KCC NEWS Vol.100 1st, August, 2024

Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center

August, 2024

Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center,Palette Kashiwa
1-7-1-301 Kashiwa,
Kashiwa,Chiba,Japan 277-0005■TEL: 04-7157-0281 ■FAX: 04-7165-7321■E-MAIL: kcc@kira-kira.jp■URL: https: //www.kcc.kira-kira.jp

Vol.
100

2024 (the 15th) Youth Delegates to Chengde
Kashiwa City celebrated the 40th anniversary of its
friendship city affiliation with Chengde City in Hebei Province,
China, last year. The exchanges of youth delegations had
been interrupted due to the new corona infection control
measures, but we were finally able to resume the program
after five years. Five students were selected for the program:
Miwa Hashimoto, Norika Isayama, Nene Konno, Fubuki
Umemiya, and Mari Kumagaya. The leader of the delegation is
Mr. Masahiko Arai, and the deputy leader is Mr. Shigehiro
Youth delegates and adult leaders
Koseki. The students will learn about China and the knowledge necessary for exchanges in five orientation
meetings. They are leaving Japan on August 22nd and crossing the Great Wall of China to Rehe (the oldname of the region) . The delegates will experience life in a foreign country through homestays andinteract with the people of Chengde in a variety of programs. As the saying goes, “ one eye- witness isbetter than many hearsays, ” and we hope that the students will return home on August 27th having
learned and grown through the precious experience.

Zoom and Communication - Making the Best Use of Voice Tone and Language
D August 15 (Thu) 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
L Ms. Kumiko Yamaguchi, ITC- J Instructor
Participation method: Online (Zoom)
F FreeA Directly at the KCC office window by August 14 (Wed), or by email to <boshu-1@kira-kira.jp>.
Include your name and phone number. We will send a URL to join on the day of the event.

International Exchange Bus TourWe will walk in Akebonoyama Park and pick pears as we enjoy the nature of Kashiwa.
D August 31 (Sat) 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Meet: In front of Shimizu Megane (eye-glasses) Shop on Sunsun Street at Kashiwa Station East
Exit
Eligibility: Kashiwa residents, students, and those who work in Kashiwa city F 2,000 yen
A Directly at the KCC office window from August 1 (Thu), or by email to <boshu-1@kira-kira.jp>.

Multiculturalism: A Lawyer’s Perspective--- Differences Between Foreigners and Japanese as Experienced in a Law Practice (6/20)
Lawyer Satoshi Tamama deals with a diverse range of foreign cases on a daily basis. From his talk, welearned about new information that we would never know about in our daily lives. We learned about“Houterasu” and the “Commissioned Assistance Services by Japan Federation of Bar Associations,” where
people with legal problems can consult and are guided toward a solution. “ Houterasu” means “ to cast alight on those who seek advice, ” and it provides free legal advice and assistance, such as the advancepayment of legal fees, to those who are in financial trouble. In addition, the “ Commissioned Assistance
Services by Japan Federation of Bar Associations” supports those who are unable to use Houterasu.
<Request> When applying via email, please be sure to include the event name,your name, and phone number.
DDate & Time PPlace FFee NNumber of applicants LLecturer CContents AApplication RReservation.

KCC NEWS Vol.100 1st, August, 2024

Kashiwa International Exchange Week 2024 (6/24 - 6/30)

W e held an event for foreign residents, international students, and Kashiwa citizens to talk abou t their hom ecountries u nder the topic of “disasters.”
6/24 The first day started w ith tw o Am ericans online and two from Taiwan . The A m ericans told us interestingdetails abou t their volu nteering exp erience w hen providing onsite su pport after the Great East Japan Earthqu ake.
In Taiw an, disaster prevention alerts are based on the assum ption of attacks from overseas, and drills are
condu cted to prepare for su ch attacks. W e w ere surprised to hear that the people in Taiw an are not particu larly
stocked u p against natu ral disasters, since w ell- equipped evacuation centers have been set u p in variou slocations and w ater tanks are available at m any places.
6/ 25 Three Chinese joined u s to discu ss disasters in China and Japan. One of them told us that du ring theGreat East Japan Earthqu ake, she w as su rp rised by big trem ors in Kashiwa and went to the evacuation site,which w as an elem entary school, only to find that she was the only one who had evacuated. The episode m ade
us realize that w e Japanese are accu stom ed to earthquakes. W e also heard from one of the Kashiwa citizens
about the differences in how to deal w ith the city gas and the propane gas system s. It was a good experience for
us to have discu ssions in a friendly atm osphere.
6/26 M ulticultural Seminar: The lectu rer, Mr. Hatsuo Sugishita, talked about the situations of foreigners w ho
encou ntered disasters in the Great Kanto Earthquake, the Great Hanshin-A w aji Earthquake, the Great East Jap an
Earthqu ake, and the N oto Peninsu la Earthqu ake. All the episodes were very
interesting and m ade u s think abou t the history of disasters and foreigners incalam ities. W e realized that foreigners w ho do not understand Japanese
language are vu lnerable in tim es of disaster. It is im portant to plan how toshare the inform ation abou t disasters w ith foreigners in our daily life.
6/ 26 Online Refugee W orkshop : The w orkshop began w ith the qu estionof “ Are people w ho fled their cou ntry after a natu ral disaster in their own
cou ntry refu gees? ” u nder the them e of “ Refu gees and Disasters. ” A fter alecture on the basics of refu gees, w e looked at the “ Kashiwa City Disaster
Preparedness Map ” and discu ssed w hat inform ation is necessary and easy tou nderstand for foreigners. The p articipants p raised the story of people on
International students watchingprovisional release, w ho help ed to su p port a cookou t in the Noto Peninsula “Kashiwa City Disaster Preparedness Map”
earthquake-stricken area, recalling the tragic situ ation in their own country
during the civil war.
6/ 27 The learners of Japanese langu age classes from China and thePhilipp ines, and a Spanish interp reter at the City Hall talked about disasters
in their hom e cou ntries. They have experienced typhoons, floods, etc. One
who experienced an earthqu ake in Japan for the first tim e said, “I w as reallyterrified." It is very reassu ring for them to have Japanese language teachers
and Jap anese friends.
6/ 28 W e exchanged opinions w ith people w ho have long experience ofsu pporting and living abroad regarding disaster responses and crisis
Discussing disaster preparedness
m anagem ent in daily life in foreign cou ntries, based on their personalwith international students
experiences. Everyone actively particip ated in the discussion and it was avery m eaningfu l exp erience. To su m u p , w e realized the im portance ofbuilding close relationships w ith local people when we are abroad, and ofdevelop ing close ties w ith foreigners in Japan.
6/ 29 Let' s interact with international students! Through the exchangewith international stu dents ( 5 cou ntries) from neighboring universities, welearned abou t disasters in their hom e cou ntries and their m easures against
such disasters, and their disaster experiences in Japan. Then, we discu ssed
what to prepare and how to act w hen a disaster occurs. One of theinternational stu dents said, “ I learned the im portance of greeting neighbors
Shadow show, “ Three Bears”
m yself first on a daily basis. They helped m e during the disaster.” That w asa very im pressive com m ent.
6/30 A Shadow Show “The Three Bears” Many children w atched the shadow show “The Three Bears.” They
were delighted w ith the w orld of the shadow theater, and m ade shadows of foxes and dogs with their ow n hands,
which they did for the first tim e. They also enjoyed a paper cup gam e and a balloon relay.

Foreign Residents' Life Experience Seminar (7/4)
A seminar was held for foreign residents to discuss their daily life in Japan, including problems and difficulties
they encountered. We heard about the trouble that they had when calling an ambulance by dialing 119, but it
took a long time to get to the hospital. We also learned that they can go directly to a hospital that operates atnight in their home country but this is not possible in Japan. A participant requested that KCC prepare a map of
Kashiwa City hospitals that provide foreign language assistance.

KCC NEWS Vol.100 1st, August, 2024

Camden and Origami That Enriched My Life

Higashi Katsukawa, 2014 Camden Exchange Student

Camden Exchange
I became an exchange student when I was a first- year high school student. I
applied because I saw a recruitment flyer at Nishogakusha Kashiwa High School,
which I attended at the time. Until then, I had only been involved in school- related
activities and had no overseas experience. I wanted to experience other worlds andcultures. The world and people I saw appeared very large to me. Feeling this way, I
was warmly welcomed by my host family, conversed in a foreign language, andenjoyed my two weeks there, which boosted my confidence and personal growth.
Equally impressive were the fellow exchange students, who seemed very mature.
Although the reasons for applying were likely similar, interacting with and becoming
friends with such autonomous peers had a profound impact on me. I also cannot
forget the performance we gave. As I was skilled in origami, I was tasked with Mr. Higashi Katsukawa
making a giant origami while the other exchange students performed a dance. This experience became thefoundation for my activities in promoting origami.
My Journey with Origami
As an origami artist, I am dedicated to both creating expressive origami works
and promoting the value of origami. My interest in origami began when myparents gave me, a bug lover, a challenging origami book on beetles, as I loved
making shuriken, ninja stars, in kindergarten. I continued practicing origami andaimed to enter the University of Tokyo because it had an origami club andbecause my name was Higashi. During my time at the university, I improved myorigami skills and, in my fourth year during the COVID- 19 pandemic, I led the
University of Tokyo Origami Circle Orist in publishing "Todai Origami," and I put
more effort into promoting origami. Origami has educational value. Throughorigami, I developed multifaceted understanding skills, which allowed me tograduate from the University of Tokyo’ s Faculty of Law even if I did not go tocram schools. Although I didn' t particularly like school, encountering origami
gave me the ability to live enjoyably in a modern society that is unreasonable andfull of challenges. With these thoughts, I have published "Hajimete no Muzukashii
A piece of origami
Origami" ( KADOKAWA) and served as a director of the Kashiwa- no- ha Art &Innovation School. While I am active as an artist, I aim to make origami more than just a “children’s game”
by helping many people rediscover the benefits of origami.
To Middle and High School Students
Recently, it seems that creativity and originality are often demanded, and many people struggle with theidea that they have to create from "nothing." In most cases, something is born from a trigger that should
be called "minimal" rather than "nothing." It's important to be alert to such "minimal" triggers and not missthem when you encounter them. I am now exploring various worlds through origami, but looking back, theCamden exchange was my first opportunity to step out into the world. I gained this opportunity by
noticing the Camden exchange flyer and seizing the opportunity to participate in the program. My
encounter with origami in kindergarten, my desire to improve, and my wish to utilize its value have been
the greatest factors in generating various "minimal" triggers. During student days, one can easily be swept
along the path to university entrance exams. However, by looking at the world outside of yourself andnoticing new interests and situations, life becomes richer. I hope you will find something that broadens
your world, just as the Camden exchange and origami did for me.
Thank you for your donation to the Taiwan earthquake relief fund.
We have donated ¥45,000 (as of July 15) to the certified NPO Peace Winds Japan ("Flying Search andMedical Team ARROWS").

Upcoming Events (from September)

Lecture by a member of the Mexican Embassy (9/21)
Kashiwa de International Exchange Festa 2024 (10/14)
Halloween Party (10/27)

Barbecue (9/29)
Chengde Visit Tour (10/24 - 10/29)

KCC NEWS Vol.100 1st, August, 2024

Japanese Shonan Classes(Summer Vacation July 22-August 31)
Online Classes
Sat

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Sun 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary II(Unit 46~)
Minna no Nihongo , Primary I(Unit24~) and Intermediate (Unit1~)

In-person Classes (Shonan Community Center)
Thu 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I(Unit 18~) and Primary Ⅱ(Unit30~)

Sun 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I(Unit 8~)(Unit 19~)

Japanese Kashiwa/Kashiwanoha Classes(Summer Vacation July 23-August 31)
Online Classes
Tue 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I (Unit 19 - )Wed 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Conversation Elementary （Level 2）

Wed 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary II (Unit 42 - )Thu 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Conversation Elementary (Level 2)

Fri

7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Minna no Nihongo ,Primary Ⅱ (Unit 43 - )Sat

9:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Conversation Intermediate
In-person Classes (Palette Kashiwa)

Tue 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Hiragana, Katakana

Tue 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Beginners, Minna no Nihongo, Primary 1 (Unit 6~)

Tue 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I（Unit 11 - ）Sat

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I（Unit 3 - ）Sat

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary II (Unit 40 - )In-person Classes (Kashiwanoha Service Corner)
Thu 10:00 a.m .- 11:30 a.m.

Hiragana, Katakana

Thu 10:00 a.m .- 11:30 a.m.

Conversation Elementary Former・Latter

Sat

Intermediate

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Free Legal Advice and Administrative Procedure Support for Foreign Residents

To foreign residents. Are you in need of help? Lawyers and administrative procedure specialists areavailable for consultation. You can ask for specialists’ advice on issues such as family or partner violence,
divorce, visa procedures, and problems at work. Reservation necessary.
D Augest 28 (Wed), 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. P Palette Kashiwa Room A R the KCC officeInformation from Other Organizations

KIRA Member Training Session: "Mandatory Real Property Registration Due to Inheritance"
D Saturday, August 10, 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. L Masanobu Suzuki, Judicial Scrivener
P Palette Kashiwa, Multi-purpose Space A
R Directly at the KCC office or by email to < boshu-1@kira-kira.jp>

Information for Foreign Residents from Kashiwa City

Consultation for Foreign Residents

Email distribution service from Kashiwa City

Sign up to receive email announcement from the city,
Available in English (Thu), Chinese(Wed and Fri), Spanish (Mon), and such as information on natural disasters, crimes, and firesof your area in the language of your choice. Scan the QR
Korean (2nd and 4th Tue) from1: 00 p. m. to 5: 00 p. m. at the code and register!
Consultation Counter for ForeignMultilingual “Koho Kashiwa,” monthly official city bulletin
Residents ( City Hall Main Office
Building, 3rd floor).
Scan the QR code and select your language under “ Foreign
Tel: 04 - 7168 – 1033
Language” to read the official city bulletin, “Koho Kashiwa,” selected
No reservation required.
and translated for foreign residents.

Links for Multilingual News & BOSAI INFO (Disaster prevention and Coronavirus)
NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Questions?
Please contact the office ofKashiwa Cross-cultural Center (KCC)

Tel: 04-7157-0281
Fax: 04-7165-7321
Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Closed on Sundays and national holidays

KCC Newsletter Edited and Published by: Public Relations Division of General Affairs Committee in Kashiwa International Relations
Association (KIRA), the specified non-profit organization and the designated administrator of Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center (KCC)