aWa life

June 2018# 333

Interview:
Green Fingers at
Awa Open
Gardens

Biking the
Shimanami Kaido

Awa Shoku: Eat
Japan Blue!

1

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

In early June, most parts of Japan get visited by the rainy season, known as tsuyu, literally meaning"plum rain". There are a lot of nature related events in this months Awa Life. Don't let the grey clouds
and rain get in your way of taking part of these events; all you need is your rain coat and umbrella andyou are good to go! For those who prefer to go out on sunny days, hang in there, the sun shiny days ofsummer are coming soon!
For all of those who like writing, please feel free to submit an article to us at any point in time aboutbasically anything. There are a few limitations though, such as you can’t write about religion, politics,
commercial activities or businesses or anything that we deem inappropriate. But, other than that, we
would be more than happy to receive articles about anything and everything including but not limited
to, concerts, lectures, other events, culture, sports, community group information or anything cool that’s
happening in your local community.
We highly appreciate all of your articles and we love reading them. So if that writing bug of yours isbuzzing about, grab a pen or a computer and write and send away! Please send all submissions to ouremail:

awalife@gmail.com
Your editors,
Daralyn, Franzi, and Tom
Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA)
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN, Clement Plaza 6F
Tel: 088-656-3303 Fax: 088-652-0616
http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Download a PDF file of awa life or view the online version by going to TOPIA's website!

Editors:
Daralyn Yee, Franziska Neugebauer and Tom Wehrmann
Contributors This Month:
Kazue Inoue, Lance Kita, Karen Lee, Yoko Aoki, and Kiyomi Fujii

2Contents
Pg. 2-3: Journey to the (far, far) West: Biking the		Shimanami Kaido

Pg. 4-5: Interview: Green Fingers at Awa Open Gardens
Pg. 5:

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

Pg. 6:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 7:

Awa Shoku: Eat Japan Blue! 		

Pg. 8-9: Events and Memoranda
Journey to the (far, far) West: Biking the Shimanami Kaido
By Karen Lee

I

have a confession: the pursuit of bunnies introduced me to the Shimanami Kaido. Last
September, I visited an ALT friend in Imabari, acoastal city in northern Ehime about a two anda half hour drive away from Miyoshi on non-tollroads. We had planned to take a bus and ferry to
Okunoshima (more commercially known as bunnyisland), but the night before we decided to bike as
far as we could and then take the ferry. That plan
took us on the Shimanami Kaido ( しまなみ海道 ),a 70km expressway and bike route that traverses
six islands and seven suspension bridges to connect Shikoku (Imabari, Ehime) and Honshu (Onomichi, Hiroshima).
In April, I had the chance to return and make the
140km round trip. Biking, when possible, has always been my favorite mode of transportation --it's faster than walking and is also open-air so you
feel like you're interacting with your surroundings
as you're traveling, and biking the Shimanami Kaido offers some beautiful views of the Setouchi region. From the Shikoku side, bikes can be rented(helmet and lock included) from Imabari station or

Sunrise Itoyama, a bike terminal located before
the first and longest bridge, Kurushima Kaikyo
Bridge. The route is superbly marked with a blueline that runs right along the road's wide shoulder
and periodic labels that show the number of kilometers left until Onomichi. It's virtually impossible
to get lost. Tourist maps also show other routes
that go through various sightseeing spots, but
those are usually longer or have more challenging terrain.

Crossing the border between Ehime andHiroshima on Tatara Bridge.
I took 3 days to bike to Onomichi and back. My
first day was the longest and traveling to Ono-

