Awaji-ben vol.1: "cha-wa-re."(ちゃわれ。)="No! It's wrong!"

Since I'm glad to have got a request of "Awaji-ben interpretation," I'd like to start it little by little.
About "Awaji-ben," there is very rich and exellent website "awajiben.net," so basically I quote words and phrases from this website and add some explanation originally.

The first Awaji-ben I try to pick up is "cha-wa-re."(ちゃわれ。).

-interpretation: No! It's wrong!
-in standard Japanese: "chi-ga-u-yo."(ちがうよ。)
-example conversation:
  A: "Didn't you go to your girlfriend house last night?"
  B: "Cha-wa-re! I just went shopping."

You can listen to the real voice conversation click here. (provided by awajiben.net)

"Cha-wa-re!" has some derivatives like "Cha-u-yo!"(ちゃうよ。), "Cha-u-cha-u!"（ちゃう、ちゃう）. (I don't know exactly which word is an original and which are derivatives.)
"Cha-u-cha-u!" is used not only in Awaji island but around Kansai area.

"Flying Dog Studio" （飛行犬撮影所）

In Ikari area of Minamiawaji, there is very famous dog run "Flying Dog Studio" (飛行犬撮影所).
The owner Mr. Matoba is a professional photographer, and many dogs and their family (means their guardians) from all over Japan visit and enjoy beeing taken their flying shots there.
Mr. Matoba has started this business for revitalization of Ikari area. This purpose has been partly accomplished because 3,000 to 4,000 dogs (with about 10,000 guardians) have visited there in every year. But any business like cafe, resort inn, shops etc... other than this dog run have not been created yet, so that the spreading effect of this revitalization idea has still been limited.
I hope some other business will be created in near future.

The entrance fee with 2 photos of each dog is 1,500yen.
If you'd like to visit here, you had better register before your visiting.

E-mail: awaji[at]plum.plala.or.jp
TEL:　0799-39-1160













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How to get a vaccine of "influenza virus" ?

In all over Japan, vaccine of influenza virus have been distributed to the citizens, gradually.
About Minamiawaji area, the Hyogo Prefecture has provided information of how we can get a vaccine. 
According to the Hyogo Pref., people, who have a primary desease, who are babies or children, have a priority to get vaccines, and those people can apply from the mid-November 2009.

Please check the detail information on the Hyogo Pref. web.
*caution: the website provided only in Japanse, so if you'd like to get information in foreign language, you had better directly phone-call to "0799-44-3004" (Health Department of Minamiawaji city).

"Danjiri Uta" - song of floats - (だんじり唄)

"Danjiri Uta" has been very popular Minamiawaji traditional culture than the traditional puppet show in the now.
Its history has been since 18c (at the late of Edo era), and it has been formed by departing just "song part" from the traditional puppet show. So lyrics of songs are same as stories of the puppet show. Because of those relationships between "Danjiri Uta" and the puppet show, some say it as "Opera of Awaji Island" !
Now there are about 100 Danjiri-Uta groups in Awaji island, and every year Danjiri Uta contest has been held.
You can watch some videos of Danjiri Uta from this website.

Women Danjiri Uta group "UTAIMASENKA" (shall we sing?) .
They have original costumes on them.

 Very cute back shot.

"Oino Shimizu" (御井の清水)

A bottled water has been popular recently, even though people can drink tap water in Japan. About myself, I have been drinking bottled water from about 10 years ago, despite I know I can drink tap water...
And recently many local natual bottled water has been available, and some water industry operated by local bodies (ex. Osaka city, Kobe city) have got into bottled water market to cover decreasing demands of tap water.

When I went back to Minamiawaji in this summer, I have found "Oino Shimizu" (in Japanese "御井の清水") bottled water sold at Fukura port vending machines.
As I remember, this product has opened to markets very recently (within 5 years, I think).

"Oino Shimizu" is coming from the Rokko mountain group, and stated as "hallucinatory water" in "Kojiki" (A Record of Ancient Matters). 
In Kojiki, the Emperor NINTOKU (A.D.313-A.D.399) composed a poem,

『旦夕淡路島の寒水を酌みて、大御水献りき』
(In the morning and evening, lave cold water of Awaji island, and dedicate it to Imperial.)

Now Sansui Co., Ltd. produces and sells the bottled water.
You can find it at some vending machine in Awaji island, or buy it on the web.

"Awaji Island Internet Television"

NPO "Minamiawaji Information Community" has provided the website "Awaji Island Internet Television" since 2001.
On "Awaji Island Internet Television" website, there are many videos (festival, traditional event, food, etc) posted, and anyone can play them on the web at no charge.
Each video has 5-10 minutes length with Japanese narration.
Even if you cannot understand Japanese, you can enjoy them enough.

Event info! "5th Ceramic Art Festival at Kunto-no-Sato" from 31Oct to 3 Nov. 2009

From 31 October to 3 November, the 5th Ceramic Art Festival has been held at Kunto-no-Sato (in Japanese "薫陶の郷").
The young artists' group of "Toiro" (means "ten color") is the organizer and exhibitor of ceramic arts and ceramic goods (ex. dish, bowl, cup).  You can touch the Japanese traditional ceramic art and get some of goods.
The following is the details of this event.

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The 5th Ceramic Art Festival at Kunto-no-Sato

period: 31 Oct. to 3 Nov. 2009
place: 1541 Shitori Doi, Minamiawaji city (see map below)
artists:  "Toiro"
theme: "serving dishes for guests"

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I have already visited this event in 31 Oct.
Caution! the event place is very difficult to find and difficult to access without a car, so I recommend you to ask some people near the place when you visit.

The exhibition site is a very usual Japanese house.

Inside of the exhibition house.

My favorite of the exhibited ceramic arts.

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