JET alum Professor Emily Metzgar (Courtesy of Indiana University)

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A little over a year ago, we posted a request to the JET alumni community by JET alum Emily Metzgar, Assistant Professor at Indiana University’s School of Journalism, to take part in a survey as part of her research on the impact of the JET Program. (See the original post on JETwit.) Here are the results of Emily’s survey in her paper titled:

“Promoting Japan:  One JET at a time” (PDF)

The paper is about trying to measure Return On JET-vestment.  In its own words, it “attempts to identify various ways in which participation in JET has  affected the lives of alumni and the ways in which this influence may be of benefit to Japan in the medium- to long-term.”

Also, for those interested, there’s a review of Emily’s paper by Dr. Robert Banks on the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy website.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey and helped in other ways.  For anyone who reads the paper, please feel free to share thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Here’s the URL for the paper:  http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/publications/perspectives/CPD_Perspectives_Paper_3_2012.pdf

The Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle is now accepting applications for the following 2013 Japanese Government Scholarships for studying in Japan.

U.S. citizens living in the states of Washington, Montana, and Northern Idaho are eligible to apply at our office.

The application forms are available on our website at: http://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp/

2013 SCHOLARSHIP CATEGORIES:

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Research Student Scholarship
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(Deadline: June 13, 2012)

Covers a one-and-a-half-year to two-year period of graduate research at Japanese universities. The study area must be the same field as the applicant studied or is now studying. Term of scholarship: April 2013 to March 2015 or October 2013 to March 2015. Includes a half-year of Japanese language training for those who need Japanese language training. Applicants need to be less than 35 years of age as of April 1, 2013 and must be university graduates. Those who will be graduating from a university by March or September 2013 may apply.

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Undergraduate Student Scholarship
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(Deadline: June 13, 2012)

Four to seven year scholarship is available to high school graduates who are between 17 to 21 years of age as of April 1, 2013. Includes a one-year Japanese language program at a Japanese language school prior to attending a Japanese university as an undergraduate student. Term of scholarship: April 2013-March 2018. For scholarship grantees majoring in a six-year course in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or pharmacy, the term of the scholarship will be seven years until March 2020.

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Specialized Training College Student Scholarship
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(Deadline: June 13, 2012)

Covers a three-year period of vocational studies in the following areas: (1) Technology (Civil Engineering, Architecture, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Wireless Communication, Computer, Information Processing, Other Subjects), (2) Personal Care and Nutrition (Nourishment, Cooking, Other Subjects), (3) Education and Welfare (Nursery Teacher Training, Nursing Welfare, Social Welfare, Other Subjects), (4) Business (Management, Travel, Business, Other Subjects), (5) Fashion and Home Economics (Harmony Dressmaking, Other Subjects), (6) Culture and General Education (Music, Art, Design, Photograph, Other Subjects).

Includes a one-year Japanese language program at a Japanese language school prior to attending a Specialized Training College. Term of scholarship: April 2013-March 2016. Available to high school graduates who are between 17 to 21 years of age as of April 1, 2013.

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On April 7, 2012, the Japan Commerce Association of Washington, DC (JCAW) will be hosting a symposium on “Global Opportunities through Japanese Language” – The purpose of the Symposium is to provide a networking opportunity for students of Japanese language who want to pursue related careers, and corporations or government agencies interested in hiring American students who speak Japanese and understand Japanese culture.

Please see the link and introduction below for more information and more importantly, to register by 03.23.12!
http://www.jcawf. org/japanese/ program/cherry_ blossom_centenni al/education/ symposium/

As Japanese companies seek to diversify, they are looking to the United States as a valuable resource. This presents an enormous opportunity for students and individuals with all levels of Japanese language skills and cultural understanding. This symposium will explore the possible global HR strategies of Japanese companies, the challenges faced by individuals with Japanese language skills who are presently working with Japanese companies, and the emerging opportunities for students and individuals pursuing Japan-related careers.

* Date: Saturday, April 7, 2012
* Time: 8:00AM Registration Begins to 3:20PM Program (short reception follows)
* Place: Walter E. Washington Convention Center 801 Mt. Vernon Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
* Deadline: Wednesday, March 21, 2012
* Fee: FREE (Must be registered for light breakfast and Lunch)

Please join us at the Symposium on Global Opportunities through Japanese Language, presented by the JCAW Foundation. This one-day event will bring together Japanese corporations, government agencies, and students who are pursuing Japan-related career opportunities. It will explore challenges, possibilities, and benefits learned for all parties involved.

 The University
Doshisha University is widely recognized as one of Japan’s top comprehensive universities, with 15 Faculties and Centers and 15 Graduate Schools. Founded in 1875, it has a distinguished history of education based on the founder’s philosophy of education guided by conscience. Doshisha is one of the top four prestigious private universities in the Kansai (Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto) region, and is one of 13 universities selected by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology for the Global 30 Project for Establishing Core Universities for Internationalization. Doshisha Business School’s English-language Global MBA is a flagship program for the university’s Global 30 participation.

