aWa life
Finding Joy
in Awa LifeAwa Shoku:
Potatoes in Awa - Rugged
Past, Bright Future

July 2021

Life in Tokushima

Gairaigo Galore:
オールする

# 369

1

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

We once again approach the hottest months of the year and it’s time to mentally prepare for the highelectric bills that come from the rattling air-conditioners in our homes. However, July also brings morethan heat: just like in 2020 we will have an extra holiday (Sports Day) because of the Olympic andParalympic Games. Tokushima plans to celebrate the Games too, with teams from Germany, Nepal
and Georgia staying in the prefecture for training camps. The corona virus situation doesn’t allow formuch contact between the teams and the general public, unfortunately. However, there might be a few
chances to see the teams. Just check the prefectural homepage from time to time for more information.
Have a nice July!
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:
Mako Kobayashi, Junko Kimura, Lance Kita, Takako Yamada, and Kazue Inoue

2Contents

Pg. 2-3: Life in Tokushima
Pg. 3-4: Finding Joy in Awa LifePg. 5:

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: 七夕

Pg. 5:

Gairaigo Galore: オールする

Pg. 6:

Awa Shoku: Potatoes in Awa - Rugged Past, Bright Future

Pg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8:

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

Pg. 8-9: Events and MemorandaLife in Tokushima
By: Mako Kobayashi
y name is Mako Kobayashi, and I’m amultilingual consultation staff member here
at TOPIA. I moved to Tokushima from Hyogo
in mid-March. Why Tokushima, you may ask? I
was actually born in Tokushima, and I think it’s avery peaceful place. I’ve
worked in Hyogo andOsaka, and they are suchbusy cities. There aremany fun things to enjoy,
but since there are somany people, everythingfeels so busy. It has been
about 3 months since I
moved to Tokushima, andit’s such a comfortable
place. While enjoying
my life here, I have also
noticed many differences
which I would like to share with you today.

M

I’m sure that foreigners studying Japanese
as well as Japanese people who don’t live inTokushima have noticed, but Tokushima has its
own dialect. The dialect of Tokushima is “Awaben”. After hearing Awa-ben after such a longtime, the phrase that really left an impression onme was “ おいでますか？ ”. In standard Japanese
this means “ いらっしゃいますか？ ”. I also lived
in Hiroshima, and when asking if someone isthere in Hiroshima-ben, they say “ お っ て で すか？ ” In Kansai-ben this would be “ い は り ま す
か？ ” Additionally, “ だから ” in Awa-ben becomes“ ほ な け ん ”. In Hiroshima-ben it is “ じ ゃ け え ”,
and in Kansai-ben it’s “ せ や か ら ”. “~ じ ょ ” isoften added to the endof words in Awa-ben.
Every time I hear this
“ じょ ” I am reminded of
the gentle nature of thepeople of Tokushima.
What kind of dialects do
you have where you’refrom?
I love to eat, and I’ve
tried a myriad of local
cuisines. There aremany delicious dishes inTokushima as well. For example, I really enjoy the
famous Komatsushima take-chikuwa as well as
the famous Naruto Kintoki. Tokushima has many
delicious and wonderful local foods; however,even some foods that have the same names asin other prefectures have different ingredients or
are prepared in a different way. One such food is
okonomiyaki. What kind of image do you have of
okonomiyaki?
In Tokushima, okonomiyaki has sweet beansin it, which is very unique. The Hiroshima-style3Life in Tokushimaokonomiyaki where I lived was characterized
by its mille-feuille style that is cooked with theingredients layered together and with the doughbeing slightly watery. On the other hand, Kansaistyle ones mix the ingredients and the dough is
stickier. Even though the name is the same, theway okonomiyaki is made really depends on thearea.
I’m looking forward to learning more about
the differences between Tokushima and otherprefectures! Everyone, please let me know any

Finding Joy in Awa Life
By: Junko KimuraT

he world began to face COVID-19 in 2020,and many things occurred due to the stateof emergency, including requests to refrain fromgoing out, temporary school closures, and anincrease in workfrom home. We
had to shift ourlives to this “newnormal” and adjust
to new ways of lifethat we weren’t
used to and that
didn’t fit into ourcommon sense.

are now.
For those of you who love to travel and goout, how have you been spending time during
COVID-19? I haven’t left Shikoku for over a year.
For someone
like me wholoves travel andhasn’t been able
to go anywherein over a year,
my friends oftenask, “Aren’t you
stressed fromnot being able togo anywhere?”
However, I
haven’t really felt
all that stressed,
and the reason
for that is
To k u s h i m a ’ snature.

