WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
The group I was interpreting for this time returned to Japan yesterday, and I have been enjoying the last destination on our program: Hawaii! After a week of surf and sun I can’t say that I am particularly looking forward to leaving, but I suppose all good things must come to an end. One stop I knew I had to make while here was Kansai Yamato, a mochi maker located in the Ala Moana mall. It’s fun to watch them make and pack the mochi before your eyes at their small stall. Like the stores profiled in my recent writeup about wagashi in LA’s Little Tokyo, this establishment also has some pretty funky mochi flavors. When I went today, I counted 12 atypical varieties in addition to the standard ohagi, sakura mochi, kinako mochi, etc.
Some of the more un
usual types were mango, honeydew and Hawaii gentei Kona coffee daifuku, but I wasn’t brave enough to try any of those. Instead I stuck with Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
A thought-provoking article in Salon regarding Japanese reactions at home to President Akio Toyoda’s Congressional testimony and apology to dealers. It describes how the populace was moved by him getting choked up when addressing the latter, but also that the Japanese can be fickle in their acclaim for someone. I found it interesting as I am currently traveling as an interpreter for a seven-person group of political aides, and they are overwhelming in their opinion that Japan is getting the short end of the stick regarding this situation.
At one dinner they expressed difficulty in understanding Read More
*************************
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
I just started an assignment as an interpreter for a delegation of young political leaders from Japan, divided about evenly between members of the LDP and the DPJ as well as one journalist. Over our first dinner tonight it was interesting to hear their respective viewpoints regarding various issues, especially ones that are personal to them. For example, one DPJ rep and one LDP rep were having a friendly debate regarding day care. Both of these men have wives who work and 3-year old daughters, and as they live in the Tokyo area child care options are limited. There are not enough facilities to meet current needs, and those that exist are deluged by requests leading to long waiting lists.
As part of the Manifesto, the DPJ has proposed the implementation of a 子供手当て (kodomo teate) of 26,000 yen per month to provide financial aid to those who have a child. The LDP, on the other hand, does not advocate this and thinks this money should instead be put toward Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
An interesting article this week in Slate analyzed the intricacies of the Japanese bow and its various gradations. It was in reference to the apology by Toyota President Akio Toyoda at a press conference last week regarding the company’s massive vehicle recall. His chosen bow was a keirei, or 30-degree tilt to show respect, though some say he should have opted for a saikeirei, or full 45- to 90-degree bow intended to show the greatest veneration or humility.
With the amount of damage control that Toyota needs at this point, perhaps it is true that Toyoda should have overshot with a deeper bow. However, critics were likely placated by yesterday’s news that Toyoda will testify before Congress regarding the recalls, something he had previously said he had no intention of doing. The threat of being subpoenaed by investigators seemed to have persuaded him to accept the formal invitation issued by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that followed an informal one. It remains to be seen how reassuring his testimony will be to the American public.
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Recently the news ran a piece about the popularity of Japanese foods that are mocchiri, meaning heavy in a way similar to mochi. Evidently it is a Kansai-ben term that combines mochi mochi shita, sticky or springy, and dosshiri shita, heavy or solid. The top three reasons consumers cited for liking mocchiri goods were their texture, the ability to make them feel full and the attraction to items with mocchiri or mochi mochi in the name. In addition, they seem to provide a sense of comfort.
Many manufacturers are capitalizing on this mood by increasing their products that contain such descriptors. For example, a taiyaki maker with Read More
Adventures of a Stealth Gaijin
By Ann Chow (ALT, Hyogo-ken, 2007-2009), a New York City-based JET alum currently seeking copy editing/proofreading/production editing jobs in news or book publishing. Email jetwit [at] jetwit.com if you would like to get in touch with her.
E is for Elementary School
E is for elementary school.
Elementary school in Japan is for students between the ages of 6-12, and they are easily spotted by the backpacks, called randoseru, that they carry. Sometimes, they wear sailor uniforms. Sometimes, they don’t. My students didn’t.
When I first arrived in Japan, the BoE I worked for told me I would be working at 2 junior high schools and 3 elementary schools. It was pretty standard for the ALTs working in my town, and I had no complaints except that one of my elementary schools was clear across town, 35 minutes or so by bike, and I wasn’t the ALT who lived closest to it.
