This year is the fifth times of “the Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Japan Program”. The NAU’s Japanese instructor, Mary Adachi has brought her 15 students to Abiko. The group visited the Mayor and Sugimura Sojinkan Memorial House and Museum. (No.19-6) Date : June 7th (Fri.) ①11：40 ~ 12 : 10 ②14 : 00 ~ 15 : 00
Venues :① A Meeting Room of the Abiko City Hall
Venues :① A Meeting Room of the Abiko City Hall
② Sugimura Sojinkan Memorial House
Interpreters：① Ms. Rie Hama / AIRA President Yasuhiko Hesaki
Interpreters：① Ms. Rie Hama / AIRA President Yasuhiko Hesaki
② Ms. Hitomi Koyama Ms. Rie Hama / Mr. Yasuhiko Hesaki / Mr. Hiroshi Saruwatari
NAU group: Ms. Mary Adachi and her 15 students
NAU group: Ms. Mary Adachi and her 15 students
NAU group arrived at Narita on June 5th. They will study the Japanese culture in Abiko till June 12. Then, they will visit many places in Japan, namely Nagoya, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nara, Yokohama, and Tokyo. They will come back Abiko again on June 26th and leave Japan on July 3rd. As their first itinerary, they made a courtesy visit to the Mayor of Abiko Junichiro Hoshino. In the 30-minute meeting, the Mayor asked them impressions about Japan before and after coming here and their majors at college. While talking about sightseeing spots in Abiko, Mr. Hoshino talked about not only the literary figures with some connection to this city but also charm of Abiko blessed with a lot of greenery and Lake Teganuma. The students asked the mayor many frank questions;
Why did you want to be a mayor?
How many children do you have?
What’s the important thing in life?
Mr. Hoshino gave honest answers to their questions. While interpreting the persons or other matters the Mayor talked about, Ms. Hama added some additional information to make the students understand more clearly. Furthermore, she interpreted the student who answered at the interview from JCOM TV.
The group moved to Sugimura Sojinkan Memorial House after lunch. Director of the Museum Shiro Tsuji led the group and made explanations about items and rooms. Ms. Koyama followed Mr. Tsuji and interpreted what Mr. Tsuji explained into English.
Just around the time they came to the Museum, it began to rain heavily because the metrological agency had announced the start of rainy season a few hours before. However, the students from Flagstaff, Arizona where the university is located, looked enjoying the rain. They were pleased to see the greener foliage in the rain because they came from the region of Arizona with little greenery and rain (an annual precipitation of about 570 mm)
How many children do you have?
What’s the important thing in life?
Mr. Hoshino gave honest answers to their questions. While interpreting the persons or other matters the Mayor talked about, Ms. Hama added some additional information to make the students understand more clearly. Furthermore, she interpreted the student who answered at the interview from JCOM TV.
The group moved to Sugimura Sojinkan Memorial House after lunch. Director of the Museum Shiro Tsuji led the group and made explanations about items and rooms. Ms. Koyama followed Mr. Tsuji and interpreted what Mr. Tsuji explained into English.
Just around the time they came to the Museum, it began to rain heavily because the metrological agency had announced the start of rainy season a few hours before. However, the students from Flagstaff, Arizona where the university is located, looked enjoying the rain. They were pleased to see the greener foliage in the rain because they came from the region of Arizona with little greenery and rain (an annual precipitation of about 570 mm)
(Translated by Ms.Hitomi Koyama)