3

Journey to the (far, far) West: Biking the Shimanami Kaido

michi took me 9hours, including
breaks. The only
significant inclines
on the marked
route are goingfrom ground level tobridge level, but theslopes are gentle
and easily rideablewith your bike on
the lowest gear,and the way up
also offers the best
views of the bridges
and the ocean. The
last bridge between Helpful signposts like thisone are located everyMukaishima andwhere along the ShimanOnomichi is only
ami Kaido. Behind it, youopen to cars, but
can see the blue-marked
road.
bikers can take ashort 10-minute ferry ride for just 110 yen. Eachof the 6 islands has a different landscape andcharm -- Oshima
has lots of old
Japanese houses and a Rose
Garden off of themain road; theroute throughHakatajima is
the shortest andtheir rest stop
( 道 の 駅 ) has
some amazing
shio ramen;
traveling throughIkuchijima takes
you right along
the coast and Innoshima is hilly
with citrus farms
The Hill of Hope in(the Setouchi
Kosanji temple, Ikuchijima, which
region is famous boasts cool marble sculptures andan unparalleled view of the Setofor citrus, includInland Sea.
ing mikan, hassaku, and lemons) and some of the largest daikonplants I've ever seen. In Onomichi, I spent mysecond morning meandering along the Onomichi
temple walk, a 2.5 kilometer trek that passes 25
Buddhist temples, and biked 20km back to spend
the night in Ikuchijima. Before biking the final
50km to Imabari the next day, I explored Kosanji,a Buddhist temple and monument of filial piety
that has interesting landmarks including a marble
garden and an underground cave of Buddhas.
A t t h eend, mybody hurt
in places I
didn't know
existed,but I would
make thetrip again
in a heartbeat. Having lived
in places
like Beijing, wherecars seem
intent on
running cyclists over,and SanFrancisco,where theThe 1480km long Tatara Bridge
bike lanes
connects Omishima and Ikuchijima, the 3rd and 4th islands fromare nonexImabari.
istent andbikers often risk being incapacitated by carelessly
opened car doors, it was amazing to travel along
a route made for cyclists. All the conbinis on
the route even have racks for parking your bike.
There are also various bike terminals all along
the route so it's entirely
possible to just do certain
sections as well. The Shimanami Kaido will start
charging tolls for bikers
after March 31st 2019, sohead over while you canstill get to Honshu for free!

Interview: Green Fingers at Awa Open Gardens
By Kiyomi Fujii & Daralyn Yee

H4

ave you ever heard of the term “opengarden”? Open gardens are rooted in the
English culture of opening one’s garden for public
viewing. The event “Awa Open Gardens” started
in 2013, and is one of the most popular events
that is held in Awa City. Thousands of people
come to visit each year to see these wonderfulgardens. This year we visited the home of Ms.
Toshiko Yoshida to learn about what goes in tohosting a garden at this prestigious event.

What do you think are the benefits ofcommunity gardening in regards to town
development?
In recent years, when people hear "Awa City",
beautiful gardens come to their mind. Community
gardening has established a new symbol for ourcity. Our city enjoys the increased publicity.

Ms.Toshiko Yoshida enjoys her garden.

What brought you to gardening? How long
have you been raising plants?
I love flowers so much. I started about 20 years
ago. I started with buying a young tree, then as
I started to plant one after another, and before I
knew it, it became a garden.

What impressed you the most through yourinteractions with visitors?
I realized how many people are fascinated withflowers. From this experience, I became sure thatflowers truly have a soothing and calming effecton everyone.
What is gardening to you?
Gardening is my source of energy and of healing,too.

How many plants are you taking care of?
Let's say, about 200 trees and 400 flowers. I’ve
counted the trees but not the flowers.
What is the special attraction of your garden?
Which plant are you especially fond of?
Well, in the center, there is a large tulip tree. It
blooms in May, its blossoms are similar to theappearance of tulips. I planted a little young treeof only one meter high 18 years ago. Now it's the
symbol tree of my garden and it attracts so many
people.

The tulip tree, the symbol of Ms. Yoshidas garden, isstarting to bloom.

How did you join Awa Open Garden?
One of my friends invited me; it looked enjoyable
and I decided to join.

What future plans or activities do you haveinstore for your garden?
I hope to maintain this for at least another 5 years.
I will make it sweeter little by little at my own pace.

5Interview: Green Fingers at Awa Open Gardens

Could you give advice to gardening fans andbeginners?
You can just start by enjoying a small young tree
or a small flower plant that you like.
Do you have any specific stories or episodes
about the garden?

One day I found that one of my trees gathers
honey bees a lot. That type of tree is rare, so I
decided to give other people the seedlings. I can't
wait to see the growth of the next generation oftrees, and look forward to them blooming so thata lot of honey bees will gather around them.

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

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

he month of June and the beginning of July is called“Tsuyu”, and it is the period when it rains the mostin the year. Though in Japan this is not considered to be
the middle of summer, it starts to become hot and humid
during this period. In these weather conditions, children
can have a heat stroke, so please take caution.

packs or a wet towel.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke:
Red in the face, body is hot, excessive sweating, sluggish
movement, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness/headache,cramps, and unable to urinate.

