aWa life

January 2016
明けまして
# 306
おめでとうございます！

Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers:
Connecting Japan to theWorld

The Furisode Kimono &Japanese New Year's Customs

1

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

Happy New Year everyone!! We hope you had a great holiday with your friends and family. We are
sitting here flabbergasted that it is 2016 already, a full year has gone by since we revamped Awa Lifeand adopted a new design. Thank you all so much for reading Awa Life and we sincerely hope you
enjoy everything about it and keep reading (and we certainly wouldn’t mind if you became a fervent
reader either)!
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.
Every single article is highly appreciated 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,
Till and Jen
Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA)			
http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Clement Plaza 6F					topia@topia.ne.jp
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi				tel: 088.656.3303
Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN			
fax: 088.652.0616
Download a PDF file of awa life or view the online version by going to TOPIA's website!

Editors:
Jenifer Tanikawa & Till Dumke
Contributors This Month:
Kazue Inoue, Michi Mori, Melissa Palsenbarg, Yuki Kubo, Robert Telschig,
Shoko Nomizu, Naoko Miyamoto, Lance Toyoshima, Zenji Shingai (NPO Ippokai)

2Contents

Pg. 2-3:

The Furisode Kimono

Pg. 4:An Ohenro ExperiencePg. 4-5:

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

Pg. 5-6:

Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers: Connecting 				Japan to the WorldPg. 6-7:

Japanese New Year's Customs

Pg. 7-8:

International Understanding Support ForumPg. 8:How Germany and Japan Are Connected

Pg. 9:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 10-11: Events and Memoranda*There was a mistake in the events section in the printed paper version of the December issue of Awa Life. The admission fee
for the “Exhibition: Things that Connect Germany and Japan” was listed as free, but it is 400 yen for adults and 100 yen forelementary to middle school aged children. We apologize for the mistake and for any confusion.
Awa Life 12 月号のイベント「ドイツと日本を結ぶもの」におきまして、内容の記載に誤りがございました。ニュースレターをご購読いただいております皆さまに、謹んでお詫び申し上げますと共に、以下のとおり訂正いたします。
（誤） 入場料 ： 無料（正） 大人 400 円、 小 ・ 中学生 100 円
誤った情報を記載 ・ 配信してしまいましたことを心よりお詫び申し上げます。

The Furisode Kimono
By Melissa Palsenbarg

T

he second Monday of every January
is a holiday in Japan called seijin no hi( 成人の日 ). The seijin-shiki ( 成人式 ) run by
local communities, celebrates all the young men
and women who reached the age of majority(20 years old) during the previous year. It’s very
common on this day for young women to wear akimono. But this is no ordinary kimono. It’s calleda furisode ( ふりそで or 振袖 ).
What is a furisode?
A furisode is the most formal kimono worn by
young, unmarried women. They are characterized
by their incredibly long sleeves, and eventake their name from that feature. Furi ( 振 )means to swing, and sode ( 袖 ) means sleeve.
Traditionally, every girl and unmarried woman
would wear long sleeves. When they would get

married, they would hem up their sleeves to an
appropriate length. Nowadays however, the mostcommon places to see a furisode are on a young
girl celebrating shichi-go-san, on a young womancelebrating her seijin-shiki, or on a maiko.
How are they created?
Furisode are the most striking, eye-catching,colorful, and expensive kimono you can find.
Each one is handmade and can take several
h u n d r e d h o u r s a n d m u l ti p l e c r a fts m a n tocomplete. There are several techniques that canbe used, and a furisode can be created using a
combination of any of these techniques.
Shibori: This is Japanese tie-dyeing. Small dots offabric are twisted and wrapped with cotton thread.
When the fabric is dipped into the dye, these3

dots will remain white. Eachdot is handtied, and there canbe thousands of them on one
kimono. A kimono completely
covered with shibori can end
up being a treasured family
heirloom.
Yuzen: Yuzen is a dying technique that treats the dye likepaint. A rice paste is used tooutline all the designs andpatterns, then the artist paints
on the dye (as opposed todipping the entire piece offabric into a vat of dye). Oncethe paste is removed, the whitelines left between the colored sections are very
striking. This is the most common method used
today on furisode.

