KCC NEWS Vol.83 1st, March, 2023

March, 2023

Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center

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.
83

The 50th Recruitment of the Student Delegation to Torrance!
We are recruiting young people to visit our sister city, Torrance, U.S.A.
Broaden your horizons by experiencing life in the U.S., interacting with local Torrance residents, andbeing exposed to the local culture, all while staying with your host family.
・ Period: 19 days from August 7th (Mon) to August 25th (Fri) ・ Number of participants: 8・ Eligibility: Students who meet the following conditions:( 1) Those who are interested in youth and volunteer activities and can engage in international
exchange activities in Kashiwa City.
(2) Those who live or study in Kashiwa city and were born between April 2nd, 2003, and April 1st,2007.
(Including those who were enrolled in the city from 2020 to 2022, when the program was suspended.)(3) Those who are healthy both physically and mentally.
(4) Those who will be able to attend all the orientations held before the program starts.
Scheduled dates : 5/7 (Sun), 5/21 (Sun), 6/4 (Sun), 6/11 (Sun), 6/25 (Sun), 7/10 (Mon)( 5) Those who have not lived abroad for a total of 6 months or more since the 4th grade ofelementary school.
(6) Those who have English conversation skills equivalent to Eiken Level Pre-2.
・ Cost: Approximately 350,000 yen
・ How to apply: Application forms will be available at Kashiwa Cross- cultural Center ( KCC) fromMarch 1st.
(Downloadable from the website after March 1st)・ Bring or mail the application form to KCC between March 27th (Mon) and April 4th (Tues) (Mustarrive within this period.)・ Selection: 1st round = April 16th (Sun), 2nd round = April 23rd (Sun)
Meet at Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center in Palette Kashiwa"The 50th Kashiwa City Student Delegation to Torrance" Information Session
Date and time: Sunday, March 26, 1:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m. (Reception from 12:30 p.m.)Place: PaletteKashiwa ABC
Contents: Direct explanation to the 2023 student delegates by the person in charge about application
conditions, application procedures, application period, etc.
Applicants must attend. Those who are interested in the program are also welcome to attend.
Inquiries: Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center (KCC)

Please help us raise funds for the Great Earthquake in Turkey and Syria!
W e are deeply saddened by the devastating damage reported every day. We have set up a donation
box at the KCC counter. Thank you for your cooperation.
<Note> Please be sure to include the nam e of the event, y our nam e, and phone num ber when applying by e-m ail. In addition, eve
nts m ay be cancelled or changed depending on the infection status of the new coronavirus, so please contact the office for details. Please wear a m ask when participating in the event.

KCC NEWS Vol.83 1st, March, 2023

The Seventh Japanese Speech Contest in Kashiwa by Foreign Residents （2/5）

For the first time in three years, the audience
were welcomed into the venue, and the event washeld in combination with online viewing. This year,
we had more than three times as many applicantsas our planned capacity, and we also spent a lot oftime reviewing the judging process. As a result,
this year' s speeches turned out to be of an evenhigher level than last year' s. The online audience
was almost at capacity size, based on viewing
history. As for the on-site audience, the numberof applications were more than expected, so thechairs in the hall were not enough toAward winners
accommodate all the audience.
This year, we held a Kabuki performance and Kumadori as part of a new cultural exchange
program, which was very well received by the people in the venue, especially by the contestants.
Meanwhile, as for the contest management, we added an Audience Award and recruited
outside volunteers for the purpose of local community collaboration, which resulted in a large
number of participants. That was a great achievement. We appreciate the cooperation of manypeople, including those who viewed the event and those who volunteered.
Contest Results:
Kashiwa Mayor's Award: Ms. Sherazi Noor ul Safi, “Sensei”
KIRA President Award: Ms. Zheng Mingyue, “My Future Decided in Japan”
Special Award (Humor Award): Mr. Li Huaheng, “Japanese in a Mask”
Special Award (Idea Award): Mr. Roberto Ballinas Hernāndez, “Japanese Kanji Characters”
Special Award ( Judge' s Special Award) : Ms. Do Thi Nhai, “ I Who Did Not Like the Japanese
Language"
Audience Award: Ms. Zheng Mingyue, “My future Decided in Japan”(The speeches will be posted on the website later.)

