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2020.9.20 vol.108Nishinomiya Cit y International Association Newslet ter

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Due to the novel coronavirus epi-demic, various activities continue to be limited. Our association, also, has had no other choice but to cancel or postpone our activities. The activities of our volunteer groups have also been suspended for a while. However, we have tried keeping as many activ-ities as active as possible, even under such circumstances.

We started giving online lessons instead of in-class lessons to foreign-ers who want lessons, but do not have the opportunity to study Japa-nese. The main advantages of online lessons are： （1） There is no direct contact being made, thus infection can be prevented （using the 3 Cs： crowds, closed spaces and close con-tact）. （2） Travel time, efforts and costs can be saved. So, we offered 3 online courses （Be-ginner, Intermediate, Intermedi-ate-plus） from late May on Wednes-day nights, and 1 course （Intermedi-

ate） on Sunday mornings. Since this was our first such attempt, we also found a disadvantage. Online classes require both teachers and learners to prepare the Internet settings and have the skills to operate them. Although we faced such technical issues, we managed to offer online Japanese lessons successfully. Some of the participants accessed the virtu-al room before the class actually began and enjoyed chatting with other participants. They even discov-ered unexpected advantages of online meetings. For example, people can see the facial expressions of each other better, feel closer among class-mates, and ease the feeling of loneli-ness caused by needing to stay home.

From June, we also resumed “Fude-bako,” a project to support children’s learning with university student vol-unteers by using an online system. Living with the fear of spreading the novel coronavirus, the children were very happy to see not only their big

college student brothers and sisters, but also other classmates and friends who they could not usually meet at school.

Our one-on-one Japanese lessons by our volunteer teacher group were resumed in June in NIA’s meeting room. As a coronavirus countermea-sure, we reduced the number of pairs per day, prepared a disinfectant solu-tion and an acrylic board to keep a barrier between teacher and student. The association plans to gradually increase the number of projects that will start in September, while being cautious of the spread of the second and third waves of the new coronavi-rus. Taking this opportunity, we will search for new activity styles that incorporate both online and offline methods, such as planning online projects especially for people living in distant areas of the city. We would appreciate your constant support, understanding and cooperation.

Our new initiatives under the coronavirus vigilance

公益財団法人 西宮市国際交流協会〒662-0911 西宮市池田町11番1号 （フレンテ西宮4F）TEL（0798）32-8680FAX（0798）32-8678

WEBSITE▶E-mail : nia@nishi.or.jp

Introducing the Internet system to our Japanese language classes

Fudebako Classes Go Online, Too.

Usual activities have also been gradually resuming.

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Sweetsin theWorld25

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In the last issue, we described the activities of four of our volunteer groups. In this issue, we will tell you about the remaining five groups. All of them are searching for new ways to p r even t t he sp read o f t he new coronavirus.

●NIA Chikyukko Club We welcome guests from various countries to our program for 3rd through 6th grade school children registered at the beginning of the school year. In addit ion, we wil l prepare a program that will make them aware of global issues to help them become “Global Children” with a rich international mindset.

●Nishinomiya English Interpretation 　and Translation Volunteer Group We translate City News and various documents for English-speaking and English-understanding foreigners. We

also provide interpreters for events and accompany foreigners to help make their lives more comfortable in Japan.

●Nishinomiya Cultural 　Exchange Volunteer Group We provide opportunities for foreigners to experience Japanese culture and support their participation in traditional events. We also organize programs to have foreigners describe the culture of their countries to Japanese citizens and deepen mutual understanding.

●Nishinomiya Homestay Host 　Volunteer Group International students and trainees who live in Japan, but do not have many opportunities to visit Japanese families are invited to stay overnight or spend the day in a Japanese home. The students will experience a Japanese home as a member of the family, and their host families will also gain a better understanding of their guest’s country.

●Nishinomiya Consultation 　Volunteer Group Judicial and administrative lawyers offer free consultation services for foreign residents. They provide legal information and help foreign residents in Nishinomiya live with peace of mind through consultations.

Al l groups are a lways look ing for volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact our office. （Y. I）

“Yomari”from NepalSweets have a way of melting people’s hearts with both the young and adults. This column will introduce you to various sweets from around the globe, and are associated with seasonal events.