The Furisode Kimono
multiple days. It’s not a cheap
option, but it is cheaper thanbuying a furisode which can cost
between 250,000 yen to 600,000
yen or even higher (and that’s justfor the kimono. Obi not included).
About a year ahead of time, thegirl will choose her furisode andit will be set aside in the shop forher. Furisode are one of a kind,and it would be dreadful if theyrented out one to one customer
who spilled soy sauce on it, justbefore another girl was due towear it. This also explains why
the rental costs are so high. Eachfurisode can only be rented out
once per season.

Embroidery: Embroidery can take two forms.
Design elements and outlines can be embroideredin metallic threads to draw attention to it. Also,
full designs can be completely embodied, usuallywith silk threads. These threads have a uniqueproperty as they will change color depending on
the angle of the light hitting them.

If a girl rents from a shop or studio, they will haveprofessional dressers to get her dressed. If agirl has an heirloom furisode, they will often hire
the local hair stylist to dress them and do their
hair at the same time. It is impossible for a girlto dress herself in furisode. The obi knots thatare appropriate for a furisode are big, fluffy, andcannot be tied by yourself. You definitely needsomebody to tie it for you.

Gold leaf: the craftsmen will usually use a stencil
when applying gold-leaf. A paste will be applied
through the stencil, and the gold leaf will beapplied once the stencil is removed.

Once a girl is dressed, professional photos arealways obligatory. They don’t have to be doneon that day and can be completed up to several
months in advance (for an extra charge of course).

What is the process for choosing a furisode?
The process will start anywhere up to two years
before a young woman is scheduled to celebrate
her seijin-shiki. Her parents will start receiving
flyers and catalogs in the mail advertising thelatest furisode and the latest styles. These
catalogues will also list the price for renting thekimono and for buying the kimono. Renting afurisode can cost anywhere from 100,000 yen
to 250,000 yen for a standard package. Photopackages are additional (up to 60,000 yen).
Undergarments or different accessories will
also cost extra, as will renting the furisode overOn the actual day, participants will get up very,
very early, get dressed, get their hair done, andattend a ceremony celebrating their entrance into
adulthood, and afterwards they will either hangout with friends or family, go to a special event, go
shopping, or whatever they wish while dressed intheir gorgeous, luxurious, furisode.
If you are interested in attending, there areseveral sites around Tokushima that are hostingseijin-shiki celebrations.
The details can be found at: http://www.pref.
tokushima.jp/docs/2014120500133/files/seijinjiki.pdf

4

An Ohenro Experience

By Lance Toyoshima

is in a serene and beautiful setting, and the naturethat surrounds the temple and its environs is
simply spectacular.

On Saturday, October 24, 2015, I had thewonderful opportunity to participate in the
Shikoku pilgrimage visit to the Kakurinji temple.
The temple is the 20th temple in the famous
Shikoku pilgrimage route, which consists of
88 temples in total. The trip was a truly uniqueexperience, and something that not many tourists
are able to do. The guides were extremely
knowledgeable, and provided us with informationin Japanese, English, and Chinese. We were also
provided with the appropriate pilgrim clothing, hat,
and walking stick, all of which are important items
which help identify oneself as a pilgrim.

One of the staff even performed songs for us
during our lunch break. He skillfully played the
shaku hachi flute and provided fun entertainment
while we ate the lunches that we brought with us.
The tour group provided us with drinks and apples
to snack on as well. After lunch we viewed more
beautiful scenery as we descended down anothertrail to the base of the mountain. Near the bottom;
we were greeted by local volunteers who offered
us snacks, exquisite sakura tea, and even a bagof mikan (tangerines) to take home with us. It
was such a nice ending to a truly special day, andan experience that I would highly recommend toanyone interested in Japan and its unique culture.
I hope to complete another such trip next monthand would like to thank the wonderful staff andvolunteers for a great time.

