<!-- 775.html -->  <div id="pagebody_outline">    <div id="left_box">  <div id="bold_text">he world now is now moving towards a rapid globalized society. Japan too, is no exception. In metropolitan areas, international marriage counts 1 out of 10 couples and it is not rare anymore to see exchange students and workers from various countries around the world. But generally, Japanese people are still not mixing well with foreigners who are living in Japan. Much more, don't you think that most of them hardly ever are in contact with foreign tourists?</div>      <div id="article">        <div id="article_left">                                          <div id="article_text"></div>                                        </div>        <div id="article_right">In the last couple of years, over 17 million Japanese people go abroad on business and travel. Many of them come home impressed with the "kindness" and "warm-heartedness" of the local people there.<br /><br />The local people there are never as wealthy as the Japanese people but they live an active life and welcome people like us from other countries. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.yokosojapan.net/mt/CA390673.JPG"><img alt="CA390673.JPG" src="https://www.yokosojapan.net/mt/CA390673-thumb.JPG" width="300" height="225" /></a><br /><br /><br />Don't you think it is now time for us to open our hearts and give the foreign people who come and visit or live in Japan a warm welcome?  It is the important mission of the Interpreter Volunteer Guides to convey this feeling of warm welcome. </div>        <div class="both10"></div>        <div><strong>The Work of Volunteer Guides</strong><br /><br />Here's an interview with Ms. Fukaya of the Tokyo City Guide Club about the Interpreter Volunteer Guides.<br /><br /><img alt="20080210%20%E6%9D%B1%E5%BE%A1%E8%8B%91%E5%A4%A7%E6%89%8B%E9%96%80%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A6-hp.JPG" src="https://www.yokosojapan.net/mt/20080210%20%E6%9D%B1%E5%BE%A1%E8%8B%91%E5%A4%A7%E6%89%8B%E9%96%80%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A6-hp.JPG" width="376" height="250" /><br /><br /><img alt="20080210%20%E6%98%8E%E6%B2%BB%E7%A5%9E%E5%AE%AE%E5%8F%82%E9%81%93%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A6-hp.JPG" src="https://www.yokosojapan.net/mt/20080210%20%E6%98%8E%E6%B2%BB%E7%A5%9E%E5%AE%AE%E5%8F%82%E9%81%93%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A6-hp.JPG" width="301" height="200" /><br /><br /><br /><font color="#FF3366"> Why did you want to become an interpreter volunteer guide?</font><br /><br />Many interpreter volunteer guides have the experience that they have been warmly welcomed by the local people overseas. I, too, have the same experience. Many of us want to help, like tour-guiding the foreigners who come to Japan in return of what they have done to us. <br /><br /><br /><font color="#FF3366"> What kind of a club is "Tokyo City Guide Club"?</font><br /><br />Our group members have all passed the "Tokyo City Guide Test." It's an informal club. First we made small groups of our specialty fields and started the group by doing workshops and study groups. By continuous study groups, we've come to the conclusion that we all wanted to study more about the metropolitan city, "Tokyo". I think it's a great group. We walk around the city and study the history, culture, and the environment. It is a joy for us that we can directly learn them by walking around the city. Members have a great relationship, too, and we are quite satisfied with our intelligent group. I am pretty sure that foreign tourists will love our group.   <br /><br /><font color="#FF3366"> How do you guide the tourists from overseas?</font><br /><br />I think it's natural that after we have input all our knowledge at the study group and gain confidence, we want to spread this happiness to someone. We have 23 model guided courses at the moment and we guide not only tourists but we also have the opportunity to guide foreigners who live in Japan, for example, expats in Japan and groups of exchange students. We hear happy voices from them that they could really experience the Japanese culture. <br /><br /><font color="#FF3366"> Why did you want to become an interpreter volunteer guide?</font><br /><br />Many interpreter volunteer guides have the experience that they have been warmly welcomed by the local people overseas. I, too, have the same experience. Many of us want to help, like tour-guiding the foreigners who come to Japan in return of what they have done to us. <br /><br /><br /><font color="#FF3366"> What kind of a club is "Tokyo City Guide Club"?</font><br /><br />Our group members have all passed the "Tokyo City Guide Test." It's an informal club. First we made small groups of our specialty fields and started the group by doing workshops and study groups. By continuous study groups, we've come to the conclusion that we all wanted to study more about the metropolitan city, "Tokyo". I think it's a great group. We walk around the city and study the history, culture, and the environment. It is a joy for us that we can directly learn them by walking around the city. Members have a great relationship, too, and we are quite satisfied with our intelligent group. I am pretty sure that foreign tourists will love our group.   <br /><br /><font color="#FF3366"> How do you guide the tourists from overseas?</font><br /><br />I think it's natural that after we have input all our knowledge at the study group and gain confidence, we want to spread this happiness to someone. We have 23 model guided courses at the moment and we guide not only tourists but we also have the opportunity to guide foreigners who live in Japan, for example, expats in Japan and groups of exchange students. We hear happy voices from them that they could really experience the Japanese culture. <br /><br /><a href="http://tcgc.5.pro.tok2.com/english2/index.htm">Tokyo　City　 Guides</a><br /><br /><br />翻訳者　：tranlated　by　下野佐紀子 <sakichan0811@gmail.com></div>      </div>      <div class="both10"></div>                         </div>  <!-- end of left_box -->  </div><!-- end of pagebody_outline -->