I’m sure many
people right
now are thinking
fondly of the days
before COVID-19,
i n c l u d i n gmyself. One
of my hobbies
In addition tois traveling.
traveling, one
Every year I
of my othertravel abroad or
hobbies issomewhere in
hiking, andJapan to enjoy
Beautiful azaleas at Mt. Bizanontheweekends
I often climb
breath-taking views, different cultures,arts, and foods not found in Tokushima. These the local Mt. Bizan for some exercise. Althoughtrips allowed me to experience extraordinary located in the city, the natural forest remains,
things, and never in my wildest dreams would I and the mountain itself is easy to climb. Did you
have imagined that things would end up like they know that there are multiple points from whereFinding Joy in Awa Lifeyou can start climbing? As far as I know there
are 10 routes, and I have tried out 5 of them. It’s
never just a silent hike, I always enjoy observing
the birds and taking pictures of the blossoming
flowers depending on the season. On theroute that I always climb, I can see birds suchas the Japanese white-eye, Japanese pygmy
woodpecker, and the varied tit. Recently I’ve
been hearing the chirping of the Japanese bush
warbler.
There are 2 things that surprised me when I
started climbing Mt. Bizan. The first happened
when I wasdescending
the mountainaround dusk.
I was all alone
and heard arustling soundin the grass. I
stopped, andin that moment
a wild boar
rushed by atsuch a great
speed. The wildboar was solarge, I became
incredibly
scared andrushed down
the mountain at
a speed I didn’t
even know was
Chestnut tiger at Inbe Shrine
possible.
The second is in regards to the pagoda area of
Mt. Bizan. For many years I believed it to be thehighest point of the mountain, but actually thehighest point is partway through the “Jizoin ~ Mt.
Bizan Course” (290 m).
Aside from Mt. Bizan, in November of last year I
went to the second highest mountain in Shikoku,
Mt. Tsurugi, to see the sunrise for the first time.
The view of the morning sun was truly beautiful;however, the highlight of the year was when
I visited Jintsu Waterfall in Kamiyama Town

4

in January. When it’s extremely cold for a few
days in a row, this waterfall freezes over andyou can enjoy the natural phenomenon of a“frozen waterfall”. I’ve known about this natural
phenomenon for a while now, but I gave up on
seeing it as I thought the winter roads would be
too dangerous. However, on January 11th I finallyvisited, and the impressive sight of the frozen
waterfall was truly moving. “So, Tokushima has aplace like this!” You can find information about the
Jintsu Waterfall on Kamiyama Town’s homepage,although the information is only written in
Japanese.
Tokushima is
blessed withmountains,r i v e r s ,oceans, andother naturalelements. For
this article I
introduced
Mt. Bizan
and Jintsu
Waterfall,
but there
are manyother naturalwondersi nt h e
prefecture.
Even forthose who
don’t have a
Jintsu Waterfall in Kamiyama c a r, y o u c a n u s epublic transportation and access places like Mt.
Bizan by foot from the station. There are alsopilgrimage routes where you can enjoy the sights
of nature. I really recommend you invite yourfriends or family to go enjoy nature on a day
when the weather is nice. Personally, I prefer themountains over the sea, but one day I’d like to try
surfing on Tokushima’s ocean. When I do, I’d liketo write an article about the experience.

