awa life
A monthly newsletter for international residents of Tokushima, produced
by TOPIA, the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association.

the origin's design

December 2008 No. 222
text by matthew lindsay
photos by shunsaku inoshitaw

hat a klutz!" I cursed
my clumsy self as I
rode home after losing
my wallet for thesecond time in almost as many
months. I wished with every
last ounce of hope that it mightsomehow find its way back tome - stories of lost valuables
being returned to their owners
are not the stuff of fairy tales
here in Japan.
Back home I switched on
the PC to find a miracle mailfrom TOPIA awaiting me.
My wallet had been found!
Professor Shunsaku Inoshita of
the Department of Design at
Shikoku University had kindly
notiﬁed TOPIA and was holding
it for me. Within minutes I
was back on my bike heading
towards the university, a smileback on my face.
I felt an immediate bondwith Professor Inoshita uponentering his office. The
numerous photos and paintingsof forest, waterfalls, rivers and"TOPPY"

children gather around professor inoshita's yoshino river sculpture in theforests of kochi prefecture

mountains, the bowls of fresh
fruit on his table all indicatedthat here was a nature lover
much like myself. The professor
informed me a student had
found my wallet on the old blue
bridge, within a hairs breadtho f fa l ling int o t he Yo s hino
River. Little did I know but thediscovery of it would lead me
to discovering the origin of themighty river.
Professor Inoshita
incorporates his love of nature
into his work. He's an active
contributor and organizer of
the annual outdoor sculpture
and installation exhibition heldin Tokushima Park. He has also
erected sculpture monuments atthe origin of two of Tokushima's
m a j o r r i v e r s , t h e Yo s h i n o

the origin's design ... con't on page 7

inside awa life this month
the origin's design - 1, 7 ... kair 2008 in review 3, 4
how to write nengajo - 5 ... christmas impressions - 6
becky's awa-ben, letter from suketo hoikuen - 8 ... japanese lesson - 9
memoranda - 10, 11, 12

awalife

Tokushima Prefectural International
Exchange Association (TOPIA)
Clement Plaza 6F
1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi
Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN
tel: 088.656.3303
fax: 088.652.0616
topia@topia.ne.jp
www.topia.ne.jp

is a monthly publication of the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA).
Editors:
Andrew Dahms & Mario Dammann
Contributors This Month:
Yoko Aoki, Rebecca Closner, Andrew Dahms,
Mario Dammann, Shunsaku Inoshita, Kazue
Inoue and Matthew Lindsay.

Download a PDF ﬁle of awa life or view theonline version by going to TOPIA's website!
www.topia.ne.jp/e_index.htm

from the editorsacs they say, time ﬂies, and I can't believe
we're already back in December! Timefo r C h r i s t m a s i l l u m i n a t i o n d i s p l a yinformation, making plans for the newyear holidays and writing nengajo. It's all abit dizzying, isn't it? You only just get used to it
being the year 200X, and now it's time to usher
the poor thing off to greener pastures and bringin the new, improved 200X+1. In with the new
and out with the old, I guess. Well, we've still
got a little time left to make the most of 2008,
and I hope you've got some plans to do justthat. For now, if you're looking for something todo then why not check out some of the artwork
in Kamiyama from this year's Artist in Residence
Program, or the annual Christmas lights.
Cheers, Andrew

an you feel it? It's almost over. What
have I done? A year felt so long when I
was young. My parents told me, if you
are in a speciﬁc age, time will pass very
quickly. So if it is already fast for me in mythirties, how fast must it feel for even older
people. But I start to feel good about it. I can
see with my own eyes how fast things proceed.
I wait and wait and suddenly the wait is overfor something. And only a few days left until
the end of the year, and again I have to write
some nengajo. How do I do this? Oh, I lookat page five and get some cards at the postofﬁce. Maybe this time I will win something in
the lottery? Okay, a few more days to save theplanet this year. I am looking forward to saving
it again next year!
Danke! Mariomikan and steamed sweet potatoes for sale by fujii temple (photo by andrew dahms)-2-

kair 2008 in review

aby andrew dahms

nother year goes by and
the Kamiyama Art ist
in Residence Program
2008 comes to a close.
This year's artists createdsome very interesting works,
ra n g i n g f r o m b o t h i n d o o r
and outdoor installations toindigo dye, manga, paper
cutouts and much more! And
as usual, I made my way out
to Kamiyama, this time on
one of the Art Tours, to see
the various sites and receive
a short explanation from theartists about their work overthe past few months.

