtv
t i j z p v
V3̡ᅖѲэΥᅖѼк̛ыѲэΥыѼк

͎volitional form of verbs͏
n b t v!Ѳ э
V1̡Replace the last sound ofthepо .line of the-form with the sound in
the
v
!к /
same row andattachz p v
n b t v
!Ѽк!to the!Ѳэ -form/
V2̡Attachl j n b t v
l p z p v
tijnbtv
t i j z p v
V3̡ᅖѲэΥᅖѼк̛ыѲэΥыѼк
Answers

؋!ॅਛૠџ̛ணസщҀѓ҇ћэр̛̜݃҆ටҀѤ̹ටѓѽ̛иићэп̝h p n j o p
xblflbubhb
x b l b s b o b j o e f t v h b
e p v t v s f c b
e p v t i j u b s b
j j e f t v l b
،!ҦӑѢ̛ကၑр̛҃пѽўи҇ћэр̜ѝкэҀѤ̹ѝкыѓѽ̛иићэп̝l p e p n p h bofutvpe b t i j u b o e f t v h be p o pczpvjofj l f c b
j u u b s b
j j e f t v l b‫!؍‬તѝѶр̛໨̛҆୞ыѓ҇ћэр̜ѝѢ̛ྸ‫ۇ‬Ѭ̛৪хѤ̹৪їѓѽ̛иићэп̝lfllpotijljoj

tipvubjtbsfuboeftvhb

obojp

l j s f c b-9-l j u b s b

j j e f t v l bmemoranda
Tokushima Vortis

Doitsu-kan Eventsຝ๥ӦқӝҸҕҫ

һҖҶࠛҖӋӥҺ௜၇

Upcoming games for Tokushima's National League soccer

A Christmas fair at the German House. There will be ateam, Tokushima Vortis. Games are held in away ﬁelds, orvariety of German goods, many of them Christmas-related

at the Naruto Athletic Field Baseball Stadium.

and of course a big decorated Christmas tree waiting foryou in the ﬁrst ﬂoor of the "Deutsches Haus".

NovemberWhen: November 11 to December 25

13th (Sun) 14:00 - vs Montedio Yamagata (Yamagata)

Cost: Entry is free.

19th (Sat) 14:00 - vs Yokohama FC (Naruto)
23rd (Wed) 13:00 - vs. Avispa Fukuoka (Hakata)for more info:

26st (Sat) 13:00 - vs. Shonan Bellmare (Hiratsuka)

phone: 088.689.0099
e-mail: doitukan@city.naruto.lg.jp

December
For more information regarding the Doitsu-kan's open

3rd (Sat) 12:00 - vs. Mito Hollylock (Naruto)

hours and access, as well as future event information andNaruto tickets are ]2000 for A seats and ]1500 for B seats,
but a charge of ]500 applies to A seat tickets bought onmuch more, take a look at the website and keep updated

the day of the match. Tickets can be purchased in advancenaruto.tokushima.jp/germanhouse/

with everything that's going on: http://www.city.

at Lawson's convenience stores and at local sports supply
shops such as Sasakura Sports and Alex Sports.

Hey International
Japanese Lessons - Families!
Ѹе̜ਇੑ‫݌‬ഖѓѕ̤
Ongoing໘ႎতࢱ૬Tokushima City's Suketo Hoikuen and TOPIA present

JTM Tokushima's "Nihongo Salon"

International Child-rearing Salons. Please come and meet

Practice speaking Japanese conversation.

other international families like yours! There is no fee for

Mondays 10:30 - 12:00 at TOPIA

participation.

Saturdays 19:00 - 20:30 at the Seishonen Youth Centre
at TOPIA
Watari-sensei's free class at TOPIA:(Tokushima City, Clement Building 6F)

Wednesdays - beginner

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

Every ﬁrst and third Thursday - people with one year of

cost: freeJapanese study experience

for more info: 088.656.3303

Every second and fourth Thursday - people with two years
of Japanese study experienceat Suketo Hoikuen

Classes run from 16:30 - 17:50(Tokushima City, Nakayoshino-cho 1-61)
when: every Thursday from 10:00 - 14:00

The following international associations holdcost: freeJapanese lessons. Call for more information:

for more info: 070.5681.1230

Tokushima City: 088.622.6066
Yoshinogawa City: 0883.24.5112

also...

Komatsushima: 08853.2.0454

Contact Ms. Murasawa at TOPIA for information regarding

Aizumi: 088.692.9951

Japanese lessons for parents with small children, andAnan: 0884.23.6323

Chinese and English language child-rearing consultation

Mima: 0883.63.4527

services.

