Oct 8

WIT Life #182: Japan Connections where you Least Expect them

Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #182: Japan Connections where you Least Expect them

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WITLife 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.

My latest International Visitor Leadership Program travels bring me to Riverside, California for the first time, host of the recent Sister Cities International conference highlighted here in JetWit.  My group and I are staying in the lovely Mission Inn (referenced in the Sister City write-up), a national historical landmark established in 1876.  Today we took part in a tour of the facility, and I was surprised to find out about its Japan connection!

Founder Frank Miller wanted to create a resort hotel for Riverside, which by the 1890s was Read More


Oct 7

Return on JET-vestment: AJET Chair Matthew Cook on the recent 25th Anniversary JET Programme Symposium

AJET, Article/Journalism, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on Return on JET-vestment: AJET Chair Matthew Cook on the recent 25th Anniversary JET Programme Symposium

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Originally posted to the AJET website by National AJET Chair Matthew Cook (Osaka) who was an attendee of the 25th Anniversary JETProgramme Symposium, where, notably, JET alum Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA), was invited to speak about the JET Programme and the JET Alumni Association.

It’s been a significant month in the world of the JET Programme.

On September 8th, the ministries hosted a commemorative symposium at the University of Tokyo to discuss 25 years of the JET Programme; what it has accomplished, and what challenges it faces today. The symposium featured many notable
speakers, such as United States ambassador to Japan, John Roos, and Ms. Yoko Kimura, the Chair of the Board of Directors of CLAIR.

On behalf of AJET, myself and AJET council members Mark Noizumi (treasurer) and Amelia Hagen (Block 10 rep) attended. After brief opening statements by the ministry heads, many speakers were given the chance to spotlight JETs’ achievements, and voice issues pertinent to the program.

One issue, for Japan as a country, that repeatedly came up was the fact that the number of Japanese students who study abroad or attend universities in foreign countries has been on a steady decline for years. This is particularly troubling in light of Japan’s efforts to globalize as more and more businesses are enforcing English as a required standard.

A highlighted concern for the JET Programme itself was the increasing number of Boards of Education who hire ALTs privately, or through recruiting companies other than JET. One of the many challenges the programme faces is how to best promote the value of what we do, and the return on investment that we can provide to the communities we serve.

As the Chair of AJET, I am fortunate enough to work with many people who have done amazing things with their time on JET. As such, I am aware of the many benefits of the JET programme that are sometimes overlooked. However, this made me question…. is everyone else?

How do we as JETs promote the value of what we do and the return on investment that we provide to the communities we serve?

For example, did you know that over 20 of the employees at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo are former JETs? Did you know that after the March 11th disasters, current JETs raised an estimated ¥140,000,000 yen towards the relief efforts? These are only two examples of ways that JETs have given back to Japan. The benefits of JET are vast, and the elimination of the program would have far reaching consequences.

Toward the end of the day, the governor of Kyoto made an interesting point that stuck in my mind. He said that he believes the competition of privately hired JETs and the decrease of requests for JETs is actually a good thing! He reasoned that this competition would serve as a stimulus for positive change in our programme to become better and to show more quality than it ever has in the past.

That’s when I realized…. We ARE the positive change in the system now. As we speak, AJET has been working on more ways to provide resources to make JETs better teachers. Ways to learn Japanese more fluently. Opportunities to develop ourselves professionally in the field of education.

Not only that, but we’re finding better ways to connect to each other online and in person via social media and larger scale, better planned volunteer efforts! We’re finding better ways to let JETs VOICE their opinions and concerns to the not only the ministries, but to the people we interact with in our communities and workplaces everyday!

So, do we need to wait for the ministries to “save JET”? Should we wait for JET Alumni to prove that the Programme is a world-renowned program, that should be held in the highest regard so that we have luck with future employers?

No.

We need look no farther than to ourselves for this. We ARE the future of JET. Current JETs lay the ground-work for our successors who come next to fill our shoes.

I feel honored to have attended a symposium of so many people who have made amazing contributions to the JET Programme, and who all have a stake in its survival. I think we should take this symposium as a reminder that now

is the time for us to make more of this experience. The time is now for us to work together to be something MORE. I personally can’t wait to get started making that happen. I hope you’ll join us.

Matthew Cook
National AJET Chair

Symposium Speakers
Jim Gannon
Former JET and Executive
Director of the U.S.
based Japan Center for
International Exchange.

