Job: Assistant Director, Policy Studies at Asia Society, (NYC)
Jobs 
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via Idealist.org. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the 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: Assistant Director, Policy Studies at Asia Society (NYC)
Job Details:
Asia Society, a prestigious, global, cultural and educational non-profit seeks an Assistant Director to be a key member of the Global Policy Studies team and responsible for managing the department’s day-to-day activities. In close coordination with the Vice President, he/she manages the development, implementation, budgeting, and evaluation of projects/initiatives, including task forces, working groups, roundtables, and dialogues. He/she also plays a key role representing the Global Policy Studies department within Asia Society and externally. The Assistant Director is a grant-funded position.
For more details click “Read More”
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Job: Curriculum Developer & Part-Time Instructor: English as a Foreign Language, (NYC)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Curriculum Developer & Part-Time Instructor: English as a Foreign Language, (NYC)
via Idealist.org. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the 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: Curriculum Developer & Part-Time Instructor: English as a Foreign Language, (NYC)
Job Details:
Hot Bread Kitchen is a social-purpose bakery that enhances the future for immigrant women and preserves baking traditions. We offer fresh breads baked with traditional recipes from around the world. We train our bakers in English as a Foreign Language, business skills, and kitchen math so that they can launch new careers as business owners and culinary professionals.
Currently, our English classes are taught one-on-one by experienced volunteers. We are seeking an experienced educator to build the capacity of Hot Bread Kitchen’s English program and develop our industry-specific curriculum.
For more details, click “Read More”.
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Job: Translators at Nintendo (Redmond, WA)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Translators at Nintendo (Redmond, WA)
via JET alum Ariel Shearman. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the 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: Translators at Nintendo (Redmond, WA)
Job Details:
Nintendo of America is looking for an E>J translator and for a J>E translator. We recently added a J>E translator, but are looking at greatly increased workload.
Both translators will be translating programming documentation such as SDK API reference manuals, programming guidelines, and middleware API reference manuals.
Subject matter is what you would expect for a game machine: computer graphics, etc.
A working knowledge of C and C++ would be a big help.
The jobs will be at Nintendo of America HQ in Redmond, WA.
They will be full time, with full benefits.
How to apply:
Please contact John Zimet at john.zimet@noa.nintendo.com if you are interested.
Surviving In Japan: How to Find a Non-smoking Restaurant in Japan
Advice, Blogs, Japan Local, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on Surviving In Japan: How to Find a Non-smoking Restaurant in Japan
Ashley Thompson is "Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese."
Going out in Japan can sometimes be rough if you’re a non-smoker (like me). Granted, times are changing in Japan, and more and more facilities and areas are now completely non-smoking, or instead have a small room or area designated specifically for smoking. Kanagawa prefecture went completely non-smoking last year, making it the first prefecture in Japan to ban smoking in public areas such as beaches, and various public facilities such as schools and hospitals (though I think both of those are *generally* non-smoking in Japan now anyway) and even restaurants, if the restaurant didn’t already have separated smoking/non-smoking areas. At times, I wish I lived in Kanagawa, if only for that.
Now, of course, I mean no offense to anyone who does smoke – it’s all choice and I’m completely fine with that. My only issue is when kids or pregnant women are around or I have to sit and breathe it because of the location I’m in, as I’ve got some extremely annoying allergies (and I just don’t care for it in general). Thus sometimes, eating out can pose a challenge if you are a non-smoker and wish to avoid smoke at all costs.
Yes, smoke-free restaurants exist, as do various restaurants that are divided into smoking/non-smoking areas, but I can guarantee there are also plenty of restaurants that have neither. So if you are a serial non-smoker, you might be lucky to enjoy a good meal without inhaling secondhand smoke, that is, until the person sitting near you lights up. Of course, if it’s a smoking restaurant, you just have to deal with it, because they are well within their rights to smoke – but from experience, it’s also ruined some meals for me, and makes me want to try and avoid it when possible.
This is easier said than done.
The other day, my husband and I were feeling lazy and wanted to go out to eat, although I was feeling a little off that day and didn’t really want to take our chances with the smoking thing. I don’t know if you’ve heard of Tabelog (食べログ), a great restaurant search tool for all over Japan, but it comes in handy for looking up restaurants. I often browse that site, though I noticed most listings in our area did not designate if they were smoking, non-smoking, or if they had separated seating. (Some listings do, but I find it to be hit or miss, depending on location). The only way we could know for sure was to call every place and ask, and after the first few, it does get kind of annoying.
Enter new search. I pulled up Google, this time hoping I could somehow discover some non-smoking restaurants by using those very keywords (smart, I know…).