5Japanese Culture and Reading Corner:
By: Mako Kobayashi

みな

たなばた

し

皆さんは

七夕を

知っていますか。日本では

7 月 7 日を

むかし

はなし

たなばた

そんな

七夕には

かみさま

昔あるところに、神様の
はたら

にほん

しち がつ な の か

つた

昔から

むかし

伝えられている

お話が

むすめ

おりひめ

娘の

織姫と、若者の

あります。

彦星が

彦星は

働き者で、やがて

ふたり

だんだん

あそ

くら

しかし

2 人は

段々と

遊んで

暮らすようになり、全く

おこ

かみさま

ふたり

あいだ

怒った

神様は、2 人の

いました。

織姫と

なった

間に

ふたり

けっこん

2 人は

結婚しました。
まった

がわ

天の川を

作って

離してしまいました。

2 人は泣き続けました。それをいちど1 度だけ、2 人を

たなばた

たんざく

七夕には

短冊に

ふたり
ねが

働かなくなって

はな

な

１ねん

はたら

つく

ふたり

1 年に

あなたも

あま

いいます。

ひこぼし

ひこぼし

かな

もの

わかもの

七夕

たなばた

七夕と

おりひめ

悲しく

たなばた

つづ

み

かみさま

見た

神様は、前のしまいました。

まえ

はたら

ようにまじめに働いたら、

あい

しちがつ な の か

たなばた

会わせてくれると言いました。それが7 月 7 日の

七夕です。

ごと

お願い事を

たなばた

ねが

七夕に

願い事を

ごと

か

ささ

かざ

書いて

笹に

飾ると願いが

ねが

かな

い

叶うと

言われています。

か

書いてみませんか？

Vocabulary List
たなばた

七夕

Tanabata Festival

けっこん

Marriage

結婚
ねが

ごと

お願い事 Request

むかし

昔
だんだん

段々
ささ

笹

オールする (staying up all night)
By: Nico Bohnsack

Past
Gradually
Bamboo Grass

かみさま

たんざく

Gods

短冊 Strip of Paper

天の川 Milky Way

願いが叶う Wish is

神様
あま

がわ

はたら

もの

働き者

Hard Worker

ねがかな

GrantedGairaigo Galore

Drinking parties, karaoke, etc. are an integral part of Japanese culture and, although there havebeen few opportunities to attend parties after social distancing measures were introduced, it is very
likely that packed izakayas and karaoke parlors will have their comeback when the current crisis
recedes. One of the problems people have to face when going out in the evening is that trains andother means of public transportation stop operating around midnight inJapan. One solution is to start early so that people are still able to catchthe last train or bus. However, if you don’t want to pay for a taxi, anothersolution is to stay up until the morning to catch the first train. “Staying up
all night” can be described in many different ways in Japanese, but one
possible expression is オールする . I can still remember that I was a bit
confused when I heard this verb for the first time 10 years ago during
my student days in Osaka. Since it sounds like “doing all/everything” I
couldn’t really figure out the meaning. It wasn’t until a Japanese friend
told me that it is just a shortened version of “all night” followed by する
to transform it into a verb. There are even possible combinations, such as カラオケオール (staying
all night at a karaoke parlor), ファミレスオール (staying all night at a family restaurant), etc. Also,
the word is usually used for fun activities and less so for other activities, such as studying all nightfor an exam. So, when did you オール the last time?

Awa Shoku: Potatoes in Awa - Rugged Past, Bright Future
By: Lance Kita

I

f you live deep in the mountains of western
Tokushima, rice isn't the easiest thing to grow.
Steep mountain slopes with limited sunlight are
unsuitable for terraced rice fields, and so dry-fieldgrains like buckwheat (soba 蕎麦 ). millet (hie 稗or awa 粟 ), and sorghum (takakibi 高 黍 ) weremain staples in the past. In the late Edo Period,
an imported tuber was added to the mix.

6

potatoes past, enterprising farmers further
downstream are charting a colorful future. In thelast decade, several farmers have been growing
and marketing unusual varieties of potatoes withsome surprising hues. If you check out local
farmer's markets and the local produce corner ofyour supermarket in June and July, you can buy
small bags of these gourmet spuds. The namesof the potatoes are as colorful as the potatoes
themselves, and each hasa character and texture thatmakes them suitable fordifferent foods.

