Justin’s Japan: Interview with ‘Fried Chicken and Sushi’ Cartoonist/JET Alum Khalid Birdsong: Part 2 of 2
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Khalid Birdsong at work. (Courtesy of K. Birdsong)
By
JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
For Fried Chicken and Sushi, was it a conscious decision to make the lead character black?
Of course, definitely. I’m obviously an African American, and I think that I was concerned because I thought, is anybody going to want to read about this black guy going to Japan? I felt like I wanted to be true to who I am, and there’s a certain kind of way of being able to comment on race, the way that we perceive and look at people. When you go to Japan, they don’t really care who you are, you’re just a foreigner. So it’s a different kind of perception, and I really like that idea. If I keep Karl as black, I can have things that I think about that can be a whole lot easier to write, but I think it would be an interesting thing that you don’t see very often.
What kinds of crazy situations did you observe in Japan regarding Japanese people’s impression of you?
Where do I start? One thing in general is that everyone would ask me questions about America as if everyone in America does the same thing, you know? Since the Japanese people have a shared history and are all kind of the same race, they say, “Well, what is it like in America?” and “What do families eat for dinner in America?”, and it’s always so difficult to answer those questions because I have to say, well, it depends—we have a lot of cultures and so everybody’s different, and people celebrate different things. So that always would frustrate me because they want to generalize and put us all into one box, and it was hard to do. I always found that to be funny and I would start laughing when they would ask me those questions and look at me strangely: “Why are you laughing? This is a very serious question!”
What were some of the funnier or grossly inappropriate things that you experienced there that may or may not make the cut for future episodes of Fried Chicken and Sushi?
Maybe I’ll put this one in there—I don’t know if I’m the only one where this happened—but a lot of students always are asking if you have a girlfriend or something like that. But I would have several students come up to me and ask if I had a lover, like, “Do you have a lover?” And I always would say, “Uhh…well, no.” It was just the kind of English that they would use. I’m sure that you remember that there were just certain words that were always just a little different, and it would make me laugh all the time when they asked me that question, which I would always get.
Did you find yourself in the situation of having to educate your students on certain cultural things?
All the time. About America, and talking about holidays and what people do, just like the whole Christmas thing, like, “How do you celebrate Christmas?”, you know? “Christmas is not for lovers in America and we have family over.” That kind of explanation would go on and on. Certain things, even racial issues—they would learn about Martin Luther King and then they felt like there were no problems for black people in America anymore because of Martin Luther King, and everyone’s treated equally all the time in America. So there are a lot of cultural issues that I would try to discuss and help them to understand. Also, even though we have things that are different, there’s things that are the same, too. They always wanted to know what’s different, but I tried to say that things are still the same. We have families that we love and we like to celebrate and laugh and eat, and so I think that was allowed because they want to act like we’re so different and no one’s like Japanese people, but we actually do share things in common just as people.
How about race-related questions?
Just being tall and getting the students who were just shocked at how tall I was, I got that all the time: “Oh, dekai! Se ga takai!”, “you’re so tall,” and everything. They thought that I played basketball, and I really, really suck at basketball [laughs]; it’s really embarrassing. So I was leaving school one day and the kids were out playing basketball, so of course they called me over, “Oh, Birdsong-sensei, please shoot the basket.” So I thought, okay, sure—I knew I was going to miss, and they’ll see how much I suck, and it’ll be great. So of course I shoot it, and of course I make it, and they’re all like, “WOAH! You’re the greatest!” [laughs] Here we go, living up to the stereotype. Those things didn’t happen much, but they would happen on occasion, that’s for sure.
Click here for the rest of the interview.
Report: “Reinvigorating US-Japan Policy Dialogue and Study” and implications for JET
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There’s a very JET-relevant report just published by the Japan Center for International Exchange titled “Reinvigorating US-Japan Dialogue and Study.” (Notably, JET alum Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director for the US office of JCIE, was involved in the drafting of the report.)