Squeeze Toy
1) First, make a funnel by rolling up a 10cmx10cm pieceof construction paper. Keep the cone in place by taping
the edge of the paper wrapped around the cone.
2) Insert the tip of the paper cone in to the balloon, thenfill the balloon with potato starch, rice, or beads. Then, tie
the tip of the balloon. (At this point, be sure that all of the
air from the balloon is deflated from the balloon)
3) Place the filled balloon in to a small cloth sock (A dog
or baby’s sock will work), then close it with a rubber band.
*Play with it by squeezing it.

How to Prevent Heat Stroke:
Hydrate frequently, wear a hat, wear clothes with good
air circulation, spend less time outside in hot and humid
weather, refrain from leaving children in the car bythemselves, and be cautious of heat from the ground.
When you Suspect it could be Heat Stroke:
Move your child to the shade and provide them withhydration and sodium (For sports drinks, dilute to a 1:2-3
ratio, for water, add a pinch of salt to 1 Liter of water), andelevate their legs. In order to lower the body temperature,
cover both arm pits,neck area, and groin area with ice*If your child is lethargic and unresponsive, take themto the doctors right away. Also, call for an ambulance
immediately if your child seems to lose consciousness, ishaving a seizure, or has a high fever of 40 C.

＊＊＊

6

Japanese Lesson
By Yoko Aoki

おねがいしますToday we will study about「おねがいします」.
「Noun（を）おねがいします」① When buying a product at a shop or ordering something at a restaurant*It is a politer expression to use compared to「Noun（を）ください」.
みっ● これ（を）おねがいします。

● このりんごを ３つおねがいします。

● カレーライスと オレンジジュースをおねがいします。
② When you want to receive something
みず

へ や● すみません。
｛ お水／部屋のかぎ ｝をおねがいします。
③ When making a request● これ（を）おねがいします。
（コンビニなどで）
れい

↓

し はら

たくはいびん

例：支払い／宅配便
しゅう り

はいたつ

よ やく

●｛ 修 理／配達／予 約 ／コピー ｝をおねがいします。
きんえんせききつえんせき●｛ 禁 煙席 ／ 喫 煙席 ｝をおねがいします（レストランなどで）に ほん ご●｛ もういちど／ゆっくり ｝おねがいします。
（日 本 語がわからないとき）
えい ご

ご●｛ 英 語で／〇〇語で｝おねがいします。

④ When meeting someone for the first time
● はじめまして。どうぞ よろしくおねがいします。
⑤ When telling the taxi driver your desired destination
とくしまえき● 徳島駅まで おねがいします。
⑥ When asking for someone● すみません、○○ さんをおねがいします。
Practice: Remember May’s Japanese Lesson and choose the appropriate answer.
Ex)

すみません。かさをかして（ください・ おねがいします）。
ひと

コーヒーを１つ（ください・ おねがいします）。
に ほん ごえい ご。
１）日 本 語が わかりません。英語で（ください・ おねがいします ）しゅう り２）スマートフォンの修 理を（ください・ おねがいします ）
。
りょう り

な まえ

３）この料 理の名前をおしえて（ください・ おねがいします ）。
ふた。
４）ハンバーガーを２つ（ください・ おねがいします ）いちまんえん

せんえんさつまい りょうがえ

５）一万円を千円札１０枚に両 替を（ください・ おねがいします ）。
Vocabulary:
たくはいびん

宅 配 便 = Home delivery service
予 約 = Reservation
一 万 円 = 10,000 yen

修 理 = Repair

コピー = Copy

スマートフォン = Smartphone
いちまんえんしゅう り

せんえんさつきんえんせきはいたつ

禁 煙 席 = Non-smoking seat

りょう り

な まえ

この料 理の名前 = Name of this dish

千円札 = 1,000 yen bill

し はら

支払い = Payment

配達 = Delivery		

りょうがえきつえんせき喫煙席 = Smoking seat

ハンバーガー = Hamburger

両 替 = exchange money３）くださいよ やく

オレンジジュース = Orange juice

Answers: １）おねがいします ２）おねがいします
４）ください・おねがいします ５）おねがいします

カレーライス = Curry and rice

7

Awa Shoku: Eat Japan Blue!

