awa life

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

July 2007 No. 205

the "sea"dy side of tokushimaby lance kitaawalife@gmail.com

families frolicking at tsukimigaoka seaside park (photo by lance kita)

espite only 363 km ofshoreline, Tokushima's
mild weather andproximity to the warm
Kuroshio Current makeit beach-friendlier thancoastline-rich Hokkaido (over4000 km!)With a total of seven publickaisuiyokujou (swimming
beaches or seaside resorts),
numerous seaside parks,
coastline areas, and unofficialdsurfing beaches, what to do?
Where to go? Here’s a quick
guide to some of the more
popular spots, from the triedand-true to the oh-so-brandnew.
The Newest
Tsukimigaoka Seaside Park
(Itano-gun, Matsushige-cho)ैॣӨࡴ‫ކ‬࿃র‫̈́܆‬јсѳроппиѦ҇чкм҇ͅO v e r v i e w : A f t e r r u n wa y
construction at Tokushima
Airport wiped out the northernbeach area, a manmadeseaside park providing accessthe south side debuted thisApril, ideal for families andpicnics.
The Best: Brand-new,beautiful facilities. Rent a cabin"sea"dy side of tokushima ... con't on page 4

inside awa life this monththe "sea"dy side of tokushima - 1 , 4, 5 ... joining arasowaren - 3
announcements / fireworks in tokushima - 6 ... martin's manga corner - 7
letter from suketo hoikuen / shin mai mama nikki - 8
japanese lesson - 9 ... memoranda - 10, 11, 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, Kazue Inoue, Lance Kita,
Matthew Lindsay, Sachiko Muramatsu, Martin
O'Brien, and Claire Tanaka

Download a PDF file of awa life or view theonline version by going to TOPIA's website!
http://www.topia.ne.jp/e_index.htm

from the editors
re you ready for Awa Odori? It's going
to be upon us soon! I can already hearpeople practicing in the parks aroundmy house. Yes, now that I've started
opening my windows to let in a cool breeze, I
hear a lot of things at night. Bosozoku driving
past with their melodic klaxons, frogs looking
for mates, sirens, and soon the cicadas will behere too.
This month, we've got plenty of information
to help you get the most out of your summer,
including a rundown of some popular beaches
from Lance Kita, and info for some fireworks
displays as well. Plus, we've started anannouncements section to keep the community
abreast of local weddings, births, and other big
news. Please write in if you'd like to contribute!
love, Claire

ear Awa Life readers, how are you faring
amidst all this rainy weather? The arrivalof the rainy season for another year has
led me to be at home much more thanto which I am accustomed. In many ways it
has been quite relaxing, giving me the chance
to catch up on reading and forcing me to getsome proper sleep as well. It is nice to sit
at home on the weekends or in the evening
and listen to the rainfall on the roof, and very
calming as well. Just, not when I have to go
to work and all I have along the way is a dinky
umbrella to fend off the hordes, as it were.
Despite my best efforts I always seem to end
up getting very very wet, but I guess you haveto play this little game of give and take whengrey clouds are on the horizon. Take care!
cheers, Andrewada view from the iya onsen outdoor baths, away through the iya valley (photo by james disley)-2-

joining arasowaren 2007

submitted
awalife@gmail.com

he chance to join the international dancing group Arasowaren and secure your place in Awa
Odori 2007 is here! Make sure you sign up soon, however, as places go quickly! You can also
sign up to play an instrument! No experience is necessary, and there will be practice sessions
before the event.

t

WHEN:
Tuesday, August 14
LOCATION:• Meet at the "Well City Tokushima"
TIME:• Assemble from 3:00pm• Opening Ceremony and pre-dance party
from 4:20pm• Dancing from approximately 5:40pm-9:30pm
PARTICIPATION FEE:• ¥3000 for Japanese,• ¥2000 for non-Japanese participants
APPLICATIONS:• Apply in person at TOPIA or;• Apply with a reply-paid postcard (see below)• On receiving your application, TOPIA will
mail you a post-office deposit form (furikomiyoushi), which you can use to pay theparticipation fee. Or pay at TOPIA.
PLEASE NOTE:
We cannot accept applications by fax ortelephone. You cannot apply on the day ofthe event. Sorry, but we cannot refund theparticipation fee for any reason. In the eventof rain, the party and dance will take place
inside the “Kosei Nenkin Kaikan”. Participants
will be limited to the first 80 applicants.
TOPIA:
Tel - (088) 656 3303 Fax - (088) 652 0616

