aWa life

July 2023

Thoughts on Sadou

Sunflowers of Zennyujito
IslandIntroduction to Awa
International Exchange
Association

Gairaigo Galore:
マイペース

# 392

1

Awa Life is a Monthly Publication of the Tokushima
Prefectural International Exchange Association

While the first day of summer is technically near the end of June, July has always felt like the “real”
start to summer for me. It gets really hot here in Tokushima, so hopefully you all have a good air conditioner to keep you cool at home! When you go out, there are a variety of different items you can buy
to keep you cool, such as neck fans, an ice ring you cool in the freezer and put around your neck, andmore. Make sure to stay cool during the summer months and avoid heat stroke!
For all of those who like writing, please feel free to submit an article to us at any point in time aboutbasically anything. There are a few limitations though, such as you can’t write about religion, politics,
commercial activities or businesses or anything that we deem inappropriate. But, other than that, we
would be more than happy to receive articles about anything and everything including but not limited
to concerts, lectures, other events, culture, sports, community group information or anything cool that’s
happening in your local community.
We highly appreciate all of your articles and we love reading them. So if that writing bug of yours isbuzzing about, grab a pen or a computer and write and send away! Please send all submissions to ouremail:Your editors,
Sydney and Nicoawalife@gmail.com
Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA)
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN, Clement Plaza 6F
Tel: 088-656-3303 Fax: 088-652-0616
http://www.topia.ne.jp/
Download a PDF file of awa life or view the online version by going to TOPIA's website!

Editors:
Sydney Bartig and Nico Bohnsack
Contributors This Month:Mari Kimoto, Isao Fujimoto, Takako Yamada, Takako Harauchi, Yoshitoshi Iwami, and Kazue Inoue

2Contents

Pg. 2-3: Thoughts on Sadou
Sunflowers of Zennyujito Island
Pg. 4:
Pg. 5:

Japanese Culture and Reading Corner:
海陽町海洋自然博物館マリンジャム

Pg. 5:

Gairaigo Galore: マイペース

Pg. 6:

Introduction to Awa International Exchange Association

Pg. 7:

Japanese Lesson

Pg. 8

Farewell & Welcome Messages

Pg. 9

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

Thoughts on Sadou
By: Sydney BartigI’ve been learning Japanese tea ceremony
for a little less than 4 years now, so I thought
I’d share a little about what I’ve learned, as
well as my own experiences. I only practiceonce a month, so I’m by no means an expert,
but I’ve really grown to enjoy the once-a-month
Wednesday practices, no matter how difficult they
may be.

Sadou bowl featuring a small bird in the midst of wintertime

Sadou bowl with a rabbit to celebrate the new year (yearof the rabbit)

To start things off, there are a few different ways
you can say tea ceremony in Japanese, including“sadou”, “chadou”, or “cha-no-yu”. I, as well as
the ladies I practice with, personally use the word
sadou, written as 茶 道 in Japanese (lit: path oftea). Depending on who you’re talking to though,you may hear these other variations. For the sakeof this article, I’ll be referring to it as “sadou”.

In present day, sadou is primarily practiced by
women, with women making up about 80% of
the practitioners. However, this wasn’t always
the case. In the past, sadou was practiced solely
by men, and it wasn’t until the Meiji era (18681912) that sadou was incorporated into the school
curriculum for girls. From there, the art slowly
grew to be one dominated by women. (However,this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try out sadou if
you are a man! It’s a great experience for anyone,
regardless of gender.)For sadou, matcha (green tea) is served, withthere being a thin type known as usucha, anda thick type known as koicha. (I personally3
prefer usucha, but everyone will have theirpreferences.) Before you actually drink the tea
though, Japanese sweets are served that pairwell with the bitterness of the tea. These sweets
come in a variety of shapes and patterns, often
in the shapes of flowers, birds, or other items thatmatch the seasons. (There are actually manythings about sadou that change according to theseasons, but I unfortunately don’t have the space
to write about all of them today!)Thoughts on Sadouof a light and relaxed experience compared to aformal ceremony.
While the most difficult part of sadou is actuallyserving the tea (there are exact steps to befollowed when playing the role of host), there
are also rules that guests must keep in mind.
Bowing at appropriate times, saying the correctphrases, picking up your wagashi treat, and ofcourse drinking the tea itself all have specificways in which they are done. Of course, if you area beginner then it’s expected that you won’t know
everything, but if you’re ever invited to participate
in sadou, then it might be a good idea to look upsome of the basics online to get an idea of what
it’s like!