Though the report only mentions the JET Program once (on page 33 of the report), it’s clear that the still largely untapped resource that is the JET alumni community of over 50,000 worldwide (25,000+ in the US) has the potential and the ability to play a significant role in US-Japan relations going forward given the decline in energy and resources devoted to US-Japan policy dialogue and study cited in the report.
The gist of the report is that “the institutional base of US-Japan policy dialogue and study has started to erode in recent years.” However, the report also “finds fertile ground to deepen bilateral dialogue and better leverage the extensive human networks that have developed between the two societies.”
The main obstacles to reversing this trend appear to be:
- a shrinking institutional base for US-Japan relations and failure to fully take advantage of available resources (e.g., the JET alum community);
- reduced funds available in Japan to support these activities (due in a large part to a down economy); and
- to some extent, increased interest in and focus on China
As JET alums, the above trends may be beyond our control. But we are a big part of that extensive human network that needs to be leveraged. And regardless of the obstacles, the ball is in our court to be part of the solution. Tough times call for innovative solutions.
Gambarimashou.
Justin’s Japan: Carnegie Hall to Kick Off JapanNYC 2010 Concert Week
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- Maestro Seiji Ozawa, artistic director of Carnegie Hall’s JapanNYC festival. (Mark Corke/New York Observer)
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Starting this Saturday, Carnegie Hall’s JapanNYC festival will unveil its first citywide series of musical performances. Led by artistic director Seiji Ozawa, who is best known for his record-setting 29-year career as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the festival’s musical highlights next week will see Maestro Ozawa helming rare overseas concerts by the Saito Kinen Orchestra with conductor Tatsuya Shimono, pianist Mitsuko Uchida and others, plus tributes to the legendary late composer Tōru Takemitsu, considered by many to be Japan’s greatest composer.
Additionally, as part of the Works & Process series at the Guggenheim Museum, a series of performances of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf—performed by the Juilliard Ensemble and George Manahan with visual art by Rei Sato of Kaikai Kiki and narration by fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi—will surely delight music fans of all ages.
The performances follow other city exhibitions and ongoing events under the JapanNYC banner that run through next year, including Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody’s Fool at Asia Society, The Sound of One Hand: Paintings and Calligraphy by Zen Master Hakuin at Japan Society, and On Becoming an Artist: Isamu Noguchi and His Contemporaries, 1922-1960 at The Noguchi Museum in Queens.
JapanNYC returns in March and April 2011 with three weeks of events across New York City, including performances of classical, jazz and traditional Japanese music; contemporary theatre and visual art; noh theater and kyogen plays; modern dance; film; taiko drumming and more.
Click here for the complete performance schedule.
US media coverage of Japan’s economy overly negative?
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There’s an excellent letter in the New York Times from Yasuhisa Kawamura of the Consulate General of Japan in New York in which he makes the case that U.S. media coverage of Japan’s economy has been overly negative. The gist of it is, Sure, times are tough in Japan. But they’re also tough in the U.S. and elsewhere. Nonetheless, there’s still a vibrant economy and significant innovation and other activity going on in Japan.
If any JETs or JET alums or Friends of JET would like to weigh in on this, it would be nice to hear some first-hand perspectives from people who are currently living in Japan or travel back and forth frequently.
Here’s a link to the letter: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/opinion/lweb03japan.html?scp=1&sq=kawamura&st=cse
And here’s the full text of the letter:
To the Editor:
By oversimplifying and exaggerating certain socioeconomic aspects at the expense of the broader picture, “Japan Goes From Dynamic to Disheartened” (“The Great Deflation” series, front page, Oct. 17) depicts some interesting “trees” but misses the “forest” that is Japan today.
Unfortunately, the story’s few anecdotal views do not accurately reflect a diverse nation of 120 million people and one of the world’s largest economies. During these times of severe economic challenges around the globe, similarly pessimistic views about the future could surely be found in almost any Group of 8 country.
Far from being an “afterthought” weary of its global role, Japan remains committed to active leadership in the world. This international outlook is best reflected in Japan’s policies and the vibrancy of its young people. Take Afghanistan, where a $5 billion aid commitment supports 96,000 local policemen, has built 650 schools and has provided polio and other essential vaccines to 47 million children.