Lo and behold, I discovered a website called “Kinen Style”, or actually, “禁煙スタイル” (Non-smoking style). — CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post.
Justin’s Japan: Q&A with Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big
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Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big. (William Hames)
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.
A founding member of the platinum-selling Los Angeles-based rock group Mr. Big, guitarist extraordinaire Paul Gilbert joined the group in 1988, and then departed a decade later to focus on a pop-tinged solo career. Best known for its hit ballad “To Be with You”—which went to number one in 15 countries including the U.S. in 1992—Mr. Big broke up in 2002, reforming the original lineup seven years later for a massive tour of Asia and Europe.
Last month, the band released What If…, the first album in 15 years from the reunited rockers, which instantly went gold in Japan upon release. To celebrate, Mr. Big are kicking off their new world tour at the House of Blues Sunset Strip on April 2, the original lineup’s first American gig since the mid-’90s. In this exclusive interview, I caught up with Gilbert about the new disc, his time away from Mr. Big, and his rich history with Japan.
What does the title of the new album refer to?
“What If…” is the beginning of any idea. Anything that you want, anything great…all starts with an idea. “What If…” Mr. Big got back together, and recorded a new album? This is it!
What are your own personal goals when writing a song?
I’m sort of a chord person. I’m happy if the song has a cool key change or some interesting chords that you might not expect. And of course, it should have a good melody to match. Also, with Mr. Big it’s impossible not to take advantage of the crazy stuff that Billy [Sheehan, bassist] and I can do together.
You’ve always had a strong bond with your fans in Japan. How did Japan come into your life growing up, and was your first time there like?
Growing up? Godzilla movies and Speed Racer! Actually, the first electric guitar I ever played was my uncle Jimi [Kidd]’s Ibanez Destroyer. I didn’t know that Ibanez was a Japanese guitar company, but I’ve certainly had a great time working with them since I started endorsing their guitars in the ’80s. The first time I went [to Japan] was in ’89 for a Mr. Big tour. Every tour we did just got bigger and bigger—we ended up doing three sold out nights at the Budokan. That’s crazy; I still can’t believe it.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time in Japan?
I actually tried to learn to speak Japanese, so I’ve rented apartments there for a few months at a time. It really felt like an adventure to live in a foreign country and to get by without speaking English. I remember being happy just riding the trains around and exploring Tokyo.
Years ago on your website you entertainingly chronicled your efforts to study the Japanese language through your own doodles. Do you still keep up with your studies?
I’ve pretty much given up on my Japanese. If my hearing was better, I might keep at it, but I can barely hear English at this point, and it’s really difficult to learn a new language without being able to hear the details. Plus, if I put that time into playing my guitar, I get some good results.
Why do you think Mr. Big caught on with the Japanese so well?
That’s a difficult question because we’re talking about “groups” of people. It’s complicated enough to understand individual people…Am I avoiding the question? Probably. I’m really thankful for my success anywhere, but I’m just not that interested in it. I’d much rather think about notes, and chords, and rhythms, and singing, and playing, and what pedals I’m going to put on my pedalboard for the upcoming tour.
You’ve made lots of highly amusing appearances on Japanese TV over the years. What were some of your favorite moments?
I had fun jamming with a band called “Sex Machineguns.” It just makes me happy there is a band called “Sex Machineguns”; what a fantastic name that is. There was a show where a famous Japanese female singer had to play a game where she picked her “type” of guy from among all the guys on the show…and she picked me. I was about 20 years older than everyone else on the show, so I didn’t think I had a chance. That cheered me up.
Click here for the complete interview.
Job: Japanese-fluent Webcast Video Developer (NYC)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Japanese-fluent Webcast Video Developer (NYC)
via JETAANY. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the 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: Japanese-fluent Webcast Video Developer
Job Details:
The Webcast Video Developer is responsible for the production of highly engaging online webcast video training for Thomson Reuters Knowledge Network clients.
The Webcast Video Developer will design and produce online video-based training programs seen by tens-of-thousands of Knowledge Network clients around the globe. Must be comfortable in both a studio control room environment as well as shooting both indoors and outdoors.
Essential Day-to-Day Responsibilities:
For more details, click “Read More”.
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JETAA UK Mailshot: 03.09.11
JETAA Chapters Comments Off on JETAA UK Mailshot: 03.09.11
Hello from JETAA UK!