By Lance Kita

W

ith the rainy season soon to hit us withhumid, cloudy, moldy days, it’s easy to feela little blue. May I suggest…eating some Japan
Blue? “Japan Blue” is not some Asian berry, but
Japanese indigo (ai 藍 ). Yes, you heard me
correctly. How is it possible to eat the stuff thatcolors your jeans? Read on if you’re dye-ing tofind out.
Indigo had an important role in Tokushima’s
economic prosperity during the Edo period.
The banks of the Yoshino River have nurtured
crops of indigo plants since ancient times. By
the 1400s, there were records of indigo leaves
being shipped to the Kansai area, suggestingthat it was a profitable crop for the province thatwas in demand in more urban areas. Then, in the
mid-1500s, a process was introduced to ferment
and steam the dried leaves into a substancecalled sukumo ( 蒅 ) which yielded a superior
concentrated dyeing compound, and propelled
Awa Province (Tokushima’s former name) to be
the leading indigo-producing region in Japan
during the Edo Period (1600-1868). Towns like
Wakimachi ( 脇 町 ) (in present-day Mima City)
owe their luxurious udatsu ( うだつ ) architecture
to the prosperous sales of “Awa Ai.”
Unfortunately, the Meiji period brought an influxof imported indigo and synthetic compounds,
and Japanese indigo fell out of popularity. Today,
Tokushima still supplies the majority of thesukumo in Japan, but the areas of cultivation havegreatly decreased.
But can we eat indigo? There is a local saying:“Indigo farmers don’t get sick” (Aishokunin wa
byouki shirazu 藍職人は病気知らず ), and it turns
out that many of the farmers ate indigo leaves
as tempura, used the seeds in tea, and ate thesprouts as a side garnish with sashimi. Recent
research shows that indigo has many compounds
that have health benefits. It’s rich in vitamin C,
has almost four times the antioxidant properties of
blueberries, and may lower cholesterol. Traditional
medicine has used indigo for its anti-bacterial andanti-fungal properties.

Tea, candies, and sweets made with...Japan Blue??

One of the easiest ways to enjoy indigo is intea. Both the seeds and the dried leaves can besteeped in hot water. They are often combinedwith other teas to balance the flavor. Word ofcaution: Do not pick wild indigo leaves or seeds
for this. Buy products made expressly for drinking.
Another new development is powdered indigo.
Not only is this easier to digest, it can beincorporated into a variety of food products. Manyof the gift shops around Tokushima City feature
Japanese sweets, cookies, cakes, and candies
flavored with indigo. You can also buy the powder
itself and mix it into smoothies or sprinkle it into
your coffee, juice, tea, or any drink to fortify it. It’s
greenish-blue tint makes it a pleasant addition toa dip or dressing for vegetables. You can evenadd some to your cake, cookie, or bread doughfor homemaking that is colorful and healthy.
Many restaurants and cafes are starting to use
indigo as an ingredient, so be on the look out of
bluish chiffon cake, indigo-hued pasta, indigo
furikake ( ふ り か け ) to sprinkle over rice, andeven indigo ramen!
With a new avenue for using indigo, theawareness of this great natural product may
foster a greater re-appreciation of the dye and be
a ray of sunshine for Awa Ai. Be on the lookout for
edible indigo as you explore our prefecture.
(Some of the information comes from the www.
aisyokunin.com and japanblue-ai.jp websites.)

Events & Memoranda

82018 Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest
2018 徳島県日本語弁論大会

Overseas residents whose native language is not Japanese will be giving a speech in Japanese on
various topics such as cultural differences, their experiences with life in Tokushima, and more. Pleasecome watch and cheer on the participants! A tea party will follow after the contest.
When: July 22nd (Sun) Speech Contest: 13:30 - 16:30 Tea Party: 16:45-17:45
Where: Awagin Hall (Tokushima Prefecture Kyodo Bunka Kaikan) 5F
Info: 088-656-3303 TOPIA
Admission Fee: FREE

37th Beethoven Ninth Symphony Concert - 100th Anniversary
第 37 回ベートーヴェン「第九」交響曲演奏会 - 100 周年
When: June 2nd (Sat) 18:00- & 3rd (Sun) 13:00Where: Naruto City Culture Hall
Fee: Advance tickets: General Admission 		
2,000 yen, Students 500 yen
At the door: General Admission 		
2,500 yen, Students 500 yen*There will be a “Naruto Ninth Symphony”
Exchange After Party held after the concert at the
Citizen’s Hall.
Info: Ninth Symphony Brand Promotion OfficeTel:088-684-1224

