aWa life

The Benefits ofPeer Pressure

The Past, Present and
BeyondJanuary 2020
# 351

International
Exchange Forum
Awa Shoku: Eating with
EbessanGairaigo Galore:
オブラート

1

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

あけましておめでとうございます！ Happy New Year!
We, the Awa Life team and TOPIA, wish you a great start to the new decade and the year of the rat in
the Chinese zodiac system. It’s unbelievable that it’s already 2020! Japan is preparing for the Olympics
and Paralympics in the summer and Tokushima is holding training camps for national teams from Cambodia, Nepal, Georgia, and Germany. Hopefully you will get warmed up by the sporty vibes as well.
What are your plans for the new year? Whatever you do, we hope Awa Life will be your monthly companion in 2020 as well.
For all of those who like writing, please feel free to submit an article to us at any point in time aboutbasically anything. There are a few limitations though, such as you can’t write about religion, politics,
commercial activities or businesses or anything that we deem inappropriate. But, other than that, we
would be more than happy to receive articles about anything and everything including but not limited
to concerts, lectures, other events, culture, sports, community group information or anything cool that’s
happening in your local community.
We highly appreciate all of your articles and we love reading them. So if that writing bug of yours isbuzzing about, grab a pen or a computer and write and send away! Please send all submissions to ouremail:
awalife@gmail.com
Your editors,
Sydney and Nico
Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA)
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN, Clement Plaza 6F
Tel: 088-656-3303 Fax: 088-652-0616
http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Download a PDF file of awa life or view the online version by going to TOPIA's website!

Editors:
Sydney Bartig and Nico Bohnsack
Contributors This Month:
Samantha Harris, Chelsea Quezergue, Satoko Saito, Junko Kimura, Lance Kita, Toshiko Yamamizo

2Contents
Pg. 2-3: The Benefits of Peer Pressure
Pg. 4

The Past, Present and Beyond

Pg. 4-5: International Exchange ForumPg. 5

Gairaigo Galore: オブラート

Pg. 6:

Awa Shoku: Eating with EbessanPg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8-9: Events and Memoranda
The Benefits of Peer Pressure: My Experience White Water
Rafting in the Oboke Gorge
By Samantha HarrisOkay, who here is rafting for the first time?

I raised my hand apologetically. Fortunately, I
wasn’t the only first timer. Wait, was that a goodthing? My anxiety floored the gas pedal in myheart. How dangerous were these waters again?
White water rafting in
the Oboke region of
Kochi seemed like adecent way to spend
a Saturday when I’dclicked “going” on
the Facebook group
page a few weeks
p r i o r. I ’ d a l w a y s
admired the surreal,swimming pool blue
rivers of Shikoku,
always imagined
what it must havefelt like to really bein those waters whiledriving over the
narrow bridges of rural Tokushima and Kochi.
Now, fully strapped up, helmet on my head andstrange paddle in my hands, threatening toconcuss anyone in my perimeter, I wondered if
curiosity was a good enough rationale for signingup for my first white water rafting experience.
Didn’t I need a license to do this or something?
How and why did the owners trust people like me
to not kill themselves and possibly everyone elseon the raft?
Let’s just say, I’m not
the kind of person
you want on yourapocalypse team.
I’m not out of shape-I love to exercise.
But I’m a panicker.
Actually a diagnosed
panicker with agenuine, bonafide
panic disorder. On alighter note, I firmly
believe that if I werea cat, I’d be one ofthose cats who’s
constantly getting
freaked out by her own tail and falling off tables infunny gifs.
I managed to keep the butterflies in my stomach

