Return to Tohoku: Video by Michael Blodgett
Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Video 
Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: Video by Michael Blodgett
******************
Update 9/11/11: Michael has also shared a link to photos from his trip along with commentary.
Michael Blodgett (Miyagi-ken, Iwadeyama, Osaki-shi, 2005-07) is one of the 20 Tohoku region JET alumni selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to return to their town to both engage in volunteer efforts and also help document and share what’s going on there. Michael is originally from Chicago and currently lives in Osaka.
Thanks to Michael for getting in touch and sharing the below video he made about his visit:
JETwit will continue to post updates from other participating alums.
Click here to read other “Return to Tohoku” posts.
If you are returning to Tohoku and would like to share your updates, please feel free to e-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Event: Akari Lantern Project (London)
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Events, Fundraising, Volunteer Comments Off on Event: Akari Lantern Project (London)
Via Embassy of Japan in the UK. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London as is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
——————————————————————————————————————————–
The Akari Lantern Project has been organised by a group of people, both Japanese and non-Japanese, to raise money for the JAPAN SOCIETY TOHOKU RELIEF FUND which is helping local communities affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
As part of the Mayor of London’s Thames Festival, on the 10th &11th September, they will hold a lantern making workshop and other Japanese craft activities on the grass outside the Tate Modern.
This will culminate in a Lantern Parade as part of the Night Carnival. The lantern parade will be accompanied by Japanese drumming by the JOJI HIROTA TAIKO DRUMMERS.
People can take part by making lanterns out of recycled bottles, creating their own pin badges, origami cranes and stop-frame animation.
For more details, please click on the following link:
http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/japanuk150/events/andmore/Akari_Project2011.html
NY Miyagi-kenjinkai requests help from U.S. citizens who have lived or worked in Miyagi, Fukushima or Iwate
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Return on JET-vestment, Video, Volunteer Comments Off on NY Miyagi-kenjinkai requests help from U.S. citizens who have lived or worked in Miyagi, Fukushima or Iwate
******************
Thanks to Takahiro Ito of the Japan Local Government Center (aka CLAIR NY) for sharing this information about a request from the NY Miyagi-kenjinkai for help from U.S. citizens who have lived or worked in Miyagi, Fukushima or Iwate:
Dear Friends in the Japanese Production Industry — WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We are putting together a video to send our best wishes to people who were devastated by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th, 2011.
It’s for a branding commercial sponsored by a Japanese Semiconductor maker, scheduled to air during the JAPAN CORPORATE TEAM WOMEN’S MARATHON RELAY RACE this December.
The marathon runs through the cities in Miyagi prefecture that were most affected by the disaster.
We want to make contact with any U.S. Citizens you know who may have lived, worked, or visited FUKUSHIMA, IWATE, MIYAGI — the area recently devastated by the events of March 11th — and record their message in the NY or LA metro areas.
Ideal candidates are men and women between the ages of 20-40. It will be a chance for them to be interviewed for a TV message that will cheer on a recovering Japan, and help lift the spirits of the whole country!
If you know someone in the west coast please get in touch with office in California:
TAKA KAGUMA
tk@downtownreel.com
DOWNTOWN REEL LA
3122 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
TEL (310) 828-9200
Please fill out the below application and send it, along with a photo, to Taka or me. Interviews will be conducted this October or November.
Our client will go through the applicants and select the interviewees, each of whom will receive $1,000 for their participation.
Thanks for your help and support!
