Fukushima JET alum sets up Kickstarter fund to support his Fukushima documentary project
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Darryl Wharton-Rigby (Fukushima-ken, Kawamata-cho, 2005-07) has set up a Kickstarter fund to support his documentary project about Fukushima, “Don Doko Don: The Yamakiya Taiko Drum Club Project.” Darryl was also organized a project earlier this year, together with former JETAA DC President Michelle Spezzacatena (Fukushima-ken, Kawamata-cho, 2002-05) that brought the Kawamata taiko group to D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Here’s a little info about the project from the Kickstarter page:
“Don Doko Don: The Yamakiya Taiko Club Story follows an award winning Japanese Taiko Drum Troop – comprised entirely of kids, teens and 20-year-olds – living in Yamakiya, a small town near the failed Fukushima nuclear power plant. The group is forced to flee their homes and beloved mountain community after the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster wreaked devastation on them.
「どんどこどん」：この映画は、数々の受賞歴のある和太鼓の団体である、山木屋太鼓クラブのドキュメンタリー映画です。山木屋太鼓クラブは山木屋市内の、10歳以下の子供や10代の学生そして20歳の青年から構成されています。メンバーたちは地震・津波そして福島原発事故の影響で、今現在もなお実家や親しんだ地元から避難を余儀なくされている状況にあります。
Living as refugees and scattered around the countryside outside and within the radiation zone, the brave Taiko troop struggles to stay together and practice; trying to keep alive the spirit of their community – and the hope of returning home one day. And then, after facing daily adversity and at their lowest point, they get invited to Washington D.C. to be the honored performer in D.C.’s 100th Cherry Blossom Festival; headlining a climatic performance at the Kennedy Center!
それぞれの地域で避難生活を送っているにも関わらず、いつか実家のある地元故郷に帰ることを願い、山木屋太鼓クラブは離れ離れにならないように共に集まり太鼓クラブの精神を盛り上げて一生懸命活動しています。逆境に立ち向かう中、山木屋太鼓クラブはワシントンD.C.の桜祭百周年記念の演奏者として招待され、ケネディーセンターでは最高の演奏を行いました。”
Students from Taylor and Monty’s high schools to visit the US
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The below article appeared recently in the US-based Japanese language newspaper Frontline. Thanks to a helpful, bilingual JETwit supporter for sharing this and providing a summary in English:
“It basically says that 1,000 high school kids from 40 schools in the US will visit Japan in three groups from June 10th to the end of July. The group will include students from Taylor and Monty’s alma maters. They will do volunteer work in Tohoku and will visit Ishinomaki and Rikuzentakata (you can see the reference to Taylor, Monty, & JET in the third paragraph). The three main groups will evidently break up into smaller groups of 25 while in Japan and will move around among visits to places like temporary housing and volunteer work sites, and they are planning to visit Fukushima-ken to conduct radiation testing on newly harvested produce (that’s really interesting). They will also visit Kobe to see the recovery there from the Hanshin earthquake.”
★ 米高校生ら1000人、被災地へ 10日から訪日、交流
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東日本大震災からの復興に取り組む日本の姿を自分の目で確かめようと、米国の高校生ら約1000人が10日から７月下旬にかけ、３グループに分かれて訪日する。それぞれ約２週間滞在し、岩手、宮城、福島、茨城４県でのボランティア活動などを通じて被災地の人々と交流を深める。国際交流基金が主催する招待プログラムの一環。2005年の大型ハリケーン「カトリーナ」など、過去に自然災害に見舞われた地域を含む全米の40校が参加者を送り出す。外国青年招致事業（JETプログラム）で訪日中に震災の犠牲となった英語指導助手テイラー・アンダーソンさん＝当時（24）、バージニア州出身＝と、モンゴメリー・ディクソンさん＝同（26）、アラスカ州出身＝の出身校の生徒も訪日し、２人の赴任先だった宮城県石巻市と岩手県陸前高田市を訪れる予定。参加者は25人単位で行動。一部は岩手県久慈市で仮設住宅を訪問し、震災当時や避難生活の話を聞く。宮城県気仙沼市で津波被害を受けた海岸を地元ボランティアとともに清掃したり、福島県天栄村を訪れ収穫した農作物の放射線量を測定したりすることも計画されている。全ての参加者は神戸市にも足を運び、阪神大震災から復興を遂げた街の様子も視察する。（共同）
Press Release: The U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) Entrepreneurship Task Force and others Announce a Strategic Partnership to Bring Innovation, Recovery to the Tohoku Region.
