Nov 17

Interview with Guitar God John McLaughlin

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Nov 16

Interview with Jazz Musician Keiko Matsui

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Keiko Matsui performs at New York's Blue Note Nov. 23-25. (Jun Sato)

Nov 14

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.

Nov 12

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.

Nov 12

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.

Nov 12

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.

Nov 10

Return of the Samurai

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Thanks to JET alum Margie Banin (who works as an “Ex-pat Coach”) for sharing a nice NY Times article titled “Return of the Samurai” which comments on the 150th anniversary of the first Samurai delegation to visit the U.S. in 1860.

Among other interesting tidbits, there was apparently almost a scandal when several of members of the Japanese delegation were found naked together in their hotel bathtub.

Nov 6

JET alum Foster Klug named AP News Editor in Seoul

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Thanks to Nagasaki-ken JET alum Christy Jones for passing along this item from the New York Times about fellow Nagasaki JET alum Foster Klug:

According to the article in the New York Times:

Foster Klug, a reporter who has covered U.S.-Asia relations for The Associated Press in Washington, has been named the AP’s news editor in Seoul, South Korea.

…….

Klug was the first U.S.-Asian affairs reporter on AP’s North America Desk, which is responsible for U.S. news coverage targeted for audiences outside the United States. He has written on an array of issues, including U.S. sanctions against North Korea, Washington’s currency dispute with China and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

…….

Previously, he lived for three years in rural Nagasaki, Japan, where he taught English and coached basketball at a junior high school. He is a graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

Here’s the link to the full article:   http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/11/05/us/AP-US-AP-Appointments.html?hp

Nov 5

Hokkaido JET Annual Musical Production Tradition Continues

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Snow, Sea and Song

Hokkaido’s hills are alive with the sound of music, thanks to the efforts of its ALTs

By Caroline Cronshaw (Hokkaido, 2006-09) – Caroline is an amateur illustrator and instructor at the University New Brunswick in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. She has painted and designed posters for the HAJET Hokkaido Players’ productions for the past four years, and is currently working 2011’s poster as of this article. Her work can be seen at http://carrie-ko.deviantart.com.

Whether they choose to go to Hokkaido or not, several hundred new JET participants, some of whom have never seen a snowflake before in their lives, come to live on the northernmost island in the Japanese archipelago each year.

Hokkaido, with its vast tracts of wilderness and ghostly former coal mining towns, can cause even the most steadfast and Canadian of JETs to surrender to homesickness and cabin fever during its long and snowy winters. It’s those same cold and white expanses that probably inspired the Ainu peoples to come up with place names like Shiretoko – ‘the ends of the earth’. Indeed, it’s not easy being a homesick alien living in a half-buried BOE-owned hut in midwinter.

Thankfully, however, the ALTs of Hokkaido have come up with an unusual cure for the winter blues: musical theatre.

Since the mid-1990s, denizens of many Hokkaido communities have been witness to a mysterious caravan of vans and cars rumbling into town on a Friday night and parking in front of a local community centre or temple. These vehicles, laden with wooden planks and props, belong to none other than the members of the HAJET Hokkaido Players, an amateur theatre troupe comprised of JET participants from across the island. While some members do have experience in acting or stage production, there is no requirement except dedication and the desire to help bring international understanding to the people of Hokkaido. The troupe is partly administered by HAJET, the Hokkaido AJET chapter, and is entirely non-profit. If there is money left over or gained from performances, most of it is used to sponsor the Hokkaido English Challenge, an annual non-profit English-language summer camp program also organized by HAJET. The rest of the profit is saved for next year’s show.

Among the various Broadway staples the HAJET Hokkaido Players have performed are such familiar titles as West Side Story, Annie, Peter Pan, Oklahoma!, and Guys and Dolls. They also on occasion perform original works, such as 2009’s Alice in Japan, originally written by ALTs in Niigata. This year’s production will be an original play based on The Jungle Book (the Kipling novel, not the Disney adaptation). According to the Players’ current director, Melissa Golden, the production will incorporate elements of Bollywood cinema and traditional Indian costume, as well as make use of Lion King-style animal masks.

The Players start planning their productions early in the year, around the end of August when the newbies first arrive from overseas. Recruitment is usually done around early to mid September during the various welcome parties (with an island that big, you’d need to have several parties), and the first rehearsal is typically scheduled for later in the month or in early October. From that point onward, it’s full speed ahead, and anyone who can’t commit will be left in the dust. Despite the subject, it’s serious business.

Depending on the show and the wishes of the director, the English script is augmented with either lines in Japanese, framed scene-by-scene with Japanese narration, or both. This is to help audience members without English proficiency or previous knowledge of the play to understand what is going on. The Players also do their research in more pop culture-related subjects Read More

Nov 5

JET ROI: JET alum op-ed in Asahi Shimbun – The JET Program is a ‘triumph of soft power’

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Jim Gannon

The below op-ed titled “POINT OF VIEW: The JET Program is a ‘triumph of soft power’” appeared in the November 5, 2010 edition of the Asahi Shimbun.  It was written by three JET alumni with expertise in Japan-U.S. policy and relations:

• James Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) – Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA) and author of the “Chopping Block” article.
• Michael Auslin – Director of Japan Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.
• Paige Cottingham-Streater – Deputy Executive Director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation.