Sometime in December of my first year there, I was told I would have to visit another elementary school. There was already another ALT who visited, but the teachers wanted extra lessons, so they added me on to the roster. On my first visit to that school, I was running late because I realized the main entrance to the school wasn’t on the main road, but on a back street behind the sports field and a construction site for new housing. It really didn’t help that they were Read More
****************************
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
In Japan measures are being taken to address the phenomenon of 畳離れ (tatami banare), or moving away from tatami. Many of us probably saw it when we lived over there, as friends’ houses were largely Western style except for the token 和室 (washitsu), or Japanese style-room. In order to make sure this integral part of the culture does not disappear, a certification has been created for eligible tatami craftsman which gives them the title of “doctor.”
One such craftsman in the prefecture of Tochigi, who estimates that over the last 29 years he has worked on 
more than 120,000 mats, received his certification just last year. He is now called a 「畳ドクター」 (tatami doctor), a designation that he admits he is not quite used to. However, like an MD he Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Last night I went to an event at Japan Society entitled “Wasabi on a Hot Dog?” which discussed the incorporation of Japanese ingredients and cooking styles into non-Japanese food. The speakers were Michael Anthony, executive chef of Gramercy Tavern, and Craig Koketsu, Executive Chef at Park Avenue Autumn/Winter, and the discussion was moderated by NYT Dining section reporter Julia Moskin. They both spoke of the importance of seasonality as a Japanese concept that they have introduced, which is said to be revolutionary but really is at the root of all cooking. It was interesting to hear about Anthony’s time training with a female chef at a French bistro in Tokyo, and of Koketsu growing up in California as a third-generation Japanese-American and how this has affected his work.
However, by far the greatest contribution of the evening was the off the cuff remarks Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Nice to be back in chilly New York, but a bit of an adjustment after the final stop on my business trip last week being balmy LA. I always love going to this southern California destination for the chance to visit Little Tokyo! Besides great cultural institutions such as the Japanese American National Museum and the Geffen MOCA, it has delicious mochi flavors that I am yet to find here in the city. My first two stops when in town are always the sweet shops carrying these creations, Mikawaya in the Japanese village and Fugetsu-do on the main drag.
The more expansive Mikawaya carries a greater selection of mochi, including Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Quick follow-up to my last post re. the Okinawa base debate. An editorial in yesterday’s NYT discusses the importance of a meeting that will take place this week between the Obama administration and two visiting Japanese senior officials. The article urges both countries to not let this contentious issue get in the way of their valuable alliance. It will be interesting to see what emerges from these security talks.
Also check out Roger Cohen’s editorial in today’s Times which talks about the imagined results of a future America (circa 2040) that has withdrawn from world affairs (or been supplanted by China in this role). He discusses the frightening ramifications in regard to Japan and the Asian region in the middle of the article. Happy reading!
**************************
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
This Sunday’s Times carried an interesting article about the shifting nature of the respective relationships between Japan and the US (日米関係 (Nichibei kankei)) and Japan and China (日中関係 (Nicchuu kankei)), and the seeming diplomatic displacement of the former by the latter. As an example, it discusses the tension regarding the Futenma U.S. Marine base issue when Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates went to Japan last fall, in contrast to the red carpet treatment that a Japanese delegation to China received two months later. It is said that within the current government there is frustration with the U.S.’s “occupation mentality,” the Obama administration’s high-handed attitude in the heated dispute over the relocation of this base.
Not only are there ripples in the formerly smooth-sailing Japan-U.S. relationship, but there is a Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
My travels currently bring me to Rochester, NY, and this morning at the local museum and science center I encountered an unexpected aspect of grassroots exchange between Japan and America. My Japanese guests and I met with Mr. George McIntosh, Director of Collections, and headed down into the vault to get a closer look at the Japanese Ambassador Doll housed there. Her name is Tamako and she hails from Nagasaki Prefecture, and she was part of a gift from Japan in return for nearly 13,000 friendship dolls sent over in early 1927 by the Committee on World Friendship Among Children. 
This committee was formed by Dr. Sidney Gulick in 1926 as a reaction to restrictive American Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Interesting intersection of American pop culture and Japanese culture on two back-to-back episodes of 30 Rock last night. In the first one, James Franco (who manages to be amazing in everything he does) playing himself talks of his knowledge of “moe” before whipping out his very own body pillow girlfriend Kimiko. In a later scene the morning after he and Liz spend the night together, they both emerge in their pajamas, him holding Kimiko. This strange threesome freaks out Liz’s cousin who is staying at her place.
