Volume 9, Number 6 February /March 05

Japanese / English / Portuguese Bi-monthly Newsletter

Yamanashi

Black History Month is a celebration of African-American culture and a recognition of the contributionmade to American society by African-Americancitizens. It runs throughout the whole of February.

The Origins of Black History MonthThe founder of Black History Month, Carter G. Woodson (1875 –1950), was born to parents who had been slaves. Both his parentswere illiterate, and from a young age Woodson had to go out andwork to earn money for the family. He taught himself to read andwrite and was not able to attend school until he was 20 years old.However, after graduating from high school in less than two years,he went on to become a high school teacher. It was here he saw theabsence of Black History from the school curriculum and it becamehis aim to bring attention to the background and achievements ofAfrican-Americans in America, which he felt had long beenneglected. He started the Association for the Study of Negro Lifeand History to study the achievements of African-Americans andwas editor of its publication, the Journal of Negro History, for 34years. On February 19th, 1926 Woodson established “Negro HistoryWeek”, which later expanded into a whole month in 1976.

Black History Month TodayNowadays, Black History Month continues to promote knowledgeof Black history and experience, disseminate information onpositive Black contributions to American society and heighten theconfidence and awareness of Black people in their cultural heritage.During February, there are the anniversaries of a number ofimportant events in the timeline of Black history. These include:

Feb. 1 (1865) Abraham Lincoln’s approval of the 13th

amendment abolishing slavery.Feb. 3 (1870) The ratification of the 15th amendment,

guaranteeing that race would not prevent aman from voting.

Feb. 11 (1990) Nelson Mandela released from prison.Feb. 21 (1965) Assassination of Malcolm X.

In addition to anniversaries, many other events take placethroughout February. Art galleries and museums hold specialexhibitions, cinemas and theatres show African-American films andplays, towns hold parades and in schools children learn about thehistorical and cultural heritage of African-Americans, and thecontribution they have made to modern-day American society.

..

Who am I?My name is Enrique Yamaguchi and I come from Lima,Peru. Because my parents are second-generation Japanese Ihave grown up in a Latino-Japanese culture. That is why theSamurais, learning to read and write hiragana and katakanaor eating omochi and sukiyaki were normal to me.When I was 15 years old I started thinking very much aboutmy grandparents' roots. From my dad’s side they came allthe way down from Kumamoto and from my mom’s sidethey came from Makioka, Yamanashi. Since then, I alwaysdreamed about traveling to Japan to meet the culture, thepeople and traditions, to understand why second-generation Japanese act differently, think differently, workdifferently and also respect differently. Now, almost all myquestions have been answered.First impressions

I arrived on May the 26th at Narita International Airport. AlthoughI felt almost Japanese, mostly because of my appearance, I wasshocked when I needed to buy a headache pill in a store at theairport and they did not understand me. Then I realized fourthings: I am not Japanese, my Japanese is still very bad, I will haveto deal with my headache a little longer and this could be a hardexperience.First day in KofuThe first 3 days I woke up at 4:00 am because of the time difference,so I went for a walk. I will never forget the beautiful sunrise I sawfrom the top of a semi-circular bridge (it was the first time I hadseen one). I saw an old woman walking on the same side as me andwhen I tried to move from her way to let her pass (it is a matter ofrespect for older people in Peru) she moved faster than me and letme pass. She looked so fresh, healthy and independent, the firstperson that came to my mind was my “obachan” who died in Peruat 90 years old. I missed her so much.Knowing YamanashiI met some Japanese volunteers who like to share time with peoplefrom other countries. With them I went to the Suntory Winery andKatsunuma Winery, wonderful places so modern and beautiful.Also I have to mention the onsen that I enjoyed so much, especiallythe first time although it was a little strange to see everybodynaked. There is the Kofu castle and its amazing structure, differentthan the Inca’s buildings but it has a unique style, very Japanese,very traditional and close to it I saw my first image of a Samurai,the Takeda Shingen statue, and it inspired me to know more aboutthe history behind him.Training ProgramMy training program has been interesting but considerably hardsome days, especially when we have live transmissions of an eventsuch as baseball or soccer games at Kose Sports Park and at MidoriGaoka at the same time.I enjoyed very much the transmissions of summer high schoolbaseball as well as the Shosenkyo special program, where I had toclimb Kimposan mountain. It has been an unforgettableexperience where I have seen so many new things that impressedme, like the cheerleading by the fans at the games and the amazingviews of Mt. Fuji and Shosenkyo.How can I forget the beautiful castles in Kyoto and all the traditionbehind them, the same as with Hiroshima - a place where I used todream about visiting? The extremely hot summer, the beautifulcolors of autumn and the snow during winter. The delicious food