Best regards,
Miho Uchida Read More
From the Kahoku Online Network:
震災で犠牲の米国人ＡＬＴ 志文庫に託す 遺族が絵本寄贈
http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2011/09/20110907t15011.htm
東日本大震災で亡くなった宮城県石巻市の女性外国語指導助手（ＡＬＴ）テイラー・アンダーソンさん＝当時（２４）、米国出身＝の遺族が６日、アンダーソンさんが子ども時代に読んだ本を「テイラー文庫」として市内の小中学校などに寄贈した。
同市万石浦小で行われた贈呈式には、震災当日に授業を受けた６年生（当時５年生）６４人が出席。父親のアンディさん（５３）が「本を読んで、夢を持って生きてくれたら幸せです」とあいさつした。授業を受けた阿部萌香さん（１２）は「先生は優しかった。本は大切に読みたい」と話した。
寄贈されたのは、アンディさんらが新たに購入した英語の児童文学や絵本など約４０冊。東松島市の仮設住宅で暮らす地元の木工作家遠藤伸一さん（４２）が製作した本棚に収められている。
遠藤さんは子ども３人を津波で失い、長男と次女の２人が同市渡波小でアンダーソンさんの指導を受けていた。
遠藤さんは「明るく、元気なアンダーソンさんをイメージして作った。この仕事を機に、自分も前を向いて生きていこうと思った」と話した。
アンダーソンさんは２００８年に来日し、石巻市では万石浦小のほか、市内の幼稚園１カ所と小中学校計５校で英語を指導。「テイラー文庫」はこれらの幼稚園、小中学校にも寄贈される。
アンダーソンさんは震災当日、万石浦小から近くの万石浦中に児童を避難させた後、自転車で帰宅する途中に津波にのまれたとみられている。
2011年09月07日水曜日
And here’s a very rough summary in English:
“American ALT, lost in the disaster, is memorialized in a library; Family donates picture books”
The reading corner / library contains copies of books that Taylor read growing up. The dedication ceremony was held at Mangokuura Elementary, with 64 of Taylor’s former 5th grade students attending. There are 40 books in the shelves, which were built by Endo-san, a woodworker who lost his three children to the tsunami – two of whom were Taylor’s students at Watanoha Elementary School. Endo-san said that he built the shelves thinking about how bright and genki Taylor was, and that this project helped him to move forward with his own life, too. Andy Anderson told the students that he will be happy if they read books and hold on to their dreams in life.
JET Symposium to be televised on NHK September 8
Japan Trends, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on JET Symposium to be televised on NHK September 8
Posted to the JETAANY Facebook group by JET alum Ayelet Fogel (Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi):
“JET Symposium to celebrate 25 years of JET will be televised on NHK in Japan on Thursday 8th of September. Channel BS1 10pm-11pm Japan time. :) – if you can watch it please enjoy! Read about it at http://jetwit.com/wordpress/2011/08/17/jet-programme-25th-anniversary-symposium-to-be-held-by-japanese-government/“
And if you do happen to watch it, please feel free to e-mail a summary or any observations or comments about it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Slate.com series: “Can Japan Recover?”
Article/Journalism, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Japan Trends, Travel/Tourism, Writers Comments Off on Slate.com series: “Can Japan Recover?”
There’s an excellent ongoing series on Slate.com titled “Can Japan Recover?” by Daisann McLane as she travels through various areas of Tohoku. McLane is traveling and writing about Japan as a guest of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
“I’m exploring recovering Japan as a guest of the Japan National Tourism Organization. Tourism here dropped through the floor in the first three months after what’s now being called the “Triple Disaster”—earthquake, tsunami, Fukushima. The tourism board was so eager for upbeat stories they offered to send me anywhere I wanted over the course of a week. I emailed them a decidedly non-upbeat itinerary: Sendai, Fukushima, Tokyo. To my surprise, and to their credit, they said no problem. A few weeks later, in July, I was on a Shinkansenspeeding north from Tokyo to Sendai.”
To read more of McLane’s writing about Japan on her travel blog, go to www.therealtravelblog.com.
Embassy of Japan in the UK (September 2011)
Cultural Outreach, Events Comments Off on Embassy of Japan in the UK (September 2011)
Embassy of Japan in the UK Webmagazine round-up via Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London as is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
——————————————————————————————————————————–
Featured Article:
Japanese FA receive trophy at Wembley to mark 90th year
Other articles this month:
Japan Matsuri 2011
A taste of Japan in Colchester
“Approaches to facilitating effective global participation in action on climate change” A lecture by Professor Hironori Hamanaka
Films at the Embassy of Japan: Children on the Island
“KANPA+i London!” Ikebana, Sake & Food Charity Event
Beyond Words Beyond Borders: Messages to Tohoku
Akari Lantern Project – lantern carriers wanted!
