Presenters wanted for 2016 Japan Writers Conference
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Posted by Tom Baker (Chiba, 1989-91), a writer and editor in Tokyo and a regular Japan Writers Conference participant.
The Japan Writers Conference is a free annual event for English-langauge writers in a variety of fields. It is held each autumn in a different part of Japan. The event attracts a fair number of JETs and JET alumni, and this year’s event, at Tokushima University on October 29-30, will be hosted by a former JET, the author and anthologist Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima, 1988-90).
The organizers are looking for writers, translators, editors, agents and publishers to give presentations at this year’s event. For those interested in presenting or simply attending, the remainder of this post contains practical information taken verbatim from an official announcment:
About the site, Suzanne writes, “Although off the beaten path, Tokushima University is reasonably accessible. It’s about an hour and a half by bus from Kobe (all buses on the way to Tokushima station make a stop in front of the university), and a short bus ride from the Awa Odori Airport. Tokushima, a city with a rich literary heritage, is settled on the banks of the Yoshino River. We’ve got nature and culture (both traditional, such as Japan’s largest Bon festival, Awa Odori, indigo dyeing, bunraku puppetry and pottery-making, and modern, as in J-pop, anime and manga).
“The conference will be held in Tokushima University’s brand new Glocal Building.”
She also says there are plenty of hotels nearby in the station area.
So mark your diaries, calendars, smartphones or whatever it is you use to keep track of things, and plan to join us. As the event shapes up, we will keep you posted.
This is also our first call for presentation proposals. All published writers, translators, editors, agents and publishers who would like to lead a session are invited to submit proposals. We especially encourage proposals from new submitters. One of the strengths of the Conference has been variety, and the best way to foster variety is to have new presenters each year.
Those who have presented at past conferences are (of course) welcome to submit new proposals. But please, in the words of Ezra Pound, “Make it new.”
Please forward this to any friend or colleague who might be interested. If you know someone the conference organizers might approach–either living in Japan or planning to visit Japan next autumn–send us your suggestion. If you have contact information, that would be a great help.
Detailed information follows, but briefly, a proposal needs to include a brief bio, including some publication credits, the type of presentation you wish to make, a title, a summary of 50 words, a longer abstract (150 words) and any special requests you might have. Standard sessions are fifty minutes long, but if you have something special in mind, please let us know and we will accommodate if possible.
Presentations on all genres and all aspects of writing and publishing are welcome. The deadline for presentation proposals is Wednesday, June 1, 2016.
As in the past, the Conference will be free and open to all who wish to attend. This is possible because all the presenters and organizing staff volunteer their time and talent, and the use of the site is donated by the host. As a result, the Conference cannot offer any payment, reimbursement, lodging, or help in securing visas or travel permits. So please don’t ask.
Proposal Guidelines
When planning your JWC proposal, keep your audience in mind. Your listeners will be writers and others (translators, editors, publishers, and agents) concerned with creating publishable writing. While teaching, literary studies and private self-expression are certainly worthy activities, they are not the focus of this Conference. Ask yourself as a writer or other word professional these questions:
What information do I have which could be useful to others?
What writing, rewriting, editing, or marketing techniques have worked for me or others I know?
What topic would make for a lively and enlightening discussion?
What publishing or other professional opportunities do I know about?
What will an attendee take away from my fifty-minute session that he or she will find worthwhile?
You may submit more than one proposal.
The only qualification one needs to be a presenter is to have published. This does not mean that you need to have published a lot or in some high-profile journal. Your book (if you have a book) does not have to be on a best seller list. You do not have to have won any awards or to have appeared on TV. You simply need to have written, edited, translated, or otherwise worked on a piece of writing which has made it to the public eye. That is, published.
Proposal Deadline and Format
Using the following format, please send your ideas for a presentation by June 1, 2015. Send your proposal in the body of an email (no attachments) to both these addresses:
gribblej@gol.com
bernmulvey_1@yahoo.co.jp
In your subject line give your name, “JWC,” and the date.