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Thanks to JET alum Andrew McCarthy for sharing this information:
For Immediate Release
The U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) Entrepreneurship Task Force, SunBridge Global Venture Habitat and Venture Generation, Tokyo Announce a Strategic Partnership to Bring Innovation, Recovery to the Tohoku Region.
The partnership launched at an April 25 event at Stanford University supports entrepreneurs with game-changing ideas for the area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Leaders of this new initiative hope to breathe new life into the region by empowering entrepreneurs to rebuild the region in smart and innovative ways that will make it globally competitive. Read More
JETAA Northern California Pacific Bridge : Alumni Spotlight on Ryan Kimura
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JETAA Northern California’s Pacific Bridge recently interviewed Ryan Kimura (Shizuoka-ken, 2004-06) who currently serves as the Director of Programs and Community Affairs at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC).
How did you wind up in this position after JET?
After JET, I opened up a small purikura [Japanese photo booth] business, Pika Pika (www.pikapikasf.com), in Japantown’s Japan Center Kinokuniya Building. I owned, operated, and grew this business for five years before hearing about an opening at the JCCCNC for a Programs Director position. When I was a student at UC Berkeley, I interned at the JCCCNC and formed many strong relationships with the staff there, including Executive Director Paul Osaki. Additionally, managing a Japantown business and staffing a number of Japantown non-profits really motivated me into playing a larger role in the community. I decided to call Paul up, interviewed, and have been serving at the JCCCNC since May of 2011.
Seeing as we have recently passed the first anniversary of the 3/11 earthquake. I know the JCCCNC has been doing so much to support Tohoku and bring awareness to the community. Can you talk about that?
Immediately after news of the earthquake reached state-side, volunteers from all over the Japanese American community staffed an all-day, all-night telethon on NBC in the Bay Area, where we raised over 400,000 dollars. All of this money was soon after transferred to the JCCCNC-led Northern Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. Additionally, we took our efforts online and put up a Causes.com page for the fund. Our page has since received donations from over 25,000 people.
Speaking on the scale of the Japantown community, the JCCCNC has hosted numerous fundraisers for the cause. The 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival, which occurred about a month after the earthquake, had many of our staff and volunteers selling merchandise to generate money. Donation cans were located at every festival booth, and, throughout the year, many Japantown merchants used those same cans in their stores. The JCCCNC has also received money from smaller community charity events, including a lemonade stand run by kids, taiko concerts, and cultural performances.
On the February leading up to the first year anniversary, the JCCCNC flew in six Tohoku students who were studying to enter the hospitality industry at the Sendai YMCA. These students’ lives were devastated by the earthquake—they lost property, loved ones, and so much more. Some of them had not even gotten over the shock. Through the relief fund, we were able to pay for their tuition, show them around famous San Francisco hotels to enlighten them about hospitality in the West, and saturate them with American culture through homestays and preschool volunteer programs. We wanted to show donors how their money was being used, and because of the community’s generous spirit, these six students have the chance to realize their futures—to arise from tragedy and push forward.
JETAA Northern California Pacific Bridge: Ganbarou Tohoku!
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Anna Fung is a JET ALT in Iwate Prefecture who departed from the Bay Area last year. JETAA Northern California’s Pacific Bridge recently asked Anna to write a piece about living in the devastated region, as well as how the Japanese people around her are recovering.
More than half a year has passed since I arrived in Japan. I’m still a little green since I make plenty of verbal mistakes and perform a lot of gestures to make myself understood, but life is gradually getting easier. I’ve also had the pleasure of making many friends from Japan and around the world.
