LIVE YOUR DREAM: The Taylor Anderson Story
Earthquake Tsunami, Film, Fundraising, Interview/Profile, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Video 
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“LIVE YOUR DREAM: The Taylor Anderson Story”is a film project by documentarian Regge Life who is currently seeking support via Kickstarter to help fund the full production of the film.
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
This film is a story about Taylor Anderson and all the young people who travel the world trying to make a difference. Taylor was an extraordinary American who dedicated herself to teaching Japanese children, living her dream right up to the events of March 11, 2011. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan was a disaster that no one could have expected. In my 21 years of working on Japan based projects, I had witnessed earthquakes, but never the devastation of a tsunami.
I had just completed REASON TO HOPE, a film about the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, so I understood all of the events related to the aftermath of an earthquake, but what would be the aftermath when an earthquake was followed by a tsunami and in the case of Japan, a possible nuclear disaster.
CLICK HERE to read more on the Kickstarter site and to help support this project
JET alum recommends Meiji University “Law in Japan Program”
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Seattle-based JET alum Regina Durr (Shimane-ken, 2008-10) got in touch to let JETs and JET alums know about the Meiji University “Law in Japan Program.” Here’s what she has to say:
I participated in the 2010 Law in Japan program at Meiji University between my JET tenure and returning to the States… and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! There was a mix of JETs current and exiting, U.S.A. MBA students, French Master in Law students, interpreters, and ad hoc foreigners who enjoy getting out of their box and into an academic setting.
The Meiji Law in Japan Program was the perfect dive back into academia and the professional career lifestyle immediately after JET. The days are filled with lectures and trips to places such as the Supreme Court, the former Ministry of Justice, a local prison, and even enables you networking opportunities with top, international law firms in Tokyo. I took the course as a cheaper alternative of finding out whether or not I would want to specialize in Japanese Law back in the States. With a brief overview from top experts (even flown in from Washington, D.C.!), I am now finding myself applying to Law School to formalize the training began through this program.
A little background info about me: I am currently a Project Coordinator at the global headquarters of a high-tech consulting company located just outside Seattle, WA. I am active in the Pacific Northwest JET Alumni Association chapter and continue to mentor high school exchange students in the community, while also playing volleyball and completing triathlons.
About the Meiji University “Law in Japan Program”
“Law in Japan Program” is an introductory course for studying Japanese laws, at Meiji University, a private university in Tokyo.
2012 ONLINE APPLICATION FORM is NOW OPEN.
- The 2012 Summer intensive program is from July 23 to August 3, 2012. http://www.meiji.ac.jp/cip/english/programs/law/applications.html (*Application deadline to be extended; to late April*)
- For the 2011 results, please check the Past programs page. http://www.meiji.ac.jp/cip/english/programs/law/past.html
- URL: http://www.meiji.ac.jp/cip/english/programs/law/index.html
- Law in Japan PR Video: http://www.meiji.ac.jp/cip/english/programs/law/index.html
Meiji University Law in Japan Program 2012
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Law in Japan Program
Meiji University School of Law
1-1 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku,
Tokyo, Japan 101-8301
E-mail: law_jp@kisc.meiji.ac.jp
Note: Do you have a post-JET program that you’d like to recommend to other JETs and alums? E-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com and tell us about it.
JQ Magazine: On Japanese Winters and Well Endowed Snowmen
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Preston with his cool creation.
By Preston Hatfield (Yamanashi-ken, 2009-10) for JQ magazine. Preston moved from San Francisco to New York City in January 2012 and is now accepting submissions from people who want to be his friend. Abduct him from his house in the middle of the night, or find him on Facebook and ask about his JET blog in which he details his exploits and misadventures in that crazy Land of the Rising Sun we all love.
On JET it may be true that everyone’s situation is different, but I’d bet my left dango that each of us, for whatever extenuating circumstance, suffered a few restless nights without heat in our rooms. My bone-chilling tale of refrigery and woe took place when 2010 was newly born, in the sweeping valleys of Yamanashi Prefecture. I lived in Kofu’s International Exchange Center, a westernized building converted from an old motel with all the comforts of home: shower, central heating, high speed Internet, furnished everything—which is to say I’d gotten used to a very comfortable lifestyle. I was overdue for a slice of humble sashimi.
I should mention that Kofu is not a cold place. It usually gets one storm where the snow sticks, and even that only lasts a few days. But that means nothing to a California boy. The moment my room dropped below its usual 72 degrees of moderation I knew I was in for it and got my building supervisor on the phone. He showed up a few minutes later, a shrunken old man who’d apparently won the battle against time, for indeed time had already done its worst and still the man was up and (very gradually) at ’em.