The Business School
Doshisha Business School was established in 2004 to provide Japanese-language MBA education for working managers and executives in the Kansai region. In line with the school’s internationalization strategy, the English-language Global MBA Program was launched in 2009.

Our goal is to establish Doshisha Business School as a center of excellence for business education and research in three areas that are especially relevant to the needs and business environment of the 21st century: Business in Asia, Green Business, and Culture and Creativity. Consistent with our university’s long tradition of “education guided by conscience,” we also aim to make DBS Japan’s leading business school in emphasis on corporate social responsibility. By producing socially responsible business leaders, we seek to contribute to the socio-economic development of 21st-century Asia.

Our location in Kansai places us in one of Japan’s two major business regions and gives us access to companies in both traditional industries (including Kyoto culture-related businesses) and modern ones (including Panasonic, Nintendo, Kyocera, Omron, P&G Japan).

The Program Doshisha’s Global MBA is a two-year, full-time MBA program designed for those who are looking to advance their career and to have a positive impact on the world we live in. Global MBA Program features include: Build your own program in general Business Management or one of our innovative focus areas: Business in Asia, Green Business, and Culture and Creativity – An international student body – An emphasis on social responsibility – Preparation for career opportunities in Japan and abroad – Tuition scholarship available to all international students – A fantastic location

Entry is in September with applications accepted between December and May. Full details about the application process can be found here: http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/ admissions-and-scholarships

The Faculty Doshisha’s Global MBA Program faculty is made up of active researchers with extensive experience in both business and the classroom. Visiting professors from top international business schools offer specialized courses and provide a global perspective. Small class size encourages close interaction between faculty and students, creating a unique and friendly learning environment.
We also boast a capable and hard-working office staff who are dedicated to helping students smoothly deal with administrative matters. Learn more about our faculty here: http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/ about-us/people

 Entry Requirements
To join our program, applicants should have:

- A bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognized college or university – A satisfactory GMAT score – Certificate of proficiency in the English language (where necessary), e.g.: TOEIC – 760 or above, TOEFL – 83 or above (internet), 560 or above (paper), 220 or above (computer), IELTS – 6.0 or above, Cambridge Examination – FCE or above. – A minimum of two years’ full-time work experience (Please contact us directly if you do not satisfy these requirements.) Full details are available in our applications pack available here: http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/ admissions-and-scholarships/ how-to-apply

Application Procedure
Preliminary application If you are interested in applying for the program but would like to consult with us first, we invite you to submit a preliminary application. Our admissions team will put you in touch with one of our professors who will review your application and get back to you within five working days. Simply complete the Preliminary Application form and return it to ji-gmba@mail.doshisha.ac.jp.

No fee is required for the preliminary application. We also ask that you submit a GMAT score (if you have already taken the test) and evidence of English language ability (for non-native speakers).
Formal application Please complete the application form and return it to us via email. Supporting documentation should be sent by post along with the application fee. Please make sure toget all documentation to us by the advertised dates. Full details about the application process can be found in the 2012 applications guide available here: http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/ admissions-and-scholarships/ how-to-apply

Application fee
The non-refundable application fee is 15,000 yen (approx. US$200) for non-Japanese applicants and 35,000 yen for Japanese applicants. Screening of documents Our admissions committee will fully review your application form and supporting documentation on receipt. Applicants who successfully pass this screening stage will be called for interview.

Interviews
Interviews are an important part of the applications process and an opportunity for us to assess your motivation, communication skills, and suitability for the Global MBA. Applicants residing in Japan will be invited to a face-to-face interview while overseas applicants will be interviewed via Skype.
Admissions decision Following the interview, a final decision will be made on your application by the GMBA Admissions Committee and you will be notified of our decision shortly thereafter.

Offer and enrollment Successful applicants will receive an offer letter and are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of 280,000 yen. Once you have accepted your place and paid the deposit, you will then need to complete registration procedures (including immigration procedures for overseas applicants) to secure your place.

Tuition and Fees
The total fee for the Global MBA is 2,928,000 yen, but Reduced-tuition Scholarships available to all international students reduce the tution fees by:

- 30% (for 40% of 2012 entering students), – 50% (for 30% of 2012 entering students), or – 100% (for 30% of 2012 entering students) Full details of tuition and living costs can be found here: http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/ admissions-and-scholarships/ education-costs
Financial Aid Scholarships are available for all international students!
All 2012 entry international students are eligible for a discount of between 30% and 100% on their tuition fees.
- A 100% tuition fee reduction (available to 30% of international applicants) means that the total fees payable for the two-year degree are 720,000 yen. – A 50% tuition fee reduction (available to 30% of international applicants) means that the total fees payable for the two-year degree are 1,824,000 yen. – A 30% tuition fee reduction (available to 40% of international applicants) means that the total fees payable for the two-year degree are 2,265,000 yen.