Additionally, Japanese youngsters, supported by the affluence of the past decades, enjoy diverse career choices, and, according to recent surveys, the most desirable job for Japanese university graduates remains working in the field of international trade.
Yasuhisa Kawamura
Director, Japan Information Center
Consulate General of Japan
New York, Oct. 29, 2010
Justin’s Japan: Interview with ‘Hiroshima in the Morning’ Author Rahna Reiko Rizzuto
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- ‘Hiroshima in the Morning’ author Rahna Reiko Rizzuto. (John Searcy)
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
In June 2001, award-winning Japanese American author Rahna Reiko Rizzuto went to Hiroshima on a six-month fellowship to interview the hibakusha, or remaining survivors of the atomic bomb. Three months later, the September 11 attacks on the U.S. changed everything, from the recollections of the survivors to Rizzuto’s own relationship with her family back in America, including her husband and two young sons in New York.
The result was Hiroshima in the Morning, a memoir released last fall in which the author weaves these threads into a deeply personal story of awakening about how we choose our identities, how we view history, and how we use memory as a story we tell ourselves to explain who we are. I caught up with Rizzuto to discuss her emotional journey and impressions of Japan.
What was the most interesting thing about talking with the atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima?
I went to Hiroshima initially because I knew so little—almost nothing—about the atomic bomb and its effects. I arrived more than 55 years after the bombing, so I expected memories to be a little hazy. When I first arrived, I met people who were very committed to telling their stories in the interest of peace. They wanted to testify about the power of the atomic bomb and the devastation of war in general in hopes that there would be no more war. That would make their sacrifices worth it.
I was there to write a novel, though, not a factual piece, so what I was looking for was textures and details about what it was like to live in those times, and how one survived war. So what I was getting was not exactly what I was looking for. Their stories were very complete and rehearsed. What happened then, though, was after three months of listening to these testimonies, the September 11th attacks happened within sight of my Brooklyn home. The world changed. And so did their stories.
In hindsight, how different did the interview project turn out because of 9/11?
I don’t think anyone can underestimate the effects of those attacks. They reverberated immediately, all the way to Japan, and we all suddenly felt the world was not safe. We were not safe. And if we weren’t safe, there was no peace, and if there was no peace, the hibakusha realized, then their sacrifice was for nothing.
Almost immediately, this destabilization affected their stories. They began to feel more, and to remember more. Moments and people they had blocked out came back to them. They remembered heat, and color and sound. And they remembered what it felt like to go back to their homes and find their mothers’ bones.
Which of the testimonials affected you the most? Why?
The most unbearable stories were often about children. Children who died; children who tried to save their brothers or parents; children who cremated their parents, at age six, because that was what their parents would have wanted. In the months after 9/11, though, something happened which was very moving and powerful. A number of people came to me to tell their stories. Before then, I had been finding my own interviewees with the help of my translators, but after September 11th, I found out that many people actually knew I was there, listening, and they sought me out because they needed a witness. They needed a safe place to relive, and purge, their memories. And then, it wasn’t just the sad moments. It was also the happy memories of life before, and their family members before. They needed to share those, too, and they gave them to me so their loved ones would not fade away.
Click here for the rest of the interview.
James Kennedy reviews “Pluto killer” book for Wall Street Journal
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James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of the acclaimed young adult novel The Order of Odd-Fish, has a great review in the Wall Street Journal of a sugoku omoshiroi book titled, How I Killed Pluto, And Why It Had It Coming by professor of astronomy Mike Brown.
Here’s the link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704243904575630683559145518.html#articleTabs%3Darticle
Op-ed on U.S. energy policy by JET alum
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JET alums are indeed everywhere. Here’s a recent opinion article by New York-based alum Sam Lederer (Shizuoka-ken, 2005-07), a Contributor at Americans for Energy Leadership, on potential directions in U.S. energy policy for the “lame-duck” session of the U.S. Congress.
CLICK HERE to read some of Sam’s other writings on Japanese energy and environmental policy.