Karin van der Molen
The ﬁrst stop on the tour wasfor Dutch artist Karin van derMolen. Van der Molen createda number of pieces that could
be found spread across thetown.
The first site we visited
wa s t h e H a c h i m a n S h r i n enear Kamiyama Onsen where
two large objects woven fromkazura vines were being
displayed. The rough tangle ofthe vines had been shaped into
two slightly spherical shapes,
one at the entrance to theshrine and the other deeper
inside.
The second work took theshape of a tea bowl made fromblue stones taken from thelocal area, fixed together bycement and submerged into
the ground so that only the lip
and interior stood above theground. Made to represent
a cup steadily filling with thewisdom we collect during ourlives, this work is found by
the cinnamon tree at Oawa

guests look over dezsö's works at thesake brewery inthe middle of kamiyama

Mountain.
The third work, titled Moon
Dome, can be found near theriver in Shimobun. Crossing theriver, one is greeted with whatlooks like an upturned tea cup
make of vines, with the centreof it turned into a large funnel
and pointing up into the sky.
On the ground in the middle
is a stone for visitors to rest
their head and look up throughthe vine branches into the sky
above.
True to van der Molen's
style, each of her works felt
less like an installation andmore like a natural part oftheir surroundings, holding adefinite sense of belonging to
the area in to which they wereplaced. Not only do each of
the works rely heavily upon
the use of local materials, but
their thoughtful placement
gives them a subtle sense ofpresence and belonging in thearea in which they have beenplaced.
Also, in somewhat of asurprise move, van der Molen'shusband Pat von Boeckel also
created an artwork during the
program.
Found at the Josei SeniorHigh School, it also takes theform of an indoors installationp i e c e . In t h e m i d d l e o f atatami-floored room is an
open space filled with barkfrom which tower several large
sections of a tree trunk. On
either side of the room plays avideo, both showing a dreamlike sequence of Kamiyama andthe natural surroundings, allplayed to classical music in adim environment with dramatic
lighting that gives the space its
own, separate atmosphere.
Aki Rika
The work of Kagawa-born
Aki Rika was found in the old
Yorii-za Theatre and a nearby
area in the form of two large
installations.
The first work, in Yorii-za,
filled the entire inside of thetheatre. But perhaps it would
be more appropriate to call thework an experience rather thanan installation. Upon entering
the theatre you are greetedby dimmed lights and a large,
circular wall made entirelyof rice stalks (reminding me
greatly of Vaughn Bell's workfrom last year). And all about
are countless origami cranes
hanging from the ceilingby long threads to create afield of individual artworks.
Furthermore, there is a small
entrance to the wall of rice
stalks as well that leads into

kair 2008 in review ... con't on page 4-3-

kair 2008 in review ... con't from page 3

karin van der molen's artwork with its
tunnel for viewers to look up into thesky aboveaki rika's installation in the old yoriiza theatre, with members of the art tour inthe middle of the theatre, surrounding by hundreds of origami cranes strung fromthe ceilingthe middle of the ring, where
there are even more hanging
works of a different kind, eachlike a small house and with its
own led inside to give it a lightof its own.
The second work was founda short, 10 minute walk fromthe theatre. Heading out of
the theatre and along the roada way, we passed up along asmall river until we reacheda field with a small, wooden
tower standing in the middleof it. At around three metres inheight, the wooden tower wascompletely sealed from theoutside except for some small
coloured windows and a door
that blends almost perfectlyin with the building's exterior.
Standing inside, the light fromoutside peaks through into theroom via the coloured windows
to create a dappled lighting
effect on the walls. The lightinside the room changes as
the sun moves overhead andaccording to the weather
conditions at the time, giving
you a different experienceeach time you enter.