“A couple of days,” he told me after examining the fuses. “You’ll have to hang in there until then.” I looked out my window where the sky was semi-busy dropping the one good bit of snowfall we’d have that year. By now I imagined the temperature inside had dipped into the upper 60s and the first stages of hypothermia couldn’t be far off. Neither could the epic hissy fit I was about to throw.
“American View” interview with JETwit publisher Steven Horowitz on JET involvement in Japan’s recovery efforts
Earthquake Tsunami, Interview/Profile, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on “American View” interview with JETwit publisher Steven Horowitz on JET involvement in Japan’s recovery efforts
Update 03.13.12: Realized I neglected to mention in the interview The MUD Project, an ongoing Tohoku relief effort organized by JET alum Colin Rennie (CIR Yamagata-ken, 2007-10).
Update 03.12.12: Here’s the interview translated into Japanese
“American View,” a quarterly magazine published by the Press Office of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, recently interviewed JETwit publisher Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) about the role of JETs and JET alumni in connection with Japan’s recovery efforts following the 3/11 disaster.
American JETs Rally for Japan in Myriad Ways
http://amview.japan.usembassy.gov/en/jet-alumni/
Here’s an excerpt:
American View: What is unique about disaster relief activities by JET program participants and alumni?
Steven Horowitz: The connection we have to the affected areas and to each other. And the language skills and ability to communicate directly with people in the communities. When you work for the school system, you really get connected to the community. You understand how things work, how kids evolve into adults. You’re part of the community. As a result, JETs are able to identify needs and then reach out to a global community to help fill them in unique ways. I think JETs and JET alumni in some ways were better able to identify needs on the ground than some of the larger, more removed relief organizations, and especially with regard to education-related needs.
問 現役・元ＪＥＴ参加者による復興支援活動にはどのような特徴がありますか。
答 被災地との絆やＪＥＴ参加者同志のつながり、そして地元の人たちと直接意思を疎通できる日本語能力があります。学校制度の中で働けば地域社会と真のつながりができます。物事の仕組みや子どもが大人になっていく過程を理解するようになります。地域社会の一員となるのです。ですからＪＥＴ参加者たちは、地域のニーズを見極めた上で国際社会に働きかけ、独自のやり方でそうしたニーズを満たす支援ができます。現場から遠く離れた大規模な支援団体よりも現役・元ＪＥＴ参加者たちの方が、いろいろな点で現場のニーズ、特に教育関係のニーズに関してより確実に把握できると思います。
*CLICK HERE to read the full interview in English
*CLICK HERE for the Japanese version
There’s so much going on in connection with 3/11 that it feels overwhelming to try and capture everything. Life has been busy with all of life’s things, and I realized that I was trying to put off thinking about 3/11 in some important ways. So I finally stopped myself and thought back to March 11, and remembered that initially I was frantically gathering information from every source I could find and trying to organize it in a way that would be helpful to JET alumni, family of JETs, and anyone else outside Japan who was seeking information on people and areas.
The post below is much of the information gathered in real time (at the time) and gradually organized into what I hoped were helpful ways. Reading through it brought back a range of challenging feelings for me as well as a comparative perspective on how things big and small felt then versus now. Feel free to read through and share your own thoughts and memories in the comments section below if you like.
One additional thought: Taylor and Monty, you are not forgotten.
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March 2011
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Map of the Tohuku region in northern Japan and its prefectures
Last update: 10:06 pm NY time March 14. Email jetwit [at] jetwit.com with any updates you’d like to share. (Apologies for delays. I’m taking care of my 14 month old daughter while trying to keep doing things on the computer.)
(10:06 pm) “I talked to a person from the US embassy today. The US has not issued any evacuation for it’s citizens. If you want to escape you have to do it on your own, but they said if we have something we need to call them. I told him food and he said he needs food himself, so everyone is in that situation. We are now strictly rationing our food. Do not expect any help from the US government.”
(9:38 pm) From JET Greg Lekich in Sendai: “Everyone, I’m heading over to the home of Iain Campbell where we will set up a system for dispatching people on the ground to check on people. Will be back online a bit later.”
(9:36 pm) “Report from Furukawa area. Northern rural areas are fine. Furukawa not too bad. Power and communication sitiation though still not reliable.”