Keiji Yamada
Governor of Kyoto
Prefecture, President of
the National Governors
Association

Masao Niisato
Professor at Tokyo
International University

Angus Lockyer
Chair of Japan’s Research
Centre, University of
London

Jin Ah Kim
Director of International
Cooperation Department,
Governors Association of
Korea

Yoko Kimura
The Chair of the Board of
Directors, CLAIR

Akira Nakamura
Emeritus Professor


Oct 6

Toyama Prefecture project to increase Return on JET-vestment

Cultural Outreach, Japan Local, Local Government, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Add Comment (1)

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With increased potential for budget cuts to the JET Programme and to JETAA and additional prefectures opting to use private ALTs rather than JETs, it’s good to see an example of a prefecture making effective use of JETs to provide significant Return on JET-vestment.

Toyama Prefecture has for the past two years been using its CIRs & ALTs to promote tourism  through their Twitter and FB accounts or other means.  More explanation is available in Japanese at: http://www.pref.toyama.jp/cms_press/2011/20110915/00007707.pdf

This year, according to this notice, they were planning to take their six ALTs (4 Americans) and two CIRs (both Americans) around to the big tourist attractions and then have them put out word-of-mouth to promote them, through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, or actual word-of-mouth after they go home.

There’s no reason other prefectures can’t adopt similar programs with their JETs and CIRs and why JETs and JET alums themselves can’t initiate this kind of activity.

While it’s relatively easy for local governments to find native English speakers to teach in their schools, it’s much harder to bring in teachers who will feel a connection to the community that lasts a lifetime and continues to provide tangible and intangible benefits over the long term.  And that is the power of the JET Programme.


Oct 6

JETs represent at Sister Cities International Conference in Riverside, CA

Cultural Outreach, Events, JETAA Chapters, Local Government, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment Add Comment (1)

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Thanks to Matt Gillam, Senior Researcher at CLAIR-NY (aka Japan Local Government Center), who attended the recent Sister Cities International Conference in Riverside, CA, for writing up a little something about the conference and noting how JETs were present in several ways.

A little context:  Back in July, several JET alum reps including Mike Shu, Jessyca Wilcox and myself along with Matt met up with Sister Cities International when we were in D.C. for the JETAA USA National Conference to talk about potential collaboration.  The topic was subsequently discussed with JETAA chapter reps in a session at the JETAA USA National Conference.

“I just got back from the Sister Cities Pan-Pacific conference in Riverside, where we had a chance to gauge interest in the idea of making alumni available to cities to help out with their sister city relationships.  The reaction I got was that there is definitely interest, and not just limited to sister cities matters.  There seems to be quite a need for help with other visitors from Japan as well, where cities lack people with knowledge of not just language, but also cultural and social norms.

Mark Juloya and Russell Iriye, from JETAA Southern California, came for the conference and Russell participated in a session on “Best Practices in Youth Programming”, where he talked about JET & JETAA.  In the Q&A after his presentation, I had a chance to mention the alumni as an available resource for cities and a couple of people were quite interested.  Overall, as I said, the response was positive, and Mark and Russell were also great exemplars of the kind of talent JETAA has to offer.

On Sunday, Sendai City put on a display at the most popular spot in town (the Mission Inn) to talk about how the city is recovering and to thank Riverside for all its support ($584,000 in donations, plus the area dispatched USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) teams etc. to the region immediately following the disasters).  Audrey Shiomi, a former CIR in Sendai City, also came out to help for the day.  Audrey is one of those former JETs who have taken advantage of the program to revisit their former communities in Tohoku, and another great example of how valuable alumni can be to their former employers.

And one more person to mention is  Renay Loper, who’s with the Japan Foundation’s Center for Global Partnership now.  She was there with a Japanese colleague to attend the conference, since CGP was helping to fund it.

JETs are everywhere.”

Matt Gillam
JLGC, New York

 


Oct 6

New New Jersey JETAA Subchapter

JETAA Chapters Comments Off on New New Jersey JETAA Subchapter

Via JETAA NY:

JETAA NY is excited to kickstart a new subchapter on the other side of the river – in New Jersey!

Those interested can join the Facebook group and read about our NJ Subchapter Representative, Rachelle de Leon, at http://jetaany.org/about/contacts/ (scroll to the bottom).

Rachelle can be contacted via the Facebook group and/or email at njrep [at] jetaany.org.


Oct 6

Return on JET-vestment: JETAA NY joins Kyushu Battenkai for Fall Gathering

Cultural Outreach, Events, Japan Local, JETAA Chapters, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on Return on JET-vestment: JETAA NY joins Kyushu Battenkai for Fall Gathering

Via JETAA New York.  A great example of JETAA providing Return on JET-vestment at the local government level:

Terrific Turnout for Kyushu Battenkai’s Fall Gathering

“With over 60 people in attendance from both JETAANY and the Kyushu BattenKai, we enjoyed another successful joint event with the Kyushu expat organization (see the picture from the end of the evening above). We look forward to working with them again.”


