Aug 30

WIT Life #373: Discovering Isamu Noguchi in Philly

Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations. I’ve been on the road for the majority of this month interpreting […]


Jul 12

JQ Magazine: J-POP Summit Festival Returns to San Francisco with Music, Fashion, Film

. By Sam Frank (Wakayama-ken, 2004-06) for JQ magazine. Sam is the webmaster at the Jewish Community Federation in San Francisco. Japan is a country that likes to borrow from another culture and make it their own. Punk rock, Spaghetti Westerns, and baseball are just a few things Japan has adopted over the years, and in 2009, the J-POP […]


Mar 28

JQ Magazine: Concert Review – L’Arc~en~Ciel Take Madison Square Garden by Storm

  By Sam Frank, an ALT who taught English in Hiraizumi-Cho, Iwate-ken, from 2002-04 and worked in Shirahama-cho, Wakayama-ken as a JET from 2004-06, for JQ magazine. He currently manages the New York division of UnRated magazine and works as a project manager/Web producer at Arrow Root Media. A few years ago I went to the […]


Sep 6

JQ Magazine: DVD Review — ‘Live from Tokyo’ Explores Music’s Japanification

  By Sam Frank, an ALT who taught English in Hiraizumi-Cho, Iwate-ken, from 2002-04 and worked in Shirahama-cho, Wakayama-ken as a JET from 2004-06, for JQ magazine. He currently manages the New York division of UnRated magazine and works as a project manager/Web producer at Arrow Root Media. When it comes to cultural diversity, Japan has […]


May 27

X Japan’s Yoshiki Takes Manhattan, Meets JET Alums

On May 23, X Japan mainman Yoshiki–who is widely regarded as Japan’s premier rock musician–was in New York City to promote his weekly “Yoshiki Radio” show, which launches on SiriusXM’s Boneyard (channel 38) tonight at 8:00 p.m. Fujisankei (FCI) News was there, and they interviewed JET alumni Sam Frank of UnRatedNYC and JQ magazine editor/Japanese Culture Examiner Justin […]


May 11

JQ Magazine: Brooklyn’s Cherry Blossom Festival Turns 30!

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 […]


Apr 23

Japan Society Presents Hikashu & Tomoe Shinohara in Concert

The Japan Society will be hosting an upcoming concert featuring J-techno pop band  Hikashu & Tomoe Shinohara on May 13.  50% of all ticket sales from this event will go to Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund. Click Here to find out more information about the show. Posted by Sam Frank, an ALT who taught English […]


Apr 19

Via AJET: Every year National AJET recognises some of the outstanding contributions JET participants have made to their local communities. If you know an individual or prefectural AJET chapter that fits this profile, please nominate them for one of the categories listed. Self-nomination is encouraged, so don’t be shy – go for it! For more […]


Mar 21

How bloggers can help Japan through the tough times

It’s amazing to see how everybody in America is thinking of unique ways to help Japan in this time of crisis. People are taking to the streets asking for donations (myself included), there are communities doing translations for towns and villages across the region, and now wibiya, an app for bloggers, has developed a tool […]


Mar 18

Consulate General of Japan in New York Accepting Donations

Dear all, ●The Consulate General’s account to receive financial donation: please go to the link below; http://www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/t/2011/110315_02.html ●The Consulate General of Japan in New York wishes to inform you that a book of condolences for the victims of the recent Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake will be open for people to express their sympathies on the following […]


Mar 17

After his hometown of New Orleans was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina the Japanese government offered material and monetary assistance that surpassed $1 million and that included tents, blankets, power generators and portable water tanks. Japan also provided $200,000 to the American Red Cross to aid hurricane victims. Now former Fukushima Prefecture, Iwaki City JET from […]


Mar 16

Volunteer translators are needed to go to Japan to help with the aftermath of Japan’s earthquakes & tsunami, as international rescue teams have communication difficulties. Here is a message from the Tokyo Translation Academy: If you’d like to translate this piece yourself click here and drop the text in: 東日本大震災救援、「通訳ボランティア」募集!!! (この募集は、ご友人・知人にも、なるべく多くご転送下さ い。)


Aug 3

JQ Magazine: Nippon in New York — Liberty City Anime Con, Miyavi, ‘Millennium Actress’

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe–shi, 2001-02). Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here. In the dog days of summer, it’s best to escape the heat in a place that’s cozy and cool. For those into Japan-related cultural events, this month offers a diverse selection of film premieres […]


Jul 10

Job Burnout Worksheet

Emily Frank (Hokkaido, 1993-1996) is a professional career counselor and coach who has worked with and helped JET alumni all over the world. Her website is www.DenverCareerCatalyst.com. Job Burnout Worksheet Are you struggling with a decision about whether it’s time to leave your job or not?  This worksheet will help you decide if you’re really […]


Dec 16

Hospitality Jobs

Emily Frank (Hokkaido, 1993-1996) is a professional career counselor and coach who has worked with and helped JET alumni all over the world. Her website is www.DenverCareerCatalyst.com. Today, she has provided some information regarding Hospitality Jobs! Worked Overseas? Don’t Forget about Hospitality Jobs! Parle that français. If you worked overseas in any capacity, chances are […]


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