In the body of the email, give:
1. Your name (or names)
2. Contact information (email, telephone. These remain confidential.)
3. Your publications (Need not be complete, but give names of journals and genre for short pieces; title, publisher and date for books; venues and dates for plays, and so on)
4. Title of presentation. (20 words or less)
5. Type of presentation (short lecture with Q&A, craft workshop, panel discussion, reading with Q&A, etc.)
6. Short summary of the presentation (50 words or less)
7. Abstract of the presentation (150 words or less)
8. Personal and professional biography (50 words or less. Make mention of your publications, as this will be part of the Conference program)
9. Anything else, such as special equipment needs or questions.
Your proposal doesn’t have to be a “finished” document to submit. There will be time to shape and polish your ideas for a presentation. But there is a set number of session slots available and if you are interested in having one of them, please let us know soon. Again, the deadline is June 1, 2016.
John Gribble
Bern Mulvey
Co Co-ordinators,
2016 Japan Writers Conference
Justin’s Japan: Nippon in New York — Kamakura, TAO, Kimono Fashions, Noh, Kyogen
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TAO Drumheart comes to NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts Feb. 11-14. (Courtesy of Matt Ross Public Relations)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Stay warm this winter with some hot local events, from an exhibition that will transport you to another time, some cool late night jazz celebrating the best of two different cultures, and a fashion show and traditional performances you won’t want to miss.
This month’s highlights include:
Feb. 5-6, 11:15 p.m.
Patrick Bartley—Parallel Worlds: Japanese and American Music in the 20th Century
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Broadway and 60th Street, 5th floor
$10, $5 students (Friday); $20, $10 students (Saturday)
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Late Night Session performances feature some of jazz’s most talented up-and-comers. Following his three nights of Bix and Tram: A Retrospective held earlier in the week, Parallel Worlds offers a brief, yet insightful look at the musical relationship between Japan and America, all performed by talented young musicians. The leader of New York’s own J-MUSIC Ensemble, Bartley (who performed with Jon Batiste and Stay Human on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in January) will examine the important periods between the earliest recorded music (1920s-30s) and the turning point for all popular music around the world in the 1960s—a story told with jazz as its orator.
Feb. 9-May 8
Kamakura: Realism and Spirituality in the Sculpture of Japan
Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue
$12, $10 seniors, $7 students, free for members and on Fridays 6:00-9:00 p.m.
With over thirty masterpieces from the Kamakura period (1185–1333) from private and museum collections in North America and Europe, Kamakura is the first exhibition to look beyond the aesthetics and technical achievements of these remarkable sculptures, and specifically examine the relationship between realism and the sacred empowerment of these objects. The exhibition explores how sculptures are “brought to life” or “enlivened” by the spiritual connection between exterior form, interior contents, and devotional practice, reflecting the complexity and pluralism of the period. Kamakura marks the first major loan show of Kamakura sculpture in the United States in more than thirty years.
Feb. 11-14
NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 LaGuardia Place
$45-$75
Direct from TAO’s successful, sold-out world premiere run of at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, TAO comes to tour North America. Their new show, Drumheart—making its world premiere in New York—is their newest show bringing you athletic bodies and contemporary costumes combined with explosive Taiko drumming and innovative choreography. directed by Amon Miyamoto (Pacific Overtures) and featuring costumes by Junko Koshino and stage design by Rumi Matsui (both Tony nominees), TAO has critics raving about their extraordinary precision, energy, and stamina. With hundreds of sold-out shows and more than six million spectators, TAO has proven that modern entertainment based on the timeless, traditional art of Japanese drumming, entertains international audiences again and again.
For the complete story, click here.
