阿波ライフ 264 July AWA LIFE A monthly newsletter for the international residents of Tokushima Prefecture, produced Walk it out, Toppy by TOPIA, the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association. bird watching in Tokushima Richard Ingham An introduction to some of Tokushima's feathery inhabitants eaves of houses and convenience stores. The nests are built from mud and a little straw, all held together with a bit of swallow saliva. Japanese people consider it good luck if swallows nest in their houses, and locals treat the nests carefully, sometimes positioning a small cardboard box underneath the nest to prevent the sidewalk from becoming caked in swallow droppings! A brood of six chicks is considered to bring particular good fortune and some Japanese Barn Swallow nest families are known to cook Bird-watching dozen species to spot in your celebratory portions of red rice ( 赤 area and life gets so much more 飯 ) when the young birds finally fulfills our interesting when you are aware fly the nest. After having raised primeval hunting of the wildlife around you. So, a brood or two, the parents and instincts. It which birds can the novice see (or their offspring will leave in late hear) in and around Tokushima? summer, flying several thousand delivers all the miles to return to their wintering thrill of the chase, Barn swallows ( ツバメ燕 ) grounds in Southeast Asia. even though the arrived back in Japan at the end of March, and when they are not You may hear a piercing shriek prey itself escapes swooping to catch insects you whilst travelling around Tokushima unharmed. can see them resting on telephone and if you glance upwards, you’ll At least, that’s my excuse for wires. They have become no doubt catch sight of the source: my secret, nerdy hobby and I am fantastically adept at living a large, dark-brown hawk circling resolutely sticking to it. Wherever alongside humans, building their high in the sky. This is a Black you live, you can easily find a bowl-shaped nests under the low Kite（トンビ鳶 ), a common bird Bird Watching in Tokushima ...continued on page 3 264 July awa life Walk it out, Toppy editor's page Howdy Tokers, This month in Awa Life There are lots of summer festivals coming up, and you know what that means...burning flowers! If you take 1 Bird Watching in Tokushima the kanji meaning literally, that is. Most Richard Ingham people refer to them as fireworks, as I hope you do, too. Otherwise you’re bound to raise some eyebrows. 4 Who Run the Field? But anyway, we have a story that is bound to Su-touch-is! interest readers with a taste for bird watching, plus a Harry Stoneley report on this year’s AJET Touch Rugby Tournament in which our local Su-touch-is did smashingly well. We also have some info on signing up for the 6 Irene's Recipe Corner Arasowa-ren Awa Odori dance troupe, so get on that Irene Wachuga since spots tend to go quickly. Enjoy your summer, and stay cool! 7 Arasowa-ren Application Best, Sarah 8 Japanese Lesson Yoko Aoki 9 Letter from Suketo Hoikuen Kazue Inoue awa life is a monthly publication of the Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA). 10 News & Events Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA) 12 Memoranda 〒 770-0831 Tokushima City, Terashima Honcho Nishi 1-61 Clement Plaza 6F Tel 088-656-3303 Fax 088-652-0616 Email [email protected] HP www.topia.ne.jp An electronic version of Awa Life is also available for download from the TOPIA homepage. 2 TOPIA Bird Watching in Tokushima ...continued from page 1 “In some areas of Japan, [Black Kites] have been known to swoop down and snatch a sandwich from an unsuspecting hand, so keep a close eye on your bento!” Black Kite L, by Sota at Wikimedia Commons, Kingfisher R, by Ravi Vaidyanathan of prey with a distinctive forked concrete that lines the rivers and it should be easy to see one. tail. Black Kites soar on thermals streams here, the Kingfisher is looking for carrion, which is their not as common as its name might Take a look in a river as you are main source of food. In some areas imply. However, there is an easy going over a bridge and you are of Japan, they have been known to place to spot them. At weekends, likely to catch sight of the sleek, swoop down and snatch a sandwich photographers with long telephoto black Japanese Cormorant ( ウ from an unsuspecting hand, so lenses can be seen staking out 鵜 )—a common sight in coastal keep a close eye on your bento! the pond in Tokushima's Central areas where they dive for fish. Park in the hope of taking a Their plumage is not entirely An uplifting sight on rivers definitive shot of one of these waterproof, so they often stand and ponds across Japan is the skillful anglers. Kingfishers are with their wings outstretched to dry unmistakable blue and orange usually timid, so sightings are themselves after fishing. There is flash of a Kingfisher ( カワセ often brief, but those in Tokushima a particularly large roost opposite ミ川蝉 ). The Japanese name Park have become a little bolder Ebisu Onsen ( えびすの湯 ) where has the literal meaning of river due to frequent human contact. several hundred of these birds cicada, but due to the amount of With a bit of luck and patience, gather every evening at dusk. It is one of the species of cormorant that has been domesticated by fishermen in a tradition known as ukai ( 鵜飼 ) that is still a major tourist draw on the Nagara River in Gifu. To control the birds, the fishermen tie a snare near the base of the bird's throat. This prevents the birds from swallowing larger fish, which are held in their throat, but the birds can swallow smaller fish. Once the catch is over, tourists have the opportunity to eat some grilled, regurgitated fish! Often heard rather than seen, Japanese Cormorant, by Lip Kee Yap at Wikimedia Commons the Japanese Bush Warbler’s ( ウ TOPIA 3 グイス鶯 ) call often gives this or less guaranteed to hear the song, the birds don’t seem to mind, small, plain brown bird’s location if not see the reclusive bird itself. singing away to their hearts' away. A familiar “Ho-hoke-kyo”, content, hidden in the foliage Japanese people regard the song as Oddly enough, the female until the onset of fall brings their particularly beautiful and the bird’s announcers who make songs to an end for another year. name is often used in haiku poems. announcements from trucks during The male birds begin singing elections are named after this bird Suggested Japanese Bird in late spring and it is therefore ( ウグイス嬢 / uguisu-jyo). I can’t Field Guide: A Photographic colloquially known as the haru- help but think that this tarnishes the Guide to the Birds of Japan dori ( 春鳥 ) or spring bird. If you Bush Warbler’s name somewhat, and North East Asia. Tadoa walk up Mount Bizan during late since these announcements are Shimba, 2007. Christopher spring or summer, you are more both irritating and intrusive. Still, Helm Publishing. who run the field? su-touch-is! Harry Stoneley The annual touch rugby tournament ends with a bang for the Sutouchis! It’s a simple premise. Two teams, inexperienced, the tournament “Ringa pakia, an oval ball, flat line defense, and offers prefectures from all Uma tiraha, Turi a deep angle in attack, back five on over Japan the chance to come whatia, Hope a touch, no straying offside, girls and visit Shikoku’s beautiful, score double and no touch passing. oft neglected countryside. whai ake, Waewae Oh, and wingers always take the takahia kia kino, outside man. Got it? Good. Tokushima AJET’s team, the Su-touch-i (a pun so poor that Ka mate! Ka The 8th Annual Tokushima we have to presume Dane Cook mate! Ka ora! Ka AJET Touch Rugby tournament, came up with it, as its actual held in the west of the prefecture origin has been lost to the annuls ora! Ka mate! every May, is a staple of the of time), were determined, drilled Ka mate! Ka AJET Sporting calendar. Bringing and another fitting adjective ora! Ka ora!” in teams from all over the beginning with the letter 'D'. country, both experienced and Having endured a torrid time over So went the first, and in all likelihood last, traditional Maori war cry to ever be performed in Wakimachi, following a last minute venue change from Mima's Saburo no Sato. A fitting end to a fantastic weekend of Touch Rugby in the heart of Shikoku. For those unfamiliar with the sport, Touch Rugby, or simply Touch, is a minimal contact sport that closely mimics Rugby Union; albeit minus the tackling, scrumming and kicking, and played on a pitch half the size. Fighting the good fi ght 4 TOPIA trooped on. With a touch of luck, and some excellent running from tired legs, Tokushima AJET broke through; scoring decisive tries at key moments, to put us on course for the final. Touch Wood, who had already proven such a tough nut to crack, were to be our opponents. Somewhere a baby started crying. Nowhere near the fields though, it’s just statistically likely. In the end, it was not to be. After two days of toil we had managed Tokushima AJET’s best ever Team Su-touch-i! Represent! finish. Our reward was satisfaction, the years, Tokushima AJET got pride and a snazzy second place off to a lightning start, winning “The Shiga mug each (presumably to catch our first three games with relative Shinigami proved the tears of defeat and the sweat ease.