Shimane JETs Raise Over $21,000 USD for Tohoku Disaster Relief
Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, Japan Local, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer 
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From the JETAA USA website originally posted by JETAA USA Country Rep Jessyca Wilcox:
Shimane JETs Raise Over $21,000 USD for Tohoku Disaster Relief
Shimane AJET gathered their local ALTs, CIRs and Japanese community members to join together for a charity hike. On May 15th over 60 ALTs and CIRs and 50 Japanese people took part in a sponsored “Charity Hike.”
The hike took place on Shimane’s highest mountain: Mt. Sanbe in Oda City, Shimane. It was attended by people from 14 countries: America, Ireland, France, England, Jamaica, Canada, Scotland, Kenya, China, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
In the weeks leading up the event particpants raised $21,023 USD (¥1,715,338) from local and international donations (via the internet). At the summit of Mt. Sanbe, the participants held a photo opportunity and called out a strong message of support for the people of Tohoku and Japan from the international community. Please see the photograph below.
In the week after the event, the money was transferred to the Japanese Red Cross (70%) and “SMILE and Dreams: Tohoku Kids Project” (30%).
Lauren Hale, a Shimane JET from Denver, CO said, “Japan has been such a great home to us all and we were so glad that we could be a part of the relief effort. We raised over twice the amount that we had originally hoped for!”
Check out the project website for video coverage and photos: www.sanbehike.com
*Shimane JET alums (and anyone else), please don’t hesitate to post words of support for the terrific work of Shimane AJET and all involved in the comments section below.
JETs with J.D.s >> A Guide to Picking a Law School
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Andrew R. McCarthy (Akita-ken, 2005-08) is a recent law graduate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and is packing up his bags for Houston, Texas . He currently runs the blog JETs with J.D.s, an information source for current JET alumni law students and prospective law students for career paths and approaches within the current legal market. For those considering law school and trying to comprehend the costs and the risks of such an endeavor, he also recommends The Law School Tuition Bubble.
“You’d think that with the rigors of getting through undergrad, studying for and taking the LSAT, and making sure you perfect your law school applications, picking the law school of your dreams should be the easy part. It isn’t. The advice provided below isn’t the only way to go about picking your law school, but hopefully it will show you where your priorities should be.”
The post, in full, is available here.
Japan Times: U.S. students invited in memory of JET victims
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Via Japan Times/Kyodo News Service, June 1, 2011:
U.S. students invited in memory of JET victims
Kyodo
Japan will invite 32 U.S. high school students who are studying Japanese to take part in a program in July to study the language and culture in memory of two American teachers killed in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto, during a speech at a symposium in Tokyo on Monday, referred to the program intended to nurture people who will serve as a bridge between Japan and the United States in the future.
The program is in commemoration of Taylor Anderson, 24, and Montgomery Dickson, 26, who were taking part in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.
Anderson of Virginia was found dead in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, and Dickson of Alaska was found dead in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture.
According to the government-linked Japan Foundation, the organizer of the program, the 32 students selected from about 250 applicants in the United States will attend Japanese-language lessons, take part in cultural events, including a drum performance and wearing kimono, and have exchanges with high school students in Osaka.
They will stay at the homes of the Osaka high school students during the two-week program. It will run for five years starting this year, the Japan Foundation said.
Surviving in Japan: 40+5 more ways to survive the rainy season
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times.
Bleak, gray, rainy season, or 梅雨
The rainy season (梅雨, つゆ) has arrived.
Apparently beginning 12 days earlier than last year in central Japan, according to tenki.jp, and also earlier than normal in southern Japan as well. Though it doesn’t feel all that humid yet. I typically associate the rainy season with tropical jungle-like humidity that makes you feel like you’re living in a sauna.
Don’t be fooled though – it will likely sneak up on us before we know it. For now, my pregnant self will enjoy the moderate temperatures and bearable humidity levels.