WIT Life #295: Wonder 500 Exhibition
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WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
I arrived in DC yesterday to begin my first State Department interpreting assignment in a while. I’m looking forward to working with my Okinawan group as we travel across the country learning about base-hosting communities in the U.S. I hope that knowing our second half will be in San Diego/Hawaii will make surviving the brutal cold awaiting us in our next stop of Omaha, Nebraska a bit easier…
Getting to spend time in such lovely warm weather while New York is in the middle of winter is a great incentive to be on the road, but the hard part is missing out on cool stuff back home. One such event is the currently running Wonder 500, a collection of Japan’s finest goods, foods and travel experiences. This free exhibit Read More
JQ Magazine: New York Pledges Allegiance to George Takei at Japan Society
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George Takei (right), with moderator Kermit Roosevelt at Japan Society, New York, Jan. 2016. (Ann Chow)
By Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) for JQ magazine. Lyle has completed a master’s program at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and has been writing for the JET Alumni Association of New York since 2004. He is also the goalkeeper for FC Japan, a New York City-based soccer team.
On Jan. 25, George Takei participated in a talk at Japan Society in New York. Best known for playing the role of Sulu on the original Star Trek and its movie incarnations, Takei has embarked on a second career as a social rights activist. Takei’s childhood in a pair United States internment camps for people of Japanese descent during World War II provided the focus for the conversation (entitled From Barbed Wire to Broadway), which was moderated by Kermit Roosevelt, a constitutional law scholar at the University of Pennsylvania (and great-great grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt). Takei is also concurrently appearing on Broadway in a musical inspired by his internment experiences called Allegiance (book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione; music and lyrics by Jay Kuo). The show, also starring Lea Salonga and Telly Leung, is playing at the Longacre Theatre through February 14.
There is no doubt that Takei’s childhood experiences formalized his worldview and search for justice. He spoke at length of his memories of being forced out of his Los Angeles home at the age of five and relocated to the Rohwer War Relocation Center for Internment in Arkansas, and later, the Tule Lake War Relocation Center in central California. Takei also put his personal experiences within a historical and political context: After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, anti-Japanese paranoia made all U.S. citizens of Japanese heritage suspect. Due process of law was completely suspended as Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes without charge or evidence. Once in the internment camps, the prisoners had to forswear loyalty to the Emperor of Japan and pledge allegiance to the United States.
Winter Rice Field Art
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Mel T (Aomori-ken, 2007-2012) is a Canadian living and working in Towada City, Aomori. For more information about events, sightseeing, restaurants, etc. in Towada City, and around Aomori Prefecture & Japan, visit her blog at http://towada-city.blogspot.com.
Inakadate Village (Aomori Prefecture), the pioneer of rice field art, will be holding a Winter Rice Field Art event this February 2016 in collaboration with internationally renowned snow artist Simon Beck, who creates geometrical artworks by walking across/around fields of snow in snow shoes. He has traveled all over the world creating snow art works, but this will be his first work in Japan.
Justin’s Japan: Mar Creation, Inc.
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Click image to read story
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Shukan NY Seikatsu. Visit his Examiner.com Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Those who have attended intimate Japanese arts performances in the city—such as last November’s sold-out shows of “IN THE BOX” at the Martha Graham Dance Company featuring Bessie Award winner Miki Orihara—might be familiar with the name Mar Creation, Inc.
Established by Nagoya-born Hiroshi Kono in 2003 as an independent record company with him doubling as label artist, Mar Creation expanded its focus to live events in 2008, and in recent years has been involved with various charitable causes. Some of its popular series include j-Summit NY (which hosted its 27th edition last month at The Bowery Electric featuring Alan Merrill, the original singer and composer of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”), and the annual New York Japan CineFest at Asia Society, which Mar Creation aims to expand this year as part of a national tour that includes Tokyo and several U.S. cities.