(9:32 pm) Iwate Grass Roots Aid Facebook Group
9:05 pm “NEWS on CTV: Japanese government spokesman reporting that many northern communities are still cut off and have not been reached yet :(”
Shiogama (6:27 pm NY time): A photo of Shiogama High School and some of the survivors. http://twitpic.com/49gcsb
Shiogama (via JET alum friend’s FB) (5:53 pm NY time Monday, March 14): Read More
Foundation Center interview with JET alum James Gannon on Rebuilding After the Great Tohoku Earthquake
Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, Interview/Profile, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on Foundation Center interview with JET alum James Gannon on Rebuilding After the Great Tohoku Earthquake
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The below interview appeared in PhilanTopic, the Philanthropy News & Digest blog which is part of The Foundation Center. It’s a really terrific explanation of the situation in Japan from a philanthropy/fundraising/non-profit perspective by Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA), who has become one of the experts in this field.
March 09, 2012
James Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94)
One Year Later: Rebuilding After the Great Tōhoku Earthquake
James Gannon is executive director of the Japan Center for International Exchange/USA, which works to strengthen U.S.-Japan cooperation across a range of fields. Recently, Laura Cronin, a regular contributor to PhilanTopic, spoke with Gannon about the progress of rebuilding efforts in the quake- and tsunami-affected Tohoku region of the country.
Philanthropy News Digest: The earthquake and tsunami affected a four hundred-mile region along the northeastern coast of Japan — an area roughly comparable to the BosWash corridor in the United States. What are conditions in the region like now, a year later? And how have people in the affected region, and the country at large, been changed as a result of the disaster?
James Gannon: Even now, some communities are still disposing of rubble, while things appear almost normal in other, less-hard-hit areas. Compared to the scenes of utter devastation we saw a year ago, there has been extraordinary progress. But if you spend any time in these communities, you realize the depth of the wounds. More than three hundred thousand people are still without homes, and that is weakening traditional community ties. Many of the jobs in the fishing industry, agriculture, and small business have not returned, resulting in high unemployment and all the social problems it brings.
Meanwhile, women who lost family members, men who are ashamed that they can no longer support their families, and children traumatized by the disaster are grappling with mental health issues. The stoicism of the people in the Tōhoku region is stunning — even by Japanese standards — but most acknowledge that the road to recovery will be long.
On the other hand,
CLICK HERE to read the full interview on the PhilanTopic blog.
JETAA USA Quarterly Reports
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Via JETAA USA Country Rep Jessyca Wilcox:
“For those of you who are interested in reading the Quarterly Reports that the Country Reps produce to update you on what’s been going on, you can do so on the jetaausa.com website. Go to, About JETAA >> Quarterly Reports. You can click on the report you are interested in reading. Country Rep Megan Miller has done a nice job summarizing all the JETAA activity at the national level! All three quarters from fiscal year 2011-12 are available and we will be sure to wrap up the year with a Quarter 4 Report as well!”
Job: Several Postings From Idealist.org 3.10.12
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Via Idealist.org. Posted by Geneva Marie (Niigata-ken 2008-09) Geneva is a contributor to both JETwit and JETAANY. Geneva is on a continuous (epic) search for Japanese -related jobs in the United States.
***Note: If you apply for any of these positions, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.*** Research Assistant Posted by: World Resources Institute Type: Full-time Location: Bejing (and pilot cities), China Salary: Competitive Start Date: ASAP http://www.idealist.org/view/job/9CZDbtjZCWmD/ Conversation English Teacher Posted by: Bejing Boao Tongwen International Culture Exchange Center Type: Part-time Location: Beijing, China Salary: 4000RMB to 6000RMB depending on qualifications Start Date: NA
http://www.idealist.org/view/job/JwxMPcTGGFsP/
Teach English in Korea
Posted by: Park English Recruitment Academy Type: Several positions needed – see link below Location: Seoul, South Korea Salary: Varies Start Date: Depends on positionhttp://www.idealist.org/view/job/Kz9f8Wjxg3cp/
Job: Web/Social Media Marketing Assistant, ASAP! (Manhattan, NY) 03.09.12
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Via Pasona. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97).
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Position: Web/Social Media Marketing Assistant
Location: Manhattan , NY
Salary: DOE(Depends on experience)
Hours: 9-5/M-F
Job Description:
– Responsible for strategic sales plans to launch children’s education tools using their website and social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter.
