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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.

The February 2010 issue of the Sake World E-mail Newsletter by JET alum and leading sake expert John Gauntner (aka “The Sake Guy”) is now available online.  In this issue:

1. Special Confusion
2. Did you know?  Moto methodology
3. New section:  Sake basics – daiginjo
4. Sake professional course
5. New!  Japanese for sake lovers
6. New!  iPhone app:  The Sake Dictionary
7. Odds-n-Ends

Additional links:

• Sake World Website
• More About Us
• Archive

JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni.  Crystal is a former English-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works in online marketing in New York and relishes her constant hunt for the best cheap(ish) eats in the city.

Hope everyone had an excellent Super Bowl weekend – I’m sure it was a good one for those rooting for the Saints. Without further ado, let’s get to the much belated first Blog Beat round up of 2010!

- In need of a winter pick me up that you can easily whip up in the kitchen with a few staples? Check out Elizabeth White’s (Toyama-ken, 1995-98), delicious Sausage & Tortellini soup recipe, inspired by her grandma Mary.

- After participating in the JETAA Regional Technology Conference, JETAA NY and JetWit webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) reports from Portland, Oregon on what he calls some of the “best Thai food I’ve ever had outside of Thailand.”

- Check in on Kevin Kajitani (Kyogo-ken, 2006-07) and his experiences with New Year’s traditions in Japan.

- Learn how Robert Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04) deals with writer’s block and his obscure novel recommendations in his online interview with WriterGirl.

- Snow in Japan is a very different affair than it is in New York, as you can see in enviable fashion on JET alum Toby Weymiller’s blog.

Click here to SUBSCRIBE via PayPal

Editor: Justin Tedaldi – magazine@jetaany.org

JAN/FEB 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page 3……..Letter From the Editor / Letter From the Secretary

Page 4……..Nippon News Blotter / JetWit Baby

Page 5……..Peace Corps Calls Out to JETs by Marea Pariser

Page 6……..Gearing Up for Grad School by Aly Woolfrey

Page 6……..At the ISE Cultural Gallery by Michael Glumac

Page 7……..Harumi Kurihara: The JQ Interview by Yukari Sakamoto

Page 8……..Nihonjin in New York – Featuring Filmmaker Takayuki Tanaka by Stacy Smith

Page 9……..Lisa Katayama on 2-D Love, Japan Pop by Crystal Wong

Page 9……..The Legacy of Tokyo Story by David Kowalsky

Page 10……JETlog – Featuring John Ellis-Guardiola

Page 10……The Language(s) of Love: Wendy Nelson Tokunaga by Nichole Knight

Page 11…….Bridge Building with Filmmaker Aaron Woolfolk by Lyle Sylvander

Page 12……The Funny Page

Of late, we’ve been ordering bentos for JETAA New York Exec meetings from Fuji Catering.  (It’s the one all the Japanese companies use in NYC, so you know it’s the honmono!)

However, after always choosing from the pre-set menu of bento options for a given day, I just noticed that they have a rather fun “make your own bento” option–with visuals!

Here’s the link, so make your own bento and order away:  http://www.fuji-catering.com/Questionnaire/index.html

And while you’d think this would only be for New Yorkers out there, I have to think it would be a half-decent substitute for all the JET alums out there in Idaho, Mississippi and elsewhere who are at least a 3-day drive from the nearest bento but could use a dose of natsukashii.

Elizabeth White (Toyama-ken, 1995-98), the former Media Coordinator for JETAA Southern California, is now a featured writer for WineTimeTv.net.  Have a look:

http://winetimetv.net/home/contributors

The November 2009 (#2) issue of the Sake World E-mail Newsletter by JET alum and leading sake expert John Gauntner (aka “The Sake Guy”) is now available online.  In this issue:

Tasting  with Mr. T
Did You Know? Sake Brand Name Characters
New Section: Sake Basics – Junmai-shu
Guided Sakagura Tours
Sake Professional Courses in Japan: Last Call!
Holiday Gift Idea: Announcing The Sake Dictionary!!!
Odds-n-Ends

Additional links:

Sake World Website
More About Us
Archive

JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni.  Crystal is a former English-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works in online marketing in New York and relishes her constant hunt for the best cheap(ish) eats in the city.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend and that you’re all enjoying autumn. Let’s take a peek at what our favorite JET bloggers have been posting lately.

JET alum Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) at Gaijin Mama shares a decidedly Japanese first in twenty one years of living in Japan, as well as an eye opening take on a day with a wheelchair in Japan.

Kevin Kajitani (Kyogo-ken, 2006-07) over at iSpeakJapanese has moved to Japan – check out the first video from his new home here.

