ommunicatoramogawa

Issue 230 September 2014

Kamogawa GodosaiKamogawa’s biggest festival, Godosai, is held annually by shrines located throughout area: the Oura-Yakumo, Shirahata, Hie, Kumano, Suwa, Yokosuka-Yakumo, and Hachiman. A total of seven mikoshi (portable shrines), three dashi (floats), four yatai (stalls), and a katsugi-yatai (shouldering stall) participate in Godosai. The Sannoko (Hie Shrine) and Suwako (Suwa Shrine) bear over 90 years of history. These Edo dashi, which once marched within the grounds of Edo Castle, now bring much excite-ment as they parade throughout the city during Kamogawa’s Godosai. So come enjoy the festivities as the

YabusameThe Yabusame celebration is a Shinto harvest ritual. As an archer rides across the field, he shoots arrows aiming for three targets. This process is repeated three times. The targets are labeled “Early Harvest,” “Mid Harvest,” and “Late Harvest,” and it is believed that

ManitowocStudent Art Exhibit

September 6th to the 23rd

From 9 to 5 (Entrance is Free)

The gallery is closed on the

8th, 16th, and 22nd

Citizens’ GalleryYokosuka ８９３04(7093)2366

Enjoy pop art prints, self-portraits, and a cheese planet drawn and painted by middle and elementary school students from Kamogawa’s Sister City, Manitowoc Wisconsin.

next season’s harvest can be predicted by where the arrows land. Kamogawa’s Yabusame is unique in that the position of the target is much further away from the archer in comparison to other city’s Yabusame celebrations. This is because more importance is placed on praying for a good harvest than the art of the ritual. It is believed that even an arrow that misses its target still carries a mes-sage from God. For more information please all the Kamogawa Folk Museum at TEL: 04-7093-3800.

dashi and yatai parade through town to tradi-tional melodies performed by taiko drums and flutes. For more information please all the Kamogawa Folk Museum at TEL: 04-7093-3800.

Want to be a Caregiver?

The Chiba Convention Bureau and International Center (CCB-IC) will be hosting a workshop about care giving for the elderly.The program contains information about the job, what practical skills are needed, and about the necessary Japanese terms, as well as practical training at a care center in Chiba.

Class Schedule: Workshops: Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13, 20 (7 Thursday Classes) Training: Nov. 27 (Thurs) at YUWAENTime: 13:30-16:30 each day (Full attendance is mandatory)Location: Chiba International CenterTuition: FREE, class is limited to 20 participants

Must be a foreign resident of Chiba with a valid visa that is capable of speaking and writing simple Japa-nese. For an application please visit <www.mcic.or.jp> or scan the QR code above. For more information, please contact the Chiba Interna-tional Center at TEL: 043-297-0245.

Humour: Have a side-splitting September!

How many Mathematicians does it take to change a light bulb?N. One to screw in the light bulb, and N-1 to perform an action stereotypical of the group.

How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb?Two. One to milk the giraffe and one to fill the bath tub with power tools

How many software engineers does it take to screw in a light bulb?None. That’s a hardware problem.

How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb?None. The light bulb has to want to change.

How many mystery writers does it take to screw in a light bulb?Two. One to screw it almost all the way in, and another to give it a surprising twist at the end

Disaster PreventionSeptember 1st was designated as Disaster Prevention Day in 1960 for two main reasons. The first is that the frequency of typhoons that occur in Japan is highest around 210 days before the first day of spring, and the second is that September 1st marks the day in 1923 when the Great Kanoto Earthquake struck the Tokyo metropolitan area.

In order to encourage disaster prevention, the communicator would like to offer some tips on how to prepare in case of an emergency.

●Register with your countries embassy- check your embassy’s website for easy sign up. In case of an emergency your countries embassy can provide you with the most up-to-date and reliable information for protecting you and your family.