JETAA Members from each of the UK’s chapters recently met for our Annual General Meeting, and we are pleased to announce the JETAA UK committee for 2011-2012:
• Chair: Josephine Audigier: chairman@jetaa.org.uk
• Treasurer: Wes Jones: treasurer@jetaa.org.uk
• Webmaster: Martin Cloud: webmaster@jetaa.org.uk
• Web Editor: Fiona Steele: webeditor@jetaa.org.uk
• Marketing Liaison: Fiona Steele: london@jetaa.org.uk
• CID Coordinators: Hugh Thomas, Ed Horner and Fiona Steele: cid@jetaa.org.uk
As many of you will be aware 2010 was a busy year for JETAA. It was our twentieth anniversary and we held several large scale events such as the JETAA International meeting in Edinburgh. Below is some news about upcoming events. Further information will be posted on our website so keep checking back for the latest news!
This message is posted by Josephine Audigier on behalf of JETAA UK
JET Programme – Life After JET Survey
We have been asked to forward the following request to all JET Programme alumni members from the UK;
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Tokyo and the Embassy of Japan in the UK are currently gathering information from former JET Programme participants regarding their current places of employment. This data will be used purely for research purposes. Please click on this link and let us know what industry you currently work for. If possible, please also provide your contact details and information about your JET placement.
Information we gather will be treated as confidential between MOFA and the Embassy of Japan in the UK. We look forward to hearing from you. Read More
3 new LinkedIn groups for JET Alums!
Career, Networking, Uncategorized Comments Off on 3 new LinkedIn groups for JET Alums!
Based on some recent and varied conversations, it seems there may be a need for and interest in three new LinkedIn groups for JETs and JET alumni:
1. JET Alum MBAs
For JETs and JET alumni with MBAs or other business degrees (or JETs who want to talk to alums with MBAs) – http://www.linkedin.com/e/ai06o5-gl30jygl-61/vgh/3820993/
2. JET Alum Creative Types
A catchall group for all the wonderful JETs doing (or trying to do) creative things or working in a creative field. – http://www.linkedin.com/e/ai06o5-gl30lfl9-31/vgh/3820994/
3. JET Alum Media Professionals
JET alums working or doing things in journalism, television, blogging, video or any other media field, plus JETs and JET alums interested in the field. – http://www.linkedin.com/e/ai06o5-gl30msei-2m/vgh/3820996/
Job: Associate TV News Producer – Tokyo Broadcasting System (New York)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Associate TV News Producer – Tokyo Broadcasting System (New York)
Update 06/30/11: POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED. (They hired a CIR just off the JET Program!)
via TBS in NYC (where at least one JET alum is already working). Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the 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: Associate TV News Producer – Tokyo Broadcasting System (New York)
Job Details:
The New York News Bureau of Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) is seeking an energetic, professional individual to fill an Associate TV News Producer position.
TBS is one of the oldest and largest television and radio broadcasting networks in Japan and broadcasts nationally via 28 affiliate stations. The New York Bureau covers news primarily in the United States for broadcast in Japan .
Responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:
Japanese language ability a plus, but not required.
Strong interest in journalism, economic, political and social news preferred.
Available to travel and work extra hours and occasional weekends and holidays.
Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.
How to apply:
JOB HAS BEEN FILLED
Job: Communication & Marketing Manager (London, UK)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Communication & Marketing Manager (London, UK)
via JETAA UK. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the 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: Communication & Marketing Manager (Maternity Cover) (London, UK)
Job Details:
Overseas investment bank in the City requires an exceptional individual to join their Corporate Planning/Public Relations team. Fluency in Japanese and English is required for this role.
Main Job Functions & Tasks:
For more details, click “Read More”.
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Job: Incoming Tour Operation (London, UK)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Incoming Tour Operation (London, UK)
via JETAA UK. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the 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: Incoming tour operation (London, UK)
Job Details:
Co-ordinating group tours to the UK as part of the inbound travel team at JTB Europe in Hammersmith, London.
Building relationships with suppliers in order to provide a high quality tour for inbound groups from Japan and other origin markets.
You: some travel industry experience essential, ideally in tour operations; good computer skills.
JOB START DATE: Monday 21 March 2011
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: CV
CLOSING DATE: Tuesday 15 March 2011
CONTACT NAME: Helen McCahon
CONTACT ADDRESS: 77-85 Fulham Palace Road
CONTACT EMAIL: helen_mccahon@jtb-europe.com
JET alum Lee-Sean Huang (ALT Oita-ken ’03-’06 / webmaster, JETAANY.org & JetWit) was recently spotted in a flash mob music video for the dance pop girl group Xelle. You can spot Lee-Sean in the back of the train, dancing with the big spotlights.
Art in the (Japanese) Social Sphere
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Thien-Kieu Lam is an artist who is producing Bound in Japan. Bound in Japan is a community book art project that aims to promote awareness about diversity in Japan and enhance intercultural understanding by engaging native and non-native residents in the creation and sharing of book art.
Here, Kieu discusses the motivation behind Bound in Japan. To read the full article, which includes her insights on the power of the individual and a guide to turning a personal vision into reality, check out the blog Shinpai Deshou.
