aWa life
Gairaigo Galore:
チケット

August 2021

Omatsu Daigongen
Shrine - A Cat Lover's
PurradiseEveryone, join the
Disaster Prevention
Center Study Tour!

Awa Shoku: To Eelor not to Eel... Unagi
Myths and Reality

# 370

1

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

August in Tokushima usually means Awa Odori, but this year as well the big festival won’t take place
due to the current situation. A smaller festival with pre-sale tickets, however, is planned and will mainly
take place at Awagin Hall. We hope that you are able to get some tickets for yourself! Another highlightwill be the Paralympic Games and the training camps for the German and Georgian teams in Tokushima. By the way, the Paralympics has its own torch relay and the celebrations will take place between
August 12th and 14th. Maybe the torch bearers will also pass by where you live? Have a wonderful August!
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:
Shiho Sano, Isao Kobayashi, Lance Kita, and Takako Yamada

2Contents

Pg. 2-3: Omatsu Daigongen Shrine - A Cat Lover's PurradisePg. 4:

Everyone, join the Disaster Prevention Center Study Tour!

Pg. 5:

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: 風鈴

Pg. 5:

Gairaigo Galore: チケット

Pg. 6:

Awa Shoku: To Eel or not to Eel... Unagi Myths and Reality

Pg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

ふうりん

Pg. 8-9: Events and Memoranda
Omatsu Daigongen Shrine - A Cat Lover's Purradise
By: Sydney Bartig

There is no shortage of cat lovers around theworld, especially in Japan. In fact, there areso many cute cat items to be found in Japan thatit’s like a paradise for cat lovers. It should thenbe no surprise that there are also many tourist
locations centered around cats. I personally lovefinding and visiting these places, such as the
Aoshima cat island in Ehime or Gotokuji Temple,
the origin
place of the
maneki neko
(beckoningcat), in Tokyo.
However, oneof my absolutef a v o r i t eplaces has tobe Omatsu
Daigongen
Shrine in
To k u s h i m a ’s
southern
region. There
are quite afew cat shrines scattered around Japan, but thisis one of the most interesting ones I’ve visited so
far!
Located in Kamocho of Anan City, Omatsu
Daigongen Shrine is a bit separated from
Tokushima City, but it’s certainly worth a visit.
The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive at theshrine is, no surprise, all the cat-related items! At
the entrance you will be greeted by an incrediblylarge, chubby white cat statue. He’s so cute you’ll
just want to hug him! On the shrine grounds are
multiple cat statues, such as a sasuri neko statuethat is said to cure illness when you rub the partof the cat that responds to where you are feelingunwell, cat versions of the seven lucky gods, anda cat Acalastatue.
There arealso over
10,000manekin e k ofigures of awide arrayof colorsthat arededicatedo n t h es h r i n egrounds,
there togreet you with their cute faces and raised paws
wherever you go. Cats are even featured on theema (wooden plaques) and omamori charms thatare for sale. For those who are so inclined, you
can also purchase a maneki neko for yourself.
Wherever you look there are cats to be found!
I’ve visited this shrine multiple times, and I always
feel like I notice something new or different each3

Omatsu Daigongen Shrine - A Cat Lover's Purradisetime. Make sure to keep an eye out for the little
details, like the tiny pawprints at the entrance ofthe shrine!
By the way, I’m sure many of you may have heard
about this already, but did you know that the colorof a maneki neko and which paw it has raised
actually have different meanings? A raised left
paw is to attract customers while a raised rightpaw is to attract money. The traditional maneki
neko color is the calico one, which is considered
to be the luckiest. However, there are also whiteones for happiness, black for warding off evil, pink
for love and romance, gold for wealth, etc. You
can find maneki neko of all colors around Omatsu
Daigongen Shrine!
While all the cat statues and cute cat items arecertainly enough to satisfy any cat lover on theirown, this shrine also has a very interesting legend
attached to it. Long ago the village experienced apoor harvest, and in order to save the village, thevillage headman took a loan from a wealthy man.
He faithfully repaid the loan, but the wealthy man

was corrupt and claimed he hadn’t received any
such repayments. The village headman ended
up dying in despair, and it was his wife Omatsu
who sought justice for this unfair event. However,when the case was heard, the wealthy man had
bribed the magistrate who then naturally ruledin his favor. Omatsu tried repealing the case to
the daimyo, but that was a forbidden act in thosetimes and she was sentenced to death. Before
her execution, Omatsu told of her woes andanger to her beloved pet cat who, after its owner’s
unrightful death, transformed into a bakeneko(lit. ‘changed cat’) and brought ruin to the corrupt
wealthy man and magistrate. (You can find a roomwith pictures and an explanation of this legend on
the shrine grounds!)