In addition, we are pleased to be able to offer several scholarship and funding opportunities to promising Global MBA applicants, including the prestigious MEXT scholarship funded by the Japanese government.
Scholarships are allocated to each round of applications. If you are seeking financial support we advise you to apply early, as some funding opportunities may not be available later in the application period.
Assessment and selection is based on past academic and professional performance and/or on financial need. For full details and the latest news on scholarships please visit: http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/ admissions-and-scholarships/ scholarships

Location
A safe, exciting, and fascinating country and one fully integrated into the dynamic Asian economy, Japan is an excellent place to study for your MBA. Doshisha Business School is located in the ancient capital of Kyoto, which lies at the heart of the broader Kansai economy.

Kyoto – ancient capital and modern city Home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Kyoto is the city of choice for innovators, academics, and all those wishing to surround themselves with a fascinating balance of the past, present, and future. While traditional Kyoto draws tourists from all over the globe to its temples and gardens, modern Kyoto offers everything that the resident or visitor could desire: exciting shopping districts, a safe and fun night life, a variety of natural and spiritual pursuits and institutions, and access to Japan’s international hub cities of Osaka and Kobe. The “Kansai” region of Japan (centered around Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe) offers a multicultural environment with China-towns, Korea-towns, and a huge range of cultural and entertainment events.

Kansai – a global business hub With the largest number of manufacturers in the country, Kansai is regarded as the industrial heart of Japan and is deeply connected with the broader Asian economy. Many leading Japanese companies, including Nintendo, Panasonic, Kawasaki, Itochu, Sharp, Daihatsu, Daikin, Kyocera and Omron, were established or are headquartered in the region, and Doshisha Business School maintains strong relationships with local industry. With cutting-edge research institutes and dozens of universities, Kansai is a major R&D center, boasting a large number of high-tech science parks and next-generation industrial clusters. One third of global lithium-ion battery production, for instance, is based in Kansai, and the region’s firms hold a 70% share of the domestic market for solar cells. Many leading multinationals, including AstraZeneca, Bayer Healthcare, P&G, Haier, Recaro and Nestle, have also chosen Kansai as their Japan headquarters.

Accommodation At Doshisha, you will find that the university provides a wide range of student support to help you settle into your new life in Japan. Finding the right place to live is essential for making the most of your time studying and living in Kyoto. We will be happy to introduce you to housing agencies who can provide you with a list of accommodation options to match your budget and lifestyle.
Student Life The Global MBA student body brings together a diverse group of people from all over the world, with various academic and professional backgrounds and a broad range of life experience. Our students have access to a comprehensive support service including career advice, counseling, and advice on living in Kyoto including help with immigration and accommodation issues.

Global MBA student comments Kat Toussaint, USA (JET Alumnus): Having already lived and worked in Japan for several years, I wanted to continue to build on that foundation in a graduate program that understood that international means more than abroad. Doshisha has proved to be the perfect school for gaining a truly international education. With a student body representing 20 countries from 6 continents and professors from all over the geographic and academic world, DBS has afforded me opportunities to learn more than I ever dreamed.

Tirelo Moepswa, Botswana: The diverse nationalities at DBS make studying here an intriguing and unique experience. One gets views from multiple perspectives. The program has a rich global approach, but it also enlightens one on the pitfalls of unsustainable business practices a good learning experience for aspiring global managers. My first year here has equipped me with the ability to look at international business more critically and be more analytical in my views on global issues. The constant interaction with both students and faculty makes the learning process a very enjoyable one.

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.

JET alum and JETwit webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, Nakatsu-shi, 2003-2006) has published a new article about Social Innovation in Brazil. Lee-Sean is a member of JETAA New York, but is currently working in Brazil for a few months. He credits his JET experience as an invaluable resource for his current field of design for social innovation, where he works with cross-cultural communities to create social, cultural, and civic value.

Here is a preview of the article:

Brazil is known for its supermodels, but what about its social innovation models? Besides the economic boom, the country is finding a new groove in the field of digital collaboration and activism.

Last year, I moved from New York to Rio de Janeiro, where Purpose has opened its first overseas office. I have met with local innovators and interacted with all kinds of people on the streets, at the beach, and in botequins (informal bars). These experiences have all enriched my work in social innovation. Besides stimulating my creativity, immersion in a different culture and working in a foreign language have heightened my sense of mindfulness and empathy, reminded me of the virtue of humility, and taught me a few things about what it means to innovate.

Read the rest of the article at Fast Co.Exist.

How has your JET experience helped open doors to other cultures (besides your home culture and Japanese culture)? Are there any other JET alumni out there living in Brazil? Any other JET alumni working in the field of social innovation? Drop us a line in the comments, we would love to hear from you.

By Jessica Kennett Cork (CIR, 1997-2000, Hiroshima-ken)

With the large number of Asians in the U.S., it was hard to overlook the fact that the Year of the Dragon by the lunar calendar began on January 23. But had we been in Japan, January 23 would have passed quite uneventfully. Have you ever wondered why Japan does not recognize the lunar New Year to the extent of its Asian neighbors? And as we approach the Doll Festival (Hina Matsuri), has it ever struck you as odd that this festival is also called the Peach Festival, and yet March 3 is way too early for peach blossoms? The explanation is actually quite fascinating.I am sure that most of you are aware that the Meiji Period (1868 – 1912) was a period of rapid modernization in Japan. The new Meiji government undertook a variety of reforms intended to demarcate the new government from the old and shift the focus of the nation to the emperor. This is why the people of Japan awoke on the ninth day of the Eleventh Month (by the lunar calendar) of Meiji 5 (1872) to the startling news in the form of an imperial decree that the calendar they had been using for over 1,200 years is “false, has no factual basis, and hinders the development of human knowledge,” and the emperor would, in just twenty-three days hence “abolish the old calendar, adopt the solar calendar, and order the realm to obey it for eternity.”

