KCC NEWS Vol.87 1st, July, 2023

Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center

July, 2023

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.
87

Guam Youth Exchange Program Postponed
The visit to Kashiwa scheduled for June 22 (Thu.) to 26 (Mon.) has been postponed due to severe damage caused
by Typhoon No. 2, which made landfall in Guam.

Happiness From the Sea #1- Talking About the Charm of the Sea Through Video
Date & Time: Thursday, July 20, 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Lecturer: Mr. Shogo Saeki (Dive Master)Fee: Free
Number of applicants: First 30
Application: Sign up at the KCC office or by e-mail to boshu-1@kira-kira.jp
Please include your name and phone number. We will send you a URL to join on the day.
Next event: "Happiness from the Sea #2 - Protecting the Sea from Marine Pollution
Date & Time: Thursday, August 17, 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Lecturer: Mr. Shogo Saeki (Dive Master)

Yukata Dressing and Tanabata Bamboo Decoration Experience

Learn how to wear a yukata from an instructor and try one on! Why don' t you write yourwishes and make a Tanabata bamboo decoration?
Date & Time: July 24 (Mon.), 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Place: Palette Kashiwa Multipurpose Space B
Number of participants: First 15
Activities： Learn how to put on a yukata, write your wishes on a strip of paper, and hang it on
bamboo branches.
What to bring: Yukata, Obi ( sash) , two strings. If you use KIRA's yukata, we will provide youwith the necessary items to put it on. Please let us know your size ( M, L, LL) when applying.
Please wear a white T-shirt or underwear like a tank top to change into the yukata.
Fee: 300 yen for those who bring their own yukata. 300 yen for those who use KIRA's yukata
plus the cleaning fee.
Application: By July 20 (Thur.), sign up at the KCC office or by e-mail to boshu-1@kira-kira.jp.

Project Staff Wanted for "Kashiwa de International Exchange Festa
Date: October 15 (Sun.)
Contents: Festival of interaction between citizens
・7/3-7/9: Kashiwa International Exchange Week 2023
・7/24: Yukata and Tanabata Experience
・9/24: Barbecue

Place: Howdy Mall
Inquiries: KCC Office・7/12-8/1: Visit of Torrance Youth Delegation to Kashiwa
・9/2: Disaster Prevention Talk
・9/30 : Cross-cultural Teatime; "Going Around the World"Announcements from Other Organizations

Members Wanted! Kashiwa International Relations Association (KIRA)
Why 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: Office)<NO TE>Please include the event nam e, your nam e and phone num ber when apply ing by em ail. T he events m ay be cancelled depending on the Covid-19 situation. Contact the office for m ore inform ation.

KCC NEWS Vol.87 1st, July, 2023
Citizen's Activity Festa 2023 (5/14)
Citizen's Activity Festa 2023 was held at the east exit of Kashiwa Station. The Kashiwa International Relations
Association promoted its daily activities in a tent on the double deck by displaying photos of its activities,
Kawaraban ( KCC Newsletter) , flyers for the event, and pamphlets on the activities of the four Sister andFriendship Cities. We set up a donation box for people suffering from the fires of war in Ukraine and received
donations from citizens passing by the tent. At Family Kashiwa Front Square, 13 groups performed. In addition,
27 organizations participated in the Howdy Mall ( Kashiwa City Ekimae- dori Shopping Street) . Although thenumber of participating groups decreased significantly compared to before COVID-19, it was a good opportunity
to learn about the various groups active in the community and to interact with them.

English Rakugo Trial Session - Enjoy the Traditional Japanese Storytelling Art "Rakugo" in English! (5/20)
In February of this year, we received a proposal to hold an English
Rakugo experience event sponsored by KIRA. Usually, an English Rakugo
event consists of only a few Rakugo storytellers, but in the case of the KIRAsponsored event, there may be many foreign residents who are hearing
Rakugo for the first time, or whose native language is not English. The KIRA
staff and the English Rakugo Association, to which I belong, agonized overwhat kind of content to include, and we decided to include a workshop. We
also prepared a lot of materials. Our worries were unnecessary, and on the
day of the event, 47 people attended, including international students. At
the workshop, the participants were thrilled to have the experience ofgoing up on the stage and telling a short story in English, but they seemed
Storytellers
to enjoy it. The five performers were relieved that the participants
responded so well to this part of the workshop, English Rakugo. The English version of Nankin Tamasudare
brought a lot of excitement to the finale. The performance was well received by participants according to thequestionnaire. We hope that this event has triggered greater interest in Rakugo and Japanese culture.

"Sweden, my country, told by a fourth-generation Swede living in Japan" (6/3)
Marianne Wilson Kuroda, who has multiple roots in Sweden,
Japan, and the United States, gave a lecture on Sweden, which
has the largest land area in Northern Europe.
The Swedish flag is a favorite of many Swedes.
Blue represents the beautiful sky, water, andlakes, and yellow represents the earth. It is abeautiful country where people recognize thatnature is something everyone can share. Sweden has a strong
image of being part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, but the
number of islands is more than 220,000, the largest in the world!
In Sweden, the free way of living is respected. Swedes value
gender equality, working, public welfare and enjoying life. He
told us interesting stories about their lifestyle, such as cooking
Marianne and the venue
without fire in the kitchen for dinner since both men and women
have jobs, enjoying a coffee time called fika, and becoming theworld's number one annual coffee consumer a few years ago. Sweden also has a well-developed social security
system, but at the same time, they have to pay high taxes. It was a homey lecture with occasional cheers andlaughter.

