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
JQ Magazine’s Winter 2010 “Food and Film” Issue Is Out Now!
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JQ Editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) has worked hard to put out another fantastic issue of JETAA NY Quarterly Magazine (aka JQ). O-tsukare sama deshita, Justin-san!
Start the decade off right!JAN/FEB 2010 ISSUE: Click image below for our homepage
Click here to SUBSCRIBE via PayPal
Editor: Justin Tedaldi – magazine@jetaany.org
JAN/FEB 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 3……..Letter From the Editor / Letter From the Secretary
Page 4……..Nippon News Blotter / JetWit Baby
Page 5……..Peace Corps Calls Out to JETs by Marea Pariser
Page 6……..Gearing Up for Grad School by Aly Woolfrey
Page 6……..At the ISE Cultural Gallery by Michael Glumac
Page 7……..Harumi Kurihara: The JQ Interview by Yukari Sakamoto
Page 8……..Nihonjin in New York – Featuring Filmmaker Takayuki Tanaka by Stacy Smith
Page 9……..Lisa Katayama on 2-D Love, Japan Pop by Crystal Wong
Page 9……..The Legacy of Tokyo Story by David Kowalsky
Page 10……JETlog – Featuring John Ellis-Guardiola
Page 10……The Language(s) of Love: Wendy Nelson Tokunaga by Nichole Knight
Page 11…….Bridge Building with Filmmaker Aaron Woolfolk by Lyle Sylvander
Page 12……The Funny Page
WIT Life #72: Base blues
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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!
WIT Life #71: 日米関係？日中関係？どちらを優先するか？
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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
“The US-Japan Alliance: Relic of a By-gone Era” by JET alum Michael Auslin
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The latest from JET alum Michael Auslin, a professor of Japanese history and politics and currently the Director of Japanese Studies for the American Enterprise Institute in D.C. This one part of The AEI Outlook Series.
The U.S.-Japan Alliance: Relic of a By-gone Era?
http://www.aei.org/outlook/100929
by JET alum Michael Auslin
The U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation was signed in Washington, D.C., fifty years ago this month. Few alliances last half a century. The fact that this one has is a testament to its strength, but it is also the result of East Asia’s failure to develop stable political and security relationships in the decades after World War II. It also reflects Japan’s postwar political realities and the choices successive Japanese governments made to maintain the country’s largely pacifist global role. Yet, the pressures on the alliance today raise questions about how well it can adapt to changes inside Japan, the United States, and throughout Asia. If the alliance is to survive, how should it change to best serve the evolving national interests of Japan and the United States?
Key points in this Outlook:
* The U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation has helped maintain peace in Asia for the past fifty years.
* Security-related issues regarding North Korea’s nuclear-weapons program and China’s growing military raise important political questions for the future of the alliance.
* Today, the Obama and Hatoyama administrations must decide if they view the alliance as a key element in their security strategies or as an outdated relic of a bygone era.
To read the whole paper, go here: http://www.aei.org/outlook/100929
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.
Last week I had the opportunity to hear a talk given by the Japanese sociologist Dr. Yuko Kawanishi. Dr. Kawanishi has written numerous articles and is often quoted by Western media on topics such as declining birth rate, education reform, mental health and depression, family relations, juvenile crime and youth culture. She did her undergraduate work at Doshisha University and got her PhD in Sociology from UCLA. Currently she is the recipient of an Abe Fellowship and a visiting scholar at Hunter College and Columbia University’s Teacher’s College.
Dr. Kawanishi spoke mainly about her new book entitled “Mental Health Challenges Facing Contemporary Japanese Society: The ‘Lonely People.” It addresses the question of mental malaise in its many forms in contemporary Japanese society, focusing on three main areas: work, family and youth. These include Read More
Roland Kelts column in Daily Yomiuri: Our hybrid future is here
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Violinist Diana Yukawa
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Here’s the latest SOFT POWER/HARD TRUTHS column in the Daily Yomiuri by Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, this one about hybrid people, hybrid music and hybridization as a trend.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/arts/20091218TDY11001.htm
Diana Yukawa age 8
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JET alum writer Elizabeth White a featured writer on WineTime Tv’s new website
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Elizabeth White (Toyama-ken, 1995-98), the former Media Coordinator for JETAA Southern California, is now a featured writer for WineTimeTv.net. Have a look:
http://winetimetv.net/home/contributors
JET Alum Liz Sheffield interviews “Love In Translation” author Wendy Nelson Tokunaga
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Author, manuscript consultant and blogger Liz Sheffield (Hokkaio-ken, Sapporo-shi, 1993-95) has a great post on her blog Motherlogue about a new book out titled Midori by Moonlight by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga. Here’s Liz’s explanation of the background:
About a year ago I read Wendy Nelson Tokunaga’s debut novel, Midori by Moonlight. I was thrilled to see that she had a new release out in November — Love In Translation. Both of her books cover topics near and dear to my heart: Japanese culture, the expatriate experience and cross-cultural romance.
Love In Translation intrigued me because the story is told from the perspective of a foreign woman living in Japan, something with which I have personal experience! As I read the book, I had a wonderful sense of being reconnected to my own experiences in Japan — from the visits to a ryokan (Japanese hotel) to eating delicious shu-cream to blunders in communication through a foreign language. I was also reminded of what I learned about myself thanks to the joy and hardship of navigating a culture so different from my own.