A music writer and journalist, Kono says that his other ambitions as a producer include a collaboration with Japanese calligrapher Setsuhi Shiraishi on her upcoming solo exhibition in New York and Washington, D.C. featuring workshop/performance shows with live musicians in multiple cities this summer and fall; Fukushima-related lectures and film screening events; Brazilian music festivals to celebrate the Rio 2016 Olympics; Japanese cherry blossom festivals in springtime; and anime/comic book conventions nationwide and abroad.
For more information, visit www.marcreation.com.
Posted by Sydney Sparrow, curriculum and content developer for a real estate school based in Virginia. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Job Fair
Posted by: Career Forum
Location: San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront
Dates: February 19th (Fri.) and February 20th (Sat.)
The San Francisco Career Forum, a job fair for individuals with Japanese language ability, is coming up on February 19th and 20th. Companies from all different industries are hiring for positions in Japan, the U.S., and various other locations.
Positions require varying degrees of Japanese proficiency. Companies will hold information sessions and interviews at the event, and many will also make offers of employment by the final day. You may attend one or two days of the San Francisco Career Forum, and you are also welcome to attend just to explore the vast opportunities available. All you need is professional attire and copies of your resume.
Current Participating Companies (as of 1/22):
- AIG JAPAN (Insurance) *
- BILCOM, INC. (PR Strategy Consulting) *
- DHL SUPPLY CHAIN LTD. (Global Logistics) *
- DISCO INC. (HR Consulting) *
- EFX.COM SECURITIES CO., LTD.
- FUTURE ARCHITECT, INC. (Architect (IT Consulting)) *
- GINZA EYEGLASSES AND CONTACTLENSES (Retail)
- HIROSE ELECTRIC CO., LTD. (Small Electric Parts Manufacturing) *
- JBS USA (Information Management/Consulting) *
- KAMAKURA SHIRTS (Retail) *
- RAKUTEN (Internet Service) *
- RECRUIT HOLDINGS CO.,LTD. (Internet/IT/Advertising)
- SUMIKA ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, INC. (Electronics Manufacturing & Sale) *
- VALQUA AMERICA, INC. (Manufacturing) *
* denotes companies currently accepting applications on CFN
For a complete participating company list and event details/registration:
http://www.careerforum.net/event/sf/comlist.asp?ref=JETAA&lang=E
*No cost to register or attend
If you have any questions concerning this event, please feel free to contact Catherine Rackley (Chiba-ken, 2005-2006) at c.rackley@discointer.com.
Justin’s Japan: George Takei Comes to Japan Society
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“George Takei: From Barbed Wire to Broadway” comes to Japan Society Jan. 25. (Luke Fontana)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Start 2016 off right by heading down to Japan Society for some fantastic new year’s fare. This month’s events celebrate the power of theater, with productions that examine international relations between East and West, celebrating a century of growing diversity but also spotlighting a stormy past. Treat yourself and catch a break from the cold.
This month’s highlight:
Monday, Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m.
George Takei: From Barbed Wire to Broadway
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
SOLD OUT. Limited tickets may be released; please call the box office on January 19 at (212) 715-1258 to check availability.
“Too few people know about that dark chapter of American history,” film and television star, pop culture icon and social media powerhouse George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes) told The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart in 2014, “when American citizens of Japanese ancestry were summarily rounded up with no charges, no trial no due process—the core pillar of our justice system—and put in barbed wire prison camps simply because we happened to look like the people that bombed Pearl Harbor.” In George Takei: From Barbed Wire to Broadway, Takei shares memories from the troubling chapter of American history when some 120,000 innocent Japanese-Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes.
For the complete story, click here.
Justin’s Japan: Kyogen, J-MUSIC Ensemble, Shunzo Ohno, Video Games Live
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A Night of Kyogen with Mansaku Nomura and Mansaku-no-Kai Kyogen Company comes to Japan Society Dec. 10-12. (Shinji Masakawa)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
With Thanksgiving (and the hopes of sensible eating) now just a memory, we turn to colder weather, falling snow, and the new year to come. Fortunately for Japanese culture fans, December is just as busy as the holiday season itself. Whether you’re hosting guests from out of town or looking to squeeze in an event or two in between parties, we’ve got you covered.