٬༂ᅇѾ͐жѽё҃ᇌ͑઄݇଄ျ୆̛
̠ҫңҪӗ̶ӝ̡Ϯैϧ5 ໘̈́‫ͅݔ‬ঙঝϩૐ̻ঙঝ 5 ૐ̈́ଥ࿋̠ට഼м̛ͅঙঝϪૐ 31 က̻̈́‫ݵލ‬ૠ̛̛ͅ
ঙঝ 6 ૐ 51 က̻̈́ᅇѾ‫ލ‬ડͅ!̛̛ঙঝϯૐ 41 က̛̈́ସᆇ̠ͅ୆৽௘୸̡´«Ú½Ä©±ຝ๥ ) ຝ๥঴ౠ໩ࣞ‫!* ࠛݵ‬!
̠઄݇ྉ̈́ඨ޺ౠ‫ڒ‬௑̡ͅ໘ႎగͩ4-111! ‫ޒ‬ਇగͩ3-111Ͱ‫̈́ีۑ‬ൊ࿭ўѝͅѢ௘৽ѣ̜૬຾ћѢ٬༂ᅇѾќᅵ௳Ӄ̶Ҹҕ̶џಂѾ഼мѲэ̝ఇਔѳၑၓ̡‫ܣ‬࿲ѣрсџњ̜؋჎ಶ،ౕဠ
‫؍‬୉୸؎ใᇭ཮ৼ؏ਇ౺ؐ໩ᆼ̈́31 ੄‫݀ڒ‬ѢၑѢѳ҆ͅঞࡋ໚Ѣ௑ UPQJB Ѳћоఇыਔѳ݀щи̝ўо̜அᅇѾ̈́ಐටϩϦ჎ͅш࠵ၰѢၑѣёѢય҆ѣрсџঞࡋ໚݀щӥ̝́ёҀ‫ޒڒ‬ѢၑѣඍᅇѾќўѾѲэ̝ͅѲѓ̜‫ܤ‬ျ଄џѣဪ௸ᄿѣрсџѼѾ઄݇Ѣཱུ݈҆оඐѽя඙ыѲэ̝઄݈݇໷ўၑџѣᄧာࣅѢఀਔ঵ਸ਼཮ৼ҆оඐѽяыѲэѢћ̜ဪ௸ѣрс๼ටঝϧୃࠖ‫ڒ‬຾џ઄݇ྉ҆оફ࿻и݀щи̝ўо̜‫ڴ‬๗࿻иਔѲҀѓ઄݇ྉѣ̜ипўѿ௘৽ћѶ࿻иჱыћсѲя҇Ѣћшද‫݀ڝ‬щи̝
ʹ! ใᇭ̠GBY ћѢଥ࿋ѣш‫ܙ‬ᆄуєщи̛̝
ʹ!๴໘઄݇ѣ࿊݈໷ћэ̝
ʹ! ျ୆ช‫ ڿ‬91 ჎џўѾ૑ൌนѵಂѾѲэ̝!
ʹ!ეѾ࿾൶๴଄Ѷျ୆ыњиѲэ̝͝ைыуѣшᇌᅛуєщи͞How to apply via return-paid postcard:
Front
7 7 0

Back
Write the following

0 8 3 1

information here:୉௸

1. nameဪ௸

2. gender

Tokushima Prefectural
International Exchange
Association (TOPIA)

3. address
leave this space

write your name andblankaddress here

4. telephone number
5. nationality
6. age (if under 20)

Clement Plaza 6F

also state if you want a

1-61 Terashima Honcho-

women's style dancing

nishi, Tokushima City

costume (subject toavailability)

Fold the postcard so the address of the intended recipient is facing out and post it like a regular postcard. Return-paid
postcards (ofuku hagaki) can be purchased at the post office and TOPIA for 100 yen.

-3-

"sea"dy side... con't from page 1( ] 12,000/night base price +] 800/adult and ] 400/child)and bring stuff to barbecue.
The visitor center has a café,sundries store, showers, andlockers. Kids can bounce on
a trampoline hill and climb arocket jungle gym. Adults canlean back on special chairs in
the Tachimachizuki ᅵസै andFushimachizuki ‫ ݭ‬സ ै spots
and watch the moonrise over
the water (or planes taking
off to the left). Of course, thebeach is right next door.
The Worst: Japanese love torush at a new place. Get there
as the gates open at 8:30 am
and fight for parking (over400 stalls, but summer will bepacked).
D i d y o u k n o w ? :Tsukimigaoka takes its name(“Moon-viewing Hill”) to themax in its design with crescentlandscaping and benches, andan innovative Moon Phase Pool( ैѢႰѕुхඕ ) where tidal
movements fill and empty theround pool into moon phaseshapes. How many hidden
moons can you find?
Nitty-Gritty: Park is open
8:30 am to 10 pm everyday(closed Dec. 29-Jan. 3 andon Mondays Oct. 1 – March31). Beach area is open to the
public at all times.
The Grandest
Naruto Uchinoumi Park
(Naruto-shi, Takashima)ეჷҘҳӀ‫ކ‬ೳ৽র‫̛̈́܆‬ўѿќкѕѢкѳёкшкчкм
҇ͅ
Overview: Tucked behind
Naruto Educational University,
this expansive park is perfectfor large groups. Opened onJune 1, 2003, it’s also one of

naruto uchinoumi park pirate play area (photo by lance kita)

the nicest seaside parks in theprefecture, if not in Shikoku.
The Best: This park has
everything! Giant grassy lawn
for kite flying, impromptu
soccer games, or hyper kids.
Fantastic pirate-ship playarea to make Johnny Depp
drool. For skaters and bikers,a "Wave Court" with rails,
ra m p s , a n d h a l f- p i p e s . A
multipurpose grass court (lawntennis, gateball, or futsal),
two beach volleyball sandcourts and a 3-on-3 basketballhalf-court. Four barbecue
houses that grill for an army
and a shoreside promenadefor strolling and jogging. The
best part… it’s totally FREE touse (first come, first served).
Uchinoumi has it all…
The worst: …except a beach.
Sorry, no swimming.
Did you know?: Forgot yourbasketball, volleyball, or futsal
ball? No problem! Borrow one
for free at the Park Center (2hr. limit, during Park Center"sea"dy side of tokushima ... con't on page 5-4-hours). Upcoming Event:Uchinoumi Wakuwaku Summer
Park - Sunday, July 15. Livefish displays, a sea animal
touch pool, and a mound of
SNOW (11:00 and 14:00).
Nitty-Gritty: Main gate 6
am - 8 pm. East gate 6 am 10 pm. Park Center hours: 9
am – 5 pm (Nov. – Feb.), 9
am – 6 pm (Mar. – May, Aug.
– Oct.), 9 am – 7 pm (Jun. –Jul.). Park Center (Japanese):
088-687-3175

