Posted by: Margie Banin (Kochi, 2005-2007), a former CIR with a love of the written word. Currently connecting others to Japan through translating, writing, and editing texts on Japan. Margie also serves as the JETwit Volunteer Coordinator and a JETwit jobs-list welcomer, as well as engaging in various other JETwit outreach activities.

JET alum Ryan Knight (Shiga, 2002-2003) shares his JET story and how his experience living in Japan led him in an unexpected direction.

I had the time of my life as a JET teacher in Shiga Prefecture during the early 2000s. Fresh out of graduate school at Michigan State University with a major in Music Performance, I was ready for a break before pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree. At the time, a DMA was essential for securing a teaching position at the university level. The previous summer, I had studied in Shiga Prefecture as an international student—a transformative experience that solidified my desire to return to Japan and immerse myself in its culture.

The early 2000s were simpler times. Social media was non-existent, the internet was in its infancy, and innovations like YouTube, AI, and the iPhone were still years away. My only connection to the world beyond Japan was a small flip phone that could send text messages of about 20 characters. Communicating with family back in the United States required a prepaid phone card costing $30–$40 and a trip to the nearest payphone—quaint by today’s standards.

Even after 23 years, I vividly remember the send-off party organized by the consulate, arriving in Tokyo, staying at the hotel, meeting other JET teachers, and riding the shinkansen for the first time. It was an unforgettable adventure for a young twenty-something fresh out of college. The JET Program is often described as offering vastly different experiences to its participants, but for me, it was nothing short of wonderful. My caring supervisors made the job immensely enjoyable, and the cultural exchange with students and teachers created lifelong memories.

Though I only participated in the JET Program for a year, I stayed in Japan, working at a cram school/private English school. Teaching both children and adults was equally rewarding. However, all good things must come to an end. The need for financial stability loomed, and my out-of-state college loan payments—totaling around $43,000—had become a burden. A musician friend mentioned that the military offered loan repayment programs, with the Navy promising $10,000 and the U.S. Army offering $65,000 for a single tour of 3–4 years. The opportunity to serve as a musician seemed too good to pass up, though my lack of military experience made me hesitant. At the time, there was no YouTube to watch testimonials and the internet provided little guidance.

In 2004, I joined the Army—from Japan, no less. The rest is history. I am set to retire this year after 21 years of active-duty service, during which I proudly served my country across Japan and various stateside locations. Beginning as a saxophonist, I rose through the enlisted ranks to E8/First Sergeant before being selected as a Warrant Officer Bandmaster/Conductor. For the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege of commanding Army Bands in Japan, New York, and now Texas.

As I transition out of military service, I look forward to leveraging my skills, experience, and passion for Japan–U.S. relations in the next chapter of my professional life.

If anyone in the JET community past or present needs anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here. 

Photos by Anthony Mulcahy.

On March 29, the Town Hall of New York became a community united in decades of song as a world-renowned anime composer made her NYC debut with Yoko Kanno Live!, her first U.S. concert since a 2013 solo piano gig at Otakon in Baltimore.

For this special performance–the seeds of which were planted when Kanno made a surprise appearance at 2023’s Cowboy Bebop 25th Anniversary Concert – The Music, also at Town Hall–the cultural icon was paired with two dozen musicians led by saxophonist, composer and bandleader Logan Richardson and the Blues People Big Band.

Town Hall artistic director Melay Araya kicked off the evening with a shoutout to the capacity crowd of space cowboys in the house, noting that Kanno was joining Bob Dylan, Nina Simone and Whitney Houston in the honor of making their New York concert hall debuts at Town Hall.

With the first half of the show dedicated to Cowboy Bebop, Richardson and his 16-piece big band started with jazzy small-combo pieces like “COSMOS,” “Odd Ones” and “Slipper Sleaze.” Introducing Kanno to the stage, Richardson remarked what an honor it was to rehearse and share a stage with such a legendary and exuberant figure. The two shared a special chemistry, with the deadpan, mostly seated Kansas City native providing a contrast to the bouncy, crimson-clad Kanno, who literally covered every inch of the stage conducting the various members of the orchestra from song to song.

