aWa life

November 2018
# 338

Making New
Discoveries inTokushima

Onigiri Night in
Kamiyama

Awa Shoku:
Sweets from the
PotatoTokushima Fall
Foliage Map

1

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

What is your favorite part of Japanese culture? Bunka no Hi ( 文 化 の 日 ぶ ん か の ひ ) or “CultureDay” on November 3rd is not only a public holiday, but also a day for promoting culture, the arts andacademic achievements. Why not use the time off and visit an art exhibition or cultural festival which
are usually held on that day? Maybe you could use Bunka no Hi as a way to get to know other areasof Japanese culture, such as discovering Gagaku ( 雅 楽 が が く ) ,classical Japanese music played
at the Imperial Court; parts of Edo period art such as Ukiyo-e ( 浮 世 絵 う き よ え ), or the newest
developments of Japanese toilet culture?
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,
Daralyn 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:
Daralyn Yee and Nico Bohnsack
Contributors This Month:Akane Nakao, Kiyomi Fujii, Kazue Inoue, Lance Kita, and Takako Yamada

2Contents
Pg. 2-4: Making New Discoveries in Tokushima
Pg. 4-5:

A New Five Sense Gourmet Experience: Onigiri Night in Kamiyama

Pg. 5:

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

Pg. 6:

Awa Shoku: Sweets from the Potato

Pg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8-9: Events and Memoranda
Making New Discoveries in Tokushima
By: Akane Nakao
new job. In the summer of 2017, I made a U-turnto Tokushima. These days I am enjoying the “AwaLife” for myself after being away for a long time.

Hello, Awa Life readers! My
name is Akane Nakao.
I work in the International
D i v i s i o n o f t h e To k u s h i m a
Prefectural Office as a Regional
R e v i t a l i z a t i o n O f f i c e r. I ’ moriginally from Tokushima, spent my university
days in Osaka, and moved to Chiba for work. I
lived in Chiba for 9 years working as a systemengineer developing local government nursing
insurance and disability welfare systems. WhenI hit the milestone of ten years since becoming amember of society, I took some time to think about
my future life. As a result, I came to realize that if
I wanted to work for my hometown of Tokushima,
the time to do it is now, and started to look for a

My current job is to spread information on
Tokushima’s attractions to people overseas
English speakers and make efforts in tourism
promotion through Tokushima Prefecture’s
websites and social networking accounts.
Have you heard of “Discover Tokushima”? The
online Discover Tokushima is operated in threedifferent forms (website, Facebook, Instagram).
In this article I would like to introduce theFacebook page. On Discover Tokushima, weshare information two to three times a week on
topics such as Tokushima Prefecture’s tourism
facilities and cuisine, traditional crafts, and event
information.
I became able to get around myself and discoverby car, and because of this I have been able tosee and hear information for myself and write
articles. Sometimes our readers ask questions
and comment about the content of the posts.
When I am able to visit the location for myself,
I can answer our reader ’s questions withconfidence. I’m able to gain experience whileworking on the job.

3

I’ve received comments from my friends andacquaintances who live in Tokushima such as “Ilived there but I didn’t even know that there wasa spot like this.”, or “I went there because I saw it
on Facebook.” I find my job very rewarding when
my post gives the chance for others to “Discover”.
I am able to choose topics freely and create
content about popular attractions, to deep insider
information on minor places. I would like tointroduce a few articles to you.

Making New Discoveries in Tokushima
the scenic beauty between summer and fall was
created by red cluster-amaryllis flowers, blue sky
and river, and green plants and mountain. Whatseason would you like to come and visit?
(*)"Leaf Business"
This agri-business is cultivating and selling"Tsumamono", garnished seasonal leaves andflowers on Japanese dishes. Elderly women livingin the town are shipping the leaves throughout
Japan while using their computers or tablets!

