だて市政だより9月号（英訳版） Public Relations Magazine DATE English Digest - September 2023
The New CIR, Cameron, Has Arrived
P10 国際交流員「キャメロン」が着任しました
Contact Collaborative Community Development Department's Collaboration Promotion Section ☎ 024-575-1177
The Letter of Appointment has been presented to the new Date City CIR from the United States, Cameron Schiesler.
He will be collaborating with our other CIR, Lara, in order to create an environment where citizens can interact with and become more familiar with English. This includes English activities and lessons with children as well as English classes.
In addition, he will also be conducting Japanese classes for foreign residents, translating government information and other work to support a multicultural community.
A message from Cameron to the city residents:
Hello everyone! This is my first time coming to Fukushima prefecture but I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know the people of Date City. I would like to build strong bonds with the members of the community so please feel free to say hello should you spot me out and about!
・Name
Cameron Schiesler
・Hometown
Kentucky, United States of America
・Favorite Japanese word
木漏れ日 (komorebi)
・What to call me
Please call me Cameron!
Hometown Hall Event: Enjoy Music and Culture
P19 音楽と文化を楽しむふるさと会館イベント
Contact Date City Hometown Hall ☎ 024-583-3244
Chikako Sawada Vintage Concert ～If we could travel through time～
Date September 18th (Mon.) at 2:30pm
Details Chikako Sawada, known for the song “Aitai” and more.
Price Pre-sale: ￥6000
MDD Special Concert
Date September 23rd (Sat.), 24th (Sun.) at 11:00 AM both days
Details Performances of a variety of genres from both inside and outside the prefecture.
Special Guests
・9/23: KOORI Guitar
・9/24: former BOØWY drummer Makoto Takahashi
Cost
・Pre-sale: ￥1000 (separate tickets per day)
・Day-of: ￥1500 (separate tickets per day)
MDD 15 Night Performance & Ghost Story Telling
Date September 30th (Sat.) begins at 6:00pm
Details
Part 1: Traditional Japanese music concert
Performances from Ryōmei Tachibana (shakuhachi) and Hagisuzu Takahashi (koto, shamisen).
Part 2: Ghost story telling
Performance from Saiko Hiketa.
Cost ￥500 (day-of tickets only)
Disaster Preparation Class for Foreign Residents
P19 市内在住外国人のための防災教室
Contact Collaborative Community Development Department's Collaboration Promotion Section ☎ 024-575-1177
Date September 16th (Sat.) at 9:30am
Location Hobara Central Community Center
Details
1. How to call 119 for help during an emergency
2. Simulated earthquake experience
3. How to perform a heart massage and use an AED machine
4. Workshop on useful knowledge for when a disaster occurs
Apply To apply please send an email by September 9th (Sat.)
Please find the email address by scanning the QR code below
Other Details Organized by the Date City International Exchange Committee
Even Better Value Than Last Year! Premium Merchandise Vouchers Sale
P8 昨年よりもお得に！プレミアム付商品券販売
Contact: Commerce, Industry, and Tourism Department’s Commerce, Industry, and Labor Administration Section ☎ 024-573-5632
In order to revitalize local commerce, which has fallen due to rising prices, premium merchandise vouchers will be sold.
Sale Price 1 set can be purchased at ￥5000
Additional Value 50%
(Can be redeemed for ￥7500 in value when shopping) ※10% increase from last year
Set Details
Small business vouchers: ￥500 x 9
Unrestricted vouchers: ￥500 x 6
Sale Location Please check the city homepage or the flyer that came with your exchange ticket. Exchange tickets will be shipped to each household in September.
Sales Agency Date City Society of Commerce & Industry Council for Area-Wide Coordination ☎ 024-577-0057
Mt. Ryōzen Summit Restroom Complete
Available for Use Starting in September
P8 霊山山頂のトイレ完成９月から利用できます
Contact Ryōzen General Affairs Office Disaster Prevention Department ☎ 024-586-3406
The renovations on the Mt. Ryōzen summit restroom have been complete. It will be available for use starting in September.
