Nov 25

WIT Life #138: Kaikai and Kiki Thanksgiving Parade Debut

Events, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #138: Kaikai and Kiki Thanksgiving Parade Debut

WITLife 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 together with her own observations.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  And for those of you are who are on the Japanese calender, I hope you had a relaxing 勤労感謝の日（kinrou kansha no hi or Labor Thanksgiving Day) this past Tuesday.  Though there is no turkey or cranberry sauce on this Japanese holiday, it resembles our Thanksgiving in that it is an occasion to commemorate labor and production and give one another thanks.

This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has a new addition from Japan, balloons of artist Takashi Murakami’s Kiki and Kaikai creations.  They are following in the footsteps of Read More

Nov 18

Japan Foundation NY Newsletter (Nov 18, 2010)

Cultural Outreach, Events Comments Off on Japan Foundation NY Newsletter (Nov 18, 2010)

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NEWS FROM THE JAPAN FOUNDATION NEW YORK AND CGP
//// VOL. 9: November 18, 2010 ////

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CGP Grant Program (Deadline: December 1)
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This is a reminder that the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership’s (CGP) Intellectual Exchange program open competition deadline is December 1, 2010.

[ http://cgp.org/index.php?option=section&id=3 ]

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JAILA: “An Evening of Japanese Jazz” in Jamaica (Nov 27-Dec 1)
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As part of the Japanese Arts in Latin America (JAILA) program, the Japan Foundation, New York will dispatch flutist YUKARI and pianist Ms. Eri Yamamoto  to Jamaica to give a concert and workshop to local audiences and music students.  They will be performing their own compositions as well as well-known Japanese songs in a jazz style. They will also be joined by local musicians for collaborative performance.

About YUKARI: [ http://www.yukariflute.com/Site/Welcome.html ]
About Ms. Eri Yamamoto: [ http://www.eriyamamoto.com/ ]

[ http://www.jfny.org/arts_and_culture/jaila.html ]

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Call for JFNY Grant for Arts and Culture Applicants
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We are accepting applications from nonprofit organizations for the JFNY Grant for Arts and Culture. This grant aims to support projects that will further
understanding of Japanese arts and culture. Applicants must be from the 37 states east of the Rocky Mountains.

Successful candidates may be granted up to $5,000 for projects conducted in the 14 Southern and 12 Midwestern states, and up to $2,000 for all other states.

[ http://www.jfny.org/arts_and_culture/smallgrant.html ]

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CGP US-Japan Journalism Fellowship Program
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10 graduate journalism students from across the US will embark on a 13-day study-tour of Japan starting on November 20, 2010. This second cohort of students, along with Emerson College and CGP staff, will visit Tokyo, Okinawa, Kobe and other cities during their stay in Japan.

[ http://journalism.indiana.edu/news/bomersback-headed-to-japan-as-postgrad-fellow/ ]
[ http://www.merrill.umd.edu/deadline/index.php/2010/11/10/two-merrill-graduate-students-receive-fellowships-for-travel-to-japan/ ]

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Nov 15

JETAA DC Film Festival – Dec 3 and 5

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Via Mack Maloney, President of JETAA DC:

JETAA DC will be holding a film festival at the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute the weekend of December 3-5.

1. Friday, December 3 @ 7pm is “Linda Linda Linda.”

The film follows four girls as they prepare their band for their final school festival. Accompanied by a great soundtrack, this film is funny, poignant, and will certainly have you longing for your school festival (and a karaoke box).

2. Sunday, December 5 @ 2pm is “The Harimaya Bridge,” written and directed by JET alum Aaron Woolfolk (Kochi-ken) who will be in attendance.

Filmed in Kochi Prefecture, “The Harimaya Bridge” is a drama about an American man who must travel to rural Japan to claim some important items belonging to his late son, from whom he was estranged. While there, he learns several secrets his son left behind. Mr. Woolfolk will be in attendance during the screening and will stay to answer questions about his craft and his experiences. Come see a film the Los Angeles Times calls “a unique, complex, consciousness-raising accomplishment,” and Derek Kester of the San Francisco Examiner labels one of the best films of the year.

Nov 14

Interview with Competitive Eater Takeru Kobayashi

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Justin with Kobayashi and Friend of JET Sarah Goebel.

By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories. 

Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi is a three-time Guinness World Record holder for competitive eating. He burst on the American scene in 2001 at Coney Island’s annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest by downing 50 dogs in 12 minutes, doubling the previous record. Kobayashi went on to win the contest six consecutive times while shattering other gastronomic records around the world. 

