JQ Magazine: Brooklyn’s Cherry Blossom Festival Turns 30!
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The view from Sakura Matsuri, held April 30-May 1 at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. (Sam Frank)
By Sam Frank, an ALT who taught English in Hiraizumi-Cho, Iwate Prefecture, from 2002-04 and worked in Shirahama-cho, Wakayama Prefecture as a JET from 2004-06. He currently manages the New York Division of UnRated Magazine and works as a Project Manager/Web Producer at Arrow Root Media.
For three decades the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been home to the Sakura Matsuri cherry blossom festival, a two-day festival comprised of both traditional and contemporary Japanese arts and culture, including dance, martial arts, manga, costume play (“cosplay”), workshops, demonstrations, and guided tours of the Garden’s Japanese plant collections.
While Brooklynites view this tradition as an authentic Japanese experience, there are many differences between this festival and ones in Japan. When you think of cherry blossoms in Japan, there is one word that comes to mind: Hanami. Hanami usually consists of friends and familes having picnics under the trees, and often involves consuming large amounts of sake (Japanese rice wine). This happens because Japanese law doesn’t crack down on public consumption of alcohol, unlike our friendly officers in Brooklyn. Also, people in Brooklyn are only permitted to eat in certain restricted areas, whereas folks in Japan are not only able to eat wherever they want (or find a spot), but are allowed to bring outside food into the cherry blossom areas.
Although Brooklyn’s version of Sakura has a few more restrictions then its Japanese counterpart, the cultural shows, guest appearances, and unique events that take place at the Botanic Garden in early May add a special flavor to the experience.
Read the rest of the article and more photos, click here.
Justin’s Japan: New York’s Japan Society Ready to Rock with Hikashu, Tomoe Shinohara
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- Hikashu headlines New York’s Japan Society May 13 with Tomoe Shinohara and Steve Eto. (Ikeda Masaaki & Makigami Koichi)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
This Friday (May 13), Japan Society’s Performing Arts Season goes into overdrive with Hikashu and Tomoe Shinohara Live in Concert, a special one-night-only event featuring the North American debut of legendary band Hikashu with special guests Tomoe Shinohara and Steve Eto.
Drawing on more than thirty years in the music business, Hikashu combines J-pop, new wave and electronic pop, taking listeners on unparalleled musical journeys through its signature sound. Led by its founder, enigmatic vocalist Makigami Koichi (vocal, theremin, cornet), the group’s members include Mita Freeman (guitar, sampler), Sakaide Masami (bass, electronics), Shimizu Kazuto (piano, synthesizer, bass-clarinet) and Sato Masaharu (drums, voice). Currently a lecturer at Shizuoka University of Art and Culture, Koichi has performed at Japan Society twice before as part of the New Voices from Japan series curated by John Zorn (2006) and Ikue Mori: Celebrating 30 Years of Live, Love & Music in NYC also curated by Zorn (2008).
Joining headliners Hikashu at the Manhattan venue is singer, actress and Japanese pop culture icon Tomoe Shinohara with percussionist Steve Eto. Best known to anime fans in the West for singing “Ultra Relax,” the title song of Kodomo no Omocha (released as Kodocha in North America), Shinohara is a choice stylistic counterpoint to the sounds on display. As a musician, songwriter and lyricist, Shinohara (or Shinorer, as her Japanese fans affectionately call her) has released a score of albums, featuring guest spots from artists as diverse as Pizzicato Five, Cibo Matto and Julio Iglesias(!).
For the rest of the story, click here.
Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times.
If you’re coming to Japan, you will probably hear someone lamenting about the inability to find any “real” deodorant here. When I heard this before coming, I promptly bought a 4-pack of my favorite kind (which I hadn’t even used up after two years). Yet, for those trying to save luggage space, unless you are REALLY attached to your deodorant, let me reassure you, it IS possible to get deodorant in Japan. And no, I’m not even talking about typical Japanese stuff – I haven’t tried any of it (as everyone often says it doesn’t work as well). Though, many of the Japanese brands do use aluminum as a main ingredient, which is the active ingredient you’d find in anti-perspirants anywhere.