Andrea Dezsö
Like Karin van der Molen and
Aki Rika, the works of Andrea
Dezsö were also spread out
over various areas of the town.
The main exhibition space
was in the old Myozai Sake
Brewery in the middle oftown, consisting of a large
screen showing a nine minutelong animation sequence
and a small field of poles
with artworks arranged on
top. Based around a seriesof kaleidoscopic Awa Indigo
Dye designs, the animation isplayed to the sounds of nature
and a recording of the heartsutra. The heart sutra forms
the main focus for the work,
being the sutra read by pilgrims
when they reach a temple inthe 88 temple pilgrimage. Its
appearance in the animation isa representation of Kamiyama'srole in this ancient traditionand serves to add a captivating
sense of rhythm and depth tothe animation.
The other artworks in theroom were equally captivating.
Arranged as small islands of-4-light in the dark of the room,each of the poles sported
paper cut out works, popup books and even a limited
edition manga book. The
overall theme of the works wasa focus on how it feels to be astranger to a new environment
and the feelings this invokes.
The third work by Dezsö
was found at the Ono Sakura
Butai, an outdoor theatre for
the Awa Puppet Theatre thatcan be found some 10 minutes
away by car from the Myozai
Sake Brewery. This particular
work took the form of aseries of screens used as a
background for the awa puppet
theatre. A series of ten boards
come together to present a
total of five harlequin-esquefa c e s t h a t c a n b e f l i p p e dinstantly to show both front
and back, each sporting thesame faces but with different
facial expressions. This design
was born from Dezsö's linkingof the theatre with a morewestern style circus and thetypical style of designs foundthere.

how to write nengajothere are lots of different
ways to wish someonea H a p p y N e w Ye a r i n
Japanese. Aside from theabove, you could also
write 去 年 は お 世 話 に な り ました。今年もよろしくお願いします。 (kyonen wa osewa
ni narimashita. kotoshi moyoroshiku onegaishimasu- Thanks for all your help in
the past year. I'm dependingon you again this year). Don't
forget to include the date January 1st has its own special
kanji: 元旦 - gantan.
The custom of sendingneng ajo as a ne w ye ar 's
card was invented in the 8th
century, when the aristocrats
and nobles started to wish agood New Year to each other.
きって

切手
Kitte / stamp①

In the 9th century however,this custom spread and so theywanted to greet even theirfriends in other parts of thecountry to wish them a good
New Year, so they started towrite New Year letters.
It became famous over
the years until more people,
even the ordinary folk did
this. From the Edo Period on,
express mailmen were used
to transport the letters sothat they would arrive on thefirst day of the new year. In
the year 1871, when the post
system was invented, there
weren't so many letters yet tosend out.
But only two years later,
the post started to simplify
the nengajo so that everyone
郵

①

③
お年玉
Otoshidama / New
Year's Giftとしだま

The otoshidama
lottery is held around
January 15th every year
- check your numbers
at the post ofﬁce to see
if you won a prize!

が

put
your
address

A7777 組The address ④
is written on theright hand side,starting with theprefecture, thenc i t y, g e t t i n gsmaller until
the apartment
number is at the
end.

④

⑥

牛

⑤

here

③

き

徳島県徳島市寺島本町西���������・����階

② 年賀

ねんが

This will let the postman know to post yourcard on January 1st.

はcould afford them and that
their use would be easier:they introduced the nengajo
postcard.
The custom rapidly spread
until approximatly 1887, when
it became a general custom tosend out nengajo to friends
and family. And in 1899 thepos t s t ar t e d off ic ial ly t henenga-system (send in thecard in the old year, and it
arrives on January first). Last
year over 3,950,000,000 cards
were sold, so you can imagine
how important this custom
has become here in Japan.
Why not get started today andbring a little New Year's cheer
to some people you know athome or in your workplace?

7 7 0 0 8 3 1
50②
年賀
Nenga / New Year's
Card便

山田 太郎様The nengajo sold by
the post office alreadyhave a stamp printed
on them. If you makeyour own, you'll haveto buy a 50 yen stamp
to put on it. There aresome with special New
Ye a r ' s d e s i g n s t h a t
include otoshidama
lottery numbers.

submitted

あけましておめでとう
ございます
お年玉

777777

When you address ⑤
your nengajo, makesure you さま
write thehonouriﬁc 様 (sama)at the end of therecipient's name,but be careful not towrite it at the end ofyour own!

