Japan Fix London: Hyper Japan – Interview with Mary Moreton
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Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London as is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, writing and translation.
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It’s not surprising that London has changed a lot during the years I’ve been away in Japan. Being the “most populous municipality in the European Union”, rapid development, modernization and globalization are to be expected. However, it still throws me of guard when my British friends now drop ‘katsu-don’, ‘kirin beer’, and ‘kawaii’ into everyday conversation. I know those words weren’t part of my vocabulary before I took off for my life as an ALT!
For a recently returned expat like me, it is a huge comfort to see Japanese culture so widely embraced in my home city. Which is why I was particularly excited to hear about HYPER JAPAN, a three day event promoting all the different aspects of Japanese culture that make it so appealing to us in the west. Determined to get my ‘Japan-fix’ to fight off the homesickness, I applied for a volunteer position and was delighted to discover one of the Hyper Japan team, Mary Moreton, was a fellow ex-JET. Not one to miss a chance to share JET stories, Mary kindly agreed to meet me one soggy London afternoon.
Hi Mary, sorry for dragging you out in this! Could you start by telling me a bit about your time on JET – why you applied, where you were based?
I was a CIR in Aomori City CIR from 2002 – 2005. I studied Classical Japanese Literature at University, which was a really interesting course that I enjoyed a lot, but not necessarily a degree that could lead straight to a clear career path. I wasn’t interested in working in say finance in the city like many of my friends, and I had spent time in Japan before (I did a year out in Osaka), so I decided to apply for JET.
How did you find Aomori compared to your experience of living in Osaka? I would imagine it to be quite different!
Yes, it was completely different to my previous experience of living in the city. I remember in my first week, there was another girl from UK who was based at the kencho, and we decided to meet up and explore one day. We walked around for about 10 minutes until we realised there really wasn’t much to see! It was totally different from my experiences of urban areas such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe.
What did you do after JET?
After returning from JET, my first job was as a PA for the European director of a Japanese electronics company where I was working in a mainly Japanese environment. Even though I had left Japan, during my working day, things weren’t too different. Although I felt that my unique point was my Japanese ability, I did not necessarily want to restrict myself to working for Japanese companies. I then went on to work for a British based Insurance broker. I worked in their Japanese department, so I was still using Japanese but not working in a completely Japanese environment as I had been used to. I had always been interested in translation, so in addition to working, I decided to do a part-time MA in translation. In the end I had to quit my job to focus on my dissertation in the last term.
With my MA finished I then decided to do freelance translation and signed up with several Japanese agencies. Not all of them gave regular work, and there were certain areas of translation (technical) that I couldn’t do, but after settling into a good relationship with a few coordinators, I managed to find my niche. Through that I did some work for the Sushi Awards, which led to my current position with Cross Media. Once again I am working as the only native English speaker in a Japanese company, but I enjoy it a lot as I get to promote all the things I love about Japanese culture and cuisine, and share it with a whole new audience.
Could you tell us a bit about the background of Hyper Japan?
The Eat-Japan Sushi Awards have been around for a few years. Japanese food is a lot more popular now in the UK than when I left in 2002 to go to Japan. Now there are so many places around where you can try Japanese food, and there is a lot more scope to promote it – which is where the idea for the sushi awards came from.
Japanese anime, manga and games have always had a fanbase in the UK and the rest of Europe, and there is a large Japan Expo held in Paris which mainly focuses on these aspects of Japanese culture.
I think most people think that Japan is cool, but not necessarily for just one thing. There are separate events to cater for cosplay, anime, and sushi fans, however there wasn’t anything that brought all these together – which what Hyper Japan attempts to do. In the same way that people who live in Japan experience the old and the modern co-existing harmoniously (you could find a Shinto shrine next door to a pachinko parlor), Hyper Japan aims to showcase both the contemporary and classic sides of Japanese culture under one roof.
To read the rest of the interview, click ‘Read More’.
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Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (July 2011)
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The July 2011 issue of the Sake World e-newsletter by JET alum and the leading non-Japanese sake expert in the world, John Gauntner (a.k.a. “The Sake Guy”), is now available online.
Go to John’s Sake World website for more information as well: www.sake-world.com
Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (June 2011)
Celebrity, Cultural Outreach, Food & Drink, Notable JET Alums, Writers Comments Off on Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (June 2011)
The June 2011 issue of the Sake World e-newsletter by JET alum and the leading non-Japanese sake expert in the world, John Gauntner (a.k.a. “The Sake Guy”), is now available online.