This month’s highlights include:
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 10:00 p.m.
Club Bonafide, 212 East 52nd Street
$15
Fresh off the heels of their 2015 SESAC Award-winning album Eternal Monomyth, Gene Ess and Fractal Attraction have been solidifying themselves as one of New York’s premiere collectives featuring original material that explores the use of the voice as an instrument in a chamber group setting. Eternal Monomyth is the riveting companion piece to Fractal Attraction, which was the winner of the SESAC Outstanding Jazz Award in 2010 and peaked at number 3 on the jazz radio charts. Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Ess grew up on a United States Air Force Base on Okinawa. He has performed with Carlos Santana, Archie Shepp, Matt Garrison, Reggie Workman, Ravi Coltrane, and Dave Liebman.
Dec. 10-12, 7:30 p.m.
A Night of Kyogen with Mansaku Nomura and Mansaku-no-Kai Kyogen Company
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$55-$85, $45-$75 Japan Society members
Living National Treasure Mansaku Nomura, together with illustrious members of the Mansaku-no-Kai Kyogen Company, including Mansaku’s son star of stage/film/TV Mansai Nomura and practiced performer Yukio Ishida, return to Japan Society to offers a special evening of kyogen, Japan’s traditional comedic theater that satirizes and embraces human imperfection. Centering around Mansaku’s virtuosic performance of the vigorous solo piece Nasu no Yoichi, based on a serious episode from The Tale of the Heike, the program also includes the dynamic Akutaro, starring Mansai, about a troublemakers unexpected journey to repentance and the popular play Bonsan, which follows a foolish thief with a penchant for bonsai trees. With English supertitles. The Thursday, November 10 performance is followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception for ticket holders.
Friday, Dec. 11, 11:00 p.m.
Club Bonafide, 212 East 52nd Street
$10
Racha Fora was formed in 2010 originally as a quartet by two Japanese and two Brazilians in Boston. Racha Fora issued its debut album in 2012, which was focused on group flutist Hiroaki Honshuku’s compositions, and embarked on a tour of Japan, which became an annual affair. They just released their second album from the JazzTokyo label, Racha S’Miles: Racha Fora’s Tribute to Miles, in which Miles Davis standards from the 1950s and 1960s are reborn in the 21st century featuring NEA Jazz Master (and key saxophonist for Davis in the 1970s), Dave Liebman. This intimate late night set features special guest Donny McCaslin on sax.
For the complete story, click here.
Posted by Sydney Sparrow, curriculum and content developer for a real estate school based in Virginia. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Event: 2016 Sakura Matsuri – Committee Members
Posted by: Japan-America Society of Washington DC
Location: DC
- Friday, December 4 at JASW from 6:30pm
- Sunday, January 10 from 12 – 4pm
- February Individual Meetings with Sub-Committees
- Friday, March 4 at JASW from 6:30 pm
- On-site Meeting, TBD at Capitol Riverfront from 10am
- Volunteer Orientation at JASW; tentatively scheduled for March 21 thru April 1.
- Last Meeting, Wednesday, April 13 at JASW from 6:30pm
- Sakura Matsuri – Saturday, April 16 at Capitol Riverfront from 4:30am
Posted by Sydney Sparrow, curriculum and content developer for a real estate school based in Virginia. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Event: Employing JETs Seminar
Posted by: JET Alumni Association UK
Location: Swedenborg Hall, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London, WC1A 2TH (Closest Underground: Holborn)
Date: December 9, 2015 from 18:00 to 20:00 pm
Wanting to work in Japan related employment? Just returned from JET, or been back a while but looking for a career change?
Japan Local Government Centre (CLAIR London) will hold a Employing JETs’ Seminar, which is an opportunity for former JETs looking to work in Japan related employment in the UK. The event will be on 9th December at Swedenborg Hall, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London, WC1A 2TH (Closest Underground: Holborn).