Wagashi in the shape of seasonal flowers

These sweets are called wagashi 和 菓 子 (lit:Japanese sweets) in Japanese, and we often
have wagashi with anko (red bean paste) at ourpractices. To be honest, I really disliked anko
when I first started sadou. It was easily one of myleast favorite parts of the practice, but strangely
enough, the more that I ate it, I naturally grew toenjoy it. Now I always look forward to seeing whatkind of beautiful wagashi our teacher will bringeach month!
Similar to some other Japanese traditional arts
such as koto (a Japanese harp-like instrument),
shamisen (a Japanese instrument similar to abanjo), Japanese dance, etc. a kimono is typicallyworn during an official sadou ceremony. Just
putting on a kimono can be a lot of work, but it
feels so fun and elegant to actually wear one, andI would highly recommend everyone find a chance
to wear one at least once while they’re in Japan.
Of course, during our regular sadou practices wejust wear our normal work clothes as it is more

Winter-themed wagashi

Sadou is often one of the main things people thinkof when they think about “traditional Japaneseculture”. While many may be interested in trying
it out, they may also be a bit wary due to all of
the rules and etiquette that is required. While
there are certainly many rules and specific ways
in which things are done, all of the people I
practice sadou with are very kind, and they’revery forgiving if I make a mistake (which evenafter 4 years I still do plenty of). That’s why I
would highly recommend giving sadou a try if you
ever get the chance! While difficult to master, andperhaps a bit intimidating at first, it’s a very uniqueexperience that you certainly won’t forget.

Sunflowers of Zennyujito Island
By: Sydney Bartig

Although I’m personally not a huge fan ofsummer, I do have to admit that there aresome nice parts about it. While Japan is famous
for its cherry blossoms in the spring, there
are also some beautiful flowers to be found insummer. One of my favorites is sunflowers, andluckily Tokushima has a perfect place to enjoy
them!
Zennyujito Island ( 善 入 寺 島 in Japanese) is thelargest uninhabited island to be located in the
middle of a river within Japan. While once home
to people, it is now covered in fields for crops andseasonal flowers. Since it is an island, it can bereached via “sensui” bridges, which are bridges
that submerge under water when it floods.

red by the time I returned home.

4

Throughout the year, various flowers bloom in
the fields of the island. These include rapeseedf l o w e r s , c o s m o s fl o w e r s , a n d , o f c o u r s e ,sunflowers. The sunflowers are particularly
beautiful on a sunny day with the bright blue sky
as the backdrop. While it did take me a little while
to find the actual fields of sunflowers (I am thetype to get lost wherever I go), it was worth thetrouble when I finally found them. I found myself
taking a ton of pictures, just like the many otherpeople around me who had come for the same
reason. The sunflowers typically bloom between
the start of July to the end of August, so there isplenty of time to find a day with good weather andgo see them!
While Zennyujito Island is an uninhabited island,
there are still farmers who grow crops on the land,
so while you are searching for the sunflowers,
make sure to be courteous and leave any crop
fields undisturbed. There are paths for you to
walk/drive on, so this shouldn’t be too difficult.
Hopefully you can enjoy some sunflowers thisyear!

Sensui bridge connecting to the island

Rather than driving, I actually walked to theisland, and while the view of the river from thesebridges is quite beautiful, they are also quite
narrow, so be careful! On that note, while it ispossible to walk to the sunflower fields from thenearest station, it takes about 30 minutes andcan be quite hot in the summer. If you’re like me
and hate the heat, I would definitely recommend
going by car if possible! I also completely forgot
sunscreen on the day I went and ended up bright

Sunflowers of Zennyujito Island

Event Notice!
Tokushima Toast Masters Club Open House - Rakugo in English by Kimochi
When: August 20th (Sun.) 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Where: TOPIA - Tokushima Station, Clement Plaza 6F*Check out TOPIA's homepage for more details!
https://www.topia.ne.jp/english/5Japanese Culture and Reading Corner:
海陽町海洋自然博物館マリンジャム
By: Mari Kimoto
あつ

