KCC NEWS Vol.96 1st, April, 2024

Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center

April, 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.
96

Recruitment of the Student Delegation to Chengde CityW hile staying with a host family, you will
experience Chinese history and culture andstudent life through exchanges with young
people in China.
D6 days from August 22 (Thu) to August 27(Tue)
Destination: Chengde City ( Hebei Province,
China)At the summer resort in 2017 Visited Hebei Toursim Vocational
N8 ( Those who live or attend school inCollege in 2017
Kashiwa and were born between April 2, 2002, and April 1, 2009.)
FApproximately 130,000 yen
AFill out the application form distributed at the information session and send it to the KCC office by mail(must arrive in time) or bring it to the office from May 7 (Tue) to May 28 (Tue).
Selection: July 7 (Sun) (Interviews included.)<Information Session> DMay 5 (Sun) from 10:00 a.m.
PPalette Kashiwa. Applicants must attend the session.
*For more information, including application requirements, please visit the KCC website.
Inquiries: KCC Office“The Extended Geography of Chile from North to South”
DApril 13 (Sat) 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. PPalette Kashiwa, Meeting Rooms A & B
CThe Republic of Chile is a country with a total length of approximately 4300 km
from north to south. Its varied nature, history, and food culture will be introduced.
There will also be quizzes on Chile. W e look forward to your participation.
LDr. Joaquin Armijo ( Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe,
University of Tokyo) *The lecture will be given in English (with an interpreter).
N50 F400 yen ADirectly at the KCC office, or email to <boshu-1@ kira-kira.jp>“Casual Fun World Café”

Dr. Joaquin
ArmijoW e will learn fun and creative group discussion methods.
DApril 18 （ Thu） ８ :00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
LMs. Yukari Saiki, Professor and Director of Language Education Center, Tokai University
FFree NFirst 30 applicants
AAt the KCC office or by e-mail to <boshu-1@kira-kira.jp>.
Include your name and phone number. You will receive a URL to join on the day of the event.
Donation for the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake
Everyone is deeply concerned about the Noto Peninsula earthquake on January 1, and we have set up
a donation box in front of the KCC office for the “2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.” We would like to
ask for your continued warm cooperation and support.
<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.96 1st, April, 2024

“Communicating Across Generations" (2/15)

Thirty-one participants learned how to communicate with each other to overcome the generation gap. Ms. Lois
Mark, who has lived in Japan for 38 years and has been involved in English education, spoke about the reality ofJapanese communication and how it has changed. In the Breakout Room session, there were exchanges of
opinions that today's young people interact mostly through social networking services, and that abbreviations andcoined words are commonplace, making it difficult for older people to understand them. On the other hand, fromthe younger generation's point of view, they sometime lose their nerve due to the older generation's use of difficult
words and logical thinking. However, we learned that language is living and changing, and that it is important to
try to understand each other without giving up by saying that we “don’t get it.” It was interesting that the lecturer
suggested one of the best opportunities for intergenerational communication is New Year' s Day, when parents,
children, grandchildren, and others of different ages gather together.

Incense Making Experience (2/25)

Thirteen participants, including four foreigners, experienced traditional
Japanese incense culture. The instructor gave a detailed explanation about
the history and characteristics of incense, its types, and how to use them,and after that, we enjoyed typical incense scents. Since we do not normally
have opportunities to experience many different scents, everyone was
nodding their heads in appreciation, feeling the differences in smell ofvarious types of incense. At the end of the session, participants made theirown favorite fragrance and took it home in the form of fumiko . ( Fumiko is
incense in a Japanese washi paper bag, which is inserted in a letter or abook to enjoy its shifting fragrance. It is believed that the fragrance has the
Enjoying the incensewith the instructor's explanation
power to purify and ward off evil spirits.) The participants commented thatthe session was a good opportunity to experience Japanese culture as they do not usually have a chance to enjoy
incense, and that they were glad to be able to create their own favorite fragrance after enjoying a variety of smells.
It was a friendly exchange surrounded by the pleasant aroma of incense.

Multicultural Seminar “May We Live Happily Together!”(3/2)

Ms. Saji Nishijima from Sri Lanka was the lecturer. The seminar proceeded
in a friendly atmosphere with Sri Lankan tea and homemade sweets.
Ms. Nishijima graduated from a university in Sri Lanka with support fromJapan, received further support from Japan to obtain a doctorate from aJapanese graduate school, and now works at the Children' s Education
Division of the Sammu City Board of Education. She also focuses on
supporting foreign residents in Japan. Through her talks about the issues
that foreigners in Japan encounter and the things she wishes for foreigners
and Japanese, we understood her strong wish that everyone, both foreigners
and Japanese, live happily together.
Ms. Saji Nishijima
Also, the speech by Mr. J. R. Jayewardene, “ Hatred Ceases Not by Hatred,
But by Love,” was introduced. He represented Ceylon ( now Sri Lanka) at the San Francisco Peace Conference in
1951. The seminar was also an opportunity to learn about the postwar history of Japan.

