The Seika Town Festival! せいか祭り！

Looking back through my predecessors’ stuff, it seems like the Seika festival is doomed to rain every year, or at least somewhat crummy weather. However this year bucked the trend, as visitors were treated to a beautiful fall day. Nearly 35,000 people came out to celebrate the event, which was filled with good food, lots of music performances, and fun games for kids.

前任者たちが残したファイルを見ていて、せいか祭りは毎年雨や悪い天気になる悪い運命があるそうでした。でも、今年のせいか祭りは傾向を抵抗し、参加者は凄くいい天気に恵まれました。３4,０００人の参加者がせいか祭りに来て、美味しい食べ物、音楽の演奏、楽しいゲームもありました。

Seika Global Network ran a booth again this year, where kids had got the chance to play a fun little quiz game with the questions ranging from geography, to animals, food, and even some about Christmas. The kids would pull a question from the mystery box, and if they could answer it correctly, they got a heart shaped balloon! Of course we gave them plenty of tries to get it right, and the parents may have helped out a little, but it was still great to see the kids learn something new about other countries. Of course there were quite a few funny answers, as one little boy said with absolute certainty that Santa rides a goat, and could not be persuaded otherwise.

せいかグローバルネットは今年もブースを出して、子供達に楽しいクイズゲームをさせました。クイズの質問では地理、動物、食べ物、クリスマスまで、色々な話題に及びました。子供はボックスから質問の一つを取り出して、それを答えたらハート型の風船をもらいました。もちろん何回答えさせたが､あと親にも手伝ってもらったが、子ども達が外国についてなんか習ったと思います。面白い答えもいっぱいあって、一人の小さな男の子は確実に「サンタさんは八木を乗るよ！」と答えて、他の答えに説得されませんでした。

On hand to help at the booth were volunteers from Seika Global Network, several Chinese students studying abroad in Seika and the surrounding area, and a few volunteers from a local High School who really helped out. I also got the chance to make some holiday cookies to hand out to special kids who answered the questions all by themselves. Although I woke up at 5 the morning of in order to finish them, they actually turned out to be a good idea since the balloons were so popular that we ran out early and had to start giving out the cookies instead! 

せいかグローバルネットのブースでせいかグローバルネットのボランティアと精華町周りに留学している中国人と近所にある高校の学生に手伝ってもらいました。そして、私は祭りの為にクッキーと作って､一人で答えられた子供にあげました。そして、風船が凄く人気で早くなくなったので、子供にクッキーをあげることになって、全部のクッキーを終わる為に当日５五時に起きたけど、助かりました。

Going out to events like this, I’m reminded how many kids Seika seems to have. The Keihanna Commemorative Park was filled with families who had come out to enjoy the day together, and there were more kids than you could shake a stick at. It was also great to run into kids from the schools I had visited, who remembered me and kept coming back to play and talk about all kind of things. I like to think they came to see me and not just to get a balloon, but it was still nice either way. With all the kids around, I really feel like Seika still has a lot of room to grow. I’ve heard stories about how much the town has changed since the first CIR came here over 16 years ago (he apparently had to do a host stay, since there were no apartments available.) Already in the four months I’ve been here, a small apartment complex was built next door, and a handful of shops open up around town, in particular a ramen shop, which I visit far too much. I have no idea how much the town will grow in the rest of my time here, but it’s going to be fun finding out.

こういうイベントに行くと、精華町は本当に子供が多いと気付きます。けいはんな記念公園で子ども達が大人より多く見えました。そして、私は訪問に行った学校の生徒達とまた会った、覚えてくれたから嬉しいです。その子ども達が風船のためじゃなくて、私と会うためにせいかグローバルネットのブースに来たと考えたいけど、どっちでもいいです。子供たちに囲まれると、精華町は本当に若い町で、まだ成長出来ると感じます。第一目の国際交流員は１６年前に来たときから、精華町はもう完全に変わったと聞きました。私は来た時からの四ヶ月に、隣に小さいマンションが建って、少数の店も開店しました。私は働く二年間で精華町がどう変わるかちょっと分かりませんが、楽しみしています。

第３回精華マラソン The Third Seika Marathon

On October 7th, runners from all around Seika came to the Mukunoki Center to participate in the 3rd annual Seika Marathon. Not having anything else to do on a Sunday morning, I thought it would be fun to participate.

１１月７日(日）に、精華町内のランナーは、第３回精華マラソンに参加するためにむくのきセンターに集まりました。参加したら楽しいだろうと思っていました。

The event had a 2km jog, and 3km, 5km, and 10km races. People from all age groups took part, with elementary school kids running in the 3k and 5k races, while some of the people in the 10k were clearly over 60 years old. I had signed up to do the 10km race, so even though I got there at around 8:30, I had a good long wait. It was really fun seeing everybody else go though, especially watching all the races start, and the little kids just straight out sprinting. Although the 2km jog was mostly for fun, the 3km and 5km were clearly serious business, and some of the times posted were really impressive. (I think 17 minutes was the winner for the 5km).

当イベントは２キロ、３キロ､５キロと１０キロのレースがありました。あらゆる年齢層の方が参加し、小学生は３キロと５キロを走り､６０歳以上の方も１０キロを走りました。私は１０キロに参加するので、８時半に着き、結構時間がありました。他のレースを見るのが楽しかったです。特にスタートです。子ども達がスタートでの全力ダッシュはかわいかったです。２キロは楽しみの為ようだったが､３キロと５キロのレースは真剣勝負で、ランナーの速さは本当に凄かったです。（５キロの優勝者のタイムは１７分ぐらいと思います）

The start of the 10k/ １０ｋのスタート

Finally, the time for the 10km race had come, and all the racers were getting lined up to start. Now, I am not a runner. I’m about as fast as molasses in January, and I couldn’t even finish a 2km jog when I was a kid. So all I was aiming for finishing, ideally in under an hour. I got an ok start, but I slowed down really quickly, and watched nearly every single person pass me. A real nice thing was the support that all the other runners gave each other, and you could always hear cries of “Fight!” whenever they passed each other. After 10 long kilometers, I finally got back to the starting point, where some kids from a local school cheered me on. Sprinting to the finish line, I was able to finish in 59 minutes and 44 seconds. I didn’t care that I was the second to last guy; it just felt really good to finish.

