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 movies. Here is his interview with stop-motion animator Henry Selick, whose film “Coraline” is a nominee for best animated feature in the Academy Awards to be presented on March 7:

When the nominees for best animated feature film are read out at the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood next month, there will be one computer-graphic animated film (Up), two traditional 2-D animated films (The Princess and the Frog and The Secret of Kells) and two stop-motion films (Fantastic Mr. Fox and Coraline).

“I feel very lucky to have lived long enough to still be making films in this era,” Coraline director Henry Selick told The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo last week. His two previous features, Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and James and the Giant Peach (1996) came out before the Oscars introduced an animated feature category in 2001.

Coraline has already won several other prizes, including an Annie animation award for Japanese production designer Tadahiro Uesugi.

Coraline, based on a novel by Neil Gaiman, is the story of a young girl who discovers a secret passage to an alternate universe where all the things that annoy her in the real world have been changed. But like a gingerbread house in a fairy tale, this seemingly delightful place turns out to be a trap from which she must escape.

Read the rest of the article here.

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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

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

Here’s the info from JETAA Texoma:

Hi All,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Here’s a radio interview Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, did in Tokyo this past weekend with Tyler Brule, founder and editor of the UK-based Monocle magazine, about manga in Japan and overseas, and Japanamerica:

http://www.monocle.com/The-Monocle-Weekly

The Japanamerica segment is introduced at 1:00 and starts at 22:00

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Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, was interviewed by Japan Society of New York at the New York Anime Festival 2009 which was held September 25-27 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.  Let’s go to the video tape:

Part 1 of the interview:

Part 2 of the interview:

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A story just published in the new December issue of VANITY FAIR chronicles the way Japanese kawaii, or super-cuteness, has conquered America: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/12/cuteness-200912

Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, is quoted fairly liberally via an interview with Vanity Fair writer Jim Windolf.  Here’s a sample:

“There’s no doubt that cuteness has been a part of the Japanese aesthetic since the postwar years,” says Roland Kelts, the author of the 2006 book Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S. “One theory, which has been proposed by a lot of Japanese artists and academics, is that, after the humiliation and emasculation of Japan in the postwar years, Japan developed this quasi-queer position of ‘little brother’ or ‘little boy.’ If you become ‘little brother’ or ‘little boy,’ the only way you can get big brother’s or fat man’s attention is by being so cute or puppy-like that he has to take care of you.”

Roland also recently returned to Japan from a book promotion tour in Korea.

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Writers and blogger Liz Sheffield (Hokkaio-ken, Sapporo-shi, 1993-95) has a great post on her blog Motherlogue about a new book out titled America Fuji by Sara Backer along with a separate post in which she interviews Backer.

A few weeks ago I finished reading American Fuji by Sara Backer.  From the moment I saw this book on the shelf of my local, independent bookstore, I knew I had to read it. It’s about an American woman, Gaby Stanton, who is living in Shizuoka, Japan and teaching university-level English…that is until she gets fired and begins working for a fantasy funeral company, Gone With the Wind. Stanton meets Alex Thorn, a father who comes to Japan to answer questions about his son’s death while he was a student at the university where Gaby was employed.  Gaby and Alex are just two of the wonderful, creative cast of characters that Backer weaves into this compelling story.

• Read the rest of Liz Sheffield’s post on the book “American Fuji.”
• Read Liz’s interview with “American Fuji” author Sara Backer.
• Read Liz’s interview with fellow JET alum Suzanne Kamata about Suzanne’s book Call Me Okaasan:  Adventures in Multicultural Mothering.
• Follow Liz’s blog here:  http://motherlogue.wordpress.com

Liz has also written the following essays:

• Co-Sleeping Quandary, Seattle Woman (February 2009)
• Dinner Table, The Sun (Readers Write, March 2009)
• What Is The Kanji For Brother, Honorary Mention, JET Essay Contest (August 2009) Note: essay is on page 182
• Harmony at Home, Wilmington Parent (August 2009)
• Stage Fright, YOUMaga (September 2009)

and short fiction:

• Broken Mug, Literary Mama (May 2008)

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JetWit knows that a lot of JET alums are interested in working in the fields of international education programs and student services, so we asked future international ed expert Pam Kavalam (Shiga-ken, 2007-09) to talk to some JET alums in the field and share her conversation for the benefit of the JET alumni community:

Spotlight on University Administration

by Pam Kavalam (Shiga-ken, 2007-09)

Are you looking for a career that can utilize some of the skills you learned over in Japan- cross-cultural exchange, working with students, and (for the truly lucky) the offer to travel again? Think about working at a university- either in international exchange or student affairs. I sat down with Shannan Spisak (Kawasaki-shi, 96-98) to talk about her experience from the JET Program to higher education administration.

Tell me about your journey into the field of international education.

Shannan: After I came back from JET, I moved to New York City with a friend and worked at a private Japanese company for 2 years. I decided to switch careers to move into the international arena; the United Nations in particular interested me. I went on a number of informational interviews with fellow former JETs working in the field and they all recommended graduate school. I decided to study Peace Education and International Exchange at Teachers College, Columbia University. In order to finance my education, I took a job working as Assistant to the President of Barnard College while attending classes part-time. During the process of completing my M.A., I realized I had grown more interested in the education component of my degree than its relation to UN work. Consequently, my focus shifted towards seeking a career in international exchange in higher education.