In the Katmandu market, Newal women wearing ethnic costumes start to sell handmade Yomari around mid to late Autumn. Yomari is a steamed cake made with rice powder filled with handmade jam. There are 2 kinds of jam. One is a black type with a muscovado and sesame seed base and the other is a white type made with concentrated milk. On the day of the full moon in December, for the post-harvest festival called Yomari-Puruni-ma, people would pray for productiveness by offering brand new rice Yomari. They say if you could get a hand-me-down offer-ing as a gift from God on the 4th day, you could live in a state of perfect health for a whole year. One end of the Yomari is shaped like a cone and the other end looks like a tail of a fish. This is said to be a symbol of a Hindu God. These days, Yomari is served at the table of parties or on happy occasions, and it has various fillings such as chocolate or ground meat depending on the family’s preference. Would you like to try offering one on the day of the full moon this month （Oct. 1）？ （Y. U）

Ingredients （5 pieces）・Rice powder… 2 cups （200g）・Muscovado ……………1/2 cup・Ground sesame seeds　 …………………3 tablespoons・Coconut ………3 tablespoons・Cardamom or clove powder　 …………………… 1 teaspoon・Vegetable OilHow to cook①Dough：Put the rice powder into a bowl and pour 1/2 cup of warm water in it, then stir with a spatula. Pour another 1/2 cup of warm water little by little and knead the dough until it becomes hard like an earlobe. Cover it with plastic wrap let it rest about 30 min.②Contents（jam）：Put 1/2 cup of water in a small pan and heat it to dissolve the muscovado. Add the g round sesame seeds , coconut, and cardamom powder,

then stir them well. Put 1/2 tablespoon of rice powder in it and stir until thickened.③Shape forming：Cut the dough into 5 pieces and make a circular cone form by hand with vegetable oil . Put the contents of ② into the cone shaped dough and close the open end o f the cone by pinching the dough in the shape of a fish tail. Place those yomar i in a steam cooker wrapped with oven-paper and let them steam for 10 to 15 min.

The real pleasure of making their own projects②Voluntary activity groups

NIA organizes various events and seminars to promote international exchanges and understanding. Let us introduce one of these programs.

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INFORMATIONNIA Information Box

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The interviewee in this issue is Ms. Andrea Yoshida, who has been helping the English Translating Group for proof-reading their documents. She used to live in Nishinomiya and now living in Canada. She has remained vital for the English Volunteer Group even though she went back to her country. The interview was held by using Zoom online.

The Zoom interview between Canada and Japan with a 12 hour time difference was delightful as if we could visit Andi’s home in Canada. It was more than 10 years ago when she lived in Nishinomiya City. So, she had to recall those days while staying in Japan. Ms. Andrea Yoshida was born in Moncton, New Brunswick which is located on the east coast of Canada. She did not know much about Japan when she was very young, but she did love watching “Gacchaman”, the Japanese animation movie on TV. Later in life, when she was grown up, one of her fr iends who was l iv ing in Japan continuously encouraged her to go to Japan as she felt that Andi would love it.. In 2003, she came to Japan and the

first place she lived was Kita-Urawa, Saitama, and she worked at a language s choo l i n Om iya a s a n Eng l i s h instructor. Japan was more comfortable and convenient more than she expected. Her favourite Japanese foods are eda-mame, gyu-don, and sushi. She even likes natto.

While living in Saitama, she sometimes visited Kobe, where her friend was residing. She realized that Kansai area’s env ironment was qu i te l ike her hometown, and then wanted to move here. The school provided her a work position in Sannomiya, and she moved to live in Nishinomiya. Years later, she changed her job, and worked as an English teacher at a pre-school in Ashiya, then Assistant Language Teacher of a high school in

Amagasaki. She was so comfortable that almost forgot to go back to Canada, and before she knew it, already 7 years had passed . Dur ing her s t ay i n Nishinomiya, she met a Japanese man at Hanami Party in Shukugawa who was a mutual friend of the two. After moving back to Canada in 2010, they got married. Since going back to Canada, she has moved from Moncton NB to Kitchener-Waterloo Ontario, then Saint John NB, and back to Moncton NB, changing her occupation each time. For some reason, she doesn’t seem to be able to just stay in one place to live for a long time. She has worked in telecommunications customer service, as a student advisor at a college, and now as a railcar shipment coordinator. Her life policy is “not to be afraid to take a chance” and it’s her pleasure to make people happy. To be honest, she has one big dream “to become a writer someday”. She also wishes to live in Japan again. If possible, back and forth between Canada and Japan would be perfect, she thinks. I can imagine she has met many students, customers, and friends, and very much loved by all those people. We might have a chance to see her in the street of Nishinomiya in the future. （M. M）

Great lover of moving

When：Sep 27～Nov 29, every Sunday （10 sessions） from 10：00～11：00

Target learners：Those who finished the elementary class（the first ten applicants）Instructor：Japanese language teacherFee：5,000 yen （bank transfer or cash）

Online Japanese Class“Let’s speak and learn Japanese.”