An Unforgettable Experience Enrique Yamaguchi

Peru

Video Production

My name is Zhou Ming Hui from Sichuan Province in China. Asyou may well know, Yamanashi Prefecture and Sichuan Provincehave a sister-state relationship. Since 1985 various exchangeactivities have taken place between the two. The mutual dispatchof employees is one of these projects. This year I was sent by thegovernment of Sichuan Province to work in the InternationalDivision of the Yamanashi Prefectural Government. For me, the 11th of May is a day I think I will not forget my entirelife. It was the first time I set foot on a foreign land and the firsttime I visited Japan which has over two thousand years ofhistorical exchange with China. My feeling from that day has notchanged at all.I boarded the bus from Narita Airport. “What is your impressionof Japan?”, I was asked by Aikawa-sa, who had come to meet mefrom the International Division. From then on I was to be asked thesame by other Japanese people. “Japan is really clean”, I answered.As well as having studied Japanese for four years I knew a little ofthe culture of compliments among Japanese people, but this wasan honest answer. “Really it’s not at all, there are lots of dirtyplaces”, a Japanese friend later told me. That may well be the truth,but I am envious - if China had even this cleanliness it would beenough. Before coming to Japan, I studied Japanese at the JapaneseDepartment of Sichuan University Foreign Language College. Mystudies were not just of the language but also included Japaneseculture, economy and government. Whilst reading a book, I wouldalways wonder what Japan must be like. I thought how much Iwanted to go and see Japan. When I finally had the chance, Ithought that I must see and experience all it was I wanted to know. The Japanese Department at Sichuan University holds a JapaneseCulture Festival once every year, with events such as a speechcontest, a display of Japanese foods and a photo exhibition. When Iwas a first year student, I ate oden, sushi and sashimi at the Japanesefood stall. In China there is not really a tradition of eating thingsraw. Although now I think nothing of it, at that time I thought thatif I wasn’t brave there was no way I would be able to eat sashimi.The characteristic of Sichuan cuisine is its spice, for Japanesecuisine its lightness. For weeks after coming to Japan from SichuanI was unable to adjust. Whilst thinking how much I wanted to eatSichuan food, I came to like Japanese flavours. As for what I like,sashimi, hoto, miso-soup, nigai (boiled abalone), tempura and nabe-ryori are among my favourites. Japanese cuisine looks appealingand tastes delicious. However, it is not just the food but alsoYamanashi’s fruits which are delicious. Depending on the seasonsa variety of fruits are being harvested, among them cherries,peaches, grapes, plums, apples, strawberries and persimmons.“Whilst undergoing your training, I would be pleased if you couldgrasp the goodness of Yamanashi”, the Governor of Yamanashionce said to me. When I come to go home, I would like to completemy life as a trainee with the following words to my friends inYamanashi: “Yamanashi is a fantastic place, surrounded bymountains with wonderful natural beauty. The people who livehere are also very kind. My training has been enjoyable. I havefully experienced the goodness of Yamanashi and I will conveythis goodness to the people in the sister-state of Sichuan Province.Knowing each other’s goodness let us continue our exchange fromnow on.”

and the incredible city of Tokyo but especially my new friends.Everything has a special place in my heart and in my mind.This is an amazing experience and it will go with me for the rest ofmy life.

Zhou Ming hui

Sino-Japanese ExchangeThoughts on Yamanashi

In response to growing public concern over the number of illegal residents in Japan, currently estimated

to be around 250,000, the Japanese government has reiterated the need for strict implementation of

immigration control and the detection of illegal foreign residents. The government has also underlined their

desire to encourage illegal foreign residents to terminate their illegal stay and go home voluntarily, and to eliminate foreign

residents who pretend to be legal residents after obtaining permission to enter Japan through illegal means. With these aims in

mind, and also to address necessary changes in the treatment of refugees, partial amendment has been made to the Immigration

Control and Refugee Act. The main changes are as follows:

The upper limit for the amount of fines for illegal entry, etc. will be

raised.

Illegal entry, etc.: from 300,000 yen to 3 million yen

Encouragement of illegal employment: from 2 million yen to 3

million yen

Engagement in activities other than those authorized: from

200,000 yen to 2 million yen

The period during which an alien shall be denied permission

for landing in Japan (period of denial of landing) will be

changed as follows:

Where the alien has a past record of deportation, or that

of departure by the departure order: 10 years

Where the alien has departed from Japan by a departure

order: 1 year

Where the alien has been deported from Japan due to

detection by the authorities concerned or other reasons but

has no past record of deportation, or that of departure by the

departure order: 5 years

An alien who stays in Japan beyond the authorized period of

stay may depart from Japan voluntarily if they satisfy certain

requirements (for a list of these requirements please consult

the MoJ website).

An alien who departs from Japan by a departure order will

be denied permission for landing for 1 year.

When any of the following facts are found with respect to an

alien who stays in Japan under a status of residence, his/her

status of residence may be revoked.

