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AWA LIFE February 2006[PDF：323KB] awa life "TOPPY" A monthly newsletter for inter na tion al resi dents of Tokushima, produced by TOPIA, the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association. February 2006 No. 188 by martin o'brien shozui castle excavations [email protected] e generally do not consider the suburbs to be rich hunting wground for historians and archeologists. However it seems Aizumi-cho is a very definite exception to that rule as there have been many exciting historical excavations in the town. Shozui castle park and its environs, the site of the large-scale ruins of Lord Miyoshi and Lord Hosokawa have become a center of intense archeological activity for the past few years and as a result many important artifacts have been discovered. history revealed at shozui During the Muromachi Shikoku. The Hosokawa castle with its alluvial deposits form era, Lord Hosokawa was was located in what is now the Yoshino river would have the feudal lord in charge of modern day Aizumi-cho, close meant that the castle would the province of Awa, which to the border with Kitajima- have been surrounded by the we of course know today cho. It's not difficult to richest farmland in Awa. as Tokushima. He took up understand why this spot was At the end of the Sengoku residence in Awa during the chosen, as it is located well or Warring States period, the 1400's. His residence and base above sea level in the middle Hosokawa clan was deposed of operations was set up at of a delta zone that surrounds by Lord Miyoshi whose family Shozui, and inevitably the area the Yoshino river. The fl at land controlled the Muromachi surrounding the castle became that made up the delta plane shogunate. Lord Miyoshi then a thriving political and cultural center for the whole of shozui castle excavations... con't on page 5 inside awa life this month shozui castle excavations - 1,5 ... tastes of awa - sudachi - 3 discovering tokushima - 4 ... travel tokushima - mt. bizan - 6 martin's anime corner - 7 ... letter from suketo hoikuen, shin mai mama nikki - 8 japanese lesson - 9 ... memoranda - 10 - 12 awa life Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA) is a monthly publication of the Tokushima Clement Plaza 6F Pre fec tur al International Exchange Asso ci a tion 1-61 Terashima Honcho Nishi (TOPIA) Tokushima City 770-0831 JAPAN tel: 088.656.3303 fax: 088.652.0616 Andrew Dahms & Claire Tanaka [email protected] http://www.topia.ne.jp/ Contributors This Month: Andrew Dahms, Suzanne Kamata, Junko Kimura, Download a PDF fi le of awa life or view the Martin O'Brien, Yoko Rikimaru, Kaoru Sakamoto, online version by going to TOPIA's website! and Claire Tanaka http://www.topia.ne.jp/e_index/e_index.htm from the editors reetings from the editor's seat! I've t's been cold in Japan of late. It seems that left Sofi e at home with her dad and re- almost every day I watch the news, sifting joined the working world here at TOPIA. through most of the main stories and paying gIt's nice to have some adult conversation ifar more attention to the weather than it but it's tough to be away from my baby! In rightly deserves. Coming from Australia, I'm this (somewhat late!) edition of Awa Life, not used to the cold, and while I'm certainly we bring you a couple of ways to get rid of not getting the worst of it, I find it intriguing that giant bag of sudachi everyone's got in to see just how low the temperature can get in the corner of their kitchen (p. 4) as well as a various areas in Japan. I have learned a great great cover story about an archaeological dig deal about precautions against catching cold, going on in Aizumi! Who knew Aizumi could yet still remain genuinely amazed by even a be so exciting?? Also, Junko Kimura joins us little snow and the fact that the fridge is the again with a look at what makes the people warmest area in my apartment. Well, all too of Tokushima tick. Until next time, be sure to soon the warmer months will be rolling in, but wash your hands lots and don't forget to ugai for now I hope you are all in good health, and (gargle)! Love, Claire. enjoy this month's Awa Life. Take care! Cheers, Andrew. the sparrow (suzume) - main character in the Japanese Folktale Shita Kiri Suzume or 'The Cut Tounge Sparrow', about a man who takes care of a wounded sparrow and goes on to fi nd happiness -2- by suzanne kamata tastes of awa - sudachi http://www.gaijinmama.blogspot.com felt a certain