-5-

元旦
牛
Ushi / cow⑥

People usually decorate their cards with
an illustration of the Chinese Zodiac
animal for the coming year, or the kanji
for that zodiac animal. There are no hardand fast rules, though, making it theperfect opportunity for you to express
your creativity!

christmas impressionsthere is this special feeling.
It starts almost as thesame time, when thestreets and department
stores decided to change
decorations. Trees, lights andmusic are helping to start thisfeeling. Would there be snow,
it would be perfect, but I thinkalso this year it will be difﬁcult
to see white Christmas in
Tokushima.
The only thing you can be
sure of, is the returning of thecoldness in your apartment
and the increase of thecosts for electricity for the
coming month. But it has also
something good. For me atleast. I feel safe and relaxed.
The special Christmas feelinggives me back my childhood
memories. In my Germany
childhood memories is a white
Christmas. It is even colder
in my hometown Berlin thanat this time in Tokushima,
but we have snow, at least
a little and with a little luck
also on Christmas Eve.
Inside my family and I are
singing Christmas songs, it iswarm, the Christmas tree isatmospherically illuminatedand peace comes to my heart.
The Christmas time is a very
special event in Germany,rather than in Japan. The
whole family comes together.
We feel bound together andthat we are a family. Of course,
not everybody has this muchluck as I have with a family ofover twenty members.
Last year (my first year in
Tokushima) I enjoyed someof the Christmas illuminationsin the prefecture. Two friends
were so kind to grab me andtake me all the way to theby mario dammann

hypnotic but beautiful installation at mt. bizan

Top of Mt. Bizan and to Ikeda
Station. B izan had a very
beautiful and modern looking
illumination made of LEDs ina hypnotic triangle form (seepicture above). It was very
bright but fitted perfectly
into the night atmosphere. A
friendly overall blue marked
the top of Tokushima city's
most famous mountain. Also
the view from the top was very
exciting. No clouds on heaven
prevent us from looking at
the stars and the air was veryclear.
Our next stop was the very
far away Ikeda. We drove anddrove and drove, but finally
we made it to our destination,
Ikeda Station. The place is,as you may know in the very
far west of Tokushima, rightahead in the mountains. The
air was cold, the wind wasstrong. My until this point freshbought winter jacket was evento thin it seemed. But seeing
the lights of the illuminations
set my heart in fire, it wasa small place like a stage or-6-small park with lots of small
lights in a beautiful order. In
the trees were decorated with
fairy lights and the entranceof this small stage park had
an archway with lights. It wasvery romantic, but I felt alittle like the fifth wheel on acar. My two friends (a young
couple) should have felt moreheat in their hearts. Anyway,
we took some nice pictures for
our families and our stomachs
started to feel empty. The
girlfriend of my friend knew a
good Italian restaurant withlovely pasta. These wereindeed very good spaghetti
and these alone were worth
the long travel and standingout the freezing temperatures( n o t i n t h e r e s t a u ra n t o fcourse). Plus the beautiful
illumination installations madethis evening a perfect date.
Someday, maybe this year, I
want to go again.
O k ay e n o u g h s m a l l t a l kfrom me, check out thisyears Christmas lights in thememorandum section!

the origin's design ... con't from page 1
River and the Naka River.
The professor kindly gave
me a detailed insight into thecreation and installation of the
Yoshino River monument.
The Yoshino River runs acourse of 194km making ita close second to Shikoku's
longest river the Shimanto,
which is only two kilometers
longer. The origin point oft h e r i ve r l i e s d e e p i n t h eheart of the island in Kochi
P r e fe c t u r e . T h e s p h e r i c a lshape of Professor Inoshita'smonument symbolizes oneof these first drops. As it
makes its way towards the
Paciﬁc, the Yoshino is fed fromtributaries originating in all
four prefectures of the island.
The outline of Shikoku cut into
the sphere is in recognition ofthis connection the river has
with the entire island.
In deciding upon whatmaterial to use to construct theorigin's monument, Professor
Inoshita made longevity apriority. Initially he thought ofusing stone but then realizedthat it would blend too muchinto the surrounds making it
unrecognizable. One day whiledriving behind a fuel tanker
the answer came to him stainless steel. Not only is itlong lasting, it also acts as a
mirror to reﬂect the beauty ofthe pristine surroundings ofthe origin.
The choice of design
and material proved to berelatively easy compared withthe logistics of installing themonument. The initial intention
was to install the sphere rightat the origin of the Yoshino
however locals informed theprofessor that it could getdamaged or destroyed there.

the base of the yoshino river, deep in the heart of kochi prefecture, and thesite of professor inoshita's sculpture (top left)