日時 : 6 月 2 日（土）18 時開演
6 月 3 日（日）13 時開演
場所： 鳴門市文化会館
料金： 全席自由
前売【一般】2,000 円 【学生】500 円
当日【一般】2,500 円 【学生】500 円※演奏会終了後に「なるとの第九」アフター交流会を開催 （場所：市民会館）
問い合わせ：「第九」ブランド化推進室
TEL: 088-684-1224

Teramachi Japanese Iris Festival
寺町花しょうぶ祭り
Visit Teramachi Park to see approximately 3,000
Japanese iris in bloom!
When: June 10th (Sun) 9:30Where: Area surrounding Teramachi Park locatedin Mima Town, Mima City
Fee: Free
Info: Mima Tourism BureauTel:0883-53-8599

約 3000 本の花しょうぶが咲く寺町公園にお越しください♪
日時： 6 月 10 日 ( 日 ) 9：30 ～場所 : 美馬市美馬町寺町公園、その周辺
料金： 無料
問い合わせ：美馬観光ビューロー
TEL:

0883-53-8599

Hahagawa Firefly Festival
母川ほたる祭り
When: June 2nd (Sat) - 9th (Sat) 20:00-21:30
Where: Kaiyo-cho Takaen Hahagawa Riverbed
Fee: Takase boat: Adults 500 yen; Elementaryand middle school students 200 yen
Info: Kaiyo Town Tourism Association
Tel:
0884-76-3050

日時： 6 月 2 日（土）～ 9（土）20：00 ～ 21：30
場所： 海陽町高園 母川河川敷
料金： 高瀬舟 大人 500 円、小・中学生 200 円
問い合わせ： 海陽町観光協会
TEL： 0884-76-3050

9Events & Memoranda
Hisayabu Hydrangea Festival
久薮あじさい祭り

Many people visit this festival, held at theHisayabu Amida Hall, every year in June when
the hydrangeas are in full bloom.

毎年、あじさいが咲く 6 月に、久薮阿弥陀堂であWhen: June 17th (Sun)
Where: Hisayabu Amida Hall, Ichiu, Tsurugi Town
Fee: Free
Info: Tsurugi Town Commerce and Tourism
DivisionTel:0883-62-3111

日時： 6 月 17 日（日）じさい祭りが行われ、多くの方が訪れます。

場所： つるぎ町一宇字久薮 久薮阿弥陀堂
料金： 無料
お問合せ：つるぎ町商工観光課
TEL:

0883-62-3111

Multilingual Information Application
Important Information on Living in Japan on Hand
iOS/Android Application
The Council of Local Authorities (CLAIR) offers
free information for overseas residents living inJapan in 14 different languages through the iOS/
Android application “Japan Life Guide”. Use thisapplication for your day-to-day life and as a useful
guide during natural disasters.
Application Functions
Information on residence requirements, housing,education, and medical care through 17 different
topics with easy to understand explanations in
14 different languages can be found through thisapplication. When an earthquake over seismic

intensity 5 occurs, an Emergency Earthquake
Alert will be sent through this application in all 14
languages.
Information is offered in the following 14
languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish,Portuguese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Indonesian,Thai, German, French, Russian, Japanese (withfurigana), Easy Japanese
Download this application on your smartphone ortablet.
Web: http://www.clair.or.jp/tagengo/
iOS App Store/ Android Google Play: Search for“Japan Life Guide” or “ 多言語生活情報 ”

Yuki Abalone Market
由岐あわびの市
Besides selling fresh seafood there will also be
game and activity booths. The first 50 visitors will
receive an Abalone soup.

当日は、新鮮な魚介類の販売のほか、ゲーム・体験コーナーもあります。先着 50 名様にアワビ汁の振る舞います。

When: June 10th (Sun) 9:00-13:00
Where: In front of JR Yuki station
Info: Minami Town Chamber of CommerceTel:0884-78-0919

日時： 6 月 10 日（日）9 時～ 13 時
場所： JR 由岐駅前グラウンド
問い合わせ：美波町商工会
TEL： 0884-78-0919

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)