JQ Magazine: Concert Review – DREAMS COME TRUE in New York City
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(Courtesy Chimera R. Productions)
By David A. in Virginia, special to JQ magazine.
Japanese mega-band DREAMS COME TRUE (ドリームズ・カム・トゥルー a.k.a. ドリカム) made a very rare U.S. appearance at the Highline Ballroom in New York City on October 9, the first of two shows that sold out within days of their announcement in July. Many thanks to fanpage DCT Joy for notifying its members of this wonderful event. For those of us not in New York, Los Angeles, or Seattle, we otherwise might not have known about it.
At dusk, around 6:30, the line already was down the block for admission to the inconspicuous Highline Ballroom in Chelsea. On this unseasonably warm October Sunday evening, the anticipation was palpable, the “DCT Joy” bringing alive the night. One walks upstairs to the ballroom, spare and easy to navigate. The management asks those seated on the floor of the “pit” to stand so that the crowd can fill the room.
First of all, a big shout-out to Justin Tedaldi (Kobe-Shi CIR, 2001-02) at JQ magazine. This reviewer cannot thank you enough. Also, thanks to Reiko from the DCT organization for her kind words.
Prior to the show, the house PA played a recording of some of DCT’s most well-known melodies, such as “Ano Natsu no Hanabi” and “Ureshii! Tanoshii! Daisuki!”, performed on soft bells.
Promptly at 8:00, introductions were made first by a woman in Japanese, to great enthusiasm from the audience; then a man said, “New York City! Are you ready for DREAMS COME TRUE?!” “A theme of the WONDERLAND” played as the fifteen-piece band-and-dance ensemble walked on stage, followed by Masato Nakamura (中村 正人). Although the Highline Ballroom has a standing capacity of 700, with a few dozen dinner tables on the balcony, the roar from the crowd was as if they were in an arena. With the theme concluded, Miwa Yoshida (吉田 美和) arrived, with her hair tied back and wearing a loose-fitting, light pink outfit; and, with her familiar exclamation “DREAMS COME TRUE in WONDERLAND….!!!”, the band launched into a heavy version of “Nando Demo,” as the crowd danced, waved, and cheered, encouraged by Miwa in all of her boundless energy.
MOFA coverage of JETAA International Conference in Tokyo
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http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/annai/honsho/fuku/yamane/jetaa1110.html
JETAA（元JET参加者の会）国際委員会の山根副大臣表敬（概要）
山根副大臣は10月21日，JETAA（元JET参加者の会）国際委員会に参加するために訪日中の国際委員会メンバーの表敬を受けました。その概要は以下の通りです。
1. 山根隆治外務副大臣は10月21日，ジェームス・ギャノンJETAA国際委員会顧問,シュリー＝クレカーJETAA国際委員会執行委員長及び他15名のJETAA（元JET参加者の会）国際委員会の表敬を受けました。
2. 山根副大臣は，委員会メンバーの訪日を歓迎するとともに，JETAAが震災後，世界各地で活発な草の根復興支援活動を展開していることに深い感謝の意を伝えました。また復興への決意を表明するとともに、委員会のメンバーが日本の現状に関して草の根レベルで情報発信することに期待していると述べました。
3. JETAAよりは、これまでのJETプログラムやJETAAに対する日本政府の支援に対し感謝が表明され、引き続き復興支援に協力したいとの決意が伝えられました。
（参考）JETAA（元JET参加者の会）
（1） JET参加者が帰国後に各国・地域で自発的に発足させた同窓会組織（平成元年設立）。日本と母国との友好関係促進のために草の根レベルで様々な活動を実施。東日本大震災後も世界各地で草の根レベルの支援活動の中心的役割を果たす。2011年7月現在，全世界に計51支部あり会員数は約2万3千人。
（2） 国際委員会は，国境を越えたJETAA支部間の横のネットワーク構築を目的に毎年1回開催（2009年はキングストン，2010年はエジンバラで開催）。
（3） 今年はJET創設25周年及び東日本大震災を受けて，10月21日～22日に東京で開催。同会議においては，「日本の復興への貢献：具体例の紹介」「JETプログラムの改善」等について議論。参加者は米国，豪州，NZ，伯，仏，ジャマイカ，英，加，アイルランド，南ア10か国のJETAA各国代表及びJETAA国際委員会の役員等16名。
（4） 10月23日には，現役JET参加者であったモンゴメリー・ディクソン氏が犠牲となった陸前高田市にて，戸羽同市市長を表敬訪問するとともに，ボランティア活動を実施した。また，後日，陸前高田市の教育支援プロジェクトを対象に，全米JETAAが，米国各地での支援活動を通じて集めた「米国JET同窓会震災復興支援基金（米国JETAA基金）」約76，000米ドル（約580万円）の寄付も行う予定。
JETAA Tokyo collaborates with Tokyo de Volunteer for trip to Miyagi
Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, JETAA Chapters, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer Comments Off on JETAA Tokyo collaborates with Tokyo de Volunteer for trip to Miyagi
Via JETAA Tokyo:
JETAA Tokyo is pleased to support Tokyo de Volunteer in their “Beauty de Volunteer” volunteer activities. This time, Tokyo de Volunteer is organizing a volunteer trip to Tohoku region to participate continuing relief and recovery effort. Participants will be providing free beauty services (such as haircuts, make-up, etc.) in order to boast morale in Higashimatsushima. If you do not have any beauty or special skills, there will no doubt be other ways to contribute at the volunteer center. Simply visiting the region is meaningful gesture to support their still difficult daily life.