Oct 5

Return to Tohoku: “Don’t Speak, Just Move On” by Audrey Shiomi

Article/Journalism, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: “Don’t Speak, Just Move On” by Audrey Shiomi

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The following is a personal essay by Audrey Shiomi (CIR Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi, 1999-2001). Through generous sponsorship by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she spent a week in September visiting her former residence in Sendai City, one of the areas affected by the March 11 earthquake. In lieu of volunteering in disaster-stricken regions, she spent each day meeting with friends and former coworkers to listen to their stories.

Click here to read other Return To Tohoku updates on JETwit.  You can also check the JETAA USA website post (“JET Alums Return to Tohoku”) for additional information. 

Don’t Speak, Just Move On

By Audrey Shiomi (CIR Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi, 1999-2001)

I couldn’t believe how normal it all felt to spend each day hanging out with old friends in Sendai. They hardly talked about what had happened six months ago, and if they did, they were calm, reflective and grateful. They didn’t suffer the way they did in the north, along the Pacific coast.

Within city limits, homes were damaged and people were left without running water, electricity and heat soon after the earthquake. It was late winter, and they had no clue when things they’d taken for granted—warmth, hot food and information—would be readily available. The minute it looked like a market was about to re-open, people formed long lines out the door.  Luckily, by Day 5, water and electricity had been restored.

Now, six months later, my friends are with me, laughing, drinking and eating like there’s no tomorrow. We were doing everything but dwelling on March 11 and for good reasons. For one, it was simply time to more forward. For another, talking about your own situation made it seem like you were complaining about it, and—as my friend explained—the only people who are socially allowed to lament are those whose loved ones died in the tsunami.

Another reason few people talk about the events of March is that if someone were to mention they temporarily fled the prefecture after the nuclear reactor meltdown, they’d face the silent scorn of their peers. For some, leaving town was a logical safety measure. For others, leaving town was the moral equivalent of abandoning your family.  It’s these opposing schools of thought that make it difficult to openly talk to one another. “It’s like in the U.S. where people don’t bring up religion,” said one Japanese friend. “People don’t talk about certain parts of their experiences after the disaster.”

So instead of dwelling in the past, my friends have no option but to move forward. For many of them, March 11 instilled a newfound reason for living. Many have taken up new hobbies and started traveling more. My friend, Nanae, has been making a living by holding private cooking classes at her home. March 11 fueled her to hold more classes. The way she sees it, she’s lucky to be alive, so not living life would be like besmirching the memory of all those who’d died.

I’m glad my friends have emerged from this tragedy with their heads held high. It would have been a sad reunion if they’d greeted me with distressed tears. If they’d told me, “Take me back to the U.S. with you!” I would have stowed them all away in my suitcase. But, no, instead we’re able to share a drink, enjoy great izakaya food and laugh about old times.

That’s the Japan I know.


Oct 5

JET Alum Author Beat 10.05.11

Article/Journalism, Books, Cartoon/Illustration, JET Alum Author Beat, JQ Magazine, Notable JET Alums, Writers , , , , Comments Off on JET Alum Author Beat 10.05.11

 

JET Alum Author Beat is a new feature by Ling Tran (Saga-ken, 2009-11) intended to keep readers informed of what various JET alum authors are up to.  Contact Ling at jetwit [at] jetwit.com if you’d like to see something included in upcoming posts. She is also interested in providing exposure for aspiring authors/writers among alumni and current JETs – excerpts and updates are all welcome. 

  • Sam Baldwin Ono (Fukui-ken, 2004-06) hails from the UK and made a life altering decision when he decided to move to Fukui-ken through the JET Program. The quiet facade of inaka Japan gradually revealed its colorful nature, eventually leading Sam to share stories and insights in For Fukui’s Sake: Two years in rural Japan. Whether for reference (newbie JETs, holla!), nostaliga, or reflection – ESID aside – this book is available electronically. If you want to be notified of its hard copy release, click here. Visit the website For Fukui’s Sake  for details. (Fukui t-shirts are also available for purchase.)
  • Cartoonist Lars Martinson (Fukuoka-ken, 2003-06) has been busily settling into his new home and  schedule in Kameoka, Kyoto. He managed to fit in a brief post after a short hiatus. Eager followers can see how he is doing here – more substantial updates to come!


 

 


Oct 4

Les Pumps: Japan-inspired Shoe Art

Art, Art & Design Observer Comments Off on Les Pumps: Japan-inspired Shoe Art

by Lee-Sean Huang (ALT, Oita-ken, 2003-06). Lee-Sean is an artist, designer and educator based in New York City. He is the webmaster of JetWit and JETAANY. His new Art & Design Observer series features profiles art, design, and culture with a Japanese flavor.

