No. 18 Publishing Date: September 25, 2009 Published by: Culture, Tourism and International Affairs Division, Region- al and Cultural Affairs Department, Shinjuku City Tel: 03-5273-3504 Fax: 03-3209-1500 1-4-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-8484 Please make your inquiries in Japanese when calling the coordinating division. More than 80,000 Users! Introducing Strong Allies for All Foreign Residents The Shinjuku Multicultural Plaza (hereinafter referred to as “the Plaza”), which is popular among foreign residents as a venue for Japanese-language studies and friendly exchanges, is entering its fifth year since its establishment. The Plaza is planning to establish a new consultation service center to address visas and other matters in this autumn. Please take advantage of the Plaza, which is sure to become even more convenient! Japanese Language Foreign Residents’ Multipurpose Study Corner Advisory Corner Space Many teaching materials and textbooks Besides Japanese-language classes, are available here for those who want various seminars and events are held to learn or teach Japanese. You can read here. Among them, International Ex- through these materials freely and study change Salon, where Japanese and non- independently. In addition, Japanese- Japanese residents are free to chat, is language study sessions are conducted very well attended each time it is held. by volunteers free of charge on Monday, Why not use these facilities as a venue Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday after- for telling everyone about the language noons. Reservations for these sessions and culture of your country? are not necessary. Please feel free to stop by if you have any questions or concerns about every- day life in Japan. Consultations are of- fered free of charge to help resolve any issue. English: Wednesdays (excluding days the Plaza is closed), Thursdays, and the 3rd Friday of the month Chinese: Tuesdays and Thursdays Korean: Monday afternoons and Fridays Thai: Tuesdays Myanmarese: Thursdays Reference and In- to Okubo formation Corner Shokuan-dori Ave. Various information and reference Seibu-Shinjuku Sta. materials are available for you to read, Shinjuku City such as useful information for foreign Office residents on everyday living, classes and Shinjuku Prince Hanazono events, city administration services, lo- Hotel Jinja Shrine cal residents’ associations, and volunteer Studio Alta Yasukuni-dori Ave. programs. Shinjuku-dori Ave. Lumine Est Shinjuku Sta. Shinjuku Multicultural KoshuKaido Ave. Plaza (Hygeia 11F) Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month and during the year-end/New Year holidays (December 29 through January 3) Inquiries: Shinjuku Multicultural Plaza, Tel: 03-5291-5171 Fax: 03-5291-5172 Web Site: www.shinjukubunka.or.jp/tabunka/japanese/index.html Address: Hygeia 11F, 2-44-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku 160-0021 The next issue of Shinjuku News will be published in January 2010. Shinjuku News is available at various public facilities such as Shinjuku City Office, Shinjuku Multicultural Plaza, Branch Offices and public libraries. It Is the Season of Events! Autumn in Shinjuku Is Full of Fun Shinjuku Art Heaven Shinjuku Art Heaven starts with a parade of marching bands from local elementary schools and universities; the parade goes through Shinjuku from east to west. At each site, there will be a variety of entertainment, such as performances of brass bands and Awa-Odori Dancing. Please come and enjoy the event where the town of Shinjuku is transformed into a theater. Date: October 11 (Sun.) ☆ Parade (Starts at 11:10 a.m.) Kabukicho Cine City Plaza Shinjuku Koma Stadium Parade Course: Intersection of Shinjuku-dori Avenue and Omekaido Ave. Shinjuku City Office Meiji-dori Avenue – Shinjuku-dori Avenue – in front of (Closed) Alta Building – O-Guard – Shinjuku Station West Exit – Subnade Yasukuni-dori Ave. Kogakuin University Studio Alta Shinjuku Mitsui Bldg. Odakyu Halc Kinokuniya Book Store Isetan ☆ Festa (1 to 5 p.m.) Subaru Bldg. Carillon Bridge Shinjuku-dori Ave. Location: Various sites in all directions, radiating from Kogakuin University Nakamuraya Shinjuku Takano Marui Main Bldg. Shinjuku Station (Shinjuku Station Square, Shinjuku JR Shinjuku Sta. Shinjuku Station S-tec Plaza Southern Terrace, and other locations) Keio Plaza Hotel Square Mitsukoshi Shinjuku Alcott Odakyu Dept. Store Program: Marching bands, cheerleading performances, Keio Dept. Store Lumine Est street performances, and more Meiji-dori Ave. ☆ Heaven Artists in Shinjuku (1:30 to 4:30 p.m.) Koshukaido Ave. JR Headquarters Location: Six locations on Shinjuku-dori Avenue Bldg. Takashimaya Times Square Southern Tower Program: Street performances Inquiries: Culture, Tourism and International Affairs Shinjuku Southern Terrace ■ Heaven Artists in Shinjuku ★ Shinjuku Art Heaven Festa Division, Tel: 03-5273-3504 Shinjuku Sports Takadanobaba Yabusame Recreation 2009 (Horseback Archery) Demonstration Yabusame is the art, practice, and ritual of traditional Japanese Your body cannot horseback archery. A yabusame archer shoots an arrow at a target h e