In the next episode, Frank refers to a high frequency sound used in Japan to chase away kids loitering in front of conbini, and then uses it on Jenna. I have never heard of this tactic being employed in Japan, anyone else?
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
I recently came across this article from the end of last year in the Economist that discusses how deeply rice is embedded in Japanese society. Some aspects like the designation of Emperor Akihito as Japan’s “rice-farmer-in-chief” are humorous, and the in-depth look at the history of this crop that is so central to Japanese culture is fascinating. The author’s description of a rice-producing area of Niigata suffering from a rural exodus is vividly drawn, and interviews with some of the residents are eye opening. While reading the article I kept flashing back to my experience of doing Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her 
own observations.
Today’s NYT features an interesting editorial from Joseph Nye about the Okinawa base location issue threatening this year’s 50th anniversary of the US-Japan Security Treaty. This Harvard professor and former assistant secretary of defense coined the term “soft power,” but his article focuses on how he believes our hard power should be used in regard to this matter. Basically he is urging us to not throw the baby away with the bath water, and advocates a more patient and strategic approach in order to prevent “a second-order issue [from threatening] our long-term strategy for East Asia.” PM Hatoyama (who Nye describes as being “caught in a vice”) wants to push off resolving this issue until May, but we’ll see what the new year (decade!) brings.
In weather news, we are experiencing quite a cold winter and Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
アケオメ！ I hope everyone had a super New Year’s celebration and that you are ready for 2010, aka the Year of the Tiger (toradoshi). Yesterday I had the chance to have some belated osechi ryouri and it was well worth the wait! Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo kicked off the new year with its first auction where appropriately enough torafugu (tiger blowfish) was being sold at prices of 10,000 yen each, cheaper than usual. Maguro (tuna), on the other hand, sold for almost 16.3 million yen (about $177,000) to a Hong Kong customer known as the “Sushi King.”
In other Tokyo news, an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal last week portrayed Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her
own observations.
福袋 (or fukubukuro) are an essential part of the Japanese New Year’s celebration. These are grab bags (literally translated as “lucky bag”) given out at department stores that contain merchandise worth much more than what you pay for the bag itself. However, there is a bit of chance involved as some deals are better than others. Here are some new fukubukuro available through the end of 2009 that reflect political and social trends from the past year.
One is the Takashimaya 友愛 (yuai) fukubukuro playing off of Prime Minister Hatoyama’s fraternity theme. In this case the yuai refers to Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with
her own observations.
One of my favorite things about Japan is the constant changing of flavors, often in accordance with the seasons. I love just wandering through conbini to see what new tastes have popped up for my favorite snacks/drinks. One product over there I follow religiously is Kit Kats, as you can often get flavors that are not available here in the States. This is why I was thrilled to receive an omiyage of ginger ale Kit Kats from a friend who had recently traveled to Japan.
Next to the customary phrase, “Have a break, have a Kit Kat” was a glass of ginger ale with lemon in it. With use of .3% lemon powder and ginger ale flavor, it promised to be something new. The aroma was Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with h
er own observations.
Thanks to Rochelle Kopp at Japan Intercultural Consulting, I was alerted to an article posted to the website Boing Boing by Lisa Katayama, writer and commentator on modern Japanese society. In a previous post this summer, I had discussed Katayama’s New York Times magazine article about the subcategory of otaku men and women who indulge in real relationships with imaginary characters. This time around she focuses on not taking the weirdness of Japan too seriously. As an example, she cites the strange story last month of a Japanese man wedding an anime game character which received much attention.
This morning I was surprised to find the topic of otaku also taken up by Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Yesterday at Kyoto’s Kiyomizu Temple the official announcement of 今年の漢字 (kotoshi no kanji), or the Kanji of the Year, took place. This is an annual contest run by the Japanese Kanji Proficiency Society that had a record number of applications from all over the country this year, 161,365. Coming off of last yea
r’s
selection of 変 (hen) or change, this year’s winner by 14,093 ballots was 新 (shin) or new. Among the reasons why this character was picked were the new political administration and the new strain of the flu.