The alien has made a false statement that he/she does

not fall under the grounds for denial of landing.

(to be enforced from December 2, 2004)

For more information:

(to be enforced on a day designated by a Cabinet order)

Establishment of the system for permitting provisional stay

Stabilization of the legal status of illegal foreign

residents who have been recognized as refugees, etc.

Review of the appeal system

All information is taken from the website of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

The information presented here is an overview and does not constitute a thorough coverage of the amendments. If there is a

possibility any of the changes may apply to your situation, or if you would like more information, you are advised to consult the

website or an official immigration office.

The alien has made a false statement regarding the

activities to be undertaken while staying in Japan.

The alien has made a false statement on matters other

than those mentioned above.

A person other than the applicant has submitted a

document that is not based on fact.

The alien staying in Japan under any of the statuses of

residence prescribed by law has not engaged in the activities

corresponding to that of the status issued for three months or

more without justifiable reason.

(for a list of statuses of residence prescribed by law, and

examples of ‘justifiable reasons’, please consult the MoJ

website)

Establishment of the status of residence

revocation system

Establishment of the departure order system

Raising the amount of fines

Partial Amendment of the

1. Measures against illegal foreign residents

Ministry of Justice website:

http://www.moj.go.jp/ENGLISH

(follow links for ‘Immigration Bureau’)

Tokyo Immigration Office

03-3286-5241

Tokyo Immigration Office Kofu Branch

2nd Floor, Daita Building

2-14-13 Marunouchi, Kofu

055-221-0206

Amendments have been made to the refugee recognition

system in the following areas:

For details of these amendments please consult the MoJ

website.

2. Review of the Refugee recognition system

‘Immigration Control and Refugee Act’

Reviewing the period of denial of landing

In any situation where a group is undertaking an activity and one person is hesitant or not

fully included you may hear this phrase. It could be in relation to children playing a game or

studying, or work colleagues pulling together on a task or going out for a few drinks after work. In each case it

will be directed at the person who seems to be left out and encourages them to take part.

("Join in!")

Taken by itself it could have a strong, maybe negative meaning. However, in context it becomes a positive

phrase meaning, “Join in, let’s do it together!”.

Houraiken4-11-9 Chuo

Kofu city

TEL 055-233-2458

Open: Mon. to Sun.

11:30~14:30/17:00~20:30

Closed: Tuesday

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*Next edition:

Ramen is

everywhere

in Japan.

There are

fast - food

s t y l e

r a m e n

j o i n t s

o u t s i d e

s t a t i o n s ,

with simple

s t o o l s t o

prop you

up while you slurp your dish. There are ramen restaurants

where you can go with your family and make an occasion of

it. Or you can buy cheap cup-ramen from a convenience

store and eat it anywhere you can plug in a kettle. Although

this noodle dish originated in China, it has become an

established feature of the Japanese culinary landscape. As

far as cuisine goes, though, ramen could be said to be fairly

simple; noodles in soup, with different toppings depending

on the dish. However, nothing could be further from the truth

and ramen chefs spend their lives perfecting and preserving

the traditions handed down to them.

One such chef is Iwao Yamashita, owner of Houraiken in

Kofu. The shop was started by his parents 42 years ago and is

the only ramen restaurant in the country to make authentic

shina-soba (shina is a word from the Meiji period meaning

China, and soba are the thin noodles used in ramen and other

dishes). Shina-soba is a perhaps the simplest form of ramen,

and it is this simplicity which forms the basis for Yamashita-

san's pride and belief in what he does. As he says, fashions

spring up and die down but his shina-soba tastes exactly the

same as that made by his parents 42 years ago. The owner is

also aware of the tradition he is continuing and has a great

respect for the origins of his craft. Although Yamashita-san

has branched out a little and packet Houraiken shina-soba is

now available in the shops to make at home, the recipe for

the soup will not be appearing in any cookbooks. Only a few

people know it, and when the time comes to pass it on it will

be kept as an oral tradition.

Houraiken has recently moved, although only across the road,

and it has been open in its current location since December

8th last year. Consequently the

bu i ld ing i s b rand new, and

Yamashita-san takes care to point

out that it has been built using

natural materials and in a

traditional style. Sturdy wooden beams run from floor

to ceiling, and on the walls rather than standard

paper a more traditional mortar has been used.

These materials are, as Yamashita-san says, alive.

They move and breath and make the environment

more welcoming.

This is a feeling the owner would like all of his

customers to feel, and certainly everyone is

welcome and catered for. Chairs and tables in the

restaurant have been placed nearest the door for older

customers, while towards the rear is a Japanese-style seating

area for families. There are also a small number of counter

seats for regular customers, and the whole restaurant is non-

smoking. While it may be okay for adults to smoke, it is harmful

to young children and allowing this would go against the all-

inclusive atmosphere of the restaurant.

