KCC NEWS

Vol.74 1st, June, 2022

Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center

JUNE, 2022

Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center,Palette Kashiwa
2-7-1-301 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.
74

Citizens’ Tour of Torrance to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Sister-City Affiliation
Looking for Participants for the Briefing Session About the Tour
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sister city relationship between
Kashiwa city and Torrance city (California, USA), a citizens’tour to Torrance city will
be held. We are planning to offer programs that cannot be experienced on ordinary
sightseeing tours, such as exchanges among citizens and participation in officialevents. In addition to the exchange events, participants will be able to enjoysightseeing in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. We hope you will join us on this tour.
Tour duration: Thursday, February 16, 2023 - Thursday, February 23, 2023, 8 days/6 nights
Participation fee: Approx. 300,000 yen including travel arrangements, ESTA application fee not included★ Please note that the cost may change due to an increase in fuel tax, etc.
＊ Those who want to participate in the tour must attend the briefing session. Tourapplication forms will be distributed at the briefing.
Pre-briefing before application: at Palette Kashiwa from 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 25.
Please make a reservation by June 10 to attend the pre-briefing directly at the KCC
Torrance Beachoffice, or by email to :boshu-2@kira-kira.jp.
Please make sure to specify your name with furigana, address, and phone number.
Inquiries: KCC office

Kashiwa International Exchange Week 2022
Date: Monday, July 4 - Sunday, July 10
Place: Palette Kashiwa
Con tent: Introducing the activities of international exchange organizations in the city, Presentation bystudents from Reitaku University and Kaichi International University, interaction with foreigners living in
the city in easy Japanese and seminar on refugees; the meaning of accepting refugees
current
situation of accepting refugees in Japan①7/4(Mon)

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

Multipurpose A

Talk about Ukraine②7/5(Tues)

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

Multipurpose A

Talk about the Philippines③7/6(Wed)

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

Multipurpose A

Talk about Brazil④7/7(Thurs)

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

Multipurpose A

Talk about America and Thailand⑤7/8(Fri)

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

Multipurpose A

Talk about Taiwan⑥

7/9(Sat)6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Multipurpose A

Refugee seminar online and at the venue⑦7/10(Sun)1:00 p.m. - 2:30p.m.

Multipurpose A

Fun events for Girl Scouts⑧

7/10(Sun)

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

OpenSpace

Presentation by University students in the city

Registration: Sign up directly at the KCC office or send an email to: boshu-1@kira-kira.jp
Please write the number of the activity you
Ukrainians have evacuated to Kashiwa City
want to join, your name an d phone number
Number of particip an ts: First 20 for
Four Ukrainians have come to Kashiwa city to stay with relatives
each activity
living in the city, and one Ukrainian is staying with a Japanese
Number of participants for Refugee
friend ( as of May 6) . Two of them have started learning Japanese
while doing work experience at KCC.
seminar online (Zoom): 20P le ase be sure to include the e ve nt nam e , your na m e and phone num be r whe n applying by e m ail. T he e ve nts m ay be cance lle d orchange d de pe nding on the CO VID -19 infe ction status. P le ase contact the office for de tails.

KCC NEWS

Vol.74 1st, June, 2022

Fire Station Tour (5/12)

Five foreigners and three Japanese went on a field trip to the Kashiwa City East Fire Station. In this tour
we learned the following information about disaster prevention. First, they showed avideo about fires and earthquakes. At workplaces and public facilities, make sure tocheck fire extinguishing equipment, fire alarms, and evacuation routes, etc. At home,
if a fire breaks out, calmly put out the fire with a fire extinguisher or wet cloth. If
the flame gets higher than your height, call 119 and escape. If a big earthquake
occurs,first protect your head. After the shaking has stopped, check that is safe andFire extinguishing experienceevacuate. Be sure to confirm the location of the nearest evacuation center.
After that, we practiced putting out fires with a fire extinguisher that emits water instead of fire
extinguishing agent for training. We just saw firefighters being dispatched, and we have a renewed
gratitude for their dedication to disaster prevention for the citizens of Kashiwa.