This morning’s news interviewed both young and seasoned prominent political figures regarding what their picks would have been. One was Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Believe it or not we will be greeting the new year in about a month, and today’s news took a look at what is being forecast for お正月 (oshougatsu) 2010. Similar to last year, it is expected that in light of the dismal economic climate there will be a tendency toward 巣篭り (sugomori), literally nesting or staying close to home as opposed to going abroad or visiting one’s family. Compared to last year, there has been 30% increased sales of two-person servings of osechi ryouri. According to an osechi salesperson at a department store, this goes along with Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
As we get ready to prepare our turkeys, stuff ourselves silly and max out on football, yesterday Japan celebrated their own day of appreciation with 勤労感謝の日(kinrou kansha no hi) or Labor Thanksgiving Day. More than anything else this gave Japanese citizens a three day weekend to relax and enjoy. The keyword for how this long weekend was spent was 「安・近・感」 (an/kin/kan), meaning “cheap, close and feeling.” The first two words are self-explanatory, and the last one refers to the experience, such as getting a sense of the season.
For Tokyoites, this meant to going to places like Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together w
ith her own observations.
Last night I attended the North American premiere of Goemon, a movie portraying this titular folk hero who was known as the Robin Hood of Japan. It takes place during the Warring States period, and some prominent historical figures who appear are Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is interesting to see Eguchi Yosuke, usually seen in lighter fare such as dramas, as the title character of legendary ninja bandit Ishikawa Goemon. Hirosue Ryoko, another drama veteran, is featured in the role of Princess Chacha whom Goemon spent his early years protecting. The movie’s plot is almost entirely fictional, and displays many dazzling special effects in a CGI-enhanced fantasy setting. The director, Kiriya Kazuaki, hails from my JET hometown of Kumamoto and is the former husband of Utada Hikaru.
During the course of the film, Goemon’s attendant talks of his aspirations to become a samurai and steadily working his way up to achieve this recognition. As the title of this post (samurai e no agokare or “longing for samurai“) suggests, the appeal of samurai has not been lost in this modern day and age. Recently various media have been Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends togeth
er with her own observations.
Last night I was able to attend a private screening of the intriguing documentary Samurai Umpires in the U.S.A. Executive producer/director Takayuki Tanaka is a Japanese native who conceptualized the idea for his film while studying at the New York Film Academy. His work focuses on six Japanese baseball umpires working in the minor leagues with dreams of making it to the Majors.
This all-male group ranges in age and umpiring experience, and the movie delves into Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
The Manifesto is the imposing name of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)’s platform for its new government, one that promises to “put people’s lives first.” In order to accomplish this, its five pledges are the end of wasteful spending, childrearing and education, pension and medical care, regional sovereignty and employment and the economy. Although great in theory, new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is realizing that these goals are easier to state than actually carry out. Japanese ministries and agencies asked to spend a record 95.04 trillion yen ($1 trillion) next fiscal year, risking expansion of the world’s largest public debt.
This creates the issue of whether the DPJ can fulfill its election pledges without worsening an already significant debt burden. In response to this, Fujisankai carried out Read More
***************
JQ Editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) has done it again. Another great issue of JQ:
Some Dreams Do Come True! JQ’s Fall 2009 Issue is Here!!
FALL 2009 ISSUE: click image below for our homepage
In our final issue of the year, we chat with the men of Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a film that may be on the road to the Oscars next year, and original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley about his memories of touring Nippon in three different decades. On the JETAANY front, read all about our end-of-summer softball tournament and the annual National Conference in Chicago, as well as a wedding announcement. Plus: the New York Anime Festival, Film reviews of Ponyo and The Cove, author interviews, theater, fab “translation tours”…all this and MORE in the new “Fall Classic Rock” issue of JQ!!
Page 3……..Letter From the Editor / Letter From the Treasurer
Page 4……..Nippon News Blotter / CJ’s Wedding
Page 5……..Comings & Goings / JETAA National Conference in Chicago
Page 6……..JETAANY Annual Softball Tournament
Page 7……..Working the Written Word by Alexei Esikoff
Page 8……..Nihonjin in New York – Featuring JETRO’s Maya Eiki-Law by Joe Marucheck
Page 8……..Actor Jun Kim Talks heavenly BENTO by Adren Hart
Page 9……..Americans on Fuji: Talking with Author Sara Backer by Veronika Ruff
Page 10……International Visitor Leadership Program Interpreting by Stacy Smith
Page 11……JQ&A with New York Anime Festival’s Peter Tatara by Justin Tedaldi
Page 13……Anvil with Sacha Gervasi: The JQ Interview: by Justin Tedaldi
Page 14……What We Did This Summer – Photos
Page 15……Theatre Review: A Recipe for heavenly BENTO by Adren Hart
Page 16……Film Review: Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo by Lyle Sylvander
Page 17……Book Corner: The China Lover by David Kowalsky
Page 18……Ace Frehley: Back in the New York Groove by Justin Tedaldi
Page 20……New York Anime Festival Photos
Page 21……Film Review: The Cove by Elizabeth Wanic
Page 21……Book Corner: Japanese Kitchen Knives / Food Carving by Yukari Sakamoto
Page 23……Top 12 List / Life After the B.O.E. / Sponsors Index
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends togethe
r with her own observations.