Sam can be reached via his LinkedIn profile and can be followed via Twitter @samlederer
Justin’s Japan: ‘Summer Wars’ Anime Aims for Oscar (Film Review)
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- ‘Summer Wars’ comes to New York’s IFC Center Dec. 29.
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
The opening scene of Mamoru Hosoda’s animated film Summer Wars transports us to the virtual world of OZ, a place where hundreds of millions of users chat, shop and play via customized avatars in a breathtakingly trippy space that owes much to contemporary Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami and Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell movies. But it’s in rural Nagano where most of Summer Wars occurs, and this setting gives it a heart in a world that’s becoming increasingly addicted to online social networks and mobile devices.
The film enjoyed a sold-out reception of its English language premiere at Asia Society yesterday as part of distributor GKIDS’ annual New York International Children’s Film Festival. Fueled by Internet buzz and rapturous word of mouth upon its initial release in Japan last year, the film won a clutch of awards and is an official entry for Best Animated Feature at the 2011 Academy Awards.
The plot: teenage OZ moderator Kenji (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas) agrees to a “job” escorting his popular schoolmate Natsuki (Brina Palencia) to her great-grandmother’s upcoming 90th birthday celebration at the family’s enormous estate in Ueda. The catch: he’s asked by his secret crush to pose as her fiancé, which hits complications as her crazed extended family enters the picture. To make matters worse, Kenji unwittingly triggers a malicious AI program called Love Machine that threatens not just the existence of OZ, but the rest of the real world with its interdependence on technology. It’s up to the boy—a girl-phobic math prodigy—to gain new confidence in himself in order to right OZ and win his dream girl’s heart.
Click here for the rest of the review.
WIT Life #137: Tokyo Sky Tree
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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.
Very interesting article in yesterday’s NYT about how efforts are being made to reduce the presence of yakuza in various business transactions. The story focuses on the recent construction project of Tokyo Sky Tree, a communications tower. This is a huge change as traditionally yakuza have been an integral part of this industry, often seeking “protection money” from developers. Developers might also call on the yakuza to give an extra push to people unwilling to give up their land. I liked Jake Adelstein‘s quote calling the yakuza “Goldman Sachs with guns.” Check out the adjoining picture to see a comparison between Tokyo Tower and the “new Tokyo Tower,” what Sky Tree was called before decided on its official name. Other candidates were Tokyo Edo Tower, Mirai (Future) Tree, Yume Miyagura (Dreamwatching Tower), Rising East Tower and Rising Tower. It is due to be completed next year.
Interview with Guitar God John McLaughlin
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- Grammy-winning musician John McLaughlin. (Absolutely Live Entertainment)
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Whether you call it electric jazz, fusion, or just good old music, John McLaughlin is the forefather of this style on the six string. From his contributions on classic albums by Miles Davis starting with the landmark In a Silent Way in 1969 to his own work with the massively influential Mahavishnu Orchestra and as a solo artist, McLaughlin is a legend who has continued to record with no signs of slowing down.
His 2009 collaboration with Chick Corea, Five Peace Band, won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album earlier this year, and in April McLaughlin then released his new disc with the 4th Dimension, To the One (Abstract Logix). Following a concert at New York’s Town Hall last weekend, the artist graciously took the time to answer some questions.
Tell us about your history with Japan. What attracted you most to the culture?
I’ve been studying the cultures of Asia for many years, and I’m very attracted to the culture of Japan, in particular to the impact Zen has had on the Japanese mind and spirit. That said, any in depth study of Zen will bring you to China and the culture of Chan, the forerunner of Zen. In my opinion, there is one singular problem with religions in general: they are exclusive. To me, this exclusivity is not right. Zen and Chan’s “ways” of discovery are non-exclusive. They speak about the reality of everyone having Buddha nature, and the potential of realizing it. This is the aspect of Zen and Chan that appeals to me strongly: the non-discrimination and inclusivity of everyone.
Are there any Japanese musicians of whom you’re a fan? What other kinds of Japanese performing arts do you enjoy?