JET alum Lars Martinson finishes up his series on the beauty of East Asian calligraphy. Check out part one and part two.

Here’s another delicious recipe derived from a productive bout of insomnia from Elizabeth White (Toyama-ken, 1995-98), adventure writer.

Just in time for the holidays – JET alum Chen Reichert has new holiday cards at botodesigns.

The November 2009 issue of the Sake World E-mail Newsletter by JET alum and leading sake expert John Gauntner (aka “The Sake Guy”) is now available online.  In this issue:

It Just Gets Worse
Did You Know? Rice Harvest Timiing
Guided Sakagura Tours
Sake and Pottery Seminar
Sake Professional Courses in Japan
Learn More About Sake through  eBooks
Odds-n-Ends

Additional links:

Sake World Website
More About Us
Archive

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.

JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni.  Crystal is a former English-language writer for Kyodo News. She is now working as a freelance strategist and writer in New York and relishes her constant hunt for the best cheap(ish) eats in the city.

Happy October, everyone. It’s been awhile, so let’s take a look and make sure you have a chance to catch up on some posts you might’ve missed in September:

Interesting post from Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) over at Gaijin Mama about her son’s Japanese education – this should be enlightening for former JETs since we’ve had a chance to work on the other side of the teaching equation, but likely never had a chance to interact with parents.

Over at Chin Music Press, exciting things are happening as they get set to ship their latest publication. The book will literally be hot off the presses shortly, so be sure to check back for updates!

James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06) visits his teen fans at the Schaumburg Library, and it looks like some funny stuff went down.

We also covered JET alum Janice Momoko Chow (Saitama, 2005-2006) here a few posts back, and wanted to make sure that you all knew about her recent blog move to this site.

Finally, if you’re looking for a culinary reason to celebrate autumn while conveniently warding off any pesky autumn germs all at the same time, Elizabeth White (Toyama-ken, 1995-98) has the recipe for you. Looks delicious!

The October 2009 issue of the Sake World E-mail Newsletter by JET alum and leading sake expert John Gauntner (aka “The Sake Guy”) is now available online.  In this issue:

The Boyz of Nada
Did You Know? Sake Day
SCHEDULED AND CONFIRMED: Guided Sakagura Tours
NEW! Sake Professional Courses in Las Vegas and Japan
Learn More About Sake eBooks
Odds-n-Ends

Additional links:

Sake World Website
More About Us
Archive
Subscribe

The September 2009 issue of the Sake World E-mail Newsletter by JET alum and leading sake expert John Gauntner (aka “The Sake Guy”) is now available online.  In this issue:

• The Hazards of Nama
• Did You Know? The Toji
• Guided Sakagura Tours
• NEW! Sake Professional Courses in Las Vegas and Japan
• Sake Events
• Learn More About Sake eBooks
• Odds-n-Ends

Hi, it’s your Jetwit webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken ‘03-’06) here.  I have a quick favor to ask you all.

“Herbivores,” the stop-motion animation video that I made with my friend Elizabeth Fuller last year has made it to the top 10 semifinals of the First Annual Food2 Summer Challenge. We desperately need your votes to help us win the grand prize. Please vote for us here. You need to sign in to vote, but you can log in using your Facebook or MySpace account. It only takes a minute.

Thanks so much for your help!

7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Enjoy Drink Specials, Raffles, and Prizes

http://www.nydevolunteer.org/activities/2009/2009.09.25_e.html

Location:

Slattery’s Pub

8 E 36th St. (btwn. 5th and Madison Ave.)

100% of cash tips will support to

NY de Volunteer’s

“Explore Japanese After School Program”

@ New York City Parks and Recreation Center

For more information regarding the FUNdRaiser please visit:

http://www.nydevolunteer.org/activities/2009/2009.09.25_e.html

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

Great article from the Isshoni London website run by JET alum Vanessa Villalobos (who is also the Communications Officer for JETAA UK).

There’s a welcome lull in frenetic London life over August… time to enjoy some of the finer things in life: food, music and the great outdoors.

If you, like I am, are counting down the days to the Japan Matsuri at Spitalfields this September 19th, you should indulge in a little Japanese cultural exploration over the summer!

1. EAT FOR FREE AT TOKYO CITY

I know! I couldn’t believe it either! Simply book your table in advance at Tokyo City Japanese Restaurant near Bank on any Tuesday in August, anytime from 11.30am to 10pm at night. A tasty offer too good to miss, you simply pay a £2.50 service charge and the cost of drinks you order.

City workers can feast for free on everything from handmade sushi and sashimi to bento boxes filled with Japanese classics, plus other traditional Japanese dishes, and help Tokyo City celebrate their 10th birthday and the launch of their new August menu.

