WITLife – Episode #1
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WITLife is a periodic post by Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03).
Since becoming a freelance translator/interpreter/writer, one of the new opportunities that I have enjoyed the most has been interpreting for the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP: http://exchanges.state.gov/ivlp/ivlp.html).
The IVLP is an exchange program designed to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through carefully designed visits that reflect the participants’ professional interests and support U.S. foreign policy goals. For participants, it involves meeting and conferring with professional counterparts and gaining an appreciation of the ethnic, cultural, political and socio-economic diversity of the U.S.
Participants are established or potential foreign opinion makers in government, public policy, media, education, labor, the arts and other key fields, and they are selected by American embassies abroad. Since its inception in 1940, over 135,000 people have participated in the program, and in 2007 over 4000 IVs came over on 900 projects of various themes. 65 IVLP alumni are current Chiefs of State/Heads of Government, including Taiwan President Ma Ying-Jeou. However, while they are here all IVs are considered “honorary Americans.” This means that no matter how highly ranked they are back home, during this program in our egalitarian country everyone is of equal status. This certainly takes a bit of pressure off the lowly interpreter!
My first assignment was in September for two Japanese men studying the theme of Planning for Crises: Disasters and Pandemics. Read More
Daily Yomiuri Column by Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99)
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There’s a new Daily Yomiuri column out today by Japanamerica author Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99). In his periodic column (“Soft Power/Hard Truths”), he comments on American perceptions of Japan and of foreigners, touching on his recent on-stage interview with Haruki Murakami in San Francisco as well as the recent matchup of the Rays’ Akinori Iwamura against the Red Sox Hideki Okajima.
Japan’s Newspapers
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Interesting article from the Washington Post by Blaine Harden (with contributions from Akiko Yamato) on the newspaper business in Japan, for anyone interested or working in journalism in Japan. The gist of it is that while the newspaper business has been undermined by the internet, it’s been supported by the large number of older folks who all prefer newspapers to the internet and therefore there aren’t that many young readers to lose.
Essay Request: Alone in the Kitchen with a Rice Cooker
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I’m looking for people interested in writing essays on the theme: Alone in the Kitchen with a Rice Cooker
The idea is to write an essay (any length or “shortness” is ok) about cooking for yourself (or could be eating by yourself) when you lived in Japan. The focus, however, is intended to be on the theme of being alone in Japan viewed through the prism of cooking/eating. It’s just about whatever you liked to do (or found yourself doing) cooking-wise when you were alone and how that ties into the rest of your experience in Japan. Feel free to focus exclusively on the food, or feel free to use the food as a jumping-off point for other things. If you want to include a recipe for whatever food you describe, that would be a nice touch as well.
The idea is derived from book of published essays entitled Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant (a good read in itself). I think the essays on this topic will offer some very interesting and readable perspectives on the JET Program, on Japan, on cooking and on the theme of being alone.
Deadline is open. Just send an email to express your intent to write an essay.
Contact: Steven Horowitz at stevenwaseda ,at, jetwit , com
Writing opportunity: How’s the economy treating you?
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I’d like to put together an article about how the current economic situation is affecting or will affect JET alumni. So please feel free to email me one paragraph (long or short) about how you think the current economic situation will affect you and why. Include your prefecture and years on JET, or feel free to request anonymity.
Email responses to: Steven Horowitz at stevenwaseda [at] jetwit [dot-] com
Michael Auslin: A “Third Neighbor” Strategy for Asia
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The latest article from JET alum Michael Auslin, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and previously a professor of Japanese History at Yale.
A “Third Neighbor” Strategy for Asia, Posted Date: Monday, October 6, 2008
“By serving as a disinterested “third neighbor” to put-upon allies in East Asia, the United States can strengthen liberalism and democracy in the region.” http://www.aei.org/publication28731
JET Alum article on new Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso
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JET alum Michael Auslin (formerly a professor of Japanese history at Yale and currently a researcher for the American Enterprise Institute) has a new article about the new Japanese prime minister Taro Aso entitled Can This Man Save the LDP?
Roland Kelts Column in Daily Yomiuri
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Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-1999), author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Culture Has Invaded the U.S., has an article in this weekend’s Daily Yomiuri entitled Soft Power, Hard Truths: Japan’s Global Power: Soft or Wilted? You can keep up on Roland on his blog at http://japanamerica.blogspot.com.
JET Alum Article in The Guardian
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See JET alum Julie Ferry’s article entitled The Knowledge Gap which ran in The Guardian on 9/26/08 and which references her experience on JET in a discussion of the evolution of the “gap year”. To learn more about Julie, you can visit her website at http://www.julieferry.co.uk/.