The Meiji oligarchs, of course, were all for adopting the Gregorian calendar. Fukuzawa Yukichi went so far as to comment, “Those who doubt the reasonableness of the calendar reform are surely only the illiterate and uneducated, because anyone who is used to making efforts to learn must approve of it. Therefore, this reform serves as a test to distinguish the wise from the foolish among the Japanese people throughout the country.”  But imagine the chaos that ensued among the general public which, thinking they had another month and a half until the New Year, were suddenly told that the New Year would begin in just three weeks. Asano Baidō’s (1816-1880) commentary catches the public reaction perfectly: “There was no time to make year-end rice cakes, so one had to buy New Year rice cakes at the rice cake shop. Some people put up the kadomatsu [New Year’s decoration] on the second day of the Twelfth Month and some didn’t put it up at all…There were no scenes of blossoming plums by which to write New Year’s poems…The cherry trees were in bloom completely out of sync with the calendar, the harvest moon was gone, and the moon rose on the thirtieth day of the month. The newspaper said that if there was a [visible] moon on the thirtieth day [of the month], then square eggs must exist.”

And the chaos continues today. Because the new calendar was adopted virtually overnight, most people continued to celebrate the old holidays by the new calendar dates without properly converting them first, which caused a disconnect between the calendar date and the proper season.  The gosekku, five holidays brought to Japan from China, were originally celebrated on the seventh day of the first month, the third day of the third month, the fifth day of the fifth month, the seventh day of the seventh month, and the ninth day of the ninth month. This is the reason that even today, the Seven Herbs Festival is celebrated on January 7, in the dead of winter when there are no herbs to collect.  The aforementioned Doll Festival, also known as the Peach Festival, is on March 3, although peaches do not bloom until April. Children’s Day, which originally was a day to pray for the health of sons during the rainy season, is now celebrated May 5, one month before the rainy season begins. The Star Festival, which was celebrated on the night of the first quarter moon (visible only in the afternoon and early evening) so that it does not hinder viewing the stars in the night sky, is now celebrated in most areas on July 7, in the middle of the rainy season and sometimes on full moon nights, often making it impossible to view the stars. The Chrysanthemum Festival is celebrated September 9, although chrysanthemums do not bloom until late autumn.

It is such a shame that most Japanese have forgotten about the lunar calendar because understanding it adds so much to one’s understanding of Japanese culture. How many times have you seen “welcome spring” on a New Year card and wondered why you are welcoming spring in the coldest part of winter? By the lunar calendar, spring starts on the first day of the year.  And without an understanding of the old calendar, classical literature often does not make sense.  Take this line from Poem 61 in the Kokin wakashū: “O cherry blossoms- / even in the longer spring / of this special year / must you refuse once again / to grant us satiety?” But armed with the knowledge that the old calendar had intercalary (leap) months which sometimes caused seasons to be four months long rather than three, the passage makes perfect sense. There are countless examples of this throughout Japanese literature. I encourage you to read up on the lunar calendar – it’s one of the keys to Japan’s past.

Obligatory shameless plug: If you would like to read more about Japan’s lunar calendar, please visit
http://www.dissertation.com/book.php?method=ISBN&book=1612337600

Did you know that scholarships for American students to go abroad have been extended? There is still a chance for students in your area to apply for our 300+ scholarships to have the exchange experience of a lifetime!

Deadlines for Japan summer scholarships have been extended to February 1, 2012 and deadlines for Germany year and semester scholarships have been extended to February 7, 2012. Please spread the word in your area that YFU is actively seeking American teenagers with a sense of adventure to go on scholarship abroad!

Scholarships available include:

• Kikkoman National Scholarship
• Mazda/Nationwide Community Scholarship
• Japan-America Friendship Scholars
• Japan-U.S. Senate Youth Exchange
• Okinawa Peace Scholarship
• Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange
• Stipendium and Stiftung Scholarships
• And more!

All of our scholarship information can be found online at www.yfuusa.org. Please let students know that they can call 1.800.TEENAGE or email admissions@yfu.org if they have any questions.

We’re also always looking for insightful scholarship evaluators – if you would like to help determine who goes on scholarship with YFU, please contact Carla James at cjames@yfu.org.

Thank you for your help in telling students in your area about YFU’s scholarship opportunities!

Mike Finnell

President

R-MC RECEIVES GRANT IN HONOR OF TAYLOR ANDERSON ’08

http://www.rmc.edu/News/11-12-13%20-%20Taylor%20Anderson.Japan%20Foundation.aspx

Randolph-Macon College has received a grant from The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP) to strengthen Japanese Studies, a part of the college’s Asian Studies program, in memory of R-MC alumna Taylor Anderson ’08. Anderson perished during the March 2011 earthquake & tsunami that devastated parts of Japan.