I hope you are able to enjoy the information. If
you enjoy reading our content, please follow us!
We also look forward to hearing from you aboutplaces and information that you would like us topost about. Let’s discover Tokushima together, aplace full of undiscovered charm.
Excerpts from Discover Tokushima:

Irodori Bashi"Irodori Bashi (The Irodori Bridge)" was newly
opened this July near the Tsukigatani Onsen in
Kamikatsu Town! It plays some key roles such asa sightseeing spot, and as a means for trainees
to access Irodori-yama garden, which became
well-known for "Leaf business (*)".Throughthis bridge, you can enjoy an exciting thrill andwonderful scenery spreading right in front of youreyes! (Please be sure to wear shoes that areeasy to walk in...)When these photos were taken,

SudachiSudachi is known as one of the specialty productsof Tokushima, and now it is in season of harvest.
This is a kind of citrus fruits, which is full ofnutrition from Tokushima's beautiful nature as tobe called "green jewelry"! Please don't miss out
to a chance to enjoy it during your travel in Japan.
You'll find them adding colorfulness to various
Japanese dishes not only in Tokushima but also
all around Japan♪
After making a U-turn to Tokushima, my work andprivate life are seamless and I live a very fulfilled
life. However, my job as a regional revitalization
officer has its limits. Next, I will need to discoverwhat step to take next. I have two dreams.
First, to tell overseas visitors about Tokushima’s
attractions as an interpreter guide. Second, tocreate international exchange through danceclasses, holding events, and Zumba which does

4

Making New Discoveries in Tokushima
not require the usage of words.

Discover Tokushima Homepage

Which one will I choose!? I can’t choose just one,so I hope that I will be able to clear each goal one
by one and put each into practice. In order for
Tokushima to become a place that more people
are fascinated by, I would like to give back toTokushima through Discover Tokushima and thenext stages in life that I take.
Thank you for reading and I hope that we canmeet someday!

https://discovertokushima.net/en

Discover Tokushima Facebook@Discover.Tokushima

Discover Tokushima Instagram@yoshinogawa_tokushima

A New Five Sense Gourmet Experience: Onigiri Night in Kamiyama
By: Kiyomi Fujii

W

hen my friend called me on the phone
and asked “Hey, do you have some timeto eat Onigiri in Kamiyama tonight?” I was fullof questions “Why onigiri? Why in Kamiyama?
Why in the evening?” When I asked her, she told
me that a chef all the way from Brooklyn, NewYork was going to display his cooking techniqueusing local ingredients. With images of this rareexperience in my mind, I rushed to my car.
We drove from Ishii Town, through the Dougakuji
Tunnel, and passing through Jinryo. We talked somuch during our 35-minute drive that it seemed
like we arrived in an instant. On the side of themain road, a newly made one-story wooden
restaurant, a small stream from the Akui River,trees in the background of a backyard coveredin grass, and a slightly elevated hill came into
sight. The autumn sun set quickly, and the lightcoming from the corner shined on the grass. The
shop Kama-ya, with its fully wooden kitchen, andcounter covered in the orange lighting had such achic atmosphere that made me wonder “Wait-am
I in Jinryo?” But, surely I’m in Kamiyama. It was
obvious that this was a town known for its forestry
and landscapers. You could even tell from thedifference in how green the grass was (?). Youngpeople with casual clothes made from organic
material, and parents who brought their children
were relaxing in the cool (more like cold) autumn
breeze.
In the middle of the grass field, Chef Dave wasseriously concentrated on searing and stir frying
the ingredients in the midst of the sounds of thecharcoal, flame and firewood; the smoke, andaromas. It looked like a camp in the midst ofrural beauty. On the menu, there was all types ofcreative one-of-a-kind onigiri fillings such as Awa
Pork and Awa Bancha, mushroom and chesnut,
and Sudachi-dori chicken skin and gizzard etc.
There were things as standard as a plain riceball made with newly harvested rice, nori, andsalt, and also more distinctive such as a grilled
onigiri dipped in a spicy soup curry. I could taste
the flavors simultaneously in the salad had a

5

A New Five Sense Gourmet Experience: Onigiri Night in Kamiyama

magnificent balance of herbs and a variety ofvegetables. The texture and sweetness of the firm

persimmon and pumpkin chopped in to thin slices
left an impression. On the other hand, many
people said that the sumashi-jiru style clear soup
was very delicious.
Tasting the local ingredients as is, and the
combination of the bold flavors, and it was likea new piece of modern art. The breathtaking
scenery, cool breeze, scent of the trees added
to this gourmet experience. It was a fullsensory experience of Kamiyama. Throughthis experience I was able to fully experience
the beautiful nature of a town in the mountain.
Gochisousan deshita!