ついに、１０キロのレースの時が来ました。ランナー達は並んで､準備をしていました。実は、私はあまり走るのが得意ではありません。大変遅くて､子どもの時２キロも走れませんでした。今回は１時簡以内に走り終えたらそれでいいと思っていました。スタートは好調でしたが、すぐペースを落とし、皆に追い付かれました。ただし､参加者がお互いに応援し合い、よく「ファイト！」を聞こえました。長い１０キロの後で､ついにスタートに戻って、精華町の生徒に応援してもらいました。ラストスパートをかけ、５９分４４秒で終われました。最後から２番目でしたが、１時間をきったのは最高です。

The finish. Notice how my face is the color of a bruised tomato

Obviously all the winners got prizes, but every participant got a Seika Marathon towel and a free udon lunch. (Apparently in Japan you get a towel instead of a shirt for events) The race was really well attended with a couple hundred participants and all their supporters. Running is clearly very big in Japan, and many people were already talking about what race to do next. Although I hurt like heck afterwards, the race was really fun, and I’m looking forward to running again next year. Time to start training.

優勝者は賞､それ以外の参加者全員はオリジナルタオルとうどん券をもらいました。参加ランナーは何百人と多く、応援者もたくさんいました。ランニングは日本でとても人気ようで、次のレースについて話している人もいました。１０キロの後で私はひどく痛みましたが、本当に楽しかったので、来年の精華マラソンを楽しみしています。トレーニングを始めましょう！

The Best Train in Seika 精華町の一番いい汽車

One of my favorite things about Japan is the whole train system. We don’t really have a good train system back in America, so I really like the ease and cheapness of the Japanese train systems. Of course, trains themselves are also pretty cool, so when I heard that I would get to go visit a man who had his own steam train, I was pretty excited.

日本の好きなこと一つは鉄道網です。アメリカの鉄道網はあんまりよくないので、日本の鉄道網の楽さと安さなどが好きです。そして、列車もかっこいいです。そのため自分の汽車を持っている人を訪ねることができた時、とてもワクワクしました。

Apparently the owner had for many years been inviting local daycares to come and let the kids ride, and I was going to help out in crowd control/entertaining the kids. Although I had heard of this model train, it was really cool to see it for myself. At a little over three feet long and powered by steam, it’s an adorable little thing, but had a surprising amount of kick to it. We set the kids up to ride, and they started squealing with delight. The whole thing clearly made their day, although they were most enamored with the tunnel we had set up for them.

汽車の持ち主は毎年、保育所を呼びかけて子ども達を招待して乗らせています。今回僕は子どもの世話をしたり楽しませたりしました。この前任者にこの汽車について聞いて事がありましたが、本当に凄かったです。１メートル強の長さで、とても小さかったですが、意外と強かったです。僕たちは子ども達を乗せると､子ども達はキャーキャ笑い出して､とても喜んでいるようでしたが､子ども達が一番気になったことは僕たちが建てたトンネルでした。

I also got a chance to actually talk with some of the kids, which was really fun. They were all fairly young, and my favorite question of the day when one girl asked if I was Korean. I’m about as Caucasian as it gets, but this wasn’t the first time this kind of thing had happened (kids have asked me before why I have a foreign sounding name, implying that they think I’m Japanese.) It occurred to me that maybe some of these kids had never met a foreigner before, and so didn’t have any idea what one would look like. I don’t know if that’s the case, but it certainly is interesting to see how really young Japanese kids react when meeting a non-Japanese person for the first time. But before I could respond, saying that no, I was American, and giving some long winded lecture on national identity, another girl blurted in, “You have an eigo (English language) face!” So there you go. After that, they told me they were learning English words for fruit, so we had a great time playing the “What’s that fruit?” game.

そして､子ども達と話す機会もあり、凄く楽しかったです。そして、一人の女の子に「韓国人ですか」と聞かれました。僕は完全に白人ですが、こういうことを聞かれる事は何回もありました。（子ども達は前に、｢何で外国っぽい名前ですか？」と聞き､僕が日本人だと思ったようでした。）この子ども達は外国人に会ったことがなかったかもしれないので、外国人のイメージもないと思いました。そういうことかどうか分からないですが､日本の子ども達の、初めての外国人との出会いを見るのは面白いですね。しかし､僕が答える前に、他の子は「お兄さん、英語の顔しているよ！｣と言いました。そうですね。後､皆が果物の英語の名前を習っていたときいて､「あの果物何？」というゲームをしました。

The day ended before I would of liked it, but it was really great to see all those kids so happy.

アッという間に終わりましたが､子ども達の笑顔は最高でした。

Plus I got to do this.

そして、こういうこともできました。

So a great day all-in-all.

いい日でした。

精華子ども祭り The Seika Children's Festival

　On October 16th, Seika held the 8th annual Seika Children’s Festival, and I have to say, it was possibly the most fun I’ve had all year. From 9 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon, kids from all over Seika got the chance to play games, make arts and crafts, and listen to concerts.
１０月１６日（土）、精華町のむくのきセンターで「第８回精華町子ども祭り」が行われました。正直にいって、今までで一番楽しかったです。午前９時から午後３時まで、町内の子ども達がゲームをしたり、図画工作をしたり､歌や演奏を聞くことができました。

The event opened early in the morning with a few words from the mayor and other officials, followed by concerts from a local school band, and the town Boys and Girls Chorus. After the performances kids had the chance to wander around the Mukunoki Center auditorium, playing with all kinds of fun things. They could make flower bookmarks, do some yoga, make paper helicopters, learn some sign language, and all other kind of fun things!
本イベントは朝早くに始まり、木村町長をはじめ関係者らが挨拶し、続いて精華町内の学校の吹奏楽部による演奏や少年少女合唱団による合唱でを開けました。その後、子ども達は会場内をウロウロし、色々な面白いことも出来ました。子ども達は押し花を作ったり、ヨガをしたり、竹とんぼを作ったり、手話を習ったり、本当に様々な楽しい体が験できました！

For my part, I helped out at the international exchange booth, leading a ring toss game, talking to the kids about my home back in Wisconsin, and just generally having a great time. The children also got to cut out and make little rabbits with messages on them that the Seika Global Network is going to send to a school in Norman, Oklahoma, Seika’s sister city. I have to say that, being a big kid at heart myself, the entire day was more fun than a barrel of spider monkeys. Some of the kids were nervous talking to me at first, probably on account of my fearsome beard, but once they opened up they were all smiles and looked like they were having a great time. When my Dad came a while back, he brought me about 40 pounds of Halloween candy, so I decided that it would be a good prize for kids who played ring toss. Based on the fact that those 40 pounds of candy are now all gone, I’ll go ahead and say that the event was a great success.