Tokyo City is at 46 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7AY

Call 020 7726 0308 and quote the Tokyo City offer when you book.

2. DISCOVER CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE MUSIC

You’ll be pleased to hear Tsuru Sushi plays host to new Japanese music the last Wednesday of every month! Their 100% Genki events showcase Japanese musical and performance talent.

The events have been running for one year on the last Wednesday of each month, and attract a diverse crowd from the Japanese and local communities. Performers are also diverse, ranging from Wataru Kousaka, a sanshin player, to contemporary electronic composer Anchorsong and many others.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this article

The August 2009 issue of the Sake World E-mail Newsletter by JET alum and leading sake expert John Gauntner (aka “The Sake Guy”) is now available online.  In this issue:

• Cost of Sake & that of Rice
• Did You Know?
• Guided Sakagura Tours
• NEW! Sake Professional Course in Las Vegas
• Sake Events
• Learn More About Sake eBooks
• Odds-n-Ends

JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni.  Crystal is a former English-language writer for Kyodo News. She is now a freelance writer and digital strategist in New York and relishes her constant hunt for the best cheap(ish) eats in the city.

Interesting post from Dave Jacobson over at Chin Music Press about the continuing lack of interest in Japan as a news story from mainstream media, despite it being the world’s second largest economy. Dave points out that this is a great opportunity for the smaller companies and bloggers who continue to produce great content on Japan. We here over at Blog Beat would be interested to hear your thoughts on this trend – Have you noticed this as well? What does it mean for Japan?

JET alum Toby Weymiller reports on the progress on his new house from Hokkaido – how extremely cool to track the construction of a new home!

Also, check out a new addition to our blogroll  – adventure writer Elizabeth White (Toyama-ken, 1995-98), lives in San Luis Obispo County and her new blog is well worth reading as it details all the delicious delights of life in paradise (and its challenges, of course) with great writing and photos.

For a big, 15-block New York street fair coming up, one stretch will be devoted specifically to things Japanese.  Further indication of how much Japanese culture has become part of the New York scene.  (Rumor has it that New York-ken might even soon have its own ALTs!)  Demo majime ni, read the press release below for more info:

The NYC Japan Street Fair Debuts at the Daytop Madison Avenue Festival!

NEW YORK, New York, (July 22, 2009) – On Sunday, August 23, 2009, the NYC Japan Fair will make its debut at the Daytop Madison Avenue Festival, one of New York’s largest street fairs that spans 15 blocks – from 42nd to 57th Streets – and attracts 10 million visitors annually. Hosting a diverse array of companies specializing in distinctly Japanese products and food, the NYC Japan Fair invites New Yorkers to immerse themselves with the rich culture of Japan for a day, while using the event as a test market to introduce new Japanese products to the U.S.

The Fair’s approximately 40 booths offer everything tangible about Japanese culture: food, merchandise, Read More

Just learned about a terrific blog and resource for UK-oriented JET alums called Isshoni London (http://www.isshonilondon.co.uk/), “the Gateway to Japanese London.”  And the best part is it’s written by JET alum Vanessa Villalobos who is also the Communications Officer for JETAA UK.

The site include:

• How to Visit Japan Without Leaving London
• Interviews
• Product Reviews
• Restaurant Reviews
• Surveys

As well as listing of evens covering everything from a Japanese/English meetup picnic in Greenwich to an Okinawa festival to a manga signing event.

You can also follow Isshoni London on Twitter (http://twitter.com/IsshoniVanessa), and Vanessa helpfully includes a list of the “Top Japan-related people to follow on Twitter.”

Elizabeth White (Toyama-ken, 1995-98), the Media Coordinator for JETAA Southern California, has been helping Sushi & Sake magazine collect writing from JET alums for the last few years.

Here’s a link to the JET alum writing on their site, including the latest column by Devon Brown (Tokyo-ken, 2002-04) titled “Taking One for the Team.”

And here are links to columns from past issues:

BACK ISSUES – JET Alumni Association
2008 Issues: December • June • May • April • March • February • January
2007 Issues: December • November • October • September • August • July • June • May • April • March

For anyone interested in contributing to future issues of Sushi & Sake, please feel free to contact Elizabeth via e-mail.

Note: This is the first in what JetWit hopes will become a series of “Japan Fix” articles.  Each article can be a simple guide for where to go to get a Japan fix in your neck of the woods, or a more personal account of how you get your Japan fix.  (Or in Kirsten’s case below, both of those and more.)  The goal is to use the collective brain of the JET alumni community for the benefit of the JET alumni community.

