Any JETs or JET alums with Georgia connections in Japan?
Article/Journalism 
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Via JET alum Jessica Cork who works at the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta:
Trevor Williams, the editor of Global Atlanta, will be visiting Japan at the end of this month and would like to interview some young professionals or entrepreneurs in Japan, preferably those who have Georgia connections. If you are interested, please contact him directly:
Trevor Williams
Editor, www.globalatlanta.com
twilliams@globalatlanta.com
Office: (404) 377-7710
Mobile: (706) 615-4599
.
Via Shinpai Deshou, an online resource to help Japanese Studies majors figure out how to make a living doing what they love:
Lots of great academic posts have been popping up lately on Shinpai Deshou, including:
- Lecturer in Japanese at University of Michigan
Deadline: Jan 30th - Associate Professor in International Exchange at Tokyo Gakugei University
Deadline: Feb 10 - The Takahashi Fellowship in Japanese Studies at the Walter H. Shorenstein
Asia-Pacific Research Center
Deadline: Position open until filled - Instructor for Manga and Animation at the IES Abroad Tokyo Center
Deadline: Position open until filled
Justin’s Japan: Interview with Jazz Pianist Marcus Roberts
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The Marcus Roberts Trio performs in NYC Jan. 18-23. (Courtesy of Florida State University)
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Blind since the age of four, at 21 years old Marcus Roberts was invited by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to join his band in the mid-’80s, playing on such Grammy Award-winning albums as J Mood and Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. 1. Six years of touring with Marsalis followed, establishing Roberts as one of the vanguards of young American jazz pianists. Roberts formed his own trio in 1993, and since then he’s been indefatigably presenting his interpretive style around the world as a musician, recording artist and assistant professor of jazz studies at Florida State University.
This week finds the Marcus Roberts Trio, with Rodney Jordan on bass and NEA Jazz Master/Wynton’s little brother Jason Marsalis on drums, in a weeklong residency at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. I spoke with Roberts about his discovery of jazz, the role of technology in his life as a musician, and his thoughts on working with legends like Marsalis and Seiji Ozawa.
What can fans expect from your upcoming shows in New York?
They can expect sort of a wide range of what we like to choose from our repertoire—we have a pretty broad repertoire. We play standard tunes of [George] Gershwin and Cole Porter; we play blues by [Thelonious] Monk and [Duke] Ellington; we play [John] Coltrane’s music; we have a lot of original music that we play; and Jelly Roll Morton. It’s going to be a little bit freer this week, you know. We’re just going to look through the book and pick kind of a historical tour of jazz, if you will.
What was your introduction to jazz?
I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and I first started playing piano in church. I was self taught for four years, from eight to 12, and then at 12 I was listening to the radio and I happened to hear Duke Ellington. And I just remember being really enamored with his touch; his style; the chords he was playing. And it went from there; I went from Duke to Louis Armstrong and then I ventured to Miles Davis and Coltrane and Monk, and one by one as the years went on, I got more deep in being interested in how these guys were playing all this stuff that they were coming up with, and how I could emulate that.
Who was your first love in music?
Probably Duke Ellington; I think my real first interest was him. And also [jazz pianists] Teddy Wilson and Mary Lou Williams—I remember hearing Mary Lou Williams with Benny Goodman, and that always struck me. I guess when I’m listening to a great jazz artist, what I’m really always looking for is something that can be taken even outside of the context that they put it in, and I’m able to personalize it and identify my own personality and identity within it. So, honestly, there are many great artists that I love.
Growing up, how did you come to learn about Japan?
I don’t know—I think the first time I went to Japan was with Wynton in 1987, and then I believe went again with a quartet in ’89. But my most memorable experiences of going to Japan have always been with the great conductor Seiji Ozawa. He invited me there a couple of times, and we’ve done Gershwin’s Concerto in F there a few times. It’s probably one of the highlights of my career, going there, doing that with him, because he’s such an innovator, such a great man, and he’s always been very interested in the relationship between how jazz and classical music can be collaborated together, and we always enjoyed working with him there in Japan.
What was it like performing with the maestro?
