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JET alum Beth Hillman reports that last month’s Joshikai author event gathered 40 people.  This month they’re doing a happy hour!  See below:

女子会3月会!  Next Joshikai – Thursday, March 18

For the next Joshikai gathering, we’ll be meeting for an evening of networking and girl talk at Postrio, a unique and stylish downtown bar. Mingle, chat and share stories with other women in English and/or Japanese. Any skill level of Japanese is welcome, and this will be a great opportunity to practice your Japanese and connect with women who have similar interests. They’ve extended the happy hour for us until 7 pm; specials include cocktails, beers and wine, as well as yakitori, pork belly and other bar appetizers — all starting at $4! We’ve reserved the mezzanine lounge area, so we’ll have a comfortable place to relax.  Feel free to join us whenever is convenient, and bring friends!

女子会の皆さん、
2月11日のイベントは沢山の方に参加していただきました。ありがとうございました。3月の会合は18日にダウンタンのおとなバーPostrioで行います。日本人女性のJunさんがマネージャーを勤められているPrescott Hotel内にある落ち着いた雰囲気のバーです。Postrioに頼んでバーのMEZZANINEのラウンジを確保してありますのでゆっくり皆さん座って話せると思います。ＨＡＰＰＹＨＯＵＲは7時まで延長です！

今回は特にゲストスピーカーの方はいません。みんなでリラックスしながらおしゃべり、情報交換、ネットワークに花を咲かせましょう！皆様お誘いあわせの上どしどしお越し下さい。（やっぱり今回も男子禁制です。）

Date: 3/18, Thursday
Time: 6 pm – 9 pm (With happy hour prices until 7 pm!)  - Please come and leave at whatever time works best for you!
Location: Postrio, 545 Post Street (on Post between Mason and Taylor, just 5 blocks from Powell BART), (415) 776-7825,

http://www.postrio.com
http://www.mychoyce.com/postrio/search

There’s no need to RSVP, but feel free to send us any questions or comments.

We’re also on Twitter (http://twitter.com/joshikaisf)!

Author Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) who also serves as the Publicity Assistant for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, shared the following:

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators presents

 

Friday, April 2, 2010

 

Details, Details: The Snap, Crackle, and Pop of Good Writing with author Jane Kurtz

Time:    Friday, April 2, 2010, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Place:                 Tokyo Women’s Plaza, Conference Room 1 (5-53-67 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo;

by the Children’s Castle and United Nations University. For a map see www.scbwi.jp/map.htm

Fee:                    1,000 yen SCBWI members; 1,500 yen nonmembers

Reservations:  Contact info@scbwi.jp by Thursday, April 1, 2010

This event will be in English.

American novelist John Gardner called details the lifeblood of fiction. Many an editor has said the absolute key to a piece of writing she fell in love with was its voice…but what creates the “voice” of a piece other than its distinct details? Award-winning author Jane Kurtz will give ten keys for coaxing vivid, shimmering, gripping details into our drafts and will show why certain mistakes around details are the kiss of death for any piece of writing. Q&A will follow the talk.

 

Jane Kurtz spent most of her childhood in Ethiopia—and now travels the world talking about writing, reading, and the magic of books. Her recent speaking has taken her to all but eleven of the U.S. states, Europe, the Persian Gulf, Indonesia, Cambodia, India, Romania, and East and West Africa. School Library Journal called Jane Kurtz a “superb storyteller.” Her books have gathered accolades, starred reviews, and awards. Since 1994, she has published twenty-nine books: nonfiction books, professional books for teachers, picture books, and novels for young readers that draw on her own childhood memories of growing up in Ethiopia as well as surviving the Red River flood of 1997. Jane has taught writing at the elementary, secondary, and university levels and is currently on the faculty of the MFA in children’s and young adult literature out of Vermont College. Her passion for books and reading and her love of Ethiopia came together in Ethiopia Reads, an organization that is establishing the free libraries for children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with Yohannes Gebregeorgis, one of CNN’s Top Ten Heroes (www.ethiopiareads.org). For more on Jane Kurtz visit www.janekurtz.com.

 

www.scbwi.jp    info@scbwi.jp

JETAA NY’s annual Meishi Exchange is this Thursday, March 11.  See the slick flyer designed by the wonderful and talented JETAA NY Secretary Amber Liang:

Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, will be speaking at Kinokuniya in NYC as part of “Ponyo Day.” The event is this Saturday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and Roland will be speaking at 4:00 pm.  (This appearance hot on the heels of his Atlanta book signing on March 4!)

All the JETAA Southeast alums will have a chance to meet and hear Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, speak at Keenesaw State University in Atlanta, GA on Thursday, March 4 from 6:30-8:00 pm.  If you happen to go and say hi, let him know you heard about the event on JetWit.  Also, email JetWit (jetwit [at] jetwit.com) to let us know how the event was so we can share it with the rest of the JET alum community.

Here’s the flyer with all the relevant info for the event:

***********

I received a wonderful request from author Solmaz Sharif, Managing Director of The Asian American Writers’ Workshop, regarding an event that she thought might be of interest to the JET alumni community:

Matchmaker:
Speed dating hosted by Kavita Ramdya and Jen Kwok

Saturday, March 6, 7-9 PM

• Location: The Asian American Writers’ Workshop16 W 32nd Street, Suite 10A btwn 5th Avenue and Broadway
• Cost: $20 for members / $30 for non-members
• Purchase your tickets here before March 5, 2010 and give us an idea who we should set you up with. For more information you can also visit aaww.org or call 212.494.0061.

Tired of making eyes at readings and not approaching the hottie next to you? Wondering how you can meet people that’ll compliment your bookcase? Interested in hearing more about love in Asian America? Keep it in the family and let the Workshop help you find the one at our first ever speed dating event. The Asian American Writers’ Workshop presents MATCHMAKER, a special event about how we meet, mingle, and marry in Asian America.

Kavita Ramdya, author of Bollywood Weddings: Dating, Engagement, and Marriage in Hindu America, discusses how second-generation Indian Americans get hitched, a tricky negotiation involving arranged meeting, Mom and Dad, and, of course, lots of dancing.

The event will be hosted by stand-up comedian Jen Kwok, the hilarious mastermind behind Date an Asian, her self-described comic ode to “the awesomeness of dating an asian guy.”

You will receive the following premiums:

• A month’s worth of dates squeezed into one night as you move table to table closer to the one
• Finger foods to keep the attention where it counts
• A signature Workshop cocktail
• A horoscope reading to predict your compatibility

Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91) is a staff writer for The Daily Yomiuri. A big part of his beat is the Pop Culture page, which covers manga, anime and video games.  You can follow Tom’s blog at tokyotombaker.wordpress.com.