Japan Fix:  New York City

By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08), writer of the Kirsten’s World columns on JetWit

There are thousands of different angles to approach a story like this, particularly in a metropolitan city such as New York. But I’d really love to expand this topic and hear about Japan Fixes in other parts of the country, preferably those without a coast! Yes, I’m talking to you Wyoming! Hi there, Kansas City! Since Japan means something different for everyone who walks away from it, I’d really like to hear about where and how you find Japan. Whether its building a raft and fording rivers to reach that one Kaiten Sushi bar, renting your favorite Japanese language film, or simply chatting with your Japanese neighbor down the hall, tell us all about it!

Now let’s get one thing straight. I earned an admirable jones before I even lived in Japan.

I have my buddy Reiko to thank for the multitude of pre-JET Japanese obsessions I harbored before marching knee-deep into the trenches. In Nueva York, karaoke was only something I did when I was too drunk to care about the lyrics and the only songs I knew then were by Shiina Ringo. Tarako-spaghetti was novelty, not survival. I entered without ceremony. Tips were important. The sole purpose of a handkerchief was for gagging. Vending machines only offered one thing.

Although prior knowledge of Japanese custom, popular wastes of time and cuisine-abuses was a reasonably applicable methadone for the harder edges of culture shock, nothing can fully prepare you for the experience of living on Japanese soil. Everyone gets shocked in one way or another. However, once you get used to the vibe and start running with the pack, untangling yourself from that mentality can be equally as harsh. Three years of opening important doors with 失礼しますand public transportation that runs on time can really leave a mark. Also, it’s hard to say goodbye to your favorite onsen, izakaya, chuugakkou and depaato. A majority of these are difficult to revive even in facsimile here in the States unless you wanna fork over your rent check.

But for those who are blessed enough to live in or around Nueva York, Read More

The June 2009 issue of the Sake World E-mail Newsletter by JET alum and leading sake expert John Gauntner (aka “The Sake Guy”) is now available online.  In this issue:

• The Kome Khronicles
• moto-i in Minneapolis
• Did you Know?
• Sake Professional Course
• Sake Events
• Learn More About Sake eBooks
• Odds-n-Ends

For more information about John and about sake, go to his website at:  http://www.sake-world.com

By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08)

As I have mentioned before, I am not well traveled in Japan. Hence, I have very little basis for comparison as far as varieties go. Whether or not a specific food was particular to my region or even just my town remains a mystery to me. A prime example of this is 新潟お米。 Known by the fancy name of Koshi Hikari. Is it the most delicious rice in all of Japan? I could not tell you with any certainty. I do not know what rice tastes like in other parts of Japan. The rice was certainly of a noticeable quality and texture and I was always happy to eat it but filled with rapture? Not so much.

I’ll tell you what did fill me with rapture, though. マーポーめん

Has no one else heard of this? Really? No one thought to do this?

Just across the bridge and right next to National Highway Route 8 was a tiny pink ramen-ya called Kuishinbo. Read More

JET alum John Gauntner (a/k/a “The Sake Guy”) has just announced the publication of his new e-book, Sake’s Hidden Stories:  The Personalities, Philosophies & Tricks of the Trade Behind the Brew.

From John’s Sake World Newsletter:

Sake’s Hidden Stories will give you a view to what goes on in the sake industry behind the brew we all love so much. The book goes into stories much deeper than the information we most commonly encounter; way beyond simply what ginjo-shu is, what junmai-shu is, or what the role of koji is. You will learn about the personalities behind the sake. You will see in just how much detail some brewers make sake, and how each is different in where importance is placed. And most significantly, something that has not been written about in any book on sake in English, you will meet more than a dozen brewers, and encounter their personalities. You’ll see what makes them tick, what drives them in their work, and how their histories and idiosyncrasies affect the sake they brew.

John, by the way, was the featured speaker in last night’s Annual Sake Tasting and Lecture at Japan Society in New York.

Uncanny.  Just after learning that one of the world’s leading sake experts, John Gauntner, is a JET alum and will be speaking at Japan Society’s upcoming Annual Sake Tasting and Lecture, it turns out that Chris Johnson (Oita-ken, 1992-95) will be leading the Megu Sake Supper on June 3.  It also turns out that John and Chris know each other well.  (Thanks to Su May and Megan for bringing this to JetWit’s attention.)

Megu Sake Supper Let Delta take you on a sake tour at Japanese hot spot Megu. Join sake expert Chris Johnson on a virtual trip to Japan via a five-course menu at this theatrical TriBeCan gem where the fish is flown in daily and the atmosphere is as authentic as the dishes it serves. Johnson will explain the art of sake pairings for each course, with dishes ranging from sushi to Kobe beef – you’ll be sure to go home with the knowledge to impress at your next Japanese dinner. And if you want to go visit the original Megu in Tokyo, Delta has a new flight launching to Narita on June 4.