Time.com featured an interesting article today about how ANA is encouraging its customers to utilize restroom facilities before coming on board in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint. With lighter loads, planes would have reduced fuel consumption and therefore less impact on the environment. A great idea in theory, but as the article mentioned questionable as to how successful it will be in practice. Also, interestingly enough the pre-flight announcement with the request is only in Japanese, so those who do not speak the language might not know what is being asked.
Reading about this endeavor got me thinking about how my own attitude toward the environment and my habits subsequently changed as a result of my time living in Japan. I remember one of the first things that surprised me Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Big news for expecting parents. Going into effect today in Japan (October 1), child care costs will be borne directly by hospitals. Previously pregnant women would have to pay the one-time delivery/child rearing costs up front and later received 380,000 yen back, but now it will be directly paid by the hospitals at a 40,000 yen increase of 420,000 yen . This was initially proposed in Read More
SUMMER 2009 ISSUE – click image below to download PDF
The leader of a band that’s sold over 20 million records and brought the words “At Budokan” to the big time, the new Japanese ambassador to New York, a tour of Philadelphia that’s uncannily Zen, and chats with award-winning writers, French pastry operations managers and even a maid-outfitted cosplay superstar complete with bunny ears. All this and more in the new summer issue of JETAANY’s JQ magazine.
THIS IS ALSO OUR LAST FREE PRINT ISSUE!
To preserve our budget for alumni events, and in an effort to be greener and save paper, JETAANY will begin charging for print copies of JQ Magazine. The cost is $12 for 4 issues and you will only have the opportunity to sign up once a year – annual subscriptions will occur each fall. Please note that the magazine, in its entirety, is also available online. If you would like to sign up to receive a paper copy by mail, please follow the PayPal link below (Add to Cart) or e-mail magazinesubscriptions@jetaany.org for more information. Remember you must put “JQ subscription” and your desired mailing address in the Paypal comments box.
Editor: Justin Tedaldi – magazine@jetaany.org
Page 3…Letter From the Editor / Professional Outreach & Development Rep
Page 4…Nippon News Blotter
Page 5…Comings & Goings
Page 6…An Interview with Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya by Anne Koller
Page 7…JET Alum Author Cristy Burne Wins Award by Gregory Anderson
Page 8…Philadelphia Loves Japan! by Therese Stephen
Page 9…JETAA in the Big Apple and Beyond by Megan Miller
Page 10.Japan Day @ Central Park Recap by Stacy Smith
Page 10.JETlog featuring Yukari Sakamoto (Chiba-ken, 1989-1990)
Page 11.Nihonjin in NY – Featuring Beard Papa’s Masashi Wada by Janice Chow
Page 12.Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen: The JQ Interview by Justin Tedaldi
Page 13.U.S. FrontLine’s Ken Haraguchi on Japanese Newspapers by Junko Ishikawa
Page 14.JETAActivity Photos
Page 15.JET Farewell Reception at the Ambassador’s Residence
Page 16.Maid in America: Q&A with Cosplay Singer Reni by Adren Hart
Page 17.JETAANY Webmaster Lee-Sean Huang by Shree Kurlekar
Page 17.Understanding Japanese Women with David J. Radtke by Rick Ambrosio
Page 18.Theatre Review: Samurai Takamine Jokichi by Anne Koller
Page 19.Film Review: Tokyo! by David Kowalsky
Page 20.Book Corner: Sony: The Private Life by Lyle Sylvander
Page 21.KRAZY! Exhibition at Japan Society by Anton Phung
Page 22.Pop Rock: Q&A with Marshall Crenshaw by Justin Tedaldi
Page 23.Jy? Q! with JET Alum Poet James Shea by Liz Wanic
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
There is talk in Japan of changing the legal adult age of 20 down to 18, as a government advisory panel introduced thi
s idea on Wednesday. This was put forth by the Democratic Party, who is expected to take power from the long-reigning Liberal Democratic Party in the upcoming general election. The proposal will be submitted to Japan’s justice minister if the Legislative Council approves it at its general meeting in September. This could go through sas early as May of next year, and it would allow people to vote in elections and get married without permission from their parents two years earlier than is currently permitted (the current marriage age is 18 for men and 16 for men, but they suggest making it 18 for both).