The 30 years anniversary of the JET Programme will be celebrated in 2016, and with an increasing focus on post JET links in business and citizens diplomacy this event will explain how JETs use their experience for work, with speeches from companies who employ people who have been on the JET Programme, as well as former JETs employed by them. This is also an excellent opportunity for JETs to network with representatives of Japanese business in the UK.
Companies attending include: Marubeni, Mitsui, Shinsei International, Japan England Insurers, Chubu Electric Power, Nomura International and others.
If you wish to attend this free event, please apply by email to mailbox@jlgc.org.uk with your name, title, current role and where and when you were on JET by Friday November 27th. Spaces are limited and will be on a first come first served basis.
Posted by Sydney Sparrow, curriculum and content developer for a real estate school based in Virginia. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Event: 2015 Boston Career Forum
Posted by: Mitsubishi Corporation
Location: Boston, MA
Date: November 20, 2015 (Company seminars begin at 10:00AM)
For almost thirty years the Boston Career Forum has been the standard in Japanese-English bilingual recruitment. As a rare and exceptional opportunity to connect directly with top industry players, students and working professionals alike attend the event to discover exciting new fields and launch fulfilling careers through full-time and internship positions.
Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) will be joining the Boston Career Forum 2015, and plans to hold information sessions specifically for former JET participants on November 20th. They have several former JET participants currently working in a variety of fields across their network, including Human Resources, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Public Relations, Security Trade Control, Global Strategy, Legal, Chemicals Trading, and Global Environment and Infrastructure.
You can learn more about what they do at Mitsubishi Corporation by clicking here.
To join one of their information sessions on November 20th, please pre-register for the Boston Career Forum at the links below.
- Sign up at Career Forum Net (operator of the Boston Career Forum) by clicking here.
- Register for the Boston Career Forum by clicking here.
When you have registered, please look for their company booth at the Career Forum on November 20th. Please note that the objective of these sessions is to share information about Mitsubishi Corporation and are an opportunity for you to share information about your career goals with them.
Mitsubishi Corporation recruits staff based on the specific business needs of each office and subsidiary as they arise. At the information sessions, they will not be interviewing for any specific positions. However, going forward, they would like to keep in touch with capable, highly-motivated ex-JETs in case any suitable positions come up.
2015 JETAA Oceania Conference: Staying Connected
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The JETAA Oceania Regional Conference took place in Christchurch, New Zealand this year, over the weekend of Oct 16th-18th. JETAA Oceania is a meeting of chapters from two countries, Australia (5) and New Zealand (3), as well as the respective country representatives. Australia’s Country Representative, Eden Law (ALT Fukushima 2010-2011) reports on the proceedings of the 2015 JETAA Oceania Conference.
As far as I know, the JETAA Oceania Regional Conference is unique in the JETAA world, where two countries share an annual convention – not surprising, considering the geographical proximity and historically close relations (buddies and often times frenemies) of Australia and New Zealand. This year’s theme is “Staying Connected” – to past and present JETs and JET community, local Japanese organisations and cultural groups, sister city initiatives and of course, with other chapters. Because it’s such a core issue to many chapters, we had a lot to say, discuss and share – opinions, ideas and examples that have work and didn’t. Some ideas:
- Maintaining connections with new JETs by following up after a month to see how they are going. If you have a newsletter, ask for article contributions (e.g. “Best experience”, “Most surprising aspect”, “What I should have packed”). These can also be used as material for the next pre-departure orientation.
- Have a committee retreat – have a mini conference by going away to a nice country location to discuss ideas, plan schedule etc.
- Provide some kind of charity work opportunity to give a sense of purpose and satisfaction
- Market JET Programme as a way to gain transitional skills (e.g. being bilingual means you can see things from different viewpoints)
- Sell JET as a professional development program
- For a fun fundraising idea, have a trivia night where answers/clues can be bought for a small fee. Cheat for charity!