During typhoons the river canrise up to 2 metres, dislodging
anything in its path. A large
mossy boulder overlooking theorigin was therefore chosen as
the location for the monument.
Once the position of
the monument had been
established there still remained
the problem of getting thesizable sphere (diameter 1m)there. Professor Inoshita
initially thought of a helicopter
to do the job. The protected

forest at the site though was
too dense to penetrate without
damaging it. There was noother option than to lug themonument by four wheel drive
vehicle along a forestry roadabove then lower it into thevalley by rope – a mighty effort
indicative of the professor's
commitment to his workand his deep love of nature.
Getting there?

professor inoshita, ready for action out in the wilds-7-

Becky's Awa-ben!
Kaku (to bring)
Watch out! In standard Japanese this verb means 'to write' or 'to scratch' so using it outside ofTokushima might get you some funny looks.
Sono tsukue wo kaite-ite.
Can you bring that desk over here.
Aru-de nai-de. (Standard Japanese aru desho)
Isn't it?
Ara... watashi no pen ha doko?
Huh? Where is my pen?
Sore are de nai de?
Isn't it that one right there?

letter from suketo hoikuent

he weather has taken aquick cold turn, and we've
entered a time of the year
in which it is very easy
to catch a cold or otherwise
fall ill. Cases of influenza areon the increase in Tokushima
City, and you should take care
to keep a good watch overthe health of your children.
In particular, December is thetime for Christmas, and while ithas departed from the original
religious background of theevent, it is an important timein which children's dreams cancome true.
In this month's article, I'dlike to brieﬂy mention a childre a r i n g t e x t f r o m C a n a d acalled 'Nobody's Perfect'(author Janise Wood Catano,published by Health andWelfare Canada). In it there
are some very handy points forchild-rearing:* Match your parenting
techniques with your child'sage, and use the same
technique repeatedly to help
them sink in.
* If your child is being good,
immediately complimentthem on their behaviour.
Simply scolding your childwhen it does something
wrong will have the opposite
effect.
* Don't play into a child's bad-8-

by kazue inoue
suketo hoikuen staff

behaviour, especially if itcauses trouble for others.
* Be a good example for yourchildren. As their parents,
you are the role model fromwhich they will learn andgrow.
* Be creative with yourparenting skills. Instead ofscolding your child for doing
something wrong, make itso they can't do that thing inthe ﬁrst place.
* Create a set of rules andmake sure they are always
kept.
* Show your child the resultsof your own actions to help
them learn themselves.
This Month's Toy: RollingSanta
1: Cover an empty drink canwith wrapping paper or adesign of your choice.
2: Sticky-tape a paper Santa to
it and roll it about so that theSanta ﬂips over and over! You
can also put some small nuts
or rocks into the can to help itroll even better.

japanese lessonby yoko aoki

がいらい ご外来語（１）Loan Words
いっぱんてきがいらい ご◆一
般的な外来語
CommonLoan Wordに ほんじん
だれしがいらい ごに ほんじんにちじょうせいかつ
日本人が誰
でも知
っている外
来
語
で
日
本
人
の日
常 生活に
ていちゃく
すっかり定着しているもの。
Loan words known by any Japanese person; words that have become a permanent part of daily life
in Japan.
テスト - test, クラス - class, サッカー - soccer,

しょうりゃくがいらい ご◆ 省 略された外来語 Abbreviated Loan Words
ワープロ = ワードプロセッサー
word processor
パソコン = パーソナルコンピューター
personal computer
セクハラ = セクシュアルハラスメント
sexual harassment
ハイテク = ハイテクノロジー
high technologyに ほん ごいっしょがいらい ご◆日本語と一緒になってできた外来語
Loan words made in combination with Japaneseけけerase + gum =rubber eraser
fast pitch; sudden rise

消
しゴム＝消す＋ゴム
きゅう
急ピッチ
れい

きゅう

し ごと

すす

例：急ピッチで 仕事を進める ＝ to work at a high pitch
くちくちmouth + communication = word-of-mouth