l p b u t m o v e while riding a galloping horse. It is said that the Takadanobaba style of instinctively! There yabusame began in 1728, in the Edo period, when the eighth shogun, will be all kinds of fun Tokugawa Yoshimune, ordered it as a events on Sports Day prayer offered at Anahachimangu Shrine in Shinjuku! There for the healing of his son’s illness. will be an enjoyable A yabusame procession will depart convention of booths where you can experience from Anahachimangu Shrine and make traditional Japanese martial arts, such as kyudo its way to Toyama Park, after which (archery) and naginata (halberd), as well as sports, archers will shoot at three targets while such as volleyball, futsal, and swimming! Popular riding galloping horses. Note: The event beauty and health programs, such as aerobics, Pilates, may be canceled in the event of rain. and yoga, will be free of charge, and you will be able to try everything without advanced reservations! Fee: Free of charge (Standing room only) Simply come to the site on the day of the event Date and Time: October 12 (Mon., a national holiday), 2 to 3:30 p.m. dressed in comfortable sportswear. Location: Toyama Park Hakoneyama Area (Toyama 3-chome, Shinjuku-ku) Date and Time: October 12 (Mon., a national holiday), Sponsor: Committee for Preservation of Takadanobaba Yabusame 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Inquiries: Shinjuku Historical Museum, Tel: 03-3359-2131 Location: Shinjuku Cosmic Sports Center (3-1-2 How to Get There: An eight-minute walk from Waseda Station on the Tokyo Okubo), Shinjuku Sports Center (3-5-1 Metro Tozai Line; a 10-minute walk from Nishi-Waseda Okubo) and other locations Station on the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line; or a five-minute Inquiries: Shinjuku City Lifelong Learning walk from the Baba-Shitamachi bus stop, taking the Gaku Foundation, Tel: 03-3232-7701 ( 学 ) 02 Toei Bus heading toward Waseda Seimon bus stop Fureai Festa 2009 Shinjuku Asia Festival 2009 This annual local festival Let’s engage in friendly exchanges in the local community will be held in Toyama Park. while enjoying Kawachi-Ondo (a kind of Japanese folk song There will be various perfor- and dancing), ethnic-food booths, and ethnic Asian dances to- mances, such as taiko (Japa- gether with Japanese residents. nese drums), jazz music, and As a foreign resident, you may be concerned as to whether Japanese and foreign dance you can receive help in times of disaster. There will be an shows, at two stage areas. earthquake simulation truck and an exhibit of disaster preven- There will be plenty of events, tion goods. vendors selling local special- ties, and various stalls in Date and Time: October 24 (Sat.), 1 to 7 p.m. eight plazas. There will be Program: • Earthquake simulation truck and exhibit of something fun for everyone, disaster prevention goods from children to adults. Why • Ethnic Asian dances not step out with your family • Kawachi-Ondo and more to enjoy the city’s biggest Location: Toyama Park festival? Inquiries: Asia Festival Office, Tel: 03-3205-7871 Date and Time: October 18 (Sun.), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Location: Toyama Park Okubo Area (3-5 Okubo) How to Get There: A three-minute walk from Nishi-Waseda Station on Waseda Sta. the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, an approximate 10-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station on the JR Yamanote Line or Seibu-Shinjuku Line, or a roughly 15-minute walk from JR Shin-Okubo Station Baba-Shitamachi Yabusame starting point Note: Because there is no parking available, bus stop Anahachimangu Shrine please refrain from coming by car. Okubo-dori Ave. Inquiries: Culture, Tourism and International Affairs Divi- To Ikebukuro To Shibuya sion, Tel: 03-5273-3504 Ave. Waseda-dori Toyama High School Fukutoshin Line Meiji-dori Ave. Nishi-Waseda Sta. Sports Recreation Shinjuku Cosmic Sports Center Toritsu Shogaisha Tozai Line Tozai Center-mae Bus Stop Recruiting Suwa Jinja Shrine Fureai Festa Students Shinjuku Asia Festival Sports Recreation Yabusame Shinjuku Sports Center Toyama Park Oyako (Family) Japa- Sta. Takadanobaba Shinjuku Sports Center Lobby Takadanobaba Sta. Shin-Okubo Sta. nese-language Class JR Yamanote Line for Foreign Residents Japanese-language skills are carefully taught to families who do not speak Japanese. A Gathering of Because there are babysitting services, Refugees Settled families with small children can attend in Japan with peace of mind. There will be an awards ceremony for refugee supporters Term: Every Saturday from January 16 through March followed by performances of Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cam- 20, 10 a.m. to 12 noon; total of 10 sessions bodian songs and dances by refugees from these countries who Location: Okubo Elementary School are now living in Eligibility: Children and parents who live in Shinjuku Japan. Everyone City (20 families on a first come, first who attends will served basis) and are able to understand be given a small Japanese at the introductory/beginner level c o m m e m o r a - Fee: ¥500 per person (for insurance) tive gift.