After a shocking arrest and subsequent dismissal of charges in July at this year’s Nathan’s event, Kobayashi returned to the stage last night at the Japan Arts Matsuri in Brooklyn for another challenge: to become the world’s fastest 12-inch pizza eater. While he fell less than 20 seconds short of the 1:45 record (saying afterward that the pie was softer than he anticipated), there was no doubt among the crowd that the champ will give it another try in the near future. Hours before taking the stage, I spoke with Kobayashi through his interpreter Emiko Watanabe for this rare English language interview. 

What kind of training does one have to do to be the world’s fastest pizza eater? 

I had to practice how to use a knife and fork, because I have to use it for this challenge. That was the main thing. 

That’s interesting. Most people don’t use a knife and fork to eat a pizza. 

It would be much easier if I was allowed to use my hands instead. So it’s going to be a little harder. 

What’s your favorite kind of pizza? 

Pizza Margherita. 

How are things after July 4th? Do you find that you’re more popular and recognized in New York from people on the street? 

[laughs] I think so; I feel that I’m more recognized than before. I was famous before as a six-time champion [at the Nathan’s contest], but after Independence Day this year, people think I’m more interesting and have humor, so people notice me a lot more than before. 

Where do you live in New York? 

Manhattan. 

Many celebrities in America are known for their talent, but personality is also important. Are you making more efforts to do things like learn English to become a bigger celebrity here? 

I started going to an English school last month. 

What kinds of things do your fans ask when they recognize you? 

They don’t really ask anything, but they do ask to take a picture with me. 

Any memorable encounters? 

I met this fan who didn’t recognize me at first. She was an African American lady, and when she first spoke to me, she just thought I was a cool or cute Japanese guy. We talked, but then she recognized who I was, saying, “Oh my God! Oh my God!” It turns out that she was scrapbooking all of my articles from Independence Day, and the reason she did that is because she thought I was cute. When she realized that I was the same person, she went out of control screaming. 

Click here to read the rest of the interview.

Nov 12

Kobayashi Headlines New York’s Annual Japan Arts Matsuri

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Eating champ Takeru Kobayashi competes at JAM 2010 Nov. 13. (Courtesy of Rei Miura/NPO American Dream Japanese Network)

By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.

Nov 12

Talking Bra (Yes, a Talking Bra) to Stimulate Japanese Tourism

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"Welcome to Japan": Electronic buttons running down the centre of the garment triggers audio greetings in English, Chinese and Korean. (AFP)

Courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald.

As Japan hosts a Asia-Pacific summit this week, a women’s underwear maker on Wednesday unveiled a bra that is meant to lift spirits as well as bust lines and support the country’s tourism sector.

Triumph Japan showcased its bustier-style “Welcome to Japan! Bra” that it said was inspired by a tour guide’s uniform, features a display for images of sightseeing spots and can greet visitors in three languages.

A row of three electronic push buttons running down the centre of the garment triggers audio greetings in English, Chinese and Korean.

“Furthermore, tour guide flags are inserted on each side of the bra,” the company said. “When not used to guide tourists, the flags act as side stays, providing good support and creating an attractive bust line.”

Read the complete story (with video!!) here.

Nov 5

WIT Life #135: Marathon mania

Events, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #135: Marathon mania

WITLife 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 together with her own observations.

We are in the heart of marathon season, a favorite time of year for runners such as myself.   I have to admit that I love the sport enough to attempt to do two marathons in a row, the Marine Corps Marathon in DC last weekend and the NYC Marathon this weekend.  It will be a first but hopefully my body is up to the challenge!

The running culture has always been huge in Japan, and with the establishment of the Tokyo Marathon in 2007 the number of runners further swelled.  Although I have gotten into the marathon every year since its start (and run all but one), most of my Japanese friends Read More

Oct 29

JETAA DC Career & Graduate School Forum – Monday Nov 8 & Wed Nov 10

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The Career & Graduate School Forum sponsored by JETAADC, the Embassy of Japan and CLAIR New York, will take place on Monday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 10 at the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington, DC (Chinatown). Whether you are a JET Alumni, Friend of a JET, or work at an organization that has hired JETs in the past – all are welcome to attend and participate in the Career Forum.

Please visit the Event Homepage for more information and to RSVP! ( http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=mpyot6dab&oeidk=a07e31ooteo0117d03a)

• Monday, November 8th, 2010

Resume-Writing Workshop with Beth Colley
This two-hour workshop will cover how to build out your resume, with specific focus on the JET Program for both Careers and Graduate School.

• Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Panel Discussion: “Careers and Graduate School after JET”
Networking Reception to follow from 7PM to 9PM.
Food, wine, beer, and other refreshments will be served. We are actively seeking out companies or organizations that hire JET Alumni to participate. If you or someone at your company is interested in attending, please contact Leigh Ann at outreach.dc@jetalumni.org. If you are not a JET Alumni but receiving this message, please sign up as a Non-Member (FOJ) and receive a $5.00 discount off the standard registration fee!

• Registration

JETAADC* Member: $10 (for both events), $5 for one event
JETAADC Non-Member (FOJs): $15 (for both events), $10 for one event
*All JETAA Members may register at JETAADC Member price listed above.

Oct 28

New York’s Japan Society hosts design summit, MUJI minds

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The MUJI book is in stores now. (©MUJI, Rizzoli New York, 2010)

By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.

Architecture, interior design and innovative household items take center stage at Japan Society in November through its upcoming lectures The Design Difference and America Meets MUJI.

For The Design Difference, Japan Society’s U.S.-Japan Innovators Network will gather architecture and design visionaries Yoshiharu Tsukamoto of Atelier Bow-Wow and John Peterson of Public Architecture to exchange ideas in a bid to help solve some of the world’s most vital social problems. Moderated by Designers Accord’s globally recognized innovator Valerie Casey, The Design Difference is part of the Innovators Network’s two-day exchange program in partnership with Designers Accord, Common Ground Community and the Brownsville Partnership, and GOOD magazine.

In its 30 years of existence, celebrated retailer MUJI has made an impact as a global standard for goods of simplicity, practicality and sustainable design. True to its name—shorthand for mujirushi, or “no brand,” reflecting its lack of labels or elaborate packaging—MUJI is mighty, with over 100 outlets outside of Japan. InAmerica Meets Muji, internationally acclaimed designers Naoto Fukasawa, Kenya Hara and John Maeda discuss the concepts behind the creation, design and essence of MUJI.

Along with Jasper Morrison, Fukasawa and Hara are the co-authors of the new coffee table book MUJI. Published by Rizzoli New York, the tome explores through illuminating essays and hundreds of photos MUJI’s inner workings via its founding principle to develop new and simple products at reasonable prices by making the best use of materials while minimizing their impact on the environment. For the MUJI faithful, Fukasawa and Hara will be on hand after Wednesday’s talk for a special book signing reception.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Oct 26

WIT Life #134: Versatile veggies

Events, Food & Drink, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #134: Versatile veggies

WITLife 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 together with her own observations.

Last night I was happy to be able to attend an event at Japan Society called Field to Table: The Role of Vegetables in the Japanese Diet.  The featured speakers were Japanese food culture expert Elizabeth Andoh and Masato Nishihara, executive chef at Kajitsu, the only restaurant in NYC to feature 精進料理 (shouijn ryouri), a vegetarian cuisine introduced to Japan from China in the 13th century by Zen monks who had returned from studying Buddhism there. 

I had met both of the speakers before, Elizabeth when I lived in Tokyo where she resides, and Nishihara-san when I interpreted for him at a food event last year.  They offered their expertise regarding Read More

Oct 16

WIT Life #132: Kwaidan

Events, Film, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #132: Kwaidan

WITLife 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 together with her own observations.

Last night kicked off Japan Society’s current “Zen and Its Opposite” Monthly Classic Film Series, which features films from the late ’50s to ’60s that showcase the paradoxical unity of zen and violence.  It began with the 1965 film 怪談 (Kwaidan or Kaidan), said to be the most expensive production of its time.  It clocks in at a whopping 161 minutes and although the pacing is slow at certain points, the suspense draws you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat for most of it.  Kwaidan is comprised of four separate stories, each haunting in its own way.  My favorite was Read More

Oct 15

Chi-Town Rising: Japan at the 46th Chicago International Film Festival

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Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06) is an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.  “Chi-Town Rising” takes a look at the connections between Japan and Chicago, where Dipika will be moving in the coming year.

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The 46th Chicago International Film Festival is currently under way, screening 150 films from 50 countries. First held in 1964, the festival founded by Michael Kutza is one of the oldest of its kind in North America. This year the following Japanese films are being showcased, with cultural support provided by The Japan Foundation.

ABACUS AND SWORD / BUSHI NO KAKEIBO
Director: Yoshimitsu Morita
Reimagining the classic samurai picture, this quiet, elegant drama follows the Inoyama family as they serve their lord not with the sword but with the abacus. With a sense of honor as exacting as any warrior’s and a rigorous ethic of honesty even in the midst of dire poverty, Naoyuki Inoyama (nicknamed “the Mad Abacus” by his rivals) distinguishes himself as a hero for the approaching modern age.

