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Update: May 18, 2021

Chiba Nanohana News (August 2020)

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 1)Apply to be a CHI-BA+KUN Partner

  We are currently looking for foreign residents to become a “CHI-BA+KUN Partner”, someone to partner up with Chiba Prefecture with the aim to make it a place where both foreign and Japanese residents can live comfortably. A CHI-BA+KUN Partner is involved in making the prefecture a more comfortable place to live by participating in various events held by the prefectural government, presenting their opinions about prefectural policies, and disseminating information about Chiba Prefecture.

For those interested in this opportunity to work with prefectural government affairs, we await your application.

【Activity Contents】

At the request of the prefecture, members will participate in and cooperate with the following activities:

  • Opinion-exchange meetings as well as questionnaires, surveys, etc.
  • Attend events and “monitor tours” held by the prefecture and promote Chiba’s charm.
  • Cooperation in the dissemination of information provided by the Chiba Prefecture.
  • Contribute to other ways of helping to make the prefecture a more comfortable place to live for foreign residents.

※There is no compensation for participating in these activities. However, the prefecture will provide transportation expenses.

【Application Guidelines】

 (1) Term of appointment: Mid-October, 2020 - Late-March, 2022
 (2) Number of accepted applicants: about 20
 (3) Application conditions:

Those who have either legal status of residence in Japan or Japanese citizenship through naturalization who meet all the requirements listed in the following items:

  1. Living, attending school or working in Chiba Prefecture
  2. Must be able to communicate in Japanese
  3. Has an SNS (Social Networking Site) account (Facebook, Instagram, blog, etc.)
  4. Be interested in Chiba Prefecture and creating ways to make it a more comfortable place to live for foreign residents
(4) How to Apply

Fill out the application form (Form No. 1) in Japanese and submit it together with the following documents:

  1. A photocopy of your residence card
  2. A photocopy of your SNS (screenshot of your blog, Instagram feed, etc.)  
(5) Deadline: Your application must arrive by 5 pm on Thursday, September 10th, 2020 (mail or in person)
(6) Application Submission/Contact:

Chiba Prefecture International Affairs Division Multicultural Coexistence Promotion Section

1-1, Ichiba-cho, Chuo-ku, Chiba City 260-8667 (9th floor of main government building)

 

 2)Traditional Craft "BOSHU-UCHIWA" (Round Fan)

uchiwa

make

Made in the southern part of Chiba Prefecture (Tateyama City and Minamiboso City), the “BOSHU-UCHIWA” is considered to be one of the three major traditional fans in Japan along with the “KYO-UCHIWA” of Kyoto Prefecture and the “MARUGAME-UCHIWA” of Kagawa Prefecture. 

The BOSHU-UCHIWA was designated as the first traditional craft of Japan from Chiba Prefecture by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2003.  


mado
The roundness of bamboo is what creates the fan’s maru-e (rounded handle) and its mado, or window, which is the semi-circular lattice design composed of bamboo “bones” (sticks) woven together into 48-64 equal sections.


Medake (a type of small bamboo) is the material used for the fan’s construction. First, a knot is tied about one-third from the bottom. The section above the knot is cut into 64 equal parts with a razor to make the bones of the fan, while the section below the knot is left as is. This whole process is finished in about 20 steps and is entirely made by hand.

 


ukiyo-emaiwai

 <The Origin of Medake and BOSHU-UCHIWA>

Medake grows in the mountains of Boshu (southern part of Chiba Prefecture). The mountain’s mild climate allows high quality bamboo with long internodes to thrive and be collected for uchiwa making. It is said that by using this bamboo shoot, the creation of fan sticks without the attachment of paper was started in Boshu (Nago, Tateyama City) around 1884.


From the Meiji Period to the Taisho Period, the production of the uchiwa was a process that started in Boshu and ended in Tokyo. First, the bamboo was collected and the sticks for the uchiwa were made in Boshu. Then, it was brought over to Tokyo for the final production process ending as the “EDO-UCHIWA”. However, after the strike of the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, the production of fans in Tokyo was severely affected and was moved to Tateyama City. Thus, the “BOSHU-UCHIWA” brand was born. 

 <BOSHU-UCHIWA Making Experience and Purchase>

You can experience pasting, cutting, and attaching the edges of your very own uchiwa for the second half of the manufacturing process at the following facilities:

You can also purchase a Boshu Uchiwa at many facilities such as the Chiba-kun Bussankan Chiba Ekimae Store, Tateyama City Tourism Association, and Michi-no-Eki (Roadside Station) Tomiura Biwa Club.

 

A few words from a Nanohana News staff member who experienced making their own BOSHU-UCHIWA:

“Last year I had the privilege of making very own Boshu Fan. As an American who loves Japan and Japanese culture, this was a great experience because not only do I own a beautiful fan, I own a piece of Japanese tradition that I made by myself. This is what makes having my own uchiwa even more special.”