For foreign residents working during the daytime：Level①：For people who understand simple everyday conversation,

hiragana, and katakana. （limited to 10 people）.Level②：For people who understand simple everyday conversation,

basic Japanese greetings. （limited to 10 people）.Level③：For people who have an intermediate understanding

of Japanese and want to continue to develop. （limited to 10 people）.

Dates and Time： Every Wed. from Sep. 23～Nov. 25（10 lessons） 18：30～20：00

Instructor： Japanese language instructorFee： ￥ 5,000 （Including course materials）

Japanese Language Course for Foreigners

Free Consultation for Non-Japanese residentsA judicial scrivener and an administrative scrivener will provide consultations free of charge （under seal of secrecy）. English and Chinese interpreters on duty. If your language is other than these languages, please call to make an appointment.

Interview ～Ms. Andrea Yoshida（from Canada）～

Date & Time

Nov. 15（Sun.）,2020 13：00～16：00

Jan. 17（Sun.）,2021 13：00～16：00 Visa Status

Legal Problems NIA Conference Room

Subject Place

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N I A I n f o r m a t i o n B o x

11-1, Ikeda-cho, Nishinomiya City

Worth morethan the price

Specialty Shopsof Frente Nishinomiya

Frente Nishinomiya

Official Facebook Information are now distributed

Official Application Information is now distributed

The gourmet street on the1st floor is open after 20:00.

Business hoursof the

Specialty Shops

NITORI More comfort. Optimal support.

https：//www.nozomihomu.com090-8306-8475 0797-31-4326

E-mail：nozomihomu@gmail.comFeel free to contact us for more information.

Gyoseishoshi Nozomi Int’l Legal Office

I can visit your place for consultation. The consultation of the weekend and in English is possible.

The first consultation is free of charge.

Visa, Immigration,Naturalization and Life Support Servicesfor foreigners living in Osaka, Kobe, Hanshin area and other areas of Kansai

permanent residence, international marriage,naturalization, employment of foreigners

We also support the daily lifeof foreign residents Various PermitsTranslation

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Advertisement wanted！◆

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NIA Newsletter is published four times a year, in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean.The newsletter is mailed to our spon-sor-members, foreigner members, volun-teer members, citizens, other internation-al associations, citizen’s halls, libraries, high schools and colleges in Nishinomiya.Your ad will be posted on NIA's website for 1 year.Fees are shown below.

P r i c e

L：40,000 yen/year（including 20,000 yen organization membership fee）

S：32,000 yen/year（including 20,000 yen organization membership fee）

◇Volunteers Wanted◇NIA is seeking volunteers for the following works: ● Newsletter volunteers A: Preparation work before shipping （4 times a year）

● Newsletter volunteers B: Delivery to near-by institutions （4 times a year）

● Volunteer interpreters and translators（Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and Portuguese etc.）: We are seeking volunteers with different levels of ability. The work ranges from simple interpre-tation of daily conversation to translation of the NIA newsletter.

◇Sponsor Members Wanted◇To promote activities of the international exchange program, we need your support. ● Annual membership fee: Group : ￥20,000　Individual: ￥3,000Volunteer: ￥ 2,000

● Privileges: Books can be borrowed for free. Conference rooms and the exhibi-tion corner can be rented at a discout price. Other privileges include invitations to events run by NIA and discount tickets to Nishinomiya based facilities.

Events and disaster information etc.are provided in multiple languages.

Nishinomiya CityInternational Association （NIA）

We recommend that you to registerfor our Facebook page.

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Nationality Number Percent

Total Nishinomiya population 484,5385The percentage of foreign residents in Nishinomiya 1.45％

South and North KoreaChinaVietnamThe PhilippinesU.S.A.NepalTaiwanBrazil74 Other countries

Total

※as of Aug, 2020

Current Number of Foreign Residentsin Nishinomiya

Current Number of Foreign Residentsin Nishinomiya

3,2481,3227802332231601501138107,039

46.1%18.8%11.1%3.3%3.2%2.3%2.1%1.6%11.5%100％