www.uchinoumipark.jp
The Most “Preserve”dOhama Beach (Minami-cho,
Hiwasa)ോ ࿃ ‫ ̛̈́ࠟ ކ‬о о ѣ Ѳ п и р҇ͅOverview: One of only a few
beaches in Japan where sea
turtles come ashore to lay theireggs. The area is a protectedwildlife area, but if you mind
your manners you can enjoy
a secluded stretch of sand,explore a cave, and maybe
even meet a turtle!
The best: The nearby Hiwasa

"sea"dy side... con't from page 4view to the south from hiwasa's ohama beach (photo by lance kita)

Chelonian Museum tells
the history and biology ofthese shelled wonders in a
concise visual presentation.
Don’ t miss the tanks withbaby turtles and the outdoor
pools. The museum monitors
the beach and you can get
updates about the latest
sightings. Look for telltale
mounds of sand halfway up
the beach during the egglaying season from Mid-May to
mid-August, but please don’t
disturb them.
The worst: Because thebottom drops off sharply, noswimming is allowed.
Did you know?: Lots ofevents coming up! Watch
the release of baby turtles
at the Annual Turtle Festival
on Saturday, July 14, as wellas on Aug. 13-14. Thereis a triathlon on July 15.
Teams of men carry portableshrines (mikoshi) down tothe beach during the Sports
Day weekend in October for
the Hiwasa Hachiman Shrine
Autumn Festival ໘ᇬਨངཀఊ
ଂଷѲјѾ .
Nitty-Gritty: The Hiwasa
Chelonian Museum is open 9
am – 5 pm, closed on Mondays
at Dec. 29-31. Admission:] 6 0 0 a d u l t s , ] 5 0 0 J r. / S r.
high students, ] 300 Elem.
Students. The road along thebeach is closed in the evening,
and there are light restrictionsin the area during summer.
The “Closest”
Komatsu Beachசப‫ކ‬యᅏ௘̈́чѲјпиэ
иѼуьѻкͅOverview: For those living inTokushima City, this is “Old
Faithful”. A 30 minute bikeride from Tokushima Station,
this is perhaps the most usedof Tokushima’s coastlines.
The best: The beach is very
wide, and with three parking
areas along its length, it canbe convenient for those inCentral Tokushima. Waves
are decent enough forbodyboarders and beginnersurfers. There’s a public bathnearby (Kawauchi Onsen,
admission fee required.) towash off the salt, if you wish.
The worst: In June,
Komatsu’s water got a water
quality rating of “B” from thegovernment. All other official
swimming beaches got a “AA”
rating. Check for warning
signs along the shore before
you swim.
-5-

Did you know?: This isactually a great spot to visit atnight (no, not for the colorfulhotels along that area).
Because it’s away from thecity and faces east toward
Osaka Bay, this is an excellent
stargazing point. In thesummer, look for Sagittarius,
Scorpio, the Big Dipper, andthe Summer Triangle (Deneb,
Vega, and Altair, the last two
being the stars involved in theJuly 7 Tanabata Festival).
Nitty-Gritty: The publicb e a c h a re a i s o p e n ye a rround, though swimming is
officially allowed just in thesummer season. Umi no ie‫ ކ‬Ѣ ‫( ݌‬shops offering food,drink, shade, and supplies) will
open from July 20 to August
20. Special shuttle buses may
run from Tokushima Station
several times a day.
Most of the beaches listed don’t have trash cans, so take yourgarbage with you when you
leave. Remember the rule forenjoying nature: "Take only
pictures, leave only footprints."
This summer will probably
be a hot one, so chill out andenjoy the beach!

announcements

submitted
awalife@gmail.com

Chris Riedl & Akiyo Miki were married on March
29, 2007 in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Chris Riedl isfrom Salem, Oregon, USA and teaches English
at Matsushige JHS. Akiyo Miki is from Mikamo,
Tokushima and is an office worker in Tokushima
City.

Matt Lindsay, Yoko Kohara, and older brotherRemi of Kitajima-cho are happy to announce
the arrival of Syd Kohara Lindsay (Japanesename: ச ८̛ ન ๋̈́ ч ѣ ѽ̠ ы ѝ ͅborn in
Yoko's hometown of Kyoto on April 3, 2007.
Awa Life invites readers to submit their own community announcements by writing to awalife@gmail.com

fireworks in tokushimaooking for some summer
fun with multi-coloured
controlled explosions?
Wa n t t o w h i p o u t t h a t
yukata and give it a whirl?
Once again the tradition ofsummer fireworks in Japan ison the way, and here is yourguide to finding the right spot
for you to check out the actionin Tokushima!

l

The 44th Hiwasa Sea
Turtle Festiuval: Heldon Saturday, July 14, from
8:20pm to 9:00pm, over
540 fireworks are set for thisdisplay in Kaiyo-gun, Minamicho, Hiwasa River. There are
500 free car parking spaces
available nearby, and it will be
moved to the following day incase of rain.