なつ

す

うみ

まんきつ

うつく

うみ

ひろ

みなさんは、 暑い夏、 どう お過ごしですか。きれいな海を 満喫してみませんか。美しい海が広がる
かいようちょう

たの

海陽町では、SUP や シーカヤックが 楽しめます。
たけ が しまかいいきこうえん

なかかいようちょうかいよう し ぜんはくぶつかん

かいちゅうかんこうせん

竹ヶ島海域公園の中にあるのが 「海陽 町 海洋自然博物館マリンジャム」です。 海 中 観光船ブルーマ
かいちゅう

ねったいぎょちか

かんさつ

たけ が しまわん

やく

ぷんかん

リンでは、 海中のサンゴや 熱帯魚を 近くで 観察することが できます。 竹ヶ島湾を 約 40 分間で
いっしゅう

ふなたび

たの

一周する 船旅は
せんてい

たけ が しま

はし

しゅう い

やく

とても楽しいです。竹ヶ島は、橋でつながっていて、 周 囲は 約４㎞です。さらにてんぼうしつ

まど

はくりょく

け しき

み

船底は 展望室となっているので、 窓から 迫力のある 景色を 見
しま

ちい

すい

ることができます。また この マリンジャムには、 島の小さな水
ぞくかん

たけ が しまみ

せ かい

族館が あります。 竹ヶ島で 見られる サンゴや 世界のクマノミ
てん じ

などを

じっさい

うみ

い

もの

展示しています。実際に 海の 生き物に ふれられる プー
さまざま

たいけん

い

ルも あります。様々な 体験ができるので、ぜひ 行ってください。
Vocabulary List
まんきつ

満喫

Enjoy to the Fullest

しゅう い

周囲

かいちゅうかんこうせん

せんてい

ねったいぎょ

てんぼうしつ海 中 観光船 Ocean Sightseeing Boat 船底
熱帯魚
いっしゅう

一周
ふなたび

船旅

Tropical Fish
One Lap
Trip by Boat

マイペース (My Pace)
By: Sydney Bartig

展望室
け しき

景色
すいぞくかん水族館

Circumference

サンゴ

Coral

Ship's Bottom

クマノミ

Clownfish

Observation Room シーカヤック
Scenery
Aquarium

てん じ

展示
じっさい

実際

Sea Kayaking
Display
Actually

Gairaigo Galore

For July’s Gairaigo column I’d like to introduce a wasei eigo word thatyou’ll most likely come across at some point if you live in Japan longenough - マ イ ペ ー ス . Directly translated this means “my pace”. In
English we do of course use this phrase, especially when encouraging
someone that it’s okay to do something (studying, learning an
instrument, learning a sport, etc.) at “their own pace”, and to notcompare themselves to others. It can also be used for running, withsomeone describing the running speed at which they are going at.
However, as you have probably guessed, the Japanese version ofthis word has a slightly different nuance to it. While in English it isusually used as a way to describe going about something, it is used as a way to describe someone
in Japanese. It is used to describe someone who does things their own way, usually in such a waythat is different from the norm.
One interesting thing to note is that, while in English going at “your own pace” is typically seen as agood thing and often encouraged, in Japanese someone who is seen as マイペース is typically nota good thing and often has a negative connotation to it. If you hear a coworker or friend use thisword to describe someone, it might not be the meaning that you are thinking of!

Introduction to Awa International Exchange Association~Alongside the Community~
By: Awa International Exchange Association, Awa Japanese Support Classroom

