"'Live Your Dream' is principally about Taylor, but it is actually the story of all the JETs who come to Japan, so I really want to look at what the experience is for a variety of people and how that experience changes both the teacher and the students they interact with."

By Renay Loper (Iwate-ken, 2006-07) for JQ magazine. Renay is a freelance writer and associate program officer at the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. Visit her blog at Atlas in Her Hand.

Live Your Dream: The Taylor Anderson Story is the latest work by filmmaker and Global Film Network founder Regge Life, who has been making groundbreaking films for over two decades including the acclaimed Doubles: Japan and America’s Intercultural Children, and most recently Reason to Hope, which chronicles the events surrounding the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Live Your Dream not only shares the story of JET alum Taylor Anderson (Miyagi-ken, 2008-11) who tragically lost her life in the 2011 tsunami, but it also seeks to celebrate the lives of those who live their dreams and inspire others to make a difference. JQ caught up with Life to discuss the film, which is being prepared for a November release.

Your relationship with Japan spans over two decades. What stirred you to first go there, and how has this relationship grown over time?

This is a question with a very long answer, so let me try to be brief and to the point as possible. Japanese film has always intrigued me, so as a young filmmaker I would watch marathons of Japanese films at a cinema on Eighth Avenue called the Elgin. After years and so many movies, I was introduced to the Creative Artists Program of the NEA and Bunka-cho, and that is how I went the first time to witness the making of Tora-san #43.

How has it grown? Well, leaps and bounds. Four completed films, almost four years in residence in Tokyo, and a current feature project in development for almost 10 years.

What inspired you to make this film and document Taylor’s story?

Like most people, watching what was happening [during the time of the tsunami and earthquake] was mind-boggling and devastating. I have never been to Ishinomaki before, but I have been to Hachinohe, Morioka, Ichinoseki, and other parts of the region; so when I saw water rushing over rice fields like that and trucks and cars being carried—I just couldn’t believe it. It was devastating [to watch] for someone who has never been there before, but when you have been there, you [can better understand] the magnitude of what was happening. So at that time I’d just finished the film about Haiti, and from my work there, I realized there was probably going to be a story that needed to be told: something that no one would cover.

I don’t remember where I saw the fist e-mail about Taylor’s story or how it came to be, I just remember reading about her online. I made a few calls and one thing lead to the next, and slowly but surely, I was able to get in touch with Taylor’s family. And even still, it was all about timing. As a parent, I would have completely understood if no one got back to me. Then suddenly, I got this email from Andy, Taylor’s father. Giving him credit, he did his due diligence and did some research on me and became familiar with my work. [This all happened] at a time when they were swarmed by the media, so I took my time and we worked as they were comfortable.

Every step of the way, I checked in. Andy connected me with some of Taylor’s friends from Ishinomaki, so when I went back to Japan, I carved out some time to spend with them. One of her friends picked me up from the train station and that’s when it really hit me. At that time [the devastated area] was pretty much cleaned up—but even still, there was a lot to be done. Visiting Ishinomaki and meeting [Taylor’s] friends solidified it with me. I knew I needed to share her story.

Since this is a documentary about a JET participant, what cooperation did you receive from JET Program itself for the making of the film?

The CLAIR office in Japan was very generous to the film and made a remarkable pledge. We also received support directly from one of the people on staff! The JET alumni chapter in New York City (JETAANY) was also very generous, as well as JETs from all over the U.S. and even abroad.

What is it about Taylor’s story that is different from any other story or any other JET participant?

Not taking anything away from anyone else or any other JET participant, but everyone who speaks about her talks about what an unbelievable kind of person she was, about her passion for life, her passion for Japan. For instance, the story behind one of the photos we’ve used for the website is inspiring. Earlier that day, she and all her friends had done a huge bike ride scavenger hunt where they had rode their bikes all around Ishinomaki finding different things just for fun. It was summer, so you know it was very hot!

When it was done, everyone was tired and all they wanted to do was go back home, take a shower and chill. Taylor wouldn’t allow it. She told everyone that one of her kindergarten classes was having a summer matsuri and they all were going! So she made them all put on a yukata and go over to the school. Apparently, this is what she did. She just grabbed people and said, “come on, this is what we are doing’” and “let’s do this and let’s do that.” That passion and zest for life, that “let’s not waste a moment of this precious thing called life”—that’s just inspiring to me!

It reminds me of not only my time in Japan, but also my first time abroad when I went to West Africa. I realized the meaning of being in the “present”…that it really is a gift. It also makes me think about how much we take for granted. Think about if you find yourself somewhere where nothing is taken for granted, it makes you really look and appreciate life, every moment of it. That’s the impression I get of Taylor. That’s the kind of stuff I want to celebrate and let people know about.

Also, I am trying to build the Monty Dickson (Iwate-ken, 2009-11) story as well—it’s proven difficult because there’s nobody that can really talk about his experience in Rikuzentakata, so I am still looking. Though, the more I learn about Taylor and Monty, the more I am learning that these are two kindred spirits. Whether they knew each other or not, they both were living a dream. Taylor’s happened for her early on when she was a little girl: she just knew this is where she had to be. There was nothing that was going to stop her. For both of them, you realize something really clicked; and it was something about Japan and their life there. After all these years working with Japan, I have a deep appreciation for that, for people who can connect with the country more than the superficial level. I want to celebrate that.

Both Taylor and Monty had this philosophical side to them—they had sayings and expressions that they shared with friends. Without giving it all away, I think these are two people who kind of knew they weren’t going to be here much longer. You will see in the film that their friends have since started to make sense of their pieces of advice and little sayings. It all now has a new resonance; it is starting to come back up. And it makes you begin to wonder, “what did they know?”

It really makes you stop and think, you can’t live life at 30 mph, you have to live at 60 mph.

U.S.-based production starts in June, and you’ll be going to Japan this month. What are your plans there?

In Japan, I am doing more interviews with friends of Taylor and some of the companion stories about the experience of other JETs during the crisis. I am also hoping to get to Rikuzentakata to meet someone who knew Monty Dickson and can speak about his life and times there.

What else do you want to include in the film?

As I just shared, Live Your Dream is principally about Taylor, but it is actually the story of all the JETs who come to Japan, so I really want to look at what the experience is for a variety of people and how that experience changes both the teacher and the students they interact with.

As we know, you were running a campaign on Kickstarter and I see that you have surpassed your fundraising goal, congratulations!  Moving forward, what can people do now to continue to support the film?

Kickstater is great, because it does just that, kick start. It is not the entire budget for the project—the goal was about 70% [of the total budget] and was what was needed just to shoot the film. It did not take into account original music, making a Japanese version, and of course all of the things that have to be done to promote and disseminate the film after it is made. The next phase is editing. So if anyone would like to be a part of contributing to the dissemination and distribution of the film, that would be great! For making the Japanese version, helping to see that this film is distributed widely in both the U.S. and Japan, contact me at www.thetaylorandersonstory.com and liveyourdream1 [at] earthlink.net.

You mentioned dissemination. What are your plans?

First, we are going to try and get it distributed as widely as we can, for example through organizations such as the American Association Teachers of Japanese. We would also love to see this get into the Monbusho in Japan. We would love to see this introduced into the Japanese educational system. I think this would be an invaluable tool to help kids to really think outside of the boundaries.

After 20-plus years that I have spent coming and going [in Japan], the thing that I have noticed that still plagues Japan is that it is so insular; and a lot of it [has to do with] the educational system. The educational system is not teaching kids to look outside. We feel this film can be a step in the right direction; a needed step, I feel.

How do you think this film will help kids to look outside?

I think they need a role model in a way. They need somebody from the outside who came to their country and interacted with them, and became a part of their community. I am learning more about Monty, but I know for sure that’s what Taylor did in Ishinomaki. Her mission was to really become part of the fabric of the community. And I think if Japanese kids see that, this whole thing of us and them—the Gaijin and the Nihonjin—will start to break down. To me, the power of the [JET] Program is being able to go out and explore Japan, find out what’s going; not just being the “gaijin on display.”

What about your dissemination plans here in the States?

Most of my films up until now have been in higher ed, so I have to admit this is kind of a new world for me. I am really looking to get into the secondary school world.

You have mentioned tons of takeaways from the film, but for the JET community in particular, what do you hope we walk away with?

I am not saying everyone should try to be Taylor or try to be Monty, but everybody, particularly now, needs to be more open and in some respects humbled at the opportunity of being a JET and an ambassador between two countries and two cultures. Don’t limit the assignment to merely being the gaijin on display. See it as an opportunity, a real chance to be and do more; to leave something behind when you go and encourage those who you may meet, or have met, while in Japan to follow your path in America. Maybe even one day you, would get a call from a kid you taught in a far-off place in Japan or someone you interacted with, saying they are now in America because of you, because of what you showed them.

It’s about reaffirming the mission of the JET Program and the encouraging the new generation of JETs to become the generation that builds the new relationships for “a brave new world.” We know the world is changing. The U.S.-Japan relationship is going to change, too. We can’t do what we did 10, 15 years ago. Times have changed. There is something new going on. The JETs of today and tomorrow have to be part of that newness and part of that change.

To me, the story of Live Your Dreams is not so much what happened to Taylor, but more about the good works. Yes, her story is in it and she is not here with us in the physical sense anymore, but Taylor’s mission is still very much alive.

Live Your Dream premieres Nov. 9, 2012 at Saint Catherine’s School (Taylor’s High School) and CenterStage in Richmond, VA. For news and additional screenings, visit the film’s homepage at www.thetaylorandersonstory.com.

By Gemma Villanueva (Fukushima-ken, 2008-11), editor for the JETAA Ottawa Newsletter. Visit the Canadian chapter’s website here for more stories. Written and photo submissions are always welcome. Please contact the editors at newsletter[at]jetaaottawa[dot]ca.

The Canadian play “2 Pianos 4 Hands” is giving its farewell performances as creators-performers Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt retire from the show. “2P4H” follows the youngsters “Ted” and “Richard” as they tackle their love-hate relationship with piano lessons, exams and recitals. In January, “2P4H” played at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The show, which made a three-week stop in Tokyo in 2004, finds itself again in Japan this May.

Colin Rivers (Nara-ken JET, 1997-2000) is now the Theatre Producer/Agent for Marquis Entertainment, which produces “2 Pianos 4 Hands.” I had the chance to ask him about his time on JET, life as a producer and bringing 2 Pianos 4 Hands back to Japan.

What is it like to be a producer?

“A Producer manages the business behind the show. A General Manager does the same thing, but without the risk and the pressure to find the money. A New York theatre blogger sums it up perfectly… “Producers do everything! We are the bank, the therapist, the negotiator, the scapegoat, the creative, and we rarely get credit! I should add it’s awesome. Because I think it is.”

How was your JET experience been relevant to producing?

“The JET experience strengthened my communication skills immensely. It taught me how to adapt my way of communicating with individuals and groups based on the ‘culture’ of the relationship/environment. It taught me that communication is not always about how much you can say in words. In Japan, I produced and directed three community theatre productions that were supported by the Nara Prefectural Government. They involved both JETS and Japanese friends/community members. And they were lots of fun!”

What’s a typical day for you as a producer?

“Every day is entirely different. I start each morning by reviewing my 10-page long ‘to-do list’ and figuring out what the most critical items are – and then do them – the key things that MUST get done for me to be able to leave work satisfied and sane and at a reasonable hour (so that I can enjoy my night with my family). It’s a mix of behind the desk/email, working in the theatre/venue, and being out having meetings/communicating with people.”

 Any memorable anecdotes?

“I still remember the afternoon 2002 when I reached out (through the cold medium of an email) to a very respected translator of English plays into Japanese and asked him if he had ever heard of a play called “2 Pianos 4 Hands.” He replied within 10 minutes with great enthusiasm, and from there he went on to work with me to broker the tour partnership with one of Japan’s largest theatre companies (Shochiku) for a 2004 tour. And here I am, answering these questions from a hotel in Tokyo in 2012 as we prepare for a revival tour to Tokyo and throughout Japan later this spring. Sometimes you just have to ask…”

Could you tell us about the revival tour of 2P4H to Japan?

“My hope is that it’s a big hit again and that through this opportunity, we’ll be able to continue working with Shochiku to develop a Japanese team who can perform the show again in the future. I would also like to see the show be produced commercially in China and Korea with new performing teams.

I still remember the opening night in 2004. The audience responded politely, but was very reserved compared to what the performers of 2P4H are accustomed to. After the show, the two actors were very concerned that the show wasn’t received overly well, but then our Japanese co-producer came bounding backstage saying that he’d almost never seen such an enthusiastic response to a show. And that’s when we learned it was a hit and that Japanese audiences, as with all different cultures, will respond in their own way.”

Any advice for aspiring producers?

“Just get out there and produce a show – something within your community or at a fringe festival. Figure out what’s involved by working on as many projects as possible that requires mostly time and energy (as opposed to financial risk) and develop your own process.”2 Pianos 4 Hands

Tickets, tour dates and more info can be found on www.2pianos4hands-japan.com. Watch a show in Tokyo, Sendai, Nagoya and Osaka this May.

"My time on JET bolstered my thinking that we need better institutions and processes for dealing with difference. To its credit, the prefecture I worked in was definitely ahead of the curve."

By Renay Loper (Iwate-ken, 2006-07) for JQ magazine. Renay is a freelance writer and associate program officer at the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. Visit her blog at Atlas in Her Hand.

Originally from London, Kalu “Kaz” Obuka (Saitama-ken, 2005-08) is currently working as a conflict resolution specialist at Meta-Culture, a conflict resolution NGO in Bangalore, India.  Having a unique career fueled by his graduate studies in Coexistence and Conflict at Brandeis University paired with his time on JET, Kaz spent a little time with us to share more.

How did your time on JET influence your decision to take up your particular course of study?

My time on JET bolstered my thinking that we need better institutions and processes for dealing with difference. I think it was seeing the way that the institutions I worked with were absolutely out of their depth when, for example, it came to dealing with pupils with migratory backgrounds. To its credit, the prefecture I worked in was definitely ahead of the curve, and was actively looking to develop mechanisms and services for immigrants to help them navigate what, in some cases, would be a very alien cultural landscape.

Aside from immigration, it was seeing the way politics played out, especially the posturing with which the Japanese and their neighbors engaged one another, and their history.

How did your JET experience help you to secure your position at Meta-Culture? 

I think my JET experience helped me to the extent that it bolstered my desire to enter the conflict resolution and consensus building field.

What fields did you work in prior to JET?

Prior to JET I dabbled in the NGO sector with an organization that worked to empower disadvantaged youth in London, as well as PR and some professional modeling.

You spent three years as an ALT. What were your biggest takeaways?

Not sure about my biggest takeaways from my experience, though after my tenure on JET I would quip that if you can live in Japan for three years, you can probably live anywhere. The experience definitely helped me learn about myself. So I came to Bangalore somewhat prepared for—and I daresay inured to—the culture shock, and feelings of frustration and isolation that come with moving to a completely new context on your own.

What made you stay on JET for so long?

I completed the years because despite the difficulties, I was attached to Japan and the life I’d managed to build for myself; I really came into my own in the middle of my second year, and wanted to see it through; I wanted more time to cultivate the relationships I’d developed; and I wanted to save up a decent amount for grad school.

What is your role at Meta-Culture? 

We design and facilitate processes that help individuals, communities, governments and organizations build relationships, manage differences and resolve conflicts. Some of the projects, past and present, include: An inter-religious dialogue series with Christian, Hindu and Muslim leaders; an assessment of conflict dynamics in Orissa after an outbreak of inter-communal violence; conflict management training for the police; and the Garment Sector Roundtable (GSR), a multi-stakeholder initiative in the Indian garment sector.

I am like the “special ops” guy for our team. My main role is to support the development and delivery of our projects and occasionally I’ll get pulled in by my executive director to execute some key tasks for him.

All in all, we’re a pretty lean organization, so I may do a wide variety of tasks in one day including carrying out qualitative interviews; writing articles; working on the design of new programs; communicating with high-level government advisers; work on the design of some training modules; work on funding applications and more.

What’s the most rewarding part of your position now?

I enjoy being the special ops guy—especially when they require me to be creative. The opportunities for learning and creativity are amazing. One of my favorite projects started when my executive director suddenly popped out of his office and said, “Ya know, I’m thinking that we need a grievance resolution mechanism for our multi-stakeholder group,” and asked me to design and present one at the next GSR meeting.

If someone were interested in working in your current field, what advice would you give them?

I would tell them to network as if their life depended on it!  Also, specialize in a region or country seen as needing development or peace-building interventions, or a field of expertise (like program evaluation or economics) all the while strengthening their peace-building skills. Oh and get as much overseas work experience in countries seen as needing assistance as possible.

During my master’s program at Brandeis [prior to applying for JET], I conducted fieldwork in Japan, where I assisted the Japan Immigration Policy Institute with their synthesis and promotion of policies for increased immigration and inter-ethnic coexistence. Quite frankly, until the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, I’m sad to say that more than a few people I encountered in the field were left somewhat dubious about my bona fides. I’m in a very competitive field for positions, so it has to be very easy for potential employers to imagine you as a fit. I didn’t make it as easy for them as I could have. That being said, I really don’t regret that Japan ended up becoming the site of my fieldwork. I did something pretty unique, and I’m extremely proud of it.

“Dubious about my bonfides”? Can you please elaborate on what exactly you mean?

I did JET before my master’s. However, much of the work I did during and after my master’s course was carried out in industrially developed nations like Japan. So after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, a few of my contacts suggested the possibility of getting involved in the relief operations given my experience in Japan and my Japanese language abilities.

In short, I felt I was easily imagined as a fit for work in Japan, but not so for other contexts. Hopefully my experience in India will help change that. Fingers crossed!

How is living in Bangalore like any other city you have lived in, say Saitama or London?

As for life in Bangalore, infrastructure development is far behind that of cities like London, Tokyo, or Saitama. Regular power cuts, irregular refuse collection, a ton of stray animals, uneven and incomplete distribution of potable water, iffy sewage systems, that sort of thing. At the same time, the city has a thriving middle class, and there are quite a few decent bars, clubs, and restaurants. The annoying thing is that everything closes down by midnight.

The chaos gives the city a completely different feel from any place in Japan.

Where do you see yourself going next?

That’s a toughie. I think I’d like to stay in India for a while; the field doesn’t yet enjoy the same legitimacy it has in a place like the U.S. I’d like to make significant contributions to building the field here before moving on. I think if I do move on, I’d like to get more involved in the development field designing larger scale programs. I’m thinking Africa. However, I’ve always wanted to learn Spanish, so maybe I’ll eventually look to Latin America.

If you weren’t working in your current position, where do you think you’d be?

Before I decided to join Meta-Culture, there was the possibility of me taking a volunteer position in West Africa. Failing that, I’d be in London.

What is the most unique thing you have learned about India since living there? What gives you most joy? What do you find most humorous?

The delicious sambar at a breakfast restaurant near me! Other than that—the idiosyncrasies of the Great Indian Middle Class, the way that things get done, somehow, in spite of absolute chaos; random animals—cows will just be ambling along unattended, dogs sleeping in the sun, giant rats scurrying about in the dark places, cats in high places looking at you with disdain, and the crows that insist on eating rice, not bread!

Visit Meta-Culture online at http://meta-culture.org.

"I made the video for Japanese people. It caught on with JETs, but I didn’t make it for them. The older generation can see how the younger generation acts now, and younger generation viewers can see themselves or friends in the characters I made."

By Paul Benson (Fukui-ken, 2006-2008) for JQ magazine. Paul is a freelance Japanese-English translator and writer in New York City. Paul enjoys reading, writing, brewing beer, and e-sports.

Mikine Dezaki is a second generation Japanese American raised in South Florida. After studying in Hiroshima for a year and graduating from the University of Minnesota, Mikine joined the JET Program as an ALT in Yamanashi Prefecture from 2007-2010. He then transferred to Okinawa and is currently serving his fifth year for 2010-2012. He looks forward to meditating on life as a monk in Thailand for a year after JET. You can check out “Sh*t Japanese Students Say” and more on his YouTube channel and follow him on Twitter.

When did you become interested in the JET Program?

It’s kind of interesting, because growing up I actually had no interest in Japan. My brothers and I are really Americanized. Growing up in Florida, there aren’t that many Japanese Americans. So, I didn’t have much interest in it, but I met some great Japanese friends in college and decided to give it a shot. I have two older brothers, but they don’t speak Japanese. I thought it’d be good if one of us was able to speak Japanese. We have relatives in Japan, and I also wanted to be a bridge for them.

You’ve definitely received some popularity with your video. As of today, YouTube shows over 100,000 views! What do you think about that?

It’s very surprising. On the second or third day, I was on Facebook and my friends were telling me that their friends were telling them about my video! “This is your 15 minutes of fame, Miki!” one told me. I guess; I hope not.

Actually, I made the video for Japanese people. It caught on with JETs, but I didn’t make it for them. If you look at the other videos on my YouTube channel, you can see they’re for Japanese people [Dezaki has produced a hearing test for Japanese on the English “l” and “r” sounds and videos reflecting on English education in Japan—Ed.]. I mean, all Japanese people have gone to school, so I thought they’d find it interesting. The older generation can see how the younger generation acts now, and younger generation viewers can see themselves or friends in the characters I made.

I’ve also noticed a couple things about the Japanese audience—they don’t share like Americans do. They don’t share much or use Twitter. They mainly use their mobile phones instead of a laptop or desktop. Also, the Facebook app on smartphones doesn’t have a share button. I asked some friends to share the video (if they liked it), and they told me they couldn’t because they don’t have that button. They’d actually have to copy and paste the link. I think that’s why it hasn’t spread in Japan like it has with the JETs.

Still, I am getting a lot of Japanese viewers. YouTube shows me the sources and a lot of them are “mobile devices.” I just wish they’d share it more! It’s funny—I went to school today and a coworker told me I’m on the front page of the mobile YouTube site in Japan. “You’re number one!” he said.

It really didn’t take long for people to spread the video!

Yeah! I don’t know how it happened. I posted it about a day after I made it [March 5, 2012]. And then, boom, it caught fire. There are websites where I can see what people publicly share on Facebook and when I looked at those, it was mainly JETs. I also got a few views on Gaijin Pot and other places, but not many. JETwit.com and Japan Probe also helped spread the video for me. I posted about it on a few places on Twitter and Facebook, but I really owe it to the JET community for spreading the video.

Why did you make it?

Well, first I thought it’d be funny. And I thought nobody had done it in Japan yet, so I thought it’d be kind of big. I mean, I know there’s “Sh*t Girls Say” in the U.S., but Japanese people haven’t seen that. They didn’t have that “boom” in Japan.

There’s one guy who has a “Sh*t Japanese People Say to Gaijin” video, but that’s in English. I saw an opening and I filled it. Later on, I’m hoping to make more videos to talk about social issues, things that are underground in Japan.

Now on your fifth year as a JET! Not many JETs stay as long as you have. You must be enjoying the Okinawan weather.

Actually, I’ve only been in Okinawa for the past two years. I transferred from Yamanashi Prefecture after three years. Interac is a more like JET now and got the contract for my school. I was teaching junior high before and I’m teaching high school now.

The way it turned out was perfect. My current school had some issues with the ALTs before me and actually wasn’t really looking for another ALT. They said they’d reconsider if they could get someone who speaks Japanese and plays a lot of sports, which I do. I happened to be available and it worked out great. I don’t think I would’ve stayed another year in Yamanashi. It was good for three years, but I felt like I followed the main English teacher and didn’t really feel like I was growing as a teacher. All my friends had already left, too.

I could easily spend another five years in Okinawa. If I could, I probably would. Most JETs love to stay in Okinawa. I think it has the highest number of JETs who stay four to five years. The people are awesome and really laid back.

So you’re coming to the end of your fifth year on JET. What are you thinking of doing afterward?

I think I’ll go back to the United States for a few months to pick up my pension money…but then I’m thinking I’ll go to Thailand to be a monk for a year. When I was in college, I was a premed major, and I thought if I became a doctor I’d have to deal with a lot of stress. So I decided to go to this free “meditation for stress” class, and I got my first taste of enlightenment. I had some amazing experiences.

Wow! This first meditation experience really affected you.

Yeah! Everyone else there was older. We would sit together for 30 minutes or so. After a month or two, I felt like my body had melted away and I wasn’t there anymore. It was an incredibly spiritual experience – it was the happiest I have ever been in my entire life. This experience I had, it blew my mind. One of the meditation teachers says “you stop being a ‘human doing’ and you become a ‘human being’ for once.”

So these were the experiences I had, I didn’t expect to have them at all – I was supposed to be a doctor! My mom flipped out when I told her I decided to not be a doctor and instead go into the JET program and possibly be a monk afterward.

I then created my own club at school called “Mindfulness for Students.” I created the club for students to deal with stress, and the club is still going. For me it’s an experiential thing. The meditation practice is no different than training my body for boxing. Instead it’s training my mind. I chose Thailand because I think they have the best meditation instructors.

Part of my reasons for coming to Japan was to check out Japanese temples, but the Japanese temples, I wouldn’t call them corrupt but I don’t think they’re really clean either. Most people aren’t aware of this, but Japanese monks and temples have a lot of money. It’s sort of funny because in Japan, monks drive better cars and wear nice watches. At the place I’m thinking about going in Thailand, you can’t touch money, you can’t touch women, and you have to go around the neighborhood and collect alms. The food you collect is what you eat. To me, that’s more my style.

Visit Mikine’s Medama Sensei Channel on YouTube here.

"The word ‘Japonicana’ comes from Japan, America and Spain. The ‘a’ sound is for the females, so my album is a girl. There’s more than one genre—dance, pop, hip-hop, and R&B. It’s like my baby, because I created it from scratch." (Courtesy of PLAN C Agency)

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Visit his Examiner.com page here for related stories.

In his native Japan, Jin Akanishi is a superstar. Since his early teens, he’s achieved fame as a pop idol, singer-songwriter (with the groups KAT-TUN and LANDS), actor, and radio host. After launching a successful American tour in 2010 to sold out (and screaming) crowds, Jin is back in the U.S. supporting his hotly anticipated English-language debut album, Japonicana. Released earlier this month, the disc features production by Grammy Award-nominated trio the Stereotypes (Far East Movement, Ne-Yo) and platinum hit maker Static Revenger (Madonna, Shakira).

Jin takes Manhattan at New York’s Best Buy Theater tonight (March 15) and hits San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom on March 17. In this exclusive interview, I spoke with the 27-year-old about the tour, the making of the album, his love for hip-hop, and hanging out with Justin Bieber.

“LIVE YOUR DREAM:  The Taylor Anderson Story”is a film project by documentarian Regge Life who is currently seeking support via Kickstarter to help fund the full production of the film.

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

This film is a story about Taylor Anderson and all the young people who travel the world trying to make a difference. Taylor was an extraordinary American who dedicated herself to teaching Japanese children, living her dream right up to the events of March 11, 2011. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan was a disaster that no one could have expected.  In my 21 years of working on Japan based projects, I had witnessed earthquakes, but never the devastation of a tsunami.

I had just completed REASON TO HOPE, a film about the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, so I understood all of the events related to the aftermath of an earthquake, but what would be the aftermath when an earthquake was followed by a tsunami and in the case of Japan, a possible nuclear disaster.

CLICK HERE to read more on the Kickstarter site and to help support this project

Update 03.13.12: Realized I neglected to mention in the interview The MUD Project, an ongoing Tohoku relief effort organized by JET alum Colin Rennie (CIR Yamagata-ken, 2007-10).

Update 03.12.12: Here’s the interview translated into Japanese 

“American View,” a quarterly magazine published by the Press Office of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, recently interviewed JETwit publisher Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) about the role of JETs and JET alumni in connection with Japan’s recovery efforts following the 3/11 disaster.

American JETs Rally for Japan in Myriad Ways

http://amview.japan.usembassy.gov/e/amview-e20120301-04.html

Here’s an excerpt:

American View: What is unique about disaster relief activities by JET program participants and alumni?

Steven Horowitz: The connection we have to the affected areas and to each other. And the language skills and ability to communicate directly with people in the communities. When you work for the school system, you really get connected to the community. You understand how things work, how kids evolve into adults. You’re part of the community. As a result, JETs are able to identify needs and then reach out to a global community to help fill them in unique ways. I think JETs and JET alumni in some ways were better able to identify needs on the ground than some of the larger, more removed relief organizations, and especially with regard to education-related needs.

問　現役・元ＪＥＴ参加者による復興支援活動にはどのような特徴がありますか。

答　被災地との絆やＪＥＴ参加者同志のつながり、そして地元の人たちと直接意思を疎通できる日本語能力があります。学校制度の中で働けば地域社会と真のつながりができます。物事の仕組みや子どもが大人になっていく過程を理解するようになります。地域社会の一員となるのです。ですからＪＥＴ参加者たちは、地域のニーズを見極めた上で国際社会に働きかけ、独自のやり方でそうしたニーズを満たす支援ができます。現場から遠く離れた大規模な支援団体よりも現役・元ＪＥＴ参加者たちの方が、いろいろな点で現場のニーズ、特に教育関係のニーズに関してより確実に把握できると思います。

*CLICK HERE to read the full interview in English 

*CLICK HERE for the Japanese version 

The below interview appeared in PhilanTopic, the Philanthropy News & Digest blog which is part of The Foundation Center. It’s a really terrific explanation of the situation in Japan from a philanthropy/fundraising/non-profit perspective by Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA), who has become one of the experts in this field. 

March 09, 2012

James Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94)

One Year Later: Rebuilding After the Great Tōhoku Earthquake

James Gannon is executive director of the Japan Center for International Exchange/USA, which works to strengthen U.S.-Japan cooperation across a range of fields. Recently, Laura Cronin, a regular contributor to PhilanTopic, spoke with Gannon about the progress of rebuilding efforts in the quake- and tsunami-affected Tohoku region of the country.

Philanthropy News Digest: The earthquake and tsunami affected a four hundred-mile region along the northeastern coast of Japan — an area roughly comparable to the BosWash corridor in the United States. What are conditions in the region like now, a year later? And how have people in the affected region, and the country at large, been changed as a result of the disaster?

James Gannon: Even now, some communities are still disposing of rubble, while things appear almost normal in other, less-hard-hit areas. Compared to the scenes of utter devastation we saw a year ago, there has been extraordinary progress. But if you spend any time in these communities, you realize the depth of the wounds. More than three hundred thousand people are still without homes, and that is weakening traditional community ties. Many of the jobs in the fishing industry, agriculture, and small business have not returned, resulting in high unemployment and all the social problems it brings.

Meanwhile, women who lost family members, men who are ashamed that they can no longer support their families, and children traumatized by the disaster are grappling with mental health issues. The stoicism of the people in the Tōhoku region is stunning — even by Japanese standards — but most acknowledge that the road to recovery will be long.

On the other hand,

CLICK HERE to read the full interview on the PhilanTopic blog.

Tokyo-born songwriter Mio Soul makes her debut with In My Skin.  The EP contains the heavy drum beats and smooth melodies of contemporary R&B with flavors of pop, dance, and jazz.  Simple yet candid, the lyrics are in English, except for the rap in “Let’s Party” where Mio effortlessly flows in and out of her native language.  “Promise” chronicles Mio’s pursuit of her dreams in New York City and features sensual vocals complemented by airy piano trills.  The final track, “Out of My Life”, takes a complete 180 from the sweetness of “I Wish” in the beginning.  Mio engages an ex-lover in a showdown with passionate vocals and sexy Spanish guitars.  Even though she sings that her “story’s ended” for that person, it has only just begun in the music world.

I had the opportunity to ask my fellow biologist via email about her career change, the “I Wish” PV, and her involvement with music-related charities.

What made you change from being a biologist to a musician?

When it comes to biology, I had a huge influence from my father. My mom, however, is a pianist, so music was always around me as a child.  In college I was so curious about the connection of brain function and soul (heart)…I enjoyed all of the field work. I did, however, want to do music more than anything else.  I started performing more and attending singer and dancer showcases, and these live performances just really fueled me to continue pursuing music.

Science is a real academic thing.  You use instruments and theories to find the truth.  When it comes to music, singing or making beats is the art of using your own instrument (your body and soul) to express your truth.

Did you have any formal vocal training?

Yes, I had two amazing vocal coaches since moving to NYC: Stacey Penson and Jamelle Jones.  The best vocal training was…wait, should I mention this secret?  I can give a hint: it has to do with going to church on Sunday.

Click here to read the rest of the interview

"The JET Programme mantra is “Every Situation is Different,” but so much of the frustrations and the joys that we encounter are very similar. I wanted a vehicle for us to laugh together." (Illustration courtesy of David Namisato)

By Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08) for JQ magazine. Rick manages the JET Alumni Association of New York (JETAANY)’s Twitter page and is the creator of the JETwit column Tadaima!

It’s probably happened to you over the last few years; you’re sitting at work, or maybe at home and an old buddy of yours from JET forwards you a link. You open it, and it’s a hilarious comic about life as a JET skillfully drawn with a mix of humor and nostalgia that pretty much makes your day. Life After the B.O.E. by David Namisato (Aomori-ken CIR, 2002-04) has given many a JET Alum a good laugh. If you’re anything like me, you’ve thought, “If this was a book, it would be a perfect Christmas present for those guys I still keep in contact with.” Well, David is happy to oblige.

David has now published a book of those comics, and we were lucky enough to catch up with him and pick his brain about it. With his comics popping up on other sites, it seems even a wider audience is getting into David’s work. In this exclusive interview, we ask him about his time on JET, his inspirations, and what he’s looking to do in the future.

What made you decide to publish this book?

I wasn’t planning to do a book initially, but a conversation with Lynn Miyauchi, JET Program Coordinator at the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle, about the benefits of having a printed book (having something to read in your hands, something you can give as a gift) changed my mind.

So how did you get into art?  Were you inspired at all by Japanese art/manga/etc.?

I drew a lot throughout childhood and dreamt of being a comic book artist. I grew up on a healthy diet of manga.

What brought you to Japan?

I was in the process of dropping out of animation school, and didn’t want to do anything art-related. I thought of some of the other skills I had, and I thought that the JET Programme would be an excellent way to transition myself in to a completely different career path.

A lot of your stories deal with the ALT experience, even though you were a CIR.  How did you find yourself with those insights?

I was a CIR who was hired to teach English and spent much of my time teaching at elementary schools, so I got a lot of in-class experience. Also, my ALT friends and I would chat about the crazy things that happened to us in class and at the office.

What got you started with these comics?

The JETAA Toronto newsletter was looking for something to spice up the last page of the monthly newsletter and I figured I could draw a few comics to fill in the space.

"Life After the B.O.E. the Book"

How did they evolve into the web comic that we know today?

It took quite a while for Life After the B.O.E. to take its current form. If I recall correctly, it was around the halfway mark of the comic’s run that I realized that the JETAA Toronto newsletter had a readership that was significantly larger than my blog or my portfolio site, and that I needed to approach the artwork for Life After the B.O.E. more seriously. That’s when the comics became more polished and the website began to take form so that I could reach even more readers.

Did you use the comic as a form of catharsis, or was it to just get laughs out of your JET friends?

The JET Programme mantra is “Every Situation is Different,” but so much of the frustrations and the joys that we encounter are very similar. Even though we all worked in different schools, offices and prefectures, there’s so much that we share experience-wise, I wanted a vehicle for us to laugh together. So yeah, that’s my fancy way of saying I wanted to get a laugh out of my friends.

Did you know as recently as Sept. 28th your comics were being displayed on other sites like Reddit.com?

I knew that there were AJET and JETAA publications showing my work, but it was only in September that I found out that some of my comics were being posted on non-JET related, non-ESL sites.

So what told you that it was time to pack it in with Life After the B.O.E.?

There were a number of factors, but with things changing for me career-wise, I thought it would be good to end Life After the B.O.E. and I figured, “JET is for five years at most, so maybe the comic should be the same, too.”

Do you see yourself ever picking up the topic of the Japan experience in comic form again?

I’d like to. It’s been seven years since I was last in Japan, so I think I need to visit for a bit before I can convincingly embark on a new comic series about the Japan experience.

Tell us about some of your favorite strips.

I quite like “Autograph,” about an ALT whose students are crying because he signed their notebooks and drew a picture of Snoopy for them. The story was taken directly from my JET friend Matthew Chimko’s Facebook status update.

Another comic I like is the last one I did for the website. It’s not funny at all, but the two images show the transformation that many of us go through during our time in Japan; from seeing Japan as a distant place with a cool culture, history, technology, and things, to seeing Japan as a second home where we are blessed with great relationships.

Were there any controversial moments in producing the series?

There were, but the comments coming in have been overwhelmingly positive, so I try not to dwell on the controversies or negatives.

What kind of feedback have you received from JETs, expats and the Japanese community over the years?

I’ve received a number of e-mails from JETs past, present, and future about how much they enjoy the comics. It’s always great to get e-mail from people at AJET, JETAA, and other JET-related groups, asking to use Life After the B.O.E. for their newsletters.

Tell us about some of your other work as a professional/commercial artist.

For two years, I illustrated a Canadian history comic called “Gabe and Allie in Race Through Time” for Kayak, the kids edition of Canada’s History magazine. I’ve also worked on a number of Zombie vs. Cheerleaders comics for 5finity Productions/Moonstone Books. My work also appears occasionally on the comic book parody site Gutters.

What can we expect next from you?

I have a monthly Japanese language comic called 「マークと皆」 (Mark to Minna/Mark and the Gang) about a Japanese-Canadian boy living in Toronto and his family in a magazine called Torja. Also for Torja, I’m illustrating a serialized romantic comedy by writer Takya Watari called 「もしかの」 (Moshikano) about a Japanese student and his imaginary girlfriend, which you can read for free on their website.

Life After the B.O.E. the Book is now on sale at Amazon.com and CreateSpace. For David’s online illustration portfolio, visit his homepage at http://namisato.org.

"I think I have a lot of Japanese culture ingrained in me. Just from being from a Japanese family, living in Japan. The whole 'respect your elders,' that, to me, is the main thing that’s different between America and Japan."

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here for related stories.

The winner of five AVN Awards (like the Oscars, but without Cuba Gooding, Jr.), Asa Akira returned to the East Coast last weekend for a rare promotional trip. In the spirit of intensifying relations between our nation and Japan, I spoke with the scintillating 25-year-old superstar/native New Yorker about her Japanese roots, her favorite anime films, and the deeper cultural points that America and Japan can swap with each other.

Regarding your Japanese heritage, where is your family originally from?

My mother’s side of the family is from Osaka and my father’s side is from Tokyo, but they live in Yokohama.

You went to an American school growing up.

I did, a very prestigious American private school. It was nice.

When Japanese students relocate to America, it can be difficult adjusting. How was it for you relearning the way of life here?

I was born in New York City and I moved to Japan when I was six, so I already had a little America experience, but it was definitely a huge culture shock. Kids in Japan are really good, even American ones. So coming to New York was like, “Oh my God, these kids are 12 years old and they’re doing drugs!” It was definitely a huge culture shock, and I totally bought into it for a little bit (laughs).

You’ve got an incredible personality…

Thank you.

What do you attribute this to?

I grew up around boys; I think that has a lot to do with my sense of humor. Me and this other girl were always the only two girls in this group of boys, so I think we grew up with a really good sense of humor, you know?

So are you kind of like an otemba (tomboy)?

Yeah (laughs).

That’s my type, by the way.

Oh, good (laughs).

Regarding Japanese culture, what things do you like the most about it? Are there any films or other things that you point to as an inspiration?

I think I have a lot of Japanese culture ingrained in me. Just from being from a Japanese family, living in Japan. The whole “respect your elders,” that, to me, is the main thing that’s different between America and Japan. People in America treat old people like [expletive].

I love my grandmother, but I know what you’re talking about.

(Laughs) And they just don’t listen to older people. I think that’s weird. So that would be the main thing.

For the rest of the interview, click here.

One down, six to go: Voice actors Christopher Sabat, Justin Cook, and Sean Schemmel of 'Dragon Ball Z.' (Justin Tedaldi)

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here for related stories.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of its English-language debut, Dragon Ball Z is coming to Blu-ray for the first time in America. The November release of Dragon Ball Z Level 1.1 contains the first 17 episodes of the anime series that dominated Japan’s pop culture scene in the 1990s and later, the rest of the world. This newly remastered collection restores the original, director-approved color scheme and 4:3 aspect ratio in stunning 1080p HD, and each volume will include rare never-before-seen special features.

In this exclusive interview conducted at New York Comic Con/Anime Festival (where I also talked with Stan Lee), I spoke with three of the English dub cast members: Christopher Sabat (Vegeta/Piccolo/Yamcha/voice director), Justin Cook (Raditz/Super Buu/ADR engineer), and Sean Schemmel (Goku/King Kai/Nail) about the release, their favorite Dragon Ball memories, and the proper context for discussing one’s favorite cartoon crush.

Regarding your approach to the characters’ voices, how much of the original Japanese voice work did you watch? For the voices you replaced, how much of that did you take into consideration?

Chris: At the start, a lot of consideration was taken to the original voices, and when I say original voices, I mean the Canadian cast [whose English dub work aired from 1996-98], because at the time [Dragon Ball’s North American producers] FUNimation had decided for a multitude of reasons that it was just physically impossible for them to record in Canada any longer. It was difficult to keep the actors consistent on the roles, because a lot of the Canadian actors were cast in other things, and sometimes it would make their job difficult. In fact, they had to recast Goku several times in Canada; they didn’t want to do that anymore. And it also made more sense to be closer to the parent company, so they moved it all down to Fort Worth.

We tried to take a lot of care at the beginning to match the Canadian cast, only because we didn’t want it to be too much of a shock, and when I say “we” I guess I mean the people who hired me—they didn’t want it to be too much of a shock to the American culture when they changed out these voices. And to be honest, when we first started recording this, we didn’t really have access to the Japanese versions of the show; we were dubbing off the Spanish version of Dragon Ball Z. So if we ever listened to the original language on the tape, it was like (speaks in a rapid mock Spanish): “Goku! Dragon Ball Zeta!” [Goku’s wife] Chi-Chi’s name was Milk.

We were just trying to keep it consistent to the first 68 episodes, and it wasn’t until later that we were redubbing the show that we actually started getting in the real Japanese versions of the show and had the technology to be able to quickly preview the Japanese files. We didn’t even have digital files yet, and sometimes we didn’t even get all the original materials that had the Japanese track on it; sometimes we were lucky if it had any sound on the tape at all…the [original] Japanese wasn’t an option.

Have you been to Japan before? If not, what would you want to do there?

Sean: I have plenty ideas about what I want to do in Japan. I have not been to Japan; I really want to go. My goal is to become a background character in an anime, so I can say this (with mock surprise): “Nani?!” (what) and that’s it. I want it to be one line, to be a Japanese seiyū [voice actor]. Give me something longer than that (in a gruff voice): “Ware ware…” (we) something, but just one line; that’s my goal. And, to meet  Masako Nozawa [the original voice of Goku] and maybe, if I were lucky, [Dragon Ball creator] Akira Toriyama, but that’s probably never going to happen.

If you met Toriyama-sensei, what would you ask him?

Sean: I would just thank him, because when you think about it, here’s this guy that draws this comic book, there’s this massive explosion—that I’m on the periphery of, if you think about it—[that] radically changed my life forever. So I’d be extraordinarily grateful to that guy.

Read the complete story here.

"'Aftershock' is supposed to communicate how far-reaching the influence of Japan has been on cartoonists all over the world, and how we feel in a moment like this. I guess more than an open letter, it's a get well card." (Courtesy of Adam Pasion)

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here for related stories.

For the past several years Adam Pasion has been living in Nagoya, which he calls “Japan’s best kept secret.” An editor and illustrator for RAN magazine, he is also a co-owner and English teacher of SpeakEasy Language School. As the creator of his own comic diary series Sundogs, the San Jose native was profiled in The Japan Times earlier this year, and the strip has since been collected into three books, providing a daily document of Pasion’s life in Nippon with his growing family from 2008 through 2010.

His latest project is Aftershock: Artists Respond to Disaster in Japan, a global response to the combined disasters of this year’s Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown. Edited and complied by Pasion and representing over 35 contributors from five continents, including Jeffrey Brown, Ben Snakepit, and JET alum Lars Martinson (Fukuoka-ken, 2003-06), the book shares their thoughts and feelings about a freshly devastated Japan in manga form. In this exclusive interview, Pasion reveals the inspiration for this unique project, his favorite Sundogs moments, and what’s next on his plate.

Tell us about your history with Japan. How did it cross your radar growing up?

My hometown had a pretty big and vibrant Japantown, and we would often go there and eat or go window shopping as a kid, but beyond that Japan was just a point on a map for me. In college I worked with a Japanese girl who tried to get me to go to some club for Japanese exchange students. I reluctantly went and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it—tons of delicious Japanese food and lots of cute girls. I started going regularly, and that is where I met my wife. I started taking a Japanese class, and through that class I got offered a position working in Japan for a summer. After spending a summer working here, I fell in love with the place. Several years later, my wife and I found out that we were going to be having a baby, and we decided to come have the baby close to my wife’s family here in Nagoya. Four years, two kids and a couple belt sizes later, and we are still here.

How did Aftershock come together following the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011?

Like most people out there who have any sort of connection to Japan, I felt paralyzed by the whole thing. Here were all these terrible events unfolding just a few hundred miles up the coast and there was nothing I could do about it. I had a sort of “survivor’s guilt” by proxy. When the medical teams and disaster relief groups started to come in I felt even more uneasy, realizing that it was in fact possible to help, just impossible for me to help. Every place I looked told me “just donate money for now.” I felt like I was sitting in the waiting room, waiting for the doctors to do their job. All I could do was wait, and offer to help with the hospital bills.

Then one night my brain was racing as I was trying to go to sleep, and the idea occurred to me to find a way to help out within my own skill set, which is where the idea for this book came about. I jumped out of bed and immediately fired off about 10 e-mails to the cartoonists I knew personally, and the response was 100 percent positive. I contacted Top Shelf Productions after that on a whim and they were into the idea right away. I still felt like any moment it would vanish in smoke until out of the blue I started getting tons of requests to join the project and submissions from people I had never met. The word had gotten out and was spreading quickly, and at that point I knew we were on to something. When things with Top Shelf didn’t pan out, the project already had way too much momentum to give up, which is why I decided to self-publish it. When the book was funding on Kickstarter, I actually had people thanking me for the chance to pledge money to the project. I still can’t wrap my head around that.

What are your goals with releasing Aftershock?

This has been a major point of misunderstanding from a lot of people. The main goal of this project is not fundraising for a charity. That is certainly a big part of it, but the distinction is that even if it fails to make a lot of money, I think it is incredibly meaningful in its own right. From the beginning I have described this book as a kind of “open letter” to the nation of Japan from the international comics community. It is supposed to communicate how far-reaching the influence of Japan has been on cartoonists all over the world, and how we feel in a moment like this. I guess more than an open letter, it’s a get well card. It is also a timepiece that encapsulates the popular sentiment of the world at one moment. I want all the contributors to look back on this book and remember exactly where we were and how we felt while we were still in the thick of it. I think we have succeeded in this goal. We have created a lasting piece of art that captures an important moment in time and the zeitgeist that goes along with it.

Some people have misunderstood the purpose of the project as a way to donate to the disaster. It certainly is [all proceeds from Aftershock will be donated to relief efforts in northeast Japan—Ed.], but if your main purpose is to make a donation, then there are much more direct ways to do it than to buy this book. I want the book to be successful in its aim to raise as much money as possible to help in the rebuilding process, but I also want people to actively become involved. Read the stories and see why we care so much. I want it to motivate people to join the process of rebuilding and I want it to help people feel like we are all in this thing together.

For the complete story, click here.

Here’s a link to a nice article on Canada’s CBC News website titled, “Repairing Japan’s image, one teacher at a time:  20 former teachers return to view progress in Japan six months after the earthquake and tsunami.” (By Amber Hildebrandt)

“Japan is employing an unusual method in its attempt to rejuvenate its faltering international image after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated the country exactly six months ago on March 11.

It comes in the form of a petite, brunette teacher from Canada: Tanya Gardecky, 25, of Aurora, Ont.

Or rather in the form of 20 foreigners from around the world who once taught English in the devastated regions and now have gone back, on Japan’s dime, to view the progress for themselves.

Each was once a teacher with the government-funded JET Programme and taught in the public school system.”

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article

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

Thanks to JET alum Mark Flanagan for sharing this article:

“Taking over a daughter’s dream to bridge Japan and U.S.”

By HIROSHI ITO / Correspondent
September 3, 2011

Andy Anderson never expected he would find himself trying to fill his daughter’s shoes by acting as a bridge between the United States and Japan.

"We are already talking to some universities and some private companies about Smile Kids Japan and soon I hope to have more volunteers than there are JETs in Japan! The JET network and support of AJET is at the very core of what we do."

By Renay Loper (Iwate-ken, 2006-07) for JQ magazine. Renay is a freelance writer and Associate Program Officer at the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. Visit her blog at Atlas in Her Hand.

Mike Maher-King (Fukui-ken, 2006-11), originally from Shoreham-by-Sea, UK (near Brighton) and founder of Smile Kids Japan, which was created with the mission to have every orphanage in Japan visited regularly by a volunteer team in an effort to provide children with mentoring, cultural exchange and a newfound sense of trust.

Having making several Japanese friends while attending Royal Holloway, University of London, Mike eventually traveled to Japan and while there, fell in love with the people, the language, the culture, and most of all…the food! After working for a couple years in the UK, Mike returned to Japan as an ALT and eventually went on to create an organization that would touch the lives of thousands of Japanese children.

Recently, Mike took a few moments away from his hectic schedule to share with us a little about his organization, the emergence of volunteerism in Japan, and the impact the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami have had on his work.

When you first began Smile Kids Japan, did you realize you were introducing the concept of mentoring to the Japanese you were working with?

I didn’t actually realize that there are not as many opportunities for people to volunteer here in Japan as there are in the UK, USA, Canada. etc. until I started looking for a way to volunteer. I think with the cultural senpai-kohai (seniority based relationships) system here in Japan, the idea of mentoring isn’t at all new. However, this application of it is relatively new.

What challenges did you encounter doing volunteer work in Japan, where volunteerism isn’t as popular as it is in countries such as the UK or U.S.?

Setting up the very first meeting took a few months and lots of Japanese bureaucracy skills. But it was definitely worth the prodding! That and the initial 10 minutes of shyness, and walking into a room 1/4 of the size I expected with 10 more kids than we thought would choose to come meant all our planning wasn’t quite right! Further, it was also a little tricky to explain to some of the children’s homes what we wanted to do.

What do you think Smile Kids Japan has done for volunteerism in Japan?

There are so many people who do not realize the need for volunteers until they see it with their own eyes. I think that we are [now] approaching the tipping point. However, it is still a work in progress. We have provided an outlet for many people that want to help but didn’t have a channel for their energy. The [recent] earthquake initially transformed things with a huge amount of people volunteering. It will be interesting to see if this is carried back to people’s towns all around Japan.

How has your work changed since the March disasters?

I have realized the importance of letting others help and have been incredibly lucky to find four amazing people to form a new Smile Kids Japan board—Anna Ho, Avalyn Beare, Kevin Mitchell and Meredith Smith. I have also formed an advisory board to provide help and advice with specific things. This has meant two things: One, we are going to grow quicker than ever over this coming year with all this new energy and stronger base. Two, I have been able to focus a little on the Tohoku region and on providing the best possible support to all the homes in the most affected three prefectures of Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate. We are working on summer camps with English Adventure, computers, music therapy with the Japanese Philharmonic, books, basketball events and more!

What are your goals for Smile Kids Japan moving forward?

We have spread the word throughout the JET community nationwide, and this year we are going to be working closer than ever with AJET and the CIR Network.

Our vision when we set out was to have a visit in every orphanage in Japan within five years, and this year is going to be key in making that happen. Once we establish a few more visits I believe the snowball effect will become more pronounced and we will be able to make a significant lasting and sustainable change here in Japan. This year we are going to start actively working with other groups, something we have always promoted and believed in. We are already talking to some universities and some private companies about Smile Kids Japan and soon I hope to have more volunteers than there are JETs in Japan! The JET network and support of AJET is at the very core of what we do, as the JETs with their prefectural groups are acting as the trailblazers!

We are also now working with the NPO Living Dreams on the Tohoku Smiles and Dreams project. Living Dreams is an NPO that until the earthquake supported 33 homes in Tokyo with an incredible program offering computers, mentoring, and even university scholarships! Ultimately, I want to see the work we do come together nationwide as it is in Tohoku with every home in Japan receiving regular volunteers who help assess the needs of the home for the material and mental support that Living Dreams can offer. They are incredible and it’s amazing to be working with them in Tohoku!

How can other JET alumni and friends support Smile Kids Japan both in and out of Japan?

There are two key ways that JETAA and friends can support Smile Kids Japan: raising awareness and raising funds! We want all the new JETs coming to Japan to be aware of the volunteering opportunities here in Japan and to come to Japan already thinking about volunteering in their local orphanage. We have started working with Canadian and American JETAA groups and national conferences, and I believe this is a key element to us reaching even more homes and kids nationwide. The Tohoku Kids Support Project is the other way groups can help. For 2.5 million yen per year you can “adopt an orphanage” and we can provide an extensive support program that helps empower these kids to discover and live these dreams, from summer camps to computers.

You recently presented at TEDxTokyo. What was that like?

Less scary than I thought it would be! The team there helped me with everything and made me feel relaxed and well prepared over the whole weekend. Exhilarating to meet the people there and bounce ideas around—lots of great things have materialized from it. Stay tuned to Smile Kids Japan for the details coming soon!

What is the one thing you wish you would have known before you started Smile Kids Japan?

Nothing! I just wish I had started it a year or two earlier!

Any advice for those looking to start an organization in Japan?

Do it. A good idea can change people’s lives if properly developed. If people have any ideas and want specific advice please mail me anytime (smilekidsjapan [at] gmail [dot] com)!

If you weren’t with Smile Kids Japan now, where do you think you’d be?

I have no idea! There are a million things I want to do with my life so if I hadn’t started Smile Kids Japan I imagine I would be studying or travelling somewhere exotic and exciting.
For more on Smile Kids Japan, visit www.smilekidsjapan.org.

Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10)

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Ottawa based JET alum Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10) is one of only 2 Canadians out of 20 JET alumni selected to return to the Tohoku region to volunteer, engage and share their experience for the benefit of others, according to an article in the Ottawa Citizen.

(Note:  This post previously repeated the error in the Ottawa Citizen article that Brent was the only Canadian participating.  But it turns out that Toronto-based Tanya Gardecky (Miyagi-ken, Shiogama-shi) will also be participating.)

Stirling, who writes on his blog ForYourBrentertainment and was actively involved in the creation of Quakebook following the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, submitted a proposal which was accepted by the program established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Japan Tourism Agency to bring 20 Tohoku-area JET alums back to Tohoku to play a role in helping their communities and then spread word of their experience afterwards.

Read the full Ottawa Citizen article here:   “Months of blogging leads to trip to Japan: Kanata teacher will help with disaster relief in the country he writes about”

The panel featured Bianchi along with fellow JET alums Laurel Lukaszewski (Kagoshima-ken, 1990-92) (sculptor artist and former Executive Director of the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C. as well as former President of Pacific Northwest JETAA) and Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA), and was moderated by JETwit publisher Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, Kariya-shi, 1992-94).

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Billy Sheehan, right, with Mr. Big: "We had raised about $100,000 for the earthquake relief, and there’s still more to be raised, too. In the end, we raised a bunch of money, and we got a special letter from the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. thanking us for being there." (William Hames)

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here for related stories.

One of the most respected bassists and gentlemen in the music world, Billy Sheehan is back with Mr. Big, the Los Angeles-based rock band he formed in 1988 best known for the hit ballad “To Be with You,” which shot to number one in 15 countries, including the U.S., in 1992. After splitting a decade later, in 2009 the original lineup reformed, followed by the release of What If…, the first album in 15 years from the original lineup.

Now, American fans are finally going to get a chance to see Billy, Paul Gilbert, Eric Martin and Pat Torpey together on stage since their ’90s heyday for a month-long American tour beginning Saturday (July 30) at San Diego’s 4th & B. In this exclusive interview, I spoke with Billy on Mr. Big’s current jaunt around the world, their triumphant return to Japan (where the band is revered), and the possibility of another album from the guys.

So far this year Mr. Big has played all over Europe, Asia and South America. What have your highlights been?

Japan is always amazing. The most difficult thing about touring is getting to and from the gigs…once we’re onstage, there’s no trouble at all, and in Japan, it’s just a breeze. We don’t fly in much, and take a lot of bullet trains, which are super convenient and easy and clean and safe and fast and everything. So Japan is always easy. The rest of Southeast Asia was actually pretty cool, too. We were supposed to do two shows in China, but the Shanghai show got cancelled because the promoters had the wrong visa for us. The shows in Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines were unbelievable, and in Taiwan we actually had to speed away from the venue in a van with literally crowds of people chasing after us (laughs). It was hilarious.

Mr. Big toured Japan less than one month after the earthquake and tsunami, and even did gigs in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, the areas most affected by the devastation. What was that experience like?

Really touching. There was a [camera] crew meeting us at the airport and then following us around, and we didn’t know, but they went out in the crowd and interviewed a lot of people, so later on we saw that they had interviewed a guy…I think he was from Sendai. They interviewed him for television, and we didn’t see it until we saw the show. He’d lost everything, and a couple of friends and family, and he’d lost his entire Mr. Big collection, so he actually came to the show to start his collection over again. And I’m telling you, it was so touching, this poor guy, that in his life, the important thing was to come and get his music back together again, really amazing. We had raised about $100,000 for the earthquake relief, and there’s still more to be raised, too—I just saw another $22,000, and I have to see what the figures are for the downloads of the special song we did [“The World Is on the Way”], also, so there’s a bunch more, too.

In the end, we raised a bunch of money, and we got a special letter from the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. [signed by Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki] thanking us for being there. We didn’t know how it would go when we went there, was it too soon or not, but [remember] after 9/11, where after the dust cleared, all the playhouses and restaurants were going out of business because nobody was going to New York City, so what helped was that going to see a show and having dinner to help the economy rolling again, so we were hoping to get that idea happening. We heard from saké dealers that were going out of business because nobody was drinking because they were all in mourning, you know? It’s a shame that so many lives were lost, but one of the most important things after anything like that is to get back up on your feet again. So I think we helped a bit—I’m cautiously optimistic to say I think we helped a bit. And from the tone of the e-mails and speaking with people after the show, we’re very pleased. So it all ended good.

Was there any hesitation at all about playing those gigs because of the radiation?

For me, no. A couple of the guys in the band were a little concerned about it. I fly transoceanic all the time [across] the Pacific, and you get a dose of radiation every time you do that. I think it’s equivalent to—I forget the figure—one, two or three chest X-rays just by flying over the ocean. And I do know that radiation, to incite fear in people, is almost second to none, you know? It’s invisible, and you don’t know it’s there and the next thing you know, you’ve got a problem. So I knew that there was probably some elevated degree of danger, but I also know that most things of that nature are over-exaggerated, in my experience with my own personal catastrophes of earthquakes and whatever else. They really do overblow it.

So I wasn’t worried personally, but we were more concerned for the fans, and I know that the Japanese government is very conscientious with their safety and rules. I remember I was in Tokyo one time, and there was a typhoon warning for everyone to stay inside. This was years ago, and I was out with a friend of mine, we were walking around, and the streets were deserted; there was nobody anywhere…the people in Japan are really in tune with the warnings and such. And I found out the government wouldn’t have allowed [us] to go on if we were to put a crowd of people in danger, so there was that factor, as well. So a couple of the guys in the band were a little worried about it, but I was okay with it, and in the end, all of us are glad we did it.

For the complete interview, click here.

For Justin’s February 2011 interview with Billy, click here.

Just saw this MSNBC video and article by NBC News correspondent Ian Williams that mentions JET and volunteerAKITA founder Paul Yoo as well as several other volunteers who seem to be JETs along with the good work being done by All Hands Volunteers.  The article was posted to the Pacific Northwest JETAA Facebook group today.

“Young Americans take center stage in Japan tsunami cleanup”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43637669/

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