#274

awa life

june 2013

wander-ful tabi: a bug’s lightlance kita

Bridging the gap between
spring flowers and rainyseason blues is a precious
period of two weeks when
Japan heralds the coming ofsummer with…glowing bugs.
Firefly (hotaru) watching
makes the list of seasonal
phenomena that Japanesepeople flock to view.
First, here are some things
you may not know about
hotaru:1. They ain’t flies! Fireflies
belong to the beetle family.
2. It’s a family affair. The
adults take center stage inJune as they blink to theirheart’s content (literally, it’s for
attracting mates), but theeggs and larvae also glow.
3. They’re all wet. Unlike
most species which lay theireggs in moist soil on forest
floors, the major Japanese
species start their life in
freshwater. Adults lay theireggs in rivers, and the larvae

misato hotaru festival, yoshinogawa city
(photo courtesy of tokushima prefectural government)

feed on indigenous kawaninasnails.
4. Not just June. Most of thefireflies in Tokushima are
Genji-botaru(Luciola
cruciata).
However, theRyukyu Archipelago boasts ahigh diversity of several
dozen species, and one typeon Iriomote Island blinks in
mid-winter.
5.

Way

beforeEdison.

inside awa life this monthpage 3: international opportunites in tokushima
page 4-5: wander-ful tabi (con't); page 6-7: setouchi beat festival
page 8: irene's recipe corner; page 9: letter from suketo hoikuen
page 10-11: japanese lesson; page 12: events & memoranda
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is a monthly publication of theTokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA)

Emma Boardman & Martin Rathmann

Lance Kita, Brandon Bollom, Gregory Paul
Chindemi, Akiko Tsuji, Irene Wachuga,
Kazue Inoue

Clement Plaza 6F
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi
Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN
tel: 088.656.3303
fax: 088.652.0616
topia@topia.ne.jp
http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Download a PDF file of awa life or view theonline version by going to TOPIA's website!

show tokushima some love: awaglot
The literary corner of Awa
Life, Awaglot,
isacombination of the words"awa" and "polyglot", whichmeans multilingual. Be it
fiction, non-fiction, prose or
poetry; funny, sad, long or
short, we want yoursubmissions! If you like towrite, then express yourself!
There is also a classifieds
section for you, ourreaders, to post ads in, but
a few rules do apply!

: Religious, political,
or commercial activities,businesses searching forclients or employees, things
the Awa Life editors deem
inappropriate.

If you have something you
would like to share with
the Tokushima community,
email the editors at!

:concerts, lectures, andother event information,
cultural, sporting, andother community group
information, etcetera.

love locks at kamiyama shinrin park (photo by brandon bollom)

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promoting international understanding
in tokushima
events & opportunities

travel the globe with international teas!
Do you want to walk the world but can't find the time or money?
Perhaps you're looking for a new, interactive way to study
foreign cultures? If you can relate to either or both of the above,
the JICA international teas series could be just the event foryou. Now in its 3rd session, each 6 month series is made up of
6 meetings, each hosted by an experienced JICA volunteer andfocusing on the country where they passed their respective 2
years.
May's speaker was Maki Kawano, who introduced participants
to Oyugis, the town in Kenya where she passed her two years
as a public health nurse. Maki's photographs and personal
anecdocates took the audience on a tour through the town's
education, health, and cultural characteristics. Chai tea (atypical refreshment in Kenya) and snacks were served withtales of local customs, as Maki explained how in Kenya, theamount of sugar served to a visitor can dictate how welcome
they are in the home. She recalled that the drink what she
initially considered as sickly sweet (imagine chai tea but with atleast 3 sugar cubes) soon came to be the drink she longed to
be served, taking anything less sweet as the equivalent ofbeing told "Get out of my house!".
In June, Kumi Takahashi will be taking participants on an informative journey through Nepal - don't miss out!
Note: Meetings are conducted entirely in Japanese. Refreshments are served. Please contact Awa Kanko Hotel for details

let's speak queen's english
For those who have studied in the United
Kingdom, have an interest in or are missing
Great Britain, or just want to talk about culture
and literature, why not speak Queen's English
with British people?
(
T)

090-9555-7776

When: 22. June (Sat) 10.30-12.00
Where: Komatsushima
Central Community Center
TEL: 090-9555-7776

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wander-ful tabi(con't from page 1)
Japanese poets and writers
have made references tofireflies in books as far backat the Nihon Shoki (720 A.D.)
and Manyoshu (circa 760
A.D.).
Becausefireflies
need
abundant
numbersofkawanina snails and pristine
river water to flourish, thefamous spots are often
tucked away in rural areas.
The love of fireflies has led toa nationwide campaign tokeep rivers clean, and many
communities
arereintroducing these twinkling
insects
back
to
their
waterways. Here are three
spots to view fireflies:

Misato Hotaru Museum(Yoshinogawa City)
With several kilometers offirefly-laden riverside along
Route 193, this valley is themost well-known spot for
fireflies in the prefecture.
Since 1970, the fireflies andtheir habitat here have been
designated a national natural
treasure. The
Museum exhibits info on the
lifecycle and habitat of theinsects, as well as the local
history.
There’s even an
artificial river where river fish
and fireflies are raised forobservation.
This year’s festival runs until
June 20 (the Museum
extends its hours during thistime). Shuttle buses run from
JR Yamakawa Station
to the Yoshinogawa City
Yamakawa Branch Office4

misato hotaru festival, yoshinogawa city
(photo courtesy of tokushima prefectural government)(temp.
parking lot) and the Museum
between 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
(10:00 p.m. on weekends).
To ease traffic congestion andprotect
theenvironment,using public transportation ishighly recommended.
Blog with event map link
(Japanese):
http://ameblo.jp/hotarukan/

Yogawauchi(Katsuura Town)

Most firefly spots are often
localized and set in rural
areas.
Yokawauchi is aperfect example of a quiet,
community-centered
spot.

Park at one of three lots
along Route 16 and stroll
along the road overlooking
the Sakamoto River. The
dark location and highmountains make for optimal
viewing, and large numbersof fireflies can consistently beseen throughout the season.
Near the Numatani River, you
can climb down and see
fireflies at river level, and the
local association will beselling food and giving out
ame-yu from May 31 to June2, though viewing is still
possible on your own in thefirst week of June.
Download a map (inJapanese) at:
http://www.geocities.jp/awaka
tuura/hataru2.html

wander-ful tabi
Haha
Town

River
)

(KaiyoWanna be surrounded bytwinkling lights? See fireflies
from a flat-bottom pole boat(takasebune) as local
guides take you along a
stretch of the Haha River. As
you glide quietly over thewater, flickering lines of lightdance among the riverbank
grass and into the sky. Withno city lights and dark
mountains along one side,
you can experience the fullGhibli-esque mood of thisearly summer event. Hint:
Flash photography cannot
capturethedimbioluminescence and ruins
everyone’s night vision, so
just relax and let your eyes be
the camera for one evening.
The boat rides run from June
8-15,
8:00-9:30
p.m.
Admission for the boat ride is
500 yen. On the first night,
there will be food booths.
Last year, local residentstaught kids (and kids-at-heart)
how to make toy boats fromsasa bamboo leaves. Bring asmall flashlight when you
walk from the parking lot tothe boat dock.

streamside starlight - ride boats on the haha river in kaifu-cho for an
immersive firefly viewing experience (photo by lance kita)

misato hotaru festival, yoshinogawa city
(photo courtesy of tokushima prefectural government)

Event
info
(Japanese):
http://www.kaiyokankou.jp/index.php/event2/h
otaru-week(Note: The number of fireflies
and level of activity vary due toweather conditions and/or
environmental factors.
The
information above is based on
past experiences.)misato hotaru festival, yoshinogawa city
(photo courtesy of tokushima prefectural government)

5setouchi beat festival
the many faces of shikoku

gregory paul chindemi

Advertised as an “Open Air
Day Festival”, and promoting
art,nature,culture,andtechnology, the Setouchi Beat
Festival, otherwise known as
Seto 4, proved to be theperfect destination for myweekend holiday. The festival
was located at the top of ascenic and winding road in
Sanuki City, a 1 hour drive from
Tokushima City. As I pulled up
to the front gates, I was
welcomed by smiling faces, live
music, and a friendly staff, whohelped me park and carry mycamping supplies.
Pictures on the website could
not accurately express thebreath-taking vista that greeted
my eye upon pulling my car
through the gate into to thefestival grounds; the bluegreen serenity of Northeastern
Shikoku’s Seto Inland Sea, andthe uninhabited Awaku islands
were awe-inspiring in and ofthemselves.
However,thecoliseum-like Sanuki Outdoor
Theatrewasalmostasimpressive. The enormous
outdoor stadium, which hadtiered stone steps and acircular stone stage, looked
simultaneously
bothShakespearean and modern.
This theatre had a grandiosepresence, and against thepeaceful oceanic backdrop, I
knew that this particular music
and camping festival was going
to be a special event even
before the music began.
You may be wondering, “whatkind of music would be playing
at a weekend camping festival
on Shikoku”? If you guessed
traditional Enka music, than
you would be mistaken. The
sound that filled the air at Seto
4 was the heavy, rhythmic
pulse of the bass from a stateof the art speaker systemprovided by Hamastar and the
locallyowned
Dynacord
Cobra/L-acoustics.