Opening day September 1st (Fri.)
Notable Points
・It features a naturalistic bio-toilet that is friendly to both the environment and users alike. It employs a mechanism that uses microorganisms to decompose waste and suppress odors.
・Functions completely off of a storage battery powered by solar energy.
Notice The facility will not be accessible during winter closure (12/1 ～ 3/31) per facility management.
Novel Coronavirus Vaccine 2023 Booster Shot (Free)
P9 新型コロナワクチン令和5年追加接種（無料）
Contact Novel Coronavirus Countermeasures Department, Vaccine Inoculation Section ☎ 024-572-6456
The Spring 2023 commencement of the corona vaccine inoculations ends September 19th (Tue.). Those who wish to receive an inoculation are asked to sign up as quickly as possible.
Reservation Method To receive an inoculation, you must obtain a vaccination ticket and then make the reservation yourself.
Web Reservations (via smartphone, computer, etc.)
Access the reservation website using the following QR code or through the City homepage (available 24/7).
Phone Reservations
The Date City COVID Vaccine Reservation and Consultation Center
☎ 0120-743-567
(Available weekdays 9 AM ～ 5 PM)
Future Booster Shots
Aiming to decrease severe COVID cases, vaccinations will be given starting in the fall of 2023. In principle, mass vaccinations will be administered. When specifics have been decided, the information will be available via sources such as the homepage.
Eligibility anyone 6 months or older
Inoculation Cost Free
Intention Questionnaire
“Intention Questionnaires” will be sent to all eligible people to confirm the interest or lack thereof of receiving a vaccine. Please mail the questionnaire or respond online before the deadline.
Those who answer “transportation desired” on the questionnaire and are age 65 or older will be provided transportation from their local Central or Regional Exchange Hall to the vaccination site and back.
New information can be viewed on the City homepage (through the novel coronavirus vaccine inoculation portal site) when it is released.
Trivia Night: Interact with People from Around the World through a Quiz
P10 外国出身者とクイズで交流「トリビアナイト」
Contact Collaborative Community Development Department's Collaboration Promotion Section ☎ 024-575-1177
Together with Coordinators for International Relations Lara and Cameron, come try a quiz game with people from around the world.
Date Friday, October 13th 6:00 PM ～ 8:00 PM (sign-in begins at 5:45 PM)
Location Date Central Exchange Hall’s Multipurpose Hall
Eligibility 32 people (first come first serve); open to expats as well as residents of the City
Participation Price Free
Application Please apply using this link, the following QR code, or by calling the above number (English available weekdays 8:30 AM ～ 4:30 PM).
Deadline September 29th (Fri.)
Health Exams for Children Entering Elementary School Next Spring
P16 来春小学校に入学する児童の健康診断
Eligibility Children born between April 2nd, 2017, and April 1st, 2018
Details Health check-ups will be conducted for those entering elementary school. (※ These exams are different from the “Pre-Entrance School Lifestyle Adaptation Examinations” that took place in May through June.)
Cost Free
Application Notices will have been sent during August to those eligible. Please contact the School Education Department if the notice does not arrive.
Contact School Education Department’s General Affairs and Management Section ☎ 024-573-5824
Reservation Acceptance for City Resident Health Exams (Date Sites)
P17 集団検診（梁川・霊山会場）予約開始
This year’s mass health exams are offered by appointment only. Please make an appointment by telephone or through the internet.
Telephone Number for Reservations:
☎ 024-572-7356 or 024-573-0538
Reception Times: 9 AM ～ 4:30 PM (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays)
Reception Period: During the reservation reception period for each district
※ If there are openings in the schedule, reservations will be made upon request, so please contact us.
※ People from outside the Date area can also receive an examination.
Reservation Website: Please use the reservation form to make an appointment by 4 PM, seven days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) prior to the exam date.