This conference also marks my presentation debut as a shiny, newly minted country representative, which was also the same for my New Zealand equivalent, Raewyn MacGregor. Our presentations were about what we’d do as CRs, considering that the role tended to be re-invented to suit each new candidate’s needs and personality. Apart from trying to reduce the wheel-reinvention aspect by keeping records and procedure documentation, we will also aim to focus on community and communication. To that end, I put forward a proposal to have regular, scheduled Google Hangouts for Oceania to keep in touch and continue the flow of dialogue, ideas and support for each other (and if possible, get some participants from outside Oceania to join in!). We will also look at ways of supporting recent returnees, whether in the form of support, mentorship or career opportunities.
We also discussed the Satogaeri Project and the Tokyo November conference, where Satogaeri representatives from several countries (and AJET) will meet and discuss several ideas, such as next year’s 30th Anniversary celebratory plans, and, most interestingly of all, the possible revival of JETAA International (JETAAI). This chapter had gone dormant for the last few years since losing funding during austerity measures implemented by previous governments. For some of you out there, you may be aware of (or have participating in) the short bursts of email communications regarding this chapter. From the documentation presented by CLAIR at the conference, it’s now clear why this was occuring, as JETAAI’s revival looks fairly certain, with proposed committee members election to be held (presumably with those present). There are other further surprising items on the agenda regarding country representatives, so I’ll await the post-conference report with interest.
On a final note, it became clear that the common ingredient running through all successful ideas was networking – building and maintaining relationships which can be tapped into for opportunities. This does require work and commitment – as is the case with anything worthwhile. You can’t go at it half-arsed if you intend to make things a success, after all. Special thanks go to our great chapter hosts, New Zealand’s JETAA South Island, lead by president Caroline Pope (and NZ’s Satogaeri representative) who ran a very efficient and tight ship, which our visiting CLAIR official from Tokyo even remarked on, as being better organised than recent conferences that he had attended. High praise indeed!
The conference site is still up in the meantime. Check out all the pics and posts on Twitter and Facebook by searching for #jetaaoc.
Event: SAIS Information Session – AGOS Japan (Japan)
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Posted by Sydney Sparrow, curriculum and content developer for a real estate school based in Virginia. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Intended Audience: Prospective Students
Posted by: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Date and Time: November 19, 2015, 7:30PM – 9:00PM (local time)
Join Admissions representatives from the top graduate programs of international affairs for an on-site information session. Representatives will present on respective curriculums, career and networking opportunities, as well as admissions requirements. There will also be question and answer period after the presentation.
- Columbia University – School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)
- Georgetown University – Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
- Johns Hopkins University – The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
- Tufts University – The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
JET Alum Michael Kotler, a Reischauer Policy Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), states it’s important to get JET participants to attend these types of programs (whether it is SAIS or some of the other schools) because it opens them up to many new connections that wouldn’t be available on the JET program.
Session Location:
Room 101
Ninomiya Bldg. 18-4
Sakuragaoko-cho, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo, Japan
Event: SAIS Information Session – Tokyo Education USA (Japan)
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Posted by Sydney Sparrow, curriculum and content developer for a real estate school based in Virginia. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Intended Audience: Prospective Students
Posted by: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Date and Time: November 19, 2015, 8PM – 10PM (local time)
Join Admissions representatives from the top graduate programs of international affairs for an on-site information session. Representatives will present on respective curriculums, career and networking opportunities, as well as admissions requirements. There will also be question and answer period after the presentation.
- Columbia University – School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)
- Georgetown University – Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
- Johns Hopkins University – The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
- Tufts University – The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
JET Alum Michael Kotler, a Reischauer Policy Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), states it’s important to get JET participants to attend these types of programs (whether it is SAIS or some of the other schools) because it opens them up to many new connections that wouldn’t be available on the JET program.
Session Location:
