ブックタイトル平成27年度公開講座記録集

概要

平成27年度公開講座記録集

平成27年度新潟県立大学公開講座「分かち合おう！新潟の魅力」「酒と食で新潟と世界を繋ぐ」の背景にあるものMelodie CookOn October 10th, 2015, three members of NiigataSAKE Lovers came to introduce their group andactivities to members of the local community. Thisgroup was chosen to present to the local communitybecause not only is their mandate to learn aboutlocal sake culture in Niigata, but also to spreadknowledge about sake and sake making to the widerworld.Niigata SAKE Lovers is comprised of members fromboth the Japanese and international community.Together, members learn about different kinds of sake;the group even has its own rice field and membershave been planting, growing, and harvesting rice tomake their own unique brand. Both foreign as well asJapanese people learn about traditional Japaneseculture.As a foreign faculty member here at the Universityof Niigata Prefecture, I have long been interested inactivities in which foreigners and Japanese people caninteract and learn about each others’ cultures. When Ifirst came to Niigata in 2009, I, and a colleague,Bethany Iyobe, founded the Niigata Multicultural PlayGroup for mixed-race families like ours in whichchildren were being raised by parents from differentcultures. It was there that I met Ms Duquette.She impressed me with her bilingualism andmore than that, her biculturalism. She has diversequalifications and I invited her to speak to mystudents in the Department of Health and Nutrition.She gave an amazing talk to my students, not onlyabout nutrition (among her many qualifications, sheis a certified dietician), but also about life abroadand the potential for careers in English. She alsotalked about her newly-founded Niigata SAKELovers, and one student from the class became sointerested in the project that he joined the group!When I joined the 地域連携センター in early2015, I immediately thought that it would bewonderful if Ms Duquette could introduce heractivities to the local community. I am veryg r a t e f u l t h a t t h e c o m m i t t e e m e m b e r s f e l tsimilarly, and so invited Ms Duquette to give apresentation, along with some foreign members ofher group.Ms Duquette, a dynamic young woman with aninteresting past, shared her history and explainedhow she became interested in and ultimatelyformed Niigata SAKE lovers. She was joined bytwo foreign members, Tom Jenkins from the UKand Rachel Stivers-Bender from the US, who alsotalked about their interest in sake and Japaneseculture.Ms Duquette told the audience about herself, hereducation, her family, and her work experiencesabroad in North America, Europe, and Asia. She alsospoke about other organizations she is involved with,including the Niigata Multicultural Play Group, andSmall World Cafe, which she founded. She thenintroduced Niigata SAKE Lovers’ membership,objectives, and activities, such as learning aboutpairing sake with different foods, and making sake.(The group expects its next batch to be ready inMarch, 2016.) In the future, Niigata SAKE Loversexpects to spread more information about Niigatasake culture throughout the world. Tom and Rachelshared their experiences about being with the groupand all three answered questions from the audienceafterwards.Niigata SAKE Lovers has many enthusiasticmembers and the audience who attended thispresentation was equally keen to learn about thisgroup. Niigata SAKE Lovers will certainly helpshare the heart of Niigata with the world!University of NIIGATA PREFECTURE 2