It has been said that this idea is being floated for the purpose of “young people’s self-sustainability,” but the word on the street from those interviewed on the news was that Read More
Eric Baker (Fukuoka-ken, 2006-08) hopes he is approaching the end of a year of travel and reconnecting. He’ll be writing about his thoughts and experiences as he transitions back to working in the States.
Should I stay or should I go now?…
This indecision’s bugging me.
Post-JET I hit the road for five months and ran into all sorts of people. For the inevitable question “where are you from?” I kept stock answers based on who I was chatting with. So for the toothless Syrian shepherd who’s English consisted of “Bush. Bad!”—vigorously illustrated with furrowed brow and shaking head—followed by “Obama. Good!” I threw out my vigorous nose point and Japanese accented “America.” This built enough rapport to move on to higher-level discussions, like “Clinton! Very good!” followed by suggestively arched bushy eyebrows, gaping smile and hip gyrations.
For the umpteenth hawker, I’d occasionally throw out something exciting like “I’m Japanese” or “I’m from Holland.” Either they’d be confused or annoyed and leave me alone or we’d start in on a more interesting conversation. “(playfully) Noooo. Really, where are you from?” In a small Egyptian town I spent two insightful days hanging out with a shopkeeper and his friends after starting a conversation like this.
I loved being able to connect with Japanese backpackers, who were universally びっくり！ that I could speak Japanese. I often had to say a few sentences in Japanese before they could comprehend that this white face was Read More
**********
JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni. Crystal is a former English-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works as a media planner in Chelsea and sorely misses all her favorite midtown ramen joints.
Nothing brightens a gloomy winter morning faster than a dose of that irresistible Engrish the Japanese churn out so prolifically (despite our best efforts to guide them otherwise).
Cartoonist Lars Martinson (Fukuoka, 2003-2006), author of the graphic novel Tonoharu: Part 1, shares a gem found on a bag of “Gourmet Cheetos”: http://larsmartinson.com/sophisticated-junk-food/
Two stories stand out in my mind when I think about the Japanese practice ethic:
- I used to occasionally play with the ping-pong club in one of my junior high schools. After playing a couple matches with the 2nd and 3rd years, I noticed some 1st years in the hallway adjacent to the gym. I went over to talk to them and realized that they were all standing in a line, holding their paddles, and practicing their swing at an imaginary ping-pong ball over and over for an hour.
- My friend who was an ALT in the high schools in my town decided to participate in the kyudo (Japanese archery) club. He learned that for the first three months the students don’t even touch a bow. They just practice the arm movements with an imaginary bow. Then the next three months they have a bow but no arrow and they practice the movements over and over before they finally learn with an arrow.
These stories always fascinated me. I think they get at some of the fundamental cultural differences between Japan and the U.S. (or most other countries for that reason.
What “practice” stories or observations or memories from JET days do you have?
You can send an e-mail to jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com or just post as a comment below.
I just heard from a JET alum who lost their relatively senior level job with a non-profit that has funding issues. I also heard from a JET alum who seems to be keeping their job but at the expense of a colleague who is being let go.
How are you doing with your job situation or your job search? E-mail jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com with your story (which will be posted anonymously).
Remember that episode of Family Ties where Alex mentions his favorite economist (Milton Friedman)? Well, I was wondering if JET alums have favorite translators.
If you have a favorite translator (or translators) , please let me know, and let me know what you like about the translator.
I’ll publish the aggregated results on JetWit in the next week or so for the benefit of the JET alum community. (So if for any reason you don’t want your name included with your comments, just indicate that in your email.)