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the stunning sanuki outdoor theatre

A variety of electronic music
genres were presented at Seto.
Defined by distinct alterations
in pitch, bass, rhythmic pattern,or drum expression, each
explicit genre provides adifferent audio entertainment
for the listener. For instance,
Goa trance, which originated in
Goa, India, uses traditional
Indian instruments to create
tribelesque musical signaturesanddistinctly
Eastern
melodies. Often run in a loop ofsound with expansive beatpatterns, the music creates a
mystic sounds cape that somemight define as spiritual. In
addition, different types ofHouse music, Dub, Drum &Bass, and Dub-step were also
highlighted during the two day
event.
Using
records,
turntables,
andcomputertechnology to compose themusic in front of an energetic
audience, the DJ(disc jockey)
creates an atmosphere inwhich the crowd can have atransformative, and uninhibited
dancing experience.
First
held
in
abandoned
warehouses in the mid-1980’s
in places such as: Westbourne,
Grove
in
West
London,Camden & King’s Cross,
Manchester,Rotherhithe,
Aldgate, and Brixton, electronic
dance parties spawned from a
new British youth movement.
The British had coined the term
“rave party” in the late 1950’s,
but it wasn’t until technology
and instrumentation had shiftedin the 1980’s that this music
began to take hold andsystematicallyspreadthroughout the world.
In fact, after the Berlin Wall fellin 1989, the popularity ofelectronic dance parties wascredited in helping to reestablish social connections
between East and West
Germany
duringthereunification period. These “Raveparties” continued to spreadthroughout Europe, and havebecome a vibrant, uniquemusic subculture in America
from the 1990’s until thepresent day.
Ethnographic
researcher,
Joanna Denmer, conducted anexperiential study on thedramatic rise in the popularityof technology, precision, andrhythmic dancing in the youth
culture of Japan. By following

setouchi beat festival
the trend of Konami’s video
game,
Dance
Dance
Revolution, and its fame in
Japan
and
worldwide,
correlations in her data
showed a definitive “electronic
dance
music
scene”
blossoming from the games
late 1990’s release.
Southern Japan’s Seto 4
electronic
music
scene,
whether partially fueled byvideo game dance music ornot, was certainly vibrant. The
attendees
wore
bright,eccentric clothing, had artfully
applied face-paint, and were
enthusiastic, fun, and positive.
The
familyfriendlyenvironment
was
alsointeresting for visitors who
appreciate delicious food,visual art, and unconventional
performance. From Bubble
Tea vendors and Chinese foodkitchens
to
Vegetarianspecialty
cafes,
thecampground had a wide arrayof foods to enjoy. I especially
loved one local vendor who
served dishes of the colloquial
specialty, Sanuki Udon!
The spacious campgroundalso had candle art exhibits,
many clothing and craft shops,
and one of my favorite events,
live fire spinning by the Solafire dance company. Seeing
people twirling fire above theirheads and around their bodies
in perfect sync with the music
was a thrilling sight.
In preparation for my first“Golden Week” in Japan, andin anticipation of the frenetic
pace at which people often
travel during this busy periodof time, this provocative andunique event in Kagawa truly
grabbed my attention. The
weather, the location, and thepeople were all beautiful. It
was well worth the price of theticket, and if you are looking

the festival provided more than just musical entertainment

for something different to do
for next year’s Golden week,
Seto 4 will not leave you
disappointed.
Sources:
1 Emanuelle, Loubet. “The Beginnings
of Electronic Music in Japan, with a
Focus
on
the
NHK
Studio: the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Computer Music Journal, February
1997, accessed May 13th, 2013,
http://Jstor.org.
2 Fujii, Koichi. “Chronology of Early
Electronic Music in Japan: What Typesof
Materials
are A Available?”
Organized Sound, April 2004, accessed
May 13th, 2013, http://Jstor.org.
3
Denmers,
Joanna.
“Dancing
Machines: ‘Dance Dance Revolution’,
Cybernetic Dance, And Musical Taste”.
Popular Music, October 2006 ,accessed
May
13th,
2013,
http://Jstor.org.

author gregory paul chindemi(right)photos courtesy of the setouchi
4 beat festival facebook page7

irene's recipe cornerby irene wachuga

BBQ season isupon us, and there's
nothing like a sweet dessert
to bring it all together.
These French cakes are justlittle sponge cakes with alemon twist. They are baked
in shell shaped pans, hence
their scalloped appearance.
Nuts
can
also
be
incorporated for a crunchy
taste.
For lighter airy madeleines,
baking powder is usuallyused. If you prefer the
traditional
dense
madeleines, skip the baking
pwoder.
The main ingredients are:flour, sugar, eggs and butter.
Ingredients
200g of flour
150g of sugar
100-120g of unsalted butter
3 eggs (medium to large)
7-8g of baking powder
Zest of 1 lemon
40ml of milk (optional)
1 tsp of vanilla essence