Oh, and for those who may not know, it doesn’t actually rain constantly during the rainy season in Japan – it will either spontaneously downpour or sometimes rain for a while in variations between sprinkling and heavier rain, with some breaks here and there.
Before coming to Japan, being from Seattle (U.S.), I rarely, if ever, used an umbrella. In fact, it’s usually quite easy to tell the difference between locals and tourists in Seattle for this very reason. (Everyone thinks it rains there all the time, but it doesn’t – it’s just cloudy most of the year).
So I came to Japan with no umbrella, figuring I could just buy one somewhere easily (but in no hurry). Except that my friend and I got caught in the rain on our second day here. Not Seattle drizzle we were familiar with. A downpour. Sheets of rain.
As we were outside with no cover, we were instantly soaked (as if we’d fallen into a pool or something), and spent the next 10 minutes or so running from building cover to building cover to the nearest convenience store to buy an umbrella. (With bystanders laughing at us good-naturedly, of course).
Of course, by the time we bought the umbrella and walked out of the store, the rain stopped. That’s Japan for you. Everyone gave us strange looks when we entered the hotel again, dripping all over the floor. Lesson learned: During the rainy season, Always. Carry. An umbrella.
So, in honor of the arrival of this year’s rainy season, I pull from the archives:
40 tips to survive the rainy season in Japan
There are also some good suggestions in the comments, so be sure to read those as well!
And of course, a few more to add:
41. Forget number 4 on the previous list – with all the energy conservation we should be doing, go out instead and share the A/C instead of using it at home. (Although with the temps the way they are right now there really isn’t much of a need for A/C…) — CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
Earthquake Recovery News 05.31.11
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Hello, everyone! My name is Emily Duncan (Hyogo-ken, 2005-2008). Currently I live in Atlanta, Georgia and I oversee the Facebook discussion group “Japan Earthquake Disaster Relief Idea Exchange.”
Originally my friend Mellissa Takeuchi (also a former Hyogo-ken ALT) and I established this group to discuss ideas which could help Japan in the aftermath of the March 11th earthquake. In the beginning this was fairly helpful, but as time went on it became increasingly obvious that the recovery story in Japan would not stay on the front pages of newspapers and websites so I decided to share news stories that I thought would be of interest to our discussion group. My hope is that these stories will inspire other people to get involved.
Originally I was at a loss as to how I would start this series of posts for JETwit. But as yesterday was Memorial Day I thought it would be best to acknowledge the hard work of the American military during Operation Tomodachi. All branches of the American military – Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines worked together to help the region affected by the earthquake and tsunami. (See more here with a nice slideshow here).
I was really proud of the initial response and would love to have one of those patches!
Job: Preschool, Kindergarden, Elementary School Teachers (Sierra Leone)
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via Pacific Northwest JETAA. 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. She is also the former vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
*Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.
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Job Position: Preschool, Kindergarden, Elementary School Teachers (Sierra Leone)
Job Details:
The American school in Freetown is seeking qualified pre-school, kindergarten and 1/2 Grade teachers immediately. Beautiful and safe country, world-class beaches, wonderful school community. Certification is a plus, experience can substitute.
via JETAA 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. She is also the former vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
*Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.
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Job Position: Volunteers needed for Japan Matsuri (London, UK)
Job Details:
A number of Volunteers and Interns are required for Japan Matsuri 2011, which will take place on 18th September in London.
Period: From NOW up to 18/08/2011(Sun)
Venue: London
Language Skill required: English or Japanese (* depending on the roles)
If you join us as a volunteer we can give you:
Justin’s Japan: Loudness, Akiko Yano Perform Rare Concerts in New York
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Legendary Japanese metal band Loudness return to Times Square's B.B. King Blues Club & Grill June 1.
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
After their successful tour of Europe last year capped with a headlining gig at Germany’s prestigious Bang Your Head!!! festival, Japan’s Loudness are invading North America for the first time since their sold out 2006 tour, and only the second time since 1991!
