Japanese Speech Contest Kyushoku at Japanese Schools Japanese Culture and Reading Corner:防災の日Awa Life is a Monthly Publication of the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association And here we are, in the middle of the typhoon season. However, September also means that fall will begin soon, after a hot but relatively short summer with lots of rain in July. Another feature of Septem- ber is the so-called Silver Week（シルバーウイーク）, a week with at least two public holidays and four days off in a row this year. This year it is from the 19th until the 22nd. After a not so golden Golden Week 2020, Silver Week might be a good chance to catch up as long as the infection situation allows for it. In any case, the end of September is usually a nice time to enjoy the summer temperatures along with the first cool breezes of fall. For all of those who like writing, please feel free to submit an article to us at any point in time about basically 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 is buzzing about, grab a pen or a computer and write and send away! Please send all submissions to our email:
awalife@gmail.com
Your editors, Sydney and Nico 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! Sydney Bartig and Nico Bohnsack Contributors This Month: Feng Shao Wei, Malgorzata Sikorski, Atsushi Abe, and Kayo Miyoshi
Contents
Pg. 2-4:   2020 Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest Japanese Culture and Reading Corner:防災の日Pg. 5: Gairaigo Galore:じゃがいもPg. 5: Pg. 6: Pg. 7: Kyushoku at Japanese Schools Japanese Lesson Pg. 8-9:   Events and Memoranda 2020 Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest he “2020 Tokushima Prefecture Japanese between my country and Japan”, “experiences Speech Contest” was held for the 31st time regarding Japanese lifestyle", etc. on July 18th from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM at the Awa Gin Hall. The event was organized by Tokushima The grand prize winner was Feng Shao Wei Prefecture and the Tokushima Prefectural (China) from Naruto University of Education. The winner of the Tokushima Prefectural Assembly's International Exchange Association. Federation of International E x c h a n g e A s s e m b l y M e m b e r s C h a i r m a n ’ s A w a r d   w a s M a l g o r z a t a S i k o r s k i (America) who is working as an ALT (assistant l a n g u a g e teacher). We hope that next year the coronavirus situation will have settled down and we 13 participants from 8 different countries spoke on topics such will be able to hold the Japanese speech contest as “understanding different cultures”, “differences as normal. (The speech contest will be broadcast on the cable television networks in Tokushima prefecture and (on YouTube. Make sure to check it out! Broadcasting Channel: Cable Television Channel 12 )Date & Time: September 7th (Mon.) & September 14th (Mon.) 11:00 AM & 8:00 PM (Both Days) Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/dPShmqjnNXo This year, in order to prevent the spread of C O V I D - 1 9 , only supporters of those appearing in the speech contest attended, and it w a s n o t open to the general public. In addition, v a r i o u s measures were put in place to prevent infection. 2020 Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest My Relationship with Japanese Education By: Feng Shao Wei, Grand Prize Winner thought about how I wanted to become a bridge connecting Japan and China. Hello everyone. My name is Feng Shao Wei and I am from Shandong Province in China. I came to Japan in 2017. Before coming to Tokushima, I lived in Fukuoka for 2 years. l enjoy traveling and eating delicious foods, so during those 2 years I visited a wide array of places in Kyushu, not just Fukuoka. This year in April I was truly happy to be able to come to Tokushima to study. I thought that this would be an opportunity to experience a culture different than that of Kyushu’s. However, immediately after entering school an emergency declaration was issued in Japan. As a result, I holed myself up at home. My days became a cycle of waking up, eating, and then going to sleep. I’m not able to go anywhere. I’m in Tokushima, but I don’t know anything about it. I became interested in Japan from watching Japanese anime. I thought about how great it would be if I was eventually able to watch anime without subtitles. Therefore, after graduating from high school I entered the Japanese department at a university in China. However, I neglected my studies. When I entered my 4th year and everyone around me began to start searching for work, I panicked. I asked myself, “Just what can l do? If I were the head of a company, would I even hire myself?”