E-mail responses to: jetwit /at/ jetwit /dot/ com
To get everyone in the mood for the holidays (or reflect back on your JET days), here’s a selection from the JetWit Library, an anecdote article from the Fall 2004 JETAA NY Newsletter.
Living in Japan posed some unique challenges during our favorite holidays. But we know that’s also what brings the best out in us. Below are some of the ways your fellow alums celebrated their traditional holidays in Japan.
Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02)
I had Thanksgiving at the ambassador’s residence with about 100 other JETS from the Tokyo area. Ambassador Howard Baker, former Senator from Tennessee and Chief of Staff under Reagan, and his wife Nancy Kasslebaum who was a former Senator from Kansas, greeted us as we entered the door. It was a real Thanksgiving feast with a choice of Turkey, Roast Beef, Ham – all layed out in display style. After dinner, we got to mingle with the ambasador and his wife as well as talk with numerous marines who were also invited. The ambassador and his wife were both very down to Earth. We could also see the room where the famous picture of MacArthur and Hirohito was taken.
******************
Nicole Hebert
Saga Ken 1998-2000
My most memorable holiday had to be Thanksgiving. A group of us from AJET decided to put together a Thanksgiving Dinner just for us- the gaijin. We ordered food about a month in advance from that foreign food shop in Kobe…or was it Osaka?? Surely you know what I’m talking about. It was an ordeal to find a place in my city that would hold us all for some reason that had a working kitchen and tatami room available. Eventually, a JET in another town found one through her Board of Ed. We had it all planned out, how much was needed for the lot of us and it looked like had enough food. Although it was two days after
READ MORE
We didn’t go on JET to run for office or start a revolution, but sometimes politics had a way of finding us. Here are some stories from fellow alums.
*********************
GIFT CERTIFICATE WINNERS
Clara Solomon (CIR Tottori-ken, 1999-2001)
Meredith Wutz (Saitama-ken, 2000-02)
One Prize: $25 to Kinokuniya Bookstore, now on 6th Ave. between 40th & 41st Streets in NYC
The Other Prize: Dinner for two at Bao Noodles (2nd Ave. between 22nd & 23rd Streets), owned by Chris Johnson (Oita-ken, 1992-95) (baonoodles.com)
Domo Domo to the panel of independent JET alum judges: Elizabeth Sharpe (Pacific Northwest), Jennifer Lee (Southern California), Elizabeth White (Southern California), David Kowalsky (Pacific Northwest) and Mark Frey (Northern California)
*********************
Two days before our three-year stint on JET was to end, we had lunch with the mayor of our city, who wanted to thank us for our time and efforts. Nick and I were the only JETs in our relatively 30,000-small Hokkaido city. When the waitress came, we were asked what we’d like to drink and Nick and I both looked at each other and I knew what he was thinking, so I said, “beer nonde mo ii desu ka?” He thought about it for a second and said that he normally wouldn’t drink at lunch, but would make and exception and ordered three beers. Well, it was obvious he “made exceptions” often as he was later forced to resign because Read More
Who says Japanese people don’t voice their political opinions? Read on to see what some of our ex-pat friends think about the U.S. presidential candidates.
Voter Turnout LiftUp Bra
The process: An e-mail was sent out to JET alums to ask their Japanese friends and colleagues to tell them for whom they would vote in the upcoming U.S. election and for what reason. Here are their responses:
MCCAIN
Good for Japan’s economy and good for US’s Business.
RON PAUL
I vote neither Obama nor McCain. I think I would vote for Ron Paul. From my understanding, he has specific plans and interesting background (Is he used to be a republic but now a third party?).
OBAMA
I still want Hillary to be the next president but it is not happening, so I would vote for
Obama. The reasons is that I am strong anti-gun and pro-abortion (freedom of choice). So, I don’t Read More
Welcome to the second-ever JET Alumni Election Survey! Forty-five people from around the U.S. and representing over 30 prefectures responded to “vote” and share their thoughts.
The survey was conducted anonymously using SurveyMonkey, all responses were received between 9/10 and 10/6 (i.e., before the economy started imploding) and an effort was made to make the survey available to as many chapters as possible. In other words, it’s completely un-scientific. That said, it’s still fun to do, so see the results below.
VOTE TOTALS
- McCain – 3
- Obama – 37
- Ron Paul – 1
- Undecided – 4
COMMENTS
Ron Paul
***Ron Paul…real change. My experiences in Japan have provided me with a much different perspective since “return,” made me more receptive to initially intimidating political and economic ideas. I left the American Matrix for a while, and now there is no falling back to sleep.