The hike was quite strenuous, but frequent stops
and a slow pace make it easily manageable formost people. On the way up we were greetedby a really nice local woman; who gave us eacha tangerine. Once we arrived to the temple, wewere instructed on the correct procedure to offer
the incense, write down our wish, and make ourprayer and offering. The support and guidancewere invaluable, and the staff and all participants
were friendly and very pleasant. The temple itself

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

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

appy New Year! I really hope that this year
will be a good year for everyone. This month,
I wanted to give a few pointers on what to look forwhen buying new shoes for your children.
Material: A soft breathable material that absorbs
moisture and is easy to wash.
Toes: Make sure that there is enough width andheight so that their toes can wiggle about freely.
To prevent children from tripping, try and choose

shoes that have a toe that is slightly curved
upwards. (Make sure there is about 5 mm to 1 cmof wiggle room)
Sole: A well-cushioned sole that has support for
the arch.
Instep: Choose a shoe with adjustable shoe
strings or a zipper to secure your foot in the shoe.
Heel: To ensure that their feet are secured and toprovide proper support when walking, choose apair that has enough height so that it fits snuggly

5around their ankles.
Children’s bones are still soft and if the size ofthe shoe is too small, it may distort the shape ofthe feet. If the size of the shoe is too big, it may
fall off your child’s feet easily and it will prevent
your child from walking properly, thereby delaying
the growth of the arches of their feet or will cause
them to tire out easily.
I hope that these tips will be useful when buying apair of shoes.
＊＊ This Month’s Craft ＊＊Milk Carton Spinning Top

SuketoDirections
1) Cut open all sides of the 1000 ml milk carton.
2) Cut off the tips of each side of the milk carton(refer to the picture).
3) On the very bottom of the milk carton, in thecenter, tape on a plastic bottle cap.
How to Play
Grab the plastic bottle cap with your fingers andspin the milk carton like a spinning top. If you
decorate the 4 sides of the carton with an oilbased marker and use different colors, when you
spin the top, the colors will blend together to makea new color.

Materials- 1000 ml milk carton- Scissors- Plastic bottle cap- Tape- Oil-based markers (optional)

Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers: Connecting Japan to
the WorldCelebrating 50 Years of the Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers
Since the Japan Overseas Cooperation
Volunteers (JOCV) program was inaugurated in
1965, volunteers have been lending their technicalskills and contributing to youth development
around the world for 50 years. Approximately
40,000 volunteers have been dispatched to 88
countries to date. Tokushima Prefecture has sentout 254 volunteers to 60 different countries andcurrently there are 12
volunteers working in 12
countries, including Costa
Rica (Central America),
Morocco (Africa) and
Bangladesh (Asia).
What is the JOCV?
The Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV)By Yuki Kubo

is a program run by the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) as part of the national
Official Development Assistance (ODA) efforts.
In 1965, after the dust had settled from the war,
five young volunteers departed Japan for Laos.
They became the very first Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers, who are now known
as the diplomats of grassroots cooperation.
Individuals between the ages of 20 to 39 may
apply and each volunteer term is generally two
years long.
There are over 120 different types of jobs available with the JOCV, allin v a r i o u s f i e l d s s u c has, education, healthand medicine, sports,
agriculture, industry
and social welfare. For

Japan Overseas Coorperation Volunteers
example, you can teach science or math, or use
your knowledge as a certified public health nurse
or general nurse to give health guidance. You
don’t necessarily have to have certain skills or
certifications for some jobs.
Volunteers are sent to work at governmentorganizations, local gov-ernment offices, schoolsor NGOs. Volunteers will work
alongside their coworkers or
will be partnered with their“counterpart” to work towards
finding solutions to various
problems.
There are three goals for
JOCV: (1) to contribute to thesocio-economic development
or reconstruction of developing countries andregions, (2) to strengthen friendship and mutual
understanding between developing countries andJapan, and (3) to cultivate global perspectives
and give back to Japanese society the fruits ofvolunteer experience.