As these trips have received corporate sponsorship, free bus transportation to/from Tokyo will be provided. If you would like to stay longer in Tohoku to travel, you can do so, or join Tokyo de Volunteer at the volunteer site and come back on the bus with the group. You may as well, simply stop by and join the group for a day of volunteering. If you are interested in participating in this activity, please contact tokyo.de.volunteer@gmail.com directly with the date you would like to participate.They will reply with a confirmation with details application and information.
1) Higashimatsushima Trip
Departs: Friday, October 21, 23:30 from in front of the Marunouchi Building at Tokyo Station
Volunteer: Saturday, October 22
Return: Tokyo, October 22, 21:00
For more information about Tokyo de Volunteer and available volunteer opportunities, please click here: http://tkdv.blogspot.com/
JETwit Career Update is a new feature where JETwit will list any JET alums who have recently (loosely interpreted) found a new job, gotten a promotion, started a new business, started a new grad program or have any other career developments to share. You probably see lots of job listings, so I thought it would also be interested to know who’s finding work and what kind of work people are finding.
Let us know about yourself or others by sending an e-mail to jetwit [at] jetwit.com. (Make sure to include prefecture and years on JET. And of course mention if you found your job via JETwit or JETAA listings or connections.)
- *Greg Beck (CIR Hiroshima-ken, 2006-11) – “Thanks in large part to JETwit’s jobs section, I am now living in NYC and working for TBS as an associate producer! “
- Darrell Allen (Monbusho English Fellow, Saitama-ken, 1984-85) – ” This past August, I moved from Seattle to Durango, Colorado to accept a position as Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Fort Lewis College. Currently, I am teaching two sections of East Asian Civilizations I, and a class entitled “From Anime to Rampaging Monsters: An Introduction to Japanese Pop Culture.” Next semester I will do two sections of East Asian Civilizations II, and one of Modern Japanese History.”
- *Karl Rahenkamp (Fukui-ken, 2003-08) – “In mid-September I started (finally, after 2 years of near unemployment) working as a dormitory supervisor at 慶應義塾ニューヨーク学院 (Keio Academy New York).”
- *Justin Maki (Osaka-fu, 2002-06) – “I got a job through JETWit — the Assistant Sports Correspondent position at Kyodo News Agency, forwarded back in August by JET alum Scott Dixon. I was still living in Denver at the time of the job posting, but decided to submit a cover letter and resume because my University of Colorado job was coming to an end. Kyodo News did a phone interview with me in early September, invited me toNew York for an in-person interview, and notified me a few weeks ago that I got the job! It’s a job that seems like a perfect fit for a JET alum– now there are three of us in the same office.”
- Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) – Started grad program at Columbia’s School of International & Public Affairs
- Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, Kariya-shi, 1992-94) – Grant writer for the Jewish Outreach Institute (www.joi.org)
Miyagi JET alum sets up travel concierge service based in Georgia
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In the interesting-things-JETs-do-after-JET department, Aiyana Appling (Miyagi-ken, 2007-10) who lives in Atlanta, GA and has started a travel concierge service company called Gardner-Mathews Travel Concierge, LLC which specializes in world festivals and custom packages.
In addition to having lived in Japan, Aiyana speaks 5 languages and has traveled to 23 countries. She also does horseback riding, loves cooking and making kokeshi dolls and is proud that she learned how to snowboard in Japan.
Here’s contact info below for anyone who wants to get in touch with Aiyana:
Aiyana, Festival Concierge
Gardner-Mathews Travel Concierge
Showing you the World—One Festival at a Time.
www.gardner-mathews.com
aiyana [at] gardner-mathews.com
アイヤナ・アプリング
ガードナー・マシューズ・トラベル・コンシェルジェ
JET Alumni cited in U.S. Deputy Secretary of State’s Speech at Todai
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Thanks a bunch to JETAA Music City Treasurer Jennifer Butler (who also works at the Consulate in Nashville) for passing this along:
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns recently gave a speech at Tokyo University titled, “The Enduring Value of the U.S.-Japan Alliance“ in which he cited the value and contributions of the JET alumni and the JET Programme.