Undecided
***I’m torn on the issue. At this point I could see myself voting for either party. Originally I planned on voting for Obama, but recently I do not like how his camp has been handling the issue of McCain choosing Palin as VP. I really could see the Republicans winning again. Since I live in California the state will go Democrat, so either way I guess it doesn’t matter all that much. Read More
Welcome to the second-ever JETAA NY Quarterly Translators Challenge, from the Fall 2008 “Politics” issue.
We once again invited JET alums and Friends of JET (i.e., anyone who wants) to take their best shot at translating a selected text. Why? Well, mostly to entertain, but also to give the greater JET alum community a chance to show their stuff as well as give the rest of us a fun way to study up on our nihongo.
The selected text for this edition of the Translators Challenge is an excerpt from “Political Science,” the satirical 1972 song by Randy Newman.
Prize: $25 gift certificate to BOOK OFF, the discount Japanese boookstore on 41st St. between Madison & 5th Aves.
Asia’s crowded and Europe’s too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada’s too cold
And South America stole our name
Let’s drop the big one
There’ll be no one left to blame us
We’ll save Australia
Don’t wanna hurt no kangaroo
We’ll build an all-American
amusement park there
They got surfin’, too
Click here to see/hear “Political Science” on YouTube.
********************
THE WINNER!
Mia Simring
(CIR Aichi-ken, 2004-06)
Omedetou gozaimashita on
her second straight win!
********************
アジア込みすぎ、
ヨーロッパダサすぎ
アフリカなんて暑くて
カナダ － 寒すぎ
南アメリカ － 我が名を盗んだ
世界をぶっ潰そう
反対する人間を消しちまおう
カンガルー可愛いから
オーストラリアだけ助けよう
アメリカン遊園地
そこで作るぞ！
Ajia komisugi,
Yoroppa dasasugi
Afurika nante atsukute
Kanada – samusugi
Minami Amerika – wa ga na wo nusunda
Sekai wo buttsubusou
Hantai suru ningen wo keshichimaou
Kangaru – kawaii kara
Osutoraria dake tasukeyou
Amerikan yuenchi
Soko de tsukuru zo!
********************
COMMENTARY
Special thanks to professional translator Jamie Graves (Shizuoka-ken, 2002-03) for providing some commentary and insight.
Mia clearly put a lot of thought into changing the distinctly American rhythms and humor of a folk song into Japanese.
I was impressed at how Mia managed to avoid direct translation, instead finding uniquely Japanese ways of expressing the value judgements in the song. Instead of directly saying “old” in the line “Europe’s too old” she used ダサイ(dasai, “not with it, uncool”), which conveys the contempt a lot better.
She was also very good on keeping the translated text rhythmic and simple, replacing a potentially messy translation of “Don’t wanna hurt no kangaroo” with “カンガルー可愛いから” (kangaroo kawaii kara), which manages to keep the humor and simplicity of the original. She even managed to rhyme the last verse!
Marc Carroll (Gifu-ken, 2001-03)
Senior localization engineer, translation company, New York, NY
As for the economy and me? Hmm, well, I was reassured, unofficially :-), that I am safe, but it could be a mixed blessing if my group was ever reduced in size. A ton more work for fewer people = longer hours. It’s really hard to say what’s going to happen.
And as for the economy and my company? I’d guess we may see a slight shift in our focus. While projects for domestic advertising and marketing materials my decrease, there could be opportunities for companies who are looking overseas to jump the USS Titanic. With all the fanfare, we’ve been contracted to translate a tsunami of internal memos and press releases. It’s not the meat and potatoes of our business, but it seems a bit ironic that some U.S. institutions are basically paying us tell to their foreign investors and constituencies it’s gonna be a’ight and not to panic about their financial situations.
All and all, we’re just following the money and providing a voice for businesses on whatever shores they choose to operate, foreign or domestic. It’d be naive to say we are recession-proof, but hey, we’ve roughed the dotcom bubble burst,Y2K and the cancellation of Baywatch.
**************
Anonymous
Finance, New York, NY
I work at a major financial institution that has suffered billions of dollars of losses over the past year. Thousands of employees at my company, including many friends of mine, have been laid off, and it seems Read More
Recent comments on JetWit