Garbage Rules!
Recycling Workshop🗑
Ever wondered how to throw something away?Let’s figure it out together!
Join our workshop and learn not only the basics but also the reasonings for separating your trash directly from the Environmental Division from AizuWakamatsu City Office. Speak with other participants about your garbage woes, and learn together how to throw away and recycle items. We’ll also learn about the new rules and practices coming into effect from April as the city transitions into a new pay-per-throw system.
The first half of the workshop will be learning about garbage separation rules, and the second half will be putting that knowledge to the test.
■Date: Feb 14 (Sat) 10:00~11:30
■Place: City Learning Center(Keikodo) Rm1
■Cost: Free
■Limit: 30 people
(about 15 non-Japanese participants)
■Sign-up: by Feb 13 (Sat), contact AWIA.
**English interpretation provided!**
Help us out! 📦
We announced in Sept 2023 that we will be moving office and that day is fast approaching. At the end of April, we will be moving to the old 2nd Sakaemachi Building beside the Koban near the City Learning Centre (Keikodo.) We will need help to pack up our office.
Let us know if you’re interested and available over the next few months!
Moving Date: around April 30th (Thu) 2026
Chinese Conversation Club:
Chat-ba🐼 Season 2
Have fun using Chinese. Let’s talk about Travel!
**Conversational level Chinese is recommended** (No ChAT-ba in January)
**From this session, we recommend that you be able to speak some Chinese. It may be difficult to take part if you come with zero experience.**
■Date: Feb 7 (Sat) 10:00~11:30
■Place: AWIA Office (Sakae-machi 2-14)
■Sign-up: by Feb 6 (Fri), contact AWIA.
ChAT-ba :
‘Ch’: Chinese,
‘A’: Aizu,
‘T’: Together, and
‘吧/-ba’: ‘Let’s!’ in Chinese.
English Conversation Club MEET
Introducing MEET (My English Exchange Time) our English convo club. The name may be new and we may try new things, but we’ll always have fun. Come and speak English with people from all walks of life. Everyone is welcome, no matter your English level.
■Date/Time: Feb 21 (Sat) 10:00~11:30
■Place: City Learning Center (Keikodo) 3F Rm 1
■Cost: FREE!
■Sign Up: Contact AWIA by Feb 20 (Fri)
Newsletter Prep and Refreshments
Help us to prepare our newsletters for mailing! On the last Saturday of every month, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM,
AWIA members gather at the AWIA to fold and mail next month’s edition of the newsletter.
Come enjoy talking with other members while you help out the association. It’s also an excellent chance to put your Japanese to use!
Are you having a problem with your visa, nationality, family, work, everyday living, discrimination, domestic violence, confinement, or human trafficking?Please call us about any problem you may have. Your privacy will be protected.
This is a toll-free number. Website: Free Telephone consultation service for foreign languages and foreign people Help you to find medical institutions for you and provide information on healthcare and welfare system in Japan.
■Date: Feb 28 (Sat)
■Time: from 1:30 pm
■Place: Aizu Wakamatsu International Association Office
Satellite JICA Fukushima Desk
Come speak to the new person in charge of reaching out to people in Aizu about the efforts of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Association) KIDA Maki-san spent some time in Tunisia, a country in the North of Africa that shares a maritime border with Italy.
Come say hello if you’d like to learn more about her, JICA, and/or Tunisia.
■Date: Feb 21 (Sat) 10:00~
■Place: AWIA Office (Sakae-machi 2-14)
Here is a message from KIDA-san:
Nice to meet you! My name is KIDA Maki, and I am in charge of the Satellite JICA Fukushima Desk. I taught children
piano in Tunisia as a JICA Volunteer until January of this year. I want to work hard while experiencing everyone’s passion for cultural exchange and understanding and learn more charms of Aizu.
Be a guest on the Radio!
Want a chance to be on the radio? AWIA collaborates with FM Aizu (76.2) with a segment once a week: Chikyuu Marutto Tele- report (World-wide Tele-report). Guests can share their experience of living in Aizu or abroad. Each segment is about 5- 10mins, so no pressure! Guests can join live, or come and pre- record their interview. Interested? Contact us!