A pair of vocal numbers brought out additional guest vocalists, reprising their original contributions to recordings made more than two decades ago. Australia’s Scott Matthew delivered the goods on “lithium flower” from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, while Utica’s own Steve Conte provided vocals, acoustic guitar and rock star swagger on “Could You Bite the Hand?” from Wolf’s Rain.

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By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here. 

Spring has sprung in the Big Apple, and that means one thing: a new season of sounds, colors, and spectacular performing arts to match the blossoming sakura trees throughout the city.

This month’s highlights include: 

Friday, April 4, 8:00 p.m.

Kenshi Yonezu 2025 World Tour / JUNK

Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Sixth Avenue

From $175

Kenshi Yonezu, the brains behind the theme songs of popular anime such as Chainsaw Man and the Academy Award-winning Studio Ghibli film The Boy and the Heron, makes his Radio City Music Hall debut! After gaining success with Vocaloid music under the stage name Hachi, Kenshi Yonezu began producing under his real name in 2012. In addition to music, he has attracted attention for his album cover illustrations and video productions. The video for his hit single “Lemon,” the long-running theme song for the TV series Unnatural, is the most-viewed music video in Japan, and topped Billboard Japan’s year-end charts for two consecutive years, leaving a mark on music history both in Japan and abroad. His newest single “Plazma” is the official theme song to the latest installment in the iconic Gundam franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-. Available everywhere now, the track features electrifying vocals from Yonezu alongside high-tempo synths and electronic rhythms to match the vibrant universe of the mecha and their epic space battles.

April 2-20

In the Pinku: The Return of Roman Porno

Metrograph, 7 Ludlow Street

$17

lIn 1971, facing flagging attendance thanks to competition from television and the specter of bankruptcy, the venerable studio Nikkatsu, the oldest in Japan, remembered the ancient wisdom that “Sex sells”—thus was the Roman Porno line born. Playing alongside the cheaper, independently produced so-called “pink films,” Roman Porno were often more than just salacious—though they were, of course, plenty salacious—for as long as their makers served up the obligatory naked flesh and softcore idylls, they were left free to throw in all the formal flourishes, experimental performances, radical politics, and morbid psychology they so desired. From the ’70s heyday of the Roman Porno to more recent works by Sion Sono and Akihiko Shiota, this six-film series, accompanying a run of Love Hotel, Shinji Somai’s lone venture into Roman Porno, is a trip to the exhilarating intersection of art and smut.

Monday, April 7, 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

Hiromi’s Sonicwonder: One Night Special Performance

Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 West Third Street 

Limited availability

Since Hiromi’s debut album Another Mind (2003), the world-renowned pianist’s sound has evolved with every release, erasing the lines between jazz and classical, composition and improvisation. This special intimate performance celebrates the release of Out There, Hiromi’s 13th studio full-length album. Born in Hamamatsu, Japan, Hiromi began studying piano when she was six years old. When she was 17, Chick Corea invited her to play with him at a Tokyo concert. She attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where she was mentored by jazz legend Ahmad Jamal. A prolific artist, she has also recorded the soundtrack to Blue Giant, an animated feature film based on the popular manga. Hiromi is a perennial favorite on DownBeat’s Annual Critics and Readers Poll, and has performed at the world’s finest jazz festivals, including Montreux, Umbria, North Sea, Newport, and Monterey. Her work has been celebrated by media including the New York Times, NPR and NPR Music, and the Washington Post, and she was a featured performer at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony in 2021.

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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Language Immersion Summer Camp Counselor
Posted by: Concordia Language Villages
Location: Moorhead, MN, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Magda Fuller (Ishikawa, 2015-2022) for passing along the following job opening.

Mori no Ike, the Japanese program of Concordia Language Villages, is currently hiring positions for their summer residential language immersion programs. Concordia Language Villages has been a leader in language immersion since 1961 and attracts staff and students from across the United States and abroad.

Positions are paid and include room and board. Staff are responsible for their own transportation but a free shuttle service to/from Minneapolis is available.