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

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

he season of delicious foods has just begun!
This month we will reflect about the importance of food.
Food plays various important roles. The first roleis building the body, immunity, and the mind. In
particular, chewing food sufficiently is connectedto the acceleration of brain development, so it
would be best to support the habit of step-by-stepchewing when moving on to baby foods. Food furthermore has the role of deepening familial bonds.
Try to deepen mutual bonds by spending time andeating with your family as much as possible.
However, it is important to watch out for the sodium content of foods. When beginning to give
baby foods, babies only require one fourth sodium compared to adults, infants at the age of one
require half, and children three years and older
need the same salt content as adults. Since it becomes more difficult to reduce the consumptionof salty foods after children get used to the strong
and salty taste once, it is important to be conscious about sodium content.
Let’s eat seasonal foods and work on building ahealthy body!

＊＊＊
Go-Go Plane
1) Unroll a long vinyl bag (the ones you can findat building entrances for umbrellas on rainy days
are perfect), insert air to expand the bag, and tie
the end shut.
2) Prepare the airplane wings with very thin paper,
such as colored paper or copy paper and stick iton 1) with tape (you may draw your favorite patterns on the wings as well).
3) Draw windows and other patterns on the bodyof 1) with a felt pen (but watch out not to makeholes into the body).
Let the airplane fly above your shoulder, in thesame way that you would make an Origami airplane fly.

Awa Shoku: Sweets from the Potato
By Lance Kita

O

6

rice cakes (kiri-mochi 切 り 餅 ;microwave the rectangular storebought ones in a little water until
gooey) or dumpling flour (dangoko 団子粉 ; be sure to microwave
the mixture for a few minutes if you
use this). This is wrapped aroundballs of sweetened bean paste(anko 餡 子 ）and you’re done.
These are farmer’s wives’ recipes
Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes are for those misshapen, odd-sized
My own memories of sweet the go-to choice for roasted potato satsuma-imo that don’t get shippedcarts in the Kansai region.
out.
potatoes in America harken
to Thanksgiving dinner (the 4th Thursday
in November), where a baked sweet potato Another interesting dessert may be “sweet
casserole is lavishly flavored with butter, brown potato” スイートポテト which was first made insugar, and cinnamon, and then topped with the Meiji period when Western baking techniquesmarshmallows and broiled for a sweet, gooey, (and English words) were new and exotic. The
original form of the sweet had thesinful side dish to the turkey,
mashed potato mixed with eggs
mashed potatoes, and cranberryand sugar, and filled back in thesauce. And in Japan, there’s
potato skins and baked. Recently,
nothing like breaking open abutter, cream, and cinnamon is
freshly-roasted potato (yaki-imo
added and the mixture is baked
焼き芋 ) on a chilly autumn day,in mini-potato shapes in little foil
the heat warming your hands
cups. They’re so simple to makeand sweet flesh warming youreven at home, and are great
belly. Luckily, sweet potatoes arefor kids’ snacks, tea time, anda nutritionally satisfying choice,
Sweet potato sweets (from top,
being rich in fiber and minerals.
clockwise) - "sweet potato," itoko-ni, potlucks.
ne of Tokushima’s most
famous crops is Naruto
Kintoki 鳴 門 金 時 , a brand of
sweet potato (satsuma-imo 薩
摩 芋 ) grown only in the sandy
soils of Naruto. There areother communities who grow asimilar variety, like neighboring
Matsushige Town’s Matsushige
Bijin 松茂美人 .