He also writes about food. Here is a recent article about a food science exhibition currently running at Tokyo’s Miraikan museum. The latter half of the story focuses in on the scientific-culinary concept of umami, often called the“fifth taste”:

How many calories are there in a 500-milliliter bottle of a zero-calorie soft drink? If you guessed zero, you might be right. But the correct answer could be as high as 24. This is one of the many fun facts visitors can learn at “It’s a Tasty World–Food Science Now,” an exhibition running through March 22 at the Miraikan science museum in Odaiba, Tokyo. Under Japanese law, according to a display debunking food myths at the show, a drink is “zero calorie” as long as it has less than five calories per 100 milliliters. (A note on vocabulary: A “calorie” and a “kilocalorie” are the same thing.)

Other displays include sniffable containers of food scents, which you can mix to create new aromas; videos of food processing factories, where plump onions comically pirouette on industrial peelers; and a glowing green tank of euglena, a photosynthetic microorganism seen as a promising future food source. Too bad its Japanese name, midori mushi–green bug–isn’t exactly appetizing….

Read the rest of the article here.

New England JETAA Career Workshop:  “Marketing Yourself in a Tough Economy”

Make sure to RSVP to president [at] nejetaa.com!

When: Tuesday, March 02, 3:00PM – 6:00PM (This coming week!)
Where: Downtown Crossing, Borders Bookstore, Robert M. Morgan Conference Room
Map: Borders Boston Map (near Downtown Crossing T station): http://bit.ly/%20BordersDTX
Cost: Free! (There will also be some free food)

Highlights:
We will get a pep talk from Professor Ian Condry of MIT about how to use your JET experience to further your career.

We will have a discussion with people in several different industries in which you may have interest:
*Translation
*Academia
*Teaching
*Entrepreneurial/ Non-profit
*Biotechnology

There will be a resume workshop. Bring some copies of your resume to trade with others and help each other out! The more eyes you have looking at your resume, the more ways you’ll be able to improve it. We will also have a discussion on resume dos and don’ts.

We will adjourn to a nearby bar/restaurant afterward for informal networking and relaxing. This is a great way to meet new people and
discuss your career.

Finally, for those who cannot attend the event but have some career-related wisdom/advice they would like to pass on, please send an email to webmaster [at] nejetaa.com. We’ll make sure to share your comments with our attendees at the end of the workshop.

Here’s your chance to get some JET-specific advice in your quest to career-up!

Thanks for your attention, and we look forward to seeing you there!

The JETAA Toronto photo exhibit, entitled ‘shin‘ for the Japanese symbol for “new,” is our way of marking the start of a decade.

What symbolizes shin?

Perhaps it’s a picture that sums up the way everything felt new to you in Japan when you first arrived. A festival, a ritual, a small cultural difference. Or perhaps it’s a Japan-inspired photo taken back home in Canada that shows the old in a new light.

Selected works will be exhibited March 6 at the Gladstone Art Bar, where we will also have a deejay spinning tracks throughout the night.

Come join us as we celebrate the memories of our time in Japan and enjoy the good music. Drinks will be available on site.    

Date: Saturday March 6, 2010 
Event: Shin Photo Exhibit: Japan-inspired works by former JET’s
Location: Gladstone Art Bar, 1214 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON, Canada  See map
Website:  Toronto JETAA Homepage http://toronto.jetaa.ca/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26
Time: 7 p.m. until the bar’s closing time  Cost: $5 entrance fee

Hills Learning, a language school in New York City, is sponsoring an “Asian Networking Event” this Thursday at 7pm. It should be a great opportunity to network and practice your language skills! The event is being run by Jetaany’s Nihongo Dake Guru, Jon Hills. Free admission. More information can be found at the below link:

Click here for more information!

Please RSVP to events@hillslearning.com or email jon@hillslearning.com with any questions.

******************

Joshikai SF:  A new meet-up for Japanese women and women connected to Japan

****************

Chin Music Press, the Seattle-based publisher owned and run by Bruce Rutledge (MEF Program Chiba-ken, 1985-87) is thrilled to host several reading events this week in Seattle and Vancouver for their newest release, Big in Japan: A Ghost Story.

The debut novel from Hawaii-based author M. Thomas Gammarino is a deadly funny story of haunted progressive rock composer Brain Tedesco. The book has already received rave reviews; PF Kluge says it’s “seductive and devastating” and Ron Currie Jr. calls Brain “the perfect hero for the Age of Anxiety.”

******************

If you’re near Seattle or Vancouver, catch Tom and the Chin Music Press team at one of these events:

1/6 Third Place Books Ravenna, 6504 20th Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 7pm

1/7 Sophia Books, 450 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, 6:30pm

1/8 Big in Japan: Bold In Seattle. Little Red Bistro, 400 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA, 6pm

Big in Japan: A Ghost Story is designed by JET alum Joshua Powell (Saitama-ken 2005-07) and marketed by fellow alum Jessica Sattell (Fukuoka-ken 2007-2008). The book is available through the Chin Music Press website with promotional free shipping to the U.S. and Canada or at major booksellers.

For book reviews and more information, visit Big in Japan’s website. Check out previous JetWit posts about Bruce Rutledge and Chin Music Press here.

****************

Chin Music Press, the Seattle-based publisher owned and run by Bruce Rutledge (MEF Program Chiba-ken, 1985-87) is excited to host several reading events this upcoming week in New York and Philadelphia for their newest release, Big in Japan: A Ghost Story. The tour continues this January to Seattle and Vancouver.

The debut novel from Hawaii-based author M. Thomas Gammarino is a deadly funny story of haunted progressive rock composer Brain Tedesco. The book has already received rave reviews; PF Kluge says it’s “seductive and devastating” and Ron Currie Jr. calls Brain “the perfect hero for the Age of Anxiety.”

******************

Catch Tom at one of these events:

East Coast:

12/16 “I Had It Bad” Reading Series. Happy Ending Lounge, 302 Broome Street, New York, NY, 8pm

12/17 St. Joseph’s University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 3pm

12/21 “Asia In The Age of Anxiety” with Xiaoda Xiao. KGB Lit Bar, 85 East Fourth Street, New York, NY, 7pm

12/23 Rocky Sullivan’s, 34 Van Dyke Street, Brooklyn, NY, 7pm

1/2 Chester County Book and Music Co., 975 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA, 7pm

West Coast:

1/6 Third Place Books Ravenna, 6504 20th Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 7pm

1/7 Sophia Books, 450 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, 6:30pm

1/8 Big in Japan: A Celebration with Pilot Books. Little Red Bistro, 400 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA, 6pm

Big in Japan is designed by JET alum Joshua Powell (Saitama-ken 2005-07). The book is available through the Chin Music Press website with promotional free shipping to the U.S. and Canada or at major booksellers.

For book reviews and more information, visit Big in Japan’s website. Check out previous JetWit posts about Bruce Rutledge and Chin Music Press here.

******************

The following is posted at the request of San Francisco-based JET alum Beth Hillman, who has come up with a great idea for a group:

女子力アップ！「女子会サンフランシスコ」決起集会

Are you a Japanese woman or a woman with an interest in Japan? Maybe you just moved here from Tokyo this summer and want to make new friends… Maybe you taught English in Osaka a few years ago and want to revive your rusty Japanese… Whether you are a native Japanese woman or an American (or other nationality) woman with an interest in Japan, Joshikai may be for you!

女子による女子のための女子限定ネットワークイベント「女子会サンフランシスコ」を始動しました。女子同士ならではのよさ、赤裸々な本音トークなどを楽しんで、一緒に女子力アップを目指しませんか？

We are creating a community of Japanese women and women with an interest in Japan, gathering for a monthly meet-up to make friends, share stories and learn from each other. On the second Thursday of each month, we’ll meet at a location that is chic, reasonably priced, and conveniently located (near a BART station and other public transportation) for an evening of drinks and girl talk, where our members can connect and relax over a cocktail. We’ll also have a monthly guest speaker or theme, so that we can share knowledge and empower each other.

You can visit our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199208063212&ref=nf

We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at: @joshikaisf

Meeting: Joshikai San Francisco: The Japan-Connected Women’s Group

Goal: To relax, have a drink and make connections with other women who are Japanese or interested in Japan

Date: Thursday, January 14th (the second Thursday of each month)

Time: 6 pm – 8:30 pm. Come and leave any time — and enjoy happy hour specials for the entire event!
Location: Amber India Restaurant, 25 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, 94103
/www.amber-india.com/SanFrancisco/

日時：１月14日木曜日午後６時-８時半

場所：Amber India Restaurant(ご好意により、イベント中はドリンク&アペタイザーがハッピーアワーの価格です。Tejiさんナマステ！）

Read More

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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 14^th, 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

***************

The JET alumni community already has a great reputation for writers such as Bruce Feiler, Roland Kelts and James Kennedy among others.  And now we’re starting to make our mark on the world of film as well.

JET alum Aaron Woolfolk‘s film The Harimaya Bridge, starring starring Ben Guillory, Saki Takaoka, Misa Shimizu, and Danny Glover (who is also the Executive Producer), is making its New York debut on Sunday December 6 (with Q&A and cocktail reception to follow) and Sunday December 13 as part of the African Diaspora Film Festival.

(Editor’s Note: I already bought my ticket for the Dec 6 date!)

The film had a nationwide theatrical release in Japan beginning in June, and the response from audiences and critics was fantastic.  (There was also a showing in Los Angeles back in June that a number of JETAA Southern California JET alums attended.)

The film will be showing in New York:

• Sunday, December 6 @ 5:30PM – Thalia Cinema, Symphony Space (95th & Bway) – GALA SCREENING. Followed by a Q&A with director and catered reception
• Sunday, Dec. 13 @ 7:30PM- Thalia Cinema, Symphony Space (95th & Bway)

This looks to be a big event for the JET alum community, so get your tickets now and hope to see you there.

Here’s the trailer for the film:

Via Marc Hitzig (Niigata-ken, 1992-95) of the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C. is seeking volunteers to help with the planning of their 50th Anniversary Sakura Matsuri:

Dear JETs & Friends of JET (FOJs),

Next year marks the 50th Anniversary of Japan-America Society’s Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival to be held on Saturday, April 10, 2010.  We have already started to prepare for the largest Japanese street festival outside of Japan. We are looking for people who are interested in helping us make it all happen and willing to commit a little time for us.

The festival is broken up into different committees led by a Committee Chair.  We have several Committees that still have Sub-chair positions that need to be filled.  Sub-chairs work under the Committee Chair to facilitate any help they need before or during the festival.

If you have experience in event planning or like taking managerial roles, please contact Marc Hitzig (mhitzig [at] us-japan. org) or Ms. Nobu Iwata (iwata [at] us-japan. org) at JASW for more information.

If you are interested in volunteering and getting involved but cannot commit the time to become a sub-chair, we still need many people to help us on the day of the festival!  We will start recruiting for “Day-of volunteers” in December.

Thank you,
Marc Hitzig (Niigata-ken, 1992-95

Thanks to a post on the JETAA Texoma (Chapter 9) yahoogroup, just found out about JET alum Taylor Chapman, a professional photographer who has a new book out titled People of the 21st Century:  A Portrait of Japanese Society.  Additionally, Taylor has a book signing coming up in Houston, TX.  (Details below.)  Meanwhile, if you know of any other JET alums out there with published books, by all means let JetWit know and we’ll post about it here to let everyone know.

Here’s the info from JETAA Texoma:

Hi All,

I am excited to let you know about a book signing by photographer and JET alumnus Taylor Chapman that will take place at the River Oaks Bookstore on Friday, November 27 from 5pm-7pm. Taylor would love to have folks stop by to say hello, even if you haven’t bought his book.

Taylor Chapman spent the last two years living in Kumamoto, Japan with the JET Program, teaching English at a local high school. As his Japanese proficiency grew, he became increasingly fascinated by Japan’s distinctive culture, and decided to embark on a unique photographic project to document Japanese society.

Having pursued photography for ten years now, including extensive study at Yale University, Chapman developed a specific methodology, adapted from a 1930’s German photographer’ s approach. He classified all members of Japanese society by their occupations and societal roles, and set out to create a portrait of Japanese society as a whole by photographing as many of its component parts–in other words, these individuals- – as possible in their natural environments.

In his last six months in Japan, Chapman went out shooting almost every single day, ending up with an archive of thousands of pictures spanning hundreds of individuals and social roles. Included are bakers and butchers, salarymen and snack bar girls, farmers and fishermen, teachers and students.

In July, he held an exhibition of his work in Japan; this Thanksgiving, he’ll be having a book release/signing party at the River Oaks Bookstore in Houston (across the street from Lamar High School, next to Baskin Robbins). Please come! There will be wine and hors d’oeuvres from 5 to 7.

The book (there are mini and deluxe editions available in-store and online:  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/950612 makes a great Christmas present.  But please feel free to just drop by, say hi, and have a glass of wine– the author is happy just to share his work and his love of Japan, and there’s no need to buy anything.

If you’d like to get a feel for the work in the book, here are some of the images posted online: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31959446@N07/sets/72157622321556815/

Finally, for any comments or questions, feel free to contact the author at taylor.c.chapman [/at/] gmail [/dot/] com.

WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Translator/Interpreter/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 20 00-03).  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 night I attended the world premiere of Talk Like Singing, the first-ever original Japanese musical to premiere in the U.S.  I had high hopes for this production due to the involvement of several big names in Japan.  The star of the show, Shingo Katori, is a member of the ubiquitous boy band SMAP, and though he is less well-known than heartthrob Kimutaku or recently headline-making Kusanagi he holds his own thanks to his eccentricity.  Back in my JET days, he adopted the persona of “Shingo Mama,” and sang of his cooking skills, eating breakfast together and properly greeting everyone with a genki “oha!”  This abbreviation for ohayou or “good morning” and its accompanying hand motion became all the rage at the workplace and beyond.

This song was composed by Yasuharu Konishi, who is in charge of the show’s music and musical direction.  He was Read More

James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, is seeking art submissions from JET alumni for his Chicago gallery show in Spring 2010.

To get a sense of James’ aesthetic and sensibilities (or if you just like reading extremely funny and dramatic stories), by all means read The Order of Odd-Fish.  Or watch clips of his over-the-top “speech” to the American Librarians Association as well as his audience-gripping reading performed at the JET Alumni Author Showcase last March.

In JetWit’s humble opinion, if James Kennedy is putting an event together, you will benefit greatly on many levels and attain new levels of happiness by participating in it in any way you can.  Keep reading and you’ll understand.

Exciting news!

For about a year now I’ve been receiving stupendous fan art for my novel “The Order of Odd-Fish.” Artists like these deserve broader recognition. So this spring I’m planning a gallery show / extravaganza of “Odd-Fish” art in Chicago!

Are you an artist? Do you want to make something for the show? Everyone’s invited. Learn more here:

http://jameskennedy.com/2009/11/03/call-for-submissions-odd-fish-art-show/

I’m working with award-winning Chicago theater group Collaboraction to pull this off. It won’t be just an art show — we’re going to convert their space into Eldritch City and throw a Dome of Doom costumed dance party! We’re going to be bringing schools in for performances and writing workshops as well.

Will there be troupes of foppish dancing cockroaches? Will you be able to venture into the very maw of the All-Devouring Mother itself? You’ll have to come and see!

The opening will be sometime in late March or early April, to celebrate the debut of the “Odd-Fish” paperback. The deadline for submission of art is March 1.

I’ve already received lots of great art! Check out Max Pitchkites’ marvelous cut-paper illustrations — he’s doing one for every chapter:

http://jameskennedy.com/2009/10/29/the-odd-fish-art-of-max-pitchkites/

Feel free to pass this on to whomever you think might be interested in doing art for the show. And don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions!

Click here to read more about the show:

http://www.facebook.com/l/c93ba;tinyurl.com/yl5tjlk

Thanks,

James

Just because JetWit is a big fan of HappyFunSmile.  Also because the flyer is pretty cool.

The following event info was shared with JetWit by JET alum Laura Sethney, Program Coordinator at the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Ft Worth:

Join us for a private gallery viewing and cocktail party for Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth members and friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sponsored by Conduit Gallery

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JASDFW members and friends are invited to a special viewing of the intriguing works of three emerging artists, including Japanese photographer, Mimi Kato.  Spend an evening mingling with fellow JASDFW members while sipping on wine and sampling hors d’oeuvres. We encourage members to invite guests in order to share this unique opportunity and learn more about the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth.

Date: Friday, November 13, 2009

Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm

Location: Conduit Gallery

1626 C Hi Line Drive

Dallas, Texas 75207

http://conduitgallery.com

RSVP to Lauren Sethney by Tuesday, November 10th

Email: lauren@jasdfw.org / Phone: 214-342-2022

***Exhibiting Artists’ Information***

Mimi Kato

Website: www.mimikato.com

This exhibit marks the first time for Japanese photographer Mimi Kato to showcase her work in Dallas. The large scale photographic series depicts each of the four seasons. Read More

November 2 – 8, 2009 at Japan Society SERIZAWA KEISUKE (1895-1984) Chinese Character Haru (Spring), 1954. Stencil-dyed paper, 29 7/8 x 24 1/2 in. Tōhoku Fukushi University Serizawa Keisuke Art and Craft Museum. EXHIBITION Serizawa: Master of Japanese Textile Design Now Open Living National Treasure Serizawa Keisuke (18951984) used stencil-dyeing techniques to create irresistible works of art that range from screens and kimonos to book covers and magazine designs. View an image gallery from the exhibition Gallery hours: Tuesday through Thursday 11 am – 6 pm Friday 11 am – 9 pm Saturday & Sunday 11 am – 5 pm CORPORATE PROGRAM Wanted: A New Engine for Global Economic Recovery Tuesday, November 3 12 PM Our experts examine the state of the global recovery and suggest changes to the future global economic landscape. Register online or send email to register@japansociety.org. SERIZAWA KEISUKE (1895-1984) Abstract Designs, 1976. Kimono, hand-painted and stencil-dyed tsumugi-weave silk, 64 1/8 x 51 3/8 in. Kashiwa City. FAMILY PROGRAM Fun with Fabric Art Cart Sunday, November 8 2 PM Led by a Japan Society educator, children and their families receive an introduction to Serizawa: Master of Japanese Textile Design by exploring the galleries through sketching, movement and discussion. In the hands-on part of the program, children and their families try on kimonos and, working with an artist, make their own stenciled fabric art. For tickets, please call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm. UPCOMING EVENTS: LECTURE Copenhagen & Beyond: A Multilateral Debate about Climate Change Policy Tuesday, November 10 6:30 PM In this panel, Jun Arima, Deputy Director General, Global Environmental Affairs, METI; The Honorable Zhenmin Liu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations; Elliot Diringer, Vice President, International Strategies, Pew Center on Global Climate Change; and Takao Shibata, chair of the working group that drafted the Kyoto Protocol, debate the direction of international climate change policy. Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm. PERFORMANCE Vital Signals Japanese & American Video Art from the 1960s and ’70s Saturday, November 14 2 PM – 10:30 PM Nam June Paik and Jud Yalkut. ”Waiting for Commercials,” 1966-72, 1992. Courtesy of EAI, New York. Co-presented with EAI, the leading international resource for video and media art, the three-part screening program brings together rarely screened and seminal video art works. Open Television 2–4 pm The Language of Technology 5:45–7:15 pm Artist Discussion 7:30–8:15 pm Body Acts 8:30–10:30 pm For All Day Passes, please call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm. For one video screening, Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office. EDUCATORS PROGRAM Applications are currently being accepted for 2010 Educators’ Study Tour to Japan for middle and high school educators and school administrators from June 30-July 20, 2010. Applications must be received by January 21, 2010. Registration is also open for Kanji are Fun!: an Introduction to Japanese Writing Using Chinese Characters a workshop for K-12 educators on Sunday, December 6th from 10:30 am-2:30 pm. LOCATION Unless otherwise noted, all programs are held at Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017 (at First Avenue). FOLLOW JAPAN SOCIETY ON THE WEB Updates on upcoming events will be e-mailed periodically.

Popp, Laura (Mie-ken, 2008-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.livejournal.com. (And check out the Authors/Books section of the JetWit Library for a list of more writers in the JET-o-sphere.)

Hello, everyone!  I`m new to Japan and the JetWit blog, so allow me to introduce myself!  I`m a sci-fi/fantasy young adult writer from Oklahoma in the U.S.  I love to travel, as you can probably tell from my blog, so most of my posts will be about my wonderful adventures all over Asia and any writing news I learn about.

This week I`ll be reporting on two writers` events I attended last weekend,  a critique meeting in Osaka and a conference in Kyoto! For those of you who don`t know, there is an excellent group called English Writers and Readers that meets every Saturday in Osaka from 2:30 to however long people want to stay.  It’s not just for writers; if you love to read there is also a book club and various other discussion boards and events.  But if you are a writer, of any genre or form, you can email your work to group members and have it critiqued the following Saturday.  For me it was very productive. They tore apart (figuratively) my story “Tapestry of Time,” but now I know how to make it better.  I will warn you that the turnout for meetings tends to be very low (there were only four of us), so if it`s quite a trek for you, I suggest getting a general idea of how many will be there before you go all that way.

One of the girls in the writers` club, Rianna, was really sweet and let me stay with her Saturday night. On Sunday morning, I headed off to the writers’ conference in Kyoto. I was a little disappointed.  Good luck trying to publish an English fiction book in Japan, they said, because no publishers here accept them. There are English printers here, however, and a strong potential market of foreign readers.  So if you have a book already published elsewhere and would like to promote it in Japan, there are several resources available to you, including Printed Matter Press.  Here is their website: http://www.printedmatterpress.com/.   And of course, if you want to go the self-publishing route, these guys can help with that too.

Other than that, the “Revising Your Novel” seminar, presented by Holly Thompson, was most helpful.   Her basic strategy was to systematically go through your novel and create a detailed spreadsheet of necessary revisions in character, setting, theme, etc. and mark these various “threads” wherever they appear with colored sticky notes.  Then, read through the novel with only one of these threads in mind.  That way you can stay focused and not get bogged down by the sheer size of the project.  Here’s a picture of her session:

During lunch, I happened to run into the right people at the right time. I was looking for a place to eat my bento and sat with three ladies outside.  We got to talking, and one of the three happened to be Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) who I`d been trying to get a hold of for some time. She’s an American published young adult writer living in Japan who’s involved in the SCBWI (Society of Children`s Book Writers and Illustrators). She invited me to go to their major conference in Yokohama on November 28th that`s going to host Alvina Ling, a Senior Editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.  What an amazing opportunity!  For those who are interested, the registration deadline is November 4th.  You can sign up at their website, http://www.scbwi.jp/.

To hear more about the Kyoto conference and my other adventures in Japan, visit my full blog at laurajanepopp.livejournal.com!

We know there are some JET alums running in the NYC Marathon this coming Sunday, November 1.  If you’re one of them, or if you know a JET alum who is running, please post your name in the comments section of this post (or e-mail jetwit at jetwit dot com.

Just thought it would be nice to have a list of all of the JET alums who will be participating so we can oen suru for you.

Yoroshiku and minasan ganbatte kudasai!

Via JETAA Florida:

Hello everyone.  Here are two upcoming JETAA events I’d like you all to be aware of.

Thanks
Tom Gregorich

Author Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) who also serves as the Publicity Assistant for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, shared the following:

TELL Exceptional Parenting Program: Educational Workshop for Families of Children with Learning Differences/Diverse Needs by Tokyo English Life Child and Family Services

We welcome you to our Writing workshop: Parenting kids with special needs presented by Suzanne Kamata, writer, poet, and mother.

Suzanne will give a presentation on Reading and Writing Our Special Children. She will discuss the importance of writing about children with special needs and share examples of literature current and past about parenting children with special needs. She will also conduct brief writing exercises, which may be used in journaling, or creative writing for pleasure or publication.

Friday, November 13, 2009
Registration: 2:30pm to 2:45pm; Workshop: 2:45pm to 4:15pm; Information sharing: 4:15pm to 5:00pm
Admission: Donations accepted
RSVP to tellparentgroup@hotmail.com
Location: Minami Aoyama Conference Room next to TELL office
Address: 5-4-22 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062 Phone: 03-3498-0231

Suzanne Kamata was born and raised in Grand Haven, Michigan. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English, she came to Japan in 1988 on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program.  During her second year in Japan, she met the man who would become her husband and has lived in Tokushima Prefecture ever since. She now lives with her husband and ten-year old twins in Aizumi and teaches part-time at Naruto Educational University.

Suzanne is also the author of a novel, Losing Kei (Leapfrog Press, 2008), editor of several anthologies, among them Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs (Beacon Press, 2008) and Call Me Okaasan:  Adventures in Multicultural Mothering (Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing, 2009), and fiction editor of literarymama.com.

If you would like to have more information on the Exceptional Parenting Program or would like to attend the workshops, please contact Birgit Zorb-Serizawa at tellparentgroup@hotmail.com.

Chin Music Press, the Seattle-based publisher owned and run by Bruce Rutledge (MEF Program Chiba-ken, 1985-87) is headed to Northern California as author Todd Shimoda reads from his latest novel, Oh! A mystery of mono no aware, at the Capitola Book Café (1475 41st Avenue in Capitola) on Tuesday, October 20th at 7:30pm. Shimoda joins anthropologist and writer Liza Dalby, who will be reading from Hidden Buddhas: A Novel of Karma and Chaos. This event is free to the public.

The Capitola Book Café hosts Shimoda and Dalby under the title of “Mysterious Journeys Through Japan” with discussion of their usage of Japan as a setting for emotional paths towards moments of enlightenment. Here’s a blurb about both books from the event webpage:

Oh! by Todd Shimoda was selected as an NPR Summer Reading pick and combines visual artistry with patient and brilliant storytelling. Zack Hara is a technical writer trudging through life in LA until he leaves everything to travel to Japan. There, searching for an emotional life, Zack becomes entwined with a tragic poet, a sensual but disillusioned woman, and young people form suicide clubs— all propelling him down a dangerous path. “A triumphant kick in the pants for anyone who doubts the future of paper-and-ink books.” — Lucia Silva

Liza Dalby returns to Book Café with a novel that Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of A Geisha, describes as “…(her) best work yet; with its fascinating story of characters caught up in a world they themselves don’t understand.” Hidden Buddhas explores the karmic connections between Japanese fashion, pilgrimage, dying honeybees, murder by blowfish, and the Buddhist apocalypse. Something of a Buddhist Da Vinci Code, Dalby’s stunning new novel travels to the unknown corners of Japan and through time to expose a mystery you will never forget!

Check out previous JetWit posts about Bruce Rutledge here and a Japan Times review of Oh! here.

On a related note, Bruce is joined at Chin Music Press by two other JET alums: designer Joshua Powell (Saitama-ken, 2005-07) and PR intern Jessica Sattell (Fukuoka-ken, 2007-08).

Professional translator Terry Gallagher shared another good event for translators with JetWit, this one via the honyaku Google Group:

As part of its ongoing efforts to develop an international presence, foster new talent, and connect with peer organizations, the Japan Association of Translators (JAT) will be sponsoring a mixer in Manhattan on Friday, October 30, 2009, for veteran and aspiring translators/interpreters alike. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to network, find out more about JAT, and socialize with other translators/interpreters in the big city….Non-members are most welcome. Cash bar, with partial subsidy from JAT.
WHEN: Friday, October 30
Starting: 10:30 PM (after the traditional Friday night JLD dinner
[http://groups.google.com/group/honyaku/browse_thread/thread/c153d891486ac1c8])
Ending: During ATA’s Annual Conference (?)
[https://www.atanet.org/conf/2009/sessionschedule.php#5]
WHERE: Press Box (932 Second Ave., between 49th and 50th Streets)
[http://www.thepressboxnyc.com/index2.html]
Signup (by 10/26; and for last-minute notices/updates):
http://jat.org/2009/10/16/jat-new-york-mixer-oct-30-2009/

Feel free to pass the word on, and hope to see you there!

ニューヨークでJATネットワークパーティを実施します。 会員・非会員を問わず、翻訳に興味のある方ならどなたでもご参加いただけます。 翻訳未経験者の方にとってはベテラン翻訳者と交流する絶好の機会です。
日時: １０月３０日（金） 10:30pm～
場所: The Press Box (http://www.thepressboxnyc.com/index2.html)
参加費: 一部JATが負担。追加分はキャッシュバー。
参加希望者は、１０月２６日（月） までに
[http://jat.org/2009/10/16/jat-new-york-mixer-oct-30-2009/]
へご予約お願いいたします。

Professional translator Terry Gallagher shared the following with JetWit:

The American Translators Association holds its annual conference in NYC at the end of this month. It includes a dinner for the Japanese language division, which will be on Friday, Oct. 30 at IL Punto Ristorante, 507 Ninth Ave.

Contact person is Mina Seat, minaseat [/at/] gmail [/dot/] com  More info here:  https://www.atanet.org/conf/2009/

Cost is $53. It might be late to sign up, but it was an open invitation, and you might still be able to talk your way in. There will be lots and lots of working translators/interpreters there, and you might be able to pick up a bunch of new ideas.

October 13 – 18, 2009 at Japan Society Serizawa Keisuke (1895-1984) Banana Leaves, 1964. Kimono, stencil-dyed banana-bark cloth, 57 3/8 x 52 in. Tōhoku Fukushi University Serizawa Keisuke Art and Craft Museum. EXHIBITION Serizawa: Master of Japanese Textile Design Now Open Living National Treasure Serizawa Keisuke (18951984) used stencil-dyeing techniques to create irresistible works of art that range from screens and kimonos to book covers and magazine designs. View an image gallery from the exhibition Gallery hours: Tuesday through Thursday 11 am – 6 pm Friday 11 am – 9 pm Saturday & Sunday 11 am – 5 pm PERFORMANCE inkboat/cokaseki Ame to Ame (Candy and Rain) Thursday, October 15 Friday, October 16 Saturday, October 17 7:30 PM Photo © Sunhi Mang. [lova-Koga and Kaseki are the] Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire of Butoh. —San Francisco Bay Guardian Ame to Ame follows two powerful performers as they navigate their way through a sweet and philosophical love story, moving between suspension and manic struggle, from childlike play to sexual prowess. View video and images from the performace >> Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm. CORPORATE PROGRAM Chris Flowers Tracks Financial Services in the U.S. & Japan: 1999, 2009, and 2019 Thursday, October 15 12 PM Registration for this event is closed. PERFORMANCE Taiko Workshop with Tetsuro Naito Sunday, October 18 12:30 PM & 3 PM These events are sold out. LOCATION Unless otherwise noted, all programs are held at Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017 (at First Avenue). FOLLOW JAPAN SOCIETY ON THE WEB Updates on upcoming events will be e-mailed periodically.

Via JET alum Vanessa Villalobos, the Communications Officer for JETAA UK as well as the publisher of the Isshoni London website.

In case you didn’t know, sake tastings are all the rage in London. Do you really know your Nihonshu? Following the great success of our last chilled sake tasting in June, we’ll be holding a cosy autumn tasting with delicious, warming sakes. Join us for an educational night, with sake and accompanying nibbles.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 20, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

The Tsuru Restaurant tasting includes 4 different types of sake, served with sushi and a selection from Tsuru’s Japanese Tapas menu. At only £18 per person this is truly great value! First come, first served… reserve your place quickly to avoid disappointment.

If you’d like to attend, please register by sending an email to Vanessa at londoncomms [at] jetaa.org.uk

Details of how to secure your place by sending £18 will then follow.

Via Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999), Assistant Director at the Donald Keene Center on Japanese Culture at Columbia University.  To get on their e-mail list for future events, send an e-mail to donald-keene-center at columbia dot edu.

1.  “Translation and its Postcolonial Discontents: Controversy over Toma Seita’s Reading of Kim Soun’s Japanese Translation of Korean Poetry in Postwar Japan”

October 14th, 2009 (Wednesday) 5:30-7:00 PM; Serk-bae Suh (University of California-Irvine); Location: 403 Kent Hall, Columbia University (116th St. and Amsterdam Avenue)  http://www.keenecenter.org/content/view/100/126/#oct14

2.   “What Will Be Almost Permanently Lost in Translation? A Cognitive Linguistic View”

November 5th, 2009 (Thursday) 4:00-5:30 PM; Seiichi Makino (Princeton University); Location: 569 Lerner Hall, Columbia University (114th St. and Broadway) http://www.keenecenter.org/content/view/100/126/#nov

Thanks to JETAA Northern California Co-President Rod McLeod for sharing the following:

This rare and special event introduces audiences to the history of kabuki, featuring an informative lecture and exquisite performance of the classical, stylized Japanese theatre form. Celebrated kabuki actors Kyozo Nakamura and Matanosuke Nakamura lead a 14-member troupe from the world-renowned Shochiku Co.

Actors

• Kyozo Nakamura
• Matanosuke Nakamura

Musicians

• Ichishiro Yoshimura: Classical Japanese vocal ensemble
• Ishinosuke Yoshimura: Classical Japanese vocal ensemble
• Shoen Kineya: Shamisen
• Rokujiro Kineya: Shamisen
• Dentaro Tanaka: Japanese flute
• Tashu Mochizuki: Japanese standing drum
• Takijuro Mochizuki: Japanese shoulder drum

Presented by the College of Creative Arts and College of Humanities at San Francisco State University, General Consulate of Japan and Japan Foundation.

Press coverage

Hokubei Mainichi, Oct. 17, 2009

Author Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) who also serves as the Publicity Assistant for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, shared the following, which she mentioned is, “a great opportunity for writers in Japan to meet one of the top editors in the world of children’s books.”

The World of Children’s Book Publishing

with

Alvina Ling, Senior Editor

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Saturday, November 14, 2009, 10:30 am – 5:00 pm

Manuscript critiques 8:30-10:00 a.m.

Place:      Yokohama International School, Middle Building Cafeteria, Yokohama

For access information and maps, visit www.yis.ac.jp

Fee:         Advance Registration 4,000 yen SCBWI members; 7,000 yen nonmembers (contact info@scbwi.jp by November 5)

At the Door 5,000 yen SCBWI members; 8,000 yen nonmembers

Reservations: Required! Contact info@scbwi.jp to reserve your place.

This event will be in English.

SCHEDULE

************ Read More

Via Michelle Fox of JETAA Sydney:

Returnees Networking & Careers Night:  “Jump into life after JET”

Looking for a job, or a change of career? Come to our Networking and Careers night for JET Returnees, or any jobseekers in Sydney.

When: October 30, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Where: The Japan Foundation

Keynote speaker – Paul Burgess, Author of Natural Born Success as shown on Today Tonight.

Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, will be giving a talk in St. Louis tomorrow as part of the Anime at UMSL event featuring renowned translator of anime and manga, Frederik L. Schodt, as well as a screening of the film PAPRIKA.  The event is being run by the University of Missouri at St. Louis’ Center for International Studies.

All you Missouri JET alums out there, make sure to introduce yourself and say hi if you happen to attend.

JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) learned of the following career workshop being held by CareerCross, and thought it might be of interest to former JETs in the Tokyo area. Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Ken, and he periodically posts job listings and event information for JET alumni.

CareerCross is holding a special seminar designed to give job seekers an added advantage when interviewing at a foreign company in Japan.

Due to corporations reducing their work force over the past year, the market is flooded with experienced job seekers making it an extremely difficult time to get a job. To succeed in an interview you must be 100% prepared and ready to prove you are the best candidate for the job.

CareerCross has brought in Japan’s leading interview skills trainer to teach you how to “Get Your Job Now!” From your cover letter and resume to the interview, learn exactly what works and doesn’t when interviewing in English or at a foreign company in Japan.

You will be able to answer the difficult questions with confidence, as you will be prepared and coached by the very best.

There will also be a section on finding your job online and how to use CareerCross more effectively.

Join CareerCross for one afternoon designed to prepare you for success.

– Get Your Job Now! Space is limited, so sign up now! –

CareerCross Japan Presents:

***************************************************************
TITLE: Get Your Job Now! – How to get a job with a foreign company!
SPEAKERS:
Michael Ghiglione and Bernd Kestler
DATE: October 8th (Thur), 18:30 – 21:00 or October 10th (Sat.), 9:30 – 13:00
ORGANIZER: C.C. Consulting Co., Ltd. / CareerCross
LANGUAGE: English
VENUE: Anaheim University; click here for a map of the venue
COST: 5,000 yen
REGISTRATION & CANCELLATION DEADLINE: October 6th, 2009
***************************************************************

Here’s the latest Daily Yomiuri column from Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, from his “Soft Power, Hard Truths” series for the Daily Yomiuri.  This one about the giant robot Gundam and AKB48 girl-power at this year’s New York Anime Festival, kicking off tomorrow:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/arts/20090925TDY13001.htm

Also, Roland will be at the New York Anime Festival at the Javits Center all weekend and says to JET alums, “Please swing by and say hello if you can.”  Here’s his schedule for the weekend:

• Friday, 5:15 to 6:15 pm — Yoshiyuki Tomino (GUNDAM)
• Saturday, 12:15 to 1:15 pm — AKB48
• Sunday,  11:15 am to 12:15 pm — Yui Makino

***********

Hot off the presses from the Pacific Northwest JETAA yahoogroup:

Dear PNWJETAA Members & Friends of PNWJETAA,

SAVE THE DATE for TRANSITIONS 2009!!! – REGISTER TODAY!!! SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17th

“TRANSITIONS:  PNWJETAA Opportunities Forum & Networking Expo” is BACK!

The Pacific Northwest JET Alumni Association in Cooperation with the Consulate-General of Japan at Seattle and local businesses and educational institutions is proud to present it annual fall career and opportunities event!  In conjunction with the recent return of JETs, who have just completed their contracts in Japan, PNWJETAA is putting together a great program open to all PNWJETAA Members & Friends of PNWJETAA!

• LOOKING FOR A JOB?
• CONSIDERING A CHANGE IN CAREER PATH?
• INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMMUNITY?
• SEEKING TO SHARE YOUR SKILLS AND ENERGY FOR A GREAT CAUSE?
• CONSIDERING GRAD SCHOOL?

THEN YOU NEED TO ATTEND:  TRANSITIONS 2009:  Opportunities Forum & Networking Expo!

ON-LINE PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED, SO REGISTER HERE:  http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEpYWE9tajBIUG5PTS1jckd1aVE5OWc6MA

This year’s program will include:

• Opportunities Forum:

o   Key note speakers who will address the current job market & grad school options

o   Panel (based on needs of those who register, this may break into 2 separate panels) with information & advice for:

§  Getting into the job market

§  Volunteering to serve the community & broaden your social & professional networking circles

§  Strategies on how to use your JET experience when applying to grad school

• Networking Expo –  Connect with a variety of organizations including:

o   Local Companies

o   Educational Institutions

o   Community Service Groups

o   J-LINK Businesses (J-Link is comprised of companies & organizations owned by or endorsed by PNWJETAA Members)

WHEN – Saturday, October 17^th, Noon – 5:30 pm

WHERE – Kirkland, WA

ATTIRE – Dress for Success!

COST – $5 for JET Program Alumni who are registered with PNWJETAA* / $10 for Friends of JETs (FOJs) & Guests

Further event details will be provided to those who register for Transitions 2009.

Please click on the corresponding links for more details or visit http://www.japansociety.org. Subscription information is located at the bottom of this e-mail. Check out our YouTube page and our Webcast page for full-length event videos from Japan Society. Also, join our Facebook fan page and follow us on Twitter to keep updated on Japan Society events! September 21 - 27, 2009 at Japan Society CONFERENCE/SYMPOSIUM One Size Fits Some – An International Housing Design Symposium Thursday, September 24 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM In partnership with the Citizens Housing and Planning Council of New York, Japan Society hosts an international symposium to take a fresh look at space and housing standards in New York City that better reflect the needs of dynamic 21st-century households. LECTURE Making the Everyday Exceptional: Harumi Kurihara, Daisy Martinez & Karen Bussen Thursday, September 24 6:30 PM Harumi Kurihara, Daisy Martinez, and Karen Bussen. Harumi, Daisy and Karen share their creative ideas and passion for introducing new dishes, and discuss how Japanese and Latin cuisine is influencing American homes. New York Anime Festival Javits Convention Center, 655 W. 34th St., NY NY September 25 – 27, 2009 Japan Society will be at this year’s New York Anime Festival! Japan Society eNewsletter subscribers can receive $5 off a New York Anime Festival weekend pass.  Just enter OTAKU5 into the promotional code box.  Please note that the code is case-sensitive, all caps. LOCATION Unless otherwise noted, all programs are held at Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017 (at First Avenue). TICKETS One Size Fits Some – An International Housing Design Symposium Order tickets online at cvent.com. For more information call Citizens Housing and Planning Council at (212)-286-9211. Making the Everyday Exceptional: Harumi Kurihara, Daisy Martinez & Karen Bussen Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm. Updates on upcoming events will be e-mailed periodically.

JET alum Francis Lee took a whole bunch of great photos from the JETAA NY Softball Tournament, held last Saturday, September 12.  The winners in the two divisions were Kintetsu and Docomo.  (Though JETAA NY was one error away from holding the lead in that game! :-)  Special thanks to JETAA NY Vice-Prez Monica Yuki for organizing, to Liz Wanic for captaining the JETAA NY squad and cheering with extreme genki-ness, to Ito-en for once again providing cold, yummy tea drinks, and to all the teams for coming out, having fun and keeping the tradition alive!

Teams (in no particular order):

1. JETAA New York
2. Japan Local Government Center (JLGC) + Consulate General of Japan in New York (i.e., the parent organizations of JETAA)
3. Columbia’s Center on Japanese Economy & Business (ably managed by Jennifer Olayon)
4. Kintetsu
5. Mitsubishi (featuring Zack Ferguson)
6. Docomo
7. QUICK USA
8. TV Japan (starring Scott & Keiko Hiniker :-)

Dozo shyashin wo mite kudasai!

http://www.columbia.edu/~fl104/Softball

Chin Music Press, the Seattle-based publisher owned and run by Bruce Rutledge (MEF Program Chiba-ken, 1985-87) will be well represented at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop (16 West 32nd Street, 10th Floor btwn Broadway & 5th Avenue) on Thursday, Oct. 1 from 7-9pm when author Todd Shimoda will be read from his latest illustrated novel, Oh! A mystery of mono no aware.  He will be joined by poet Hoa Nguyen, author of Hecate Lochia, and Paulo Javier, author of 60lvboembs.

The event is open to the public and a $5 donation is suggested.

Here’s the book blurb:

Shimoda’s Oh! is a fast-paced story about a young Japanese American whose quest for a richer emotional life sets him on a journey to discover the essence of the Japanese appreciation of beauty (‘mono no aware’), the dark past haunting his psychologist-and-poet mentor, and ultimately involves him in the tragic phenomenon of Japan’s suicide clubs.

Also, in June, Oh! was chosen as one of NPR’s Summer Reading Picks:

“The book itself is a fine work of art, with a gorgeous, embossed cover, rice paper-thin pages, and textured paper inserts with illustrations that offer clues to Zack’s fate — a triumphant kick in the pants for anyone who doubts the future of paper-and-ink books.” — NPR

See previous JetWit posts about Bruce Rutledge here and a Japan Times review of Oh! here.

Interesting side note: One other Chin Music Press employee, designer Joshua Powell (Saitama-ken, 2005-07), is also a JET alum.

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The New York Anime Festival has announced its bookings for Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, for this year’s event, which commences at the Javits Center on September 25.

Roland will be on with Yoshiyuki Tomino (GUNDAM creator) on Friday, pop sensations AKB48 Saturday, and Yui Makino (voice of TSUBASA) on Sunday.

Here’s the official announcement:  http://www.mediumatlarge.net/2009/09/roland-kelts-comes-to-nyaf.html

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Author Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) who also serves as the Publicity Assistant for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, shared the following:

Why Haven’t They Called Me?  What Happens After You Submit your Picture Book to a Publisher

with Kerry Martin, Senior Designer, Clarion Books

Time: Saturday, September 26, 19:00-20:30; portfolio reviews 17:30-18:30

Place: Tokyo Women’s Plaza, Conference Room 2

5-53-67 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

(by the Children’s Castle and United Nations University)

For a map see www.scbwi.jp/map.htm

Fee: SCBWI members 1,000 yen; non-members 1,500 yen

Additional fee for Portfolio Review.

This event will be in English. Japanese interpretation will be available.

Private Portfolio Reviews are available from 17:30 to 18:30. Contact info@scbwi.jp to reserve your ten-minute slot. Portfolio Reviews must be paid for in advance: SCBWI members 3,500 yen; 4,000 yen non-members.

You’ve submitted your book dummy, sketches, or art samples and wonder why the phone isn’t ringing yet. Kerry Martin, Senior Designer at Clarion Books in New York City, will discuss the process of creating a picture book from initial sketch stage to the finished product, including what goes on behind the scenes while you wait for a response. Also discussed will be the dos and don’ts of sending unsolicited art samples. Private portfolio reviews will precede the discussion.

Kerry Martin grew up in Rhode Island and graduated from Parsons School of Design, New York City, in 2001. After graduating, she worked at a design studio, a letterpress print shop, and several magazines. She has been designing children’s picture books, novels and nonfiction for young adults with Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in New York, since 2002. She travels to Japan as often as she can to visit her husband’s family in Tokyo and Yokohama.

www.scbwi.jp info@scbwi.jp

JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) learned of the following events through the JETAA Toronto newsletter and thought they might be of interest to former JETs in the Toronto area. Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Ken, and he periodically posts job listings and event information for JET alumni.

Japanese Class

If you’d like a fun, casual environment where you can keep up your Japanese language skills, then sign up for JETAA Toronto’s Japanese conversation class.

Classes are conducted in Japanese, and are led by beloved long-time teacher, Sugimoto-sensei.

Conversation level is intermediate, but a lot of individual attention means that beginner and advanced students will also enjoy the class.

Monday nights starting Sept 28

WHAT: 10 sessions; 2 hours each
WHERE: Toronto Reference Library at Yonge & Bloor
WHO: Former JET participants only
COST: $60 to be paid by the second class

Interested parties should contact Sonia.

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