Les Pumps is a collection of handmade art by the Barcelona-based Brazilian artist Caio de Paula Marques that uses vintage women’s shoes as 3D canvases.  Caio decorates the shoes with hand-painted details and applies old manga art as a collage. The first Les Pumps collection is called “Sakura Vintage,” and Caio cites Japan as a major influence for his creative work.  Are there any JET visual artists out there whose work has been influenced by Japan?  Let us know in the comments, and we can feature your work here on JetWit.

According to the artist:

Les Pumps was born out of the need of creating an artistic project, in a more old fashion way, that involved manual crafts and to have a little break from using mainly digital tools as I have done as a graphic designer in the past years.

So in the search for interesting structures, aiming to work in a three dimensional way, and being a shoe lover myself, such fetishistic object of the feminine world seemed the perfect canvas for my art work.

Many hours have been put into each pair, from the investigation and purchase of the shoes, through which I´ve learned a great deal (now I can tell the difference between a pair of pumps from a pair of stilettos) and the many steps of execution till the final piece is ready, an average of 15 hours is needed.

For my first collection, the main motif has been SAKURA (meaning cherry blossom) so full of symbolism in Japan, reflecting the great interest I’ve always had towards this country and its culture ever since I can remember.

Perhaps the most innovating about this collection has been the use of COLLAGE, technique that allows the creations of different contexts and in this case, also recycles other artist’s works, which also relates to the concept of Vintage. Once more, the Nipponic culture is present as the paper I use is actually from 80’s manga.

VINTAGE SHOES have been my choice, as they convey history and strengthen the artistic value and the concept of uniqueness.


Oct 4

JETAA Music City to host it’s first Nihongo Dake Dinner!

Cultural Outreach, Events, Food & Drink, JETAA Chapters, Language Study, Networking, Translating/Interpreting Comments Off on JETAA Music City to host it’s first Nihongo Dake Dinner!

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Thanks to JETAA Music City President (and Arkansas Cherry Blossom Princess) Terry Vo (Kumamoto-ken, 2007-09) for the heads up:

Join us for a Japanese-Style Potluck on October 4, 2011. Come mingle, eat, drink, and be merry! This event is open to our Friends of JET Alum as well so please feel free to invite your family and friends! Please bring either your favorite Dish, Dessert or Beverage!

RSVP DEADLINE: September 30 to Leah atvp@jetaamc.org

Location: 1812 Cahal Avenue, Nashville TN 37206″


Oct 4

Job searching advice from JETAA Tokyo

Career, JETAA Chapters, Jobs Comments Off on Job searching advice from JETAA Tokyo

Via JETAA Tokyo’s Career Digest:


Oct 4

Return to Tohoku Update 10.04.11

Article/Journalism, Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku Update 10.04.11

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Here are updates from a few more 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.

 

Click here to read other Return To Tohoku updates on JETwit.  You can also check the JETAA USA website post (“JET Alums Return to Tohoku”) for additional information. 


Oct 3

JQ Magazine: Japan Society Launches Beer Revolution

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Green Tea IPA, one of over 20 beers ready for tasting at Japan Society's Beer Revolution event Oct. 5. (Courtesy Baird Brewery)

By Vlad Baranenko (Saitama-ken, 2000-02) for JQ magazine. Vlad is an avid photographer.

With an exploding market for craft beer here in the U.S., Japan’s contribution to the industry, known domestically as ji bīru (地ビール), has seen tremendous growth over the past 17 years.

On Oct. 5, beer buffs and those who simply enjoy an occasional cold pint alike will get an opportunity to sample from at least 20 kinds of beer at New York’s Japan Society‘s “Japan’s Beer Revolution: The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of Japanese Craft Brewing.”

While previously held back by government regulation, Japan’s microbreweries took off in 1994, and have since been experimenting with a variety of traditional ingredients such as ginger and oysters to create rich and complex flavors to replace the standard lagers in order to satisfy local taste palettes. Since many of the beers are produced in age old sake breweries, the Japanese had no trouble adapting Western methods to manufacture a product whose quality would no doubt impress even the pickiest connoisseurs of Belgian brew.

Read More


Oct 3

JQ Magazine: JQ&A with Author/JET Alum James Kennedy on the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival

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"As for how being on JET has influenced my writing—definitely, a lot of the fantastical world in my book 'The Order of Odd-Fish' is inspired by what I saw and experienced in Japan." (Courtesy of James Kennedy)

 

By Renay Loper (Iwate-ken, 2006-07) for JQ magazine. Renay is a freelance writer and Associate Program Officer at the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. Visit her blog at Atlas in Her Hand.