Here are the key excerpts:
“More than 35,000 people have now taken part in exchange programs sponsored by our governments — programs like the Fulbright Scholarship, the Mansfield Fellowship, and the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, or JET. Exchanges between our government officials also play a key role in fostering mutual understanding. ”
“We are reaching out to ensure that younger Japanese business leaders understand the value of employees who know both of our cultures. We are calling on our own American JET alumni network to convince more students to study in America.”
Note: I know what you U.S. JET alumni are thinking. You have not yet received your call from the State Department personally asking you to get out there and convince more Japanese students to study in the U.S. All I can say is hang tight. And in the meanwhile, I guess we’re all now aware of one Return on JET-vestment thing we can do to help with the future existence of JET.
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Here’s the full text of the speech:
Remarks
Deputy Secretary
Thank you for the generous introduction, Professor Kitaoka and your warm welcome. It is truly an honor to be here today at Tokyo University. Read More
Miyagi JET alums organize Hong Kong fundraiser
Article/Journalism, Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Events, Fundraising, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer Comments Off on Miyagi JET alums organize Hong Kong fundraiser
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Thanks to Osaka JET Cailin Arena for letting us know about this:
From Miyagi JET alum Monique Moloney: “Here is the press release (and photos) for the fundraiser in Hong Kong on April 16. It was a great way to connect with the Japanese community in Hong Kong and to put our energy towards a positive outcome for Miyagi.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Former Miyagi Residents Raise Funds Through Hong Kong Event
Hong Kong – 25th April, 2011
Two former residents of Miyagi Prefecture have pooled the creative expertise of five photographers in a silent photographic auction in Hong Kong to raise money for the March 11 earthquake and tsunami relief efforts.
The event entitled “Kampai for Sendai” was held on Saturday, April 16 at Shore Restaurant and Bar and was attended by approximately 180 people. The silent auction of distinctly Japanese photographs including 13 original mounts and three canvassed photographs, was the main focus of the evening. Additional funds were raised through the live auction of Simone Legno autographed Tokidoki merchandise and the sale of raffle tickets.
The total amount raised from the event was HK$30697 (US$3950). 100% of these funds were be donated to Peace Winds Japan andShine Humanity, two non-government organisations that have been highly visible in Miyagi Prefecture and are committed to using all designated funds for the Japan relief effort.
The event organizers, Monique Moloney and Matt Jones, both Australian nationals living in Hong Kong, were Assistant Language Teachers on the JET Programme in Miyagi Prefecture between 2003-2006. Having maintained strong connections with their former home, they were deeply affected by the devastation and suffering in communities where they’d often visited and fondly remembered. Their reaction was to organise an event that could raise awareness and funds in a meaningful way.
Through online groups, Monique found photographers who were willing to contribute their work to the cause. She also connected with other former JET participants who were living in Hong Kong. These people helped promote the event and attended to show their support.
“We may have moved on but we haven’t forgotten our friends in Miyagi Prefecture. It was our turn to give back for the kindness and good will we were shown during our time there.”
For more information, please contact Monique Moloney at mnqmlny@gmail.com or phone +852 90300243
Job: Japanese Associate (MD)
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Via JET alum Laura Symborski (Osaka 2010-2011). Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Japanese Associate
Job Details:
Company: Pacific Bridge Medical
Location: Bethesda, MD 20814
Job Type: Full-time
Career Level: Entry to Mid Level
PBM (www.pacificbridgemedical.com) is a leading Asia medical consulting firm dedicated to assisting international medical companies succeed in Asia. PBM is looking for a full-time college graduate to help with our medical projects in Japan.
Responsibilities:
Requirements:
Associate will work in a fast paced environment with abundant room to grow and perform. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.
How to apply:
Please send your resume and a detailed cover letter explaining what skills you can bring to our company and an explanation of your interest in this position, to Shawna Lepage (slepage@pacificbridge.com). Resumes received without cover letters referencing this specific position will not be considered. No phone calls please.
2011 Tokyo Truck Show
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Posted by Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91), coauthor of The Sushi Lover’s Cookbook and Tokyo Chic and contributor to Time Out Tokyo and Time Out Shortlist Tokyo. He blogs as “Tokyo Tom Baker.”
The three-day 2011 Tokyo Truck Show is currently under way (Oct 27-29), and I went to the first day of it to cover it for my blog. In addition to dozens of trucks, there were also all sorts of truck-related merchandise. The more unusual items included a gigantic ink jet printer that you can drive your truck into to have some quick artwork applied, and an air-conditioned sleeping bag for hot summer nights in the back of the cab.
You can find more details, photos and a couple of videos at this link.
JET alum collaborates on documentary about photographers of Tohoku Disaster
Earthquake Tsunami, Film, Notable JET Alums, Photography, Return on JET-vestment, Video Comments Off on JET alum collaborates on documentary about photographers of Tohoku Disaster
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Here’s a unique and compelling short documentary–an academic non-profit venture–by JET alum Janak Bhimani (who has been studying at the Keio Graduate School of Media Design after hosting an online Japanese TV show in New York a few years ago) made with some of his Keio classmates. The film is about Tohoku post 3.11 from the point of view of the people who took photographs and was shown at a special session of the 2011 Tokyo International Film Festival. It was originally shown in 4K (which was part of Janak’s research).
Here’s the link: http://vimeo.com/31093347
lenses + landscapes from KMD 4KNarrative on Vimeo.
Janak says feel free to share with others as they’d like to get it shown in more places in Japan and elsewhere.
LAST CHANCE – “Fall Flowers of Japan” @ NY Botanical Garden until 10/30/2011
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Carolyn Brooks (Ishikawa-ken, Kanazawa, 2006-11) is co-author of the blog MadSilence–a cross-cultural blog written with her father–and a current culture/education related job-seeker in the NY area available for full-time or consulting work.
Feeling a bit homesick for the full moon, momiji and manju that are signs of fall in Japan? Despair not, for 4 days remain of the wonderful “Fall Flowers of Japan” display at the New York Botanical Garden. It will continue until Sunday, October 30th, 10AM to 6PM, and costs (a completely worthwhile) $20 to see. The main focus of the display is kiku, chrysanthemums. They have dozens of varieties to see, including traditional shapes and colors from Japan trained into waterfalls or bridges, and new strains bred in American which look like bird’s nests and exploding stars.
These mums were bigger than a grapefruit, and were so glossy and translucent that they should be made of spun sugar!
I’ll Make It Myself – Travel Checklist: Local Foods in Hida-Takayama, Part 1
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L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and translator for The Art of Japan: Kanazawa and Discover Kanazawa, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan.
Travel Checklist: Local Foods in Hida-Takayama, Part 1
In September, a friend and I traveled to Takayama, about 3 hours from Kanazawa. Located in Gifu near the border of Nagano, the old towns of Hida (飛騨） and Takayama (高山）are a food tourist’s paradise. Since the town is quite small, most of these foods can be found in stands or restaurants near Takayama Station and nearby morning markets.
Hôba Yaki Miso （朴葉味噌）
CLICK HERE to read the full post.
Sushi and Sake Magazine seeks JET writing
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Via JET alum Audrey Shiomi (CIR Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi, 1999-2001):
“Are you a former/current JET with a story to tell a greater audience? Here’s your opportunity! Sushi & Sake is a monthly publication which circulates throughout Southern California. Space in the magazine is reserved each month for an article written by a JET (past or present) about his/her experiences in Japan.
The article should be 450-500 words on any topic you choose. Ideally, it’s best to focus on a particular topic as opposed to doing one big summary of your life in Japan. If you’re interested, email Audrey at pirikara [at] gmail.com Thanks!”
New LinkedIn group for JET Alum International Education and Exchange Careers
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JET alum Carolyn Brooks has set up a new Linkedin group for JETs, alums and Friends of JET working in or interested in the field of international education and exchange (a popular career path for many JET alumni).
Here’s the link to join: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?homeNewMember=&gid=4145299&trk=&ut=1tt3q-WQ4vCkY1
Also here’s a link to the full list of JET Alum professional and prefecture LinkedIn groups out there. And a reminder that if you don’t see one that fits, start your own and we’ll post it here on JETwit.
WIT Life #184: NYT mag Haruki Murakami profile and yaeba
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WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
This weekend’s NYT featured two interesting Japan articles in the magazine and Sunday Styles section. The former features the country’s living cultural treasure novelist Haruki Murakami, whom the article’s author spends time with in Tokyo to dissect his newest book 1Q84 as well as his older works.
The latter article discusses the popularity of 八重歯 (yaeba), or double teeth that look that fangs (aka “snaggleteeth”). Apparently this fashion calls not for perfect smiles, but unstraight teeth. Women are asking dentists to affix plastic fronts to their real teeth to create artificial yaeba, as shown here in the picture.
Upon asking two young Japanese women who were visiting the city about yaeba, they said it was the first they had heard of it. I’ll see what further informal surveys reveal about whether this is a real trend, or just something being sensationalized by the media.