Potatoes ( jagaimo ジ ャ ガ イモ ）were first introduced toJapan through Nagasaki by
the Dutch (probably named
for the port of Jakarta in
My favorite is Destroyer ( デIndonesia). A variety of potato
ストロイヤー ), with its purple
called goshuimo ご し ゅ い もskin and pink spots aroundthrives in the rough terrain andeach eye that resembles aharsh climate of mountainous
masked pro wrestler, with
Iya 祖 谷 and Naka 那 賀 ,a waxy gold flesh that doesn'tyielding tiny egg-sized spuds.
crumble in curry, nikujaga, or stew.
Unlike grains which require a long
Another sweet firm potato is Incatime to cook, potatoes could be
Awakening ( イ ン カ の め ざ め ),boiled quicker. They were eatenwith a chestnut-like textue thatat the start of every meal, grilled
is Japan's version of the popularwith miso 味 噌 to warm them
Yukon Gold. Shadowqueen
up, becoming an integral part of( シ ャ ド ー ク イ ー ン ）is a dark
the daily diet by the Meiji Period.
purple fingerling potato, rich in
Mainly for home consumption,
anthocyanin. It is starchierpotatoes pro vided crucial
n u t r i e n t s a n d s u s t e n a n c e Potatoes then and now - from mountain crop and drier, so you can wow
to colorful gourmet varieties
friends with purple mashedto survive the cold, austerepotatoes, potato salad, orconditions.
french fries. Northern Ruby ( ノ ー ザ ン ル ビ ー）
Find a street food that reflects the rugged food has pink flesh, and are great for homemade
culture by crossing the Vine Bridge (Kazura- potato chips or pink roasted potatoes. I love tobashi かずら橋 ) in Iya. Stalls lined along the exit make roasted rainbow potato salad... cube uppath entice you with charcoal braziers and grilled several varieties and toss with olive oil, salt, andbamboo skewers of potato, firm tofu, and devil's pepper. Roast in the oven until crispy. Mix withtongue starch (konnyaku 蒟 蒻 ) slathered in a roasted garlic mayonnaise, chopped parsley
miso. Arranged in a circle around the coals, and or chives, and a squeeze of lemon. The perfectthe old ladies constantly rotate the skewers for summer lunch or dinner with some grilled fish oreven roasting. Resembling a Ningyo Joruri puppet chicken.
head (deko で こ ) in motion, the snack is called
deko-mawashi で こ ま わ し . Next time you're How will you experience Tokushima's potatoes?
sightseeing out west, be sure to try this sampler Step into the past at a mountain ryokan withgrilled miso potatoes, or explore the future withstick of mountain survival foods.
colorful summer spuds... enjoy them either way!
Although the mountains hold the wisdom of7Japanese Lesson

Casual Japanese Expressions

By: Takako YamadaContinuing on from last month, let’s study a form that is often used in casual conversation. You
will often hear this in your everyday life. This can help build a feeling of intimacy during casualconversations, but be careful not to use this in official writings or towards those of a higher status thanyourself.
1.「い」dropping①「～ています」→「～てます」／「～ている」→「～てる」
べんきょう

べんきょう

＊勉強しています→

勉強してます

→

勉強してる

→

知ってる

べんきょう

べんきょう

＊勉強している
しし＊知っている
べんきょう＊勉強していて、わからないことがあったらきいてください
べんきょう

→

勉強してて、 わからないことがあったらきいてください②「～ていく」→「～てく」
べんとう

なに

も

べんとう

＊あしたのお弁当、何を持っていく？
ともだち

→

つ

ともだち

＊友達がスーパーに連れていってくれた→

しゅくやくけい／ておく➔とく／ておいて➔といて

でん わ＊電話しておきます
でん わ→電話しときます
つくえ うえお＊机の上に置いておいてください
つくえ うえお→机の上に置いといてください②てしまいます➔ちゃいます／てしまいました➔ちゃいましたてしまう ➔ちゃう／てしまった ➔ちゃった
きょ う じゅう＊この しごと を今日中にやってしまいます。

きょ う じゅう→この しごと を今日中にやっちゃいます。
ま＊この しごと をやってしまうから、ちょっと待ってください。
ま→この しごと をやっちゃうから、ちょっと待ってください。
た＊ケーキをぜんぶ食べてしまいました。
た→ケーキをぜんぶ食べちゃいました。
た＊ケーキをぜんぶ食べてしまった。
た→ケーキをぜんぶ食べちゃった。
＊かさ を わすれてしまって、こまりました。
→かさ を わすれちゃって、こまりました。
＊あしたまでに→あしたまでにしゅくだいを してしまおう。
しゅくだいを しちゃおう。

もつ

友達がスーパーに連れてってくれた

2. 縮 約形 (contracted form)①ておきます➔ときます

なにあしたのお弁当、何を持ってく？

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

his year in May, we planted some summer
vegetables in our garden again. Everyday
the children water the plants and enjoy watchingthem grow. From July to August we are expecting
to harvest many summer vegetables, such as
tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and peppers.
We will enjoy harvesting the vegetables and sharethe joy of eating them as well. In the past, this has
been a great chance to get many children who
dislike vegetables to eat them, and it has been an
invaluable experience for the children.
Food is essential for children to grow up healthy.
Let’s try and make food something that is fun forthem. In addition to harvesting vegetables, havethem wash the ingredients, cut the ingredients,
and plate the meals. Have them help prepare
the meals, think up ideas for meals and bento
boxes, etc. These kinds of things will help themovercome foods that they dislike.
Additionally, when praising them for helping, they
will feel the joy of being useful to others and this8