“Living Together #1: What Foreigners Around You Are Having Trouble With” (5/25)“Living Together #2: About the Human Rights of Foreigners” (6/15)
In the Online International Exchange Salon held in May and June, we heard from Mr. Hatsuo Sugishita, aspecified administrative scrivener, who is in charge of free legal advice and administrative procedure
consultations for foreign residents at the Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center, and Mr. Shinya Tsuji, an attorney. They
spoke about the actual situation in Japan at and various problems foreign residents in Japan are facing.
Their stories, based on the experiences of lecturers who regularly provide consultations for foreigners, explain
a wide variety of laws related to the rights and restrictions of foreigners living in Japan. The problems with therecently enacted Revised Immigration Control Act were interesting.
The first step toward living with foreign people begins with understanding the kinds of trouble theyexperience in their daily lives.

KCC NEWS Vol.87 1st, July, 2023

The Exchange Visit to Camden Marked a Turning Point in My Life
Momoka Tachizawa(2017 Student Delegate to Camden)
Please tell us why you applied for the delegation?
― ―I became more and more fascinated with new, unknown things as
I learned English. I wanted to be exposed to and experience foreigncultures. I told my mother about it, and that is where it started.
Please share your impressions of your time at Camden, anything thatsurprised you, impressed you, or troubled you.
― ― I had the opportunity to spend several days at the school during
my stay, and what surprised me was that there was a recess for
snacking in the morning, called Morning Tea Time.
Before I left forschool in the morning, my host mother asked me what my favorite
fruits and sweets were, and I took the snack she prepared for me. Aftera few classes, I had Morning Tea Time with some friends I made atschool and my host sister. It was very new to me, because, we normally
do not have time to snack at school in Japan. I found it refreshing tohave a snack break in the morning because students tend to lose theirconcentration as classes continue.
How has the experience of your visit to Camden affected your life?
Finally made it to campus― ― In terms of timing,
I was originally planning to apply in myafter the Covid-19 pandemic
second year of junior high school, but I actually visited Camden when I(Ms. Tachizawa is on the left)
was a third year student in the midst of studying for high school
entrance exams. It was my first experience in a foreign country and I had
to communicate with people without using my native language. The
experience became a major turning point in my life. It inspired my curiosityand desire to try a similar experience in a language other than English. It
motivated me to improve my language skills and share a variety of topics.
Please tell us about your life overseas.
― ― I started living in Korea two years ago in February 2021. I lived in adormitory in Incheon for the first year, and now I am living alone in Seoul
studying at a university as a full- time student. I am majoring in media
relations at school, where the classes are conducted in either Korean or
English. I am learning how designs and arts play a role in the media, while
actually shooting ( and editing) videos and practicing making graphic
posters. Korea and Japan may seem similar because they are neighboring
countries. However, I have realized they look similar but are actually quite
different in terms of food culture, customs in daily life, and especially, theways of thinking, in which I did not notice the differences by simply doing
research on the Internet. To those differences and unknown things, I am
adapting myself little by little without being afraid or reserved. This is aworthwhile challenge in my study abroad experience. In addition, thedepartment I belong to is made up of Korean nationals returning fromCheonggye-cheon,
abroad and foreigners, so the school is a place where ideas and culturesa famous tourist spot in Seoulcome together from many different countries. Also, I often discoversomething new outside of school. I am leading an exciting life.
W hat do you expect of prospective student delegates?
― ― Of course it is important in your homestay that you spend valuable time with your family, but also, I
personally feel it is important to be cooperative with and considerate to your fellow delegates because
you are not going there alone. Furthermore, I think it is important not to be afraid of new, unknown things.
That is also true for myself, and I have regretted it a little. It is a challenge, and it takes courage tocommunicate in a language other than Japanese and to experience things you never experienced in Japan.
You may be afraid of making mistakes, but it is a precious opportunity given to you. By taking the firststep without hesitation, I believe that you will be able to learn a lot about things you have never known
before.

KCC NEWS Vol.87 1st, July, 2023

Japanese Shonan Classes（Summer vacation: Friday 7/14 – Saturday 9/2）
Online Classes

Sat 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary II

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

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・Kashiwanoha Classes (Summer vacation: Tuesday 7/18 – Thursday 8/31)
Online Classes
Tue 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I (Unit 20 - )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 3 4 - )Thu 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Conversation Elementary 2A (Level 2)

Fri

Minna no Nihongo ,Primary Ⅱ (Unit 31 - )7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

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

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I（Unit 8 - ）Sat 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I（Unit 7 - ）Sat 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I（Unit 22- ）In-person Classes （Kashiwanoha Service Corner）
Thu 10:00 a.m .- 11:30 a.m.

Conversation Elementary, Introductory and 1

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

Conversation Elementary 2

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: W ednesday, July 26, 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, andfires of your area in the language of your choice. Scan
Korean (2nd and 4th Tue) from1: 00 p. m. to 5: 00 p. m. at the the QR 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-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)