(2021.12.11)Lecture Session Commemorating our 20th Anniversary Was Held
On December 11, a lecture session to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of our association was held at the Inzai City Chuo Kominkan (Central Community Center), attended by a large number of people from Inzai and other cities.
【 Mr.Takehana 】
In the lecture titled "Nepal Himalaya Dolpo Trekking: Following the Path of Kawaguchi Ekai," Mr. Akira Takehana, a resident of Inzai City, introduced the trekking in the Dolpo region of Nepal that followed the path taken by Kawaguchi Ekai, who infiltrated Tibet, which was closed to the outside world, about 120 years ago.
Mr. Takehana explained a wide range of topics he experienced during his trek, including the scenery of Dolpo region, the people he met, and even rare alpine plants, using many photos.
After the lecture, the participants commented on how wonderful the lecture was, and it was clear that everyone enjoyed the lecture.
On the occasion of this lecture session, Hisao Yoshihara, Chairperson of our association, expressed his gratitude as follows.
Thank you very much, Mr. Takehana, for sharing your precious experience with us today. I was impressed by your curiosity, energy and stamina to traverse the trackless path followed by the explorer Kawaguchi Ekai about 120 years ago.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the audience, Mr. Takahira and Mr. Sakurai, managers of Inzai City, and Mr. Susumu Yamaguchi, former president of our association.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Inzai City International Association. This is due to the understanding and cooperation of the citizens and the department in charge at the city hall, as well as the efforts of our seniors.
The association strives to make Inzai a safe and pleasant place for foreign residents to live, a place where citizens can get along well with foreign residents, and a place where elementary, junior high and high school students can become interested in foreign languages and cultures.
In the midst of the new corona infection, we will continue to actively work on the SDGs for the next 10 years, while seeking a new way of international exchange.
I would like to ask for your continued understanding and guidance in our activities, as well as your participation in our various events.
(2021.11.22)Ribbon Learners Participate as Instructors in Cross-Cultural Understanding Class at Takino Elementary School
On November 22, the learners of our Japanese Language Class "Ribbon" from China, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and India were invited as lecturers to a cross-cultural understanding class held by Inzai City for 5th graders of Takino Elementary School.
At the opening ceremony held in the open space on the 3rd floor of the school, the students greeted each learner in their native languages and gave them a very warm welcome.
Afterwards, the six learners were divided into three locations for presentations on their countries. They presented proudly in Japanese their own country's geography, climate, lifestyle, culture, food, school life, etc., as well as the differences between their own culture and that of Japan, showing pictures and real objects.
At the closing ceremony, the children showed their appreciation with a dance, which pleased the learners very much. With a smile, learners each shared impression as follows;
"I was nervous, but it was fun.", "I am grateful for this opportunity. I would like to do it again.", "It was fun to answer questions.", "I have been away from my country for a long time, so it was good to have this opportunity to find out about the recent situation of schools in my country.", "I would like to tell other schools about my country as well.", "After listening to presentations by everyone else, I realized that there is still a lot I don't know.”
It was a great day of learning for both the Ribbon learners and the 53 students of Takino Elementary School.
(2021.11.10)Invitation to the 20th Anniversary Lecture Session
In April this year, we, Inzai City International Friendship Association, celebrated its 20th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, we will be holding a lecture session entitled "Trekking in the Nepal Himalayas: Following the Path of Kawaguchi Ekai.
In this lecture, Mr. Akira Takehana, a resident of Inzai City and a member of the Japanese Alpine Club, will introduce the 28-day trek that followed the path taken by Kawaguchi Ekai, a priest who infiltrated Tibet about 120 years ago.The lecture will be given in Japanese.
We look forward to your participation.
Date and time: Saturday, December 11, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
(Registration starts at 1:00 p.m.)
Place: Inzai City Chuo Kominkan (3934-1 Omori, Inzai City)
Free of charge
Capacity: First 40 people
Application Please contact the following by e-mail or phone.
Contact: Inzai City International Friendship Association inzai.ifa@gmail.com
070-5519-1661
(2021.11.02)Reopening of Friendship Cafe
The Friendship Cafe, a place for foreign and Japanese citizens to talk, will resume this month. The schedule until January next year is as follows.
November 25 (Thursday),10:00 - 12:00
December 23 (Thursday),10:00 - 12:00
January 27 (Thursday), 10:00 - 12:00
Place: "Shimin Katsudo Shien Center" on the 2nd floor of the NT Chuo Ekimae Chiiki Koryukan Building 2.
We will take possible measures to protect COVID-19 infection, so please come and join us with ease.
(2021.10.25)International Exchange Event “Goodwill Outing 2021” Held
On Saturday, October 23, the previous day's rain cleared up, and our international exchange event was held.
After gathering at the Inzai City Community Exchange Center or Cultural Hall, the participants took a bus to the boat-riding site behind the Central Community Center. After donning life jackets, they boarded two boats and set off on a one-hour river tour.
After enjoying Inzai's waterfront scenery from the boats, they took the bus again to Tomi Shrine in Kobayashi. Each participant spent his or her time in the quiet precincts by offering prayers, picking up fallen gingko trees, etc.