6

Long-lasting Skills Gained from the Experience
There’s one thing that a majority of the volunteers
voice upon return: “I went to volunteer and tooffer my help but I also learned so much fromthis experience. I was able to rediscover all thegreat things Japan has to offer and I appreciate
it much more now.” By leaving Japan, they wereable to look at their home country from a different
perspective. This just might be
one of the added perks of thisexperience.
In recent years, there seems
to be a trend of young people
not wanting to leave Japan.
You don’t have to want tochange the world, as long as
you have even the slightest
motivation to do something, then why not takethe plunge? We’ve worked hard for the past 50
years and here’s to another 50 years! I really
do hope for the continuation of this program we
can raise awareness about the Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers program.

Japanese New Year's Customs
By Shoko Nomizu(akemashite these decorations are for, so I would like to tell
明けましておめでとうございますomedetougozaimasu)! Happy New Year you a little bit more about them.
everyone! So, did you all enjoy ringing in the New
Year in Japan, if you were around for it that is?
Perhaps some of you even got to experience a
New Year’s celebration that’s different from that ofyour home country.
Did any of you eat some ozoni ( お雑煮) or osechi ryori ( おせち料理 )?
Or go watch hatsu hinode (初日の出:
first sunrise of the year) or go for
hatsumode ( 初 詣 : first shrine or
temple visit of the year)?
There are lots of different New Year’s
customs such as the decorations
that you might see around thecity or in front of businesses andhomes. I was recently asked what

New Year was originally celebrated in Japanto welcome in the toshigamisama ( 年 神 様 ).
Toshigamisama refers to the spirits of yourancestors and is also known as a Shinto god thatwill bestow health and prosperity(especially in terms of harvest)
upon your family for the year. And to
welcome them in, people will put out
several New Year’s decorations. The
three most common decorations are
the kadomatsu ( 門松 ), shimekazari( しめ飾り ) and kagamimochi ( 鏡餅 ).
The kadomatsu, which literallymeans entrance pine, is as thename suggests, put by the entrance
as a marker, so that the god does

7

New Year's Customs

not get lost and so they can find their destinationright away.
By putting the shimekazari by the entrance ofyour home, it is said that
it will help keep out bad
spirits to prevent badluck or calamities fromhappening.
Kagamimochi is put out
as an offering to thetoshigamisama.
Furthermore, the materials
used to make thedecorations are all chosen
for a reason as well.
For example, let’s take alook at the shimekazari. The white paper usedin the decoration, called the shide ( 紙 垂 ) isused to show that the toshigamisama is visiting
their home. The green leaves, called the urajiro( 裏 白 ), represent prosperity of the family. The
idea is that instead of the old leaves falling, newleaves are beginning to sprout. The leaves arealso painted white on the back to show that thehusband and wife are faithful to each other andbecause the leaves are symmetrically placed,
it represents the good relationship between the
couple. Furthermore, the yellow fruit in the middle

is the bitter orange or daidai ( 橙 ) in Japaneseand as the fruit will keep growing on the tree forfour to five years, it represents the continuation of
the family over generations to come.
The decorations are packed away on January 7th
in many areas; however, the kagamimochi is put
away on January 11th.
And traditionally on January 7th, the nanakusagayu ( 七 草 粥 ), a healthy rice porridge dish,is eaten on this day. This dish is eaten for several
reasons including, giving your stomach rest
after all the food and drinks consumed during
the New Year’s celebrations and also to wish foryour health and for a peaceful life for the year
ahead. This dish, as thename entails ( 七nana means 7,
草 kusameans wild
herbs and 粥
kayu means rice
porridge), consists ofa rice porridge with sevendifferent herbs.
There are many traditional customs in Japan andeverything involved, including the decorations, allhave a significance or meaning behind them.
Photos courtesy of TOPIA’s instructional
materials: A Year in Tokushima (Events Edition)