Oh, my God, absolutely incredible—he is just amazing. He knows that score inside and out, and his dedication to just greatness in general, he’s very infectious. And my band and the other musicians always knew that it was going to be a great performance, because he just wasn’t going to have it any other way. If he had the schedule for rehearsals, I’d talk to him, and by the time we got going, he’d been up since four o’clock in the morning studying scores, making sure that everything was going to be all right. So, he taught me a lot about how you put things on the stage and how you continue to push yourself to reach a real level of expertise and communication with an audience.
Do you enjoy traveling? Where are some of your favorite places around the world?
I enjoy traveling; it’s always fun. It’s always a blessing to be able to play to people and hopefully inspire them through the music you play to have a better day or just something they might be going through. For me, I pretty much will go anywhere, but I love Italy because of the food there, you know? I like going to New Orleans because of the food—I like a lot of places, but I can’t single out a whole bunch of them. I think it’s more about just the variety of the different cultures and the places you can go, because all those different localities have different things that they bring to you, and I guess, from my perspective, since every year we’re going to different places, I guess I’m more intrigued with the act of traveling itself, wherever it is. I also like France for the desserts, and Japan for the sushi. [Laughs]
Click here for the rest of the interview.
Life After the B.O.E.: Blending In
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Life After the B.O.E. is a comic series about the JET experience by David Namisato (Aomori-ken, 2002-2004), a professional illustrator currently living in Toronto.
Visit David’s website at www.namisato.org.
JETAA Chicago site posts link to JetWit
JETAA Chapters, Uncategorized Comments Off on JETAA Chicago site posts link to JetWit
Thanks to JETAA Chicago for including a link to JetWit on its “Resources” page:
http://www.chicago.jetalumni.net/resources/
And a request to other JETAA chapters to include a link to JetWit somewhere on your chapter websites. (Feel free to use the JetWit mascot image as well.)
Here’s the list of other JETAA chapters that have included a link to JetWit so far:
- JETAA UK: http://www.jetaa.org.uk/links (BTW, if you ever plan a trip to London, take a look at JapaneseLondon.com which is run by JET alum Vanessa Villalobos)
- JETAA Southern California: http://www.jetaasc.org/ (Including image of A.J.)
- JETAA South Island, New Zealand: http://www.southisland.jetalumni.org/information_links/information_links.htm (Including image of A.J.)
- JETAA Sydney: http://www.sydneyjetaa.org/index.php?pg=7 (Under “JET Programme and Related Organizations”)
- Pacific Northwest JETAA: http://www.pnwjetaa.org/?p=1057 (A full-on blog post about JetWit!)
- JETAA New England: http://www.nejetaa.com/index.php?option=com_weblinks&view=category&id=35%3Ajetaa&Itemid=48
- Music City: Tweeted about the JET-Tourist Tally Project. Chapter website coming soon.
Also, a reminder that all content on JetWit may be used by JETAA chapters and any other official JET-related organizations (e.g., AJET) on their websites, in their emails & newsletters, etc. No permission necessary. Just copy and paste. (Or link. Whatever makes your job easiest.)
Special thanks to Sam Lederer (Shizuoka-ken, 2005-07) for gathering the info. If your chapter has a link to JetWit, e-mail sam [at] jetwit.com and let us know.
Justin’s Japan: All-time Anime Classic ‘Dragon Ball Z’ Comes to Hulu
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Goku and the DBZ gang are now streaming online. (Courtesy of FUNimation/Toei Animation Co., Ltd.)
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
U.S.-based FUNimation Entertainment and Toei Animation Co., Ltd. have teamed up to present Japan’s evergreen animated series Dragon Ball Z at Hulu.com, North America’s online leader for streaming TV shows and film in North America.
Yesterday (Jan. 15), FUNimation began streaming the series’ first 15 episodes via Hulu, the official Dragon Ball Z website (www.dragonballz.com) in addition to www.dragonballzkai.com, www.funimation.com.
FUNimation will offer its professionally-produced, uncut, English-tracked and English-subtitled adaptations of the massively successful series beginning with the first episode as well as other chapters of the Dragon Ball franchise: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Z Kai.
Click here for the rest of the story.
Job: Sales Position
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Sales Position
via Peter Weber, JET Program Coordinator. 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: Sales Position
Details: Sales position for American/Japanese Market. Send resume to below.
NTA/SFO
643 Bair Island Road #301
Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 301-1880
Fax: (650) 301-1891
e-mail: ntayozo@ginga.net
Global MBA at Doshisha University (Kyoto)
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via Jet alum Dr. Andrew Staples (Fukuoka, 1996-99), Associate Professor at Doshisha Business School. 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.