3fluttering at a pace I could cope with while the raft
guides went over what to do if you fell off the raft,what to do if someone else fell off the raft, what to
do if--god forbid--your leg got stuck under a rockand it twisted and… Just look at the water, I told
myself. Look at the pretty blue water! Sure is blue.
You paid to be here. Don’t freak out.
Then it was time to actually get in the raft andstart the ride. Suddenly, I was eleven years old
again, on my junior high school chorus field trip
to Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, waiting in line toride the Big Bad Wolf, my first real roller coaster.
The magic of peer pressure convinced me to sit in
one of those death carts, and I ended up having agreat time.
They say history
repeats itself,
and it turns out,
the magic ofpeer pressure
works whether
you’re a preteen
or a twentysomething
adult. I had
a great time.
One of the best
times I’ve hadsince coming toTokushima over
one year ago for the JET Programme.
Our experience wasn’t without its little ticks. I
was, of course, the first one to hold the paddle
incorrectly, inspiring our little rafting group to dub
ourselves “Team T-Grip” as a reminder to FIRMLYGRASP the handle. I stayed on constant alert
after my first mistake, constantly checking myform, not wanting to be the reason our raft tipped
over. I held my breath and gripped the ropes fordear life on the first few rapids. It was like being
on a roller coaster without a safety belt.
There were enough calm moments to break up
the chaos of the rapids. That is, until our rafting

The Benefits of Peer Pressuregroup--a mix of Tokushima and Hiroshima JETs-decided to declare war on each other’s rafts,
turning the river into a hazardous battleground.
Paddle splashing led to pulling and pushing one
another overboard, which eventually led to outright
kidnapping and raft mutiny. I felt myself pulled
backward by an enemy’s paddle more than once.
There were winners and losers, but no casualties.
By the end of the day, just about every orifice on
my body was full of river water. My knuckles wererubbed raw from hitting the ropes on the raft, but I
had no bruises, no wounds. I’d made it out alive.
More than alive, I was happy.
Looking back,I couldn’t
believe how
quickly I’d gonefrom nervous
and doubtful
to joyful andcarefree, talking
to strangers
as if they were
lifelong friends,
cursing familiar
faces for pullingme overboard
and later
retaliating witha splash of cold
river water. I even went to an onsen afterward,
something my anxiety usually talks me out of.
I can say for certain that this experience mademe braver and more relaxed, two unexpected but
welcome side effects. If you have the chance to go
whitewater rafting in Oboke, I highly recommend
it. This river was even used as the location of the2017 World Rafting Championships! Who knows
how long we’ll be able to go out and appreciatenature’s gifts? Even if you have the temperamentof a cat frightened by its own tail, you could havean unforgettable positive experience in one of themost beautiful places on Earth.

The Past, Present and Beyond
By Chelsea Quezergue

Before starting my journey as an ALT in Japan,
I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua.
I wondered about how I would maintain my
Spanish proficiency level in a homogenous
country like Japan. Realistically, any opportunities
to interact with other Spanish speakers would berare. However, in a serendipitous turn of events,
the head of my local board of education asked if
I could give him and his wife Spanish language
lessons. I was surprised and eager at once. This
was a unique opportunity to not only use Spanish,
but to also foster a connection centered aroundcultural and linguistic exchange. I welcomed thechance to fulfill the aspect of the JET experiencethat calls for us to be cultural ambassadors.

4ways. I never imagined that profundity would
continue to afford me such beautiful experiences
and memories such as the ones I have createdwith the Yamakawas. Our Spanish lessons area highlight of not just my week, but of my entire
time as a JET participant thus far. How have you
been able to use your past experiences to create
new ones here in Japan? Hopefully, you complete
your time as a JET with heartwarming memories
to carry with you and draw on in the future.