The Tsurugi-cho Gion
Summer Festival: Held on
Sunday, July 15, this display
features 1000 fireworks in ashow running from 8:00pm
t o 9 : 0 0 p m i n M i m a C i t y,
Sadamitsu-cho, in the groundsof the Sadamitsu Chugakko.
No parking is available,
however, so you will need tofind a place to park nearby ifcoming by car.
Komatsushima Port
Festival Fireworks Display:
Held on Monday, July 16 (apublic holiday) 2000 fireworks
are set for this display
between 7:50pm and 9:20pm.
There are 1,200 free parking
spaces available, and you canfind it in Komatsushima City,
Komatsushima-cho, in the-6-by andrew dahms
until_eternity@hotmail.com

new port area. It will continuteeven with light rain, but underheavy rain it will be moved
over to the following day.
The Anan Summer Festival
Grand Fireworks Display:
This display is scheduled to beheld on Thursday, July 26 from
8:00pm to 9:30pm. There will
be over 2,000 fireworks, andthe event will be taking placein Anan City, Tomioka-cho, inthe Hama no Ura Park. There
are five hundred free parking
spaces available, and in thecase of bad weather the event
will be held on the following
day.
Look out for more fireworks
information for August in thenext issue of Awa Life!

martin's manga corner
Title: Golgo 13!
) ҦӝҦ 24*Author/Illustrator:
Saito Taka
Publisher: Shogaku-kan
First published:Japan (1968)
No of volumes: 143
olgo 13 is one of thelongest running mangain Japan. Started in
1968, it has sold over
200 million copies worldwide,
and while the series hasderived much of its successfrom Japanese fans there
are several English language
comics that have been
published as well.
Golgo 13 is the codename ofa fictional assassin who usuallydispatches his unfortunate
hits through his consistently
prodigious use of a modified
M16 rifle. The character
Golgo 13 is no doubt hugely
influenced by Ian Fleming's
J a m e s B o n d , h o w e ve r h e
is a far darker and cynicalcharacter, holding no affiliation
to either the good guys or
bad guys. Golgo 13 kills all his
contracts without consideration
as to who they are as long as
he is getting paid. While he isa ruthless hitman, most of his
victims are usually spooks or
criminals so there is no huge
moral crisis involved when hegoes about his business.
Golgo 13's activities are often
determined by the various
real life conflicts that haveaffected the world in the past
30 years, taking him all over
the world from the forestsof Switzerland to the desertsof Texas. Golgo 13 plies his
deadly trade wherever there
is conflict between groups,gb e t h e y n a t i o n s , s e c u r i tyorganizations, criminalorganizations or corporations.
The settings are quiet realistic
and usually provide a very
informed and detailed pictureof the actual conflict or thesocial and political events thatform the background for Golgo
13's assignments. Some of thereal life themes that the series
h a s c ove r e d i n c l u d e : T h e
Arab-Israeli conflict, Northern
Ireland, Tibet, the Iraq war,
the CIA's Echelon Surveillance
Program, Swiss banking
scandals, blood diamonds,
illegal logging and poaching,
GM foods, etc.
Furthermore, the series
rarely bothers with the longrunning story lines that are acharacteristic of a lot of mangacompilations, with Golgo
13 usually starring in shortepisodes that are independentof each other instead.
One recent rather interesting
and gratifying story I read wasentitled 'Little Havana'. Set
in Miami, the action revolves
around the fate of a soldier
in one of the cities criminal
gangs, in which he is cast out
after betraying the leader andhis girlfriend is beaten up by
the gang. Enraged, he seeks
revenge. Meanwhile Golgo 13
enters negations with the gang
leader's wife to dispatch thesoldier. In an unusual move
he refuses, stating that he isworking on another contract.
The story concludes with thesoldier bursting into the gang's
headquarters and fighting
his way through the gang's
henchmen, until he reaches
the leader who swiftly pulls
a pistol on him. Just as theleader is about to shoot he-7-

by martin o'brien
martinobrien2004@gmail.com

drops dead, killed from a bulletthat came from the window
behind him.
Golgo 13 strikes again.
This is the kind of short,
sweet and cynical plot thatis characteristic of the Golgo
13 series. It's hard to know
to where to begin with it, as
there have been hundredsof compilations of stories
published over the years. They
were first written and drawn
by Saito Taka, and to thisday all Golgo 13 comics are
credited as being written byhim.
In reality the prolific output
of Golgo comics is a result ofa team of writers and artists.
Saito also employs researchers
to ensure that the actual
political settings are as realistic
as possible. A great deal ofeffort goes into providinga c c u ra t e a n d i n f o r m a t i v e
information on things suchas geographic information,
the subtleties of a particularpolitical conflict and theweapons that are used. Thisfeature of Saito's Golgo 13
series is probably one of thereasons behind its enduring
popularity.
The Golgo 13 series is hugely
popular. It's safe to say that if
you walk into any convenience
store in Japan you will findit there. The best available
compilation that gives a veryc o m p r e h e n s i ve p i c t u r e o f
the series is the Best 13 ofGolgo 13-Authors selection.
Another worthy release isGolgo 13 presents: The perfectnavigator to the dark side of
the world. This comic describes
some of the political conflicts
that Golgo 13 adventures havebeen set in.