私は、国際交流のブースで､輪投げゲームを教えたり、地元のウィスコンシン州について話したりしていました。子ども達は紙のウサギにメッセージを書いて､これらはせいかグローバルネットが姉妹都市のノーマン市へ送られます。実際は私が心の底では子どもだから、一日は最高でした。子ども達の中には僕と話していた時に、始めにちょっと恐がっていた人もいたが、心を開かせると、子ども達を止めることは出来ませんでした。この前､父親がハロウィーンキャンディーを２０キロぐらい持ってきてくれたので､輪投げをやった子どもにあげようと思いました。その２０キロは完全になくなったので､せいかグローバルネットのところはちょっと人気だったかもしれません。

Not surprisingly, I got a lot of questions from the kids about why I could speak Japanese. I tried to explain that anybody can learn a foreign language if they try, and that I’d been studying Japanese for 6 years, longer than some of them had been alive! Lots of Japanese kids, and some adults as well, have the misconception that foreign people can’t learn to speak Japanese. Hopefully by talking to these kids in Japanese some of them learned that anyone, Japanese or not, can learn the language.

驚くことではないが、子ども達になぜ日本語を話せるかと聞かれました。子ども達に勉強したら誰でも外国語を話せることを説明し、僕の場合はもう６年間ぐらい勉強していて、子ども達の何人かには､その子ども達が生まれた前に日本語を勉強しはじめたことも伝えました。日本人の子どもは、そして大人も、外国人が日本語を全然話せないとよく誤解しています。ずっと子ども達と日本語で話したので、その子ども達はだれでも日本語を話せることを覚えたらうれしいです。

And on a cultural note, one thing that always surprises me about Japan is how independent the kids are. During the day, I had plenty of kids come up to talk to me and play the ring toss game without their parents around. This happens in everyday situations too, as you’ll often see kids in the street or in shops wandering around by themselves. Although you’ll occasionally see kids by themselves in America, Japanese kids seem to be given a lot more freedom in roaming around and exploring.

文化的なことに気づいたこと、日本の子ども達がすごく独立心が強いことで、いつもびっくりしています。本イベント一日で、多くの子どもは一人で私に話し掛けて､輪投げをしにきました。こういうことはよく道や店で子どもだけの姿を見かけるなど、毎日のようによく見ています。アメリカでたまに両親といない子どもを見るが､日本人の子ども達のほうが独立心みたいです。

I think the event was a great success, and the kids I met and talked to just made my day, even if they made fun of my beard. Hopefully some of the kids remember me when I go to visit their schools in the coming months.

イベントは大成功だったと思うけど、来月に行く学校訪問で、私のことを覚えていてくれる子どもがいたらいいですね。

精華町のイベント １８日～３１日 / Seika Schedule, Oct. 18th~31st

Sorry this is a little late, but here’s the list for events for the second half of October in Seika,
以下は精華町で１０月後半に行うイベントです～


The War God and Friends
Keihanna  Event
WHEN: October 17th(Sun), 24th(Sun), 10:00 - 17:00
WHERE: Suikeien Tsukinoniwa
WHAT: Complete with sculputres, paintings, and photographs, this art show promises to be an exciting look at many different interpretations of the War Gods.

第１回鬼神と仲間たち
けいはんな記念公園（精華町）
日時：１０月１７日(日)－２４日(日）、午前１０時ー午後５時
場所：水景園　ギャラリー月の庭
内容：陶芸、絵画、写真など多ジャンルの作品が集まったエネルギッシュなグループ展です。


Starry Night Cafe
Keihanna  Event
WHEN: October 23rd(Sat), 18:00 - 20:00
WHERE: Suikeien Entrance
WHAT: Come enjoy some lovely stargazing. Jupiter will be at it’s brightest, and you can see the Hartley 2 comet, which only comes every 6 years.

星空カフェ～木星とハートレイ第２彗星をみてみよう！～
けいはんな記念公園（精華町）
日時：１０月２３日(土)、午後６時ー８時
場所：水景園受付前
内容：木星がひときわ明るく輝き、６．５年の周期でめぐるハートレイ彗星が地球の近くを通ります。秋の天体観測を楽しみましょう。


Autumn Wind Concert- On Flute and Piano
Keihanna  Event
WHEN: October 24th(Sun), 14:00 - 15:00
WHERE: Suikeien
WHAT: Listen to the beautiful harmony of a flute and piano duet in the lovely fall scenery of a Japanese garden!

秋風コンサート～フルートとピアノの調べ～
けいはんな記念公園（精華町）
日時：１０月２４日(日)、午後２時ー３時
場所：水景園
内容：秋の日本庭園で、フルートとピアノの美しいハーモニーをお楽しみください！


Exhibition of the Winning Entries from the 26th Green Kyoto Photo Contest
Keihanna  Event
WHEN: October 26th(Tues) - 29th(Fri)
WHERE: Suikeien Tsukinoniwa Gallery
WHAT: Enjoy photographs of the lush and verdant Kyoto scenery.

第２６回京都まちとみどり写真コンクール入選作品展
けいはんな記念公園（精華町）
日時：１０月２６日(火)－２９日(金）、午前９時ー午後５時
場所：水景園　ギャラリー月の庭
内容：緑豊かな美しい京都の町をお楽しみください。


Making your own Wilderness Fort!
Keihanna  Event
WHEN: October 31st(Sun), 13:00 - 16:00
WHERE: Suikeien
WHAT: Part of the popular “Nature Explorer” series; for 500 Yen, you can use supplies from the woods cardboard, and sheets to make your own fort! Please call for information.　Keihanna Plaza Information: 93-1200.

あつまれ！芽ぶきの森のこびとたち　森のかくれがづくり
けいはんな記念公園（精華町）
日時：１０月３１日(日)、午後１時ー午後４時
場所：水景園
内容：人気の自然体験シリーズ。森の素材や、ダンボール、シーツを使って、世界に一つだけの隠れ家を作ろう。電話で下記のところへ。
参加費：５００円
申込方法：９３－１２００


Boys and Girls Chorus Pre-event
Keihanna  Event
WHEN: October 31st(Sun), doors open at 13:00, concert begins 13:30,
WHERE: Keihanna Plaza Main hall　
WHAT: As part of next year’s 26th National Culture festival, the Kyoto prefecture Boys and Girls Chorus groups are scheduled to perform in November of next year. As preparation for that event, the Kyoto Boys and Girls Choruses are holding a concert on October 31st at the Keihanna Plaza. Performing will be the Boys and Girls Chorus and wind instrument accompaniment, as well as the Seika Town middle school band.