and imo-mochi

From manju 饅 頭 (thin bread-like outer crust,
sweet potato paste inside) to yokan 羊羹 (blocksof gelled paste, sliced and eaten with tea),
kintsuba きんつば (blocks of paste coated with athin batter and cooked on all sides) to uirou うい
ろ う (see Sept. 2016 issue), any of Tokushima’s
gift shops will have a dizzying array of popular
Japanese sweets with a Naruto Kintoki version.
It also works well with Western techniques, suchas pound cakes, mousse tarts, cheesecakes, andpuff pastry pies.
However, you’ll find many recipes for homemade
sweets. The first is imo-mochi 芋 餅 , which aresimple dumplings. After potatoes are steamed
until tender (steaming is the best way to keep
the potatoes moist and sweet), they are mashedand pounded together with sugar and either plain

One more way to use surplus potatoes is to dry
them in slices. Hoshi-imo 干 し 芋 are eaten
as snacks (they’re delicious lightly grilled), andoften reconstituted with boiling water and cookedwith sweet Azuki beans for a rib-sticking warm
dessert that is often called itoko-ni い と こ 煮 inwestern Tokushima. In other parts of Japan, thisdish is kabocha pumpkin and sweet beans. So
ubiquitous are sweet potatoes, that it even shows
up in New Year’s auspicious foods (osechi お節 ),where the mashed sweet chestnuts (kuri kinton
栗きんとん）are substituted with satsuma-imo.
As the chill of autumn descends, I think we crave
hearty foods that not only fill the stomach, butwarm your heart. For Awa folk, sweet potatoes
are an affordable, naturally sweet “soul food.”

7Japanese Lesson

By: Takako Yamada

Passive and Causative Form

Conjugations of passive form and causative form are confusing.
Let’s practice.
Masu formkaki -masu
tabe-masu
mi-masu
ki-masu
si-masu

I
II
III

Passive form
kaka-re-masu
tabe-rare-masu
mi-rare-masu
ko-rare-masu
sa-re-masu

Causative form
kaka-se-masu
tabe-sase-masu
mi-sase-masu
ko-sase-masu
sa-se-masu

How to make passive and causative sentences
N1 は N2 に① Passive
せんせい

先生はわたしをほめました
The teacher praised me.
はは

か

もの

→

Passive Verb
せんせい

わたしは 先生に ほめられました
I was praised by the teacher.

たの

母はわたしに買い物を頼みました→わたしはMy mother asked me to buy something.
おとうと

た

か

買い物を頼まれました

ものたの

I was asked by my mother to buy something.
おとうと

弟はわたしのケーキを食べました→わたしはMy younger brother ate my cake.

はは

母に

た

弟に

ケーキを食べられました

I had my brother eat my cake.

② Causative: make / let N(a person) verb
せんせい

りゅうがく

先生は

わたしを

アメリカへ

N を Causative Verb

留学させましたMy teacher allowed me to study abroad in America.
はは

ばん

母は

わたしに

じゅん び

てつ だ

晩ごはんの準備を手伝わせます N1 に N2 を Causative Verb

My mother made me help her prepare dinner.
Practice: Complete the following sentences changing each verb to a passive or causative form.
かね

Example: どろぼうに お金を（とる→とられました）
がくせい

かん じ

か

す

）

か

2. 母は姉に好きなものを（買う→
に っき

）

よ

3. 私は兄に日記を（読む→
ねつ

)

ぶ ちょう

びょういん

い

4. 熱があったので、部長はワンさんを病院へ（行く→さけこめ5. 日本のお酒は米から（造る→
わたし

た なか

）

つく
け っこんしき）しょうたい

6. 私は田中さんの結 婚 式に（招待する→
参考文献：みんなの日本語）

文法解説英語版、書いて覚える文型練習帳

6. 招待されました
しょうたい

2. 買わせました 3. 読まれました
か

に ほん

か

わたし あにAnswers: 1. 書かせました

あね

つく

はは

5. 造られます

せんせい

1. 先生は学生に漢字を（書く→よ4. 行かせましたい8
Events & Memoranda
Tokushima Fall Foliage Map
徳島県紅葉マップ