letter from suketo hoikuens the days grow longer
and the heat of the sunalong with it, at last we
arrive in summer. Hereat suketo hoikuen we havea small vegetable patch in
the garden outside, growing
cucumber, green peppers,
tomatoes and other vegetablest h a t a l l c o n t i n u e t o g ro w
healthily despite the heat.
Summer vegetables are full ofvitamins and good to taste as
well. They also help to keep
our bodies cool and work to
refresh us when we are tired,
so they protect us from fatigue
caused by the heat. Be sure to
get plenty of summer veggiesaand stay healthy! Also get ahold of seasonal vegetables
as well, as they are high invitamins and good for you atthat!
Summer: pumpkin, tomatoes,
celery, green peas, corn, goya,green peppers.
Autumn: gobo, carrots, lotus
roots, mushrooms, brocoli,
bok-choy.

shin-mai mama nikki
he other day I took Sofie
to her 18 month groupcheck-up at the Fureai
Kenko Kan health centre.
The notice I got said it was
h a p p e n i n g fr o m 1 3 : 0 0 t o
13:45 so I (wrongly) assumed
I'd be in and out in half an
h o u r. M ay b e e ve n f i f t e e nminutes! Well, the magicalmystery infant health tour took
about an hour and a half fromstart to finish, but I got a free
toothbrush out of the deal.
It was interesting to checkout all the other 18 monthold kids, but it was even moreinteresting to check out theother adults! There were somegrandmothers, some pregnant
moms, some fathers, some big
brothers and sisters tagging
along, and a couple of womenin suits who had obviously
taken a couple hours off work
(like me) to take their child in.
We all got shuffled along fromroom to room. First was thetdevelopment tests - can yourchild point at the right picture,
can your child stack blocks. My
daughter, who loves playing
and pointing at pictures,suddenly got stage frightand refused to do anything. I
think they believed me when
I said she isn't always likethat. Then we had a hearing
check where Sofie refused toreact to the sounds. Hard ofhearing? Or just stubborn?
Next was a dental check,followed by a physical check,followed by a lecture on dental
health (limit sweets! mothershould help with brushing!
limit juice to 100ml per day!),
then a lecture on nutrition (noeating before bed! no constantsnacking! eat a bit from eachfood group! no adult-sizedpudding!) and finally a oneon-one consultation with ahealth worker. That was thebest and worst part. I carried
my tired, stressed-out baby
-8-by kazue inoue
suketo hoikuen staff

Winter: Hakusai, daikon,
spring onions, nira,komatsuna, spinach.
Spring: spring cabbage,onions, bamboo shoots,
asparagus, sugar peas.
This month's toy: Frog
Bucket. Cut a large petbottle in half, covering cut
edges with tape. Affix frog
decorations and you're done!

by claire tanaka
clairish@gmail.com

on my hip as I came in and
I must have been sticking
my gut out because the firstthing the worker said was"Got another one on theway then?!" Uh, no. Then I
was asked lots of questions
about whether her English or
Japanese is stronger, whatkind of foods she likes, and if
she makes a fuss when I takeher to daycare. No, she loves
daycare. They make yummy
Japanese food and sing fun
songs in Japanese. I think I
am doing a rather poor job ofpromoting my culture lately.
Must try some nice western
treats like toad in the hole andlearn some fancy songs withactions or something so I cancompete with school.
The last piece of advice I
got won the prize. Apparently
drawing eyes on your breasts
is a great way to wean yourchild.

japanese lessonby sachiko muramatsu

umble speech is said to be a unique feature of Japanese speech. When you are praised bysomeone, it is customary to deny the praise, rather than to accept it. This kind of behavior
is called kenson (humility) in Japanese. Japanese people use praise and humility as a wayof lubricating personal relationships.

