長野市のNPO,N2C2、が面白いワークショップをやりましたので私がFacilitatorとして呼ばれました。メインの講演はアメリカ出身の日本の国籍を取ったアルドウ・デビトさんでした。北海道の「外国人を断る」という温泉施設と戦って話題になった方が私達の心の中でその差別のところがあるかというワークショップでした。１つな出てきた意見は自分がそんな差別に当たったら、又はそんな看板を見たら、「しょうがない」であきらめちゃうかもしれないけど、例えば連れていた外国人の友達が断れたらその店と話し合ってみる気持ちがあった。まあ、気を付けなきゃいけないのはこれからの日本の中で「外国人断り」の看板及び気持ちが増えていかない事だと思います。
An NPO in Nagano City called N2C2 held an interesting workshop today, and I was invited as a facilitator. The main speaker was Arudou Debito, who was born in the States but has taken on Japanese citizenship. He lives in Hokkaido, where he made news fighting a bathhouse with a 'Japanese Only' sign. The workshop was an introspective look at our own feelings on the matter. One opinion that came out from the Japanese participants was if they ran up against such prejudice they probably wouldn't fight it, but if their foreigner friend was refused service, they would protest. My hope is as Japan becomes increasingly internationalized that 'Japanese Only' signs don't spread.

亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website

N2C2のHPはこちらClick here for N2C2 website

アルドウデビトさんのHPはこちらClick here for Arudou Debito-san's website

この青空で外に行きたくなるけれど、今日は会議が４つもありました。町お越しの大会議とその小さい打ち合わせ、来月のそば祭りの実行委員会(私はハロウィーンの実行委員長として呼ばれた)と、１１月末の講演会の打ち合わせ。まあ、観光会館と亀清の間に何度も行ったりきたりしています。走る度にうちの新しい電信柱の看板を通りました。真緑の柳の葉っぱと真っ青の空といい雰囲気でした。
On a sunny day like this, you feel like doing something outside. However, I was stuck indoors today with 4 different meetings. There was a big one on the town's 'machi-okoshi' followed by a small one on the same, then a meeting of the Soba Festival organizers (I partook as the head of the Halloween Festival), and finally a meeting to coordinate a speech I will be making in Nagano City in November. As a result of these meetings, I had to run back and forth between Kamesei and the Kanko Kaikan Meeting Hall so many times. Each time, I saw our new Utility Pole Sign, shining in the sun with the green willow tree branches and the blue sky.