“We are pleased to receive this generous support from The Japan Foundation,” said Randolph-Macon President Robert R. Lindgren. “This grant will help us increase our students’ awareness and appreciation of Japanese culture and will aid the college in laying the groundwork for a lifetime of engagement and exchange with our Japanese neighbors.”

The Japanese Foundation grant, entitled “Honoring the Life, Work, and Good Spirit of Taylor Anderson – Enhancing Japanese Studies at Randolph-Macon College,” will help Randolph-Macon reach its goal of increasing course offerings in Japanese language and culture. The college received $100,000 for this academic year with the anticipation of receiving additional funds during the five year duration of the grant, which will allow for faculty travel to Japan to develop broader course offerings and establish student travel courses to Japan.

R-MC’s Asian Studies Progam will also develop and offer a spring workshop and curriculum website for Virginia elementary, middle, and high school teachers of history, geography, world language, and literature. This seminar workshop will be led by R-MC Professor Todd Munson and provide teachers the opportunity to engage in the study, analysis and discussion of topics related to Japanese history, geography, and culture. It will provide ten hours of instruction and will convene on the Randolph-Macon campus beginning in spring 2012.

The Japan Foundation grant will also support the following Randolph-Macon initiatives in the current academic year:

Taylor Anderson, who had a lifelong love of Japan, graduated from Randolph-Macon College in 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree inInternational Studies and minors in Asian Studies and Political Science. She joined The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program and was assigned to teach in Ishinomaki, Japan. The JET program is one of the world’s largest exchange programs and is aimed at developing strong international relationships between Japan and other nations.

“This grant will help to continue strengthening relationships with a country she loved and Randolph-Macon College,” said Anderson’s father, Andy. We are grateful to both the college and the Japan Foundation for so generously supporting this project in her memory and honor.”

• “A New Framework for US-Japan Development Cooperation“ (PDF)  http://www.jcie.org/researchpdfs/USJapanPapers/Gannon.pdf

Click here for other JCIE papers in the series.

Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules.  He operates a think tank of one, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States.

On December 5, the American Lawyer (aka the AmLaw Daily) published Leichter’s most recent article, “Law School Debt Bubble, Part II: Data Show Feds Will Lend $54.3 Billion to U.S. Law Schools by 2020,” in which he uses American Bar Association data to project the exponential growth of law school debt in contrast to the small number of new lawyer jobs in the U.S.

Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules.  He operates a think tank of one, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States.

On November 22, the American Lawyer (aka the AmLaw Daily) published Leichter’s most recent article, “Law School Debt Bubble: Aggregate Law School Grad Debt Grew $475 Million Between 2008 and 2010,” in which he uses U.S. News and World Report and American Bar Association data to illustrate the ever-increasing growth in law school debt graduates have taken on even though law jobs have been disappearing for decades.

Links to Leichter’s previous AmLaw articles can be found here.

So, do any JETs/JET alums/other readers have any insights or perspectives to share for an American student who wants to go off to study at a Japanese university in lieu of a U.S. university?

Please post responses in the comments section of this post.  Or feel free to e-mail them to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

JET alum and JETwit webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, Nakatsu-shi, 2003-2006) recently appeared in the Fast Company article “An MFA Degree For Designers Who Want To Change The World” by Michael J. Coren.

So you want to change the world? Cynics may send you off to Wall Street or a white-shoe law firm. Those with gumption will look for another way. The new Master’s of Fine Arts in Design for Social Innovation has opened its doors just for them.

“We’re adamant this not be a program where people sit in a classroom and talk about how great it’s going to be when they go out and change the world,” says program chair Cheryl Heller at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York, and a board member of PopTech. “It is helping designers go beyond self-expression, which is how most designers are taught, and how to put [design] into practice to create a change.”

Read the full Fast Company article here.

Lee-Sean, a faculty member in the department, is reaching out to the JET community and encouraging returning JETs and alumni to apply to the MFA Design for Social Innovation program.  The program is for applicants from a broad range of backgrounds with an interest in design and social innovation, and not just those with college degrees or prior professional experience in design.  Email leesean@purpose.com with inquiries, and apply here.  The deadline for applications is January 15, 2015 for Fall 2012 enrollment.

Photo: Lee-Sean with fellow MFA Design for Social Innovation faculty member Alessandra Orofino.

Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules.  He operates a think tank of one, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States.

The popular lawyer periodical, the Am Law Daily, ran an article I wrote, titled, “Media Outlets Claiming ‘Law Is no Longer a Golden Ticket’ Conceal Decades of a Profession in Decline.” In it I use Bureau of Economic Analysis data, charts, and animations to demonstrate that the legal sector of the U.S. economy stagnated about 20 years ago, and along with increasing law school tuition creates a crisis for legal education in the United States.