I am less of a fan of Japanese music than I am to the poetry of haiku strangely enough, though I do enjoy the koto and shakuhachi music. The Zen calligraphy is something for which I have a great admiration.
Why do you think the Japanese possess such a great interest in jazz?
For sure the answer lies in the culture of the Japanese mind. Perhaps because the spontaneity of jazz appeals to their innate sense of honesty. In improvisation, jazz or otherwise, there’s no room to lie.
Click here to read the rest of the interview.
Interview with Jazz Musician Keiko Matsui
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Keiko Matsui performs at New York's Blue Note Nov. 23-25. (Jun Sato)
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Contemporary jazz icon Keiko Matsui began playing piano at the age of five. With sales of over 1.2 million units in the U.S. and sold-out appearances at concert halls across the world, she is one of the most recognized artists in the genre.
In addition to being the first Japanese artist to top Billboard’s contemporary jazz chart, she actively supports a range of charities, including the Y-Me Breast Cancer Organization. United Nations World Food Programme’s efforts in Africa, and California for A3M’s charity for the National Marrow Donor Program.
Matsui is now putting the final touches on her latest album, due early 2011 with Shanachie Records. I spoke with her prior to her debut three-night stand happening next week at New York’s venerable Blue Note Jazz Club.
Congratulations on your very first show at New York’s Blue Note. How do you feel about playing there and what do you expect?
Of course in New York, Blue Note is a legendary place, and I’m very happy to be there. At the same time, I have toured in many different countries, and I always feel very fortunate at the concerts to feel that music connects us beyond the culture, history, country, everything. So, I really feel that this experience at Blue Note will be very special.
When did you first come to the U.S.?
In the early ’80s.
What did you do there?
At that time, I was invited to Los Angeles by Yamaha for a special recording. I was also a student, and had the opportunity to make a sample album with Vinnie Colaiuta and Nathan East. That was my first visit to the U.S., and also my first recording there. I invited Vinnie to record on my new album, so I’m glad to see him again.
What were your memories of that experience? Did you have any culture shock?
I only had one week there, so of course I didn’t know much about the music scene in the U.S., but I was so entranced by Nathan and Vinnie’s playing. It was great creating music together with great musicians, but at that time they were so open. Maybe this is a cultural difference, because Japanese language is based on politeness and different words depending on who you talk to, but English doesn’t have that. So, Japanese people speak really strictly, I felt.
You’ve had a successful career for a long time. Why have you decided to play Blue Note now?
That’s true. For me, that’s something I’m kind of questioning myself, too. [laughs]
Click here to read the rest of the interview.
Interview with Competitive Eater Takeru Kobayashi
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Justin with Kobayashi and Friend of JET Sarah Goebel.
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi is a three-time Guinness World Record holder for competitive eating. He burst on the American scene in 2001 at Coney Island’s annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest by downing 50 dogs in 12 minutes, doubling the previous record. Kobayashi went on to win the contest six consecutive times while shattering other gastronomic records around the world.
After a shocking arrest and subsequent dismissal of charges in July at this year’s Nathan’s event, Kobayashi returned to the stage last night at the Japan Arts Matsuri in Brooklyn for another challenge: to become the world’s fastest 12-inch pizza eater. While he fell less than 20 seconds short of the 1:45 record (saying afterward that the pie was softer than he anticipated), there was no doubt among the crowd that the champ will give it another try in the near future. Hours before taking the stage, I spoke with Kobayashi through his interpreter Emiko Watanabe for this rare English language interview.
What kind of training does one have to do to be the world’s fastest pizza eater?
I had to practice how to use a knife and fork, because I have to use it for this challenge. That was the main thing.
That’s interesting. Most people don’t use a knife and fork to eat a pizza.
It would be much easier if I was allowed to use my hands instead. So it’s going to be a little harder.
What’s your favorite kind of pizza?
Pizza Margherita.
How are things after July 4th? Do you find that you’re more popular and recognized in New York from people on the street?
[laughs] I think so; I feel that I’m more recognized than before. I was famous before as a six-time champion [at the Nathan’s contest], but after Independence Day this year, people think I’m more interesting and have humor, so people notice me a lot more than before.