Event Details: $100 for five courses with sake, tax and tip not included.
To Reserve: Call Asleigh Eaves at 917-306-2934 and mention “Zagat Presents.”
Date: June 3, 2009, 6:30 PM
Megu – 62 Thomas St. (bet. Church St. & W. B’way)

Many of us are now aware that modern Japanese culture has essentially turned New York City into New York-ku, with Pocky and Pretz widely available, new ramen shops and izakayas popping up every week and Japanese hair salons throughout the city.  And of course you can’t swing a Kinokuniya bag without hitting a Japanese style karaoke bar.

But yesterday alone I noticed yet three more examples of Japanese culture–perceived as so impentrable by much of the world–penetrating further into New York-ku:

• City Bakery’s (3 W. 18th St) baked goods now all seem to have Japanese subtitles on the little signs sticking out from the muffins and other items.

• Opening of the Japanese Culinary Center (the “Other JCC,” as New York Magazine calls it) on 711 Third Ave. (entrance on 45th St. between Second and Third aves.) nymtc.com

• Gamar Jobat, a Japanese silent comedy duo (i.e, manzai) currently performing at the New Victory Theater (https://secure.newvictory.org/newvictory/tickets/production.aspx?PID=767&emailsource=GAMAR1212)

Have other examples to share?  Post a comment or send an e-mail to jetwit [at] jetwit [dot] com.

Just saw a Japan Times article on JET alum sake expert John Gauntner, and then this popped into my inbox:

LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE! Annual Sake Tasting & Lecture Without Koji, There is No Sake Tuesday, May 19 6:30 PM Photo: © Tentaka Shuzo. Koji-making is the heart of the sake brewing process. Koji is steamed rice onto which a special mold has been grown with great precision and skill that converts starches to sugars, which in turn are fermented to yield alcohol. Making good koji requires precise regulation of temperature and moisture, and nothing has a greater impact on the final flavors and aromas of sake. Like much of sake brewing, koji-making is more art than science. Sake expert John Gauntner discusses the art and science of making koji, what it is, the myriad ways it can be accomplished, and how tiny changes to koji can result in major differences in sake flavor. Followed by a sake tasting. Co-sponsored by the Sake Export Association. Tickets: $35/$30 Japan Society members & seniors Must be 21 years of age. Purchase tickets online or call the box office at 212.715.1258

Thanks to JET Liason Noriko Furuhata and JET alum Eric Campbell, both of whom work at the Consulate General of Japan in New York, for sharing the link to this Japan Times article about JET alum John Gauntner who has established himself as the leading non-Japanese sake expert in the world.  And this on the heels of a recent JETAA NY sake tasting event at Bao Noodles, a restaurant owned by JET alum and sake sommelier Chris Johnson (Oita-ken, 1992-95).

Great stuff.  Then again, is anyone really that surprised that JET alums would know sake so well? :-)

For more info, here are links to:

• the Japan Times article: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090404a1.html
• John’s website:  http://www.sake-world.com/ (filled with lots of good stuff)
  
• The five books he’s written on sake:  http://www.sake-world.com/html/books.html (Yet another published JET alum author!)
• His Nihonshu columns that he wrote for the Japan Times for 8 years:  http://www.sake-world.com/html/jt-archives.html

Perhaps going forward it’s time for JetWit to start keeping its eyes peeled for JET alum shouju sommeliers.

Thanks to JETAA NY and JetWit webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) for posting about the event on his blog (http://leesean.net):

I attended a sake tasting and dinner organized by JETAANY on Monday night at Bao Noodles.   Chris Johnson (Oita-ken, 1992-95), JET-alum, sommelier, and owner of Bao Noodles, presented a tasting of his restaurant’s Vietnamese specialties paired with Momokawa and Murai Family sake.  Chris is extremely knowledgeable about sake; he explained the different (…continued)

SAKE TASTING AT BAO NOODLES
When: Monday, May 4 at 7pm  Where: Bao Noodles  http://www.baonoodles.com/ 391 2nd Ave. between 22^nd and 23^rd St. (map) Price: $25/person (Originally $35) Limited to 25 people!!

JET Alum and Owner of Bao Noodles Chris Johnson has agreed to host this year’s JETAANY sake tasting.  Bring your favorite sake glass and enjoy wonderful varieties of sake while snacking on Bao’s delicious Vietnamese creations. It will be a family style dinner with tastings of 6 different sakes from Japan as well as from the United States including, the very rare Champion Daiginjo which was honored at the 2008 Nanbu Toji Annual Competition and was a Gold Medalist at the 2008 Japan National New Saké Competition.   For more information contact secretary [at] jetaany [at] org.