. I then thought, “Oh no, this is bad. At this rate it will be impossible for me to find a job.” From that point on I started to think about my future. Japan and China are neighbors. With the rise in globalization, Japan and China will only continue to further share cultural and economic ties. Rather than communicating through English, I think there will be more demand for people who are able to speak both Japanese and Chinese. I In the past I worked as a volunteer interpreter at an exhibition. I have no troubles with everyday conversations, but I was unable to interpret high level technical terms. It was something I couldn’t do, and even though I wanted to engage in cultural exchange with Japan, I realized just how many people would be troubled if I was unable to properly convey pertinent information. In the vast realm of Japanese and Chinese cultural exchange, a single bridge is definitely not enough. I then decided to become a Japanese teacher. I decided that instead of becoming a bridge, I would become someone who builds bridges. I want to educate people who are studying to speak both Japanese and Chinese. I want to support a large array of fields of Japanese and Chinese cultural exchange. Therefore, I am now studying Japanese education and culture at the Naruto University of Education. After finishing my master's course, I plan to return to China, become a Japanese teacher, and put all my efforts into Japanese and Chinese cultural exchange. Right now I’m still lacking what it takes to be a Japanese teacher. Once the coronavirus situation has ended, I plan to proactively experience more parts of Japanese culture, and work on improving both my Japanese language abilities and my abilities as a Japanese teacher. This is the end of my speech. Thank you very much for listening. 2020 Tokushima Prefecture Japanese Speech Contest The Important things for Internationalization By: Malgorzata Sikorski, Winner of the Tokushima Prefectural Assembly’s Federation of International Exchange Assembly Members Chairman’s Award l have a question for everyone. What do a trip to India and eating small fish have in common? They’re both things that I have experienced, but their main point of commonality is that they are about coming in contact with a country's way of life and culture. Experiencing other cultures is important for the progression of internationalization, but even if you experience it, it doesn’t mean for certain that you can accept or understand it. I believe there is one other important thing. Listen to my two experiences and try to imagine just what exactly that is. First, I’ll talk about my trip to India. What kind of image do you have of India? Before I visited India, I thought of it as a place that was extremely crowded with polluted air and water. I had no real interest in it, and I actually only went because my friend invited me. The first night I arrived I had a truly poor impression of India. The streets were dirty, there were so many dogs, and everywhere I went I felt scared. I wanted to go back to Japan. However, the next day was different. Since I’d come all the way to India, I figured I would do all I could to have fun, and did my best to experience India without any reservations. I then realized that it wasn't scary, and was actually a beautiful place. Viewing the architecture and clothing of India, eating Indian cuisine, etc. allowed me to discover the beauty of India. Similar to my experience with India, I was resistant to eating small fish at first. At home I ate Polish and American dishes, so the idea of eating an entire fish from head to tail was a bit of a shock for me. In my culture, we don’t eat the head of the fish because it seems as if the fish is staring at us. Therefore, I always avoided them, but one day they appeared in my school lunch. I had heard that Japanese people eat all parts of small fish, but I was very resistant to it and worried. However, when I thought about it as food being a part of culture, I realized that if I continued to be resistant to it, I would be unable to understand a part of the culture. Therefore, in order to understand this part of Japanese culture, I gathered up my courage and tried eating the head of the small fish. Surprisingly, it wasn’t all that bad. Whether one eats the head or not is related to culture, but I also understood that it ultimately came down to one’s preference. Therefore, I understood that it was fine whether I ate it or not. Well then, everyone, have you realized what the important thing is? It’s to open one’s mind. Because I was being closed minded, I was resistant to new cultures. Even though I had the chance to experience other cultures, if I had not tried to be more open minded, I wouldn’t have discovered the beauty of India or realized that eating the head of fish isn’t all that bad. Therefore, in order to understand and accept other cultures, I believe it is important to be broadminded. Particularly right now, I believe it is essential that we are broadminded and recognize people as people and get along with one another.