Entrance is free, but a ticket is required. You may pick up tickets at the Lifelong education division on the third floor of the Seika Town office, the Mukunoki Center, the Kashinokien Hall, and the Seika town Citizen’s service corner. Ticket supplies are limited and will handed out on a first-come first-serve basis.

少年少女合唱フェスティバル開催
けいはんな記念公園（精華町）
日時：１０月３１日(日)、午後１時開場、午後１時３０分開演
場所：けいはんなプラザ・メインホール
内容：「第２６回国民文化祭・京都２０１１」の1年前イベントとして、京都府内の少年少女合唱団の出演による「少年少女合唱フェスティバルプレイベント」を１０月３１日、けいはんなプラザで開催します。今回のプレイベントでは府内各合唱団の合唱発表や、合唱団と町内３中学校の吹奏楽部との合同演奏などが行われます。入場は無料ですが、入場整理券が必要です。入場整理券は、町役場３階・生涯学習課、むくのきセンター、かしのき苑、精華町住民サービスコーナーで取り扱います。


What’s Kai up to?

I honestly have no idea yet, but the Starry Night Café looks fun and relaxing, so I may head over there.


カイは何をしていますか？

まだ全然分からないが､星空カフェ～は面白そうで、行くかもしれません。

Japanese Moon-Viewing and the Autumnal Equinox/お月見と秋分の日

Though this is up a little late, I still figured it would be fun to write about the “moon-viewing” event held here in Seika on September 23rd. Never having been to moon watching event before, I knew little about the practice, other than the fact that everyone eats “dango,” sweet rice ball treats. My sweet tooth demanded my participation.
もう大分古い話ですが、けいはんな記念公園の「観月の夕べ」に参加しました。お月見などに行ったことがなかったので、何が起こるか分かりませんでしたが､皆が団子を食べる事は分かっていました。だから､別腹を鎮めようとおもいました。

Though the main event was moon watching (obviously) there were performances by three different traditional Japanese music groups. We got there (My dad came to Japan to visit and I went with him,) at around 7, and though we sadly missed the Taiko performance, the other two groups were wonderful, with haunting flute melodies and a great combination of traditional Japanese instruments and a more modern beat. There was also the moon art exhibit, an ongoing art competition based on the theme of the moon, where people could vote for their favorite piece.

イベントの主な部分はお月見だったが､三つの伝統的な音楽グループによる演奏もありました。私と来日中の父は７時ごろに着いて、残念ながら最初の太鼓グループの演奏を見ることが出来ませんでした、他の二グループは本当に凄かったです。講演以外には、月のアート展もあって､一番好きな作品を投票できました。

It was jam packed with people, and everyone seemed to be having a very relaxing time sitting, snacking on treats, observing the moon through the telescope and just enjoying the sights and sounds.

とても賑やかで皆がリラックスしたり、お菓子食べたり､望遠鏡で月を見たりして、雰囲気を楽しんでいるようでした。

The moon kept going in and out of clouds which made for a very dramatic scene, and as stereotypical as it sounds, standing next to bamboo and watching the moon through the clouds, I couldn’t help but thinking how very Japanese and zen it all seemed. Then I ate about 15 dango and completely ruined the moment. Oh well.

月は雲の後ろに隠れたり出たり、本当に、「日本」の感じがしました。団子１５個ぐらい食べてしまって、その素的な雰囲気を壊しました。

A meeting with the mayor of Seika / 木村町長とのミーティング

My dad came to visit a last week, and we had quite a few adventures wandering around and going to see the sights in Kyoto and Nara. I also had the chance to introduce my father to the Mayor of Seika, Mr. Kimura. I was about as nervous as a cat in room full of rocking chairs, but as you can see from the pictures, it seemed to go off pretty well.

先週、私の父が見にきて､京都と奈良で色々なアドベンチャーがありましたよ。そして､父を木村町長に紹介できました。通訳するのはとても緊張しましたが､写真の通り、楽しかったです。

Seika Events, October 1st to 16th / 精華町のイベント１０月１日-１６日

Here's what we have lined up in Seika for the first half of October~
以下は精華町で１０月前半に行うイベントです～

Health and Sports Day Special - The Forest’s Tests of Strength!
WHEN: October 11th(Mon/Holiday), 13:00 - 16:00 WHERE: The Keihanna Plaza Memorial Park Suikeien  WHAT: Interested in testing yourself against the wilderness? Then come to “The Forest’s Tests of Strength!” You’ll be able to test your power at a log-cutting contest, a log race, and forest exercises, as well as learning how to use nature walks to lose fat and build muscle!

体育の日スペシャルー森の体力測定
けいはんな記念公園（精華町）
日時：１０月１１日(月・祝)
午後１時ー４時
場所：水景園、内容：体重や身長を測るほか、丸太切りでタイムを競ったり、森のウオ－キングを楽しみます。


8th Annual Seika Children’s Festival
WHEN: October 16th(Sat), 9:00 - 15:00, WHERE: Mukunoki Center, WHAT: This year's Children festival will be held on October 16th(Sat), at the Mukunoki Center from 9 A.M to 3PM. Activities will include an opening event, a kid’s flea market, game corner, restaurant, and many other fun activities!

第8回精華町子ども祭り
精華町の行事
日時：１０月１６日(土)、午前９時ー午後３時
場所：むくのきセンター
内容：今年の子ども祭りは体験コーナー、子どもフリーマーケット、模擬店コーナー等がありますよ！


The Chrysanthemum Festival　-A Taste of Green Tea-
WHEN: October 16th (Sat) 13:00 - 16:00 WHERE: Suikeien すいけいえん水景園 WHAT: The Chrysanthemum Festival is held on the 9th day of the 9th month in the lunar calendar, and to celebrate the Keihanna plaza will prepare a Japanese tea ceremony area. For 500 yen, you can relax and enjoy the soothing taste of green tea.

重陽の節句～お抹茶席～
けいはんな記念公園（精華町）
日時：１０月１６日(土)、午後１時ー午後４時
場所：むくのきセンター
内容：同日は旧暦の９月９日、重陽の節句です。節句に併せて観月楼を菊で彩るほか、お抹茶席をご用意。筝の生演奏もお楽しみいただけます。(お抹茶席は要予約(席料５００円））


The 28th Great Flower Operation
WHEN: October 16th(Sat), 10:00 - 12:00 WHERE: Gather in the Visitor Center しばふ芝生ひろば広場 WHAT: Working with other volunteers, participants will have the chance to plant a variety of flowers that bloom the following year. Come with us and help create an even more beautiful springtime!