Qualified applicants will demonstrate a minimum Japanese language proficiency equivalent to approximately two years of university-level study and have prior work and/or volunteer experience with camps, educational settings, or other contexts with children.

International staff are also welcome to apply with J1 visa sponsorships available. Interested parties can apply at the link below or reach out to one of our deans, Jack “Tamaki” Shimizu (jshimizu@cord.edu), for more details. Additionally, CLV is hiring kitchen staff and counselors for some of the other language camps. Please see the website for details.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here –  https://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/employment (Scroll down and select “Japanese” under Language to see Japanese-specific positions.)

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Assistant Editor – Manga
Posted by: Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Location: Hybrid – NY, NJ, CT, PA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Maggie Le (Ehime, 2015-2017) for passing along the following job opening.

Penguin Random House Publisher Services is seeking an assistant editor to oversee manga titles on behalf of our client Kodansha Comics. Since it began publishing in 2009, Kodansha’s English-language manga program has been a runaway success, with hits including Sailor Moon, Attack on Titan, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, AKIRA, and A Silent Voice vaulting it into the top ranks of global English-language graphic novel publishers.

The successful candidate will have a passion for comics and Japanese culture, strong Japanese literacy, good editorial judgment, English-language writing and editing skills, and professional comportment. They will be excited for the challenge of editing manga translations in a variety of genres and age categories and eager to pitch in on other tasks.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here –  https://jobsearch.createyourowncareer.com/PRH_US/job/New-York-Assistant-Editor%2C-Manga-%28Hybrid%29-NY-10019/1183011101/

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Travel Consultant, Japan Specialist
Posted by: Inside Travel Group
Location: Broomfield, CO, USA/Remote/Hybrid
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Inside Travel Group for passing along the following job opening.

As a Travel Consultant, you will use your extensive understanding of Japan to create unforgettable cultural adventures for our clients. Exceptional time management, confidence, communication, and organisation are a must for efficiently prioritizing tasks and providing top-notch service for both new clients and ongoing bookings. High performance will be rewarded with sales and customer service-based commission, along with regular familiarisation trips to our destination countries to enhance your knowledge.

What You Will be Doing:

• Consult with customers to identify their individual holiday requirements.
• Create high-quality tailor-made itineraries based on customer requirements.
• Work to achieve individual and team sales targets.
• Co-ordinate all aspects of the customer booking to ensure successful delivery of trip.

sparrosd@gmail.com

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Food Hall Support Manager
Posted by: Quick USA
Location: Downey, CA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Carlos Medina (Oita, 2019-2022) for passing along the following job opening.

Description: A Japanese Entertainment Company is currently on the lookout for a full time, fully onsite Food Hall Support Manager to join their Downey, CA location. The Manager has a variety of responsibilities to ensure smooth operations of Food Hall/Central Kitchen and high standards in food service and Safety.

DOE and skills, the pay range for this position would be around the 74k-81k mark. This position includes great benefits such as medical insurance (100% covered by the company for both employees and family), vision & dental insurance. Also, PTO and 401k are included.

Your main responsibilities would include the following:

• Learn the recipe and recreate the menu:
  • Learn the recipes of our franchise partners and do training until you are able to recreate the recipe in the U.S. (Max 6 month）
  • Prep-cook in the Central Kitchen and design the final cooking methods at the Food Hall while maintaining the consistent reproduction of the flavor of each menu item
  • Learn the recipes from a couple restaurants and conduct training for the store employees.
  • Optimize the store by managing food safety and maintaining and improving quality and cost management
  • Manage the menu based on the recipe standards and associated Japanese brand standards
  • Create the manual on how to cook & serve the recipes based on Japan
  • Participate in developing & improving the menu

sparrosd@gmail.com

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Assistant Director of AEP
Posted by: Temple University, Japan Campus
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Temple University, Japan Campus for passing along the following job opening.

TUJ’s Academic English Program (AEP) offers both semester-long and short-term academic English programs of all ages, from elementary school students to adults. The Assistant Director will play a key leadership role in planning, executing, and continuously improving academic English programs at TUJ Kyoto. This position involves overseeing day-to-day operations, developing new programs, supporting instructors and students, and collaborating closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure program success.