At the nearby Dosaku burial mounds they visited next, Mr. Sugiyama, a city officer who majored in archaeology, answered questions from the participants, making the tour a bit of a study session and reminding us of the ancient times.
Afterwards, the participants went to a field near the Kobayashi Pasture to experience harvesting peanuts. The participants worked hard to pull out the peanuts and remove the hulls, not caring about getting their hands and clothes dirty in the muddy soil from the previous day's rain.
After harvesting peanuts, the participants moved to the Vitra Farm, where they enjoyed an exchange party with lunch made with ingredients produced in Inzai, musical performance, playing quizzes and self-introductions by each participant.
It was a very meaningful day where we were able to deepen our friendship with many people.
Foreign citizens from China, South Korea, Mexico, the United States, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Thailand, the Philippines and Taiwan participated in this gathering.
(2021.08.04)Participation in the “English Academy Hop & Step” Program
On July 29 and 30, six volunteers from our association participated in the "English Academy Hop & Step" organized by the Inzai City Board of Education for elementary school students, as assistants to make the program run smoothly.
The volunteers had a valuable time with about 120 students ranging from 3rd to 6th grade who participated in this program on both days.
We hope that they will take the opportunity to further develop their interest in English and use their language skills to enjoy interacting with people from other countries in the future.
(2021.06.14)Japanese Language Supporter Training Course Begins
On June 11, the first session of the "Japanese Language Supporter Training Course," organized by Inzai City and supported by the Inzai City International Friendship Association, was held. The lecturer was Ms. Eri Mannami, a start-up programmer of the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Japanese Language Education Project for Foreign Residents.
Because of the Corona disaster, the course was held online, but the participants not only listened to the lecture, but also discussed in small groups and wrote their own opinions in the chat room, exchanging opinions.
The staff of our Japanese Language Class "Ribbon" participated as helpers and studied together with the students.
The second session will be held on June 25.
(2021.06.04)The Ribbon’s Staff Meeting for 2021FY
The staff meeting for the fiscal year of 2021 of our Japanese language class “Ribbon” was held on June 2 at the Chuo Ekimae Chiiki Koryukan Building 1.
The meeting was attended by a total of 17 new and current staff members of the classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, who had not seen each other in a while due to COVID-19.
In the first half of the meeting, the activities and financial reports for the previous year were presented, followed by the proposed activity plan and budget for the current year, which were approved. In addition, the operating rules were reconfirmed, and also the number of students in country-wise and staff attending to each class as of May was reported.
In the latter half of the meeting, all the new staff members introduced themselves in order and shared their aspirations for the future of the Japanese language class.
(2021.05.27)The 21st Annual General Meeting was held!
On May 22, the 21st Annual General Meeting was held at the Omori Machizukuri Kaikan in Inzai City. In the midst of the corona disaster, most of the members attended by proxy, but all the agenda items including last year's activity report, this year's activity plan and financial report were approved. Thank you very much for your support. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the members who came to the venue. All the directors and officers will continue to work together to manage the association this year.
The following is the greetings from the Chairperson at the general meeting.
Greetings from the Chairman
Hisao Yoshihara
I would like to offer a few words of greeting.
Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend the 2021 Annual General Meeting today.
Our association was established in April 2001, and we are now celebrating our 20th anniversary. I would like to express my gratitude for the guidance and cooperation of our members, city hall, and business organizations, as well as the efforts of our senior board members.
In the past year, the spread of the new coronavirus has continued and is still continuing worldwide. This has threatened the daily lives of people all over the world and in Japan.
In Japan, families, schools, workplaces, and commuting to and from school are unable to operate as before.
Remote teaching for school, teleworking from home for work, remote meetings for conferences and meetings, and other computer and network-based means have been incorporated.
Walking out is restricted due to the possibility of corona infection. Traveling and dining with family and friends, leisure trips, watching sports and movies, going to concerts and amusement parks are also restricted.
As a result, we were not able to hold language classes, lectures, friendship cafes, and bus trips as usual.
The social situation is changing day by day, and in addition to the problem of the spread of the new corona infection, we feel the need to develop international exchange activities with new ideas and methods, and we are currently searching for ways to do so.
There are about 2,400 foreign residents living in Inzai City. In cooperation with the city hall, we would like to help foreign residents to live happily and comfortably.
Our main goal is to help foreign residents enjoy their lives. Secondly, to deepen mutual understanding between foreign residents and the general public through casual exchange. Thirdly, to give elementary and junior high school students and high school students the opportunity to experience and become interested in foreign countries and different cultures.
In order to develop these goals in a new way, we would like to ask for your wisdom and participation in our activities.
(2021.04.22)Our Bulletin Hiroba 23rd Issue Published
We recently published the Hiroba 23rd Issue as an additional edition to celebrate our 20th anniversary of foundation. Please enjoy reading.
As a result of the declaration of a state of emergency, we decided to cancel the Friendship Cafe temporally for the three months from January to March, 2021.
We would like to reopen it as soon as the COVID-19 situation is calmed down enough so that everyone can meet each other comfortably.