As for the food, the real key to ramen it seems is the soup.

It is this recipe which is guarded so resolutely and irrespective

of the dish toppings are always added last so as not to affect

the flavour of the soup. Having

heard the owners testimony I

had h igh expectat ions .

Houraiken has been voted the

best ramen restaurant in

Yamanash i in consumer

surverys and consistently rates

highly in national surveys.

Suff ice to say, I was not

disappointed. Yamashita-san

and the staff at Houraiken are

waiting for your visit - and the

ramen tastes as good as it

always did.

午　前 午　後 夜 全　日 超過料金

9:00am～12:00pm 1:00pm～5:00pm 6:00pm～9:00pm 9:00am～9:00pm 1時間

大会議室（収容70名） 2,200円 3,310円 3,310円 8,830円 730円

小会議室（収容15名） 720円 1,100円 1,100円 2,910円 240円

会議室使用料

THANK YOU for the" World Charity Christmas"

Over 180,000 people perished in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand,the Maldives and other countries along the coast of the IndianOcean in the earthquake that took place off the island of Sumatraon December 26th. The number of people injured and those whosewhereabouts are unknown is set to rise, and the number of victimsin need of basic aid is in the hundreds of thousands.Yamanashi International Association is currently collectingdonations for emergency aid for the Sumatran earthquake andtsunami disaster.The donations collected will be transferred through the Japancommittee for UNICEF and used for disaster relief activities in theaffected countries and for aid for the victims. We request yoursupport and cooperation at this time.

Collection period Until February 28th, 2005Bank transfer details

(yamanashi chuo ginko yumura shi-ten)

(futsu koza bango 484871)Account name (zai) yamanashi-ken kokusai-koryu-kyokai gienkin-guchi

Transfers made from branches of Yamanashi Chuo Bank will notbe charged a handling fee. However, transfers made from anATM are subject to a handling fee so please enquire in the branch.

*There is also a collection box in the entrance of the International Centre.

An urgent appeal for donationsAn urgent appeal for donationsAn urgent appeal for donationsAn urgent appeal for donationsAn urgent appeal for donations

On December 11th last year we held our annual charity event, “World Charity Christmas”. The event included a table-tennis tournament,juggling performance, chorus group and Christmas play, and was attended by over 300 people.The profits donated from the ‘World FoodFair’, flea market and charity auction totaled 133,250 yen, which have been sent through the Japanese Red Cross to help the victims of theNiigata chuetsu earthquake. Thank you very much to all the people and organizations who supported the event and to the many volunteers.

Published by Yamanashi International Association

edited by Yurie Amemiya and Ben Morris

The International Centre is open daily from9:00am to 9:00pm except on Mondays andon the day following a national holiday.

400-0035 2-2-3 / 2-2-3 Iida,

Kofu-shi, Yamanashi-ken, Japan 400-0035

TEL 055-228-5419 / FAX 055-228-5473

http: //www.yia.or.jp/index.html e-mail : webmaster@yia.or.jpEditor's Note:

Yamanashi International Association

FebruaryFebruaryFebruaryFebruaryFebruaryInt'l Salon: Valentine's Day!Do you have plans for Valentine's Day?We'll be celebrating love by makingValentine's chocolate and sharing someexperiences about this special day.(Limit: 20 people)When: Friday, February 11; 10:00 - 12:00Cost: freeWhere: International CentreInformation: International AssociationTel: (055)-228-5419

MarchMarchMarchMarchMarchInt'l Salon: 'Igo & Shogi'Come and try the traditional Japanesegames of Igo and Shogi.When: Saturday, March 5; 14:00 - 16:00Where: International CentreCost: FreeInformation: International AssociationTel: (055)-228-5419

Event Calendar

-Ben

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New Consultations for foreignersCultural gaps, language barriers, legalquestions. If you are experiencingproblems with any of these, or know aforeigner who is, please contact theInternational Association. A consultationservice is available for foreigners everyWednesday, from 6:30 to 9 pm, at theInternational Centre.

Consultant: Johny HayashiLanguages: Indonesian, Portuguese,Spanish, English, Japanese.* Every first Wed. of each month, thelawyer and Prof. Onodera Shinobu fromYamanashi Gakuin Univ. will join theregular consultation service.Place: International Centre

As this edition of the newsletter comes out I face a dilemma. It iswinter, it is cold, and each day when I wake the effort required toleave my warm futon and face the chilly morning (albeit a 10-seconddash to the shower) is considerable. Maybe I should buy a newheater, with a timer that turns it on thirty minutes before I wake up?But it’s already January and in another month or so the worst of thecold weather will be behind us and my new heater would then sit inthe cupboard for a year. Answers on a postcardplease to: Cold in Kofu, Yamanashi International Centre .