 

 3) “Chiba Art Festival 2020”

Chiba Art 2020 Logo

Chiba Carltural Assets Logo

The “Chiba Art Festival 2020” will be held with a “Chiba Cultural Assets” theme from August 4 to September 6. “Chiba Cultural Assets” refer to anything that showcases Chiba’s rich and diverse history. The Assets were voted on by Prefecture residents in 2018 with the aim of reacknowledging Chiba’s charms. The Assets are not limited to traditional things, but views, events, and festivals are also included, making for a total of 111 items.

Chiba Cultural Assets Website

 

“Chiba Cultural Assets” themed paintings and photographs gathered from the public will be exhibited at the Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art and Chiba Port Tower. The works will also be viewable online. Online Workshop Livestream by Artists will also be held.

Paintings, photographs, and Instagram pictures were accepted between December 5, 2019 to May 25, 2020 with a total of 801 submissions.

The submissions will be judged, and 21 outstanding works will be awarded with the “Chiba Art Festival” award.

※ Details may change depending on the situation surrounding the novel coronavirus.

1.Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art Exhibition Hall 7

  • Dates: Tuesday, August 4 - Sunday, August 16 *Closed on Tuesday, August 11.
    All submitted works will be displayed.

2.Chiba Port Tower (1st Floor Citizen’s Gallery)

  • Dates: Monday, August 17 - Sunday, September 6
    21 works that won awards at the Chiba Art Festival will be on display.

3.Online Art Museum

4.Online Workshop Livestream by Artists

Artists with a connection to Chiba Prefecture will be hosting an online workshop on YouTube so that you can attend the “Chiba Art Festival 2020” without leaving your home. Many events enjoyable by parents and children will be hosted, so please be sure to stop by!

Online Workshop Livestream by Artists( External link )

※Admission free. Please prepare art supplies on your own.

(1)Never Draw Well
  • Instructor: Kohei Kondo
  • Date and time: Saturday, August 8 2:00-3:00 P.M.
  • Contents:Without feeling pressured to draw well, pencils, disposable chopsticks, toothbrushes, rocks, sponges, and sticks among other tools of your choice will be used to freely make works of art.
(2)Old Cloth Flowers
  • Instructor:Yuki Okawa
  • Date and time: Saturday, August 15 2:00-3:00 P.M.
  • Contents:We’ll be making flowers with unneeded cloth. Come make an original work with your clothes of memories and old cloth.
(3)Bubble Art
  • Instructor:Barusamikoyasu 
  • Date and time: Saturday, August 22 2:00-3:00 P.M.
  • Contents: We’ll be painting with bubbles using a variety of colors.

 

  4) Chiba’s Pears

Chiba's Pears

Chiba is blessed with fertile soil and good weather, making it rank 1 in pear cultivation area, harvest amount, and output as of 2018.
Close to the massive consumer area of Tokyo, Chiba is a large production site with a total of 1,480 hectares of pear trees in the prefecture. 
Chiba pears are in season in August and September, but you can experience a wide variety of tastes from the late July to mid October. Make sure to try Chiba’s pears this season!

 <Main types produced in Chiba>

“Kosui”
  • Characteristics:Strong sweetness with a distinct taste. This variety is the most popular. 
  • Season:Early - Mid August
  • Longevity:5 days at room temperature, recommended to store in refrigerator
“Hosui”
  • Characteristics:Bigger than the kosui variety, moist with a good balance of sweet and sour taste.
  • Season:Late August - Mid September
  • Longevity:Around 10 days at room temperature
“Akizuki”
  • Characteristics:Soft, moist, sweet, not very sour
  • Season:Early - Late September
  • Longevity:Around 14 days at room temperature
 “Niitaka”
  • Characteristics:A large variety, sometimes being heavier than 1 kilogram. Soft and sweet with a nice aroma.
  • Season:Late September - Mid October
  • Longevity:Over 1 month if stored in a refrigerator

 <Pear Cultivation in Chiba>

Surrounded on 3 sides by water with comfortable weather and the earliest blooming flowers in the Kanto region, the pear harvesting period in Chiba also comes early. The high amount of volcanic soil has a good drainage capability and makes for good manure which is good for pear cultivation.

 Pear cultivation in Chiba is said to have started in the Yawata region in Ichikawa City in 1769. Pears harvested in Yawata were taken to “Edo” (present-day Tokyo) where they were sold as a luxury item. Because of this fame, the production area size expanded rapidly and became the largest pear production area in Kanto region by the end of the Edo period.
The “Nijisseiki” (20th Century) pear variety was discovered in Matsudo city in 1888. Afterwards, the “Nijisseiki” pear was taken to Tottori Prefecture, which became the #1 “Nijisseiki” production area in Japan. 

 <What to look for when choosing a pear>

  • The shape of the pear is perfectly round from above.
  • It is large (it is said that large pears are tastier than smaller ones).
  • The skin of the pear is firm and tight.
  • It is hard and heavy.

 ※ Pears sold in the summer do not last very long. Once bought, place in refrigerator and eat as soon as you can.

 

 About the Chiba’s Pears (Japanese)

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