Go to John’s Sake World website for more information as well: www.sake-world.com
WIT Life #168: Sake Guy John Gauntner
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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.
Last night I had the chance to brush up on my sake skills at the sold out sake tasting event Back to Basics held at Japan Society. It was led by former JET John Gauntner, known as the world’s leading non-Japanese sake expert. He currently lives in Kamakura, and is well known among sake brewers and others within the industry as the window to making sake popular outside of Japan. His presentation gave a comprehensive overview of sake in less than an hour, presenting the audience with the essentials in easy to remember sound bites. His enthusiastic employment of the phrase “Absolutely!” in punctuating the rhetorical questions that he posed to himself had a particularly great impact.
We learned that translating sake as “rice wine” is a misnomer, as it is brewed in a way more similar to beer. Gauntner discussed how sake is one of the few products in the world that is Read More
JET alum John Gauntner enlightens, entertains Japan Society audience
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Last night was Japan Society of New York’s Anual Sake Tasting: Back to Basics event with a lecture by JET alum John Gauntner (Kanagawa-ken) (aka “The Sake Guy”), now the leading sake educator in the world, followed by a sake tasting (and mingling) with about 20 sake exporters from all over Japan. I attended with professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) (who writes the WIT Life posts on JETwit) and we had a terrific time, learning the basics of sake, running into Tomoko Okuno of Japan Society as well as Alma Jennings (Fukushima-ken, 2008-10) who was volunteering at the event, and of course finally getting to meet John in person.
John will be lecturing at similar events over the next few days in Boston, Toronto and several other cities in North America. So keep your eyes out and, if you attend, make sure to say hi and let him know you’re a JET alum as well.
Thanks to Japan Society for putting on a great event!
Stacy Smith (CIR Kumamoto, 2000-03) and John Gauntner (Kanagawa)
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Sake tasting: JET alums Stacy Smith, Alma Jennings and Steven Horowitz sample sake with Kensuke Shichida, President of Saga Prefecture-based Tenzan Sake Brewery
Burger King Japan’s “Meat Monster” reviewed by JET writer for Esquire Magazine
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Meat Monster: "Oishisou! (de ha nai)"
Current Mie JET Patrick St. Michel shared the below about his recent “Meat Monster” review in Esquire Magazine, which JETwit believes is very much worth your time to read.
An Unexpected Burger Benefit of Life in Japan
Posted by Patrick St. Michel (Mie-ken, 2009-present).
Having now lived in Japan for nearly two years, I’ve discovered a host of benefits—from convenient public transportation to a copious amount of vending machines—that come with residing in this island nation. Recently, however, I encountered a completely unexpected benefit—one that involved consuming—in a single sitting—the FDA-recommended caloric intake for a herd of plus-size elephants.
Prior to joining JET, I attended—and graduated from—Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. My pre-JET life also included working at three newspapers, an online music site, and an online magazine that I co-founded (http://www.northbynorthwestern.com). One of the friends I made along the way now works at Esquire magazine. Word had apparently spread stateside that Burger King Japan was launching a medically ill-advised burger aptly dubbed the “Meat Monster.” Knowing that I live in Japan and generally don’t give much thought to my arteries’ continuing ability to function, my friend asked if I would write a review of the Meat Monster for Esquire. Fortunately, I had inadvertently prepped for this unexpected assignment, having just reviewed McDonald’s “Mega Teriyaki” in my blog about life in Japan—http://www.japantrick.wordpress.com/. (I’ve also previously reviewed McDonald’s line of Big America burgers)
Some 1,160 calories and 2,290 milligrams of sodium later, I filed my Esquire story—http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/burger-king-meat-monster-042611
As a postscript, my plan is to pursue a post-JET writing career in Japan. Toward that end, if anyone has suggestions—or knows of openings at traditional or online publications or public relations/marketing positions—I would love to hear from you! Reach me at mailto:patrickstmichel@gmail.com. If you’re still not sure about me, learn more at http://www.patrickstmichel.com, and if you’re interested in the Japanese music scene, follow my blog—http://www.makebelievemelodies.wordpress.com/.
Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (May 2011)
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The May 2011 issue of the Sake World e-newsletter by JET alum and the leading non-Japanese sake expert in the world, John Gauntner (a.k.a. “The Sake Guy”), is now available online.
Note: John will be lecturing tomorrow night at the Japan Society in New York.
In this issue:
- Greetings
- Smooth’em or Let’em?
- Announcements and Events: Sake Professional Course in NYC
- Did you Know?