Many Japanese people are curious as to why I decided to come to Iwate, even after the huge earthquake. Before arriving, I was worried. There was the ongoing cleanup at the coast, as well as radiation problems in Sendai. Despite these lingering doubts, Japan was like another home to me because I have lived here before and befriended many wonderful people.
Being an ALT aboard the JET Program, I work with some teachers whose hometowns were located near the coast and were devastated. One teacher’s house was flooded with water, and the first floor was pretty much destroyed. The house was fixed, but her elementary and junior high schools were wiped out. Inland cities were also affected by the earthquake. One teacher lives in an apartment where her family had power outage when the quake occurred, causing both electricity and water to stop. They were very worried whether they had enough water for their newborn baby. Luckily, electricity was restored after a few days.
CLAIR-NY Report: JETAA USA Support for Communities in Japan
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CLAIR-NY recently posted the below report, written by Senior Researcher Matthew Gillam, on its website about JETAA USA chapter activities in support of communities in Japan:
JETAA USA Support for Communities in Japan
Recent examples as of May 2012
One way that the many JET alumni chapters in the US work to stay connected to Japan is through their support for prefecture and local governments and their involvement with communities here that have links to Japan. Alumni are active in contributing to sister city and sister state relationships, assisting groups or officials visiting from Japan, helping out at events and exhibits to promote tourism and local products, and participating in kenjinkai and other Japanese groups here in the US.
Sister State & Sister City Relationships
While almost every chapter reported involvement with sister states and cities in some way, a few of the more substantive examples are mentioned here.
Even though Washington, DC, does not have a sister city itself, members of the chapter there took part in the Sister Cities International grant selection process that determined the 2011 funding recipients for SCI’s new exchange initiative, Leading Asia: Renewing the U.S. and Japan Sister City Network.
The New England chapter, in Boston, is actively looking for ways to contribute to the sister city relationships that Boston has with Kyoto, Springfield with Nanae, and Concord with Takikawa. The Kyoto connection is especially interesting because both cities share a thriving anime & manga culture. The current chapter president is also a member of the Japan-Hokkaido Association.
The New Orleans chapter helped host a delegation including the mayor and officials from their sister city of Matsue who came to participate in the annual Japan Fest, held at the New Orleans Museum of Art in January.
JETAANC Pacific Bridge: Connecting with Japanese Exchange Students through Ayusa
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By Rachel Peters (Fukuoka, 2004-07) for the JETAANC Pacific Bridge magazine. Rachel works at Ayusa International and is helping out with the upcoming Tomodachi Initiative to bring Japanese high school students to the Bay Area during the summer.
After returning from the JET program in 2007, I was eager to enter a field where I could continue to promote cross-cultural understanding, tolerance, and awareness. I was extremely fortunate to find my way into Ayusa International, a division of Intrax Cultural Exchange that brings foreign exchange students to the United States for both year-long and short-term programs.
At Ayusa, I work in our Partner and Participant Services Department, which is where I cultivate and maintain relationships with our international partners and resolve issues that arise with our students while they are in the United States. I’ve also had the opportunity to visit our branch office in Japan, travel domestically to visit our students, host families and staff, and work on a variety of projects that foster international exchange.
Working at Ayusa has been a rewarding experience for me both professionally and personally. It’s inspiring to see the impact of the work we do in the lives of our students and the families who graciously host them. This coming summer, I am thrilled about a new program that we will be facilitating here in the Bay Area—the Tomodachi Softbank Leadership Program—and feel that it would be a great opportunity available for JET alumni in the Bay Area.
JETAABC Newsletter: An Interview with Photohoku
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By Wanda Yee (Fukui-ken, 2001-07) for JETAABC Newsletter. Wanda is the Social Media Coordinator at JETAABritish Columbia.
© Satoshi Narita
What is Photohoku and how (and why) did you become involved with this project?