Fast forward to the present, my time with thisJapanese couple—the Yamakawas—has beenrich and impactful. In exchange for the classes,
they take me on excursions around Shikoku. So
far, we have visited an indigo dyeing place andthe first 20 temples of the Shikoku 88 Temple
Pilgrimage, among other places. Our visits tothe temples have inspired me to make a goal ofundertaking the pilgrimage either on foot or bybike at some point in the future. Moreover, Mrs.
Yamakawa has taught me how to make Japanesedishes like shiroae, tsunomono, agedashi tofu
and chawanmushi. Although we haven’t met eachother’s families, we share heartfelt stories thatmake us feel like we have. I know the houses theyspent their childhoods in and which elementary
schools they studied at. They now know that
Spanish speakers come in all colors and races.
During our classes, there’s a constant, naturalshifting of deference and roles—all three of us arewilling learners and teachers when we need to be.
My time in Nicaragua impacted me in profoundInternational Exchange ForumBy Satoko SaitoA

iming for a World Where No One is Left
BehindThe International Exchange Forum 2019 washeld as a part of the Human Rights Festival“Tokushima: A Connected Life Festival 2019”
on December 15th (Sunday) at Miraizu locatedin Wakimachi Town in Mima City. During themorning session we invited four foreigners livingin Tokushima (from India, China, Portugal, and5International Exchange Forum

Germany) to give a presentation about theircountry's culture and talk about their experiencesin Japan. They talked about things that had
surprised them which, although obvious,
everyday things for Japanese people, are reallyinteresting to foreigners or difficult to understand(such as Japan having a lot of amusement
parks, omotenashi at restaurants, and uniqueschool customs). In addition, participants had
the opportunity to experience foreign culture withthe presenters, CIRs, and exchange students
from JICA in the afternoon session. Many people,
including local people from Mima and children
and parents, enjoyed wearing traditional clothes
and taking pictures, as well as playing with toys
from other cultures. It was a wonderful event ofinternational flavor. One person from Mima said,“I was so glad to have this opportunity because
there are not many events like this in the westernpart of Tokushima.”

from participants in this forum. For example,
in order to realize a multicultural society, we
shouldn’t differentiate people as “foreigners”
and “Japanese”, but we need to see everyone
as “humans”. In addition, you don’t have to dosomething big to change society, just start withsomething small to support the people aroundyou. Through planning and participating in thisforum, I really felt the importance of listening toopinions directly from people from other countries
and having face-to-face international cultural
exchange. I will definitely continue to try to makeopportunities for people living in Tokushima to
enjoy experiencing other cultures and think about
good approaches to realizing a multiculturalsociety together.

We can’t have strong feelings towards a topic
without having experienced it ourselves.
There were strong and impressive messages

Gairaigo Galore

オブラート (Oblaat)
By Junko Kimura
Have you ever tasted any Japanese candy that was wrapped with a very thin paper, which melts
once you put it in your mouth? When I was a child some years ago, I used to buy this citrusy candy
wrapped in paper. As a child, I wondered what the paper was made from and worried if it was safeto eat it. One day during lunch, my friend was preparing to take her powdered medicine. She waswrapping it with a thin paper. I asked her what it was, and she said that it’s called “Oburaato” andshe gave me one piece to try. When I tried it, it was the same paper that my favorite candy was
wrapped in.
“Oburaato” is a thin edible paper that is made from starch. It’s used for wrapping powdered
medicine and other things. Where does the name come from originally? I thought it was English,
but I was wrong! The name comes from the Dutch word “oblaat” or “oblate” in German. Does itmean that Dutch or German people also use the paper for taking medicine? The answer is no.
“Oblaat” and “oblate” means communion wafer in English and they have it during religious services.
How did communion wafers become an edible thin paper for wrapping powdered
medicine? Communion wafers came to Japan during the Meiji period. Japanesepeople soaked the wafer in water to make it soft then wrapped powered medicine
to take. In 1902, Dr. Masataro Kobayashi in Mie Prefecture invented a method for
producing edible thin paper from agar and starch. After writing this article I feel likerunning to the nearest コンビニ (konbini)to get my favorite childhood candy!
つつ* Mini Japanese Lesson! オブラートに包む - To Sugarcoat

Awa Shoku: Eating with Ebessan
By Lance Kita

Happy New Year!! I hope everyone has a delicious andnutritious 2020!!