International Understanding Support ForumBy Naoko MiyamotoAs the world becomes more and moreglobalized, especially in economics, we will
be required to spend more time with those withdifferent norms and values. Approximately 5,000
foreign nationals from 70 different countries live inTokushima alone. In order to think more critically
about what we can do to help create a more
inclusive multicultural community, TOPIA held theInternational Understanding Forum on Sunday,
December 6th.

Mr. Ryuzo Goto kicked off the event with his
lecture about his experience living abroadwhen he worked for Honda Engineering. He
spoke of how Honda’s philosophy of respecting
everyone' culture, equality for all, trusting eachother and working together can also be applied
to international understanding. He emphasizedthat we can enjoy each other’s company more,regardless of cutlure, if we all just treated eachother with respect.

8International Understanding Support Forum
Following Mr. Goto’s lecture, Joel Baxter fromC a n a d a a n d I r e n e Wa c h u g a f r o m K e n y a ,both registered as a volunteer International
Understanding Support Instructor, spoke about
their own home country and about their life here
in Tokushima.

Furthermore, Natalia Doroganova and her friends
performed Russia’s folk dance along to Kalinka(Russian song).
Here at TOPIA, we hope to continue doing what
we can to help contribute to the progress ofinternational understanding and multiculturalism.

The event rounded off with a networking andsocializing event where the participants andthe lecturers had the chance to mix and mingle
and find out more about each other's culture.

How Germany and Japan Are Connected
By Robert TelschigM

any of you know that the exchange between
Japan and Germany has been one of
the strongest bonds on an institutional level inTokushima Prefecture. This relationship has
been ongoing since 1861 when the Prussian
empire signed a trade agreement with Japan. To
commemorate this event, many events where
held in Japan and Germany in 2011, manyof them even in Naruto City and Tokushima
prefecture itself.
Last year, the German House was approachedby the National Museum of Japanese History in
Sakura, Chiba, and with two other museums inboth Nagasaki and Yokohama, the historians fromthose four houses were able to craft an interesting
and unique exhibition on 150 years of exchange
between Japan and Germany.
After passing through the other cities, it will finallycome to Tokushima. Opening on December 9th,
the exhibition will be presented on two floors.
Spread over the event hall and the upper floor of
the German House, this exhibition will feature ageneral look through the relationship between thetwo countries and its people, with a special focus
on the local history of the Bando POW camp.
Recently acquired photographs that are not partof the usual exhibition show the life of the POWs
and give us a better understanding of what it musthave been like to be in Tokushima 100 years ago.
So come on over to the German House, as a

special nighttime illumination will light up thebuilding and its surrounding during the exhibition
as well and should not be missed by anyone. On
the third weekend of December, there will even be
Christmas market inspired by German Christmas
markets.
Exhibition schedule: December 9th till January
24th, from 9:30 till 16:30 (till 20:00 on Fridays andSaturdays)
Entrance fee: 400 yen for adults, 100 yen forchildren (elementary to middle school students)
Contact: 088-689-0099

9

Japanese Lesson

By Michi MoriThis month we will be learning how to give suggestions or advice by using “ ～Ｖたらどうですか ” and“ ～Ｖた / ～Ｖないほうがいいです .”
か ぜ

あたま

いた

A：風邪をひいたのかなあ。頭が痛くて・・・。
いえかえ

B：家に帰ったらどうですか。
ねつ

びょういん

い

熱があるなら病院へ行ったほうがいいですよ。
しごとのこ

A：でもまだ仕事が残っているんです。
む り

B：そうですか。でも無理をしないほうがいいですよ。
べつ

ひと

ねが

別の人にお願いしたらどうですか。
A：そうですね。
Ms. A has come down with a cold. Ms. B gives Ms. A some advice and suggestions. She suggests Ms.
いえかえ