- Sake Basics
- Sake Education Central
JET alum sake expert John Gauntner to lecture at Japan Society Sake Tasting next Tuesday
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JET alum John Gauntner (aka “The Sake Guy”) will be lecturing on “Hot or cold?” at Japan Society of New York’s Annual Sake Tasting next Tuesday, May 10 at 6:30pm. John is considered the leading non-Japanese expert on sake in the world.
| Annual Sake Tasting: Back to Basics!
Tuesday, May 10, 6:30 PM
Premium sake has certainly established its place in New York and other international metropolitan areas. More and more Americans now understand its flavor, depth and taste. Over the past 13 years, sake expert John Gauntner has educated a great number of New Yorkers on sake, from the importance of water and rice to the bacteria that play a crucial part in sake-making. This year, Gauntner talks about the most basic points of sake: “Hot or cold?”; the different types of sake; and how most to enjoy them. Followed by a sake tasting. Co-sponsored by Sake Export Association. TICKETS Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm. LOCATION |
Sake and Chefs Tasting to Benefit Relief Efforts in Japan (NYC)
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I believe two JET alum sake experts, John Gauntner and Chris Johnson, are involved with the group that is organizing this event — New York Loves Japan: Sake and Chefs Tasting to Benefit Relief Efforts in Japan — which takes place Wednesday, April 27.
Fundraising event: JETAA Music City to co-host Top Chef Tsunami Relief Sake Dinner – 4/21
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Via JETAA Music City:
JETAA Music City and the Japan-America Society of Tennessee (JAST) will co-host the Top Chef Tsunami Relief Sake Dinner on Thursday, April 21st at Cha Chah in Nashville, TN. Top Chef DC’s Arnold Myint and Top Chef All Star’s Tiffany Derry will be preparing a 5-course meal with sake pairings with proceeds going to the JETAA USA Fund and the Tennessee Tomodachi Fund. The event will also include a Silent Auction.
We are so excited to share that no more reservations are being taken for the event! We are going to have a packed house on this evening for Japan. If you have additional questions, contact Terry Vo at president@mcjetaa.org.
The April 2011 issue of the Sake World e-newsletter by JET alum and the leading non-Japanese sake expert in the world, John Gauntner (a.k.a. “The Sake Guy”), is now available online.
In this issue:
- Greetings
- Good rice? Bad rice?
- The Current Situation in Japan
- Announcements and Events: Sake Professional Course in NYC
- Did you Know?
- Sake Basics
- Sake Education Central
Sake Dictionary iPhone app unveiled by JET alum John Gauntner (“The Sake Guy”)
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Via JET alum John Gauntner (a.k.a. “The Sake Guy”):
Get your copy of The Sake Dictionary iPhone app for $0.99: http://itunes.com/apps/ sakedictionary
In John’s words:
“The Sake Dictionary is a concise little package of all the terms you might ever come across when dealing with sake. Almost 200 of them – including sake grades, rice variety names, seasonal sake terms, special varieties, rare types, post-brewing processing words and the myriad terms used in sake production – many of which are not even familiar to the average Japanese person on the street – are listed up here with concise, useful and clear definitions and the written Japanese version as well. And now, with the new audio component, you can listen and learn just how to pronounce those terms properly. Start to toss around Japanese sake terms like you were raised knowing them! Gain a level of familiarity hitherto unimaginable! Avoid frustrating paralysis when faced with a sake-related purchase!”
Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (March 2011)
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The March 2011 issue of the Sake World e-newsletter by JET alum and the leading non-Japanese sake expert in the world, John Gauntner (a.k.a. “The Sake Guy”), is now available online.
NYT Column: Take Back the Trash by JET alum Bruce Feiler
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“Take Back the Trash“ is a thoughtful column on whether to throw out food in your refrigerator by JET alum Bruce Feiler, author of Learning to Bow, Walking the Bible and several other best-sellers including his recent book The Council of Dads:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/fashion/06ThisLife.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2
JET alum sake expert spotlighted in Japan Times
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Today’s Japan Times makes mention of JET alum and leading sake expert John Gauntner (a.k.a. The Sake Guy), author of the Sake World E-Newsletter. In the article, which highlights sake’s growing popularity around the world, Gauntner recalls his long journey with the rice-based beverage — from love at first sip to his current status as the first and only non-Japanese certified “sake expert assessor”.
Check out the article, “Foreign sake experts win over hearts, palates”.
Gauntner is a noted lecturer on sake who travels the world speaking on the topic. He has published a score of books on sake and spoke at Japan Society last May. To learn more about him and sake, visit his website www.sake-world.com.