I’m sure most of you have visited shrines and bought yourlucky charms for the year, but for shop owners, their New
Year begins on January 10 when they
visit their nearby Ebisu shrines to wish
for business prosperity (shobai hanjo 商
売繁盛 ).

6

street food. This year, I would look for Korean “hotdogs”
ハ ッ ト グ , cheese-filled crunchy sticks of goodness,often with a bumpy potato or corn exterior.

Konamon 粉 も ん are batter-based snacks that are
as filling as they are cheap. The
ubiquitous takoyaki たこ焼き (ballsof dough with a piece of octopus)
are about 50 meters apart fromeach other at the festival, with the
In Tokushima City, the biggest Ebisu
dumplings slathered in a tangy
Festival (Ebisu matsuri え び す 祭 り ）sauce and mayonnaise. You canhappens at the Kotoshironushi Shrine
also get okonomiyaki お 好 み 焼
事代主神社 just a few blocks from JR
き (savory pancakes mixed with
Tokushima Station. Ebisu is one of thecabbage and topped with strips ofseven lucky gods (Shichifukujin 七 福
pork belly and/or fried egg) in both神 ), and the god of fishermen, often Mini-cakes in the shape of Ebisu's the denser Kansai/Osaka style
depicted carrying a fishing pole and a head, the patron deity of Ebessan. and the crepe-like Hiroshima style.
giant red sea bream. In Tokushima, heBoth are a great dinner on a tightand the festival are affectionately calledbudget. Sometimes the ingredientsby the nickname “Ebessan” え べ っ
are poured into smaller round molds
for a more compact version often
さ ん . This one lasts for three days,
January 9-11, from morning until 10:00
called Namba-yaki な ん ば 焼 き inat night. Owners and employees come
Ishii and other places west of thehere to pray and get blessed by thecity. My absolute favorite street foodpriest. They also buy a bamboo branchat this festival is the hashi-maki 箸巻
decorated with lucky symbols to display
き , which is the okonomiyaki batteron a prominent pillar in their shop or on
rolled around a pair of disposable
the household Shinto altar (kamidana M y f a v o r i t e s t r e e t f o o d i n chopsticks like an obese crepe and神棚 ) for the whole year.
Ebessan...behold the junk foodie topped with sauce, mayo, and yourchoice of meat, a fried egg with oozyhashi-maki!
The real symbol of this festival areyolk, cheese, or spicy cod roe mayo.
the surrounding food booths, which
attract huge crowds of families
Of course, you can’t leave without
and townspeople. Although spring,amaimono 甘 い も の (sweets).
summer, and fall festivals are very
Some of the classic sweet stuff
common, there aren’t many winterwill include candy-dipped fruit likefestivals with rows of street food booths
strawberries (ichigo-ame いちご飴),
except at New Year and this festival.
grapes (budo-ame ぶどう飴 ), andrecently mandarin oranges (mikanI personally love the street food here,ame み か ん 飴 ). Bananas tendwhich tends to fall into three categories:
to be dipped in a wild color array
agemono, konamon, and amaimono.
of chocolates and decorated with
Agemono 揚げ物 are the deep-friedsprinkles. And there’s always a line
foods, which are the universal junkof families waiting to grab a bag offood in almost every country. Who T h e s h r i n e f o r E b e s s a n i s freshly-made mini-donut cakes (babydoesn’t like something salty and greasy surrounded by much more secular castella ベビーカステラ ) cooked
on a cold winter’s night? The crowd food booths.
in molds shaped like classic cartoon
favorite is karaage 唐 揚 げ、or fried
characters.
chicken pieces, served in a cup or on a skewer. TBH,
I think karaage is overpriced and not of good quality at So brave the cold and join the foodie fun of Ebessan
these festivals, but it is also one of the surest bets if you’re on January 9-11. Even if you’re not full in spirit, I can
not familiar with Japanese flavors or it’s your first time with guarantee you’ll be full in stomach!

7Japanese Lesson

By: Toshiko Yamamizo「～ています」&「～てあります」
Today we are going to study「～ て い ま す 」and「～ て あ り ま す 」which are used to express theremaining, present condition of something due to an action.
(At a Japaneseclassroom) あ
せんせい
うしＡさん：先生、後ろのドアが開いていますよ。
せんせい
く
ひと
あ
先 生：はい、まだ来る人がいますから開けてあります。
あとふんし後５分くらいしたら閉めますね。
Student A: Sensei, the back door is open.
Sensei: I know. There are still some people who are going to come, so I left it open.
I’ll close it in about 5 minutes.
[Verb te-form い ま す ] uses an intransitive verb to express a change in an object. It expresses thecurrent state and condition of something due to an action.
[Verb te-form あ り ま す ] uses a transitive verb to express a person’s actions. It is used to express
the remaining, present condition of something due to an action that was carried out with an intent or
purpose.
ああThe sentences「ドアが開いています。
」and「ドアが開けてあります。
」both express that “the door is
あopen”, however, the sentence「ドアが開 けてあります。
」also expresses that someone opened (andleft the door open) due to a specific reason.
Practice Questions:Readthefollowing sentences and circle the correct ending.
うえはな
かざb あります〕１．テーブルの上に、花が飾って〔a います
まどわ

２．窓ガラスが割れて〔a います
へ や

b あります〕ばこ

３．部屋のすみに、ごみ箱がおいて〔a います
へ や

でん き

４．部屋の電気が消えて〔a います

b あります〕と

５．車が止まって〔a いますよ ていb あります〕か６．カレンダーに、予定が書いて〔a います
まわき

７．公園の周りに、木が植えて〔a います

b あります〕おb あります〕6．b7．b８．木の枝が折れて〔a います

4．a

えだ

4．a

き

b あります〕

う

3．b

こうえん

Answers: 1．b 2．aくるま

b あります〕き8．a8Events & Memoranda
Mochi Strength Competition at Taisanji Temple
大山寺の力餅This event is held every 3rd Sunday of January
on the Taisanji Temple grounds as the temple’s
first event of the new year. It’s a competition to
see who can carry mochi the furthest. Men carry
169 kg, women 50kg, children 10kg, and young
children carry 5 kg of mochi.
Spectators also provide a source of strength in
this fun event with their cheers.
When: January 19th (Sun)
Where: Taisanji Temple Grounds (Itano District,
Kamiita, Kanyake, 大山 14-2)
Fee: Free
Info: Taisanji Temple
TEL: 088-694-5525
URL: http://taisanji.jp/?page_id=10

正月の初会式の行事として毎年 1 月第 3 日曜日に大山寺境内で行われます。
男 169kg・女 50kg・子ども 10kg・幼児 5kg の餅をかつぎ、歩いた距離を競います。
見物する方も力が入り、思わず歓声を上げてしまう程の名物行事です。
日時：1 月 19 日（日）場所：大山寺境内
板野郡上板町神宅字大山 4
料金：無料
問い合わせ：大山寺
TEL: 088-694-5525
URL: http://taisanji.jp/?page_id=10

Awakoi Nishi Awa Experience Eventsにし阿波体験プログラムイベント あわこいにし阿波が持つ自然、歴史、文化、“Awakoi” are a series of events which let you 「あわこい」とは、come in touch with the stunning nature, history, 伝統芸能や食といった地域の魅力に触れる体験イ
culture, traditional performance arts, and cuisine
ベントです。公式ホームページで予約の開始してof the Nishi Awa region. Please check out the
おりますので、ぜひチェックしてプログラムの詳
homepage for further information and to make
細をご確認ください (*' ▽ ') ノ
reservations.
Activities include cooking classes with grains 【体験プログラム一例】
from the sloping fields, game meat hot pots,
傾斜畑で採れた雑穀料理教室、ジビエ鍋作り、ろbatik indigo dyeing, making cosmetics, making
うけつ藍染め、手作りコスメ作り、おいしい豆腐
tofu, making Amazake out of rice kouji, geta
experiences, casual kimono experiences, Iya road 作り、米麹でつくる甘酒、桐下駄体験、カジュア
trails, etc.
ルきもの体験、祖谷街道トレイル…
When: January 11th (Sat) – February 23rd
(Sun)
Where: Mima-shi, Miyoshi-shi, Tsurugi-cho,Higashi Miyoshi-cho
Info: Awakoi Bureau
TEL: 090-1573-0051 or 0883-87-8988
URL: https://nishi-awa.jp/experience/awakoi