So, before I lay out your options, you’ll need to know the Japanese word for deodorant when searching: デオドラント. This may also be shortened to: デオ. You may even see something with アンダーアーム (underarm).
A few other words to know:
stick: スティック
mist: ミスト
cream: クリーム
spray: スプレー
bar: バー
gel: ジェル
how to find deodorant in Japan: — CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
JETAA Chicago raises over $7.7K for JETAA USA Fund for Earthquake Relief
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Thanks to JETAA Chicago Treasurer Thomas Osugi for sharing this recent post by JETAA Chicago President Robert Corder:
“On Saturday, April 9, JETAA Chicago held a fundraiser at the Floating World Gallery to benefit the earthquake relief effort. More than 120 people attended and we were able to raise $7,779.47. In addition to the drinks and appetizer, there were three live bands plus a silent auction and raffle.”
“Additionally, a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General of Public Diplomacy was sent to JETAA Chicago in regards to the work the JETAA Chicago community has performed by raising relief funds and awareness after the tragedy last month in Japan. Please read the full letter here.”
CLICK HERE to read the full post and more details on the JETAA Chicago website.
JET alum John Gauntner enlightens, entertains Japan Society audience
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*******************
Last night was Japan Society of New York’s Anual Sake Tasting: Back to Basics event with a lecture by JET alum John Gauntner (Kanagawa-ken) (aka “The Sake Guy”), now the leading sake educator in the world, followed by a sake tasting (and mingling) with about 20 sake exporters from all over Japan. I attended with professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) (who writes the WIT Life posts on JETwit) and we had a terrific time, learning the basics of sake, running into Tomoko Okuno of Japan Society as well as Alma Jennings (Fukushima-ken, 2008-10) who was volunteering at the event, and of course finally getting to meet John in person.
John will be lecturing at similar events over the next few days in Boston, Toronto and several other cities in North America. So keep your eyes out and, if you attend, make sure to say hi and let him know you’re a JET alum as well.
Thanks to Japan Society for putting on a great event!
Stacy Smith (CIR Kumamoto, 2000-03) and John Gauntner (Kanagawa)
**************
Sake tasting: JET alums Stacy Smith, Alma Jennings and Steven Horowitz sample sake with Kensuke Shichida, President of Saga Prefecture-based Tenzan Sake Brewery
WIT Life #167: Japan and War as Seen Through the Lens of Film
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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.
Recently I had the chance to see two films from 2010 that examine the issue of Japan and war. One was Anpo: Art x War which was screened at Columbia University last week, and the other is Caterpillar currently being shown at the IFC Center through this Thursday. The former is a documentary directed and produced by Linda Hoaglund, and the latter is a film made by the director Koji Wakamatsu of United Red Army fame (shown at Japan Society a few years ago and coming to IFC later this month).
Anpo uses a mixture of paintings, photos, anime, films and music by Japanese artists to Read More
Sankei Shimbun article about Taylor Anderson
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Thanks to JETAA Music City President Terry Vo for sharing this an very moving article (in Japanese) written by Yoshihisa Komori about Taylor Anderson. Komori-san went to visit Taylor’s parents for the interview.
Update 05/10/11: Thanks to Jo McCarthy (Shimane-ken, Okuizumo-cho) of the JET Alum Translators/Interpreters group on LinkedIn for providing an English translation.
“The death of a woman who loved Ishinomaki”
by Yoshihisa Komori; translated by Jo McCarthy (Shimane-ken, Okuizumo-cho)
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/world/news/110504/amr11050402570003-n1.htm
I was immediately reminded of the old film “Gone With The Wind.”
This was because the large mansion I arrived at after leaving the extensive lush green woods had white pillars and a porch, which rose elegantly in the traditional style of the southern United States. At the rear of the residence, the green gently sloping gardens extended as far as the James River.