6

Isao Fujimoto, Executive Director“There are no Japanese classes in Awa
City.”
This statement appeared in a newspaper article.
In response we thought, “Even though there areso many foreigners living in Awa City…”, and so
we started looking into the situation.
Awa City
actuallyh a s t h e
2nd largestn u m b e rof foreign
residents
w i t h i n
To k u s h i m a
Prefecture(529 foreign residents in Awa City as of June2022). When we visited farms, sewing factories,
etc., many people stated that they, “Wanted to
study Japanese”, or that they wanted, “Theircoworkers to have a chance to study”.
A t t h a t t i m e , t h e To k u s h i m a P r e f e c t u r a lInternational Exchange Association requested
for Awa City to hold a “training course for local
Japanese support volunteers”. In the 2019 fiscal
year, 28 people from the prefecture participated in
the course. With those members at the core, 14
volunteer staff gathered in February of 2020 andagreed to establish the “Awa Japanese Support
Classroom”.
It was decided that we would start the class in
September. In preparation for this, we talked
together countless times and held mocklessons, all which helped us grow and increase
our awareness as supporters. We also visited
various worksites and asked the owners for theircooperation ahead of opening the classroom.
Additionally, we met directly with technical interntrainees, invited them to the class, and repetitively
encouraged them to participate.

On September 6th, 2020 (Sun.), it was finallytime to hold the first class. Although they hadpromised to attend, we were incredibly worried
about if anyone would actually come. However,when the time came, 16 students gathered just as
promised. This was the starting point of our bondsof trust.
As of present(April 2023),
our Japaneseclass is still
continuings m o o t h l y.
28 students(15 from
Indonesia,
8
f r o mVietnam, and 5 from China) and 10 volunteer
staff are enthusiastically working together in orderto study Japanese. The students are doing theirbest to learn, with some challenging themselves
to take the JLPT or participate in the Japanese
speech contest.
L o c a lactivities
i n c l u d econtributing
t o
t h e
communityt h r o u g hcleaning
activities andparticipatingin local events, such as disaster drills andmarkets. Moving forward, we hope to further
improve the relationship between locals
and foreign residents by promoting mutual
understanding of culture and traditions. We willcontinue to expand our activities for a multiculturalsociety and contribute to the creation of a city thatis full of vitality and human compassion.

7
こんげつ

Japanese Lesson

By: Takako Yamada

でんわ

ひょうげん

今 月 は、電話をかけるときの 表 現 です。
This month, let’s learn about making phone calls.
たなかとも

さ とう と も こ

でんわ

さとう

かあ

でんわ

＊田中さんは、友 だちの佐 藤 友子さんに電話をします。佐藤さんのお母 さんが電話にでます。
Tanaka-san is calling his friend Tomoko Sato-san. Sato-san’s mother answers the phone.

たなか

さとう

田中：もしもし、 佐藤さんの おたくですか。Tanaka: Hello, is this Sato-san’s house?
さとう

佐藤：はい、 そうですが。Sato: Yes, it is.
たなかとくしまだいがく

たなか

ともこ

ねが

田中： 徳 島 大 学 の 田中 ですが、友子さんを お願 いします。
Tanaka: My name is Tanaka, and I’m from Tokushima University. Is Tomoko-san
there?
さ とう

と もこ

いま

佐藤：友子 は 今 でかけていますが…。Sato: Tomoko is out right now…
たなか

ごん

ねが

田中：そうですか。 じゃあ、でん言 を お願 いしたいんですが…。I see. Can I ask you to take a message,
please?
さとう

佐藤：はい、 いいですよ。Sato: Yes, of course.
たなか

こんばん

でんわ

つた

でんわばんごう

田中：今 晩 、 電話が ほしいと伝 えてください。 電話番号は、652-3344 です。Tanaka: Can you ask her
to call me tonight? My phone number is 652-3344.
さとう

たなか

でんわばんごう佐藤：田中さんですね。 電話番号は、 652-3344。 わかりました。Sato: So, your name is Tanaka-san andyour phone number is 652-3344, right? I’ll let her know.
たなか

しつれい

田中：よろしく おねがいします。 それでは、失 礼 します。Tanaka: Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me.
さとう佐藤：はい、 さようなら。Sato: Goodbye.
Practice by changing the boxed words in the above conversation.
＊おたく：Residence, House
と もこ

と もこ

友子さん、友子：When referring to your family member, don’t use さん
でかけている：Be out, Not home
でんごん