やがいも(potato) By: Nico Bohnsack Potatoes are a popular food around the world and an important staple food in many countries. Japanese cuisine doesn't make extensive use of potatoes, but they are widely available and part of a variety of dishes. When buying potatoes, have you ever realized that there are different names? They can be called jagaimo(じゃがいも), bareisho(馬鈴薯) or poteto(ポテト), often depending on the context. Today's article is about jagaimo, probably the word which is used the most. First, imo is not a loanword and is the Japanese word for “tuber”, so the part we are interested in is jaga, which is also often used in combination with another word to depict potatoes as part of specific dishes. Jagabataa（じゃがバタ一）, potatoes with butter, would be one example. The jaga was probably brought to Japan by the Dutch at the beginning of the 17th century. The Dutch were the only western power officially trading with Japan during almost the entirity of the Edo Period (1603 - 1868) through the port in Nagasaki. Indonesia was a Dutch colony at that time and the capital, todays Jakarta, was called "Jacatra" by the Dutch at that time, which sounded like jagatora (ジャガトラ) in Japanese. Since the Dutch brought potatoes from Indonesia to Japan, it is said that the Japanese began to call them jagatora- imo (ジャガトラ芋) and later just jaga-imo (じゃがいも) as a shortened version.
Kyushoku at Japanese Schools
By: Kayo Miyoshi
n April, an emergency declaration was issued l as a measure to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and schools ended up temporarily closing. In an effort to make up for missed classes, summer vacation was shortened, and in an odd turn of events students are now eating kyushoku in August. Today I would like to introduce Japanese kyushoku. At elementary and middle schools in Tokushima City, children are served kyushoku at lunch. Kyushoku is served with the goal of building a healthy mind and body for children. The kyushoku menu is planned primarily by a diet and nutrition educator along with the help of other related parties. They consider aspects such as children's preferences, and then finalize the menu. At many schools, rice is served four times a week and bread is served once a week. Milk is served every day. At most schools, kyushoku are prepared in the kitchen, and students take turns having “kyushoku duty" (for one semester or for one month), where they help with preparations. They carry the container with the kyushoku and the utensils to the classroom, and then help serve the kyushoku. When doing so, they wear an apron, mask, and cap. Once everyone is done eating, the students on kyushoku duty bring the container back to the kitchen. Food etiquette is also taught in the classrooms. For children who have food restrictions due to religious reasons or allergies, it is necessary to contact the school for an alternative kyushoku. Japanese kyushoku incorporate dishes from a variety of different countries. It allows for students to experience the food culture of various countries. They can also enjoy local dishes from Tokushima prefecture. Finally, I’d like to show you some pictures of kyushoku. If you search on the internet, you can definitely find some good recipes as well. Try making them at home this summer with your family!
Original Tokushima Kyushoku!
Pickled Cucumber and Wakame Dishes Flavor Fushimen (Flat Noodles) Minestrone Awa Vegetables & Wakame) Japanese Lesson By: Kayo MiyoshiこんにちはHow to respond toこんにちは. How you respond will depend on the relationship you have with the person who you are speaking with. 1.) When your friend says こんにちは. 「こんにちは」
「久しぶり、元気ですか。」 「えっとぶり・・・ *Tokushima Dialect 」 (2.) When you visit a friend's house and their family saysこんにちは. . 「お邪魔しております。」
「いつもお世話になっております。」 3.) When your superior at your company tells youこんにちは. 「お世話になっております。」 「お疲れ様です。」 4.) When you meet a superior at your company after a long time and they sayこんにちは. . 「大変ご無沙汰しております。」
「その節は大変お世話になりました。」 5.) When you meet a doctor or teacher for the first time. . 「お世話になっております。」 「はじめまして、どうぞよろしくお願いします。」 6.) A business scene . 「いつもお世話になっております。」 7.) When someone you don't know saysこんにちは. 「あなたは誰ですか？」と言わずに「こんにちは」と返しましょう。仲良くなれるチャンスかも知れません！
□ □ □ Time: 10:30-12:00 Location: Meeting rooms at TOPIA Textbook: We will be using the "Minna no Nihongo I" or the "Minna no Nihongo II" (2 nd edition) textbooks (2,750 yen for the book and audio CD). Please prepare the textbooks on your own. As well, there will be themed lessons on various topics such as seasons and life in Tokushima. Fee: Free  *There may be changes due to the COVID-19 situation. Please make sure to check
the day of the class, we may not be able to find a group for you to study with.) Additionally, as the number of groups are limited, we may not be able to find a group that fits your level. * If you are unable to attend class, please call and let us know. * The Volunteer Classes on Wednesday and Sunday will be cancelled if no students show up within the first 30 minutes.