UK-Japan Young Scientist Workshop in Cambridge
Tanabata Festival lifts spirits in Sendai
Reconciliation Service at Canterbury Cathedral
Spotlight On: Lorna Maud
Subscribe:
To subscribe to the Embassy of Japan in the UK webmagazine, please email webmagazine@ld.mofa.go.jp with the subject ‘subscribe’.
Ishinomaki presents Anderson family with certificate of appreciation
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Local Government, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on Ishinomaki presents Anderson family with certificate of appreciation
***************
Posted to Facebook by AJET Chair Matt Cook (Osaka), who was in attendance:
“Ishinomaki city’s mayor presents Taylor Anderson’s family with a certificate of appreciation. To say this memorial was moving doesn’t do it justice.”
Asahi Shimbun article on Andy Anderson and his family’s efforts to support Ishinomaki
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, Interview/Profile, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer Comments Off on Asahi Shimbun article on Andy Anderson and his family’s efforts to support Ishinomaki
************
Thanks to JET alum Mark Flanagan for sharing this article:
“Taking over a daughter’s dream to bridge Japan and U.S.”
By HIROSHI ITO / Correspondent
September 3, 2011
Andy Anderson never expected he would find himself trying to fill his daughter’s shoes by acting as a bridge between the United States and Japan.
But that all changed after his daughter, Taylor, perished in the massive tsunami spawned by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Anderson, 53, a realtor living in Midlothian, in the suburbs of Richmond in the U.S. state of Virginia, is determined to continue the work that his 24-year-old daughter started.
Taylor had been teaching English to a handful of elementary and junior high schools in Ishinomaki, a coastal city in Miyagi Prefecture that bore the brunt of the tsunami that devastated the Tohoku region.
She has been working as a teaching assistant since August 2008 under the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, a Japanese government initiative known as the JET program. Read More
JQ Magazine: DVD Review — ‘Live from Tokyo’ Explores Music’s Japanification
Article/Journalism, JQ Magazine, Music Comments Off on JQ Magazine: DVD Review — ‘Live from Tokyo’ Explores Music’s Japanification
"What makes this film so unique is how the visuals compliment the subject matter. The music becomes more visceral when scenes from Tokyo’s fluorescent nightlife are flashing on the screen." (Good Charamel Records)
By Sam Frank, an ALT who taught English in Hiraizumi-Cho, Iwate-ken, from 2002-04 and worked in Shirahama-cho, Wakayama-ken as a JET from 2004-06, for JQ magazine. He currently manages the New York division of UnRated magazine and works as a project manager/Web producer at Arrow Root Media.
When it comes to cultural diversity, Japan has always been a borrower. Their entire writing system, known as kanji, is made up of Chinese characters; the country’s most popular sport is baseball, America’s pastime; and South Korean television dramas get all the top ratings. Japan’s music scene is no different. In Live from Tokyo, American director Lewis Rapkin takes us on a kaleidoscopic journey through Tokyo’s bustling underground music scene. Set within the backdrop of the modern Japanese megalopolis, the film explores Tokyo’s eccentric music culture, and how a combination of global information, media-saturated urban areas, and cutting edge innovation has impacted it.
“Since the 2000s, when the Internet became widely used, the number of people listening to underground music has been growing,” explains Murata, lead singer of the band Kuruucrew, during one of the film’s many fascinating interviews. There are many facets to Japan’s underground music scene, and Rapkin captures them beautifully. Early on in the film we learn how MP3s and digital downloads have altered Japan’s musical landscape. TokyoGigGuide.com’s Craig Eaton describes how you can now “get albums online, whereas in the past you’d have to wait until it came to your country or order it, and wait for it to come in the mail.” With a simple click, you can now access Japanese underground artists such as Shugo Tokumaru, Sexy-Synthesizer, and Sajjanu.
When we’re not learning about the underground scene through band interviews, Rapkin gives us an all-access pass to the bands as they perform on stage. Juxtaposed with time lapses of Shibuya’s nightlife, first person views from train lines, and kaitenzushi conveyor belts, we hear punk rock, J-pop, heavy metal, traditional Japanese music, and various synthesizer-based experiments.
For the complete story, click here.
Job: Reporter/Research Assistant at The Yomiuri Shimbun (NY)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Reporter/Research Assistant at The Yomiuri Shimbun (NY)
Via jet alum Olivia Nilsson who will be leaving the position. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
———————————————————————————————————————————-
***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Reporter/Research Assistant at The Yomiuri Shimbun (NY)
Job Details:
The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest newspaper, is seeking a Reporter / Research Assistant to work in their New York Bureau. A strong interest in journalism is the most important requirement. Japanese experience is not required.
The Reporter / Research Assistant will assist a Japanese correspondent in preparing articles that will be distributed in Japan. Job duties include doing research, doing interviews, and making transcripts. This is NOT a writing position.
The exact news beat for this reporter has not yet been determined, so please feel free to apply especially if you have an interest / experience in the following areas: business / economic news, political news, the United Nations / world news, sports news, etc.
Salary and benefits are good for an entry-level position. Hours are 9:30am – 6:30pm, with moderate overtime hours possible / probable depending on the news beat. The office is in Midtown East, NYC.
They are looking to hire for this position ASAP.
How to Apply:
Please send a cover letter and resume to Jacob Margolies at jacob.margolies@gmail.com.
If your cover letter and resume are not received by Tuesday, September 6th, your application will probably not be considered.
Job: *Urgent* Bilingual Sales Engineer (SF)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: *Urgent* Bilingual Sales Engineer (SF)
Via JEMI inc. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
———————————————————————————————————————————-
***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Bilingual Sales Engineer (SF)
Job Details:
Other Information:
We also have a number of other job openings:
How to Apply:
If you are interested in and qualify for any of these employment opportunities, please contact us.
Yuko Sakashita 阪下裕子
JEMI, Inc.
925-254-7850 (Office)
415-203-7841 (Mobile)
www.jemi-inc.com
Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (August – September 2011)
Article/Journalism, Blogs, Cultural Outreach, Food & Drink, Notable JET Alums Comments Off on Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (August – September 2011)
The August – September 2011 issue of the Sake World e-newsletter by JET alum and the leading non-Japanese sake expert in the world, John Gauntner (a.k.a. “The Sake Guy”), is now available online.
Go to John’s Sake World website for more information as well: www.sake-world.com
“A Perspective on Helping Japan Disaster Victims” by ex-JET Jeannie McKinney
Article/Journalism, Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Japan Trends, Notable JET Alums, Writers Comments Off on “A Perspective on Helping Japan Disaster Victims” by ex-JET Jeannie McKinney
This article titled “A Perspective on Helping Japan Disaster Victims“ recently appeared on the CleanEnergy.org website, written by Jeannie McKinney (Hokkaido, 2010-11) who is currently doing an internship for the Knoxville, TN office of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE).
Link to original post: http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2011/08/30/helping-japan-disaster-victims/
Here’s an excerpt:
“Post-March 11th, the amount of willingness and enthusiasm, good will and generosity that came from abroad as well as at home, was honestly overwhelming. I was living in a small town in Hokkaido, the northernmost island and prefecture of Japan, at the time of the disaster, in an area that experienced nothing but a few tremors and shakes. But somehow, my community of 13,000 generated so many donation packages within the first few weeks after the disaster that our three little post offices had trouble handling the increased mail traffic. Instead, postal workers had to set out collection bins in their lobbies for the Japan Red Cross to come and pick up on their own.”
***********
“The problem is that there is only so much individuals can do on their own, without any direction or instruction from organized groups – especially without advice from the country’s government. Post-Katrina, the biggest complaints here in the U.S. were the slow reactions of the local and federal government to respond. Though nonprofits and volunteer groups were first on the scene, there was only so much they could do without bureaucratic support.”
“The same can be said for Japan right now, both in disaster areas as well as radiation areas.”
Return to Tohoku: WSJ article on ex-JET’s return
Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: WSJ article on ex-JET’s return
Nice article on the Wall Street Journal’s RealJapan blog titled “JET Calls in Favors in Tohoku“ about ex-JET Tanya Gardecky (Miyagi-ken, Shiogama-shi) and her return to Tohoku through the MOFA program. Follow JETwit updates on Tanya here and follow Tanya’s ongoing blog of her experience here.
Link to the article: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/09/01/jet-calls-in-favors-in-tohoku/