What do you do now?

Shannan: I work at the Institute of International Education (IIE) in the Global Scholarships Division. The IIE is a 90 year-old non-profit organization that runs over 200 programs around the world, including the Fulbright. I manage three international scholarship programs through the GE Foundation and the Chubb Insurance Foundation. I organize the review and selection of applications, notify finalists, award grants, and manage special components of the scholarships such as Leadership Development Seminars and Career Workshops. I also coordinate Read More

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Thanks to Dr. Andrew Staples (Fukuoka-ken, 1996-99) (whom we learned about thanks to Eleanor Robinson (CIR Aomori-ken, 1999-2002)), JetWit has learned of another JET alum in the world of academia:

Dr. Christopher P. Hood (Aichi-ken, 1993-94) is the Director of the Cardiff Japanese Studies Centre at with is part of the Cardiff Business School at Cardiff University in the U.K.

Chris’ website does a good job of describing his background and career path as well as listing his books and other publications.  Hopefully it serves as a guide and perhaps inspiration for other JET alums as well:

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Having become interested in Japan while I was at Concord College, I went on to study Japanese Studies and Business Studies at the School of East Asian Studies (University of Sheffield). Then, after a year on the JET Programme, I returned to Sheffield to do a PhD. Since August 2000, I have been a lecturer at and the Director of the Cardiff Japanese Studies Centre, part of the Cardiff Business School at Cardiff University. I am also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House.

I have also been working on a number of other projects over the past few years. For example, I was the editor of The Politics of Modern Japan, a 4 volume collection of articles on Japanese politics, published in 2008. I was also co-editor, with Prof. G. Bownas and D. Powers, of Doing Business with the Japanese, published in 2003.

My research interests relating to Japan are broad, however the central themes are relating to identity and symbolism. My doctoral research and first book, Japanese Education Reform: Nakasone’s Legacy, were on education reforms in Japan and the influence of Prime Minister Nakasone.

My next project was on the shinkansen (‘bullet train’), looking at the ways in which it both reflects aspects of Japanese society and the ways in which it has influenced Japanese society. This book, Shinkansen – From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan, was published originally in 2006, with a paperback version published in 2007.

I am currently writing a book about the Japan Airlines flight JL123 crash in 1985. Although the book, Dealing with Disaster in Japan: Japanese and Global Responses to the Flight JL123 Crash, due to be published in 2011, will discuss the reasons for the crash, it will primarily be looking at what can be learnt about Japanese, and to some extent global, society by looking at what happened following the crash.

After this I am planning a book which will bring together my research to date as well as including some new material based on further fieldwork which has been ongoing for the past couple of years. This book will be looking at identity within Japan using several topics (education, attitudes to city mergers, attitudes to natural and man-made disasters, and attitudes to the development of the shinkansen network) as case studies.

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To learn more about Chris and his publications, go to the following links:

• Chris’ website: http://www.hood-online.co.uk/index.php
• Chris’ books and other publications: http://www.hood-online.co.uk/publications/

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You may have read recently about Eleanor Robinson (CIR Aomori-ken, 1999-2002) and her work with the new Doshisha Global MBA Program which begins in September.  Thanks to Eleanor, we’ve also learned about another JET alum, Dr. Andrew Staples (Fukuoka-ken, 1996-99), who is a Special Visiting Professor at Doshisha Business School with a number of published writings that should be of interest to the JET alumni community.

Here’s more about Andrew and his career path so far:

JetWit:  We understand your work has been published.  Can you tell us what and where?

Andrew: I’ve published a few times with Palgrave in the Asian Business Series including the chapter in the new textbook (we are in the process of making PowerPoint slides to accompany the book, which has been selling well), a chapter in an edited volume titled Emerging Multiplicity, and my own single authored text published last year, Responses to Regionalism, which was based on my PhD thesis.

Publications by Andrew Staples:

• Asian Business and Management: Theory, Practice and Perspectives (see chapter 4)
• Responses to Regionalism in East Asia – Chapter titled “Japanese Production Networks in the Automotive Sector”
• Emerging Multiplicity – Integration and Responsiveness in Asian Business Development

JetWit:  What was your path from JET to academics?

A: I was an ALT for two years in a senior high in Fukuoka prefecture before becoming the ALT prefectural coordinator in Fukuoka City for the final year. After JET I enrolled at the School of East Asian Studies (SEAS), University of Sheffield, U.K. to study for an MSc in East Asian Business (1999-2000). I funded this, by the way, with my pension and tax refund and a bit of university English teaching here and there, which is something other JETs could consider doing. Read More

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From the Summer 2009 “1/4 Cheap Trick” Issue of JQ (JETAA NY Quarterly) Magazine:

Like Japanese Girls? Then You Need This Book

By Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08)

There I was again, outside my apartment, in the car with Hitomi. Again, at this awkward moment where we both fidget and she puts the Toni Braxton CD in.  This is of course, about 10 months ago now, back in Japan. Even after living in Japan for a year and a half, I still had moments like this; social impasses as I liked to call them.  We both didn’t know what to say, what to do. Well, in reality, I didn’t know what to say or do. This was before I understood what “nan demo ii” really meant, before I could fully understand all the silent cues.  This was before I read David Radtke’s Understanding Japanese Women.