Preparation (makes 3 dozen)
1. Bring the eggs to room
temperature.
2. Melt the butter and let
cool.
3. Sift the flour and baking
powder.
4. Zest the lemon.
5. Grease and dust thebaking pans if not silicone.
6. In a medium bowl, beatthe sugar and egg mixture
until thick and pale in colour.
About 5 minutes.
7. Beat in the lemon zest
and the vanilla.
8. Add the sifted flour andjune swallows (photo by junko kimura)

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fold in 3 parts. Don’t overmix.
9. Add the butter. (Take a ¼
of the batter mixture and add
to the butter. mix well, thenadd it all together to therest.)
10. Chill the batter for atleast 1 hour. (Can be kept
refrigerated for up to 2 days).
11. Spoon a spoonful into
the molds. Bake at 180
degrees for 10-12 minutes
depending on mold size.
12. Cool on wire rack,scalloped side up.

Bon appétit!!!

letter from suketo hoikuen
by kazue inoue

The Tokushima Nutritional
Education
Research
Committee, comprised of inPrefecture
registereddietitians and doctors, has
releaseda
educational
nutrition DVD focused onoral nutrition. The DVD, “FunNutrition
Education!
Exercising your mouth &dancing the HoneHone”,
allows viewers to learn about
nutritionally imperative oral
health, important nutrients,
and well balanced diets
through moving their bodies.
The DVD makes the 5elements of a balanced dieteasy to understand by
assigning a food group toeach finger on the humanhand.
In recent years, over half ofdeaths caused by lifestyledisease
are
borne
of
irregular eating habits from
infancy. This has led to areview of the important athome eating habits. Pleasebe sure to lead a healthy,balanced nutritional lifestyle,covering all 5 food groups.

the five fingers of health!
Bread; Rice,
Noodles -> Eat for power!
Vegetables-> Eat for general health!
Meat,fish, eggs, beans -> Eat to
grow big!
Fruit-> Eatfor smooth skin!
Milk,yoghurt, cheese -> Eat
plentyofcalciumtostrengthen your bones andteeth!

this month's craft:home bowling set
materials:- cardboard tubes (fromtoilet roll/cling film etc)
- coloured pens
- wrapping paper- newspaper- tape- plastic bag
instructions

1. Wrap the wrapper
paper around the tube,
and decorate it using
your pens.
(These are your bowlingpins.)

how to play:
Line up your pins (#1), andtry to knock them over byrolling your bowling ball(#2)

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japanese lessonby akiko tsuji

japanese lesson

We would like to apologise for a misprint in last month's Japanese lesson. The lesson was
contributed by Michi Mori.

free parking!
As of April 1 2013, parking at Tokushima Station Underground Bicycle Park is free for up to 2 hours!

Parking bicycles around the Tokushima station
area is prohibited. Specifically, the areaspanning 500m east and west, and 200m south
and north was deemed a Prohibited Zone
subject to daily checks and removals throughout
the working week.

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events & memoranda
german house railroad festival

From young to old, this is a railroad event thatcan be enjoyed by all!
The first floor hall will host to a model railway
conductors convention, and locomotives forchildren mean they are able not only watch thefun, but join in too! Between June 8th (Sat) and17th (Mon), a German Railroad Exhibition will
be held in the 2nd floor exhibition space. A
2metre C62 locomotive, and a to scale 5:1
replica of the Koppel Type C steam engine willbe amongst the items on display. Don’t missout!
Where: Naruto German House
When: June 8th (Sat) – 9th (Sun) 10:00 –16:00
Info: Naruto German House
TEL: 088-689-0099
1st floor convention: Free
2nd floor exhibition: Adults 400
Elementary & JHS students 100

otani river firefly festival
From late May to early June, Luciola cruciata
fireflies (Naruto City's designated natural
treasure), can be taken seen around theOtani River area. Discover the best fireflyviewing points and enjoy refreshments by
coming along to the Otani River Firefly
Festival.
When: June 8th (Sat) – 9th (Sun) 19:00 – 21:00
Where: Naruto City, Ouasa, Otani, Otani River(Close to the Mitake shrine)
Info: Hotie Kominkan
TEL: 090-8975-4307
Cost: Free

090-8975-4307

counselling service at TOPIA
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 andJapanese. Please note that although every effort will be made, we may not be able to deal with all cases.
Everyday, 10:00 - 18:00 Tel. 088-656-3303 or 088-656-3320 (allows three-way conversations with an interpreter)12