KCC NEWS Vol.97 1st, May, 2024

Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center

May, 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.
97

Calling for Youths to be Dispatched to Chengde City
Experience Chinese history and culture while staying at a homestay, and experience student life throughexchanges with young people.
Dispatch period: 6 days from August 22 (Thu.) to 27 (Tue.) Destination: Chengde City (Hebei Province, China)
Eligibility: 8 people, including those born between April 2, 2002, and April 1, 2009, who live or study inKashiwa city.
Cost: About 130,000 yen
A From May 7 (Tue.) to May 28 (Tue.), fill out the application form distributed at the information session andsend it to the KCC office by mail (must arrive in time), or bring it to the office in person. Selection date: July 7(Sun.) (including interview)<Briefing session>D May 5 (Sun.) 10:00 a.m. P Palette Kashiwa. Applicants must attend.
For more information, including application requirements, please visit the KCC website. Inquiries: KCC Office2024 Torrance City Youth Host Family Recruitment
We are looking for host families for students visiting Kashiwa City from our sister city, Torrance, California, U.S.
A. Why don't you join us and enjoy "international exchange" with your family?
Details of recruitment: 18 host families (For the leader of the group (adult) and 8 high school students.)
First half: July 10 (Wed.) to 21 (Sun.)
Second half: July 21 (Sun.) to 30 (Tue.) (about 10 days)
Application requirements: All of the following conditions must be met.
1. transportation to and from the designated locations within the city (mainly Kashiwa City Hall)
2. bearing the costs of acceptance
A Fill out the application form and email it to <boshu-1@kira-kira.jp> by Tuesday, May 21.
(Please write "Torrance Host Family Application" in the subject line.)
Selection results will be announced in early June.
Inquiries: KCC Office

Chad, a Land of Burning Deserts and Peaceful People: Overcoming War and Restoring Hope

The presentation will talk about the people of Chad (Africa) who have once again
begun to walk with dreams and hopes thanks to the solar power generation
technology transfer project.
D Saturday, June 1, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
P Palette Kashiwa Meeting Rooms A and B
N 50 people
F 400 yen
L Shihoto Kamihashi (former staff member of the International Contribution Project in Chad)
Shihoto Kamihashi (right)
A Directly at the KCC office, or by email to <boshu-1@kira-kira.jp>
Donations for Ukraine, Noto Peninsula, and Taiwan Earthquakes
Thank you very much for your cooperation in donating to the Ukraine (850,000 yen) and Noto Peninsula Eart
hquake (130,000 yen) (both as of the end of March) fundraising campaign. We also set up donation boxes for
the Taiwan earthquake that occurred on April 13. We appreciate your warm cooperation.

Upcoming Events (from June)
Kashiwa International Exchange Week (6/24-30)
Kashiwa Youth Visit to Torrance (8/5-23)

Torrance Youth Visit Kashiwa (7/10-30)<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.97 1st, May, 2024

Online Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Friendship City Agreement with Chengde (3/26)

An online commemorative ceremony was held at the Kashiwa City Hall tocelebrate the 40th anniversary of the Friendship City Agreement. About
15 people from both cities reminisced about past exchange activities andpledged to continue to develop exchanges in the future. During theceremony, we were honored to receive congratulatory speeches from themayors of both cities, and a video introducing the two cities was shown.
Attendees: ( Chengde) Mayor Wang Yajun, Deputy Mayor Lu Jian,
Online eventDirector- General of the Foreign Affairs Office Yan Yang, Director of theInternational Affairs Department Wang Bin, and others(Kashiwa) Mayor Kazumi Ota, City Council Chair Norihito Tsumuraya, Planning Director Toshio Kojima, Director ofthe Center for
Th e History of Frie nd ship Citie sCoexistence andJapan - Ch in a Frie nd sh ip K ashiw a Citize ns G roup visite d Chin a in Jan uary 1980, The lead e r w as th e M ayor.
Exchange
Introd u ction to Che ngd e b y M r. Su n Pinghu a, Secre tary G e ne ral of the Jap an - Chin a Frien d sh ip A ssociation
Promotion Atsushi
The signin g ce rem on y for the Frie n d ship City Con clusion on N ovem b e r 1, 1983, in K ash iw a city
Introd u ction to Che ngd e City: M r. Sun Pin gh ua, Secre tary-G e ne ral of th e Japan - Ch ina Frie nd ship A ssociation
Saeki, and others
Frien d sh ip City A gre em en t Sign ing Ce rem on y on N ove m b e r 1, 1983 in K ashiw a City

"The Extended Geography of Chile From North to South" (4/13)
Dr. Alemicho Joaquin, a Chilean researcher from the Institute of Astrophysics at the University of Tokyo's Kashiwa
Campus, was the lecturer for this session, which was held in English with an interpreter.
In the first half, he introduced the location, topography, and climate of Chile, a country
with a total land area of approximately 4300 kilometers from north to south. He also
discussed its 214- year history, tourist attractions, and the capital Santiago, one of themost developed cities in South America, with colorful slides. The second half of thelecture covered copper mineral exports, which support Chile's economy; wine, of which
Japan is the number one importer; Chilean gastronomy; and astronomical observation,
Dr. Alemicho Joaquin
an undiscovered Chilean resource. Following the lecture, there was a quiz on Chileananimals, gourmet food, etc. Afterwards, there was time for questions to the lecturer. The things imported from Japanare mainly Japanese TV programs and manga, which he watches often. In a friendly atmosphere, international
understanding and exchange with Chile, a distant country in the southern hemisphere, was further deepened.

Police Talks "How to Ride a Bicycle"
Learn new rules. The talk will be easy to understand for foreign residents.
D Thursday, May 2, 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. P Palette Kashiwa Meeting Room F
F Free, please come directly to the venue.

"Revised Immigration Control Act and Refugee Recognition System"
What is the New Revised Immigration Control Act?

D Thursday, May 16, 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
L Mr. Hatsuo Sugishita (administrative scrivener)
F FreeN First 30 applicants
A Directly at the KCC office, or by email to< boshu-1@ kira-kira. jp> Include your name and telephone
number. Applicants will be sent a URL to join on the day.

Japanese Sweets Making Experience <Let's make nerikiri shaped like hydrangeas>

Japanese traditional sweets are available in a variety of designs and flavors. This time you
will experience making hydrangea-shaped nerikiri. Hydrangeas bloom in early summer. You
can make your favorite color of Nerikiri and take one home.
D Tuesday, May 21, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. P Palette Kashiwa Multipurpose Space A
Instructor: Natsue Tomita, a leader of Wagashi Class Okeya
Target: People living in the city or nearby areaN First 15 people
F 1000 yen
Things to bring: Apron, bandana, hand towel and mask
A From 9 a.m. on May 1, directly at the KCC office, or by email to <boshu-1@kira-kira.jp>
Include your name and telephone number. Inquiry: Contact the KCC office: 04-7157-0281

Stamp Sorting Meeting

Hydrangea-shaped
Japanese Sweets

D May 29 (Wed.), 1:00 p.m. P Palette Kashiwa Multipurpose Space A
For international assistance, we collect used stamps and miswritten postcards to send to aid recipients. We need
your help in sorting and organizing the collected used stamps

KCC NEWS Vol.97 1st, May, 2024

Happy to Work at Ichi-Kashi, Where I Once Attended in My YouthPedro Abina,Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) of Kashiwa Municipal High School (Ichi-Kashi)

So, you are from Torrance? ― I lived in Long Beach, which is close toTorrance.
W hat is the ethnicity of your surname, Abina? - My parents came to the US
from Mexico, and I was born in the US. I speak Spanish as well.
W hen did you come to Japan? - I came to Japan on November 15, 2023.
W hat made you decide to teach at Ichi-Kashi? - This is not my first time inJapan or Kashiwa. In 2017, when I was a high school student, I stayed inJapan for two weeks on an exchange program between North Torrance HighMr. Pedro Abina
School and Kashiwa Municipal High School and attended the school for oneweek. I stayed with a classmate who commuted from Matsudo and attended school with him. We took thetrain and bicycle, but because I used his bicycle, he had to run alongside me. I felt sorry for him. (lol) I
traveled around Kyoto and Osaka for the second half week . I was fascinated by the traditional Japaneseculture I saw at the temples and shrines on my trip. So, when the school had an opening for an ALT, I did
not hesitate to apply.
W hat were you doing in the U.S. before coming to Japan? ― I studied Political Science at a university. I
was a Student Ambassador, which means I interacted with other universities and gave presentations tointroduce my university. I also worked part-time at a bank and as a bartender.
How is your life at Ichi-Kashi? ― Great! I think I am really lucky. I
have known Mr. Tamaoki and Mr. Takeda of the English Department
since my high school student exchange. I had met Mr. Tamaoki
many times in Torrance because he was a leader of the exchangegroups to North High. So, I feel very comfortable. I am able tocommunicate with the students and they are my Japanese teachers.
From them, I have learned some Japanese youth slangs. For example,I learned that "ぴ えーん (pi-e-e-n)" means “sad." (lol)At the classroom
W hat do you want to teach your students? ― I want them to learn
real English for communication, in addition to the grammar they learn in their textbooks. I want to help
them with that. Also, I want to teach them to speak English without fear of failure.
W hat do you like about Japan and Japanese culture? ― I grew up playing “ Pokemon games," so I was
always familiar with Japanese culture through anime and games. When I first came to Japan as a highschool student, I wondered “ What is Japan like? What is Japanese culture like? ” I was very curious.
Besides traditional culture such as temples and shrines, hot springs were also a new experience for me. Atfirst, I was afraid of going into a hot spring naked, but now I love hot springs. I also love all Japanese food.
Sashimi, sushi, egg on rice, chicken skin yakitori, and horse sashimi are all delicious. Japanese eggs are
fresh and clean, so raw eggs are delicious. I am not so good with natto (fermented soybeans). (lol)Have you experienced any inconvenience or surprise since coming to Japan? ― I don' t speak much
Japanese yet, but I don' t find any inconvenience in particular. When I go out to Tokyo, it is easy tounderstand how to change trains. When shopping, I know the prices at the cash register, and sometimes
there are people who can help me in English. I was surprised to see everyone lining up on one side of theescalators at stations and shopping malls in an orderly way. Japanese people line up in neat rows
everywhere.
You must be very busy as a teacher, but what do you do on your days off? ― I often go out to Tokyo. I
also like hiking, so I once hiked Mt. Tsukuba. I also like Japanese forests because they are rich in nature.
Recently I found a soccer team in Kashiwa, so I want to play soccer as well. I am planning to go
snowboarding in Tochigi with a friend next month.
Mr. Chris Pigao, an ALT who started working at Ichi- Kashi earlier, was with us and supported theinterview with his Japanese. (Interviewed on January 26 by Yoko Nakano and Noriko Fujita)

Disaster Prevention Information Support for Foreign Residents (4/4)
Foreign residents learned how to evacuate the building in case of a disaster at Palette Kashiwa. They
went out from all the emergency exits of Palette Kashiwa and checked the emergency stairs. They couldunderstand how to evacuate in case of an earthquake or fire.

KCC NEWS Vol.97 1st, May, 2024

Japanese Shonan Classes
Online ClassesSat

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I(Unit 18~) and Primary Ⅱ(Unit30~)
Minna no Nihongo , Primary I(Unit 8~)(Unit 19~)
Japanese Kashiwa/Kashiwanoha Classes
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 Corner)
Thu 10:00 a.m .- 11:30 a.m.

Hiragana, Katakana

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

Conversation Elementary Former・LatterSatIntermediate

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 May 22 (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
with foreigners 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 (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-JAPANQuestions?
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)