第２８回花いっぱい大作戦　春に花咲くお花畑を作ろう
けいはんな記念公園（精華町）
日時：１０月１６日(土）、午前１０時ー正午
場所：午前１０時、ビジターセンターに集合
内容：花や緑がいっぱいの公園づくりのためのボランティア活動。春に花を咲かせる菜の花などを種をみんなでまきましょう。

What’s Kai doing?
Though the Forest’s Tests of Strength! sounds fun, I may reserve my Health and Sports day for relaxing and lazing about, as it was intenteded. I will however be at the Children's festival as a volunteer for the Seika Gloabal Network. If you have young children, bring them by and you're sure to have a lot of fun!

カイは何をしていますか？
森の体力測定は確かに楽しそうですが､体育の日でのんびりでリラックスするかもしれません。でも、子ども祭りで、せいかグローバルネットと一緒に参加します。お子様がおられる方はお子様と一緒に是非お越しください！

You have any questions, let me know~

ノーマン市ニュース/ News from Norman, Oklahoma

This news comes to us courtesy of PASSPORTS, the international exchange organization in Norman, Oklahoman, Seika’s sister city.　If you would like to know more about PASSPORTS, check out their link below.

９月２０日の在ヒューストン日本国総領事のオクラホマ州訪問について、ノーマン市の国際交流団体「パスポート」がホームページで次のように掲載していたので、紹介します。パスポートのことをもっと知りたい場合は以下のリンクを見てください。

Norman, Oklahoma, Seika’s sister city, recently had a visit from Consul General Osawa and Vice-General Yamasaki from the Japanese embassy in Houston, Texas. The two were visiting to learn more about the sister city relationships between Japanese and Oklahoma cities. PASSPORTS, Norman's Sister Cities and International Connections Organization, hosted a dinner party at the National Weather Center on the 20th to welcome the visiting dignitaries, with speeches by many of Norman’s most esteemed residents. After being welcomed by esteemed professor Yoshikazu Sasaki, one of the prominent meteorologists in the world and an integral member of PASSPORTS, former Mayor Harold Harrelson recounted the original founding of the sister-city relationship between Seika and Norman during his tenure as Mayor. PASSORTS’ president Marles Bradley was also on hand to give a warm welcome.

先週９月20日(月)ノーマン市の代表者は在ヒューストン日本国総領事館から大澤総領事と山崎領事を迎えました。大澤総領事と山崎領事はオクラホマ州と日本の各都市の姉妹都市関係の知識を深めるために訪問しました。訪問の高官たちを迎えるため、ノーマン市の国際交流団体「パスポート」は国立天象センターで夕食会を行い、ノーマン市で評価の高い住民がスピーチをしました。傑出した気象学者佐々木嘉和氏の挨拶の後、元市長ハラルド･ハラルソンが精華町とノーマン市の姉妹都市関係の樹立を詳しく話しました。「パスポート」の会長マーレス・ブラドリー氏も大澤総領事と山崎領事をあたたかく迎えました。

At the PASSPORTS reception. Left to right, Bill Audus, Consul General Osawa, Millie Audus, HCG Lloyd Hardin and Marles Bradley, president of PASSPORTS

During their time in Norman, Consul General Osawa and Vice-General Yamasaki were taken to the Norman offices of Hitachi, Weathernews, Astellas; all Japanese companies with branches in Norman. Additionally, Consul General Osawa and Vice-General Yamasaki also had the chance to sit in on the Moore Norman Technology Center's Pre-Engineering Class, whose students are getting ready to compete in a robotics competition. In addition to the dinner, the two also enjoyed a breakfast with Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal and other guests. Hopefully Mr. Osawa and Mr. Yamasaki enjoyed their time in Norman and learned more about the relationship between Norman and Seika.


Consul General Osawa and Vice-General Yamasaki next to
 the Seika Memorial Stone in Norman 

ノーマン市に滞在中、大澤総領事と山崎領事は日立製作所、ウェザーニュース、アステラス製薬のノーマン市支店に行かれました。そして、二人はモーアノーマンテクノロジセンター工学講座に出席され､学生がロボット大会向けて準備をしていました。２１日の朝にも、シンディー・ロゼンサル市長や、ノーマン市民とも朝食会を楽しんでいました。大澤総領事と山崎領事はノーマン市の滞在を楽しまれ、精華町とノーマン市の関係について知識を深めました。

いちごくんといちごちゃん / Ichigo-kun and Ichigo-chan

I’d like to introduce Seika town’s new mascots! Based off of Seika town’s most famous product, the strawberry (Ichigo in Japanese), the two have been introduced as part of an effort to improve health and physical well being in Seika Town.
精華町の新マスコットを紹介します！精華町の一番有名な名物「いちご」に基づいていて、二人は「せいか健康づくり宣言（精華町健康増進計画）」を推進するマスコットキャラクターになりました。

They have little descriptions too~
「Ichigo-chan (left)
★Home: Seika Strawberry Park, Greenhouse 15
★Age: 10
★Specialty: Music
“She’s brimming with curiosity and makes friends with everybody!”」

「Ichigo-kun (right)
★Home: Seika Strawberry Park, Greenhouse 15
★Age: 12
★Specialty: All kinds of sports
“He’s really good at all kind of sports, so he’s really popular in class. He also loves to do the Ichigo exercises!” 」

いちごちゃん（左）
★生まれ　精華町のいちご園の15号ハウス
★年齢　　10歳
★特技　　音楽
好奇心旺盛で誰とでもすぐ友達になります。

いちごくん（右）
★生まれ　精華町のいちご園の15号ハウス
★年齢　　12歳
★特技　　スポーツ全般
スポーツ万能でクラスの人気者です。いちご体操が得意です。

Along with these two, the aforementioned “Ichigo exercises” have been introduced to get kids moving around and having fun while being healthy. The two characters made their first appearance at the 37th Seika townspeople athletic festival this past weekend, and I think it’s pretty clear that the kids love them. The kids liked hitting them too, but hopefully that will pass.
この二人と一緒に、子どもを動かせたり､運動させたりするためのいちご体操も導入された。二人は第37回町民体育大会で初登場し、すでに子どもにとても人気のようです。