The Assistant Director will manage administrative processes, support program marketing and promotion, and ensuring smooth program delivery at TUJ Kyoto. As AEP serves as student pipeline into TUJ, the Assistant Director will assist with recruit efforts and liaise with private and public stakeholders regarding potential and actual programs. Additionally, the Assistant Director may assist with admissions counseling related matters including recruitment visits, open campus events, and language testing.
The ideal candidate will have strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills, along with a passion for international education.

Primary Responsibilities
Program Management and Development

sparrosd@gmail.com

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Japanese Instructor
Posted by: Arkansas School for Math, Science, and the Arts
Location: Hot Springs, AR, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Tye Ebel (Kagawa-ken, 2007-2010) for passing along the following job opening.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts (ASMSA), a campus of the University of Arkansas System, invites applications for a full-time instructor in Japanese language and culture beginning in August 2025. This position is perfect for individuals passionate about mentorship, student engagement, and leadership development.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree required in Japanese Language, Teaching Foreign Languages, Asian Studies, or comparable subjects. Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• At least one year of full-time teaching experience. Three years or more are preferred.
• Demonstrate proficiency in working with gifted students, teaching through technology, developing interdisciplinary curricula, team planning skills, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and passion for working with students.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident with a valid driver’s license.

sparrosd@gmail.com

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Career Advisor
Posted by: Temple University, Japan Campus
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Contract: Full-Time

The Career Development Office at TUJ aims to help develop undergraduate students’ abilities to find the best career path before they graduate. The office provides career advising, seminars on job-hunting strategies, and guidance on internships, resume writing, and interviewing techniques. Each student is given comprehensive support to assist in their job hunting and career development.

The Career Advisor will support students in connecting to internship opportunities and full-time jobs after graduation. The advisor will be responsible for managing the Kyoto-based undergraduate internship program, which is one of the flagship initiatives of the university.

The person who takes this position is based in Kyoto to provide hands-on support at the new campus; however, the work will be focused on supporting all TUJ students., but the majority of the work will be supporting Tokyo students remotely.

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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Public Relations Assistant
Posted by: Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nation
Location: New York, NY, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Jaime Cerna (Okinawa, 2017-2022) for passing along the following job opening.

Public Relations Assistant : 1 person

• Public Relations Assistant will be in charge of supporting and engaging in any duties pertaining to the General Affairs Section including assisting the Minister of General Affairs Section, coordination of press relations and cultural events at the General Affairs Section, as well as other activities. Please see the attachment for detailed descriptions of expected job responsibilities. 
• Full-time local staff. Monday through Friday. 8 hrs 45 min./day (including a break of one hour)
• 3 months probation period required. 2 years thereafter with possible extension.
• Excellent writing, verbal communication and touch-typing skills in English required.

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By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here.

Stay warm this winter with some hot local events, from live showcases that will transport you to another time and place, a clutch of new anime screenings, and a live performance you won’t want to miss.

One of the great artists of the violin world, Midori returns to the 92NY stage with pianist Özgür Aydin for a recital of music at the heart of her artistry. She opens with the New York premiere of a new work by Che Buford inspired by spirituals, followed by Brahms’ beautiful Violin Sonata in G Major and Poulenc’s Violin Sonata, with its touches of Parisian character. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth, the concert closes with a pair of pieces by Ravel, including one of Midori’s signature works, the fiery Tzigane, which she performed in her recital debut over 30 years ago and continues to make her own. 