口コミ＝口 ＋ コミュニケーション
れい

よ しん

くち

ひろ

例：余震のうわさは 口コミで広まった= Rumors of aftershock spread by word of mouth

しょう

はぶ

conserve + energy = energy conservation

省エネ ＝ 省く ＋ エネルギー
れい

しょう

れいぼう

ど

せってい

例：省エネのため、冷房は 24 度に設定しましょう。
＝ To conserve energy, set your air conditioner at twenty-four degrees.
1) ガラス←（4) デジカメ←（か わせ
替レート←（6) 為ちゃく
7) 着メロ←（）
、2) コップ←（）、3) ゲーム←（）、5) マスコミ←（
＋
）
＋
）

）
）

Answers: １）glass, ２）cup, ３）game, 4) digital camera, 5) mass communication (media),6) exchange + rate, 7) receive (call) + melody

Quiz:

-9-

memoranda
Christmas Lights
Display Information

クリスマス
イルミネーション情報

Christmas light displays will be held all across the

今年の 12 月と 1 月上旬にクリスマス・イルミネーション

prefecture this December and early January. Why not takeのディスプレイが県内各地で行われます。ぜひこの機会

this opportunity to head out and enjoy the sights.

に、足を運んでみてください。

Kenchopia

ケンチョピア

When: Monday, Dec. 15 to Thursday, Dec. 25

日時 :From 17:00 to 23:00 every evening.
Where: Tokushima City, in the harbor in front of the

12 月 15 日（月）～ 12 月 25 日（木）、17：00 から 23：00。

Prefectural Ofﬁce.

場所 :徳島市、ケンチョピア（県庁前ヨットハーバー）
。

Cost:

Free!

料金：

無料。

Info:

Call the Tokushima Yacht Club at 088-644-0087.

問合せ : 徳島ヨットクラブまで電話 088-644-0087。

Winter Lights in Ikeda

池田冬のオブジェ

When: Monday, December 1 to Saturday, January 10,

日時：2009, from 17:00 to 22:00 every evening,

毎日 17:00-22:00。

Where: Ikeda Town.
Cost:
Info:

12 月 1 日（月）から 2009 年 1 月 10 日（土）

Free!

場所：

三好市池田町。

Call the Ikeda Town Commerce and Tourism

料金：

無料。

Section at 0883-72-7620.

問合せ： 池田町商工観光課まで電話 0883-72-7620。

Anan LED Display

阿南光の夢づくり

When: Monday, December 22 to Wednesday, December

日時：12 月 22 日（月）から 12 月 24 日（水）。

Where: The JR Anan Station Plaza and surrounds.

場所：

阿南市

Cost:

Free!

料金：

無料。

Call the Anan City Chamber of Commerce at

問合せ： 阿南市商工会議所まで

24.

Info:

0884-22-2301.

ステーションプラザ、牛岐城址公園。

電話 0884-22-2301。

Christmas at theGerman House

ドイツ館のクリスマス会

Mainly aimed at children, this event focuses on making

子供たちを対象に、クリスマス用のアーチの飾りをつく

small handmade decorations for Christmas. Please also

ります。また、プレゼント交換も行いますので、300 円程

bring a small present of 300 yen in value for a present

度のプレゼントを持ってきてください。

exchange.

日時：12 月 14 日（日）14：00 ～Where: The Naruto City German House.

場所：

鳴門市ドイツ館。

Cost:

Free!

入場料： 無料。

Info:

Call the German House at 088-689-0099.

問合せ： 鳴門市ドイツ館まで

When: Sunday, December 14, from 2:00pm.

電話 088-689-0099。

-10-

memoranda
Takagai Ishizumi
Winter Lights

高開石済積みライトアップDeep in the heart of Misato in the Yoshinogawa City

毎年この時期にたった二日間だけ、吉野川市美郷では、

district is a long line of stone embankments that seem to

市民の誇りとなっている石積みがライトアップされます。

reach up into the sky. Every year in Winter they are lit up

優美で幻想的な石積みの姿を徳島県民は冬の風物詩とし

for just two days, making for a spectacular sight.

て待ちわびています。

When: Saturday, December 20 and Sunday, December
日時：21, 17:00-21:00.

、21 日（日）、
12 月 20 日（土）17:00 ～ 21:00。

Where: The Takagai Ishizumi in Yoshinogawa City,
Misato, Aza Ojin.

場所：

Cost:

Free.

入場料： 無料。

Info:

Call the Misato Fireﬂy Hall at

問合せ： 美郷ほたる館まで

0883-43-2888.