Contact Health Promotion Department’s Health Management Section ☎ 024-575-1116
Please Utilize the Senior Citizen Welfare Services
P21 高齢者福祉サービスをご利用ください
Application Method Please submit the appropriate application to any of the branch offices (those in Hobara, please submit it to the Elderly Welfare Department). Forms can be obtained at the branch offices or through the City homepage.
Contact Elderly Welfare Department’s Community-based Comprehensive Care Promotion Section ☎ 024-575-1125
Senior Citizen Meal Service
We are offering a lunch box delivery service containing healthy and safe ingredients for senior citizens living alone. The aim of this service is to help senior citizens maintain a healthy lifestyle, while also functioning as a wellness check.
Requirements Those over 65 years of age who live alone, households containing only those over 65 years of age, households where citizens over 65 years of age who have difficulty cooking for themselves and are alone during the day
Delivery Dates/Times From Monday to Saturday, on your specified day between 10 AM and noon (times may vary by region).
Cost ￥400 per meal
Other Details When registering, two emergency contact numbers must be provided. Once you have completed your registration, a member from the Community-based Comprehensive Support Center will visit your home to conduct an interview.
Protective QR Code Utilization Project
When a person who has gone missing or is at risk of not being able to return home due to dementia or other reasons is taken into custody, their identity can be confirmed by reading the QR code. No personal information is displayed when the code is read.
Eligibility Elderly persons who could go missing due to dementia (including suspected dementia), etc.
Number of Sheets Distributed Each fiscal year 1 sheet (which includes 36 sticker types or 34 iron-on types) will be distributed. Personal information such as identities or addresses will not be exposed.
Fee Free (additional sheets will be out-of-pocket)
Hairdresser Home Visits for Senior Citizens
Senior citizens who have difficulty leaving home, can receive aid vouchers that can be used to cover a portion of the expenses of a home visit hairdressing appointment.
Requirements Citizens over 65 years of age who are bedridden or have difficulty maintaining a seated position and fall under either of the following two categories:
Citizens who have been designated for a nursing care level of 4 or 5
Citizens unable to go to the hairdresser due to illness
Service Details Up to 4 aid vouchers (￥4000) can be provided per year. The amount of vouchers able to be provided may change depending on the month of registration.
Usage Guide One voucher (￥1000) may be used per visit. Expenses over ￥1000 will need to be covered by the customer.
Loaning Emergency Alert Devices
Emergency devices that can send out an SOS message are available for rent so that in the event of a sudden illness, disaster, or other emergency, prompt and appropriate responses can be provided to those such as elderly people living alone. The device utilizes a landline.
Eligibility Elderly people 65 years or older living alone or left alone throughout the day, as well as people with severe disabilities.
※ For those interested, that are not included in the above-mentioned, please consult with the Elderly Welfare Department.
Application Method Please turn in an application form to any of the branch offices in advance (those in Hobara, please go directly to the Elderly Welfare Dept.) Application documents can be obtained at the branch offices or city website.
Fee Base cost: ￥2,695 monthly + call charges.
※ The base cost is borne by the city for resident tax exempt households.
Loan Contents
・Emergency Alert Device
・Pendant-style Call Button
・Fire Alarm
Family Caregiving Supplies Benefits
We are providing vouchers than can be exchanged for caregiving supplies to caregivers living with the recipient of their care.
Requirements Those (family or relatives) who meet all three of the following requirements are eligible.
Both the caregiver and recipient must live in Date City.
The care recipient must be designated for a nursing care level of 4 or 5 and be living at home.
All members of the household to which the caregiver and recipient belong are exempt from municipal tax (the caregiver and recipient may be in separate households).
Distribution Details Each recipient of care may receive a voucher equal to ￥5000 worth of caregiving supplies per month.
Usage Guide Please visit designated pharmacies or other participating locations and exchange the designated supplies for the voucher.