●Identify your closet evacuation sites- Learn about the risks in your area and what you can do when disaster strikes. The people around you are going to be your first line of help during an emergency.

●Prepare an emergency kit- Preparing a kit now, with food, water, and medical rations for three days can make a world of difference when you need to evacuate quickly.

●Discuss evacuation plans with your family- designate a meeting spot to ensure your families safety, even if you do get separated.

For more information on preparing for a disaster and to download this year’s new disaster prevention guide, please visit the city website.

<www.city.kamogawa.lg.jp/> 　Top ＞ Living in Kamogawa 　　　＞ Disaster Prevention

Disaster Prevention LaboratoryJoin the Kamogawa International Relations Association at Chiba’s Disaster Prevention Laboratory for a chance to experience first-hand the powerful winds of a typhoon and the violent shaking of an earthquake, and learn about how you can prepare yourself for any emergency situation.When: 9/21 (Sunday) meet at the City Hall at 8:30amCost: Free! Registration is limited to 20 people!Please bring a box lunch and clothes that you can move around in. For more information or to register please call KIRA at TEL: 7093-5931.

Living in Kamogawa

Annual Student Exchange SEP2014

Many smiles were shared and new relationships were built when Jessie Thao, Katie McMeans, Savannah Elmore, and Zach Lavene from

students returned home to Manitowoc along with six Kamogawa students, Yurie Ochiai, Maia Masuda, Yuna Suzuki, Mayu Yoshimura, Momo Sakamoto, and Nao Suzuki, who were able to get a taste of American culture. They toured the Manitowoc Police and Fire Departments, visited a Milwaukee Brewers’ baseball game, and were able to ride some rides at the Bay Beach amusement park. After returning to Kamogawa, the students couldn’t stop talking about the surprises, delicious flavors, and the kindness of people that they experienced on their adventures in Manitowoc, as well as how much they already missed the place that they called home for the past two weeks.

Ryan

soccer, and martial arts such as judo. If you see me around town or in the water please say, “Hi!”

AlisonHello! My name is Alison and I'm from Michigan in America. I'm really excited to be here in japan and I love Kamogawa so far. I recently graduated from the University of Michigan, where I studied Japanese and art history. I love art and I'm interested in Japanese arts like calligraphy and hanga. I studied abroad in Kyoto last year for four months. I really enjoyed living there, but I'm looking forward to seeing another side of japan. While in Kamogawa, I hope to improve my Japanese, try a lot of new things, and maybe even learn to surf! Of course, I'm most excited about working with the students and making learning English fun for them. If you see me around, please come talk to me. Even Japanese is fine, although I'm still learning. I look forward to it!

Living in Kamogawa

Hey everyone, my name is Ryan Walker from Auckland, New Zealand and I'm one of the new JET ALT’s (Assistant Language Teacher) in Kamogawa. I'm looking forward to helping students with English in a fun and motivating style. In my spare time I really enjoy sports, particularly surfing,

New To Kamogawa!

Manitowoc, Wisconsin visited Kamogawa in late July as part of a 12 day student exchange. They participated in homestays and many activities to learn more about their sister city. Activities included yukata wearing, tea ceremony, Japanese archery, and calligraphy to name a few. At the beginning of August, the

What's Happening This Month

The Kamogawa Communicator is published by the Kamogawa International Relations Association. Copies of the paper are available free of charge at Kamogawa City Hall, Amatsu Branch Office, JR Awa-Kamogawa Stn, Kamogawa Tourist Information Center, local hotels, community centers, as well as Tateyama City Hall, Minamiboso City Hall, and its branch offices. Articles are accessible via Kamogawa City homepage. The editorial staff welcomes feedback and submissions.

Edited by: Zachary KrauseCitizen Exchange DivisionKamogawa City Hall, 3rd floor1450 Yokosuka, Kamogawa, Chiba 296-8601Tel: 04-7093-5931Fax: 04-7093-7851E-mail: kira@city.kamogawa.chiba.jphttp://www.city.kamogawa.lg.jp/EN/index.html

9/13 (Sat) 10:00~/13:00~Agricultural Produce Ring Toss Tournament Location: Minnami-no-satoThink you have a great throwing arm? Come test it out at the local Minnami-no-sato ring toss tournament. Who said you can’t play with your food? For more information, please contact Minnami-no-sato (TEL:04-7099-8055).

9/27 (Sat) 9:00am-12:00pm Dragnet Fishing ExperienceLocation: Futama Seashore (Amatsu District).Do you like fishing and pro-wrestling? Well here is your chance to experience catching fish with a dragnet with pro-wrestlers from ZERO1! For more information please contact the Amatsu Information Center (TEL:04-7095-2218).

9/27 (Sat) 10:00am~Tabara District Festival Location: Tabara Come and enjoy this annual celebration of the local shrines. The festivities are said to resemble that off the early Edo period. For more information, please contact the Information Center by Awa Kamogawa Station (TEL:04-7092-0086).

9/27 (Sat) ~ 9/28 (Sun) 11:00am~ Let’s go Camping! Location: Uchiura Kenmin no MoriFirst timers are welcome! Learn how to pitch a tent, build a campfire, make your own chopsticks, and more. For more information please call Uchiura Kenmin no Mori at (TEL:04-7095-2821)

9/28 (Sun)~11/30 (Sun)Begonia ExhibitLocation: Futomi Flower CenterEnjoy the vivid reds an whites as the begonias and the Futomi flower center bloom throughout September and October. For more information please call the flower center at (TEL:04-7092-1311).

9/28 (Sun) 15:00 ~Kippo Hachiman Yabusame Festival Location: Yoshio DistrictThe Yabusame celebration is a Shinto ritual that predicts the harvest of the following year. As an archer rides swiftly across the field, he shoots three arrows, aiming for three separate targets. This process is repeated three times. The targets are labeled “Early Harvest,” “Mid Harvest,” and “Late Harvest,” and it is believed that next season’s harvest can be predicted by where the arrows land. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see a unique local tradition! For more information, please contact the Kamogawa Folk Culture Museum (TEL:04-7093-3800)

9/1 (Thurs) 9:00am ~ Morning Market Location: Amatsu Shinmeigu Shrine Amatsu Shinmeigu Shrine will host another wonderful morning flea market. For more information, please call (TEL:04-7094-0323).

9/6 (Sat) 8:30am~Sports Festival 2014 in IchiharaLocation: Ichihara City, Kazusasarashina ParkChiba would like to encourage its students to get up and get active with street dancing for elementary to high school students (from 8:30~) and a large game of tag for first to sixth graders (from 9:00) during the 47th annual sports festival! There will also be lectures for parents on child brain develop-ment and moral education in the Ichihara City Meeting Hall. For more information please call the Junior Chamber International’s Chiba Block (TEL:04-3620-3555). 9/7~10/28Nangoku Bari-Islands ExhibitLocation: Futomi Flower CenterCome and enjoy tropic plants, shells, and arts and crafts from Japan’s tropical city Nangoku. For more information please call the flower center at (TEL:04-7092-1311).

9/7~12/26Fishing Vacation at the Futomi Flower CenterLocation: Futomi Flower CenterCome and try your luck at fishing for Tai sea breams and enter for a chance to win prizes. For more information please call the flower center at (TEL:04-7092-1311).

9/13 (Sat) – 9/914(Sun) 1:00 pm ~ 9:00pmKamogawa Godosai Festival Location: KamogawaIt’s that time of year again for fun under the September Sun at the Kamogawa Godosai Festival! On Saturday the mikoshi and dashi from various shrines will be paraded around the city. In the evening the festival parties will begin. Be sure to bring a friend and come out to enjoy the activities! For more information please contact the Kamogawa City Tourism Association (TEL:04-7092-0086).