Origami Class- Let's make an origami crane with 10 wings!
Origami cranes are
the basis of Japaneseorigami. This time Ms.
Oshida from theHakunan Koyukai
will teach us how toan origami cranefold a crane with 10with 10 wings
wings. This is thefirst face- to- face event in a while. We arelooking forward to your participation.
Date and time: Tuesday, June 21, 10:00 a.m.
-11:45 a.m.
Place: Palette Kashiwa,Room A
Participation fee: 500 yen
Number of participants: 15.
Please wear a mask when participating.
Registration: Sign up directly at the KCC
office by Saturday, June 18, or send an
email to: boshu-2@kira-kira.jp

Online Interactions with People Around the Worldby KEYS (Kashiwa Exchange Youth Society)
Date and Time: June 12, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Place: Palette Kashiwa or online (Zoom, etc.)
Participants: Elementary, middle and high school, anduniversity students living in Kashiwa or attending schools
in the city. The first 20 applicants for each day.
Content: Real- time communication with people across theworld using online tools such as Zoom.
Application: Sign up directly at the KCC office,or send an email to: boshu-1@kira-kira.jp

Free Legal Advice and Administrative Procedure Support for Foreign Residents
To foreign residents. Are you in need of help? Lawyers andadministrative procedure specialists are available forconsultation. You can ask for specialists’ advice on issues
such as family or partner violence, divorce, visa
procedures, and problems at work.
Date and Time: Wednesday, June 22, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Place: Palette Kashiwa, Room A Reservation necessary.
Reservation: the KCC office

Announcement of Video Posting
You can see a video introducing some activities at the " Kashiwa de International Exchange
Festa" held on October 24, 2021 on our website.

<International Exchange Trivia> 24 solar terms in China
The 24 solar terms were invented during the Warring States period in China as a kind of calendar that
divided the seasons into 24 divisions, that was made regardless of the deviations from the lunar
calendar' s seasons. In agricultural societies, the 24 seasonal divisions played an important role for along time, and it has rich cultural connotations. Agricultural irrigation in ancient China depended on
precipitation and rivers. Farmers in these regions engaged in agricultural production according to thetemperature and precipitation conditions contained in each of the 24 solar terms. Each of the 24 solar
terms has its own unique meaning, accurately reflecting the changing rhythms of nature and plays avery important role in people's daily lives.
In Japan, the vernal and autumnal equinoxes are still national holidays, and the seven days before andafter them are higan. In China it is common to worship ancestors on Seimei and the Winter Solstice.
The 24 solar terms were registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage on October 31,2016,andwere also used in the countdown for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on February 4, 2022
that was the first day of spring called risshun.

KCC NEWSAloha, Kashiwa!