I know I know, you’re thinking, “oh no, not another pick-up line book. Not another cheesy how-to.”  It’s what I feared before I started reading it, too. However, I was delightfully surprised that Read More

Starting in September, Doshisha University in Kyoto will begin offering its Global MBA Program through its Graduate School of Business at Doshisha University in Kyoto.  And JET alum Eleanor Robinson (CIR Aomori-ken, 1999-2002) is actively involved in the administration of the program.

After leaving the JET Programme in 2002, Eleanor Robinson studied International Relations at Kyoto University with a focus on the history of Anglo-Japanese relations. She is still in the process of completing her PhD thesis while also currently working full-time as an administrator for the Graduate School of Business at Doshisha University in Kyoto. Her job is to translate documents, assist international students and a range of other tasks.  Eleanor notes that all of the classes on the Global MBA will be in English with an “Asia focus” and the program has a student cohort of 23 people from all over the world.

Links:

• Doshisha’s Global MBA – http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/
• Eleanor’s blog about her research and other work at Doshisha University:  http://eleanorinjapan.wordpress.com/
• JetWit Study Program Page (listing all graduate and other programs of study we know of that might be of interest to JETs and JET alums):  http://jetwit.com/wordpress/graduate-school/

For those of you who weren’t able to catch Roland Kelts’ (Osaka-shi, 1998-99) interview with Hayo Miyazaki in Berkeley, CA on July 25, a “fanatically thorough transcript” of the full interview has been posted at the GhibliWorld site:  http://www.ghibliworld.com/miyazaki_on_stage_conversation_berkeley_july_2009.html

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Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, hosted a talk with Hayao Miyazaki (director of Spirited Away among other animated films) on July 25 in Berekely, CA.  Miyazaki made a rare U.S. appearance to receive the second annual Berkeley Japan Prize for lifetime achievement, presented by the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.  (See a Japan Times article on the event here.)

This was familiar territory for Roland, who hosted a talk with novelist Haruki Murakami in October 2008 when Murakami was presented with the first Berekely Japan award.

Check out this interview on Australian radio (ABC) with Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, about the anime industry in Japan, financial foibles and hentai habits.

Roland recently finished a speaking tour in  Australia where made several appearances.

• July 13-16th, Sydney, AU, JSAA Conference, University of Sydney
• July 17th, Sydney, AU, The Japan Foundation: Panel w/Susan Napier and Rebecca Suter
• July 20th, Brisbane, AU, The University of Queensland:  Panel w/ Susan Napier and Rebecca Suter
• July 22nd, Melbourne, AU, The University of Melbourne: Panel w/Susan Napier and Rebecca Suter

He also hosted a talk with Hayao Miyazaki in Berkely, CA on July 25.  Click here to see video clips of Roland speaking at the JETAA NY Alumni Author Showcase event held back in March 2009, here for photos from the event and here to read a review of the event.

Yesterday The Telegraph (UK) ran a nice interview with Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90), who lives in Japan and is the editor of LiteraryMama as well as the author of books such as Losing Kei and Call Me Okaasan:  Adventures in Multicultural Mothering (which recently won several prizes in the 2009 Indie Book Awards including the Grand Prize for non-fiction overall).

Read the interview here:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/5833776/Raising-a-mixed-race-family-in-Japan-can-be-hard.html

For additional interviews and information about Suzanne:

• Interview with Suzanne by fellow JET alum Cristy Burne (Hyogo-ken, Kawanishi-shi, 1998-2000), author of the soon-to-be-released children’s book Takeshita Demons.

• Also, another JET alum writer, Liz Sheffield (Hokkaio-ken, Sapporo-shi, 1993-95), has an interview with Suzanne about the book on her blog motherlogue.wordpress.com.

• To learn more about Suzanne you can visit her website at http://www.suzannekamata.com or her blog at http://gaijinmama.wordpress.com (RSS feed here).

• Read an interview with Suzanne Kamata on children’s books and diversity by the blog Kabiliana.

• Go to the Authors/Books section of the JetWit Library to see a complete list of JET alum authors (at least to JetWit’s knowledge).

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 as a media planner in Chelsea and sorely misses all her favorite midtown ramen joints.

BlogBeat recently spoke with JET alum Janice Momoko Chow (Saitama, 2005-2006), a New York based-brand consultant and strategist about her blog.

A brand new addition to our blogroll, Janice describes Momoko Mashups as a place for her “thoughts and musings on fashion & style, art & design, technology & innovation, sustainability, New York City, and how everything transcends into culture and our everyday perceptions.” The site was created a year ago and continues to evolve as she adds new bits and pieces from her continuous quest for fun and fresh things to explore around the world.

Hailing from sunny Temple City in Southern California, Janice studied Brand Development and Psychology at the University of California-San Diego. While living and working in Tokyo, she fell in love with a life immersed in fashion, contemporary art, and design while working as a brand consultant for a range of clients, including Levi Strauss.

“It was an incredible experience,” she says. “I explored and tasted many different things that I wouldn’t normally be interested in. I sought after the latest sho chu spirits, sustainable electronic batteries, talked to the boys and girls who notoriously hang out in Harajuku, chatted with art students, and visited the denim mills south of Osaka.

Janice is now working on developing a communications and brand strategy for artist Suzy Taekyung Kim, while also working on ongoing projects from The Lambesis Agency as a brand consultant. You can find more about her work here.

The Spring 2009 Issue of JQ (JETAA NY Quarterly) Magazine is now available online at http://jetaany.org/magazine/.

O-tsuakare sama deshita to Editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for all his hard work in putting out another outstanding issue, this one featuring a one-on-one interview he did with Hikaru Utada in New York.

Tanjo!!  JQ’s Spring 2009 Utada Issue is Here!

• What do an Oscar-winner, a celebrated ambassador-turned-president, an international author summit and one of the best-selling singer-songwriters the Eastern Hemisphere’s ever seen have in common? That’s right! They all (I heard) turned down Conan O’Brien to appear in the new issue of JETAANY’s quarterly magazine JQ!
• Months in the making but well worth the wait, our new issue also features our newly elected officers, Sakura Matsuri at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a you-are-there piece on the Tokyo Marathon that you’re guaranteed to learn a thing or to from, and interviews with an Off-Broadway star, community honchos, noted authors and local JETs-made-good in both Japan and beyond.
• And how’s this for a main course: for the first time ever our feature interview was too long for the print issue, so we’ve posted the complete 13-page interview with Hikaru Utada at the handy link below. Whether you’re a Hikki-mania or just want to read what might be the most in-depth interview she’s ever done in English, we’ve got you covered.   It all happens in the new issue of JQ. Dozo and enjoy!

SPRING 2009 ISSUE – click to download PDF

(Click Here to Read the Complete Hikaru Utada Interview)

Editor: Justin Tedaldi – magazine@jetaany.org

SPRING 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Page 3…..Letter From the Editor / Letter From the Country Rep
• Page 4…..Nippon News Blotter / JQ National Photo Contest Winners
• Page 5…..Comings & Goings – New Officers and JLGC Changes
• Page 6…..JETAANY Author Showcase by Gina Anderson and Justin Tedaldi
• Page 6…..TAIKOPROJECT in Philly by Renay Loper
• Page 7…..Japan Society’s New President Motoatsu Sakurai by Justin Tedaldi
• Page 8…..JETlog featuring Ed Thompson (Chiba-shi CIR, 1994-97)
• Page 9…..STOMP New York’s Yako Miyamoto by Liz Wanic
• Page 10…Running the Tokyo Marathon by Stacy Smith
• Page 11…Nihonjin in NY – Featuring Noriko Furuhata of the CGJ by Rick Ambrosio
• Page 11…Sakura Matsuri at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• Page 13…Hikaru Utada: The JQ Interview by Justin Tedaldi
• Page 14…Adren Hart’s ConnectForce Productions Jazzes Up NY by Matt Matysik
• Page 15…JETAActivity Photos
• Page 16…An Animated Talk with Japanamerica Author Roland Kelts By Larry Heiman
• Page 17…Destination Nippon: JNTO and Kintetsu International by Sylvia Pertzborn
• Page 18…New York-Tokyo Founder Taeko Baba by Marea Pariser
• Page 19…Film Review: Departures by Lyle Sylvander
• Page 19…Book Corner: Shutting Out the Sun by David Kowalsky
• Page 20…Shutting Out the Sun Author Michael Zielenziger Q&A by Kelly Nixon
• Page 21…Awaji Puppet Theater at Japan Society by Beata Wilk
• Page 23…Top 14 List / Life After the B.O.E. / Let’s Make Chirashi!
• Major domo to (from left) Anson Mau, Kayoko & Rob Werner, Marea Pariser, Louie Reyes, Joe Marucheck, Justin Tedaldi, Steven Horowitz, Laura Pollak, Stacy Smith, and (off camera) Nancy Ikehara and Peter Mallik for pitching in to mail out the Utada Issue.

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Cristy Burne (Hyogo-ken, Kawanishi-shi, 1998-2000), author of the soon-to-be-released children’s book Takeshita Demons, has a really nice interview on her blog with Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90), who lives in Japan and is the editor of LiteraryMama as well as the author of books such as Losing Kei and Call Me Okaasan:  Adventures in Multicultural Mothering (which recently won several prizes in the 2009 Indie Book Awards including the Grand Prize for non-fiction overall).

(For all you translators out there lookng for an interesting project, you may notice Suzanne’s comment that none of her books have been translated into Japanese yet.  Perhaps a future JET alum collaboration to come?)

Go here for the full interview:  http://cristyburne.wordpress.com/2009/05/21/american-writer-in-japan-suzanne-kamata-

on-diversity-writing-and-winning-the-indie-book-awards/

• Also, another JET alum writer, Liz Sheffield (Hokkaio-ken, Sapporo-shi, 1993-95), has an interview with Suzanne about the book on her blog motherlogue.wordpress.com.

• To learn more about Suzanne you can visit her website at http://www.suzannekamata.com or her blog at http://gaijinmama.wordpress.com (RSS feed here).

• Read an interview with Suzanne Kamata on children’s books and diversity by the blog Kabiliana.

• Go to the Authors/Books section of the JetWit Library to see a complete list of JET alum authors (at least to JetWit’s knowledge).

Great interview with James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, by Elizabeth Bird of the School Library Journal.  JET-riffic bonus:  They use Zorgamazoo author Rob Weston’s (Nara-ken, 2002-04) blurb in the opening paragraph of the interview, and they’ve included the video clip of James from the JET Alumni Author Showcase.)

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/1160044516.html

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.

Happy Okaasan’s Day from JetWit to all the JET alum moms, moms of JET alums and homestay moms too!

On the theme of JET alums and moms, you may want to get your mom a copy of author Suzanne Kamata’s (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) new book — Call Me Okaasan:  Adventures in Multicultural Mothering, a collection of essays from 20 mothers around the world.

For some nice background on Suzanne, take a look at writer (and mother) Liz Sheffield’s (Hokkaio-ken, Sapporo-shi, 1993-95) interview with Suzanne about the book on Liz’s blog motherlogue.wordpress.com.

Author Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) has a new book out called Call Me Okaasan:  Adventures in Multicultural Mothering, a collection of essays from 20 mothers around the world.

And even better, writer Liz Sheffield (Hokkaio-ken, Sapporo-shi, 1993-95) has an interview with Suzanne about the book on her blog motherlogue.wordpress.com.

Writer Paul Murphy has declared it “Order of Odd-Fish Week” on his blog Murphblog. Every day this week, Paul will run segments of his long, in-depth interview with author James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06).  And according to James, the week comes “with a contest! And pictures! And audio of Paul himself reading a selection from The Order of Odd-Fish!”

This just in from JETAA DC:

Hi fellow JET alums,

I’ve just gotten a job as the DC director of a creative writing nonprofit called Writopia Lab (www.Writopialab.org/writopia-washington-dc.html) which holds writing workshops for kids and teens.  The organization is based in NYC and is brand new to this area, so I’m trying to spread the word about summer workshops. I know that many of you are involved in schools and arts/education organizations, so if you know of lists/folks to pass this info onto, could you please do so?  And let me know?  I really appreciate any help you can give, as well as any advice for spreading this great organization to Washington!  (Contacts at schools / local publications especially appreciated!)

Thanks so much!
Kathy Crutcher (Gifu ‘00-’01) Read More

Finally got a hold of this nice article from the Spring 2009 Issue of the JETAA Chicago Newsletter about Jamese Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06) written by JETAA Chicago Newsletter Editor Elizabeth Friedman (Shimane-ken, 2003-04).

Local Chicago JET Alum Spotlight: James Kennedy

James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-2006), a Chicago resident, is the author of The Order of Odd Fish, a  2008 Smithsonian Notable book for children. I recently attended a reading he did of the book at the Evanston Public Library’s Fantasy Festival. Children and adults alike giggled as James bounced around the room while emulating his various characters’ voices and mannerisms. James mentioned he has taken improvisational theater classes in Chicago, which was evident in his ability to keep the group entertained and engrossed in the fantastical story. James also talked about how his improv classes were beneficial in getting him through the JET program interview; he had no problem acting out a sample English lesson on the spot in front of strangers.

In “The Order of Odd Fish,” James’ language often soars to dizzying heights, built upon his silliness and brilliant sense of humor.  Each sentence seems to compete with the next to be the most surreal and outrageous piece of writing possible. The book’s dust jacket states that “The Order of Odd Fish” is “equal parts Monty Python and Roald Dahl ….” and I think that comparison is spot on. “The Order of Odd Fish” brought back fond childhood memories of reading “The Witches” and listening to the silly banter of Monty Python.

The main character of the novel, Jo, enters a strange land full of Read More

Artist Laurel Lukaszewski (Kagoshima-ken, 1990-92) is featured in a nice article “Ceramics That Go Beyond Cups and Bowls” in Friday’s Washington Post.  The article focuses on how unique it is for an artist to be working with clay these days, particularly since it has nothing to do with bowls, cups and dishes.

Laurel has an upcoming show titled “A Fine Line” opening Thursday, April 23, in D.C.  Together with Noelle K. Tan she will be showing her sculpture and Noelle Tan will have her altered photographs and prints.

A Fine Line
Works by Noelle K. Tan and Laurel Lukaszewski
505 9th Street, NW Lobby
Washington, DC
(near the Archives and Gallery Place/Chinatown metro stations)

Opening Reception and Artist Talk:  Thursday, April 23, 2009, 5:30 – 7:00 pm
The show runs April 23 through early July 2009 and is open weekdays 8:00 am – 7:00 pm

For more information, please visit:  http://project4gallery.com/invitations/afineline/index.html

For more information on Laurel and her work, go to www.laurellukaszewski.com.

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A good (and long) interview with Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, by Bamboo and Sara (aka Chicks-On-Anime) has been posted on the AnimeNewsNetwork.

Following James Kennedy’s (Nara-ken, 2004-06) recent post of his essay describing the heretofore unpublicized lifestyles and rituals of librarians (a “cult” of which Kennedy’s own wife is admittedly a member) in connection with the American Library Association’s awarding of the “Best Book for Young Adults” to Neil Gaman, author of Coraline, rather than Kennedy’s The Order of Odd-Fish, the blogosphere was atwitter with commentary about Kennedy, who will be appearing in NYC March 22 for the JET Alumni Author Showcase along with Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99) and Robert P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04)).

The Handless Poet’s Maria Alexander said:

I’m buying James Kennedy’s book, The Order of Odd-Fish.  I’m buying it entirely because of this blog post.  James Kennedy could quite possibly be the funniest man in America. http://www.thehandlesspoet.com/blogger/2009/03/james-kennedy-is-all-growed-up.html

School Library Journal’s Elizabeth Bird wrote:

Bad news for my husband. I have just fallen head-over-heels in love with James Kennedy, author of the YA novel The Order of Odd-Fish. Ladies and gentlemen of the liking men variety, I advise you to be very careful in reading this blog post of his which tells (in a fashion) of his experience with the last ALA Media Awards. He had me at “conniving sidelong lope” and now I feel compelled to read every damn word the fellow has ever written, starting from the early scribbles he scrawled out as a toothless mewling babe. Ba-bump goes my little heart. I also feel inclined to give him a bad review with the sole intention of hoping that he will write about me and do complicated things with my name. As I read through it I almost want to dedicate this entire post solely in the purpose of getting you to read this blog. Go. Now. Read. This. Man.  I, for my part, am off to read his book.  Even if it is YA.  http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/1130041713.html?nid=3713

Read More

Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99) was recently interviewed by Sho Sakurai on Japan’s News Zero program.  Click here to watch the clip on YouTube.  (Good opportunity to practice your Japanese a bit as well. :-)

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Otsukare sama deshita to Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02), the new editor of JQ, JETAA NY’s Quarterly Magazine, for putting out the first issue of the Magazine.  And what an amazing issue it is.

Go to http://jetaany.org/magazine to see the issue online.

Here’s the table of contents:

WINTER 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Page 3…..Letter From the Editor
  
• Page 4…..Nippon News Blotter
  
• Page 5…..JETAAnnouncements
  
• Page 6…..East Meets West
  
• Page 7…..Nihonjin in New York Featuring the JLGC by Junko Ishikawa
  
• Page 8…..JETlog by Sean Sakamoto
  
• Page 9…..JetWit.com Q&A with Steven Horowitz
• Page 9…..Catching Up with Randall David Cook by Lyle Sylvander
• Page 10…Youth for Understanding by Sylvia Pertzborn
  
• Page 11…Theatre Review: Shogun Macbeth / John Briggs Q&A by Olivia Nilsson and Adren Hart
• Page 12…Speakit LLC: Kevin Kajitani Interview by Junko Ishikawa
  
• Page 13…Jero: The JQ Interview by Justin Tedaldi
  
• Page 14…Joost!: Japanese TV on Your PC by Rick Ambrosio
  
• Page 15…Film Review: Sukiyaki Western Django by Elizabeth Wanic
  
• Page 16…An Inside Look at Japan Airlines by Kelly Nixon
  
• Page 17…Japan Society’s Best of Tora-san Series by Matt Matysik
  
• Page 18…Chip Kidd Talks Bat-Manga! by Justin Tedaldi
  
• Page 19…Book Corner: Natsuo Kirino’s Real World by David Kowalsky
  
• Page 19…Restaurant Spotlight: Wajima by Allen Wan
  
• Page 20…Adventures in SwirlySwirlDates by Rick Ambrosio and Nicole Bongiorno
  
• Page 21…Yosakoi Dance Project by Kirsten Phillips
  
• Page 22…The Tale of Eric and Ozawa by Rick Ambrosio
  
• Page 23…Top 14 List / Next Issue / Sponsors Index

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Click here to vote for Suzette Simon (Tochigi-ken) (aka “The Subway Comic“) to be one of the entrants in Caroline’s “March Madness.”  (Here’s the full voting URL address:  http://www.like2laugh.com/comics/comedian.php?ent=-%20Suzette%20Simon%20-)

“March Madness” hosted by Caroline’s Comedy Club is one of NYC’s most challenging and fun comedy competitions. It’s 64 comics going head to head for comedy glory! However, to win it, she’s got to get in it.  So help Suzette out by voting her in.   (You can vote OFTEN but only once a day.)

The deadline is Sunday, March 1.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

Learn more about Suzette at her website:  http://www.subwaycomic.com/ and by watching this NY1 feature on her.

From the 2009 Winter Issue of JQ, the JETAA NY Quarterly Magazine:

JetWit.com:  Taking the JET Alumni Community to Another Level

After spending the last several years growing the JETAA NY Quarterly newsletter into a full-fledged alumni magazine, Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) began focusing his efforts on JetWit.com last fall.  JQ caught up with Steven to learn more and see how he’s doing.

JETAANY Quarterly:  Hey, what is a JetWit, anyway?

It’s just “JET” plus the acronym for “Writers Interpreters and Translators.” I started the WIT e-mail group last May to find more writers for the JET alum publications and also to help freelance translators find more work opportunities. I wanted to create a sort of public face for the WIT group to be able to do these things on a more consistent basis. I also wanted to create an online archive of newsletter articles that editors from other JETAA chapters could easily access and copy and paste for their own chapter newsletters.

JQ:  Then why does JetWit look like an elephant?

[Laughs] I knew I wanted a Japanese-style mascot, so I went to graphic designer and Web developer Zi Mei (Saitama-ken, 2002-05) because I’d seen some of the excellent characters he created on his site (sugarcloud.com). I told him I wanted a cute little furry animal, and he somehow he came back with an elephant that he named A.J. which I love anyway. Read More

From the 2009 Winter Issue of JQ, the JETAA NY quarterly magazine:

A JET Alum’s Experience Makes its Way to the Stage:  JQ Catches Up With Playwright Randall David Cook

By Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02)

Three years ago, the Gotham Stage Company produced the terrific play Sake with the Haiku Geisha by JET alum Randall David Cook (Fukui-ken, 1991-93). The entire evening consisted of five one-act vignettes, all involving cross-cultural conflict among expatriates in Japan. As I noted in my review for JQ at the time, what made the play so successful was its exploration of the psychological issues confronting the main characters.

At first glance, Randall David Cook does not fit the profile of the typical playwright. As a human resources specialist with an international MBA, he was working in a corporate capacity at Newsweek magazine when two random events set him on a play writing course.

“I was dissatisfied with most of the new plays I was seeing at the time,” Cook says in his native South Carolina accent. “I kept insisting that I could do better, and one of my friends set me up on the challenge. At the same time, I was heartbroken over a relationship that had just ended and writing seemed like a good way for me to channel my emotions into a more productive pursuit.” Read More

Mark Frey (Kumamoto-ken, 2002-06) has served as the Newsletter Editor for JETAA Northern California since 2007.  But how did he find himself in this position?  And what else do we know about this man who has been entrusted not only with JETAA NC’s news needs but with with responsibility for a small child as well?  JETAA Chicago’s Elizabeth Friedman (profiled in the previous edition of Know a Newsletter Editor) decided to get to the bottom of things, and this is what she learned.

Residence: Beautiful Lake Merritt neighborhood of Oakland, California

Job: Marketing Manager, MIG, Inc.

What he does all day at work: Write proposals, dream about Japan

How he found his job: Website for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (professional society for my field of work)

Job he would really like to be doing: Teaching!

First job after JET: Marketing Manager, MIG, Inc.

How he ended up as the Newsletter Editor: Was asked at a weak moment after about the 5th kanpai at a JETAA shinnenkai. Read More

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A sampling of what’s to air on NPR’s Studio 360 Goes to Japan on Saturday at 10 am, featuring Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99):

Elizabeth Friedman (Shimane-ken, 2003-04) recently took over the role of Newsletter Editor for JETAA Chicago.  But how did she find herself in this position?  And what else do we know about this woman who Chicago’s JET alums have entrusted with such informational responsibilities? JetWit decided to get to the bottom of things, and this is what we learned.

Residence: Chicago, IL

Job: Sales representative at Nippon Steel Sales and part-time Asian Art History Instructor at Triton College

What she does all day at work: Listen to people complain about why their steel has, or has not, been shipped

Job she would really like to be doing: I would like to Read More

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

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Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, will be at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on Wednesday, February 11 for a screening + discussion of the animated film Grave of the Fireflies.  More details here.  (Side note:  Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) wrote an excellent and succinct review of Grave of the Fireflies for the Spring 2008 JETAAA NY Newsletter.)

BONUS:  Roland’s story on Japanese Youth Pathologies for WNYC’s Studio 360 will air on NPR nationwide as part of this coming weekend’s special Japan edition of the show.  (See the recent JetWit post on last week’s Studio360 Japan feature.)

Correction:  This post previously listed the date of the MFA event as February 9, but it has now been corrected to February 11.  Apologies for any confusion.

James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, was recently interviewed at the Evanston Library by some wonderful teenagers.  Watch a video of the interview below.

From James’ blog:  “This Saturday (2/7) I’m going to be appearing at the Fantasy Festival at the Evanston Public Library! There will also be manga drawing, fantasy video gaming, and a screening of the almighty Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. (See the events sidebar, right, for details.)

In preparation, I sat down with Sam, Zoe, Heather and Luke of the Evanston library’s Teen Advisory Board to

READ THE REST OF THE POST HERE

I recently learned about an interesting JET alum named Gavin Whitelaw (whom I’ve never met) whose doctoral dissertation at Harvard’s Reischauer Institute involved 18-months of “observant” participation as a convenience store clerk in Japan. Through his writing he then “sought to describe the lifeworld of these stores and understand their cultural significance as industrial system, social arrangement, and personal practice.”

In August 2008, Gavin began working in Tokyo on a new collaborative project through the Asian-Japan Research Center.  The project focuses on “the role popular culture plays in the formation of Asian identities” and “the impact of Chinese and Japanese trends in other Asian societies.”

Click here to read Gavin’s introduction with regard to the project.  If I can get in touch with him, perhaps we can post a link to his unique dissertation in the near future.

It turns out that the phone interview that JETAA NY Quarterly Magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) had scheduled with Hikaru Utada for 1pm on Friday was a mistake–they actually wanted him to do it in person!

So Justin headed out (did his boss know where he was going?) and spent an hour or so chatting away with “Hikki” and asking her various questions he had requested and collected from readers via the “Ask Hikaru a Question!” JetWit post that ran on Thursday.  Utada’s parents even showed up at the end giving Justin a chance to chat with Hikaru’s dad for a short while.

The article will run in the Spring 2009 issue of the JETAA NY Quarterly Magazine.  But there may be some recorded clips of the interview posted here on JetWit as well as on the jetaany.org sometime in the next month.

Meanwhile, JetWit web traffic spiked mightily over the last two days as a result of the Utada posting on Thursday.  It turns out that once word got out of Justin’s JETAA NY interview with Utada, a number of fans posted the item in the comments sections of several Utada-related blogs.  Make sure to read the first one below which includes an entertaining discussion among several people of good questions to ask Utada as well as whether to submit a question even though they’re not JETs.

http://hikaru.sc/showthread.php?t=2265

http://blog.utada2.net/?p=723

http://blog.utada2.net/?p=712

http://jbbs.livedoor.jp/bbs/link.cgi?url=http://jetwit.com/wordpress/2009/01/29/ask-hikaru-utada-a-question/

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Back on January 15, JetWit posted a link to its first media hit, an article that ran in Yomitime, a free Japanese-language weekly publication.  Below is a translation of the article into English generously provided by professional translator/interpreter Joel Dechant (CIR Kagoshima-ken, 2001-04) at the request of JetWit. (FYI, Joel actually translated it very quickly.  I just forgot to post it until today.)

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Two Men Work Behind the Scenes for the JET Program, Publish Newsletter on Japan

By Kinoue Imai Weinstein

Translation by Joel Dechant (CIR Kagoshima-ken, 2001-04)

The original article ran in Japanese in Yomitime, a free Japanese weekly newspaper 1/9/09

The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program is a Japanese government-sponsored program under which fresh university graduates from English-speaking countries are invited to teach English in Japan’s junior and senior high schools. Started in 1987 with 848 participants, the program’s American alumni association alone now boasts 5508 members, approximately 1000 of whom are in New York. One alumni, Steven Horowitz (age 38) began publishing a quarterly newsletter, JETaaNY, in 2002. The 24-page[1] newsletter covers recent JET alumni developments and news about Japan. Horowitz recently handed off his editor-in-chief duties to Justin Tedaldi (age 29) who plans to expand and enrich the newsletter.

The reason for starting the alumni association and holding the occasional gathering after returning to the States, says Horowitz, was “because our experience working in Japan when we were younger is an important part of our identity, and of course because we wanted to be friends with people who we had something in common with.” Read More

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JETAA NY Magazine Editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) has apparently just landed a phone interview with Hikaru Utada to run in a future issue, and he’s looking for good questions to ask her.  E-mail responses to Justin at magazine /atto/ jetaaany /dotto/ org.

Hi everyone,

I just received an e-mail saying that Utada Hikaru will call me tomorrow (Fri. 1/30) afternoon to do an interview with JETAA NY Quarterly about her forthcoming English studio album, which will be released in the U.S. at the end of March.

I thought it would be cool to put out a request to the JET Alumni community for any questions you’d like to ask her. I’ll do my best to include as many as I can.

Please e-mail your questions to Justin Tedaldi at magazine /atto/ jetaany /dotto/ org no later than 1:00 p.m. this Friday.

Official release info for the new album appears below.  Yoroshiku! Read More

Kathleen Burke, who compiles an annual list of notable children’s books for the Smithsonian, included The Order of Odd-Fish, by JET alum James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06) in her 2008 list in the category for older readers.

And as a bonus, the cover of Odd-Fish is one of three covers shown, along with Dr. Seuss’ Yertle the Turtle and Aaron Blabey’s Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley.

Omedetou gozaimashita, James-san!

(Click here to see other critical praise for Odd-Fish.)

James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, was asked to do a fun feature on the music blog Largehearted Boy a couple weeks ago. They have a feature called “Book Notes” in which an author is invited to compile a mixtape appropriate for their book, and explain it. So he put together a kind of movie soundtrack for “The Order of Odd-Fish.” You can listen to his “Odd-Fish” mixtape, and read the explanations for his choices, here:

http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2009/01/book_notes_jame_2.html

******Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica and frequent lecturer on the topic of Japanese pop culture, was interviewed recently on Tokyo FM. Below is the link to the post on his blog (japanamerica.blogspot.com) as well as links to the interview clips.

Interviewed in New York, Aired in Tokyo, on Tokyo FM

The interview is in English, but the DJ translates in Japanese over Roland’s voice when he speaks and then expounds on her own at times.  (I think it’s a little easier to hear the English in Part 2.)

It would be great if someone out there would post an English-version summary of the interview in the comments section below.  Or perhaps one person could do a small portion and then others could add to it.

Click here for Part 1

And here for Part 2

JetWit’s first media hit!  An interview by Kinue Imai Weinstein in the January 9 edition of Yomitime, the free Japanese weekly publication, with me as well as with JETAA NY Magazine Editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02).

Gaijin-a-Go-Go band member Saiko Mikan recently shared a link to an in depth interview with the band from J-Pop World.  Definitely worth a read.

It turns out there’s a JET alum writing a career advice column for the Wall Street Journal.  Check out the latest column from Elizabeth Garone (Saga-ken, Omachi-cho, 1993-95) at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122874945537188153.html#articleTabs_comments.

It also turns out that she is a freelance journalist with more than a decade of writing for publications that have included Business Week, The Washington Post, Money Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.  Her specialties are technology, education (specifically SAT and test prep), human interest and children.

You can learn more about Elizabeth through her website at www.garone.com or through her LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/lizgarone