Harvard history professor Ian Miller (Miyagi-ken, Miyako-shi)

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Thanks to a recent conversation with Peter Kelley, President of the National Association of Japan-America Societies, I just learned of this New York Times article by Harvard history professor and JET alum Ian Miller (Miyagi-ken, Miyako-shi) which ran March 19, 2011.

Bitter Legacy, Injured Coast

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/opinion/20miller.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1

By IAN JARED MILLER

Cambridge, Mass.

THE rugged Sanriku Coast of northeastern Japan is among the most beautiful places in the country. The white stone islands outside the port town of Miyako are magnificent. The Buddhist monk Reikyo could think of nothing but paradise when he first saw them in the 17th century. “It is the shore of the pure land,” he is said to have uttered in wonder, citing the common name for nirvana.

Reikyo’s name for the place stuck. Jodogahama, or Pure Land Beach, is the main gateway to the Rikuchu Kaigan National Park, a crenellated seashore of spectacular rock pillars, sheer cliffs, deep inlets and narrow river valleys that covers 100 miles of rural coastline. It is a region much like Down East Maine, full of small, tight-knit communities of hardworking people who earn their livelihoods from tourism and fishing. Sushi chefs around the country prize Sanriku abalone, cuttlefish and sea urchin.

Today that coast is at the center of one of the worst disasters in Japanese history. Despite the investment of billions of yen in disaster mitigation technology and the institution of robust building codes, entire villages have been swept out to sea. In some places little remains but piles of anonymous debris and concrete foundations.

I taught school in Miyako for more than two years in the 1990s, and it was while hiking in the mountains above one of those picturesque fishing villages that I came across my first material reminder of the intricate relationship between the area’s breathtaking geography, its people — generous and direct — and powerful seismic forces.

On a hot summer day a group of middle-school boys set out to introduce me to their town, a hamlet just north of Pure Land Beach. While I started up the steep mountainside the children bounced ahead of me, teasing me that I moved slowly for someone so tall. “Are you as tall as Michael Jordan, Miller-sensei?” yelled one boy as he shot past me up the trail.

“Not quite,” I told him, pausing on a spot of level ground to look out over the neat collection of tile roofs and gardens that filled the back of a narrow, high-walled bay.

“What is this?” I asked, pointing to a mossy stone marker that occupied the rest of the brief plateau. A chorus of young voices told me that it was the high-water mark for the area’s biggest tsunami: more than 50 feet above the valley floor.

“When was that?” I asked, but the boys couldn’t say. They had learned about it in school, they said, but like children everywhere they had little sense of time. Everything seemed like ancient history to them, but the thought of a wave reaching so high over the homes of my friends sent a chill down my spine, and I began to investigate the region’s history.

A major tsunami has hit the Sanriku Coast every few decades over the last century and a half. Waves swept the area in 1896, 1933 and 1960. The small monument was put there, high above the village, to mark the crest of the 1896 tsunami. The wave killed more than 20,000 people. The boys’ village, a place called Taro, was almost entirely destroyed. Seventy-five percent of the population died.

The force of those waves was amplified by the area’s distinctive geography. The same steep valley walls and deep inlets that make Sanriku so beautiful also make its villages and towns especially hazardous. The valleys channel a tsunami’s energy, pushing swells that are only a few feet high in the open ocean up to stunning heights. Fast-moving water topped 120 feet in one village in 1896.

In a landscape where earthquakes are a regular occurrence but major tsunamis happen irregularly, people naturally forget. The small monument — one of several commissioned for towns up and down the coast — was a mnemonic whose purpose was not commemoration but vigilance. “When there is an earthquake, watch for tsunami,” reads the rather practical poem engraved into one such slab.

Japan became a modern industrial state between the 1896 tsunami and the next major one, in 1933. The country’s radio and newspapers brought the story of rural fisher-folk swept out to sea to metropolitan audiences. Three thousand people died in the disaster and the humanitarian crisis elicited strong feelings of sympathy. The Sanriku region was portrayed as the nation’s heartland, a place where tradition remained intact, and the disaster threatened that preserve. Once again, Taro was particularly hard hit: all but eight of its homes were destroyed and nearly half of the village’s population of 1,800 souls went missing. The hamlet became an embodiment of agrarian loss.

It is paradoxical that the response to this threat to traditional ways was the application of cutting-edge engineering and technology. A huge concrete seawall was planned for Taro. Completed in 1958, that wall, 30 feet high at points, stretches over 1.5 miles across the base of the bay.

Faith in technology over nature appeared to be vindicated in 1960 with the great Chilean earthquake, a 9.5-magnitude quake that remains the largest ever recorded, which set off a Pacific-wide tsunami that killed 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii, before surging unannounced into the Sanriku Coast seven hours later. More than 120 Japanese died, but Taro remained largely unaffected, safe behind its sluice gates and concrete wall. Based in part on this success, a new program of coastal defense was initiated.

The Sanriku Coast is now one of the most engineered rural coastlines in the world. Its towns, villages and ports take shelter behind state-of-the-art seawalls and vast assemblages of concrete tetrapods designed to dissipate a wave’s energy. The region is home to one of the world’s best emergency broadcast systems and has been at the forefront of so-called “vertical evacuation” plans, building tall, quake-resistant structures in low-lying areas.

