Nishinomiya, Hyogo Pref. – It’s a busy afternoon at the Nishinomiya City International Association (NIA). Several times a week, the classrooms fill with laughter and chatter during Japanese lessons led by volunteer teachers. Curious passersby stop to read posters in English, Chinese and Portuguese announcing classes for children and adults.
Fifteen years ago, Canadian-born Floyd Gillis enrolled in Japanese lessons here to help him settle into life in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. Today, he helps others navigate that same process as co-host of “Bridges Across World Communities,” a multilingual radio program produced by the NIA and broadcast twice a month on Sakura FM (78.7 MHz), the city’s community radio station.
Sakura FM airs local news, city council announcements, disaster alerts and a mix of music and talk programs. Among them, “Bridges Across World Communities” has become an important source of information for foreign residents, featuring segments in English, Portuguese and Mandarin.
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