In my interview with her at Motherlogue, Wendy offers insight about her experiences in Japan, about publishing two novels and combining her vocal talents with her husband’s musical talents to create an enka song (“Nozomi No Hoshi“) as the soundtrack for Love In Translation. Details about how to request a copy of “Nozomi No Hoshi” on CD, are included in the interview.
- Read the interview with Wendy Nelson Tokunaga, author of “Love in Translation.”
- Read an interview with fellow JET alum Suzanne Kamata about Suzanne’s book Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering.
- Follow Motherlogue here: http://motherlogue.wordpress.com
JET Alum Writing: Jonathan Golub – Private Fund Investment Advisers Registration Act of 2009
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Jonathan Golub, Esq. (Saitama-ken, 1996-97)
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For JetWit readers working in law or financial services, you may be interested to know that attorney Jonathan Golub (Saitama-ken, 1996-97) was a major contributor to a recent article on the topic of hedge funds and a proposed law that would require many hedge fund managers to register with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).
Jonathan is a senior financial services associate at Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP. He advises investment advisers on a wide variety of matters including private investment fund formation and compliance with securities and commodities regulations.
WIT Life #61: 今年の漢字
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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
Roland Kelts article in PaperSky–in Japanese–on hybridization and travel
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Here’s a column by Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, in the Japanese-language travel magazine, PaperSky (http://www.paper-sky.com/blog/). It’s a “mediation on hybridization and travel” and includes photos of the Tokyo, Sydney and NYC skylines.
JET-Popp: Yokohama Children`s Book Conference
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Laura Popp (Mie-ken, 2009-Present) is a current JET who writes fantasy and science fiction for children and young adults, and is an occasional playwright/film maker. Her short work includes a short story titled “In theShadow Realm” and a documentary she made in Malawi. To read about her amazing adventures all over Japan, go to her blog at laurajanepopp.blogspot.com. (And check out the Authors/Books section of the JetWit Library for a list of more writers in the JET-o-sphere.)
Hello again! This week I would like to report on the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference in Yokohama. It actually occurred on November 14th, but, alas, I have been ill with swine flu and other “opportunistic infections” so I was unable to report. But now you get to hear all about it!
For those of you who don`t know, SCBWI is a great group to get involved with if you write for kids. They have lots of events, critique groups, contests, and resources. Here is their website: http://www.scbwi.jp/
A note on transportation. There are many events for writers and translators in Japan, but most are confined to the big cities. For those of you who live in a small town like me, you may be wondering how you will ever get to this wonderful career-building opportunities and still stay within your tight school-teacher budget. Fear not!
There is a wonderful, often overlooked form of transportation in Japan called the night bus. It may seem like a pain, but the bus I took from my home in Nabari to Yokohama was very comfortable. The bus ride was about eight hours, so if I were more accustomed to sleeping on a bus, I probably could have been well rested when we arrived very early in the morning. The earliness gave me plenty of time for sightseeing before the conference, and since my bus home didn`t leave until 11:00pm. Plus it cost less than half than taking the shinkansen, and there`s no need to pay for a hotel!
That said, I was very tired when I arrived back in Nabari at 7:00am. Fortunately it was Sunday, but I would not recommend taking the night bus if you have to go to work the next day. Also, be warned, not all night buses are created equal. Check to see if the bus you want to ride has reclining seats or not, and if there is a bathroom on board or if they stop ever few hours, turn on the lights, and have people jostling past you trying to get in and out constantly. If you are interested in taking a night bus somewhere, I would recommend contacting the main bus station in your town. Most of them don’t speak English, but a Japanese friend helped me get the information and make reservations over the phone. You may be surprised how many places offer night buses to common destinations such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, etc.
(FYI, Yokohama is famous for its 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.
政権交代 (seiken koutai) or “change of government,” was announced to be the winner of Japan’s 2009 Buzzword Award on December 1 (Incidentally, last year the title was won by 「アラフォー」 or “around 40 years old”). This phrase of course refers to the rise to power by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), overturning over 50 years of Liberal Democratic Party rule. Other contenders for the buzzword title were 新型インフルエンザ (shingata influenza) or “new flu” and 草食男子 (soushoku danshi) or “herbivorous men.”
Since the change in administration, Hatoyama has been dealing with 3Ks. However, this is not referring to the typical usage regarding undesirable 3K jobs that are kitsui (difficult), kitanai (dirty) and kiken (dangerous). Hatoyama’s very own 3 K’s are kenkin (contribution), keizai (economics), and kichi (military base).
The first K is in regard to a donation scandal plaguing the new Prime Minister. Prosecutors have traced Read More
Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (November 2009 #2)
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The November 2009 (#2) issue of the Sake World E-mail Newsletter by JET alum and leading sake expert John Gauntner (aka “The Sake Guy”) is now available online. In this issue:
Tasting with Mr. T
Did You Know? Sake Brand Name Characters
New Section: Sake Basics – Junmai-shu
Guided Sakagura Tours
Sake Professional Courses in Japan: Last Call!
Holiday Gift Idea: Announcing The Sake Dictionary!!!
Odds-n-Ends
Additional links:
Sake World Website
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