This month Eri interviews Chris about where he lives.
Part 1
Part 2
Where do you live?
I live in Nasukarasuyama.
Where is it?
It’s about 30km north east of Utsunomiya.
Is it part of Nasu?
No. In 2005, 2 cities – Minami-Nasu and Karasuyama – joined together to make Nasukarasuyama. Nasukarasuyama is about 70km south of Nasu.
Is Nasukarasuyama a big place?
No, not in terms of people. The population is about 30,000 I think. But in terms of the area of the city, it’s quite a big place. The whole city, including the countryside, is more than 170km2.
How long have you lived there?
I’ve lived there for about 4 years now.
Where did you live before?
Before moving to Nasukarasuyama I lived in the centre of Utsunomiya. I lived there for 6 years – from 2002 to 2008.
What do you like about living in Nasukarasuyama?
Well, it’s nice and quiet. I prefer living in a rural place rather than an urban place. Also it’s a little cooler than Utsunomiya in the summer!
Is Nasukarasuyama famous for anything?
There are two things that are quite famous – The Yamaage festival, and the traditional washi handmade paper. The Yamaage festival is one of the oldest festivals in Japan. It started more than 450 years ago in 1560. The handmade paper has been produced in Karasuyama for 780 years apparently.
There are small museums for both of these things in the city centre.