Program: CHE BUFORD Resonances of Spirit BRAHMS Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78 ———– POULENC Sonata for Violin and Piano RAVEL Kaddish (arr. L. Garban) Tzigane

Monday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.

the far side of the moon

Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street

$21, $14 Japan Society members

In the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, an aging mother and her adult hikikomori (shut-in) son struggle under the weight of isolation, time and memory. With a cataclysmic flash, the woman is in jeopardy, unable to find help in her haunted and absent son and invisible to passerby behind her property fence. Yet, in a torn and poisoned world, sometimes we do the most good by extending a hand over the fence towards what we can’t reach. Continuing our focus on female playwrights, Izumi Kasagi, whose play the far side of the moon was a prestigious Kishida Kunio Drama Award finalist, paints lives in shimmering watercolors in this moving modern meditation on old age and loneliness. Skye Kowaleski, NYC-based holistic artist and former co-director of the OBIE-award winning venue JACK, leads their local cast through this poetic work. Followed by an Artist Q&A.

March 12, 16

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack

Various theaters

Various prices

An Anime Expo Cinema Nights exclusive! Universal Century 0093. The previously missing Char Aznable has revived Neo Zeon and declared war against the Earth Federation government. The Londo Bell unit commanded by Bright Noa is forced to fight alone and unaided against the Neo Zeon forces, which have begun dropping asteroids onto the Earth. Among the Londo Bell members is Amuro Ray, Char’s longtime rival. But their valiant efforts are in vain as 5th Luna falls onto the planet. Sensing a further threat behind Char’s movements, Amuro heads for the Moon to collect the Nu Gundam, a mobile suit equipped with a psycho-frame. Waiting for him is its lead developer, Chan Agi. Meanwhile, Bright’s son Hathaway Noa meets a girl named Quess Paraya on his way into space, and is instantly attracted to her.

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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Human Resources Representative
Posted by: Quick USA
Location: Brea, CA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Carlos Medina (Oita, 2019-2022) for passing along the following job opening.

A Japanese Entertainment Company is currently looking for a Human Resources Representative to join their Brea, CA location.

This position is responsible for the administration of the Human Resources Department within the company. The duties include maintaining human resource related records, ensuring the policies and regulations are being followed, and administration/coordination of human resource related programs.

DOE and skills, this position could pay up to 54k. This position includes benefits such as medical, dental and vision 100% covered by the company and PTO as well.

Your essential duties would include the following:

• Responsible for maintaining and updating employee personnel records.
• Reviews and verifies payroll hours on time cards
• Administers new hire and termination packets for all employees.
• Facilitates new employee orientation.
• Responsible for managing employee attendance records, including PTO accruals and requests.
• Prepares and updates employee performance evaluations.

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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: MEXT Scholarship and JET Program Coordinator
Posted by: Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Magda Fuller (Ishikawa, 2015-2022) for passing along the following job opening.

The Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago is seeking a highly motivated, team-oriented individual for the position of MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Scholarship and JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Program Coordinator for the Japan Information Center (JIC).

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here – https://www.chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100803743.pdf

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: General Manager (COO Candidate)
Posted by: Koshidaka Holdings
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Jason Greene (Kariwa-mura, Kashiwazaki-shi, Niigata-ken, 2008-2010) for passing along the following job opening.\

This role will be instrumental in launching and managing Koshidaka’s U.S. operations, starting with the establishment of the first store. The role involves overseeing all aspects of store operations, leading future expansion, and spearheading key strategies for property development, staffing, and marketing.

Aligned with Koshidaka’s mission to bring joy to customers, foster happiness among employees and stakeholders, and energize communities, this role will drive the implementation of innovative practices that reflect the company’s values. This position demands a hands-on leader with a proven track record of operational excellence, customer-centric approaches, and the ability to manage through all stages of growth— from startup to scaling operations.

This role must be willing to work onsite, including evening and late-night shifts as necessary, to ensure smooth operations during the business hours of 12:00 PM to 2:00 AM. The ability to adapt and lead in a dynamic environment while maintaining alignment with Koshidaka’s commitment to enriching leisure experiences is essential.

Key Responsibilities
Phase 1: Launch and Initial Operations
• Lead the opening of the first U.S. location, including site setup, staff recruitment, training, and operational readiness. Oversee all aspects of daily store operations, including service quality, customer satisfaction, and financial performance.
• Work onsite as needed, with a willingness to work shifts that may extend to 2 AM, particularly during weekends or key business hours.
• Implement Koshidaka’s operational standards while adapting them for the U.S. market.

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