On a side note, it’s really hard to translate some Japanese suffixes into English. “~San” means “Mr.” or “Mrs.”, but “chan” and “kun”? Rather than try and englishcize Ichigo-chan, it stays that way, rather than becoming ichigoette or something like that.
ところで、日本語の呼び方は英語に翻訳するのは難しいよ！「さん」を英訳すると、「ミスター」か「ミス｣になるけど、「ちゃん」と「くん」は？いちごちゃんといちごくんの名前を英語にするよりむしろ、そのままで書いておく。

精華町の第37回町民体育大会 / Seika’s 37th Townspeople athletic festival

This past Sunday, Seika town held one of its biggest events of the year, the 37th Townspeople Athletic festival. Figuring that it would be a good way to meet people and get my face out there, I volunteered on a whim. Of course at the time I didn’t realize that the event grounds were 3 miles away from my house, and I’d end up going there by bike at 7 in the morning, but I’m still really glad I got to participate.
先週の日曜日に、精華町の大きいイベント、町民体育大会が行われた。精華町民に会えるようにボランティアとして参加する事にした。その時で､東光小会場は私の家から5キロメートルで、朝7時に自転車で家を出発することになると知らなかったけど､体育大会に参加できてよかった。

I had heard of school athletic festivals in Japan, but this was my first encounter with a town event. The town was broken up into neighborhoods, and although not every district participated in the events, they all came out to cheer. Some groups were clearly very prepared for the event, with matching t-shirts, jerseys and flags, so I was a little sad that I had no one with which to match fashion wise. The events were basically split into two categories, “free” events where anyone could participate, and “team” events, where the winning group got points for their neighborhood. The team with the most points won a fancy trophy and presumably bragging rights for the rest of the year.
学校の体育大会は知っていたけど、町の体育大会は初めてだった。町民の皆さんは自治会ごとに分かれ､全ての自治会が参加したわけではなかったが、たくさん人が応援しに来た。自治会ごとに同じＴシャツやジャージを着たりしていた。ポイントを一番多くとったチームは立派なトロフィーをもらって、勝利を誇ります。

The turnout was amazing, and over 6000 thousand people came, despite the fact that the sun and the dirt area made it feel like death valley. From babies to octogenarians, you could see all ages and all manners of people coming out to compete.
とても盛況で、砂漠ほど暑かったのに､6000人以上いたよ。赤ちゃんから80代ぐらいのご高齢の方まで､本当にいろいろな人が参加した。

The events ran the gamut from serious business to ridiculously silly. Lots of the kids who came competed in a 50-meter dash and the little guys ran their hearts out. Of course there was the ol’ “get the ball in the basket game” and tug-o-war (I really wanted in on that) but some surprises (at least to me) made an appearance as well. There was a team jump rope event, where 10 kids had to jump rope in time to get their count up. Although many teams clocked out around 5 or 10 the best score of the day was 52! 52 consecutive times! I can’t even do that jumping rope alone! My favorite event though was definitely the over 50 ball push. Though the explanation doesn’t do it justice, it was great to see some of Seika town’s older residents playing around and just being kids again.
競争は、とても真面目のからおかしなものまで、幅広くあった。多くの子どもが50メートル走に参加して、心を躍らせた。玉入れと綱引きもあったけど、僕はちょっとびっくりした競争もあった。大なわとびもあって、子ども10人が連続して、同時にジャンプしないといけなかった。ほとんどチームは5回か10回ぐらいしか出来なかったけど、当日の一番いいチームは52回も出来た！52回！僕は一人でもできないとおもう～～。でも、僕の一番好きなイベントは大玉ころがしだった。参加者は50歳以上で、中高年の方が子どもの頃に戻ったように楽しんでいたそうで､本当によかった。

Of course the most serious event was the relay, and the effort of some of the participants was inspiring. Although the fast people were obviously impressive, I was more moved by the people who fell down or bit it hard, and got back up instantly. There was no chance they could win anymore, and no real prize in the end, but they still gave it their all, despite the pain and hurt.
最も真面目な競争はリレーレースだった。本当に参加者の皆さんに感動した。一番早かった人はすごかったけど、転んですぐ起き上がれた人のほうが僕に影響を与えた。勝つのは無理になっても、賞をもらわなくても、痛くても、全力でがんばった。すごかったよ。

Another little plus was the music they had playing. While one would expect a lot of Japanese songs at a Japanese athletic festival, the presence of “Eye of the Tiger,” from Rocky and Kenny Loggin’s “Highway to the Danger Zone” threw me for a bit of curve. I suppose that pump up songs are effective no matter what the language though.
体育大会で使われた音楽も面白かった。僕は日本の体育大会で日本の音楽があるはずだと思ったけど、「ロッキー」と「トップガン」のテーマソングが鳴って、ちょっとびっくりした。熱中させる音楽はどの言語でもいい効果を住むね。

In the end, it was a great day, and I got to meet and talk to some of the residents of Seika town a little more in depth. Despite the heat and the intense sunburn I got (I look like a hairy tomato) I fully intend to volunteer again next year. I’ll just wear a bigger hat next time.
精華町民と会ったり話したりできて、本当にいい日だった。暑くて、僕はとても日焼けしちゃったけど（本当に毛深いトマトみたい）、来年も絶対参加したい！しかし、今度は日焼け止めローションをつけておく。

Harvest Festival 第17回 国際交流ふれあい農園収穫祭

On September 4th, I had the opportunity to go to the 17th annual International Harvest Festival in Fukuchiyama. The Seika Global Network, an international exchange organization in Seika, organized a trip and kindly asked me to come. And of course I’m not going to say no to a festival. The festival was packed to the brim with kids, international residents, and people looking to learn and interact in an open environment.

9月4日に精華町を拠点に活動する国際交流団体せいかグローバルネットの皆さんと京都府福知山市で開催の「第17回国際交流ふれあい農園収穫祭」に行かせてもらった。この祭では、子どもや外国人住民とふれあいたい人などで混み合っていた。


The event started off with Nagashi-somen, where you have to catch somen noodles as they flow down a bamboo gutter. It was a lot of fun battling for the noodles with the kids next to me, but thankfully there was more than enough for everybody to have some.

この祭は流しそうめんから始まった。竹製のといを使って素麺を流し、箸で捕まえてめんつゆ等に付けて食べる。隣の子どもさんとちょっとバトルしたけど､結局皆が十分食べられた。

Next up was the mochi-making; a traditional Japanese activity that everyone, from the Japanese kids to the international visitors had a chance to try. Basically, you use a large wooden hammer, and smash rice in a wooden bowl, while a partner keeps the rice together and wet. I wasn’t exactly the most skilled mochi-maker, and I may have nearly hit a few people on the back swing, but it was still a lot of fun. Plus, we got to eat the mochi we helped make afterwards!