Tokushima Marathon Application
徳島マラソン応募情報
This is a friendly reminder that the application period for Tokushima Marathon will be opening on
November 7 at 22:00, and closes on November 21.
When: March 17, 2019 (Sun)Info: Tokushima Marathon Executive Committee
Tel: 088-621-2150
URL:https://www.tokushima-marathon.jp/application_guidebook2-2019.html

Tokushima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Tour徳島県防災センター・スタディーツアー
This year's study tour was rescheduled due to the approach of Typhoon No.24. You can still apply
to join us for this tour. The Tokushima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Tour is a study tour for foreign
residents at the Tokushima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Center to provide information on what to do
in case of a natural disaster. See the TOPIA website for more details on how to apply.
Date: Sunday, December 9, 13:00-15:45
13:00 – Leave Tokushima Station by bus for the center
15:45 – Arrive back at Tokushima Station by bus
Location: Tokushima Prefectural Disaster Prevention Center＊ If you have any questions please contact Ms. Kimura at (088) 656-3303 or email coordinator1@topia.ne.jp

9Events & Memoranda
10th Misato Umeshu Festival
第 10 回美里梅酒まつり

This year the Misato district which is part of 全国初の「梅酒特区」徳島県吉野川市美郷地区で、Yoshinogawa City and famous for being the first 今年も梅酒まつりを開催します。生産者の顔が見“Special Ume Zone” in all of Japan will hold their
える「安心・安全」な美郷産の梅を使って、梅酒
annual Umeshu festival. During the opening
hours, you will be able to enjoy foods and different を愛情込めて造りました。開催期間中は、いろん
types of Umeshu, produced with devotion, using な種類の梅酒や食事が味わえます。秋の味覚を楽
plums from local Misato farmers who will be at しみながら、のんびりゆったりしませんか？豊かthe event. How about relaxing at the festival while
な自然あふれる美郷へどうぞお越しください。
enjoying a taste of autumn? Come to Misato andenjoy its beautiful nature!
日時：11 月 24 日（土）・25 日（日）When: November 24th (Sat), 25th (Sun)10：00 ～ 16：00
Where: Misato in Yoshinogawa City (there will be
場所：吉野川市美郷
a shuttle bus from Awa-Yamakawa Station)
お問合せ：美郷梅酒まつり総合案内所（美郷ほたる館）
Info: Misato Umeshu Festival Information Desk
Tel: 0883-43-2888
URL: https://www.misato-hotarukan.jp/?md=1

TEL：0883-43-2888
URL: https://www.misato-hotarukan.jp/?md=1

Tokushima’s Food Culture from the Mountain to the Sea
山と海からみた徳島の食文化
There will be an English lecture about Awa
Cuisine from the perspective of an overseas
resident, and explanation and sampling of simple
Tokushima dishes such as buckwheat porridge.
We want not only Japanese people, but also
people from all around the world to know about
Awa Cuisine.
When: December 9 (Sun)13:00-16:00
Where: Uchimachi Community Center
Lecturer: Lance Kita
Cooking Teacher: Michie Hamamoto
Fee: Free. Application required
Application: Ms.Yamada
Tel: 090-2787-3597
E-mail:welcometotokushima@yahoo.co.jp

外国人の目から見た阿波食についての英語講演会と、そば米汁など、簡単な徳島の料理の調理と試食。日本人はもちろん、徳島にいるいろいろな国の方々に阿波食についてもっと知ってもらいたい。
日時：12 月 9 日（日）13 時～ 16 時頃終了
場所：内町コミュニティーセンター （市役所近く、県医師会はす向かい）
講師：ランス・キタ（徳島文理大学英語講師）
料理講師：浜本通恵
主催：国際交流懇話会 HIROBA
参加費：無料 ただし、準備の都合上、下記まで申し込んでください。
申し込み先：電話 090-2787-3597
メール :welcometotokushima@yahoo.co.jp ( 山田 )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)