Photohoku is a family photo-album building project for those affected by the events of March 11th. It’s a portmanteau blending of the words Photo and Tohoku. It was officially started on September 11th of 2011 by myself (Brian Scott Peterson) and our co-founder, Yuko Yoshikawa. We became involved in the project having collaborated on another Tokyo-based project called Tokyo Kids Photo.
Basically we go to the earthquake and tsunami affected areas of Tohoku, armed with instant cameras and instant film and find families who lost all their photos in the disaster and make new photos for them. We put those photos in a new family album for them and present that newly started album to the families. If the families don’t have a camera, we also give them a retired digital camera we’ve collected as donations from our friends and families. Finally, on subsequent trips, we print the photos from the cameras with have given and add those photos to the albums as well so they can continue them. Basically help them start their photographic lives over.
How did Photohoku evolve from being just an idea to becoming a full-on reality? Read More
CLAIR NY report on JET alumni support for Japan post-3/11
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CLAIR NY has published and posted to its website a report that attempts to capture some of the efforts of the JET alumni community to support Japan post-3/11. It is worth noting that it’s difficult to capture all of the wide-ranging efforts of the JET alumni community (over 55,000 and growing every year), and there are likely many efforts that have simply not been reported or captured in other ways. That said, this report still provides a really great overview and some good details.
English version: http://www.jlgc.org/TopicList.aspx?topicCategoryID=6&topicID=49&languageTypeID=1&controlType=Display
Japanese version: http://www.jlgc.org/TopicList.aspx?topicCategoryID=24&topicID=263&languageTypeID=2&controlType=Display
JQ Magazine: JQ&A with Director Regge Life on ‘Live Your Dream: The Taylor Anderson Story’
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“‘Live Your Dream’ is principally about Taylor, but it is actually the story of all the JETs who come to Japan, so I really want to look at what the experience is for a variety of people and how that experience changes both the teacher and the students they interact with.”
By Renay Loper (Iwate-ken, 2006-07) for JQ magazine. Renay is a freelance writer and associate program officer at the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. Visit her blog at Atlas in Her Hand.
Live Your Dream: The Taylor Anderson Story is the latest work by filmmaker and Global Film Network founder Regge Life, who has been making groundbreaking films for over two decades including the acclaimed Doubles: Japan and America’s Intercultural Children, and most recently Reason to Hope, which chronicles the events surrounding the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Live Your Dream not only shares the story of JET alum Taylor Anderson (Miyagi-ken, 2008-11) who tragically lost her life in the 2011 tsunami, but it also seeks to celebrate the lives of those who live their dreams and inspire others to make a difference. JQ caught up with Life to discuss the film, which is being prepared for a November release.
Your relationship with Japan spans over two decades. What stirred you to first go there, and how has this relationship grown over time?
This is a question with a very long answer, so let me try to be brief and to the point as possible. Japanese film has always intrigued me, so as a young filmmaker I would watch marathons of Japanese films at a cinema on Eighth Avenue called the Elgin. After years and so many movies, I was introduced to the Creative Artists Program of the NEA and Bunka-cho, and that is how I went the first time to witness the making of Tora-san #43.
How has it grown? Well, leaps and bounds. Four completed films, almost four years in residence in Tokyo, and a current feature project in development for almost 10 years.
What inspired you to make this film and document Taylor’s story?
Like most people, watching what was happening [during the time of the tsunami and earthquake] was mind-boggling and devastating. I have never been to Ishinomaki before, but I have been to Hachinohe, Morioka, Ichinoseki, and other parts of the region; so when I saw water rushing over rice fields like that and trucks and cars being carried—I just couldn’t believe it. It was devastating [to watch] for someone who has never been there before, but when you have been there, you [can better understand] the magnitude of what was happening. So at that time I’d just finished the film about Haiti, and from my work there, I realized there was probably going to be a story that needed to be told: something that no one would cover.
I don’t remember where I saw the fist e-mail about Taylor’s story or how it came to be, I just remember reading about her online. I made a few calls and one thing lead to the next, and slowly but surely, I was able to get in touch with Taylor’s family. And even still, it was all about timing. As a parent, I would have completely understood if no one got back to me. Then suddenly, I got this email from Andy, Taylor’s father. Giving him credit, he did his due diligence and did some research on me and became familiar with my work. [This all happened] at a time when they were swarmed by the media, so I took my time and we worked as they were comfortable.