In 2003 Taro announced that it would become a “tsunami preparedness town.” Working with teams from the University of Tokyo and Iwate University, the town instituted a direct satellite link to accelerate the arrival of tsunami warnings. Public education was expanded and mayors from other towns visited to study this model village. Detailed maps showing projected maximum tsunami heights — using 1896 as a baseline — informed the selection of evacuation markers: a reassuring thick line defined the projected maximum reach of a tsunami. Evacuation sites were placed above that line on the maps. Similar calculations were made up and down the coast.

The lines were drawn in the wrong place. Despite the substantial infrastructure and technological investments in Sanriku, the wave on March 11 overwhelmed large portions of Taro and Miyako. Some of the evacuation points were not high enough. The walls were not tall enough. And the costs are still being tallied.

Thousands of people are missing along this beautiful, injured coast, hundreds in the town that I called home. I am still waiting to hear from one of the groomsmen from my wedding, the owner of Miyako’s best coffee shop and a sometime reader of this newspaper. Google’s people-finder app tells me he is alive, but I have no idea where he is or how our other friends fared. As for those rambunctious boys and all of my other students, I can only hope for the best.

Technology allowed me to learn my friend’s fate. It has also helped to inspire a worldwide humanitarian response. It may be, however, that a greater application of technology in the same direction is not the answer to the problems posed by the March 11 tsunami. As a historian, I am forced to recognize that there is nothing purely natural about this catastrophe. It is the result of a far longer negotiation between human culture and physical forces. Disasters have the counterintuitive tendency to reinforce the status quo. As the terrifying events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant continue to underline, there are very real costs to an uncritical application of technology.

I look forward to returning to my old Japanese home, but I also look forward to finding something new and different when I make that journey.

Thanks to Japan Society of Boston President Peter Grilli for passing this on:

July 19, 2011

The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation

and

The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership

Announce Recruitment for the Second Group of Participants for the

“U.S.-Japan Network for the Future” Program

[JETwit note: FYI, JET alum David Boling was recently appointed Deputy Executive Director at the Mansfield Foundation.]

The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, after a successful inaugural program, are pleased to announce the recruitment of a new group of participants for the “U.S.-Japan Network for the Future” program.  This program was launched in 2009 to foster a new generation of Japan specialists.  The inaugural group of fifteen Network participants has met regularly throughout 2010 and 2011 to build their knowledge of Japan, their policy expertise, and their contacts in Japan-related policy circles.   The Foundation and CGP are pleased to make this opportunity available to a second group of emerging Japan specialists.

Purpose of the Program

The purpose of the “U.S.-Japan Network for the Future” program is to identify American professionals who demonstrate an interest in and potential for becoming Japan specialists and policy intellectuals and to support them in this effort. The network will include Japan specialists from all regions of the U.S. with diverse expertise and perspectives and the ability to participate constructively in the bilateral policymaking process and to contribute to U.S.-Japan understanding. The program seeks to nurture a new generation of scholars and professionals working on the following policy areas: U.S.-Japan security relations; U.S.-Japan economic relations; regional cooperation; issues where the two countries confront common domestic challenges (such as aging societies or income inequality); and issues where the two countries have opportunities to work together to resolve global challenges (such as climate change or food security).

Eligibility and Terms

Applicants must be American citizens or permanent residents who are currently and actively involved in the U.S.-Japan dialogue and have a working knowledge of the Japanese language,  The program is targeted at scholars with a professional interest in Japan, and professionals who have a strong engagement with Japan and who have work experience in policy-relevant fields.  In addition to having an interest in public policy, successful applicants will be able to demonstrate their interest in and potential for becoming future leaders in the U.S.-Japan relationship.

Because we are seeking to identify a future generation of leaders, our preference is for candidates in the mid-career stage.  In the academic context, normally this translates into scholars at the advanced assistant or early associate professor levels.  Policy professionals should have a Master’s degree and at least five years of Japan and Asia experience.

Participants must be fully dedicated to the two-year program and able to participate in all scheduled meetings.  Network participants will be expected to participate in:  a two-day workshop in Washington, D.C. (January 2012); a week-long meeting in Washington, D.C. (June 2012); a two-day retreat in Montana (autumn 2012); a week-long Japan study trip (June 2013); and a January 2014 public symposium and current issues panel discussions.

Throughout the two-year program, participants will be expected to: develop their network of contacts; engage with other Network members; engage others in the academic and policy fields with what they have learned about Japan; prepare for and actively participate in the program’s meetings, workshops, and study trip; participate in group activities and support the program’s larger goals and objectives; conduct independent research on key issues of particular interest to them; produce op-ed pieces and commentary/blog posts on important policy issues in U.S.-Japan relations; and produce and seek to publish or otherwise disseminate a brief policy paper.  Network participants will present their papers and discuss current issues in the region during the last meeting, the January 2014 public symposium in Washington, D.C.