Cross-cultural Tea Time "The Other Side of the World: Our Journey Brazil – Japan”
・Date & Time: Saturday, April 1, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.・Place: Palette
Kashiwa Multipurpose Space A・ Contents: The speaker will talk about the cultural diversity of Brazil,
which consists of immigrants from various countries such as Portugal,
Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan.
“ Join us on a trip to the other side of the world. Get to know more
about the variety of Brazilian culture.”・ Lecturer: Ms. Elisa Ferreira ( Kavli Institute for the Physics andMathematics of the Universe, The University of Tokyo Institute for Ms. Elisa Ferreira on the right,
Mr. Wilson Facanha on the left.
Advanced Study) and Mr.
Wilson Facanha＊ The lecture will be given in English.
(with an interpreter )・Number of participants: 27・Fee: 400 yen・Application: Sign up directly at the KCC
office or send an email to < boshu-1@ kira-kira. jp> byThursday, March 30.
Brasilia, the capital of Brazil

KCC NEWS Vol.83 1st, March, 2023
The 12th English Speech Contest (2/11）
The English Speech Contest was held atAmuser Kashiwa for the first time in threeyears. Twelve speakers ranging in age fromjunior high school students to those in their
70s participated.
They presented theireveryday experiences and feelings in Englishin front of a large audience, even using theirnervousness as a source of courage. TheKashiwa Mayor' s Award went to Sora Ando;
the KIRA President's Award and the AudienceAward, voted by the audience, went to Kengo
Contest participants
Yamawaki; and the Special Award went toRiho Fujita. The judges and evaluators praised the presenters and offered helpful advice on how
to make good presentations. Mr. Chris Pigao, an English teacher at Kashiwa Municipal HighSchool and at KIRA, gave a special lecture, titled “ Believe, " which ended with a ukulele
performance. We will continue to hold the English Speech Contest as a place for many Kashiwacitizens to show the results of their English studies as well as an opportunity to exchange
opinions.

Donation to Ukrainian People Living in Kashiwa (1/24)
Five housewives from “Wa no Kai," a voluntary group in the city,
donated 200, 000 yen to the Ukraine Support Fund set up by theKashiwa Cross-cultural Center.
They said, “ This is the sales from the flea market as well as thedonations we collected for the Ukrainians who had taken refugein Kashiwa city after the Russian invasion. We would like tocontinue to interact with the Ukrainian people, and if there is aproject that will bring economic benefits, we would like tocooperate with them to develop it.”Members of Wa no Kai

International Support---Stamp Sorting Group (1/26)
KCC collects used stamps, greeting cards, miswritten postcards, and foreign
coins as one of its international support activities. We have sorted out thestamps brought to KCC and have sent them together with used greeting cards
to the Green Earth Defense Fund, which works to preserve greenery aroundthe world. The postcards are sent to “ Japan Committee, Vaccines for theWorld' s Children, " and the foreign coins are sent to “ UNICEF Foreign Coin
Donation" for children around the world. We are very grateful for yourSorting out used stamps
cooperation. Thank you for your continued support.

Online Study Session for KIRA Members“Effective Methods of Vocalization #2”Breathing and Facial Muscle Training for Great Voice
Date & Time: Thursday, March 16, 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Instructor: Ms. Naomi Yamazaki (vocalist and voice trainer)
Participation fee: Free
Number of participants: 30
Application: Sign up directly at the KCC office or send an email to <boshu-1@kira-kira.jp>.
Please write your name and phone number. We will send you the URL for participation on the day.
Upcoming study session: Thursday April 20, 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
“Let’s Enjoy SNS --- the Basic Knowledge about TikTok and YouTube”
Lecturer: Mr. Takahiro Kageyama

KCC NEWS Vol.83 1st, March, 2023

Japanese Shonan Classes
Online ClassesSat

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Sun 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.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.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I(2 classes)

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I
Japanese Kashiwa Classes
Online Classes

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I (Unit 16 - )Wed 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Conversation Elementary 2B（Level 2）

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary II (Unit 31 - )Thu 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Conversation Elementary 1（Level 1, Introductory)Thu 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Conversation Elementary 1（Level 1）

Thu 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Conversation Elementary 2A (Level 2)

Fri

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

Minna no Nihongo ,Primary Ⅱ (Unit 28 - )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, Primary I（Unit 1 - ）, Primary I（Unit 8 - ）Sat

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I（Unit 4 - ）Sat

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I（Unit 18 - ）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.
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 22, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Place: Palette Kashiwa Room A
Reservation: the KCC officeInformation 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 fires
Korean (2nd and 4th Tue) from 1: of your area in the language of your choice. Scan the QR
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 underTel: 04 - 7168 – 1033
“Foreign Language” to read the official city bulletin, “KohoNo reservation required.
Kashiwa,” selected 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)