BIG TITS ZOMBIE / KYONYŪ DRAGON
Director: Takao Nakano
A campy, raucous crowd-pleaser that is definitely not for the whole family, this 3-D spectacle pits brassy strippers against a horde of the undead, which the ladies unwittingly revive by reading aloud from an ancient tome. They must battle one of their own in addition to the brain eaters when goth stripper Maria hatches her own ambitious plans to become Queen of the Dead.

CATERPILLAR / KYATAPIRÂ
Director: Kôji Wakamatsu
Horribly maimed while fighting on the Japanese front in China during WWII, a Japanese lieutenant returns home a war hero. But his loss of limbs has not made him any less of a brute, especially to his wife. Required to satisfy his every need, she feels her anger quietly boiling over. Based on a short story that was banned for its extreme subject matter, Caterpillar is a howl of rage against blindness to the atrocities of war.

GOLDEN SLUMBER / GÔRUDEN SURAMBÂ
Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura
In this seriocomic conspiracy thriller, affable deliveryman Aoyagi unwittingly becomes the prime suspect in a hunt for the assassin of the prime minister. As he runs from the authorities and the news media eats up every scrap of incriminating evidence, Aoyagi finds a little help from his friends, including his college sweetheart and a crazy but cheerful youth who’s wanted for serial murder. Together, this motley crew will help Aoyagi navigate the strangest, scariest 24 hours of his life.

SWORD OF DESPERATION / HISSHIKEN TORISASHI
Director: Hideyuki Hirayama
The expert swordsman Kanemi Sanzaemon is a man of principle, first and foremost. His decisive, violent handling of high-level corruption in the court of the local feudal lord landed him in solitary confinement for two years. He has now been released, with one caveat he cannot comprehend: He must serve as bodyguard to the lord he betrayed. This thrilling, masterfully stylized tale of honor combines classic samurai action with a taut story of intrigue and betrayal.

The festival runs from October 7th till the 21st. For a complete schedule and more info visit http://chicagofilmfestival.com/ or call 312-332-FILM.

Oct 14

Kaiju Big Battel to rumble at NY’s Royal Flush Festival

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Kaiju Big Battel at Brooklyn’s Warsaw Oct. 15. (Studio Kaiju LLC)

By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.

There’s pro wrestling, and then there’s Japanese monster wrestling.

Kaiju Big Battel brings its unique brand of intergalactic smackdown to Warsaw Friday, Oct. 15 as part of Royal Flush magazine’s annual art, film and rock & roll festival, culminating in their Book 7 release party at Brooklyn’s premiere music venue.

Prepare for sheer drama in the ring and gut busting laughs when the heroic fighters of Kaiju take on the evil monsters of Dr. Cube’s posse in Kaiju Big Battel Presents: Save the Kaiju! This telethon style “fundraiser”—their only New York performance of 2010—promises to demolish at least one city and wipe out some extraterrestrial trash on the side, all for a good cause.

Such epic entertainment fits the Royal Flush Festival perfectly. Running through Oct. 18, showcases included a signing from fellow horror and monster movie auteur Rob Zombie at New York’s Forbidden Planet and a diverse lineup of films and concerts at Highline Ballroom and Knitting Factory.

Read the rest of the article here.

Oct 11

WIT Life #131: Asian Collaboration

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WITLife 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 together with her own observations.

Yesterday I attended the first ever Japan & Korea Block Fair, which was held on Broadway between 93rd and 94th streets.  It was sandwiched between other festivals offering your standard street fare of zeppoles and gyros, but the Asian section seemed to be getting the most foot traffic.  One side featured Japanese food such as okonomiyaki and yakitori, and the other had Korean food like bulgolgi and kimchi.

My friend and I shared many different samples, but my favorite was Read More

Oct 2

JET alums at Japan Writers Conference in Tokyo

Academic, Events, Notable JET Alums, Writers Dwayne Lively, Japan writers conference, Suzanne Kamata, Todd Jay Leonard, Tom Baker Comments Off on JET alums at Japan Writers Conference in Tokyo

The ４th annual Japan Writers Conference will be held Oct. 10-11 in Tokyo with 30 writers giving 50-minute presentations about the artistic and business sides of their respective fields, which inlcude fiction, poetry, journalism and even EFL textbook writing. At least four of the presenters are former JETs.