次は餅つきで、子どもさんから外国人までさせてもらった。私は、杵が周りの人に当りそうなほどちょっと危なくて下手だったけど、本当に楽しかった。そして、作ったもちを食べられたから、最高だった！

During all of this there were dances, games, and farming activities like sweet potato picking that everybody got involved in. I was really impressed with how outgoing many of the kids were at the festival, and I was often invited by them to take part in the games or activities. It was also a great chance for international residents to meet and greet, and I had the chance to speak with a group of girls from China, a woman from Argentina, and a guy from Ohio in the states!

祭で踊りやゲームや芋堀もあって、皆が参加していた。そして、祭にいた子どもは本当に外交的でよく僕をゲームなどに誘ってくれたので､びっくりした。そして､外国人住民とも話せたから､本当にいいイベントだった。私は中国人の女の子達やアルゼンチンからきた女の人、そしてアメリカのオハイオ州出身の男性などと話せた。



The festival finished off with a BBQ, and performances ranging from flamenco dancing to Japanese Taiko. Unfortunately our group had to leave before the fireworks, but it was still a great day. If you have any interest in getting involved with the Seika Global Network and their events and activities, check out the link below.

最後にバーベキューがあって、フラメンコと太鼓の演奏もあった。残念ながら、花火の前に帰らなければならなかったけど､本当に最高な日だった。もし、せいかグローバルネットに興味があったら、是非リンクを見てください。

What’s going on in Seika town?

For September this month, the harvest moon is bringing out the festive nature in people
～精華町のイベント～
秋月のおかげで祭り気分がでていますよ

37th annual Seika Town Sports Fest,
September 12th (Sun), 9:00~, Higashihikari Elementary School Grounds
All the districts of Seika-town compete against each other in a winner gets all battle for supremacy. Who will pull their enemies into the dirt in the tug of war? Will someone drop the baton at the crucial moment? It’s a huge event, with teams from all the Seika town districts competing.

第３７回町民体育大会
９月１２日(日)、９：００～、町立東光小学校グラウンド　
精華町民はお互いに体育大会で競争します！綱引き、玉入れ、なかよしリレーもあって、本間にすごい事ですよ。

Lunar Art Exhibit
September 18th(Sat) - 26th(Sun), 10:00 - 17:00 WHERE: Keihanna Memorial Park, Suikeien すいけいえん水景園 WHAT: Designed in conjunction with “A Night with the Moon,” the Lunar art exhibit showcases a deep sense of love towards the Autumn Harvest moon. Based on the common theme of “The Moon,” this exhibit displays a wide variety of art gathered from all over Japan.
月のアート展
９月１８日(土）―９月２６日(日）、１０:００－１７:００、けいはんな記念公園、水景園。
中秋の名月を愛でるイベント「観月の夕べ」にあわせて開催する公募展。「月」をテーマに、様々なジャンルのアート作品が全国から集まります。

A Night with the Moon
September 23rd (Thurs, holiday) 18:00 - 21:00 (In case of rain, event moved to 24th(Fri) WHERE: Keihanna Memorial Park, Suikeien すいけいえん水景園 WHAT: An event held to enjoy watching the Harvest moon in a Japanese park. The event features a live musical concert, an art show, stargazing, and traditional dango treats. Entrance is free, and it is sure to be a great time, so bring the family out for some fun!
観月の夕べ
９月２３日(祝・木）、けいはんな記念公園、水景園。
日本庭園で中秋の名月を楽しむイベント。水上舞台での演奏会や月のアート展、天体観測、お月見団子の販売など、イベントも盛りだくさん。

What’s Kai doing?
Well, for this month, I’ll be heading over to help out at the Sports festival as a lifter of heavy things, my favorite job. I’ll also be in attendance at the “A Night with the Moon” event, mostly just eating the snacks they have promised.
カイは何をしていますか？
今月、私は町民体大会でボランティアとして参加します。そして観月の夕べにも行くが、そこでお月見団子を食べるつもりです

You have any questions, let me know~

Weightlifting in Japan

A barbell, a rare sight in Japan

   So my supervisors made the silly decision of saying “Write about your hobbies sometime.” While other people have nice cultural hobbies like Photography or tea ceremony, I personally am a big fan of weightlifting. For a little over a year now, it has been a solid part of my life, and I’m hoping to continue here in Japan.



   As you can imagine, telling Japanese people that my hobby is weightlifting is kind of like telling them that I flew down from Mars on an elephant. Weightlifting is about as popular here as Keirin bike racing is back in the States. (P.S. Keirin is awesome, look it up) Japanese are huge into running and biking and other endurance sports, but the idea of a bench press or a squat rack or even weights over 100 lbs are foreign to many Japanese gyms.



   There’s nothing wrong with this, and I have just as much respect for a person who can run a marathon as someone who bench presses 400 pounds. However, due partially to the fact that I am terrible at running, weightlifting just fits with me. It is a sport that is very tangible, in that it is quite clear that you have gotten stronger when you can lift, say, 50 or 100 lbs more than you could before. Similarly, whether you fail or succeed, the results are yours alone, which means that you are in complete control of your own successes and failures.



   Now I’m still new to lifting and relatively weak, but hopefully by sticking to a good plan I’ll be flipping cars before too long. I’ll post some more about my training up later, but if anybody out there reading wants to learn more, just let me know.



 どうしてか分からないが､担当者に自分の趣味に書かせてもらいました。他の国際交流員は茶道やフォトグラフィなど面白い趣味があるが､僕はウエイトトレーニングが好きなのです。一年半前から､ウエイトトレーニングは僕の人生の重要な部分を占めてきました。そして日本でまた練習を続けたいと思います。


 実はウエイトトレーニングは日本であまり人気じゃないですね。むしろ、ジョギングやサイクリングの方が人気ですね。40キロより重いウエットは日本のジムにあまりみないですね.


 それは別にいいよ。200キロベンチプレスが出来る人かマラソンが走れる人、どっちもすごいとおもいます。でもな、ウエイトトレーニングは本当に僕と合っていると思います。分かりやすいスポーツですよ。前よりもっと20キロか40キロを持ち上げられると、もっと強くなったという意味です。そして､相手などいないので、失敗したら､自分のせいです。一方成功したら､自分気力と筋力のおかげだけです。


 たった一年間半しかしていないので､まだまだ新米で弱いですが、これから頑張ります！

I'm vaguely famous!