A goes home, “ 家に帰ったらどうですか .” Furthermore, she strongly urges her to go to the hospital,
びょういん

い

“ 病院へ行ったほうがいいですよ .” Ms. A is still adamant on not taking time off work so Ms. B advises
む り

べつ

ねが

ひと

her to take it easy, “ 無理をしないほうがいいですよ ” and even suggests the following, “ 別の人にお願いしたらどうですか .”As you can see from the example above, “ Ｖたらどうですか ” is used when the speaker is suggestingsomething that he or she thinks is a good idea. By using the following sentence structure, “ Ｖた／Ｖ
ないほうがいいです ,” you can add more force behind your words or it is used when your suggestion

goes against the wishes of the listener. As this sentence structure makes the suggestion sound forceful, be careful how you use it. This structure cannot be used when talking to those who are in a higher
position than you as it would sound rude.
Exercise
The following is a conversation between A and B. Choose the correct sentence structure and change
the ending of the verb to match the structure and write your answer in the ( ).
がつ

①

にち

せき

A：12 月 31 日のコンサートのチケット、Ｂ席しかありませんでした。
つぎ

か

はや

B：この次にチケットを買うときは、もっと早く（
こんげつちゅう

ともだちにもつ）ほうがいいですよ。

とど

ま

あ

② A：今月中にアメリカの友達にこの荷物を届けたいんだけど、間に合うかなあ。
こうくうびん

B：航空便で（まあおも）どうかなあ。間に合うと思うよ。
た③ A：このケーキ食べてもいい。
いつか まえB：それ、5 日前のだから（）ほうがいいよ。

こんど

④

しゅっせき

A：今度のクリスマスパーティー、出席しますか。
よてい

けっせき

で

ひ

い

B：予定があったので欠席で出したんだけど、その日、行けるようになったんだよね。
しゅっせき

A：じゃあ、「出席する」って（かい

買いに行きます）どうですか。
おく

た

れんらく

送ります

食べます

連絡します

References
日本語表現文型（ナツメ社）日本語表現文型ドリル（J リサーチ）
みんなの日本語（スリーエーネットワーク）
Image courtesy of
絵で導入絵で練習（凡人社）①

買いに行ったかAnswersい② 送 ったら
おく

③食べない
た

④ 連 絡 したられんらく

Events & Memoranda
Mima Japan's No. 1 Dondo-Yaki
美馬 日本一のどんど焼き

Dondon-yaki is a traditional Japanese custom thathas been carried on since the ancient times. This
traditional event will be taking place in Mima again
this year! To kick off the new year positively, thelocal community will gather around a big fire andwish for safety and health and for prosperity at thisevent.
When: January 11 (Mon), from 9:30
Where: In front of the AMEMBO OfficeMima-cho, Mima City
TEL: 0883-55-2105

10

日本古来より全国に伝わる伝承行事である「どんど焼き」を、今年も美馬市で開催いたします！新年をスタートするにあたり、地域の人々が一同に集まり、一つの火を囲み、一年間の健康・無病息
災・五穀豊穣を願う場です。
日時：1 月 11 日（月・祝） 9:30 ～場所：AMEMBO 事務所前
美馬市美馬町
TEL: 0883-55-2105

Taisan-ji Temple Mochi-Carrying Competition
大山寺の力餅This event takes place every year at Taisan-ji
Temple. Men, women, children and toddlers will
carry rice cakes totalling 143 kg, 70 kg, 57 kg and
17 kg, respectively, and will compete to see who
can carry it the farthest in this thrilling competition.
When: January 17 (Sun)
Where: Taisan-ji Temple
4 Aza Oyama, Kanyake, Kamiita-cho, Itano-gun
TEL: 088-694-5525