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The following information was submitted by Dr. Andy Staples, a visiting professor at Doshisha Business School, Kyoto, Japan. He would like to pass on details of significant funding opportunities that may be of interest to people considering enrolling on an MBA program in Japan. Please feel free to contact him directly if you have any questions astaples@mail.doshisha.ac.jp
The University and MBA
Based in the heart of Kyoto, Doshisha University is Japan’s second oldest private university with a long tradition of international exchange reinforced by institutional agreements with top-ranked institutions around the world including the University of Cambridge in the UK, Stanford in the USA and Peking University in China.
The university was designated as a ‘Global 30’ institution by the Japanese Ministry of Education in 2009 in recognition of its proactive internationalization strategy which includes the launch of a number of new undergraduate and postgraduate program delivered in English.
As part of this process the Graduate School of Business (Doshisha Business School, established 2004) launched the Global MBA in 2009. This is a two-year, full-time program delivered entirely in English by an international and research active faculty. 40 students representing 20 different nationalities are currently enrolled on the program reflecting the international, diverse and cosmopolitan nature of the degree.
The average Global MBA candidate is around 27 and has approximately 3 years of work experience. Many of our students have had previous experience of studying or working in Japan and some are seeking to develop a Japan based degree although all have joined the program for its content, structure and global outlook. Our mission is to educate young managers/executives willing to take the initiative in business and society as proactive leaders capable of seeking out business opportunities while at the same time making a contribution to the well-being of our society.
Applications
We currently have one former JET enrolled, (Shiga, 2006-2009) and believe that the program offers an excellent next step for JETs interested in developing an internationally focused career while remaining based in (or returning to) Japan. Significant funding opportunities exist for 2011 entry including scholarships, monthly stipends and fee waivers for outstanding international students and full details can be found on our webpage (http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/).
Applications are open now and early submissions are advised, particularly for those seeking funding. Potential applicants are encouraged to submit a CV/resume and personal statement outlining interest in the Global MBA and career ambition on a no-fee/consultative basis. Please also feel free to get in touch if you would like to informally correspond with a former JET enrolled on the program.
I often encourage JET alums to learn to use a blog, and I’ve even done some “Learn to Blog” workshops for JET alums (and lawyers too) where I walk people through the set-up, the basics and some of the quirks.
Now there’s apparently a WordPress site that offers a tutorial for setting up a blog and using it. Just go to http://learn.wordpress.com/
Knowing how to use a blog is a great job/communication skill to have in this era. It’s also a great platform for promoting yourself and your skills serving as a portfolio for your abilities and accomplishments if you’re trying to make your way in the freelance world, or trying to bootstrap yourself into a full-time job.
And of course, if you ever want to write for JetWit, it’s extremely helpful on my end if there’s less explaining for me to do in order to enable you to get started contributing to the site.
So take a look if interested and let me know whether it’s helpful. (I haven’t actually reviewed any of the tutorials. But WordPress generally has good quality stuff.) Also note the somewhat JET-relevant title on the main page. :-)
–Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
Founder & Publisher, JetWit.com
Brooklyn, NY
Sales position at New York Mutual Trading, Inc
Food & Drink, Jobs Comments Off on Sales position at New York Mutual Trading, Inc
Ms. Ami Nakanishi, Business Development and Planning Manager of New York Mutual Trading, Inc., contact
ed me regarding a position at her company for a salesperson to target the American market. The candidate should especially have knowledge of Japanese knives, serving dishes, and ingredients, as well as Japanese culture in general. For those interested in applying, please contact Ms. Nakanishi directly at ami[at]nymtc.com or 201-933-9555.
By the way, the Japanese Culinary Center which serves as the showroom of New York Mutual Trading, Inc. and where Ms. Nakanishi works as Event Director, is a great resource for Japanese food culture. I have taken part in many classes there, and it is worth a trip over just to see all the fabulous Japanese items they sell!
By Thien-Kieu Lam (Kagoshima 2003-2006), 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.
Pull open the covers and rows of “flags” pop up in salute! And thus Hedi Kyle’s invention became known as the flag book. With so many pieces, it looks complicated but is relatively easy and fun to assemble. The flag book structure was the focus of my second demo class which met during November and December of last year.
My five dedicated participants are all former residents of Japan. One is a native Japanese, and the others had either taught in Japan or studied there. Over the course of five sessions, the participants created a model of the structure, did writing exercises to generate content, and produced the final product.
Two of the books can be seen in the above picture. Erin’s book (left) focuses on the contrast between the calm and chaos she found in Japan, and Danielle’s book (right) indulges in her love of Japanese onomatopoeia and is accompanied by English haiku.
To see more photos from the class, go to the Bound in Japan blog.
Justin’s Japan: Anamanaguchi, Peelander-Z, Starscream to Rock NYC
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Anamanaguchi headlines New York's The Sudio at Webster Hall Friday, Jan. 14 (Ethan Saks)
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
If you’re looking for new music from New York bands to kick off the new year, your search ends here. This Friday (Jan. 14), The Studio at Webster Hall will host a concert headlined by Anamanaguchi with support by Peelander-Z and Starscream.
If Anamanaguchi’s name is unfamiliar, their sound will whisk you back to the 1980s glory days of the Nintendo Entertainment System. As perhaps the biggest artists of the chiptune genre, the Brooklyn-based foursome tosses punk-flavored electric guitar, bass and drums on top of pop bloops and beeps from a hacked NES and Game Boy that yields retro-futuristic results on disc and onstage. Last year, the group composed the songs for the video game soundtrack based on the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and in November they held a free concert in Union Square to support the controversial alcoholic energy drink Four Loko.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Job: Internship position at Seattle NPO
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Internship position at Seattle NPO
via Jet alum Ben Erickson (Iwate-ken, 2006-08). 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: Civil – Military Disaster Assistance Research Intern
Job Details:
Internship opportunity from Peace Winds America.
Opportunities of position:
For a more detailed description go to:
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/1444982/1693387857/name/Civil-Military%20Disaster%20Assistance%20Research%20Intern%20(2)%20(
Qualifications:
Current graduate student or recent Master’s Degree preferred. Excellent research, analytical, and writing skills. Experience in Asian research, particularly disaster preparedness/relief, humanitarian assistance, civil-military collaboration, or international relations. Knowledge of Japanese or another Asian language is a plus.
How to apply:
Please submit a resume and a cover letter explaining why you would like this position and what specific skills and qualifications you would bring to Peace Winds America to info@peacewindsamerica.org. We anticipate filling the internship immediately.
We expect the intern will work 10 to 20 hours a week for three to six months. The internship begins in January, 2011. Although this position is not paid, through the internship at Peace Winds America you will gain valuable knowledge and experience in the field of nonprofit management and international humanitarian assistance.
Job: Bilingual Assistant for Japanese Food Company (temp)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Bilingual Assistant for Japanese Food Company (temp)
via Actus. 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: Bilingual Assistant for Japanese Food Company (temp)
Job Details:
A Japanese food company is seeking a Bilingual Assistant to attend a trade fair at the end of February.
Job duties will include but not limited to
1. Explain and introduce products to visitors/customers
2. Invite and encourage visitors to sample products
3. Assist communication with customersJob Title: Bilingual Assistant
Job Type: Temporary (February 27th to March 1st)
Qualifications:
Must have enough Japanese skill to be a liaison between the Japanese vendor and American visitors.
Prior to the work, you will be asked to learn and memorize their products.
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $19/hr
How to apply:
Please forward your most recent resume and cover letter as an MS Word attachment to stakeda@actus-usa.com.
Make sure to mention which position you are applying to and your desired salary in your cover letter. We will contact qualified candidates to have a preliminary interview. We are a Japanese staffing agency and currently searching for candidates for the above position at one of our client companies. We look forward to your application. Thank you!
via Jet alum Naomi Basik (Shiga-ken, 2007-08). 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.
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The Global MBA program at Doshisha University will be hosting an information session on their Kyoto (Imadegawa) campus on Saturday, February 12th.
This event is designed for JETs who would like to learn more about the Global MBA program or who are considering submitting an application for 2011 entry.
The Global MBA, launched in September 2009, is taught entirely in English (although those with the requisite language skills may take a limited number of classes in Japanese) on a full-time basis over two years. This program offers an excellent opportunity to gain a high-quality MBA in English, while studying in Japan and is aimed at those interested in pursuing an internationally focused career.