hLet's take a look at some situations where Japanese people employ humility.
1. When praised:l p o p h p s p f j h p
k p { v o j o b s j n b tij u b o f fѢшҁ۷ত̜௑ଚџўѾѲыѓѡм̝!(Your English has gotten good lately.)1) A: чj j
fn b e b n b e b e f t v
̛ B: иим̜ѲєѲєћэ̝!(Oh no, not at all.)l b s b p l f
t v h p l v v n b j o fӛҜң̜эшукѲиѡ̝!(You're so good at karaoke.)2) C: ҝj z b
t p s f i p e p e f n p o b j e f t v z p̛D: иѸ̜ёҀѯѝћѶўићэѼ̝(Oh, I'm not that good.)q v s p o p l b tiv z p s j v n b jo
k b o b j
̛C: ӉӟѢ‫ݒ‬ଚѼѾкѲи҇ьѷўи̣!(I'd say you're better than the pros!)u p o e f n p o b j e f t v
u b e b t v l j o b e b l f e f t v z p҇ћѶўићэ̝ѓє঻сўєхћэѼ̝(Not at all. I just like it.)
D: ќt p o p gvlv
l b l l p jjublb l b u u b e f t i p v3) E: ёѢ࿴̜пїчии̝৸пїѓћыѻк̣!!!!!!!!!!!(Those clothes, they must have been expensive.)vvon b b o f
̛F: кк̜҇Ѳжѡ̝
!(Yeah, well, maybe a bit.)b o b u b o p p ojj t b o u u f
i b o t b n v o f̈́4) G: looking at a photo) жўѓѢоकщ҇їњ̜ӁӥҧӒѡ̤!!!!!!!!!!!!(Your brother is so handsome!)ff{fo{fo t poo b l p u p o bjz p!(Huh!? He isn't at all.)H: мм̤̣಺ಹё҇ўчќўиѼ̝
2. When thanked:
t b olpolbj o p q v s p k
f l v u pb o b u b o p lbutv z p v e f e b j t f j l p v e f t i j u b z p
I: Ѐщ̜҇ਗ‫ݷ‬ѢӉӟҪҙҡҺ̜жўѓѢ ߊ ᄿћോౖ঱ћыѓѼ̝!
!!!!(Mr. J, the project was a huge success thanks to you.)jft p o o b
lzpvtivlv e f t v
njob t b o o p p l b h f e f t v z p
J: им̜ё҇ў̜ࢮ ୚ ћэ̝‫މ‬щ҇ѢопцћэѼ̝!
!!!!(Oh no, don't say that. It was because of everyone's efforts.)
3. When presenting
a gift:l p s fu t v n b s b o b j npop e f t v h b
l p o p bjeb
szplpv o j j u u b o p e f
K: чҀ̜јѲѽўи࿾ћэр …̝чѢ̜ࠖᆅ৪џ৪їѓѢћ …̝
(This
is just a little
something I picked up on my trip.)b
lpnb s j n b t v
t p o o b l p u p t b s f d i b
̛L: ж̜ਘѾѲэ̝ё҇ўчќщҀѕѷ̝(Oh, you shouldn't have.)jjfu b j t i j u b npop k
b b s j n b t f o l b s b
̛K: иим̜ѓиыѓ࿾ьѷжѾѲя҇пѽ̝(Oh, no, it's really nothing.)t p v e f t v l b
n p v t i j xblf b s j n b t f ơL: ёкћэп̝ఇыᄅжѾѲя̝҇(Well, in that case, pardon me.)4. When offering
to help: p u f utveb j t i j n b t v l f e p
xbubtij e f z p l b u u b s b̛̠ શ ћѼпїѓѽ̜оଚ ฿ иыѲэхѝ̝!(I can help, if you'll have me.)Using
the phrases
provided below, complete the following sentences.
u f o j t v
kpv { v e f t v o fҽҫ̜௑ଚћэѡ̝
A: Ҹ
j
j f
им̜̬̬̬̬̬؋̬̬̬̬̬̬̝
B: и
q v s p o p tfotiv n j u b j e f t v z p
A: ӉӟѢರଚѳѓићэѼ̝ u b e b t v l j o b e b l f e f t v z pє঻сўєхћэѼ̝
B: ̬̬̬̬،̬̬̬̬̬̬̝ѓ
lpo e p๗̜̬̬̬̬‫̝̬̬̬̬؍‬A: ਗff
j t t i p o j z b s j n b t i p v
B: мм̜̬̬̬؎̬̬̬̬̝иїыѻџѸѾѲыѻк̝x b u b t i j o j ptij f

u f l v e b t b jjj e f t v z p؋҃ѓыџࢱмњуєщи̛̜،иићэѼ̛̜
t p s f i p e p e f n p b s j n b t f o
u p o e f n p o b j e f t v‫؍‬ёҀѯѝћѶжѾѲя̛̜҇؎ќ҇ћѶўићэ

-9-

؋̾ϩ̜
̛،̾Ϫ̜
̛‫̾؍‬ϧ̛̜؎̾Ϩ

Answers:

memoranda݊ࡷѳҧӐ̶ҫҡ̶ӝ໘ႎতࢱ૬

Summer School
Japanese Lessons
for ChildrenϭैϨϩ໘̜
ϨϪ໘̜Ϩϭ໘̜ϩϦ໘̜ϩϧ໘̜Ϯैϩ໘ ) ै̜

July 23, 24, 27, 30, 31 & August 3. (Mon-Tue.-Fri)‫ * ̜ࣞݔ‬ঙಶϧϦ̡ϩϦ̻ϧϨ̡ϦϦfrom 10:30 to Noon!
ͳ೧у໘ႎত҆޲мѓи̝!

“I just came to Japan and I want to learn Japanese assoon as possible.”“I have no problem playing with my friends, but I can’t
read or write very well.”“I can’t really read kanji, so it’s hard to do my homework.”“I’m the only foreign kid in my school, and I want to makemore friends.”ͳᄕ൥ќᄥѪѢѣਘѽўихѝ̜ລ҇єѾ୿иѓѾэѿ

If this sounds like your child, why not enroll them inѳѲя҇п̝໘ႎতѢಐౠѓѕр̜ਘїњиѿчќ҆ஃ

Summer Japanese Lessons for Children? JapaneseхњуҀѲэ̝ࢱ૬ћ݊ࡷѳѢୗൎ҆ыѓѾ̜Ҥ̶ӒѸ

teachers are here to help you out. Your child can doҡҖҬ҆ыѓѾыўрѽ̜иїыѻџ޼ыуိࢫыѲыѻ

his/her summer homework in class, and there will be funк̝Ѣѣѕѻїќࣨଚ̝ͳࠁૌржѲѾລѵўипѽୗൎрോဥ̝ͳ‫ޒ‬ਇగѢતѝѶѣ޺৑џ‫ڴ‬గєхўѢћѶїќᄕ൥҆੢Ѿѓи̝ч҇ў໴ѳржїѓѽ̜݊ࡷѳતѝѶ໘ႎতࢱ૬џᅖњ

activities as well, like games and quizzes.
Things to bring: writing tools, summer homework, school
texts, and things your child wants to study.