Getting our Japanese food fix in NYC, LA, SF, Seattle and even places like D.C., Portland and Atlanta is relatively easy.  But what about the Midwest? The following article by JETAA Chicago Treasurer Todd Kaiser, which appeared in the Spring 2009 Issue of the JETAA Chicago Newsletter, is a helpful resource for any JET alums that end up in or plan to go to Chicago.

Todd Kaiser:  Your Chicago-area Japanese Food Hookup

Need more natto for your superbowl party?  Wanna stock up on Pocari Sweat for your marathon training?  Here’s a quick list of places to buy Japanese food (and stuff) in and around Chicago:

Mitsua – www.mitsuwa.com - 100 E. Algonquin Rd. (Arlington Heights) – If you didn’t already know it, Arlington Heights is the Chicago suburb where a lot of Japanese people live and Mitsuwa is where they shop. Mitsuwa is a huge Japanese supermarket with authentic Japanese food and health & beauty products.  Check out the Japanese food court, bookstore and CD shop.

H Mart – www.hmart.com – 801 Civic Center Dr. (Niles) – This Korean superstore is similar to Mitsuwa but newer, bigger and closer to the city.  H Mart is Korean but you can find plenty of Japanese food too.  There are a couple of nice ladies working at a table in the middle of the market making kimchi.  Buy a big bag of it because it’s fantastic.  Buy an extra bag and send it to me.  Then check out the home center to pick up a hot carpet, bento box, rice cooker, and hamutaro slippers.

Chicago Food Corporation (Joong Boo Market) – www.chicagofood.com – 3333 N. Kimball – This is a smaller Korean market that also sells Japanese vegetables, rice, curry, natto, gyoza and more.  Hit up the small food counter in the back if you’re up for Korean food.  This market is small, older and crowded, but convenient.

Tensuke Market – 3 S Arlington Heights Rd (Elk Grove) – Tensuke is known in the J-community for a great seafood department and their sashimi grade fish is popular.  If you can read Japanese, they also have plenty of J-Magazines.  If you’re feeling really Japanese, stand there a few hours and read.  No one will mind here.  Try a sushi setto or donburi at the small restaurant in the back.  Tell them I sent you.

JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni.  Crystal is a formerEnglish-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works as a media planner in Chelsea and sorely misses all her favorite midtown ramen joints.

This week was a busy one, with two JET alum blogs being added to the blogroll:

Welcome Chen Reichert, a Philly based JET alum and creator of Boto, a Japanese robot tourist inspired by her time in Japan. You can find out more about Chen, her designs and Boto’s adventures at her blog.

Also be sure to check out the site of MEF alum Bruce Rutledge, the owner of Chin Music Press, a Seattle based independent publisher. His latest post mentions Clay Shirky’s recent piece on the future of journalism.

Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-2004) shares her tips on making better pasta.

Well-known blogger and Twitter guru Guy Kawasaki recently tweeted about Roland Kelts‘ (Osaka-shi, 1998-1999) interview with Japanese novelist Haruki Marukami. Read the interview here.

Also, last but not least, be sure to check out JET alum Lars Martinson’s Tonoharu, listed on a host of year end top ten lists!

Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food.  You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com. 

 

What’s in a name?  A friend introduced these buttery, easy to make, cookies to me about a week ago. They are so good that I have already baked my own batch at home, but what’s up with the name?  Pronounced yan hagels, they sound more like a complicated squat thrust exercise than a cookie.  Research revealed that these cookies are actually Dutch and they’re usually made around the holiday season.  The cookies are topped with rock candy and almonds in the traditional recipe, but I prefer the simple walnut topping my friend uses.  These cookies are fantastic with a cup of tea and, dare I say it, even easier to make than chocolate chip.

Click here for the recipe

Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food.  You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.

Have you ever walked into a Mexican restaurant only to find it staffed entirely by Chinese people? For those of you outside the New York area, I’m sure the answer is no. Last week I wrote a piece about this subject for bushwickbk.com and thought it might be interesting to share with a wider audience.

In 1991, motivated by the market saturation of Chinese restaurants, a Chinese immigrant named Mr. Zheng opened…

Click here for the rest of the story

Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food.  You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.

America is a wonderful place and I have to thank Alex Russel and his guest post for introducing me to an American snack original: musubi. Hawaii is known for mixing and melding multiple cultures to create something that is uniquely Hawaiian and Spam musubi is a crown jewel in this tradition. Made with spam, the ubiquitous canned ham brought to the islands by World War II soldiers, musubi proves to be a hearty snack worthy of the President of the United States. You can take Obama out of Hawaii, but…

Click Here for the rest of the story

By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08)

Dudes, I have a confession.