Nowadays, it is known as a shrine for victory andluck for passing entrance exams for schools. It’s
not unusual for students to visit and purchaseone of the shrine’s cute omamori before entrance
exams start in the hopes that it will bring themsome luck. The shrine is also affectionately known
as “nekogami-sama”, which literally means cat
god in Japanese.
For those interested in visiting this purrfect shrine,
it can admittedly be a bit difficult if you don’t havea car. However, luckily it is possible, and thereis actually a bus that stops directly in front of theshrine that runs from Anan Station! There’s also
another cat shrine located in Tokushima, albeit a
bit smaller than Omatsu Daigongen, for those whoare interested. It’s located at Bunka no Mori andis called Ouji Shrine. You can even find some realcats wandering about that shrine!

Everyone, join the Disaster Prevention Center Study Tour!
By: Shiho SanoR

ecently, when I watch the news and hear
about earthquakes, heavy rains, etc. I often
think, “There really is no place in Japan where
you are safe from natural disasters.” Aftershocks
from the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011
and the Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016 continue
to occur even in present day. Moreover, from the
beginning to the middle of July, Japan has beensustaining damage due to floods, overflowing
rivers, and landslides in the past years. These
disasters affect all of us and can occur at any
time, even in Tokushima. One such risk is the
Nankai Trough Earthquake along Japan’s Pacificcoast where it is estimated that Tokushima will
face huge damage. It is said that the probability ofa big earthquake occurring in the Nankai Troughin the next 30 years is about 70-80%.
The Disaster Prevention Center Study Touris an event where you can learn through firsthand experiences what earthquakes, tsunamis
etc. (which can occur at anytime) are actually
like and what actions we have to take in theevent of a disaster to protect our lives. Last year
I also participated in the Disaster Prevention
Center Study Tour which is organized by thePrefecture and TOPIA, and I was able to join

in various disaster simulations together withforeign residents living in Tokushima. I foundthe earthquake simulation to be particularly
impressive. We got on a special machine which
was designed like a kitchen and which simulateda shaking earthquake. During the shaking we
had to hold onto a handrail.The shaking was
so strong that I actually couldn’t stand without
holding onto the handrail. The earthquake

4

simulation included withstanding the quake while
protecting your head with a pillow, turning off thegas of the stove immediately after the shaking
stopped, and opening the door to evacuate.
Through the earthquake experience I reallylearned what to do to secure my safety during alarge-scale earthquake. Furthermore, I realized
the importance of fixing your room’s furniture to
the wall. Since desks and racks in the earthquake
simulator were firmly fixed to the wall to withstandthe shaking, I felt very safe during the simulation.
However, reality is quite different. The bookshelves and closets in my room were not fixed to
the wall to resist earthquakes, so I wasn’t sure if I
would really be safe if these tumbled over during
an earthquake. That’s why I fixed all my furniture
to the wall after the tour in a way that they would
not tumble over in the event of an earthquake.
How about the furniture in your room? Have you
already taken appropriate action to make yourapartment earthquake safe?
Apart from the earthquake simulation, you will
be able to experience other situations related todisasters you might have to face in the future,such as extinguishing a fire, and smoke andstorm simulations. It’s also a great chance togain knowledge about various disasters. Since a
Disaster Prevention Center Study Tour is planned
for September this year, why not join in?
*Check out page 8 for more information!