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 143kg・女 70kg・
小学生 57kg・幼児 17kg 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 17 日（日）場所：大山寺境内
板野郡上板町神宅字大山 4
TEL: 088-694-5525

Shinmachi River Polar Bear Swim
新町川寒中水泳大会
The polar bear swim in the Shinmachi River is anannual New Year's event that happens in January.
There will be several performances such as
traditional swimming and Awa Dance, and more!
When: January 24 (Sun), from 9:00
Where: Around the Shinmachi Bridge area
TEL: 090-3783-2084

新町川では毎年１月に新春恒例の有志による寒中水泳大会が行われています。川の中で、「古式泳法」や「阿波おどり」などが披露されます。
日時：1 月 24 日（日） 9:00~
場所：徳島市新町橋周辺
TEL: 090-3783-2084

12th Snowball Fighting Shikoku Championships
第 12 回 雪合戦四国大会
Registration for the competition is now over but
come out and watch an intense game of snowballfighting unfold before your very eyes!
When: January 30-31 (Sat-Sun)
Where: Iyashi no Onsen-kyo Grand28 Sugeoi, Higashi-Iya, Miyoshi City
TEL: 0883-72-7620

参加申込みは既に終わっていますが、是非とも熱い雪合戦を見にに来てください！
日時：1 月 30 日 -31 日（土・日）
場所：いやしの温泉郷グランド
三好市東祖谷菅生 28
TEL: 0883-72-7620

11 Events & Memoranda
Volunteer Japanese Teacher Training
日本語支援ボランティア スキルアップ講座
心の声をきこう・つながろう～「また来たい」「続けよう」と思える日本語教室づくりのために～
対話や行動・体験を重視した日本語活動って！
2 月 6 日（土）13:00 ～ 16:30 TOPIA 会議室にて【日時等】【プログラム】
第一部 講演：矢部 まゆみ先生（横浜国立大学非常勤講師／横浜市日本語コーディネート業務アドバイザー）

第二部
第三部

発表：元木 佳江先生（TOPIA 日本語講師）及びサポーター
ワークショップ及び意見交換【受講料】 無料 【詳細】 TOPIA ホームページをご覧ください。
【主催・お問い合わせ先】（公財）徳島県国際交流協会 担当：野水Medical Interpreting Seminar
医療通訳研修徳島県に暮らす外国人の方は約 5,000 人であり、 講師：村松紀子氏医療通訳研究会（MEDINT）代表
その国籍も様々です。国際化が進むにつれ、在住 日時：2 月 21 日（日）13：30~16：30
外国人の抱える問題も多岐にわたっています。そ 場所：徳島県国際交流協会 会議室の中でも、医療に関わる問題は避けて通ることが 参加費：無料
参加予定人数：30 名
できません。
医療については、時には急を要し命に関わること 内容：講話・ワークショップもありますし、日本語でのコミュニケーションが難しい患者にとってはストレスがたまってしまい お申し込み：ます。診療を円滑に推進し、患者のストレスを少 〒 770-0831 徳島市寺島本町西 1-61
しでも解消していくためには、語学ボランティア クレメントプラザ 6 階の方々の支援が必要となる場合があります。当協 公益財団法人 徳島県国際交流協会
会では毎年、外部の講師を招き、語学ボランティ 「医療通訳研修」担当宛
アスキルアップのための研修を開催しておりま TEL:088-656-3303
FAX：088-652-0616
す。
昨年度は災害に特化した研修を行いました。今年 Email：coordinator1@topia.ne.jp
度は医療通訳研修を行います。講師の講話、そしてワークショップを通じて、医療通訳の際に多言 ★ 2 月 15 日（月）までに氏名、住所、電話番号、語でを円滑に情報提供できるよう、語学ボラン Email、言語、を記載の上お申し込み下さい。
ティアの育成・活動促進を図ることを目指します。
（ただし、語学研修ではありません）

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)