Vol.74 1st, June, 2022

By Karl Takauye“Time flies.” It’s a cliché, but for my wife Sharleen and I it’s
one that has certainly proven to be true. We can’t believe it was
20 years ago this May that we came to Japan from the UnitedStates. Out of our past two decades in Japan, 18 years havebeen spent living in Kashiwa. Thanks to the warm, welcoming
people of Kashiwa, we consider this place our home as much as
anywhere we have ever lived. In fact, we’ ve met some of ourclosest friends (and adopted family) here.
Although we both visited Japan dozens of times over the years
for work and pleasure, living here was a life-long dream for us.
I am proud to be a descendant of Japanese immigrants who
traveled to Hawaii by ship in the early 1900s. Like many
Karl (center) Sharleen(left)
Japanese immigrants in the United States, my family began theirat Waimea Canyon, the island of Kauai
life abroad working hard to make a better life for themselves.
My mother’s family settled on the island of Maui, while my father’s family ended up on the Big Island ofHawaii. Following World War 2, both families moved to Oahu to take advantage of the greater economic
opportunities there. This is where my mom and dad met and where
my younger brother and I were born.
Growing up in Hawaii really is as wonderful as you wouldimagine. It’s difficult to describe what it’s like to always have thesea and beaches just minutes away from your home, and to rarely
worry about the weather. The sun is out most of the year, sooutdoor activities and sports can always be enjoyed anytime. It’s nocoincidence that Honolulu is considered one of the healthiest cities
in the U. S. A. Hawaii’ s friendly, laid- back culture is also unique,which contributes to a more relaxed lifestyle. It’ s a fact I didn’ t
fully appreciate until we left the islands to move to Seattle,Washington.
Kailua Beach in Oahu
In Seattle, I worked for the Starbucks Coffee Company in their
public affairs department. Seattle is a vibrant city and home tosome of the world’ s most successful companies. In addition toStarbucks, global brands like Amazon and Microsoft are also basedin the area. While we enjoyed living in Seattle, it never really felt
like home to us. At first, the Pacific Northwest’s often cloudy andrainy weather was a nice change of pace for two Hawaii people likeus. But in time you start to miss the sun. So, when the opportunity
to live and work in Japan presented itself, we both thought thesame thing. If we don’t do it now, we never will.
Originally, I was offered a job teaching business English in Tokyo.
But having lived the city life in downtown Honolulu and Seattle, I
wanted something a little less crowded. I sometimes describe
Kashiwa to my friends and family back home as a “Goldilocks” city.
Safeco Field in Seattle
Not too big, not too small, it’s just the right size to be comfortablefor us. As an English teacher for the Kashiwa Board of Education, I have been fortunate to have taught inelementary and junior high schools throughout the city, as well as at Kashiwa Municipal High School. This
would not have been possible in a place like Tokyo or Osaka. I’m happy to say that every school I’ve everworked in has been welcoming and supportive, and I’ve been able to keep in touch with many of my former
students, some of whom we call our “kids.”
For the past five years, I have been teaching in Noda city at Seibudai-Chiba Junior and Senior High School.
Teaching at a private school is a different experience, but I enjoy my current job very much. I admit that
do sometimes miss the experience of visiting different schools, but thanks to KIRA, I’m still able to workwith Kashiwa students as a supporter for KEYS and the Student Committee. I’ m happy to contributewhenever I can because, no matter where I’m working, I’ll always consider myself a “Kashiwa Guy.”KCC NEWS

Vol.74 1st, June, 2022

Japanese Shonan Classes
Online Classes
Sun

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I (2 classes), Intermediate Ⅱ

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

In-person Classes (Shonan Community Center)Thu

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

Minna no Nihongo , PrimaryⅠ, Intermediate IISun

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 23 -)Wed

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

Conversation elementary level 2 B

Wed

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I (Unit 19 -)Thu

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

Conversation elementary level 1 (For Beginners, Primary 1)

Thu

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

Conversation elementary level 2 A

Fri

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

Minna no Nihongo ,PrimaryⅡ (Unit 44 -)Sat

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

Conversation intermediate level
In-person Classes （Pallette Kashiwa）

Sat

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

Minna no Nihongo , Primary I（Unit 4 -）Consultation for Foreign Residents
Online study meeting for KIRA members“Easy Japanese (first half)”

Date & Time: Thursday, June 16,
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Lecturer: Ms. Tomoe Uchida(Easy Japanese instructor)
Participation fee: Free
Number of participants: 25
Application: Sign up at the KCC office, or send an
email to boshu-1@kira-kira.jp with your name andphone number. We will send you the invitation
link on the day.

Information about COVID-19
for Foreign Residents
Available in multiple languages

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

Monday: SpanishTuesday: Korean (only the 2nd and 4th Tuesday)
Wednesday: Chinese
Thursday: English
Friday: Chinese※ 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. everyday
Consultation Counter for Foreign Residents (MainCity Hall 3F)
TEL: 04 - 7168 - 1033 No reservation required.

Kashiwa information Delivery Service
Sign up to receive email announcements fromthe city, such as information about earthquakes,fires, crime, and infectious disease
outbreaks in the language of yourchoice. Send a blank email to thisaddress to register.
Also, please read Kashiwa CityMagazine. It contains informationabout COVID-19 vaccination.

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: Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center designated adm inistrator Specified non-profit organization,
Kashiwa International Relations Association General Affairs Com m ittee Public Relations D ivision