When: Wednesday Nights ~17:40 (5-10min segment) (interview is in Japanese only)
If you have time, why not listen in?
Want to be a guest?
Contact us: aizukokusai[]awia.jp Replace[]with "@"(at mark)
Online Japanese Class!
The Aizu Wakamatsu International Association is now offering online Japanese language classes!
Study from home at the time that works best for you! Our volunteer teachers will work with you to match your language level and study goals.
【Time】：
Choose your preferred 1-hour time slot between 10:00 and 20:30 any day of the week.
*There may be cases where a student’s first choice time slot is unavailable.
【Number of Classes】：
12 Sessions / 1hr per session
【Place】：Online via Zoom or Skype
【Fee】：
4,000 JPY for 12 Sessions (Annual AWIA membership of 2,000JPY is required to register.)
【How to Register】：
Contact the AWIA by phone or email with your three preferred time slots.
EMAIL: mail@awia.jp TEL: 0242-27-3703
WEB: http://awia.jp
*Most classes are 1 on 1, but there may be cases where 2 or more students share the same time slot.
[pdf]
Children Nihongo Hiroba
Does your child struggle with Japanese in school?
Does he or she always feel one step behind everyone else in class? Let us help!
Going to school in a foreign language is challenging, but your child is not alone.
At Children Nihongo Hiroba, your child can meet, speak and study with other people just like them!
We offer a space to address any questions your child may have about school work or Japanese, and give them the opportunity to use their native language.
[When]:
The 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month,
15：00 ～17：00 (depending on child’s age and needs)
[Where]:
Aizu-Wakamatsu International Association
(5th floor of the Lion D’or Garden on Shinmei Dori)
[Price]: ￥2,000
(in addition to the AWIA annual membership fee of ￥2,000)
[For]:
Non-native speakers of Japanese ages 6-18.
[Inquiries & Registration]:
Aizu-Wakamatsu International Association
mail@awia.jp or 0242-27-3704
Important Notice!
Due to low foot traffic, the Aizuwakamatsu International Association Office will be CLOSED on Sundays starting in July.
We will continue holding events on Sundays but our office will be closed to visitors.
Stop by anytime from Tuesday to Saturday~ We would love to see you.
New Open Hours &
New Email Address
**Office now open from 9:30-17:30**
(old hours: 9:00-17:45)
We are changing our office hours to better serve you. Our office will now open from 9:30am and close at 17:30. But don’t worry!! If you cannot make it to our open hours, please contact us through email or telephone ahead of time, and
we will do our best to help you.
**NEW EMAIL : aizukokusai[@]awia.jp**
Our original email address, mail@awia.jp has been in use since AWIA transitioned to email. Due to this, we get an enormous amount of SPAM. In an attempt to reduce time spent sorting through to find real correspondence, we are transitioning to a new address.
Please update your address books, safe lists, and records to stay in touch!
Multilingual Information
Yorisoi Hotline
Yorisoi Hotline English よりそいホットライン(Free telephone consultation): 0120-279-226
Telephone Consultation for medical matters
（AMDA国際医療情報センター AMDA Medical Information Center）
Website: Telephone Consultation for medical matters (AMDA Medical Information Center / AMDA国際医療情報センター)
Beware of Bears🐻
This year has had a record number of bear sightings/ encounters. Protect yourself against a bear attack! With winter on the way, and a hard year for beech
nut and other wild fruits, there is a high chance bears will be coming into town for food. Fukushima Pref. has announced a Bear Warning to be in place from Sept 11th (Thu)-Dec 15th (Mon).
Doing activities like hiking,mushroom picking, spending time in mountains or near rivers will increase the risk of a bear encounter.
Please take care to protect yourself this fall when you are out in nature.
🐻⚠️How to Avoid Encountering Bears, etc.
・Carry items that emit sounds when you head into or near forested areas and do not go alone.
・Avoid walking, hiking, or farming at dawn/dusk when bears are active.
・Check bear activity information online.
・Clean up potential food sources around your home
・Take trash out on the day of collection
You can get notifications for wildlife sightings (in Japanese) from the Disaster Prevention Alert System ‘AIBEAR’
Sign-up for an account here: AIBEAR Website