Japan, quite frankly, was an unexpected twist in my life. As an ethnic Vietnamese American who graduated with a degree in fine arts and a second major in Mandarin Chinese, I certainly had my sights on Asia, but Japan was always on the periphery. Japan didn’t really register on my radar until I was a college senior facing that daunting question mark: THE FUTURE. I had always dreamed of living abroad, and one day a friend suggested that I apply for the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. I did and it was a fateful decision. It was the beginning of a lifelong relationship.
After three years of teaching English in Kagoshima and four years of working at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC, I’m ready to take this relationship to a different level. I’m going back to my roots—the arts—and crossbreeding it with social activism.
My parents are immigrants. I know very well the kind of challenges my parents have faced and continue to face during these thirty odd years. I myself have faced similar challenges while living in Japan. I had never expected to fall in love with Japan. It made me think about what it would be like if I chose to settle there, to make Japan my new—and permanent—home.
Every time I go to Japan, it doesn’t feel like I’m traveling. It feels like going home. I have numerous Japanese friends, and for the most part, I can confidently navigate the physical and social geography. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to live in Japan.
Japan has been a mostly homogenous society for centuries. It hasn’t had to think much about the less than 2% of the population who are non-native residents. And it shows. There’s a lack of integration. A lack of infrastructure. Even now, immigration policy continues to take a backseat despite the steady increase in immigration over the years. Despite the fact that opening up immigration is one of the few viable solutions to the current challenges presented by Japan’s changing demography. Lots of words are being said, but where’s the action?
Local communities are taking matters into their own hands. There are many organizations whose mission is to assist foreign residents with language, culture, and legalities and who seek to enhance intercultural understanding. This makes me very hopeful. I believe that any sort of social change will begin locally at the grassroots level. It has to begin with public consciousness.
Art can play a role in this. Art, after all, is about expression. It’s a way to communicate. This is the goal of Bound in Japan. Participants will be able to engage in an educational and enjoyable activity that allows them to share their stories with others. Through the process of creating art about their experiences in an adopted homeland and the act of sharing it with others, there are many opportunities to learn about each other, to start new dialogues, and to engage in community building.
Bound in Japan is a collaborative art project. Its success depends on the active participation of the community. This success can be defined as the personal enrichment of individual lives as well as the enrichment of an entire community.
I know that there are many people like me, who love and consider Japan a home. There are many ways you can support Bound in Japan. A project like this requires a significant budget. Consider making a donation to the Bound in Japan IndieGoGo campaign. Know of an organization in Japan that would like to participate in the project? Let me know. Are you living in Japan right now and would like to take part in Bound in Japan? I would love to hear from you.
Learn more about Bound in Japan: http://boundinjapan.com
Contact Kieu: tknlam@gmail.com
Follow Kieu and Bound in Japan on Twitter: @KieuLam
Exploring Eastern and Western Creativity: Q and A with Michael W. Morris – by Jennifer Olayon
Article/Journalism, Career, Graduate School, Writers Comments Off on Exploring Eastern and Western Creativity: Q and A with Michael W. Morris – by Jennifer Olayon
Michael Morris and Jennifer Olayon. Photo by JET alum Francis Lee.
Here’s a JET-relevant interview titled “Exploring Eastern and Western Creativity: Q & A with Michael W. Morris“ that appeared recently in AsianLife.com magazine and was conducted and written by former JETAANY President Jennifer Olayon.
Jennifer is a Contributing Editor for AsianLife.com magazine and previously served as a Senior Program Officer at Columbia Business School’s Center on Japanese Economy and Business. She is currently open to work and consulting opportunities in Human Capital Management and Diversity and Inclusion areas.
Michael W. Morris is the Chavkin-Chang Professor of Leadership and Director of Program on Social Intelligence at Columbia Business School and leading expert on relationships, conflict resolution, decision-making, and creativity, with a special interest in the role of culture.
Here’s an excerpt from the interview:
“There is a popular stereotype that Easterners are less creative; that they are imitative rather than inventive. While this stereotype is heard in the West, it is heard even more so in East Asia, which surprised me when I first began studying this topic. The creativity problem is a central topic in the social discourse of many East Asian nations, worried about making the transition from manufacturing economies to design and innovation-based economies. In bestsellers with titles like Can Asians Think? Asian polemicists have advanced theories about ways that Asian culture, language, socialization and schooling stunt creativity through hindering abstract critical thinking and molding conformist characters. This sells books, but I think it’s inaccurate.”
Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (March 2011)
Cultural Outreach, Food & Drink, Notable JET Alums, Writers Comments Off on Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (March 2011)
The March 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.