(Here’s the link for the original article on the Asahi Shimbun website:  http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201011040234.html)

POINT OF VIEW: The JET Program is a ‘triumph of soft power’

Michael Auslin

In its 23 years, the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program has brought more than 50,000 young foreigners to Japan, including over 25,000 Americans, to teach in the school system as well as to support international exchange activities.

Each of us grew to know Japan through our participation in the JET Program, and this experience has changed the direction of our careers and enriched our lives.

In fact, the JET Program has touched the lives of so many people who might otherwise not be exposed to Japanese society that it is regarded by many outside of Japan as the most successful public diplomacy initiative in the world over the last several decades.

Paige Cottingham-Streater

Therefore, we were especially dismayed to learn that it has been criticized in the last round of the budget screening process.

Since it was launched at the height of Japan-bashing in the late 1980s, the JET Program has produced an extraordinary legacy.

On the one hand, we would like to think that it has been beneficial for Japanese students and communities. We have heard many stories about how students’ personal interactions in the classroom with JET participants have made English into a “living language” for them and helped motivate them to use English for communication rather than just as an exam topic.

We get the sense that, in our globalizing world, even students who never mastered English have benefited from their interactions with JET participants from countries they may never have thought much about before.

The JET Program’s least recognized contribution, however, may be its most important. This is the remarkable success it has had as a public diplomacy program. By exposing thousands of young professionals to Japanese society, it has built up deep person-to-person ties between Japanese people and an entire generation of non-Japanese from around the world.

In our country, the United States, the impact of this program on U.S.-Japan relations is quite extraordinary. It is no exaggeration to say that it has become an important pillar of the bilateral relationship.

As they grow older, former JET participants have started to take important posts in government, business, and civil society, bringing their personal networks and a deep appreciation of the importance of strong U.S.-Japan relations to their everyday work.

In the U.S. government, for example, JET participants have worked on the frontlines of U.S.-Asia relations in the White House, the State Department and other agencies. Two JET alumni even ran for the U.S. Congress–Rob Cornilles, who ran on the Republican ticket in Oregon, and Dan Seals, a Democrat from Illinois.

Similarly, when one looks at the emerging generation of Japan experts in American academic circles and think tanks, it appears that the majority are graduates of the JET Program, many of whom may have otherwise taken a very different direction in their studies and careers.

This is true of the grassroots organizations that sustain U.S.-Japan relations, too. At least 4 of the 40 Japan-America Societies in the United States are headed by former JET participants.

In evaluating the contributions of the JET Program, it is important to keep in mind the role it is playing in strengthening the foundations of Japan’s engagement with the rest of the world and the world’s engagement with Japan. People who are immersed in Japanese communities tend to develop a lifelong connection to Japan, and we are just starting to reap the rewards of this far-sighted program.

In our rapidly changing world, where it is critical for countries to project an active global presence and where a robust U.S.-Japan partnership on a wide range of issues has become even more important, the connections built by the JET Program are an invaluable asset.

The JET Program has been a triumph of soft power. We are so grateful for the opportunity that has given us and believe that continuing the JET Program–and further strengthening it–is important for Japan and all of its friends around the world.

Oct 28

New York’s Japan Society hosts design summit, MUJI minds

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The MUJI book is in stores now. (©MUJI, Rizzoli New York, 2010)

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.

Architecture, interior design and innovative household items take center stage at Japan Society in November through its upcoming lectures The Design Difference and America Meets MUJI.

For The Design Difference, Japan Society’s U.S.-Japan Innovators Network will gather architecture and design visionaries Yoshiharu Tsukamoto of Atelier Bow-Wow and John Peterson of Public Architecture to exchange ideas in a bid to help solve some of the world’s most vital social problems. Moderated by Designers Accord’s globally recognized innovator Valerie Casey, The Design Difference is part of the Innovators Network’s two-day exchange program in partnership with Designers Accord, Common Ground Community and the Brownsville Partnership, and GOOD magazine.

In its 30 years of existence, celebrated retailer MUJI has made an impact as a global standard for goods of simplicity, practicality and sustainable design. True to its name—shorthand for mujirushi, or “no brand,” reflecting its lack of labels or elaborate packaging—MUJI is mighty, with over 100 outlets outside of Japan. InAmerica Meets Muji, internationally acclaimed designers Naoto Fukasawa, Kenya Hara and John Maeda discuss the concepts behind the creation, design and essence of MUJI.

