No.9 2007.12 2007.12 中国南通市教育代表団国際友好姉妹都市児童生徒絵画書道展ツイン・シティ・マラソンへのランナー派遣国際交流に関する研修会中国南通市教育代表団来日シティプラザ教育施設視察市長への表敬訪問授業参観学校内視察風景ゆうこうしまいとししょうかい友好姉妹都市の紹介 ― A b o u t S i s t e r C i t i e s ― 「国際友好姉妹都市児童生徒絵画書道展」開催される最優秀賞：ブルーミントン市優秀賞：南通市入賞：和泉市 It's getting on for 30 years now since I first arrived in Japan from Britain. Apart from a year spent living near Omotesando in Harajuku, Tokyo (of course, this was in the "good old days" before it became the home to fashionable Omotesando Hills!), I've been a resident of the Osaka area for the whole time. Thinking back on those 30 years, I can't help thinking that Japan has become almost another country. My first days in Japan were a succession of shocks and surprises. On my very first day here, heading for a certain coffee shop near the West Exit of Shinjuku Station, I left the station by the East Exit by mistake. I'll never forget the young man who, putting off his own arrangements, led me all the way around the station to the West Exit and even took me to the door of the coffee shop! I sometimes wonder how many Japanese people these days would go so far out of their way to help a foreigner in distress. If Japanese people were super-kind to foreigners in those days, being kind to Nature was not one of their trademarks. I remember the time I finally achieved my dream of climbing Mt. Fuji. The beautiful mountain which is the "symbol of Japan" when seen from a distance, was more like a rubbish-heap seen from close-up; if the mountain symbolized anything, it was the insensitivity of the Japanese people of those days to the need to protect their environment. (Part of the problem, it has to be admitted, is that there were hardly any bins in which to throw the rubbish.) In 2007, thankfully, I like to think that Japan and the Japanese people are much more attuned to Nature than they were 30 years ago. People often ask me whether I plan to stay in Japan "forever". Although Japan is no paradise, my answer is always, "of course!". 桃山学院大学文学部 Philip Billingsley教授（フィリップビリングスリーさん）わがまちで暮らす ! お料理講習＆ネパールのおはなしタイ語ツイン・シティ・マラソン（ＴＣＭ）のランナー安松伸晃さん大奮闘！ ●大阪府外国人相談コーナー【安松さん感想】泉州国際マラソンランナー来日予定『国際交流に関する研修会』開催 ▼ マラソンランナーのホストファミリー募集！！米国ブルーミントン市市制施行１５０周年記念式典へ市民代表団を派遣 "