*Classes may be cancelled if there is a typhoon, heavy rain, heavy snow, etc. Please confirm if classes will still be held by calling TOPIA. For more information see TOPIA's homepage: http://www.topia.ne.jp Japanese classes are also available at the Anan International Association, Aizumi Town International Exchange Association, Yoshinogawa International Exchange Association, Mima no Sato, Miyoshi City International Exchange Association, Minami Multicultural Coexistence Network "Harmony" and the Club for Thinking about Multicultural Coexistence "Tomo Ni" in Tsurugi Town. (As of September 2020) Furthermore, Japanese classes are planned at the Awa International Exchange Association and the NPO "Attakaiyou" in Kaiyo Town beginning in the fall. □
Naruto Sceneries: An Ueda Masaru Paperart Exhibition上田優きりえ展鳴門の風景This exhibition features works of the papercut artist Ueda Masaru who was born and lives in Naruto. Papercut works expressing the contrast between black and white, and revealing excellent techniques in simplicity, are displayed here. Out of a huge number of works, this time’s exhibition includes those which depict various Naruto sceneries. How about rediscovering the wonder of Naruto by viewing these lovely art pieces? When: September 9th (Sat) – 27th (Sun) 9:30 – 17:30 (Last Entrance is at 16:30) Where: The Naruto German House Fee: 400 Yen (adults), 100 Yen (children) Info: The Naruto German House TEL : 088-689-0099 URL: http://doitsukan.com/info/鳴門市出身・在住のきりえ作家上田優氏によるきりえ展。白と黒のコントラストで表現されるきりえ、シンプルな中に卓越された技術が光る作品が並びます。数ある作品の中から、今回は鳴門の風景の作品を展示します。作品の美しさに触れ、あらためて鳴門の魅力を再発見してください。日時: ９月５日（土）～  ９月２7日（日） 9 : 30 ～ 17 : 30（入館は16 : 30まで）場所：鳴門市ドイツ館料金：大人400円、小人100円問い合わせ：鳴門市ドイツ館TEL : 088-689-0099 URL: http://doitsukan.com/info/
Tokushima Prefectural Disaster
Prevention Center Study Tour
During this study tour you will be able to experience simulated earthquakes, strong winds, and learn how to extinguish a fire. Let's learn about the importance of disaster prevention. Date: September 27th, Sunday  13：00 ～ 16:00 Location: Tokushima Prefecture Disaster Center (Kitajima-town, Tainohama Aza Onishi 165) Applications : Please send in the following information by fax to the address below. You can also apply by sending the same information by email or postcard. ① Name ② Gender ③ Address  ④ Nationality  ⑤ Phone number ⑥ E-mail address ⑦ Occupation Send Applications To: FAX: (088) 652-0616 E-mail: coordinator1@topia.ne.jp Postcard: Koekizaidan Hojin Tokushima-ken Kokusai Koryukyokai (TOPIA) Clement Plaza 6F, 1-61 Terashima Deadline: September 17th (Thu.) ** For more information, please contact Ms. Kimura at (088) 656-3303
Counselling Service at TOPIA・トピアの相談窓口
TOPIA provides consultation on everyday life, education, labor, medical institutions, and disaster prevention; 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. Everyday, 10:00 - 18:00 (closed during the New Year's holidays) Tel: 088-656-3312 or 088-656-3313  (allows for three-way conversations with an interpreter)