pride while Sudachi Pie watching Madonna squeeze sudachi juice onto her Ingredients: itofu on SMAP’s cooking Graham Cracker Crust (You can get this from FBC show on TV last night. If (www.fbcusa.com) or The Flying Pig (www.theflyingpig. you’ve been here for eighteen com), or maybe even the basement of Sogo department store). years like me, or if you’ve just 1 can of sweetened condensed milk stepped off the proverbial 4 large egg yolks boat, you must know that the 1/2 cup of sudachi juice little green citrus fruit is one whipped cream (I always use the powdered stuff that you mix of Tokushima’s most famous with milk) products. In fact, the sudachi Directions: fl ower is the prefectural fl ower Mix the juice, egg yolks and the sweetened condensed milk. for Tokushima! You may also Pour it into the piecrust. Bake at 180˚ for 20 minutes. Plop on be familiar with Tokushima's some whipped cream after it’s cooled off and then serve! prefectural mascot, Sudachi- kun Graham Cracker Crust The sudachi is related to the If you want to have a go at making your own pie crust, try the mandarin orange, and tastes following: a lot like the yuzu citrus that Japanese folks float in their Ingredients: ofuro (bath) in winter. The Graham crackers sudachi is ubiquitous in local 1/3 cup of melted butter restaurants, where you will 1/4 cup sugar see nary a lemon. Sudachi Directions: juice is dribbled over fi sh and First of all, finely crush the crackers. Then, mix 1¼ cups of seaweed salad, mixed with crushed crackers with the melted butter and the sugar, pressing shochu alcohol, and it's even it all together into a pie pan. You then pop it into the oven at used to scent soap. It has a a temperature of 180˚ for about eight minutes, then let it cool very sharp taste, and is often before proceeding. Alternatively, you could also try starting with described as being very zesty pastry, although I think graham crackers are best. and having a strong aroma. A few years ago, the guy Cumin Dressing who laid our carpet gave us You can also use your sudachi to whip up some interesting salad a big bag of sudachi – more dressings, like this one: than I’d ever seen in my life. I wondered just how we were Ingredients: going to use them all up, 2 Tablespoons sudachi juice since there are only so many 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard fish dinners in a week at our 1 teaspoon minced garlic house. I started to experiment 1 teaspoon ground cumin and came up with a recipe for 1 teaspoon sugar sudachi pie. Since the fruit is salt and pepper to taste so small, squeezing out a half ½ cup olive oil (for an authentic East-West blend, try using oil cup of juice can be quite labor from Shodojima!) intensive, but it’s worth it. My Directions: husband always wants me to Mix everything but the olive oil together really well with a whisk make another one as soon as or a fork. Into the mixture, slowly drizzle the olive oil, mixing we eat the last slice. Even my all the while, until thickened. Done! This is great on a spinach Japanese mother-in-law has salad. If you want to go all out, I suggest adding some pear praised this dessert. slices and goat cheese to top it off. -3- by junko kimura discovering tokushima [email protected] was listening to the radio A few years ago, I got a 18km to go to school and go in the car while driving the phone call from my Junior home. What would happen other day. The program’s High School classmate whom if you ride a bike so often? ipersonality was a famous I hadn’t talked to for years. I Your muscles develop and Japanese singer from Kyushu. thought she wanted to talk to your weight gets heavier. He was talking about whether me, but she asked me to teach Tokushima 14 year old boys men from Kyushu ever tell English to her 3 years, and less average height is 159.5cm their girlfriends they like them. than 11 month old children (#23) and girls is 154.8cm Kyushu men are said to be with ] 300,000 worth of (#32). Their average weight is very stubborn. They are pretty English educational materials for boys are 51.9kg (#4) and well-known as Kyushu Danji. she had bought. I know girls are 49.6kg (#3). I believe On the radio, the singer some kids who go to English that Tokushima kids are in read some responses from conversation schools, piano shape because they exercise Kyushu listeners, including lessons, swimming lessons, every day. However, most some such as “Kyushu and cram schools.
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