Date City Municipal Library
P22 伊達市立図書館
Hobara Central Exchange Hall Library Temporary Closure
Friday, Sept. 1st ～ Sunday, Sept. 3rd ※ Monday, Sept. 4th is a regular closed day
※ During closed days, utilization of the book drop box is not possible
Date City Municipal Library Magazine Giveaway
Saturday, Sept. 23rd 10 ～ 11 AM
2020 Editions of "Today’s Dish", "PRESIDENT", and more!
6 magazines per person
Hours 9 AM ～ 7 PM (Closes at 5 PM on Sundays and Holidays)
Closed Every Monday
Telephone Number 024-551-2132
Date City’s Yanagawa Art Museum
P22 伊達市梁川美術館
Temporary Closure
Tuesday, Aug. 15th ～ Monday (National holiday), Oct. 9th
The museum will be temporarily closed for the removal of temporary exhibitions and the rearrangement of artworks in the museum.
Hours 9:30 AM ～ 5 PM
Closed Mondays (or the following weekday, in the case of a national holiday)
Contact 024-527-2656
Date City’s Hobara Museum of History and Culture
P22 伊達市保原歴史文化資料館
Special Exhibition (Fee-based)
“The World of Masamoto Kameoka’s Documents” run until Monday, Sept. 25th
Permanent Exhibition (Fee-based)
“Introduction to the History of Date City”
The Former Kameoka Residence (Fee-based) Regular viewing possible
Hours 9 AM ～ 5 PM
Closed Tuesdays
Admission ¥210 (Elementary ～ high school students, ¥100)
Contact 024-575-1615
Date City Hometown Assembly Hall
P22 伊達市ふるさと会館
Sunday, Sept. 3rd Japan Min'yo Association Northern Fukushima Union Convention
Sunday, Sept. 10th Big Band Concert 2023
Wednesday, Sept. 13th Date District Elementary and Middle School Music Festival
Monday (National holiday), Sept. 18th Chikako Sawada Vintage Concert
Saturday, Sept. 23rd ・ Sunday, Sept. 24th MDD Special LIVE
Saturday, Sept. 30th MDD 15 Night Performance & Ghost Story Telling
Hours 9 AM ～ 10 PM (Reception desk closes at 5 PM)
Closed Mondays (or the following weekday, in the case of a national holiday)
Contact 024-583-3244
This Month’s Payment Deadline
P26 今月の納期
The payment deadline is Monday, October 2nd
・National Health Insurance (3rd payment)
・Nursing Care Insurance (3rd payment)
・Late-stage Elderly Health Insurance (2nd payment)
Coordinator for International Relations’ Monthly Column by Tony Gillan
The Next Chapter
As my term as a Coordinator for International Relations concludes with the month of August, this will be the last CIR’s Monthly Column written by me. Over the past five years I have written this column some fifty times; and when combined with the CIR Updates on the City’s webpage, the lunchtime broadcasts at Tsukidate Academy, and innumerable other tasks, I have ended up writing a lot. I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to all the residents of Date City, adult and child, who kindly read my writing.
Of course, before coming to Date City I had written numerous things, mostly as a student, and most often with a readership consisting entirely of my instructor. Upon becoming a Date City CIR, however, I began writing for many more people; and some of them even complemented me on my work. Naïvely, I allowed such praise to inspire self-confidence in my writing ability, and came to think that I could write things which people would choose to read. If I have the ability to write, I have the obligation to use it for the good of others – that notion stirred deeply within me, and contending with it led to many sleepless nights. Finally, in December 2020 I began writing. For countless weekday nights, weekends, and holidays, I locked myself in my home and wrote. Being in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, at least one could say that such a lifestyle heeded calls for social distancing.
It took nearly three years, but in July of this year I finished writing my first novel. I should say that it is a rough draft, and still in need of gruesome editing; but before the end of the year I intend to publish it as an e-book through a major online retailer. Of course, I cannot expect anything to come of it, and will be more than satisfied if as many as ten people choose to read it.
In September I will return to Koori Town, and both there and in Date Town I will teach English at an abacus school. In my spare time, I will write. It’s a habit I picked up while living here in Date City, and I have no intention of quitting before I die. And throughout my life I will be thankful to all the residents of Date City who kindly read my writing.
Everyone in Date City, thank you very much!