I am scared shitless of the yaki-imoyasan.

Granted, I am a petit pussois and many things creep me out. But I will chalk this up to sheer cultural ignorance and unexplainable skeevies. The potato man is out to get me.

For those not in the know, a yaki-imo is a roasted sweet potato and a yaki-imo ya san is the elderly chap designated by some hellish force to peddle it. Oh, the sweet potato man ain’t lookin’ for your money or to warm your cramped fingers, friend. Nah-uh. He wants your soul. You’ve been warned. Read More

Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food.  You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.

Call me jealous because I am. I do not have a mixer. I have neither the counter space nor an extra $300 for one of those beautiful KitchenAid mixers that comes in so many lovely shades. The only good thing about being mixer-less, is that I get to be really self-righteous when it comes recipes that call for mixers, but could easily be done by hand. For those of you who suffer from this same affliction, there is a nice consolation prize.

Living in Japan I baked a lot…

*Click here for the rest of the story and a great cookie recipe.*

Sean Sakamoto is a JET alum currently embedded in Gifu Prefecture.  The following is a post from his blog “I’d Rather Be…In Japan“.

Godzilla never looked so good. One of the joys of living in a foreign country is that I don’t take things for granted that everyone around me sees as normal. In this case, I’m talking about plastic food. Everywhere in Japan, restaurants put replicas of their dishes in the windows of their restaurants.

The first time I saw this, I thought it was hilarious. Then I was glad, because I could not actually read the menu. For me the fake food samples are really helpful. But what about Japanese people? Do the samples help you choose your dinner?

As it happens, I now live in the birthplace of the fake food replica. Gujo Hachiman is where the phony baloney, ramen, and even

Click here to read the rest of the post “Faking it in Hachiman”

Yvonne Thurman (Kagoshima-ken, 1994-95), former JETAA NY President, recently left her position as Director of the Columbia Business School’s Center on Japanese Economy and Business (CJEB) to start her own baked goods business, Dolly Bella Bakery (www.dollybellabakery.com).  Read below as she explains what led her down this path and how it’s all going.

I have enjoyed my career at Columbia Business School , directing its Center on Japanese Economy and Business with Professor Hugh Patrick.  After 10 years of working there, I was searching in the corporate sector for business development positions but couldn’t find something that really excited me.  So I pushed myself to think outside of the box, and really took a good look at my strengths and skills, work experience and education, and analyzed what I really enjoyed doing.

I was fixated on keeping my career in the international organization/international business arena, but I had to explore all options.  I had solid management skills, a degree in finance and business, international experience (same as so many…but wait!)…liked boating as a hobby…loved baking. Hmm.  I started to put all that together. Read More

Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food.  You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.

Remember about a year ago when the whole microwave popcorn = cancer thing broke out? After years of eating a snack that smelled like hot plastic and left a slight tingle on my tongue I came to the conclusion that maybe it was time to put the packets away and return to the old fashioned method. So over this past year I’ve pretty much perfected the process and a recent blog post by famed food writer Michael Rhulman inspired me to share because, while his method is good, mine is better. http://blog.ruhlman.com/ruhlmancom/2009/01/popcorn.html#comments

Click here to read the rest of the post…

JETAA Pacific Northwest recently held its bounnenkai which apparently included a trivia game contest.  Photos from JETAA PNW’s Treasurer/Webmaster Shun Endo can be seen on the JETAA PNW site at the link below.

Hi Alumni,

I hope everybody is staying positive in this unstable economy.  Reach out, get support, and maintain hope!  You’re not alone.

I finally got around to posting the pictures that I took at the PNW JETAA Bounenkai.  There are a lot of fun pictures, including a nice group shot!  check them out!

http://www.pnw. jetalumni. org/?p=549

Shun

Last Friday, January 23, JETAA NY hosted yet another terrific shinnenkai at Naniwa, the only place in town we know of that has a big tatami room.  34 people gathered for tabehodaishabu-shabu and nabe along with nomihodai beer, sake and shochu.  Old JETs, new JETs and everywhere in-between JETs were all represented.  O-tsukare sama to JETAA NY Social Coordinator Monica Yuki for organizing the whole shebang.  Also, special thanks to professional translator Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999) for providing yummy baked goods for everyone to take home with them.

*Special post-party treat:  Seeing Cindy Hoffman looking fabulous in her gown at the nearby Waldorf-Astoria Hotel for a high-falutin’ Australia Day event.

See all of Monica’s photos here.  Samples are below.

Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food.  You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.