吉野川市美郷字大神。

電話 0883-43-2888。

Living inTokushima

徳島県生活情報
ウェブサイトIn need of information for daily activities? Come andtake a look at the Living in Tokushima website hosted
by Tokushima Prefecture, home to information suchas earthquake and typhoon-related messages, TV andmovie guides, events, contact numbers and more.

日常生活において情報をお探しですか。ぜひ、徳島県の生活情報ウェブサイトをご覧ください！このウェブサイトから地震・台風についての情報、テレ
ビや映画のガイド、イベント情報などにアクセスできます。パソコン・携帯版両方提供しています！

Living in Tokushima Computer Website

our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/index.php

パソコンサイトour.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/index.php

Living in Tokushima Mobile Website

携帯サイト

our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/m

our.pref.tokushima.jp/e_living/m

Counselling Service at TOPIA
トピアの相談窓口

TOPIA offers a counselling and advisory service to all foreign residents to help with issues involving accidents,
working conditions, housing, visas, international marriage, and more. Counselling is available in English andJapanese. Please note that although every effort will be made, we may not be able to deal with all cases.
Monday to Friday, 10:00 - 16:30
Tel. 088-656-3303 or 088-656-3320 (allows three-way conversations with an interpreter)-11-

memoranda
The Tokushima
Multicultural
Festival Singing
Contest多文化共生
フェスティバル
外国人のど自慢大会
出場者募集！！

Sunday, January 25 in 2009 is the planned date for

当協会では、平成２１年１月２５日（日）に、皆様方のご協

the Tokushima Multicultural Festival. The Multicultural

力をいただき多文化共生フェスティバルを開催することとな

Festival to be held in Toksuhima is a large-scale event
based around the keyword of Multicultural Coexistence,a word gaining ever more importance in our society.

りました。このフェスティバルは、近年、重要性が増している「多文化共生」をキーワードに、県民の方々に国際化につThe purpose of the event is to both help bring people

いて知ってもらい、考えるきっかけづくりをし、自分との接in touch with the greater issues behind multiculturalism

点を感じ取ってもらえる場を設けることなどを目的としておand to learn about its importance in their everyday lives.

ります。そこで、当協会では、現在、このフェスティバルのAs part of the programme, we are planning on holding a

中で外国人によるのど自慢大会の開催を企画しております。

singing contest for foreign residents, and all comers are

この大会の中で、日本語による歌や自己紹介を通じて、ご来welcome! Participants are asked to provide a short self

場の方々との交流を図っていただける外国人の方を募集しま

introduction and sing a song in Japanese.
When: The afternoon of Sunday, January 25, 2009.
Where: Flair Tokushima inside Asty Tokushima.

す。
日程：

平成２１年１月２５日（日）（午後を予定しています）。

Tokiwa Hall.
Entry:

Participants are asked to sing a song in

場所：

Japanese.
Places: Ten positions are open (if this number

出演対象：日本語の歌を歌っていただける在住外国人のis exceeded, participants will be chosen on
a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst serve basis.
Cost:

Participation is free! All participants will方。
募集人数：10 人程度（申込者多数の場合は、事前に当方で選考をさせていただきます。）

receive an award.
Apply:Info:

フレアとくしま（アスティとくしま内） ときわ
ホール。

Please send in the application form by Friday,

参加料： 無料、出演者全員に参加賞。

January 9, 2009. Application forms can be

申込み： 平成２１年１月９日（金）までに、申込み用紙

found both at TOPIA and online at the TOPIA

にてお申し込みください。（TOPIA カウンター及website. For further details, please contact

びホームページにて配布）詳細については下記

TOPIA via the contact details below.

担当または当協会ホームページをご覧下さい。

Contact Harada at TOPIA for more information
on how to apply:

財団法人徳島県国際交流協会

TOPIA

Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association〒 770-0831 徳島市寺島本町西 1-61

〒 770-0831 Tokushima-shi Terashima Honcho Nishi 1-61

担当

原田 （E-mail：harada@topia.ne.jp）

Clement Plaza 6F

電話(088)-656-3303

Tel: 088-656-3303

FAX(088)-652-0616

Fax: 088-652-0616

Email: harada@topia.ne.jp* The length of performances is still being discussed.

＊出演時間については現在調整いたしております。詳細につきましては、申込をいただいた方に通知させていただきます。

Please contact TOPIA for further information.

受け止めていますか人権の重み-12-