– Aggregate and interpret market research including interview results, survey data, and website responses
– Analyze materials (e.g. toys, books) to anticipate variances in reactions between Japanese and American audiences
– Translate Japanese and English communication between Japanese headquarters and American business partners
If you are interested in this position, please contact at mtakemura@pasona.com /212-551-9581 Read More
Japan Society Allocates Over Half of Earthquake Relief Fund with 4th Round of Grants
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Via Shannon Jowett, Director of Communications for Japan Society of New York:
For Immediate Release
Japan Society Allocates Over Half of Earthquake Relief Fund with 4th Round of Grants
Projects Support Orphan Care, Evacuee Services, Community Building, Child Welfare and More
New York, NY – Japan Society announced today an additional eight grants totaling $1.6 million from its Japan Earthquake Relief Fund(JERF). This latest announcement brings total allocations from the $12.5 million fund to $7.2 million distributed to 19 organizations representing 25 projects that directly serve people affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.
“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, we are pleased with the swift allocations and immediate use of the funds for people in need,” said Motoatsu Sakurai, President of Japan Society. “Over half of the money we’ve received has now been allocated. Moving forward, we will continue to look for opportunities to fund effective projects, including those that serve rebuilding and economic recovery in the region.”
The latest round of allocations supports six new grantees and two previous grantees. Projects range from orphan care, evacuee services and healthcare for people still living in temporary housing, to education workshops throughout Tohoku, promoting creative arts from the region, building a community center, and summer camps for children in Fukushima, which continues to cope with its nuclear crisis.
The organizations receiving grants are:
Job: Program Assistant 03.09.12
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Thanks to JET alum Christy Jones of Japan Society (NY) for sharing. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97).
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Position: Program Assistant
Posted by: Japan Society
Type: Full-time
Location: NY
Salary: NA
Start Date: NA
Link: www.japansociety.org
Responsibilities:
The Program Assistant will work with the Corporate and Lecture Program Officers on managing logistical and administrative aspects of approximately two to three programs per month. He/she will assist in planning, executing, and managing cultural lectures, symposia, and community outreach activities, and interact with leaders and distinguished speakers in the academic and business community, as well as thousands of corporate members.
To Apply: Email your letter of interest and resume to Jane Fenton, Director of Human Resources, at – jobs@japansociety.org. Read More
Job: Assistant Editor/ Translator 03.09.12
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Thanks to JET alum Kia Cheleen for passing this along. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97).
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Position: Japanese Speaking Assistant Editor/ Translator
Posted by: Ex Lion Tamer
Type: Full-time
Location: Chelsea, Manhattan
Start Date: As soon as possible
Link: www.cutieandtheboxer.com
Responsibilities:
Embassy of Japan in the UK Webmagazine (March 2012)
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Embassy of Japan in the UK Webmagazine round-up. Posted by JET alum and current editor of the webmagazine, Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). To subscribe to the Embassy of Japan’s monthly webmagazine, email webmagazine@ld.mofa.go.jp with the subject ‘subscribe’.
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Embassy of Japan in the UK Webmagazine: March 2012
Ambassador’s blog
One year on
Featured article
ONE YEAR ON: SCENES OF RECONSTRUCTION & PICTURES DRAWN BY THE CHILDREN OF TOHOKU
Other articles:
Events around the country as the UK remembers “One year on…”
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
One year on: A JET perspective
Films at the Embassy: Bloom in the Moonlight
Films at the Embassy: Tohoku Special Film Show
JAPAN-UK Events Calendar
ESL To Go: Nashville’s First ESL Mobile Classroom
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By Filmore Ha (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08). Filmore continues to live and work in the Greater Tokyo Area as an FAE and is also webmaster for JETAA Tokyo. He is actively seeking new opportunities in the U.S. or Canada.
Thanks to Terry Vo, JET Program and MEXT Coordinator in Nashville, for sharing this awesome initiative by JET alum Leah Hashinger at the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute.
ESL To Go is Nashville’s first ESL mobile classroom. ESL To Go is a community-driven project designed to take English classes to refugees in the communities where they live. They are currently trying to raise $25,000 in order to purchase the ESL To Go truck which will enable them to provide mobile English lessons to refugees that are unable to attend ESL class due to lack of suitable transportation.
Sounds like a fantastic idea to me! You can learn more about the project and make a contribution to this fantastic idea from their project page over at CrowdRise.
Job: Director of Global Programs 03.08.12
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Thanks to Japan Society (NY) for sharing this listing. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97).
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Position: Director of Global Programs
Posted by: Japan Society, NY
Type: Full-time
Location: NY
Salary: NA
Start Date:
Link: www.japansociety.org
Responsibilities:
Reporting to the President, the Director of Global Programs is responsible for programming and fundraising for the Corporate Program, comprising business-related programs and networking events for corporate members. He/she will also oversee the Read More