In a recent post titled “Growing Pains”, she sought some perspective on the business of freelance writing.  In a subsequent JetWit post, we aggregated the responses of writers in the JET alum community in response to Devon’s question.  Below she shares her new perspective:

Growing Pains: A follow up on an over edited piece by a newbie freelance writer

The jury is in and it seems I’ll just have to man up.

The freelance writing world can be a cold hard place and the fact that I’m getting paid and will have a byline in a national mag is going to have to be consolation for my hurt ego.  The rational part of me knows that magazines have their own voice and until I’m so big and famous that they’re willing to pay me $5 for every single word I type, I’m gonna have to deal.

Thank you to everyone who offered up some insight.  I  heard of some horror stories that I hope to never experience myself.

On the upside, I did get a final PDF of my piece.  Seeing it in print was awesome!

Bar Great Harry is a bar on Smith St. in Brooklyn owned and run by JET alum Ben Wiley (CIR Fukui-ken, 2004-06), who shares the below info for anyone interested in joining.  You can also see the Bar Great Harry blog here and a Fall 2007 JETAA NY Newsletter article about Ben and his bar here.

What: Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster’s Reserve Night

When: Tuesday, 01/27/09, 6PM-10PM

Where: Bar Great Harry, 280 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY

Beers:

• 2000 Monster Ale
• 2001 Saison
• 2006 Black Chocolate Stout
• 2006 Cuvee D’Achouffe
• 2008 Blast
• 2008 Flemish Gold
• 2008 Grand Cru
• 2008 Savoir Faire
• Cask of Blunderbuss Old Ale on Gravity!!!

This will be a seriously special night. The good folks from Brooklyn Brewery scoured the warehouse and found some really rare stuff for this event. A Monster Ale from 2000? A Saison from 2001? You will probably never get to try these again. Come.

A recent post by JET alum Rosie DeFremery on her collaborative foodie blog Nosh Pit:

As I write this we are a little over one hour from ringing in the New Year here in icy New York City.  It’s already 2009 in Japan, where they’ve just woken up to celebrate Oshogatsu, the Japanese New Year.  Japanese residents of New York still keep some of the traditions while living overseas, as you could tell by visiting any Japanese market or store in the city.  When I dropped by Chiyoda Sushi to pick up lunch this afternoon, customers were picking up elaborate osechi ryouri meals they’d ordered in advance (for a pretty penny too – well over $100).  For the more budget conscious among us, however, they did have packages of fresh toshi-koshi soba noodles available.  Upon catching sight of those I snapped one up to prepare at home.

Toshi-koshi soba noodles, which JustHungry translates roughly as “end the old year and enter the new year soba noodles,” will be familiar to anyone who’s eaten soba before.  The only difference is

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Peter Weber (Saitama-ken, Gyoda-shi, 2004-07) is the JET Coordinator at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco.

This is how I remember it… As previously mentioned, even though I had overcome many of my dietary obstacles, I still hungered for “American Cuisine”.  Although McDonald’s was always easily accessible, it was only a temporary “fix”.

I wanted a more hearty burger.  So I went to the place where all answers are found… the internet.  After searching words like “Applebees”, “Chili’s”, and “Fuddruckers” I finally hit the jackpot. My salvation was when I entered three wonderful letters followed by one word that makes everyone happy. Located less than 50 miles away in Ueno we found our salvation, and it came with a Happy Hour!

(Click here to read the rest of the post.)

Former JETAA NY Vice-Prez Rosie de Fremery (Shizuoka-ken, 1998-2001) recently launched a new blog about food (working with a couple friends) and also a new Etsy store website.   In Rosie’s own words…

Nosh Pit is a group food blog I’ve started with two friends who are as passionate about food as I am.  We launched it on Sunday and have already put up several recipes and restaurant views, with discussions beginning in the comments section.  So far I’ve posted a friend’s recipe for maple bourbon sweet potato pie and a review of a French patisserie I discovered this week.  Please check it out at http://noshpit.wordpress.com/

The second is Shining Flower Productions, an Etsy store where I am selling hand-painted greeting cards for the upcoming holidays.  For now I’m just selling two designs, one of an angel for Christmas and one of a Chanukiah for Chanukah, but I do plan to offer more watercolor card designs and some original Japanese calligraphy in the future.  The store can be found at http://shiningflower.etsy.com/

Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food.  You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.Is there anyone out there that doesn’t love Japanese curry rice?

Ok, it lacks the sophistication of sashimi and the artisanship of kaiseki, but of all the school lunches that were put in front of me those first few weeks living in Japan, curry rice was the only thing that made me feel like I might not wither away in a world of seaweed wrapped rice balls and soups brimming with tiny dried fish with tiny black eyes.

Even lukewarm (as almost every Japanese school lunch is served lukewarm) it still tasted good. As a matter Read More