日時：1 月 11 日（土）～ 2 月 23 日（日）場所：美馬市、三好市、つるぎ町、東みよし町
問い合わせ：あわこい事務局
TEL: 090-1573-0051

または 0883-87-8988

URL: https://nishi-awa.jp/experience/awakoi

9Events & Memoranda

13th Shogo Kariyazaki Flower Arrangement Exhibition in
Udatsu【第 13 回】假屋崎省吾「うだつをいける～華寿絢爛～」The Udatsu Flower Arrangement Exhibition will
be held this year for 13th time. With the historic
Udatsu Townscape as a backdrop, ikebana artist
Shogo Kariyazaki’s beautiful floral arrangements
will be on display. In addition, you can enjoy someof Tokushima’s other, prized and beautiful items
such as cymbidiums and Ōtani ware.
When: January 12th (Sun) – February 24th (Mon)
9:00 – 17:00 (Last entrance is at 16:30)
Where: First Location: Aisho Sanao Yoshida
Residence
Second Location: Wakimachi Theater"Odeonza"
Third Location: Anmitsukan
Fee: 1,200 Yen (Access to all locations)
Aisho Sanao Yoshida Residence – 750 Yen
Wakimachi Theater "Odeonza" – 550 Yen
Anmitsukan – Free
Info: Mima sightseeing & tourism bureau
Mima tourism division
TEL: 0883-53-8599 (Mima sightseeing & tourism
bureau)0883-52-5610 (Mima tourism division)※ A free shuttle bus will be available on
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays to andfrom the Mima Miraizu Exchange Center andthe Anmitsukan for the duration of the Flower
Exhibition.

[ うだつをいける」は、今回で 13 回目の開催。
歴史ある景観が残るうだつの町並みを舞台に、華道家・假屋崎省吾が美を紡ぐ美しく華やかな華道
展「うだつをいける」。シンビジウムや大谷焼など、徳島が誇る美の競演をご堪能ください。
日時： 1 月 12 日（日）～ 2 月 24 日（月）9:00 ～ 17:00（最終入館 16:30）
場所：第 1 開場 藍商佐直 吉田家住宅
第 2 開場 脇町劇場オデオン座
第 3 開場 あんみつ館
料金：1,200 円（各会場共通券）
第 1 開場（750 円※期間中）
第 2 開場（550 円※期間中）
第 3 開場（入場無料）
問い合わせ：美馬観光ビューロー
美馬市観光課
TEL：0883-53-8599 ( 美馬観光ビューロー )0883-52-5610 ( 美馬市観光課 )※うだつをいける期間中の土・日曜日、祝日は無料ジャンボタクシーが、「あんみつ館⇔ミライズ前」間を運行します。

Hina Matsuri - February 9th (Sun)Let's decorate and prepare dolls for Japan's traditional Hina Matsuri!
For more information, please see TOPIA's homepage.

Counselling Service at TOPIA・トピアの相談窓口
TOPIA provides consultation on everyday life, education, labor, medical institutions, and disasterprevention; and information on sightseeing spots to overseas residents and visitors. When necessary,
we will refer you to the appropriate organization that can assist with your needs.Counselling is available
in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese. Please note that although every effort will be made,we may not be able to deal with all cases.
Everyday, 10:00 - 18:00 (closed during the New Year's holidays)
Tel: 088-656-3312 or 088-656-3313 (allows for three-way conversations with an interpreter)