will serve as the seeds for feeling appreciation
towards others. Everyone, look for fun ways
to help your children grow and enjoy your time
together.
<Potato Isobe Yaki (5 Portions)>
1. Peel 300 g of potatoes. Cut into 4~6 slices andboil.
2. While still hot, mash the potatoes. Add 4~6
tablespoons of potato starch and mix. Shape into
about 5 circular discs.
3. Melt a suitable amount of butter in a frying pan
and fry the ingredients from (2) on both sides until
they are a golden brown.
4. While still hot, add a suitable amount of soy
sauce and wrap inbaked seaweed.
*Seaweed is an
ingredient that is richin vitamin A, vitamin C,
iron, minerals, dietaryfibers, and other formsof nutrition.

Events & Memoranda

Railway Photo Exhibition~A Half Century Together With Trains~
鉄道写真展～列車とともに半世紀～

In Shikoku, steam locomotives operated inTokushima until the very end. In April of 1970,
they were the first in the nation to change tosmokeless. Over a half century, limited express
diesel trains and new limited express trains madetheir debut, with high speeds becoming possible
even on steep slopes. Enjoy a nostalgic sceneryof past and present railways running through Awa
Tokushima.

四国で最後まで蒸気機関車が運転されていた徳島

When: July 3rd (Sat.) – July 25th (Sun.)
9:30 – 17:00 (Last entrance is until 16:30)
Where: Naru to Ger man H ouse, 2n d F l o o r
Exhibition Room
Fee: Adults: 400 Yen / Children: 100 Yen (ForAdmission)Inquiries: Naruto German House
TEL: 088-689-0099
URL: http://doitsukan.com/info/

日時 : 7 月 3 日（土）～ 7 月 25 日（日）地区。1970 年 4 月より全国に先駆けて無煙化になり、それから半世紀、気動車特急や新型特急が登場し、早いスピードで急勾配でも運転可能になりました。懐かしい風景とともに阿波徳島を駆け抜ける鉄道今昔をお楽しみください。

9：30 ～ 17：00（入館は 16：30 まで）
場所：鳴門市ドイツ館 2 階企画展示室
料金：大人 400 円

小人 100 円（入館料として）問い合わせ：鳴門市ドイツ館
TEL: 088-689-0099
URL: http://doitsukan.com/info/

9

Events & Memoranda
Tokushima Sunflower Spots
徳島県ひまわりスポット

Spot 1: Zennyujitou Island
Zennyujitou Island is the largest uninhabitedisland located in a river. Located about 30 km
from the mouth of the Yoshino River, this island
is about 500 ha. Located within the island is theborder for Ichiba-cho, Away City and Kawashimacho, Yoshinogawa City. The island is home tolarge fields, colorful seasonal flowers, and isalso known as a famous filming spot. There are
five “sensui” (flooded) bridges that connect tothe island, as well as a route used by pilgrims
between the 10th and 11th temples of the Shikoku
Pilgrimage.
Where: Ichiba-cho, Awa City /Kawashima-cho, Yoshinogawa City
Best Time to See: Start of July – End of July
Inquiries: Yoshinogawa Zennyujitou Island
Land Improvement District
TEL: 0883-36-3240********************************************************
Spot 2: Yokose Tatsukawa
Where: Yokose, Katsuura Town
Best Time to See: Start of July – Mid-July
Inquiries: Katsuura Town Planning andExchange Division
TEL: 0885-42-1505

スポット 1: 善入寺島
日本最大の川の中の無人島「善入寺島」。吉野
川河口から約 30km の地点に位置し、広さは約500ha。島内に阿波市市場町と吉野川市川島町の境界があります。整備された広大な畑や季節の花々が彩りをそえる、ロケの名所として知られます。計 5 本の潜水橋（沈下橋）が接続されており、四国霊場 10 番札所から 11 番札所へと向かう遍路
道があります。

場所：阿波市市場町・吉野川市川島町
見ごろ：7 月上旬～ 7 月下旬
問い合わせ：吉野川善入寺土地改良区
TEL: 0883-36-3240********************************************************
スポット 2: 横瀬立川
場所：勝浦町横瀬
見ごろ：7 月上旬～ 7 月中旬
問い合わせ：勝浦町企画交流課
TEL: 0885-42-1505

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)