Every step of the way, I checked in. Andy connected me with some of Taylor’s friends from Ishinomaki, so when I went back to Japan, I carved out some time to spend with them. One of her friends picked me up from the train station and that’s when it really hit me. At that time [the devastated area] was pretty much cleaned up—but even still, there was a lot to be done. Visiting Ishinomaki and meeting [Taylor’s] friends solidified it with me. I knew I needed to share her story.
Since this is a documentary about a JET participant, what cooperation did you receive from JET Program itself for the making of the film?
The CLAIR office in Japan was very generous to the film and made a remarkable pledge. We also received support directly from one of the people on staff! The JET alumni chapter in New York City (JETAANY) was also very generous, as well as JETs from all over the U.S. and even abroad.
JETAA Ottawa Fundraising Concert to aid Smile Kids Japan and the Tohoku Kids Project
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Via jetaaottawa.ca
JETAA Ottawa will be hosting a charity concert at the Black Sheep Inn on May 24th, 2012 to help raise money for Smile Kids Japan, and the Tohoku Kids Project.
JET Alumnus Jordan Patrick (Aichi-ken, 2009-11) will open the show with his mix of indie and modern folk music. Headlining the event will be the Hornettes who will keep the energy peaked and revive classic Motown, soul and funk sounds that will leave you sweaty and satisfied. The Hornettes formed in Ottawa in 2010, and since then have developed a loyal following of music lovers drawn to their ability to keep the dance floor moving. The band consists of two female front women, Anna and Irina, backed by a hot horn section and the classic trio of guitar, drums and bass.
A shuttle bus will be provided from the corner of York Street and Dalhousie Street at 6:30 p.m. to the Black Sheep Inn, and will return once the concert ends.
Tickets for the show and space on shuttle service are limited!
RSVP: events[at]jetaaottawa[dot]ca
Event: Smile Kids Japan Charity Concert
Date: Thursday, May 24th, 2012
Time: starting at 7:30pm (doors open at 7:00pm)
Location: Black Sheep Inn, 753 Riverside Drive, Wakefield, Quebec
Admission: $15.00 minimum donation (cash or pre-paid donations through JETAA Ottawa or Global Giving only) *bring a printed receipt of all pre-paid donations
Shuttle: $5.00 (cash/pre-purchased tickets only) – leaving at 6:30pm from the corner of York/Dalhousie St.
Hope to see you there!
JET alum creates “Help Japan: Donate Now” video after return trip to Iwate
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JETAA Minnesota member Ann Hershberger (Iwate-ken) recently returned to Iwate where she had previously worked as a JET. Following her trip, she created a video to support earthquake/tsunami relief efforts titled “Help Japan: Donate Now“.
To donate, go to http://donate-japan.com.
Documentary maker Regge Life seeks to speak with JETs and others who knew Monty Dickson in Japan
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A request from documentary maker Regge Life:
“Filmmaker Regge Life is seeking anyone who can speak personally and sincerely about Monty Dickson’s activities and interactions with the people of Rikuzentakata. Ideally, teachers, neighbors, or friends who lived or worked in the city with him. He will include Monty in the film “Live Your Dream: The Taylor Anderson Story” but has not been able to interview anyone from Rikuzentakata. If you know of someone Regge can speak with, or have any suggestions, please contact him at regge.life@gmail.com. Thank you for your support.”
Australian JET alum Pepi Ronalds (Miyagi-ken, Sendai Shi, 2010-11) recently published an essay on Amazon titled “After Shock: Experiencing the 2011 Japanese Earthquake.” Below is a bit of context from Ronalds along with an extract from the essay:
About Pepi
Pepi is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and researcher based in Melbourne, Australia. On any given day she is found writing, researching and craving sakuranbo soft-cream from the Omiyage shop below Yamadera. While working as an ALT in Sendai Shi, Miyagi prefecture she experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake first hand. She writes about the experience in her long-form article After Shock: Experiencing the 2011 Japanese Earthquake, which can be downloaded via Amazon or Pepi’s website http://www.pepironalds.com.
“After finishing JET I returned to the freelance writing career that I had begun in late 2009. As a writer of non-fiction, I was keen to write about my experience of the triple disaster in Sendai. I knew that many people outside of Japan had a limited understanding of what had happened. – Yes, I was caught up in a natural disaster as a foreigner, and yes it was scary. But there was (and continues to be) so much more to my experience (and those of my fellow JETs and gaijins). I was astounded by the incredible generosity of my Japanese friends and colleagues, and the work they’ve done (and are doing) to rebuild.”
As publishing paradigms change, I there are fewer venues for long-form articles like mine. So in publishing this article I made my first foray into ‘entrepreneurial journalism’. That is, I am selling direct to readers. Below is an extract. If you want to read the whole thing (6,500 words) you can either download the article via Amazon, or buy direct from me using Paypal.”
Extract from After Shock: Experiencing the 2011 Japanese Earthquake
“We started the heaters,” my friend Yuriko writes, “but we are trying not to use them often to save them in case of an emergency.” I know the school in Sendai to which she refers. Winter is marked by a meter of snow on the baseball field. It’s sustained by snowflakes the size of marshmallows that seem to fall horizontally. The winds wheeze and rattle at loose windows. When I was there last year, I was constantly dabbing my nose with a tissue. And when my friend writes this from Sendai eight months after the earthquake, winter in Japan has barely begun.
I read her email and think back to that frigid Friday, March 11, 2011. My students and I were decorating the walls of the school with a mosaic of origami-paper blossoms. It was so cold in the unheated hallway that my fingers seemed to move in slow motion. We worked with a feeling of purpose and excitement. Then there was a long, deep, foreboding yawp. An announcement from the earth beneath us that everything was about to change. Read More
Report on the Invitation Programme for JET Alumni to Disaster Stricken Areas in Tohoku
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Below is the text of the report on the Invitation Program for JET Alumni to Disaster Stricken Areas in Tohoku (aka Return to Tohoku) where MOFA assesses the results and impact of the program. A very interesting read! Twenty JET alumni who had previously worked in Tohoku were selected from a pool of over 60 applicants to spend a week pursuing their proposed itineraries. Each participant was also asked to write about their experience in various media and formats.
- Click here for a PDF version of the report (which contains some images and graphs that I wasn’t able to copy over from the Word version).
- Click here to read some of the participants’ “Return to Tohoku” blog posts that appeared on JETwit.
A few interesting highlights from the report:
- Number of participants broken down by home country: U.S.: 9; Australia: 4; China: 4; Canada: 2; U.K.: 1
- Number of participants broken down by place visited: Iwate: 7; Miyagi: 6; Fukushima: 6; Sendai-City: 1
Comment on JETAA from the Conclusions section of the report:
[T]he recruitment of participants was conducted through the JETAA regional Chapters, and thus it was confirmed once more that in being able to obtain active cooperation from each of the JETAA regional chapters, JETAA is an instrumental cooperator in implementing Japan’s diplomatic policies and measures.
Sample feedback from one of the host organizations:
School Planning Section, Board of Education, City of Ninohe, Iwate Prefecture
This program was a very welcome one indeed. Not only did the former JET Programme participant succeed in interacting with his former students, but he also brought with him from the U.S. a thousand origami cranes and messages of encouragement, by which we knew that other countries are supporting the people affected by the disaster. The participant sent out information on his web page and elsewhere regarding the culture of the city of Ninohe and regarding Kunohe Castle and he also provided advice concerning how to interact with participants from overseas. The participant was proficient in Japanese and arranged his schedule by himself using Japanese and we appreciate the fact that no burdens were placed upon the host side.
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Click “Read More” to read the full report below.
Report on the Invitation Programme for JET Alumni
to Disaster Stricken Areas in Tohoku Read More