5

ふうりん

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner: 風鈴

By: Isao Kobayashi
きおん
いちばんたかつきあつなつ
8 月は、1 年のうちで 気温が 一番高くなる月です。あまりの暑さに、
「夏バテで
がつ

ねん

ひと

う

おお

じ

人が、多くなります。そして

き

すず

ふうりん

この時期になると、 涼やかなねいろ

風鈴の音色が

しんどい。
」とい
こい

恋しく

なってき

ます。
ふうりん

ちゅうごく

ふうたく

い

風鈴は、 中国の風鐸がもとになったと
てら

や

ね

寺の屋根に

ふうたく

つる

かまくら じ だ い

ま吊すようになりました。そして鎌倉時代には魔除けとしてふうりんになり、風鈴と呼ぶようになりました。
てつ

どう

かたち

ねいろ

さまざま

風鈴は、ガラスや鉄、銅などでできていて、形も音色も
なつ

暑い夏を

にほん

つた

よ

いえ

のきさき

家の軒先に

つる

吊すよう

よ

ふうりん
あつ

ぶっきょう

言われています。その風鐸が仏教とともに日本に伝わり、お

かざ

にんき

すこ

すず

す

少しでも

涼しく

過ごせるように、皆さんもみな

様々で、飾りとしても人気があります。

ふうりん

かざ

風鈴を

飾ってみませんか。

Vocabulary List
ふうりん

wind chime

風鈴
こいlonged for

恋しい
ぶっきょう

仏教

Buddhism

かまくら じ だ い

鎌倉時代
てつ

鉄

iron

なつ

夏バテ
ふうたく

どう

銅

伝わる

copperチケット (ticket)
By: Sydney Bartig

き時期 season

すず

ねいろ

涼やかな cool

音色 timbrebronze wind chimes hanging from eaves of temple towers or halls

風鐸
つた

Kamakura period

じheat illness
be handed down
ま

よ

魔除け
さまざま

様々

てら

お寺

や

amulet to ward off evil spirits

variousかざ

飾り ornamentsねつる

屋根 rooftempleのきさき

軒先

吊す hangeavesにんき

人気 popular

Gairaigo Galore

This month’s gairaigo is a very simple one to guess the meaning of– チケット This is of course from the word ‘ticket’, and the meaning
should be pretty clear. However, what’sinteresting
about this word
き っ ぷ
けんis its differences between words like 切 符 and 券 . If you look in adictionary or in your textbook, they will all be translated as ‘ticket’,with no real distinctions between their usage. I didn’t really think
about their differences either until I happened to go with a coworker
toa soccer game. I happened to call the tickets she had purchased
きっぷ
切符 , but was quickly corrected and told that I should use チケット
instead. However, I didn’t really understand why because in my mind they were all ‘tickets’.
Although all of these things mean ‘tickets’, what they are used for does actually differ. The katakana
word チケット is now often used forき tickets
such as concert tickets, sports tickets, plane tickets,っぷ
けんetc. However, interestingly the word 切符じょうしゃけん
is still used for train tickets. Additionally,
there
is
also
券
にゅうじょうけん
which you may hear for words such as 乗 車 券 (a train or bus ticket) or 入 場 券 (an entrance
ticket). With words like this one of the best ways to know which ‘ticket’ to use is to listen to others
and try and copy what they use!

Awa Shoku: To Eel or not to Eel... Unagi Myths and Reality

By: Lance Kita
illets of eel, grilled over charcoal with juicy
meat and crispy luscious skin, glazed with asweet soy glaze… unagi 鰻 grilled kabayaki 蒲
焼き style is one of my favorite Japanese foods.
There are specialized unagi restaurants, and thestandard order is una-ju うな重 , grilled eel overrice in rec-tangular boxes. The price changes
depending on how much eel you’d like. Try
sprinkling some Japanese pepper (sansho 山椒 )for a tingling aromatic accent to the rich sweeteel. With a set meal, you will often get kimosui
肝吸い (clear broth with a piece of eel liver), andsometimes you might get a side dish like umaki 鰻
巻き (rolled omelet with grilled eel in the center) or
uzaku うざく (slices of grilled eel and cucumber
with a vinaigrette and ginger). Many connoisseurs
will order shirayaki 白 焼 き , grilled eel without
the glaze, served withwasabi and soy sauce.

F

6Rivers. Even today, you can see small boats
floating in pools of bright yellow light roaming
around the mouth of the Yoshino River in winter,searching for elvers that can fetch up to 200,000
yen per kilogram! From the 1970s, imported eelsfrom Asia supplemented a growing nationwide
demand, peaking in the 1990s and 2000s.
Unfortunately, there has been a severe drop in
the amount of elvers harvested in Japan, andthe Japanese eel is considered an endangered
species, yet consumer pressure by convenience
stores and supermarkets for Day of the Ox sales
is spurring more eel imports, further straining
populations here and elsewhere.

So are the days of eating eels over? Eelrestaurants areimportant because of
the specific set of skills
Many Japanese willneeded to properly
tell you that grilled eel
filet and grill the eels,
is perfect for summer
and they usually limit
because it relieves
the amount they sellfatigue, and should be
and set a higher priceeaten on a special day
discouraging masscalled Doyo ushi no hi
consumption. A simple
土用丑の日 , the Day of
moratorium would
the Ox during Doyo (18put these sustainable
days between seasons).
shops out of business,
In 2021, it was on Julyleading to mass28 (some years haveconsumption production
Unagi... the sweet, smoky flavor of summer
two days). The origins of why
i f p o p u l a t i o n s r e c o v e r.
eel is eaten is unclear, but the most popular story There have been some major advances in farming
has Shikoku roots. Hiraga Gennai 平 賀 源 内 , a recently, including the raising of elvers from eggs.
famous Edo period inventor from Kagawa, is said So if you love unagi like me, I recommend:
to have helped an unagi restaurant owner to drum ① Avoid the consumerized Day of the Ox (actually,up sales during the slow summer season. He unagi in autumn taste better because it hasposted a sign that said “Today is the Day of the higher fat content); ② Limit your unagi meals to
Ox” and customers rolled in, possibly because one or two a year; ③ Choose domestic eel overpeople believed foods starting with “ う u” should imported eel; ④ Eat at a specialized restaurant
be eaten on Ushi no hi. And the rest is (urban (many good ones are in Naruto City, Matsushige
legend) history.
Town, Anan City, and Naka Town) and avoid unagi
at kaiten sushi, convenience stores, and other
Eel farming started in the Meiji Period (1868-1911) places that sell imported eel.
by harvesting young elvers from river mouths
and raising them to maturity over 6-18 months. Unagi is truly a delicacy worth saving for future
In 1960, lotus root farmers in Matsushige Town savoring. I want to continue to eat my favorite
and Naruto City suffered crop blight, and some Japanese dish well into the future, so I encourage
converted their flooded fields into eel farms with everyone to make sustainable choices to allow
elvers from the nearby Yoshino and Imagire that to happen.

7Japanese Lesson

By:Takako Yamada

Casual Japanese Expressions 2
しゅくやくけい2. 縮 約形①ておきます→ときますておく→とく②てしまいます→ちゃいますてしまう→ちゃう③てはいけません→ちゃいけません
ではいけません→じゃいけない／／てはいけない→ちゃいけない
ではいけない→じゃいけない

うんてんちゅう＊運転中、でんわをかけてはいけません→かけちゃいけない
うんてんちゅうみ＊運転中、よそ見をしてはいけません→しちゃいけない
うんてんちゅう

さけ＊運転中、お酒をのんではいけません→のんじゃいけない④なければなりません→なきゃ・なくちゃなりません／なければならない→なきゃ・なくちゃないといけません →ないといけない→ないと
べんきょう

べんきょう

べんきょう

＊あしたテストだから、勉強しなければなりません→勉強しなきゃ／勉強しなくちゃ。
＊もっとがんばらないといけません→もっとがんばらないと
Let's practice. Try converting the following sentences into ていねいな形 (polite form).
ほんだな

かえ

1.

テキストは、本棚に、返しといて。

2.

あしたまでに、この資料、読んどいて。

し りょう

よ

ぜん ぶ た3. ごめん、おかし、全部食べちゃった。
4.

どこかにさいふをおとしちゃった。

5.

ここで、写真を撮っちゃいけないよ。

6.
7.
8.

しゃしん

と

よるおそ

そと

夜遅くまで

外で遊んじゃいけない。

かい ぎ

あそ

はじ

会議が始まるから、はやくいかなくちゃ。
あしたまでに、レポートをださないと。

Answers

ほんだな

かえ

1.

テキストは、本棚に、返しておいてください。

2.

あしたまでに、この資料、読んでおいてください。

し りょう

よ

ぜん ぶ た3. すみません、おかしを全部食べてしまいました。
4. どこかにさいふをおとしてしまいました。
しゃしんと

5. ここで、写真を撮ってはいけませんよ。
6.
7.
8.

よるおそ

そと

夜遅くまで

外で遊んではいけません。

かい ぎ

あそ

はじ

会議が始まるから、はやくいかなければなりません。
あしたまでに、レポートをださないといけません。

Events & Memoranda
Tokushima Prefectural Disaster
Prevention Center Study Tour8

The chance of the Great Nankai Trough Earthquake occurring increases every year. If the earthquake
occurs, what will you do?
Tokushima Prefecture Government, in conjunction with the Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA) is proud to announce a study tour for foreign residents at the Tokushima
Prefecture Disaster Center to provide information on what to do in case of a natural disaster.
During this study tour you will be able to experience simulated earthquakes, strong winds, and learn
how to extinguish a fire. Let’s learn about the importance of disaster prevention.
Date:

September 26th, Sunday 13：00 ～ 16:00
13:00 － Leave Tokushima Station by bus for the center
13:30 － Disaster Prevention Center Experience
16:00 － Arrive at Tokushima Station by bus

Location:

Tokushima Prefecture Disaster Center (Kitajima-town, Tainohama Aza Onishi 165)

Target:Foreign Residents in Tokushima Prefecture

Details:

Disaster prevention lecture, disaster prevention guidance via video, simulation ofstrong winds / earthquakes, fire fighting, etc(English interpretation is provided. Chinese/Vietnamese interpretations may beprovided.)

No. Places:

20 people

Cost:

Free

Applications: Please send in the following information by email to the address below. You can also
apply by sending the same information by fax or postcard.
① Name② Gender		③ Address④ Nationality⑤ Phone number⑥ E-mail address⑦ Occupation
Deadline:

September 16th (Thu.)

Attention:

Please make sure to wear a mask.
There is a chance that this study tour may be cancelled due to COVID-19.

Send Applications To:
E-mail:coordinator1@topia.ne.jp
FAX: 		
(088) 652-0616
Postcard:
Koekizaidan Hojin Tokushima-ken Kokusai Koryukyokai (TOPIA)		
Clement Plaza 6F, 1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City,
770-0831
					For more information, please contact Ms. Kimura at (088) 656-3303.

9

Events & Memoranda
Pencil-Drawn Art Exhibition of the Haba Mini Shikoku
88 Temple Pilgrimage by Yasumasa Sue
端四国八十八箇所霊場 須恵泰正鉛筆画展～結願～

An art exhibition by Yasumasa Sue, an artist
born and currently residing in Tokushima, will
be held at the Naruto German House this year
for the 5th time. His illustrations, which are both
detailed and delicate, are all done in pencil, andthey look just as beautiful as a real photograph.
The “Haba Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage” isan approximately 80 km miniature pilgrimage
between Mima District, Tsurugi Town and Higashi
Miyoshi Town. He began sketching the temples
in June of 2014, and finally finished after 7 years
and 2 months! The exhibition will feature all thetemples from number 1 to number 88.
When: August 1st (Sun.) – August 31st (Tue.)*Closed on August 23rd (Mon.)
9:30 – 17:00 (Last entrance is at 16;30)
Where: Naruto German House
2nd Floor Exhibition Room
Fee: Adults 400 Yen / Children 100 Yen
Inquiries: Naruto German House
TEL: 088-689-0099
URL: http://doitsukan.com/info/

徳島県出身・在住の画家、須恵泰正氏のイラスト展を開催。ドイツ館では今年で 5 回目となる。繊細かつ精密なタッチで描かれたイラストは、すべて鉛筆で描かれており、まるで写真のように美しい。
「端 ( はば ) 四国八十八箇所」とは、徳島県
美馬郡つるぎ町と東みよし町にまたがる全長 80ｋｍのミニチュア版霊場。2014 年 6 月からお堂の鉛筆画をコツコツと描き続け、7 年 2 カ月の月日を経てついに結願！会期中は、1 番から 88 番まで全ての作品を展示する。
日時：8 月 1 日（日）～ 8 月 31 日（火）※ 8 月 23 日（月）は休館日
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

問い合わせ：鳴門市ドイツ館
TEL：088-689-0099
URL: http://doitsukan.com/info/

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)