૏їњуѿ࿾̡! ྤࡋᄿ࣭̜݊ࡷѳѢୗൎѸࢱ‫̜୿ݎ‬ӡ̶ҡ̈́ိࢫыѓи࿾ͅ
ഴ௉̡!໘ႎত҆၀তќыўи̛ச޺ౠ̜ඨ޺ౠ

Participation is free!

௘୸!̡! ຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺӉӛҨ̈́ҺӆҔͅ‫ࡢݵ‬૬ ) ҡӞӓ
Eligible participants: Children (Elementary and JuniorӥҺӉӛҨ 7GͅHigh School Students), whose first language is not໘ૐ ;!! 3118 ໩ ) ѡ҇ * ϭैϨϩ໘̜ϨϪ໘̜Ϩϭ໘̜

Japanese!

ϩϦ໘̜ϩϧ໘̜Ϯैϩ໘̈́ै̜‫̜ࣞͅݔ‬Place: Tokushima Prefecture International Exchange!

ঙಶϧϦ̡ϩϦ̻ϧϨ̡ϦϦ

Association (TOPIA)

৬ધ̡! ЀЊЃќуыѲ໘ႎতҿҵҺӡ̶ҡ

Tokushima Station Clement Building 6F

઄݇ྉ̡!Ⴥᆍ

Instruction: JTM Tokushima Nihongo Network
Application: Applications: Come in to TOPIA to apply, orఇਔѳนಂ̡ϭैϯ໘̈́ैᄹ໘ͅ

alternatively, you can find a copy of the details necessaryఇਔѳၑၓ̡! ᄧ೽̜Í¨¹½ÑÙ̜૏઄̜ఇਔ୿ќຍь຾ᄴ҆

to apply online at TOPIA website: www.topia.ne.jp.

୿ињ f.nbjm ћఇыਔ҇ћуєщи̝

Applications can be sent in by email, fax or mail!

΀ఇਔนಂ໘҆‫ݥ‬тњѶ઄݇ћсѿ௘৽ржѿѢћ̜ఇਔѳนಂ໘‫ڒ‬৵ћѶоჴи৽҃яуєщи̝*This Summer School is sponsored by Tokushima
Prefectural Gevernmane in conjunction with TOPIA. It may
be possible to participate even if you miss the deadline, so
please contact us if you want to join.

΀чѢҧӐ̶ҫҡ̶ӝѣ̜ຝ๥ॡѢૈࣄќыњҺӆҔѢ
ࢤᆛѢѶќ૲મщҀѲэ̝ఇਔѳ̠ჴи৽҃яಐ!̡! ҺӆҔ̈́੖ආၓగຝ๥ॡਇੑপ
ᅺࢤ‫ͅݵ‬ഠេ̛Contact: TOPIA Attn: Ms. Murasawa - Clement Plaza 6F,

΁ 881.1942̛ຝ๥દ્๥ႎ෎౦ 2.72 ҡӞӓӥҺӉӛҨ

Terashima Honcho Nishi 1-61, Tokushima City, Tokushima

7G!ใᇭ̛199.767.4414̛Í¨¹½ÑỪ199.763.1727

770-0831,

F.nbjm̛dppsejobups2Aupqjb/of/kq

Tel: 088-656-3303
Fax: 088-652-0616
E-mail: coordinator1@topia.ne.jp-10-memoranda
Japanese Ability
Level Check!
☆
☆

I want to know what kind of test the Japaneseͳ໘ႎত໷ᆛી५ѣѝ҇ўҸҫҺпඐѾѓи̝Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is.

ͳ໘ႎত໷ᆛી५҆ଥхѓихѝ̜ѝѢӞӋӝ҆ଥхѓI am interested in taking the JLPT, but I don't
know what level I should aim for.

☆

໘ႎত໷ᆛી५ഴ੪৬
ਸ਼Ӄ̶ҺϧI am interested in getting some advice as to how
I should approach studying for the test.

̛ѽиип҃пѽўи̝ͳી५џশхњ̜ѝѢѼкџိࢫыѓѽиипҔһӂҖ
̛ҫрѯыи̝

If this sounds like you, why don't you try come along toч҇ўగриѓѽ̜ഴ੪৬ਸ਼џࡂऴџ഑҆‫҇ۥ‬ћѳњу

this, the first part of the JLPT preparation courses. You'reєщи̝сїќииҔҖҹҕҔрॣјпѾѲэѼ̤sure to find some good advice!
໘ૐ̡̛ϭैϨϯ໘ 24;4._27;11
When: Sunday, July 29, from 1:30pm to 4:00pm
Where: TOPIA, 6F of the clement plaza
Details: This course is a level check for the JLPT. You will௘୸̡̛ຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫̈́ݵ‬UPQJBͅ຾ᄴ̡̛ӞӋӝҳҙҵҡ̈́ჟ࡚ી५҆ચїњӞӋӝҳҙҵ

be working with mock tests to find out which level is right̛̛̛̛ҡ҆ыѲэ̝for you.