James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of the acclaimed young adult novel The Order of Odd-Fish, will be curating the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival at the New York Public Library on Nov. 5 and with the Harold Washington Library in Chicago on Nov. 16.

Named after John Newbery (thought to be the founding father of children’s literature), the Newbery Award is considered the highest regarded honor given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American children’s literature, and the American Library Association has awarded it every year since 1922. James took a moment to tell us a little about the festival, curating, and his path as an author.

What is the premise of the festival?

[It is a contest, or challenge of sorts] open to anyone, to make a video that compresses the story of a Newbery Medal (or Honor)-winning book into 90 seconds or less. No book trailers! It has to be the entire story. For it turns out that any book, no matter how worthy and somber, becomes pleasingly ludicrous when compressed into 90 seconds. The goal is comedy.

In a previous JETwit posting, you mentioned three award winners who wrote about Japan and the Japanese that no one has tackled yet. Why do you think that is?

Only because the books aren’t as famous—people are naturally inspired to make movies of books they’ve already read and loved. Everyone has heard of Newbery Medal winners like A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, or Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

The three Japan-related books that won Newbery Medals or Honors—Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, and Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun by Rhoda Blumberg—are just not as well-known, and so it’s less likely someone would be moved to make a video. Their oversight is your opportunity! (To make it more interesting, you could even do it in Japanese and add subtitles!)

If you had to give one word of advice to entrants, what would it be?

Don’t merely recap the book. Transform the story! Either in style or substance. Some great examples of successful 90-Second Newbery entries are this full-scale musical version of The 21 Balloons, or this shadow puppet version of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.

As I mention in the contest rules, it’s fun to switch up the genre style, like doing Charlotte’s Web in the nightmarish style of David Lynch’s Eraserhead. Or even cross two Newbery books: how about the rodents of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh fight their counterparts in The Tale of Despereaux? Rat fights make for gripping cinema! Basically, make it funny. The deadline for entries is Oct. 17.

Read More


Oct 3

WIT Life #181: Volunteer interpreter in Tohoku

Earthquake Tsunami, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #181: Volunteer interpreter in Tohoku

WITLife 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.

For those want to help out with Japan’s recovery effort and have Japanese language skills, here’s a great way.  Please see below message regarding details of a 6-week volunteer interpreting opportunity in the disaster area, and contact Laura/Jiella directly if you are interested.  For those who want to help but aren’t able to make it over, think about picking up the new Travel Guide to Aid Japan.  It features some fabulous sites in Japan, some of which you might not be aware, written up by an interesting mix of celebrity contributors.  All proceeds from its sales (minus expenses) will be donated to the Japan Red Cross for use toward disaster recovery efforts.

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Dear all,

Many of you have heard of the group All Hands Volunteers, an American
NGO that has been working in Ofunato and Rikusentakata in Iwate
Prefecture doing tsunami relief since right after the March 11
disaster.  This is an amazing organization that harnesses the power of
volunteers in disaster response.  For those of you who were on the
USJLP Japan trip this year, you heard about them in my presentation.

Spencer and I were up in Ofunato again last weekend volunteering with
All Hands and we continue to be very impressed – there were over 90
Japanese and international volunteers working together to clear
highway ditches and rice field drainage systems, to clean and retouch
damaged photographs, and to remove damaged materials from homes
devastated by the tsunami.  This organization has made a huge
difference to the people of Ofunato and Rikusentakata, and there were
posters all over town thanking All Hands for their efforts.

All Hands is continuing their project in Tohoku until November 12 and
they are in urgent need of an interpreter for these next 6 weeks of
the project.

Food, lodging and a (small) salary will be provided, and this
interpreter will be heavily involved in the day to day management of
the project, alongside an American Project Director.  The interpreter
needs to speak very good English and Japanese, and will need to
relocate to Ofunato right away for the next 6 weeks.

This is a great opportunity to make a big difference and contribute to
the recovery of Japan.  Please see this link for more information
about the project: http://hands.org/projects/project-tohoku/

Please let me and Jiella Esmat (jiella@hands.org) if you or anyone you
know is interested.  Feel free to pass this around.

Thanks so much for your help,
Laura (USJLP ’11, ’12, and Board Member of All Hands Volunteers)

From: Laura Winthrop Abbot
Date: September 30, 2011 20:43:01 CDT
To: usjlp@listserve.com
Subject: [Usjlp] Interpreter needed urgently: All Hands Volunteers Project Tohoku


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