The venue is the Ekoda Campus of Nihon University College of Art. You can find full details by visiting http://www.japanwritersconference.org/or following the event on Twitter via http://twitter.com/JapanWritersCon

Here are some slightly shortened versions of the official descriptions of presentations to be made by JET alums:

DWAYNE LIVELY (Niigata-ken, 1996-99) “My Freeware Life.”

The lecture focuses on my experiments with various freeware writing programs, some of which promise to help improve the writing process. The first part of the lecture introduces a number of freeware writing programs that have been suggested by and/or designed by fellow writers. I will explain the results of my experiments with each program and will demonstrate how easy, or not, they are to use, how they changed my writing process and whether or not I intend to keep using them. Next, I will describe what happened when I attempted to follow a handful of “how to write a novel” plans offered free online. Finally, I will introduce the moral if the lecture, including what I learned and what I managed to accomplish during all the experiments.

Dwayne Lively’s fiction has appeared in Twister, Kansas Quarterly, and The MacGuffin. His non-fiction and reviews have appeared in Transitions Abroad, Literary Magazine Review and online at Notebookism.com. He has been a writer, teacher and editor for the better part of 20 years and worked and taught in Japan, the USA and Albania. In his dwindling free time he’s been finishing up a novel and, on occasion, writing the online journal The Crazy Japan Times ( http://www.crazyjapan.com).

SUZANNE KAMATA (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90): “Marketing for Beginners.”

Getting your book into print is the easy part. Publishing it – making your work known to the public – takes a bit more effort. These days, writers are often expected to submit a marketing plan along with manuscripts, and most publishers expect writers to take an active role in marketing. So how do you market a book if you’re living in rural Japan, far from your target audience? Suzanne Kamata, author of five books with meagre advertising budgets, will suggest some easy, cheap, and not so obvious ways for expats to spread the word about their books.

Suzanne Kamata again: “Kickstart Your Creativity”

Suzanne Kamata will lead participants in writing exercises meant to warm up the writer and/or kickstart creativity when the muse is absent. Bring a notebook and a writing implement.

Suzanne Kamata is the author of the novel Losing Kei (Leapfrog Press, 2008) and editor of three anthologies – Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs (Beacon Press, May 2008) The Broken Bridge: Fiction from Expatriates in Literary Japan (Stone Bridge Press, 1997), and Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering (Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing, 2009). She also serves as fiction editor of the popular on-line journal literarymama.com from Tokushima, Japan, where she lives with her family.

TODD JAY LEONARD (1989-92): “So you want to publish an EFL textbook?–Four Points of View to Consider when Writing a Proposal–The Myths and Realities of EFL Publishing in Japan.”

Most likely, every language teacher in Japan has (at some point during his/her tenure) contemplated writing a textbook to fill a void in the market…in that constant search for the perfect, all encompassing textbook. What are publishers looking for in the current market? What appeals to editors who ultimately decide which titles go to production and which ones do not? What are the salespeople on the front lines hearing from their market base? What must an author do in order to get his/her book published? This presentation focuses on these very questions, offering inside insights from all the various points of view that must be considered when writing a proposal to publish a textbook–the publisher, the editor, the salesperson, and the author.

Todd Jay Leonard has been actively involved in book publishing for twenty years and has published twenty books. He lives, writes, and teaches on the southern island of Kyushu, where he is a university professor at Fukuoka University of Education. He has published extensively in academic journals, magazines and newspapers on cross-cultural, historical, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) themes.

TOM BAKER (Chiba-ken, 1989-91), “Interviewing Creative Subjects: Actors, Authors, Artists and Auteurs.”

Interviewing a creative subject requires thorough preparation to elicit original and interesting quotes. My talk will explain how to do the research, write the questions and conduct the interview. It will briefly touch on turning quotes into a story. A well-prepared interviewer will be familiar with the subject’s previous interviews, online self-expression and body of work. The interviewer will look for themes and connections in the work to ask probing questions about its meaning. The interviewer will prepare questions ranging from basic to technical to off-the-wall, but will use the list only as a guideline to the conversation. The interviewer will tolerate digressions (within reason) and allow thoughtful silences to bear fruit. The interviewer will look for local angles and connections to current events.

Tom Baker has been a staff writer for The Daily Yomiuri since 2001, and has interviewed Sylvester Stallone, Liv Tyler, Marlon Wayans, John Woo, Nicholas Sparks, Barry Eisler, Brian K. Vaughan, Michael Sowa and many others. He is a coauthor of Tokyo Chic and The Sushi Lover’s Cookbook.