઄݇ྉ̡ϫϦϦ‫܅‬Participation fee: 500 yen.
How to apply: Send along your name, contact details,ఇыਔѳ̡؋ળ჎̛،ᇌᅛಐ̈́ใᇭ̜ӓ̶ӝ̜ͅ‫؍‬ਇ౺̛

nationality, your experience with the JLPT, the level؎໘ႎত໷ᆛી५ଥ५ѢᄛჅ̛؏࠵ၰэѿӞӋӝ̛ؐҔ

you are aiming for and any questions you may haveһӂҖҨ̶ѬѢ૱ჴ҆ࡋ໚ыњ̜݀ࡋѲћ೽їњуєщ

to the advisors, and send to the following address:
j-kensyu@kind.ocn.ne.jp.

и̡k.lfotzvAljoe/pdo/of/kq/

Speech Contest໘ႎতုᇪോ‫ݵ‬

2007 Tokushima Prefectureဓౖ 2: ໩๗‫ޒ‬ਇగџѼѿຝ๥ॡ໘ႎতုᇪോ‫ݵ‬Japanese Speech Contest For Foreign Residents
Come to cheer on this year's contestants and hear somevery interesting and inspiring speeches!
Date:ຝ๥ॡѢ‫ޒ‬ਇగ୞܏଄҆‫܍ܤ‬ыџᅖњуєщи̤ѓущ҇ѢࢹႳఆиҫӆ̶ҳрဍхѲэѼ̤

Monday, 16 July, 2007 (a public holiday)໘̛ૐ̡ဓౖ 2: ໩ 8 ै 27 ໘̈́ै̠୙໘ͅ

13:30-16:30!

24;41.27;41

Place: Tokushima-ken Kyodo Bunka Kaikan௘̛୸̡ຝ๥ॡࢻ๘ဌ݁‫!ࠛݵ‬!

for: Foreign Residents of Tokushimaഴ̛௉̡ຝ๥ॡ੓୉Ѣ‫ޒ‬ਇగ!

!

Theme: A topic of your choice relating to Japan,Ҹ̶Ӑ̡ਇੑᅫ‫̠ݶ‬ਇੑপᅺ̠ࢤᆛџ࠘эѿѶѢўѽ૛ᄡinternational affairs, international cultural exchange, andcooperation.
For more info: TOPIA.

!!
ჴ৽я̡̈́੖ͅຝ๥ॡਇੑপᅺࢤ‫! !ݵ‬TEL: 088-656-3303

UFM;!199.767.4414!!

FAX: 088-652-0616

GBY;!199.763.1727-11-

memoranda
໘ႎত
໷ᆛી५

The Japanese
Language
Proficiency Test૛ကѢ໘ႎত໷ᆛ҆ް໡ыњѳѲя҇п̣чѢી५ѣႚ
໩ 23 ैџ৪҃ҀѲэ̝ର௰ўѝџјўрѿࡌ୓ўૃެ̝

Take this annual test to see how far you've progressed inိࢫѢѸѾриџѶўѿчѢી५џҳӕӞӥҪыѼк̤

your language study, or to improve the contents of yourresume! Application packs are available at Kinokuniya୞ࠪଥ࿋࠼̡ࠖ8 ै 3 ໘̻ : ै 22 ໘Books in Sogo and at Koyama Books in front of Tokushima

ી५໘̡23 ै 3 ໘̈́໘ᄹ໘ͅ

Station.

ી५එ̡ఊঅદ̜৸பદ̜ৃ๥દ๷಺ਇѢ๒‫̈́ݵ‬ຝ๥ћѣଥхѽҀѲя҇ͅapplication period: July 2 - September 11

ࠪ୿̡611 ‫̈́܅‬ຝ๥દћѣࡈ‫ړ‬Ꭲܴ୿ืќசઅஃ޺ࠛႎื

test date: December 2 (Sunday)ћ༝мѲэͅ

test locations: Kobe, Takamatsu, Hiroshima, and otherଥ५ᆍ̡6̞611 ‫܅‬

big cities nearbyைыу̡xxx/kfft/ps/kq

cost: application pack costs!]500, test fee is ]5,500
for more info: www.jees.or.jp

Living inTokushimaຝ๥ॡౠߊ௜၇
ҘҚӈҧҖҺ

In need of information for daily activities? Come and໘௛ౠߊџоињ௜၇҆о൷ыћэп̝ѐѦ̜ຝ๥ॡрtake a look at the Living in Tokushima website hosted

ӍҫҺыњиѿౠߊ௜၇ҘҚӈҧҖҺ҆шᅥуєщи̤by Tokushima Prefecture, home to information such as
earthquake and typhoon-related messages, tv and movie
guides, events, contact numbers and more.

чѢҘҚӈҧҖҺпѽඑఖ̠ൊ࿭џјињѢ௜၇̜ҸӞӅѸۭ‫ݬ‬ѢҞҖһ̜ҖӋӥҺ௜၇ўѝрѢ௜၇џҔҡҭҫћсѲэ̝Ӄүҥӥ̠ढഷཟᆊၑณ࢝ыњиѲэ̤

Living in Tokushima Computer WebsiteӃүҥӥҧҖҺ

http://our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/index.php

http://our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/index.php
Living in Tokushima Mobile WebsiteढഷҧҖҺ

http://our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/m

http://our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/m

Counselling 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 and Japanese. Please notethat 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)గग़ଙїњࡏуა໘
-12-