Why, I wondered, would a young American woman who grew up in an environment such as this, be fascinated by the town of Umibe in the Tohoku region of Japan?
This was the house of the parents of Taylor Anderson – the English teacher who was caught in a tsunami in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, following the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, and died.
It’s in the quiet hills on the outskirts of Richmond, capital of the state of Virginia.
In the spacious living room Taylor’s father Andy, who manages a real estate company, and her mother Jean, a housewife, (both 53) spoke quietly of their thoughts about their eldest daughter, who was 24 years old.
“Taylor learned Japanese history at elementary and junior high school from the same teacher, and became fascinated by Japan. Her teacher was an American, but they had been brought up in Japan, so also taught our daughter Japanese language and culture. It became our daughter’s dream to live and study in Japan.”
“Taylor liked Japanese anime and the novels of Haruki Murakami,” Andy adds to Jean’s explanation. “She seemed to love the elegance and subtleness of Japanese culture. And also often said she really liked the settled order and politeness, a unique character of Japanese society.”
Soon after graduating university, Taylor applied for and was accepted on the JET Program (a program open to foreign youth), and in the summer of 2008 moved to Ishinomaki. She taught English at 7 elementary schools in Ishinomaki, and the story of how she was loved by her students has even been reported in detail in this newspaper.
On the day of the earthquake, after ensuring that her students had been picked up by their caregivers, Taylor was heading home as usual on her bicycle.
However, Taylor went missing.
Her parents desperately made contact with a number of people in Japan. They heard she had been reported as having been found safe, but were unable to confirm it. Andy decided to go and search for Taylor with her boyfriend James.
On the day of their departure, March 21, about 2 hours before they planned to leave for the airport, they received news from the US Embassy in Tokyo that her body had been positively identified.
“It feels as though Taylor’s death has opened a hole in our hearts. But she would not want that for her parents. She was a person who always looked positively to the future, and made things enjoyable just by being there”.
As the first tears began to fall, Jean told how Taylor had planned to return to the US in August this year to get engaged to James, and to either start postgraduate study or look for Japan related work.
Well then, wouldn’t it have been better if she had ended her time in Japan after 2 years, and returned home last year?
However, Jean promptly replied “No. I visited Ishinomaki myself for about 5 days in spring last year, and was able to understand completely why my daughter wanted to be there long term. She was happy doing what she most wanted to do.”
The Andersons, in collaboration with their daughter’s alma mater St. Catherine’s High School, have started a foundation named the Taylor Anderson Memorial Fund. So far, around $90,000 has been raised.
In accordance with Taylor’s wishes, all proceeds from the fund will be directed toward the restoration of Ishinomaki City’s elementary and junior high schools.
See below for the foundation’s website.
Translated by Jo McCarthy
【朝刊 1面】 ■【あめりかノート】ワシントン駐在編集特別委員・古森義久
■石巻を愛した女性の死
古い映画の「風と共に去りぬ」を一瞬、連想した。緑豊かな広大な林を抜けて着いた大邸宅
にはいかにもアメリカ南部ふうの伝統的な白い円柱とポーチが優雅にそびえていたからだ。邸宅の裏には緑の庭がジェームズ川の岸までなだらかに延びていた。こんな環境で育った若い米国人女性がなぜ日本の東北の海辺町に魅せられたのかと、いぶかった。
東日本大震災の３月１１日、宮城県石巻市で津波に巻き込まれて亡くなった英語教師の
テー ラー・アンダーソンさんの両親が住む家だった。バージニア州の州都リッチモンド郊外の閑静な丘陵である。 不動産会社を経営する父親のアンディさん、専業 主婦の母親のジーンさんはともに５３歳、ゆったりとした居間で２４歳だった長女、テーラーさんへの思いを穏やかに語った。
「テーラーは小中学校で同じ先生から日本の歴史を学び、日本に魅せられたのです。そ
の先生はアメリカ人ですが、日本で育ち、日本の言葉や文化までを娘に教えてくれました。日本に住んで学ぶことが娘の夢となったのです」
ジーンさんのこんな説明にアンディさんがつけ加える。
「テーラーは日本のアニメや村上春
樹の小説が好きでした。日本の文化の優雅さや繊細さを愛したようです。そして一定の秩序や礼節という日本社会の特徴も大好きだとよく話していました」
テーラーさんは大学卒業後すぐに日本のＪＥＴプログラム（外国青年招致事業）に応募して
採用され、２００８年夏に石巻に赴任した。石巻では小中学校計７校で英語を教え、生徒たちに愛されていた様子は本紙でも会田聡記者が詳しく報じた。大震災の日も彼女は生徒たちが保護者に引き取られるのを見届けてから、自転車で自宅へ向かったという。
だがテーラーさんは行方不明になった。両親は米国から必死で日本の多方面に問い合わせ
た。 無事でみつかったという情報も流れたが、確認できなかった。アンディさんはテーラーさんの恋人のジェームズさんと捜索に出かけることを決めた。その出発の 日の３月２１日、空港へ向かう予定の２時間ほど前に東京の米国大使館からテーラーさんの遺体が確認されたという通報があった。
「テーラーの死で私たちの心は穴があいた感じです。でも彼女自身は両親にそんなことは
望まない。彼女は前向きで明るく、ともにいるだけでこちらが楽しくなる子でした」
ジーンさんは初めて涙をにじませ、テーラーさんが今年８月には米国に帰り、ジェームズさ
んと婚約し、大学院か日本関係の職業を目指すことを決めていたのだと告げた。では日本滞在を２年ですませ、昨年帰国してもよかったのではないか。
だがジーンさんは即座に答えた。 「いいえ、私自身、昨年春に石巻を５日ほど訪れ、娘が
なぜそこに長くいたいか体全体で理解できました。自分が最もしたいことをしていた彼女は幸せだったのです」
アンダーソン夫妻は娘の母校セント・キャサリン高校と協力して「テーラー・アンダーソン追
悼基金」という募金を始めた。これまでに９万ドルほどが集まった。基金は故人の遺志を体してすべて石巻市の小中学校の復旧に充てる。同基金のサイトは以下だという。
JETAA Chapter Beat 5.9.11
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Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET Alumni community for another edition of JETAA Chapter Beat.
This week’s Chapter Beat is looking at charity and fund-raising events for the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. 
JETAA Minnesota
- Classical Music Fundraiser Concert – May 22nd, 4:00 at Bethel University. JapanRelief Fundraisers will be holding a free classical concert presented by 50 members of the Minnesota Orchestra and their music director Osmo Vanska. Admission is free but donations will be accepted.
- Discussion Forum – Sunday, May 15th, 3:00. Come discuss the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan and what further efforts can be done to help out those in need. Share your thoughts, feelings and concerns at this month’s discussion forum.
- Hiroshima Concert at Yoshi’s Fundraiser Event – Sunday, May 29th, 7:00 at Yoshi’s Oakland. The Oakland Fukuoka Sister City Association and Hiroshima are holding a fundraiser concert for northern Japan. Show up early at 6:00 for a chance to meet the band.
- Tohoku Quake Relief Charity Picnic – Saturday, May 14th, 11:00 to 3:00 at Wilson Park. Pack your picnic basket and get outside for this fun event in the park, and make a donation to help the survivors of the March Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan.
- Sock for Japan – JETAASC is helping Mr. Jason Kelly’s campaign for clean, new socks for refugee centers in the Tohoku area. Check out the website for more information, and bring new socks to all JETAASC May events as they will be collecting them.
- Tsukimi (Full-moon viewing) Fundraiser – Tuesday, May 17h, 6:30 to 9:00. Come celebrate the full moon with tsukimidango and help donate to the survivors of the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami.
- Tongue & Groove Event – Wednesday, May 11th, 6:30. Check out some live music by Chasing Stages, with raffles and auctions throughout the night, all proceeds going to the Australian Red Cross Japan & Pacific Disaster Appeal 2011.
- Wine for Japan – Friday, May 13th, 5:00 to 8:00 at the Hotel Monaco. Eight outstanding wine makers will be on hand pouring their wines, featuring music by John Wayland Harr. Sales of the wines as well as proceeds earned from a silent auction will go to MercyCorps to help survivors of Japan’s recent Earthquake.
Know of other fundraisers or charity events in your area? Contact Jetwit.com and let them know how people are helping out in your JETAA Chapter.
Burger King Japan’s “Meat Monster” reviewed by JET writer for Esquire Magazine
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Meat Monster: "Oishisou! (de ha nai)"
Current Mie JET Patrick St. Michel shared the below about his recent “Meat Monster” review in Esquire Magazine, which JETwit believes is very much worth your time to read.
An Unexpected Burger Benefit of Life in Japan
Posted by Patrick St. Michel (Mie-ken, 2009-present).
Having now lived in Japan for nearly two years, I’ve discovered a host of benefits—from convenient public transportation to a copious amount of vending machines—that come with residing in this island nation. Recently, however, I encountered a completely unexpected benefit—one that involved consuming—in a single sitting—the FDA-recommended caloric intake for a herd of plus-size elephants.
Prior to joining JET, I attended—and graduated from—Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. My pre-JET life also included working at three newspapers, an online music site, and an online magazine that I co-founded (http://www.northbynorthwestern.com). One of the friends I made along the way now works at Esquire magazine. Word had apparently spread stateside that Burger King Japan was launching a medically ill-advised burger aptly dubbed the “Meat Monster.” Knowing that I live in Japan and generally don’t give much thought to my arteries’ continuing ability to function, my friend asked if I would write a review of the Meat Monster for Esquire. Fortunately, I had inadvertently prepped for this unexpected assignment, having just reviewed McDonald’s “Mega Teriyaki” in my blog about life in Japan—http://www.japantrick.wordpress.com/. (I’ve also previously reviewed McDonald’s line of Big America burgers)
Some 1,160 calories and 2,290 milligrams of sodium later, I filed my Esquire story—http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/burger-king-meat-monster-042611
As a postscript, my plan is to pursue a post-JET writing career in Japan. Toward that end, if anyone has suggestions—or knows of openings at traditional or online publications or public relations/marketing positions—I would love to hear from you! Reach me at mailto:patrickstmichel@gmail.com. If you’re still not sure about me, learn more at http://www.patrickstmichel.com, and if you’re interested in the Japanese music scene, follow my blog—http://www.makebelievemelodies.wordpress.com/.
Fukushima JETs make “I akabe Fukushima” t-shirts
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Some Fukushima JETs have created an “I ‘akabe’ Fukushima“ t-shirt for purchase online. Details here.
From the site:
“We have received permission from Aizu Kanko to use the logo. The T-shirts will be 2000 yen each. The proceeds will be donated to the Fukushima Disaster Countermeasures Office.”
Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (May 2011)
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The May 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.
Note: John will be lecturing tomorrow night at the Japan Society in New York.
In this issue:
- Greetings
- Smooth’em or Let’em?
- Announcements and Events: Sake Professional Course in NYC
- Did you Know?
- Sake Basics
- Sake Education Central
Better than Skype: Japan invents new kissing device that lets you make out over the Internet
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Researchers in Japan have invented a way to kiss over the Internet. I worked hard to think of a JET angle to make this story JETwit-worthy. And it finally hit me that it might be extremely helpful to JETs and JET alums involved in long-distance relationships! (Not bad, deshou?)
Here’s the video:
Thank you to Vancouver-based JET alum Alison Dacia Brown (Iwate-ken, Rikuzentakata, 2005-2008) for sharing the below piece which she originally wrote for JETAA British Columbia:
“Rikuzentakata”
Rikuzentakata in Iwate prefecture is the best little town that you’ve never been to.
I think I can safely assume that. I think Vancouverites in particular would have appreciated it because to me, Rikuzentakata as of March 10, 2011, was Vancouver in miniature, complete with a beach and mountains in the background. It made me feel like I was just across the pond from Canada. I actually requested Iwate on my JET application, which hardly anyone does. I was more than lucky to be placed where I was, and not just in terms of geography.
It had a quaint little sake factory called Suisen that held hanami parties during the cherry blossom season. It had a gorgeous, sandy beach lined with thousands of slender, yet majestic pine trees. It had the best neighbours a foreigner could ever have when she is away from home. Neighbours who fed her when she was sick with a stomach infection. It had an amazing Japanese woman, who translated all of her farewell speeches from Japanese into English. It had a hard-working Board of Education. It had an amazing ALT from Alaska.
Suisen is gone but I was told that in the days after the tsunami, the smell of sake permeated the area. I’m sure it was hiding more insidious smells. All of the trees which lined the beach are gone except for one. This tree is now called ‘The Miracle Tree’ and it’s giving hope to tsunami survivors. Unfortunately, it’s become a tourist destination and it’s making transportation into Rikuzentakata difficult.
The neighbour who fed her when she was sick, sometimes 3 times a day, lost her house which also housed the family’s tatami business. Her son was a volunteer firefighter and went directly to the beach to close the tsunami wall. His body was found 4 days ago and he has been cremated. The woman who translated her farewell speeches into English, Mutsuko Ozawa, is alive but has lost her mother, sister, nephew and cousins to the tsunami. Only her sister was found. Her house is gone and she has sent her children to central Japan while she and her husband fix up a new house to live in.
21 out of the 26 people who worked at her Board of Education are dead. It was an emergency meeting point, but unfortunately, the building which housed the Board of Education, was only 3 stories high. The tsunami went over it. My good friend, Kie Murakami, was still working at the Board of Education when the tsunami hit. I was hoping she wasn’t, as people change jobs every 3 years, as many of you know. I prayed she was somewhere else, away from the shore. She was found two weeks ago, and she has left behind a daughter and a husband who will miss her immensely. Kie was with Monty Dickson, who was the current JET ALT. He had taken over my position a year after I left Japan, and I know he loved the place as much as I did. I have a picture of Kie and Monty on the top of the local mountain, and it’s very hard to look at, knowing what has happened to them.
I hope to return someday to help. I think many of the former Iwate JETs feel this way. Right now, the only way I can help is by donating money, which we have all been doing. I have given hugs to Japanese people on Granville street in exchange for money. I have bought t-shirts. I have done a charity walk for Japan to raise money through JETAABC. I have donated money directly. But of course it is not enough. I desperately want to return to my adopted city which took care of me for 3 years to let them know that they have not been forgotten.
WIT Life #166: Monkey Business
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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.
Last weekend aside from going to the glorious Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, I attended a panel discussion at Asia Society about contemporary writing from Japan. I had heard about the event from former JET Roland Kelts, who in addition to publishing books of his own and lecturing at both NYU and Tokyo University, is a contributing editor to the inaugural issue of the English language version of the Tokyo-based literary magazine Monkey Business (currently available for purchase!). The magazine is run by award-winning translator Motoyuki Shibata, who served as editor of the English version along with colleague Ted Goossen.
All three were on hand at this event, which was divided up into the two sections of Read More
Job: Translator (Kentucky)
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Via JET alum Roy Harrison of the JETAA Bluegrass subchapter:
Company: CSI (See past JETwit post about CSI, a company founded by a JET alum)
Job Position: TRANSLATOR
We’re looking for a full-time Japanese-English translator/interpreter to join our growing team in central Kentucky. You’ll be responsible for ensuring that high-quality translations in a deadline-driven environment are delivered to our customers. Your work within our team will breakdown large projects and juggle multiple tasks with competing priorities. Our ideal candidate is familiar with MS-Office and Trados software, flexibly adapts to stressful situations, and is experienced in translating technical material.
If this is you, send your resume to hr@csi-ky.com. EEO, competitive benefits package.