ねが

伝言をお願いしたい：Want to leave a message
つた

伝える：Tell8

Farewell & Welcome Messages
Takako Harauchi, Executive Director
Due to personnel changes, as of June 1st I will
move from the International Exchange Association
to a prefectural position. I would like to thankeveryone for their support over these 2 years and2 months, which allowed me to continue my workwithout issue.
I will be moving to the Women and Children
Support Center, where I worked for a total of 12
years when I was younger. It is a specialized
agency that is quite challenging to work at due
to the increasing number of cases that requirepolice/judicial intervention, such as domestic
violence, abuse, delinquency, and other casesthat break the law. I’ve been away from this field
for a long time, so it will take a while before I
am used to it again. However, I hope to use themanagement skills and knowledge gained byhelping to support foreign residents that I learned
at TOPIA in order to support the children andYoshitoshi Iwami, Executive Director
Hello. My name is Yoshitoshi Iwami, and startingfrom June I have taken over the role of executive
director from Harauchi.
At the Tokushima Prefectural Office, I was incharge of coordinating the regular charter flights
between Hunan Province in China, as well as thefirst port call of the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Being able to see the smiling faces of so many
foreigners at the Awaodori Airport and Tokushima
Komatsushima Port left a strong impression onme.
Additionally, starting from 2019 I worked at theWorld Masters Games 2021 Kansai Organizing
Committee for 3 years. Although the games have

Left: Harauchi, Center: Chief Director Miyoshi, Right:
Harada (General Affairs Team)

women, both foreign and not, living in Tokushima
Prefecture. I hope that I can continue to haveeveryone’s support.
I wish everyone good health and success in yourendeavors. Thank you very much.

been postponed due
to COVID-19, I wasable to experience theglobal stage up-close
through negotiations
with foreign countries.
I hope that myexperiences can beof at least some use
for my work here at
TOPIA. Although
there’s a lot I don’t know, I look forward to working
with everyone towards the development of thisassociation.

Event Information – 2023 Tokushima Prefectural Japanese Speech Contest
This year 14 participants from 7 countries are set to participate in the speech contest. Come andlisten to their daily thoughts and ideas!
When: July 23rd (Sun.) Doors Open: 12:45, Start: 13:00, End: 16:30
Where: Awagin Hall, 5F Small Hall (Aibacho 2 Chome 14, Tokushima City)
Fee: Free
An exchange event will be held after the speech contest. Please join us for that as well!
Please contact TOPIA for any questions regarding the speech contest.

9

Letter from SUKETO NAKAYOSHI

By: Kazue Inoue (Center for Early Childhood Education and Care SUKETO NAKAYOSHI)T

he rainy season will soon come to an end as
we enter the true start of summer. It’s finallythe season where everyone can enjoy playing in
the water and pool. Here at the center as well,
the children have a great time playing in the poolevery day. Playing and coming into contact withwater has many for benefits for children!
For example:
・The difference in temperature between thewater and air strengthens the skin and the water
resistance provides for great exercise, both which
help children build an immunity to catching colds
and such.

2. Remove the silver paper around the hole in theballoon.
3. Place in the microwave with the hole facing
upwards and heat at 500 w for 2 minutes. (Becareful as it will be hot.)
4. Prepare salt to your liking and then add it to theballoon before or after tearing it open and shake.
*Dried corn and paper balloons (Japanesechildren’s handicraft toys) can be found at 100yen shops. Children will also enjoy the popping
sound coming from the inside of the balloon.

・Playing in the water lets children learn how to
predict danger and how to protect themselves.
・The cool sensation of the water helps relivesome of the discomfort caused by the summer
heat.
・Playing in the water is a good form of exercisethat helps improve appetite and provide for abetter night’s sleep
During these hot summer months, we recommend
playing in the water and pool.
<Paper Bag DE Popcorn (2 Servings)>
1. Inflate a paper balloon and then add 2
tablespoons of dried corn from the opening in the
top.

Counselling Service at TOPIA・トピアの相談窓口
TOPIA provides consultation on everyday life, education, labor, medical institutions, and disasterprevention; and information on sightseeing spots to overseas residents and visitors. When necessary,
we will refer you to the appropriate organization that can assist with your needs.Counselling is available
in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese. Please note that although every effort will be made,we may not be able to deal with all cases.
Japanese, English, Chinese: Everyday, 10:00 - 18:00 (closed during the New Year's holidays)
Vietnamese: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, 10:00 - 14:00
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, 10:00 - 18:00 (closed during the New Year's holidays)