Along with Jasper Morrison, Fukasawa and Hara are the co-authors of the new coffee table book MUJI. Published by Rizzoli New York, the tome explores through illuminating essays and hundreds of photos MUJI’s inner workings via its founding principle to develop new and simple products at reasonable prices by making the best use of materials while minimizing their impact on the environment. For the MUJI faithful, Fukasawa and Hara will be on hand after Wednesday’s talk for a special book signing reception.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Oct 27

JET ROI: NY’s Consulate-General of Japan, JET alumni make mighty combo

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Oct 20

Interview with ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro

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Jake Shimabukuro performs at NYC's Highline Ballroom Oct. 25. (Sencame)

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.

Fifth generation Japanese American Jake Shimabukuro has been recording music since the late ’90s. At age 33, he’s earned comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis on the ukulele, and will release his latest album, Peace Love Ukulele (Hitchhike) in January. After playing high-profile shows like the Asian American Music Festival in Los Angeles earlier this month for his national tour, the artist answered some questions prior to his upcoming gig at New York’s Highline Ballroom on Oct. 25.

Tell us about Peace Love Ukulele. Do you have a few favorite songs? Why?

Peace Love Ukulele is an album compiled of songs that I hope will bring joy and happiness to listeners near and far. I hope the emotions expressed in the music will connect people and make them realize that we all feel the same things—we just express them differently. I believe music is the greatest gift, and the ukulele is the friendliest way to present that gift to the world. A few favorite tunes on the album include “143,” a song inspired by the pager code 143, which simply means I love you; “Go For Broke,” a song written for the Japanese American veterans who served in World War II; and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” one of my all-time favorite classic rock tunes.

How does this album differ your last studio album?

The new CD, Peace Love Ukulele, is my first independent release. I had a lot of fun putting things together for this album. I really took my time with this one and tried to present the ukulele in ways that were fresh and exciting.  

What do you hope people take away from your music?

I hope listeners experience the same joy that I’m experiencing when I’m strumming the ukulele. The ukulele is probably one of the easiest instruments to play. Anyone can pick it up for the first time, learn a couple chords and immediately start strumming songs. It’s so relaxing. I always tell people that playing the ukulele is like an entire yoga session in one strum.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Oct 18

Interview with Japanese indie rockers The Suzan

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Golden Week For The Poco Poco Beat hits stores Oct. 26. (Fool's Gold/Downtown Records)

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 Suzan is a quartet of Japanese indie rock gals who call New York their home. Bounding between gigs in their native Tokyo and NYC, they’re now prepping a new album, Golden Week for the Poco Poco Beat. I caught up with the group (Saori, vocals and guitars; Rie, guitars and keyboards; Ikue, bass; NICO, drums) in advance of the band’s area shows this week for NickyDigital.com’s CMJ Showcase and Pitchfork.com’s #Offline Festival.

How did The Suzan form?

The Suzuki sisters, Rie and Saori, began making tracks in 2003. After they sent their demos to a Japanese indie label and that label released their songs, the owner of the label told them to organize the band to play shows. Then NICO and Ikue joined.

What does your name refer to?

It is the sisters’ nickname.

The band’s music is an eclectic mix of Western styles. Who are your biggest influences?

The Beatles and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Earlier this month we’ve had famous Japanese groups like X Japan, Vamps and Puffy AmiYumi playing New York. Did you and your friends get to see any of these shows? What are your feelings about the warm reception these artists have received in the States?

Ikue: Me and my friends didn’t see these shows. I think what they are doing is a good way to show Japan’s recent musical culture (Visuals, animation, etc.). Their ways to approach this are different from ours, though.

At the same time, it’s been difficult for any Asian band to achieve mainstream success here. What are The Suzan’s goals as a group?

NICO: I don’t believe THE SUZAN is an Asian band. We are a worldwide band that was just born in Asia.

Saori: I think it’s difficult to achieve mainstream success for Asian people. But we can do it! This is our goal.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Oct 14

Kaiju Big Battel to rumble at NY’s Royal Flush Festival

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Kaiju Big Battel at Brooklyn’s Warsaw Oct. 15. (Studio Kaiju LLC)

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.

There’s pro wrestling, and then there’s Japanese monster wrestling.

Kaiju Big Battel brings its unique brand of intergalactic smackdown to Warsaw Friday, Oct. 15 as part of Royal Flush magazine’s annual art, film and rock & roll festival, culminating in their Book 7 release party at Brooklyn’s premiere music venue.

Prepare for sheer drama in the ring and gut busting laughs when the heroic fighters of Kaiju take on the evil monsters of Dr. Cube’s posse in Kaiju Big Battel Presents: Save the Kaiju! This telethon style “fundraiser”—their only New York performance of 2010—promises to demolish at least one city and wipe out some extraterrestrial trash on the side, all for a good cause.

Such epic entertainment fits the Royal Flush Festival perfectly. Running through Oct. 18, showcases included a signing from fellow horror and monster movie auteur Rob Zombie at New York’s Forbidden Planet and a diverse lineup of films and concerts at Highline Ballroom and Knitting Factory.

Read the rest of the article here.