Look who showed up in the Kyoto Newspaper! The picture's not that bad either (better than any of my ID pictures at least.)
Here’s a translation for those who struggle with Japanese.



“Seika Town’s New Coordinator for International Relations, American Kai Wiesner-Hanks”
=Seika Town Minami Ina Yazuma
From a young age, Kai loved Japanese food and had a strong interest in Japan, studying Japanese history in college. He also studied abroad in Tokyo, and was a member of the Taiko and Judo clubs. Having just graduated in May of this year, believing that this could be a chance to improve his Japanese, he applied to be a coordinator for international relations.
He says that Seika town and Tokyo are very different, and that Seika is a much greener place. There are also many children in town who often call out and talk to him in town. He hopes to teach these children some American games to held spread internationalization. Because he likes to cook, he also wants to try and teach Japanese people some recipes they may not know.”

Well, that is pretty much what I said. The cooking will be interesting to see how it goes, but as long as I can teach Japanese people to make a burrito sometime, I’ll be happy.

Give ballet a chance

This past Sunday myself and another member of the planning and coordinating division had the opportunity to attend Mami Ballet Land’s 25th anniversary celebration performance at the Keshena Plaza right here in Seika town.

Now, before you say, “But Kai, I really can’t see you being interested in dance,” you should know I’ve been involved in swing dancing over the years but I’ve never much been one for real dance and the tights that come with it.


I have to say though; I was really impressed. Even though the girls (and three boys) were young, they were all incredibly talented. Before a crowd of roughly 1000 people, dancers as young as five went up and did a great job (The five year olds had a Teddy Bear themed dance that was quite possibly the cutest thing in the universe.) The older students were fantastic as well, including two girls who performed solo pieces. Guest star Laura Morera, a principal in the Royal Ballet, was there to finish off the performance. It was really cool to see how something from a different culture (ballet) can become such an engrained part of Japanese life. I probably won't be joining myself (me in tights would not be good for anyone,) but I was still really impressed with their show and hope to see some more in the future.


今週の日曜日に、僕と一人の同僚は精華町のけいはんなプラザに麻美バレエランドの２５周年公演を見に行きました。僕はずっと前からスイングダンシングというダンスしていたが、本格的なダンスはあまり経験ありません。

しかし､この公演は本当に凄かったです。出た女の子(と男の子三人）は若かったが、１０００人もの観客を前に本間に良く出来ました。年上の生徒も本当よく出来ました。(五歳の子のテディーベアダンスは本当に宇宙一可愛い事だと思います。）特に二人はソロピースまで出来ました。そして､ゲストで英国ロイヤルバレエ団がフィナーレとして出ました。バレエのような異文化のことはだんだん日本のことにもなってきていますよね。本当に凄い公演だって、絶対将来にまた見に行きたいです。

http://www.mami-balletland.jp/

The New CIR in Seika Japan

So apparently in order to celebrate the opening of this blog, the clouds disappeared today, so you can see the Nara, Kyoto, and Osaka without too much trouble. Of course the sun being out also means it is approximately nine thousand degrees and my pale skin turns Kentucky fried in a manner of seconds　(Japanese summers are not for the faint of heart), but it is still amazing to look out and see so much of Japan’s history just a stone’s throw away.



Oh, by the way, name is Kai and starting last week Wednesday I took over as the Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) for Seika town, a town of over 36,000 people just south of Kyoto and north of Nara. The title implies much more power than I actually have (assistant/ helper to the planning division would be a more apt title), but I still get to do a variety of things to help promote internationalism in the town. This can run the gambit from writing the Town’s English newsletter to translating documents for the foreign residents of the town, and even helping out at events. I may even get the chance to plan and event if I can manage my schedule out right.



However, despite what I may say, I’m not the main focus of this blog. Rather, this blog is about the place that I have the good fortune of being able to work, Seika Town. Located about 15 minutes north of Nara City, an hour east of Osaka City, and just 30 minutes south of Kyoto City, Seika is basically smack dab in the middle of traditional Japanese Culture. After having lived in Tokyo for a year, it is nice to see a more traditional side of Japanese life, and the idyllic scenery (Japan is by far the greenest country I have ever seen. Well, except for Greenland) and wonderful people make me think that I’ll be very happy working here.



Speaking of the people, I will say this about Seika; there are an astounding amount of children here, and I hope that I will get the chance to interact with these kids and teach them something about my home and American culture. They certainly seem receptive to me and I’ve already played hide and go seek with a few of them when I should have probably been working. Of course, there’s more than just kids here, and the adults I’ve met so far have been great in teaching me all about Seika Town and Japan. In particular, the folks here seem very excited to teach me the Kansai dialect. It’s great to feel so welcome, even though the difference in dialect can sometimes make me feel as if all of my Japanese study was for nothing.



Even though I’ve only been here in Seika Town for a little while, I’m already excited for the coming years. And for it to stop being so hot.





このブログの公開をお祝いする為に晴れたみたいですね。本当に奈良と京都も、そして大阪までも見えるかもしれません。凄いですね。しかし､晴れているというとめっちゃ暑いというわけですね。私の白い皮膚は十秒後フライドチキンのようになってしまうと思います。でもまだ､この所は本当に凄いですね。

ところで､私はウィズナー・ハンクス・カイと申します。先週の水曜日から精華町役場で国際交流員として働くことになりました。簡単にいうと、私の仕事は国際化を進めることです。これから私は「いちご」という外国人の向けのニュースレターを書いたり翻訳したりイベントで手伝ったり、本当に色々な事をします。そして時間があったら､自分のやりたいイベントも企画できるかもしれません。
でも、このブログのテーマは私ではないですね。このブログのテーマは精華町よ！奈良と京都と大阪の間中にあって、本当に日本の文化を感じられると思います。私は一年間東京に住んでいましたが、日本の伝統的なところを見ることが出来るのを本当に喜んでいます。景色もきれいだし、人たちも優しいし､精華町で働くのを楽しみしています。

人たちといえば､精華町では子供さんが本当に多いですね。この子供にも自分の文化を教える機会があるのは喜んでいます。もちろん、大人の方も優しいです。もう精華町の人たちにたくさん教えてもらいました。

たった一週間だけでしたが､もう精華町にこんなに感動したので､この二年間を本当に楽しみます。