-10-

memoranda
Mikan Picking
Seasonѳп҇ଝѾ
Now is the perfect season to get out into the countrysideand have a go at picking mikan. They are a very tasty
fruit, and a great source of vitamin C!
when:

Running now to early December, 9:00 - 16:00

where: Awa City, Tsubaki Nature Reserve, 25 minutes
drive along Route 11 from Naruto City.
cost:

All you can eat ]600
Adult:

Children: ]350
And a cost of ]100 per kilo if you want to take someCounselling
Service at TOPIAҺӆҔѢ೰ඎೱ঵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 is available in English andJapanese. Please note that although every effort will be
made, we may not be able to deal with all cases.
Monday to Friday, 10:00 - 16:30
tel. 088.656.3303 or 088.656.3320 (allows three way
conversations with an interpreter)

mikan home with you.
info: Contact the Tsubaki Nature Reserve at 088.433.1127

Shikoku Snowball
Tournamentટਇಋ৽ಗോ‫ݵ‬Once again this winter, a snowball fighting competition
is going to be held in the Iya Valley! It will be held on

Courses at the
Seishonen Center౬஛໩ҭӥұ̶৬ਸ਼‫ڎ‬຾
What: Flower Arranging (20 places)
When: Monday 22, 29 November, Monday, 6 December
18:30 - 20:30
Cost: ]4500

January 29, 2006, but applications for teams are open
now.

Teams are of 7 to 10 people, with both Adult andJunior Catagories. Everybody welcome. The winning teamgets a free trip to Hokkaido to participate in the national

What: Kimono Wearing Salon (20 places)
When: Saturday, 6, 13, 20, 27 November, 18:30 - 20:30
Cost: ]500

competiton!
What: Pizza and Pasta Cooking Workshop (25 places)
For upcoming details on the snowball tournament,
including information on how to enter and rules of play,keep updated with the Living in Tokushima website at:
http://ourtokushima.net/e_living/index.php

When: Monday, 15, 22, 29 November, 18:00 - 20:30
Cost: ɷ2400
Info: Call the Seishonen Center at 088.625.6166* Note - all courses are held in Japanese

Keep an eye on the website for information on events inTokushima, as well as disaster prepardeness informationand much more.

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
The Tokyo SymphonyOrchestra

Riverdance MusicalӜӂ̶Ҳӥҫ̠ӑӗ̶Ҫҝӝ๪࢜পࢽ޼ආҥӥҧ̶Һ

When: Saturday, November 11 at 18:00
Where: Kitajima Town Library, Souei Hall
Cost:
Info:

1,500 yen in advance, 2,000 at the door, with a

The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra is coming to Awa City

500 yen discount for students.

and Sadamitsu for a performance of a variety of classicalCall the Kitajima Town Library Souei Hall atmusic. Founded in 1946, the orchestra has performed 64

088.698.1100

concerts in over 19 different countries around the world,
as well as winning several awards and holds an excellent

Tokushima Culture
Center Events

reputation.
Awa City Concert
When: Monday, Novermber 21ຝ๥ॡဌ݁‫ࠛݵ‬ҖӋӥҺ௜၇
What:

18:00

Performance:

18:30

Where: Awa City, Donari Farmer's Training Center,

The ﬁrst Tokushima Children's Art Display

Athletics Hall

When: Saturday 12 November to November 23, 10:00 17:00

Cost:

Tickets are ]1000 (general admission), available

Info:

Call the Awa City Planning Department at

from the Awa City Hall

Where: Main Conference Room (3F)
Cost:

Doors open:Free

088.335.4112
What:

The 9th Awa Puppetry Festival
Sadamitsu Concert

When: Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 November, 9:00 to

When: Tuesday, November 22

17:00
Where: 1st Floor Hall
]500 for a weekend ticket, ]300 for a day ticket
Cost:
Info:

Doors open:

18:00

Performance:

18:30

Where: Tsurugi Town Sadamitsu Middle School Athletics

The Tokushima Culture Center at 088.624.1404

Hall
Cost:

Your Awa Life

Tickets are ]1000 (general admission), available
from the Sadamitu Town Hall

Info:жўѓѢҔӡӛҖӇ

Call the Tsurugi Town Industry Section at
088.362.3114

The same program will be performed at both venues.
Awa Life is mailed free to members of Tokushima's
international community. If you currently live in Tokushimaand you'd like a copy sent to you every month, contact uswith your mailing address. Also, if you change your nameor address, please let us know
If you are interested in writing for Awa Life, get in touch!
Submissions can be made in Japanese or English. Contact
us for detailed submission guidelines.

Cooking Columnist
WantedᆍᅫҥӛӒҽҫҺျ୆ඨAfter many informative articles and tasty recipes, Done-mail: awalife@gmail.com

Weiss has put down the pen for Tastes of Awa. We are

write to: Awa Lifenow looking for new columnists to write for Awa Life

c/o TOPIA

on the topic of cooking with local ingredients. Send an

1-61 Terashimahoncho-nishi

email in to Awa Life at awalife@gmail.com if you would

Tokushima City, 770-0831

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

ଥх઱ѵњиѲэпగग़Ѣ୓ѳ
-12-