Formed in 1981 in Osaka, vocalist Minoru Niihara, guitarist Akira Takasaki (A.K.A. the Eddie Van Halen of Japan), bassist Masayoshi Yamashita and drummer Munetaka Higuchi joined forces to become not only Japan’s premier metal band, but a world class act in their own right, releasing five English-language albums in America in their heyday.
On June 1, the group storms Times Square’s B.B. King Blues Club and Grill, where they last played five years ago in a historic gig filmed for their Loudness in America 06 DVD. (The disc doubles as an epitaph for Higuchi, who succumbed to liver cancer two years later. He was replaced in 2009 by Masayuki Suzuki.)
Metal not your cup of cha? On June 3, Japan Society presents Akiko Yano Solo: Revealing Her Magic. This one-night-only appearance is billed as a concert and talk, exploring renowned singer-songwriter Akiko Yano‘s original music, as influenced and inspired by the unique rhythm and intonation of the Japanese language. In this performance, Yano demonstrates how she bends prose, phrases and salutations into her own musical expressions.
UPDATE 9/27/11: It turns out an MEF Group on LinkedIn was previously created by Thomas Schalow. To join, go to this link: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=3757582
I’m going to delete the group that I created and would like to encourage MEFs, BETs and other pre-JETs to join the version of the group set up by Thomas.
Yoroshiku!
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Every now and then I hear from a Monbusho English Fellow (MEF) or other person who was part of a pre-JET program in Japan. I know there are plenty more MEFs out there, and you are very much JET alums from the perspective of the JET alumni community. So I thought it would make sense to create a LinkedIn group for MEFs and others who participated in programs. (I think there was also a British English Teachers program?)
Monbusho English Fellows (MEFs) LinkedIn Group
JQ Magazine: JNTO “Meet Japan 2011” Familiarization Trip
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By Gil Cardon (Hiroshima-ken, 2001-04), for JQ magazine. Gil is the convention manager at the Japan National Tourism Organization in New York. He is the primary contact for promoting Japan MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) within North America.
Every year at about the same time, the Japan National Tourism Organization hosts the “Meet Japan” familiarization trip. This year, ten guests from six different countries (U.K., France, Italy, Greece, Israel, and the U.S.) participated in the trip.
The guests are representatives of international organizations and professional associations that are planning to hold a conference in Japan in the near future. Through the course of the Meet Japan trip, the representatives visit convention centers and hotels in various cities throughout Japan, as part of a study tour to learn about the many amenities that the venues have to offer. Participants also have the chance to visit “unique venues” for holding their conferences, such as traditional Japanese ryokans, historic castles, museums, and Noh theaters.
As a representative of the Japan Convention Bureau from the New York office, I had the fortunate opportunity to join the Chiba-Nagoya tour of the 2011 Meet Japan trip, from February 25–March 1, 2011. I had never been to Nagoya before, so I was looking forward to checking it out. I had been to Chiba once before, but I was sure that I would learn something new on this trip.
MEF Bruce Rutledge’s Chin Music Press launches innovative “BooksRX”
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MEF Bruce Rutledge, founder of Seattle-based independent book publisher Chin Music Press and editor of Ibuki magazine, has launched an innovative new approach to independent book publishing:
Mail-Order Medicine For Your Mind!
Announcing BooksRX In 2010, small independent publisher Bellevue Literary Press won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction with Paul Harding’s Tinkers – the first time a small press had won the award since 1981! In 2011, the media bombards us with tales of Amazon’s digital books gobbling up demand for the printed page, and yet small presses continue to pop up all over the US and Canada.
With the book business in a state of flux, we here at Chin Music Press believe that independent publishers are poised to carry the banner of the publishing world far into the 21st century. We are fortunate to find ourselves in a literal consortium of visionary presses who refuse to believe the media’s Doomsday prophecies foretelling the slow demise of the printed book. In fact, we’re convinced that our fellow indie publishers offer the perfect elixirs for eager readers and despairing booksellers alike.
Beginning June 1, Chin Music Press will offer BooksRX, a quarterly curated collection of the best that North American independent publishers have to offer. We’re excited to prescribe publishers, writers and artists whom we think should be a part of any literary medicine cabinet. BooksRX ensures that you’re getting your recommended dose of vitamin READ.
“BooksRX is undoubtedly the gateway drug for unsuspecting readers into the world of independent book publishing!”
Dr. R. Max Sneezeworthy, Literary Division, US Department of Health and Human Services
Available as a single dosage (one issue) or as a full regimen (annual subscription), each installment of BooksRX is a limited edition of 100 and arranged around a loose theme. Our first issue is inspired by our passion for finding new ways to tell stories from and about Japan.
- Monkey Business: New Voices From Japan A bold new collection including short stories, poems, an interview with author Haruki Murakami and more curated by Motoyuki Shibata and Ted Goossen, and presented by A Public Space
- An exclusive hand-numbered, signed and limited edition giclee print from L.J.C. Shimoda, fine artist and illustrator of OH! a mystery of mono no aware
- Kuhaku and Other Accounts From Japan Our first book (and manifesto to holistic book design) featuring essays and art by Roland Kelts, Craig Mod, kozyndan, Sumie Kawakami and an irreverent but highly informative glossary of Japanese terms.
BooksRX is available exclusively through the Chin Music Press online store:
- Single dose (one issue): $40 including shipping to US and Canada ($10 extra for shipping to international destinations)
- Full prescription (four quarterly issues, save $20): $140 including shipping to US and Canada, ($35 extra for shipping to international destinations)
A carefully edited selection including two dynamic books featuring new voices from Japan paired with an exclusive hand-numbered and signed art print!
More: Chin Music Press · Online Store
600 North 36th Street, #212, Seattle, WA 98103
WIT Life #169: Happy Doll Fundraiser
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JET Prefecture Round-Up 05.30.11
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Events, Fundraising, Japan Local, JET Prefecture Round-up, Uncategorized Comments Off on JET Prefecture Round-Up 05.30.11
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Emily Lemmon, (Hyogo-ken, Shiso-shi, 2009-present), PSG volunteer, organizer of Hyogo-ken’s PEPY Ride, student of Shorinji Kempo, and editor of the Hyogo Times, gives a little taste of what JETs are doing around Japan. To submit items for future JET Prefecture Round-up posts, e-mail Emily at jetinfogather [at] gmail.com.
Events by Region
Hokkaido
- The Hokkaido Players present The Jungle Book, May 22nd (Sunagawa), 28th (Takinoue), and June 4th (Kutchan).
- Iwamizawa International Mini Festival will be June 18th at Higashiyama Park, (next to the sports centre)
Aomori
- On Saturday, June 5th, Aomori AJET will be holding a double-parter event, a gala dinner and a club event, in Morioka City. These events are being held to bring together JETs from all over Tohoku, and raise money for Earthquake Relief (Japan Red Cross).
- There will be an International Lunch at the Aomori City Chuo Shimin Center on Saturday, June 18th. On the menu is Thai curry! At the same time, Aomori Prefecture’s branch of UNESCO will be presenting sessions on Japanese culture, and providing free tea ceremony sessions for those who would like to try it.
- The 7th annual Akita International Sumo Basho will be held in Akita city on Sunday June 5th.
Iwate
- JETs are invited to attend a tour of Nataya-cho, led by volunteer guides, in Morioka on June 12th.
Kansai Region
- Block 6 and 7 Sayonara Formal will be held in Kobe on June 25th.
Nara
- The International Arts Festival, featuring performances in a wide range of disciplines, will be put on by the JETs of Nara prefecture on June 19th.
- Nara’s farewell to leaving JETs, the Bye Bye Bash,complete with awards, will be held at the Yagi Kintetsu Beer Garden on June 17th.
Hyogo
- 2011 Himeji Prom-stravaganza will be June 4th.
- Hyogo AJET’s Sayonara Party will be June 17th
- Taj Ultimate, the Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, will be held July 9th and 10th, 2011 (start practicing)!
Chugoku Region
Tottori
- Tottori’s Got Talent, in which participants compete to win money for charities of their choice, will be held in Tottori city on June 11th.
Shikoku Region
Ehime
- “There is Hope Through Music” for Tohoku – On July 9th, Ehime JET Dan will gather fellow JETs to the Asakura Kominkan in Imabari to record videos with the fireman brass band. The videos will be combined with videos from the Kurosawa Piano Music Foundation of California and broadcast both online and to the victims in refugee camps in Japan.
- Eight JETs will assist with the Imabari Higashi Secondary School English Camp June 11th and 12th.
- Ehime JET Melanie is planning a fundraising festival event, in conjunction with Imabari City International Exchange Association (ICIEA), to raise funds for Tohoku and Kanto region disaster relief. The event will take place on Sunday, July 24, at Saisai Kiteya in Imabari.
Kochi
- Ladies Day Spa – ladies of Kochi gather for pampering on June 4th.
- Kochi Surf Camp will be at Irino Beach July 16th – 18th.
- JETs Sam and Douglas are now teaching weekly self-defense classes in Kochi.
Kyushu Region
Oita
- A team of Oita JETs will be playing in the Mud Volleyball tournament in Nakatsu City on June 5th.
- JETs and non-JETs will mingle and show their talents at the Rotary Dinner and Talent Show in Oita City on June 18th.
- Oita JETs will assist with rice planting on to Moritas’ Organic Farm in Bungo Ono City on June 18th or 25th.
- Sayonara Party – Oita JETs say farewell on July 9th in Oita City.
- Bad weather forced the cancellation of the Oita camping trip on May 29th, so JETs went bowling instead.
Kumamoto
- Kumamoto’s Got Talent will be performed at Good Time Charlie’s on June 4th.
- KumAJET Sports Day was Saturday, May 21st, in Nimarukoen.
Nagasaki
- ALTernative Nagasaki, the photo art exhibit explores Nagasaki through the eyes of its transient population of ALTs. Opening night is June 11th
Kagoshima
- Bound in Japan is an art project promoting multicultural exchange and diversity awareness, presented by a former Kagoshima JET.
Video: Anti-nuclear protest march in Tokyo – by JET alum Tom Baker
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The meltdown crisis at the tsunami-hit nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture has inspired a number of antinuclear protests in Japan. Journalist and JET alum Tom Baker (Chiba, 1989-1991), who blogs at Tokyo Tom Baker made this video of one that took place in Ginza, Tokyo, last night (May 27):
Japan Relief: “It Won’t Be Long Now” song and video by JET alum Shun Endo and The Liquid Now
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, Music, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Video, Volunteer Comments Off on Japan Relief: “It Won’t Be Long Now” song and video by JET alum Shun Endo and The Liquid Now
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JET alum Shun Endo (Ibaraki Prefecture, 1998-2001) (Treasurer and Webmaster for JETAA Pacific Northwest and creator instantnoodlescomics.com) and his band The Liquid Now have released a music video titled “It Won’t Be Long Now“ intended to draw attention to and help fundraise for Japan relief efforts.
From Shun Endo and The Liquid Now:
IT WON’T BE LONG is about overcoming the tsunami and earthquake in Northern Japan. It was a chance for us to really reflect on their struggle, and beyond. To us, the Japanese festivals encompass the beauty of the culture. We’ve experienced nothing like it. It is a time of strong community, tradition, abandon, and joy. We hope the areas affected will heal enough to enjoy themselves once again soon.
All band sales will be donated, so just donate directly to the Seattlejapanrelief.org who work with Red Cross and Peacewinds.
For a digital copy of the song, visit www.theliquidnow.com and/or email theliquidnow@gmail.com
Thank you for listening. 日本の皆さん、頑張りましょう。
The Liquid Now are a band from Seattle that is influenced by British music and Japanese culture. www.theliquidnow.com
(we hope people don’t mind us using their online photos as this is for a good cause, and we will donate anything that comes our way.)