Where do you live in New York?
Manhattan.
Many celebrities in America are known for their talent, but personality is also important. Are you making more efforts to do things like learn English to become a bigger celebrity here?
I started going to an English school last month.
What kinds of things do your fans ask when they recognize you?
They don’t really ask anything, but they do ask to take a picture with me.
Any memorable encounters?
I met this fan who didn’t recognize me at first. She was an African American lady, and when she first spoke to me, she just thought I was a cool or cute Japanese guy. We talked, but then she recognized who I was, saying, “Oh my God! Oh my God!” It turns out that she was scrapbooking all of my articles from Independence Day, and the reason she did that is because she thought I was cute. When she realized that I was the same person, she went out of control screaming.
Click here to read the rest of the interview.
Kobayashi Headlines New York’s Annual Japan Arts Matsuri
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Eating champ Takeru Kobayashi competes at JAM 2010 Nov. 13. (Courtesy of Rei Miura/NPO American Dream Japanese Network)
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
“Ultimate Food Fighter” Takeru Kobayashi returns to eat another day to break a new Guinness World Record as the special guest of the 8th Annual Amnet New York Japan Arts Matsuri this weekend at Java Street Hall in Brooklyn. While traditional Japanese matsuri, or festivals, occur in the summer, this year’s edition of JAM will sport some of today’s best, most energetic Japanese performing artists working in New York. With the entire event will be aired live worldwide via Ustream, JAM will beat the drum for Japan and Japanese culture through art and entertainment. New Yorkers know Kobayashi primarily as the six-time winner of the Nathan’s International July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest, but on Saturday he will attempt to break the Guinness world record for the quickest time for downing a 12-inch pizza.
Sunday, Japanese singer-songwriter Senri Oe will perform piano with his own jazz trio, featuring Semar on bass and Joe Abams on drums. This year, JAM expects to draw a two-day total of over 800 ardent fans of Japanese arts. Over the two days, the popular “Talent Night” will feature nearly two dozen up-and-coming singers, dancers, musicians and other performers who successfully made the cut before JAM’s judges. Brooklyn-based Japanese drum group Taiko Masala is one of the performers poised to bring Japan a bit closer to the borough, and an audience participation dance demonstration by Yosakoi Dance Project 10tecomai (featuring JETAANY member/JetWit contributor Kirsten Phillips) is guaranteed to raise the roof.
For the complete story, click here.
Talking Bra (Yes, a Talking Bra) to Stimulate Japanese Tourism
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"Welcome to Japan": Electronic buttons running down the centre of the garment triggers audio greetings in English, Chinese and Korean. (AFP)
Courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald.
As Japan hosts a Asia-Pacific summit this week, a women’s underwear maker on Wednesday unveiled a bra that is meant to lift spirits as well as bust lines and support the country’s tourism sector.
Triumph Japan showcased its bustier-style “Welcome to Japan! Bra” that it said was inspired by a tour guide’s uniform, features a display for images of sightseeing spots and can greet visitors in three languages.
A row of three electronic push buttons running down the centre of the garment triggers audio greetings in English, Chinese and Korean.
“Furthermore, tour guide flags are inserted on each side of the bra,” the company said. “When not used to guide tourists, the flags act as side stays, providing good support and creating an attractive bust line.”
Read the complete story (with video!!) here.
Don’t believe the hype
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A recent post on InsideJapan News Network titled “Japan Plans US Teacher Training Scheme” cites a Daily Yomiuri article about a new proposed project to send Japanese teachers to the U.S. for two years of training. The Yomiuri article suggests that if this new project were to go forward, it would mean the end of the JET Programme.
However, after checking with several well-versed sources both in and out of the Japanese government, it sounds like the article’s analysis is inaccurate. Apparently, it would most likely be complementary program (if it even happens) and would not mean the end of the JET Programme.
To paraphrase one source, it wouldn’t make sense for President Obama to back a plan that would reduce the number of jobs for Americans.