Early Spring Exchange Walking Tour and Hina Doll Exhibition (3/3)
On the day of the Doll Festival, a warm and sunny day in early spring, nine
participants including international students from the University of Tokyo(from New Zealand and China) and five staff members enjoyed an exchange
walking tour from Kashiwanoha Campus Station to the Hina Doll exhibitions
at the Former Yoshida Residence Historical Park and Daidoin temple.
Participant’ s Comment: First time to participate in an exchange walking
tour. The Former Yoshida Residence is a proud asset of Kashiwa City,
designated as a National Important Cultural Property. W ith its beautiful
straw roof and massive zelkova architecture, its high ceilings provide arefreshing atmosphere. The beautiful flowers and paintings in each room
Hina Doll Display in the backand the bamboo garden were in perfect harmony with each other. There is a
at Former Yoshida Residence
wonderful guide in the museum who speaks fluent English and Japanese.
The hina dolls were stunning works of art with a touch of history and dignity. Adorable hanging ornaments weredisplayed throughout the museum, and we had a chance to talk with the creator of the ornaments. W e then went
on to the Daidoin temple, where we were also able to see the obi display. It was a wonderful day that I felt was areward from God.

KCC NEWS Vol.96 1st, April, 2024

Are You Ready To Speak English?

Riho Fujita (The recipient of the Kashiwa Mayor' s Award at The 13th English Speech Contest)
Today I skipped my math class in cram school for this speech contest,
although I’ m having an entrance exam in a couple of weeks. In thisspeech, I would like to tell you “ Why English is making the students
suffer so much” based on my experiences.
In the very first English class in Junior high school, we sang the ABC
song. At first everyone thought this was too easy and were all
disappointed. However, when I flipped through a few pages of the newtext book, I was surprised to see pictures and articles of Stevie Wonder
already. The students are required to understand the text without
enough vocabulary. W hen I was small, It took years to learn how tolisten, read, write and speak English. On the other hand, this curriculum
requires everyone to do all of this in a few weeks.
No matter how hard you try, improving your level in a new language
won't happen overnight. Isn't the lack of basics the biggest difference
between English and other subjects?
Some students may be pessimistic about the difficult situation and say
Ms. Riho Fujitathat they don't like English.What I want everyone to understand is thatthey don't actually hate English, they just wish they could speak it more fluently. But many students can't
do that. W hat caused this issue?
According to what my English teacher explained, the English classes in elementary school were to getused to English. After we did, we start learning grammar in junior high school. But hold on. Really? Are
the children able to get used to English just with the classes in elementary school?
From my experience, to learn a new language, it’s important to have the chance to speak at the righttime. Furthermore it is said that it takes 2000 hours of input for a person to speak a language.
Therefore, I thought about the amount of time elementary school students actually spend time withEnglish with the once a week English class. According to my calculation, when we subtract the timeteachers demonstrate in Japanese, students spend about less than 20 hours every year. If we are going tolearn English 2000 hours, we have to go to elementary school for 100 years.
When it comes to this topic, some people may think I'm talking about early English education, but that's
not what I'm here to discuss about.
Let's now change our perspective from the domestic to the global scale.
There are many countries that are multilingual, so it’s not so impossible to master multiple languages.
By the time they graduate from elementary school, all of the children will be able to speak English.
What I want to convey is that rather than discussing domestic issues, we should first compare thecurrent situation in Japan with the diversity of the world!!!
A lot of my friends feel anxiety and dread towards ‘the subject English’.
Probably it's because they haven’t spent enough time to get used to it. I believe they need more time tolisten, read, and write to be confident in using English. The students are trying so hard to get theirgrammar right with only 20 hours of input experience instead of 2000 hours. The situation is also hardfor the teachers as well. As I currently belong to a public junior high school, I believe that it is my
mission to convey the current situation of students. I would like to acquire a wider range of knowledge inorder to solve this problem.
I strongly hope that English curriculum will change so that the future children can enjoy speaking
English as a communication tool. And I hope I can be a part of that.

Used Stamps for International Assistance (2/17)
W e sorted out used stamps and miswritten postcards donated from Kashiwa residents. The used stamps weresent to “Green Earth Defense Fund" and the miswritten postcards were sent to “Vaccines for the W orld's Children."
We appreciate your cooperation. The collection box is located at the KCC office, and if you have used stamps or
miswritten postcards at home, please bring them in. This year' s stamp sorting sessions will be held on May 29(W ed) and November 25 (Mon).

KCC NEWS Vol.96 1st, April, 2024

Japanese Shonan Classes(4/4~)
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
Minna no Nihongo , Primary I and Intermediate II～
In-person Classes (Shonan Community Center)

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I and Primary Ⅱ
Minna no Nihongo , Primary I(2 classes)
Japanese Kashiwa/Kashiwanoha Classes(4/9～)
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 I（Unit 18- ）Sat

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary II (Unit 40 - )In-person Classes (Kashiwanoha Service Center)(4/11～)
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 Dekiru Nihongo

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 April 24 (W ed), 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
P Palette Kashiwa Room F R the KCC officeMembers Wanted! Kashiwa International Relations Association (KIRA)

W hy don't you become a member and join us in international exchange activities? Let's interact withforeigners by planning and organizing various events. You don't have to speak English. You can also
make friends. For more information, please visit our website. (Inquiries: the KCC office)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 such as information on natural disasters, crimes, and fires( Mon) , and Korean ( 2nd and 4th of your area in the language of your choice. Scan the QRTue) from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. code and register!
at the Consultation Counter for
Multilingual “Koho Kashiwa,” monthly official city bulletin
Foreign 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)