Financial support for those selected is limited to coverage of travel, accommodations, and meal expenses associated with participation in program meetings and study trips. Program participants may be eligible to compete for cash awards contingent upon publication of their pieces.

Applications and Selection

For an application and application instructions, please go to: http://www.mansfieldfdn.org/programs/networkforthefuture.htm.

Applications are due October 3, 2011 and can be submitted electronically to hr@mansfieldfdn.org or by mail to: The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, 1401 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 740, Washington, D.C. 20005.  Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee and participants will be announced by mid-November, 2011.  The Foundation and CGP will select up to fifteen Network participants for this program.

For further information, please contact Sam Dundon, Program Associate, The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, (202)-347-1994.

Organizers

The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation is a 501(c) 3 organization that promotes understanding and cooperation in U.S.-Asia relations. Maureen and Mike Mansfield’s values, ideals and vision for U.S.-Asia relations continue through the Foundation’s exchanges, dialogues, research and educational programs, which create networks among U.S. and Asian leaders, explore the underlying issues influencing public policies, and increase awareness about the nations and peoples of Asia.  The Foundation has offices in Washington, D.C.; Tokyo, Japan; and Missoula, Montana.  Please visit the website at http://www.mansfieldfdn.org/

The Center for Global Partnership (CGP) is a part of the Japan Foundation which is a Japanese Independent Administrative Institution (Dokuritsu Gyosei Hojin). To enhance dialogue and interchange between Japanese and U.S. citizens on a wide range of issues, CGP operates grant programs as well as self-initiated projects and fellowships. CGP has offices in Tokyo, Japan and New York, New York. Please visit the website at http://www.cgp.org

ome of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.

Last week New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman profiled the Harvard University political philosopher Michael J. Sandel.  This professor’s classes were picked up by PBS and made into a television program that has attracted worldwide attention.  Last year, Japan’s NHK TV broadcast a translated version of the series, which sparked a philosophy craze in Japan and prompted the University of Tokyo to create a course based on Sandel’s.

As Friedman details, the PBS series is now available at http://www.justiceharvard.org, and here you can find a thought-provoking discussion of the ethical and global implications of the 2011 Japanese earthquake and nuclear disaster among students in Tokyo, Shanghai, and at Harvard. 

It is interesting to see Japanese students voicing their opinions in a proactive way, and I am curious to see what kind of feedback the university course has received since being introduced.

CLICK HERE to join the

JET Alum Academics LinkedIn Group.

*Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JetWit. Thanks.

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The Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle is now accepting applications for the following 2012 Japanese Government Scholarships for studying in Japan.

2012 SCHOLARSHIP CATEGORIES:

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Research Student Scholarship
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(Deadline: June 3, 2011)

Covers a one-and-a-half-year to two-year period of graduate research at Japanese universities. The study area must be the same field as the applicant studied or is now studying. Term of scholarship: April 2012 to March 2014 or October 2012 to March 2014. Includes a half-year of Japanese language training for those who need Japanese language training. Applicants need to be less than 35 years of age as of April 1, 2012 and must be university graduates. Those who will be graduating from a university by March or September 2012 may apply.

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Undergraduate Student Scholarship
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(Deadline: June 3, 2011)

Four to seven year scholarship is available to high school graduates who are between 17 to 21 years of age as of April 1, 2012. Includes a one-year Japanese language program at a Japanese language school prior to attending a Japanese university as an undergraduate student. Term of scholarship: April 2012-March 2017. For scholarship grantees majoring in a six-year course in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or pharmacy, the term of the scholarship will be seven years until March 2019.

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Specialized Training College Student Scholarship
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(Deadline: June 3, 2011)

Covers a three-year period of vocational studies in the following areas: (1) Technology (Civil Engineering, Architecture, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Wireless Communication, Computer, Information Processing, Other Subjects), (2) Personal Care and Nutrition (Nourishment, Cooking, Other Subjects), (3) Education and Welfare (Nursery Teacher Training, Nursing Welfare, Social Welfare, Other Subjects), (4) Business (Management, Travel, Business, Other Subjects), (5) Fashion and Home Economics (Harmony Dressmaking, Other Subjects), (6) Culture and General Education (Music, Art, Design, Photograph, Other Subjects).

Includes a one-year Japanese language program at a Japanese language school prior to attending a Specialized Training College. Term of scholarship: April 2012-March 2015. Available to high school graduates who are between 17 to 21 years of age as of April 1, 2012.

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Scholarship Benefits
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1. Monthly stipend
(150, 000 yen~ for Research Student Scholarship)
(123, 000 yen~ for Undergraduate and Professional Training College Scholarships)
2. Travel expenses to and from Japan
3. Exemption of school fees for entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition

(Details may subject to change)

Applications forms are available on our website at: http://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp

If you have any questions, please contact:

Consulate-General of Japan
Scholarship Desk
E-mail: education@cgjapansea.org
Phone: 206-682-9107 ext.135

We look forward to receiving your application!

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Consulate-General of Japan
601 Union Street, Suite 500
Seattle, WA 98101 U.S.A.

http://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp