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

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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/

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"I think the JET Program is a wonderful thing. Many people who have become scholars of Japan and have settled down in Japan begin on the JET Program. It is a wonderful way for the Japanese to get to understand Americans, and Americans to get to understand Japan." (Justin Tedaldi)

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

Examiner’s note: The following interview was conducted at New York’s Japan Society on March 10, 2011, hours before the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami would ravage eastern Japan. I was there to chat with guest lecturer Jake Adelstein, whose twelve-year career as a crime reporter for the Yomiuri Shinbun was chronicled in his acclaimed 2009 book Tokyo Vice. Adelstein is currently working on his second book, and as the editor of the Japan Subculture Research Center blog he continues to report on all the intriguing and seedy aspects that keep Japan running. In this exclusive interview, I spoke with Adelstein during an ominous cloudburst.

Thanks for meeting in this gloomy weather.

I used to like rainy weather, but my bodyguard, who’s an ex-yakuza, hates rainy weather. And I asked him once—I wish I hadn’t asked him—“What’s your deal with rainy weather? Why do you always not want to go out of the house and discourage me from going out?” And he’s like, “Oh, you know, when a yakuza kills another yakuza, they almost always do it on a rainy day, because first of all: bad visibility. The sound of the rain blurs the sounds of what’s going on, and the rain washes away all the trace evidence.” And ever since then, I haven’t been able to enjoy rainy weather as much as I used to.

I read that your birthday is coming up.

Well, let’s see. I’ll be 42. If all goes well, I will be ordained as a Soto Zen Buddhist priest on my birthday. I’ve got about a week of training left—if I could just remember that damn sutra. I had a talk with the priest and told him that I didn’t believe in the metaphysics of Buddhism, and he was like, “It’s all right. You just have to pretend that they’re true.” So as long as you uphold the precepts, it’s not belief; it’s deeds. I’m comfortable with that, the Episcopal King James version of Buddhism.

In an interview last year, you said you were going to have the opportunity to meet with yakuza boss Goto Tadamasa…

I might still have the opportunity, if he’s in good health. He’s been in and out of the hospital.

That’s his current status?

Yeah. He is still a priest. I’ve had some issues with his autobiography that was published last year, which had the equivalent of a yakuza fatwa on me. If you understand how the yakuza order people to be killed, you can read the lines very well. He refers to the attack on the director Itami Juzo in his memoirs and says, “Of course he deserved to be attacked, because he wrote a movie that was unpleasant about the yakuza,” and he refers to my writing as unpleasant. And then he has these two lines about, “I don’t know who this guy is, but even as an ex-yakuza, if I ever met him he would go from someone being targeted for death to someone being dead, ha-ha-ha.”

When a boss wants someone whacked in the yakuza, what he does is, he never gives an order, because then he could be held responsible. He just says, you know, “Johnson-san is a real pain in the ass; I don’t really like Johnson-san very well.” And his cohort immediately knows that he’s been asked to whack the guy. He whacks him and goes to jail, and comes out and gets a cash bonus from the organization. That’s how it’s done.

There’s talk that a film version of Tokyo Vice is in the works.

John Lesher, who produced No Country for Old Men, is signed on as the producer. There have been two or three actors who have expressed interest in playing the role. J.T. Rogers, who is a very good playwright—he’s got a play opening at Lincoln Center this year called Blood and Gifts—he is the principal screenwriter, and I am the co-writer. J.T. and I went to the same high school together. Actually, it’s interesting: he’s a very successful playwright, writes about Afghanistan and foreign countries. Peter Hessler, who is a China expert, he and I also hung out in high school at the same time.

What are your thoughts on the JET Program?

I think the JET Program is a wonderful thing. Many people who have become scholars of Japan and have settled down in Japan begin on the JET Program. It is a wonderful way for the Japanese to get to understand Americans, and Americans to get to understand Japan. Like any program, it has problems. I think it’s a great thing, and I hope it continues to be supported by both sides.

"I can definitely say I owe the what got me to this point to my time working as a CIR, and working with enthusiastic young students who want to study abroad during that time has motivated me to continue working in this field."

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!

Casey Novotny (Kochi-ken, 2005-08) gave us the inside scoop on 100 Yen, a film about the Japanese arcade scene coming this fall. Casey, who’s currently a program coordinator at Asia University in Tokyo, and director/JET alum Brad Crawford first met as JETs from Canada, and years later collaborated on this original project. Find out what inspired Casey and listen to his predictions for the future of the arcade scene.

How did you find yourself originally interested in Japan? Was it through games?

Yeah, I guess since when I was a child my interest in Japan started through video games, anime and such. The real thing that interested me those things, and thus Japan, was the gaping cultural differences. I really couldn’t grasp how the Japanese way of thinking could be so similar yet so different to ours. There was some weird stuff out there! I mean, there still is, but I think living here for over six years has kind of desensitized me to most of it.

How has Japan influenced your career and personal goals?

The first time I was an exchange student in Japan was when I was seventeen for half a year. That experience definitely changed my life, and I knew I wanted to make a career where I was going to use the Japanese language skills I was learning. At that point I wasn’t sure what kind of career, but I knew I had to improve my language skills and cultural understanding, and so I made a lot of my personal goals   related to that. It seems I may be here for the long run, so it will probably continue that way!

How did your experience on JET lead you to where you are now?

I was a CIR in rural Kochi for three years. After enjoying life in the countryside and wanting to continue a similar career somewhere in Japan, I left for Tokyo and worked with a recruitment firm for more than a year and a half. It was a great experience and great place to work, but I realized that my place was with international education and exchange programs. I’ve been working with Asia University in Tokyo since then as a program coordinator for their America Program, which is the largest exchange program of its kind in Japan and probably one of the biggest in the world. I can definitely say I owe the experience that got me to this point to my time working as a CIR, and working with enthusiastic young students who want to study abroad during that time has motivated me to continue working in this field.

How long have you been playing games?

I remember playing arcade machines back when I was about four years old, and around that time my dad bought me my first console for Christmas–the Sega Master System. Looking back at it now, it was a much superior system compared to the Nintendo Entertainment System, but I nagged my dad to get me an NES anyways after that because it had so many more games! I was pretty hooked for most of my childhood.

Coming to Japan as an exchange student in high school blew my mind to the amount of games and consoles that were available in Japan, as well as the size and popularity of their arcades. While I haven’t been playing many games lately, I still like to check the stores from time to time to see what’s available out here and what the trends are.

How did you get involved in the 100 Yen project?

Brad Crawford and I became friends back in 2005 when we both came to Japan together from Winnipeg to participate on the JET Program. After finishing our time on JET, he was back in Winnipeg working hard on his film career, and I was in Tokyo for work. He mentioned that he was coming to Tokyo to shoot a movie on video games, and when we met up for dinner he asked me if he could ask me some questions about my experience with games and Japan—and that’s what you see in the trailer that’s out now. The response to the whole project has been really positive so far, and Brad is currently back in Japan with his team to complete his filming for the rest of the project.

Regarding 100 Yen, do you think this will be a film for gamers, or a film for people who are unfamiliar with gaming culture?

From what I’ve seen and heard about the plans for the film, I definitely think it will appeal to both gamers and a general audience. It looks like there are going to be interviews with some top people in the gaming community, and a lot of background history on gaming in Japan in general. There will definitely be something for everybody.

Where do you see arcades in Japan in say, ten years? Do you think a real resurgence can ever take place for America?

In the past ten years that I’ve been in and out of Japan, it seems that the general popularity of arcades has definitely been declining. It seems to me that most of the money is made from UFO crane catcher machines, photo sticker machines, and “gambling”-type slot machines rather than game machines. My opinion is that both in Japan and in North America, one of the main reasons that people would originally go to arcades was that the machines there had way better graphics and sound that home consoles and you could also play with or against your friends. Both of these reasons have been eliminated now, as modern consoles have amazing graphics and allow you to play over the Internet with anyone in the world.

Arcades in Japan will still have things besides game machines, but unless there is some kind of new innovation to draw people in and make a need for people to play games that can only be experienced at the arcades, I think that game machines will fade out of existence. Similarly, if there is going to be a real arcade resurgence in America, it needs to be through innovation and also diversifying the types of machines and services available at the arcade like Japan has.

For more on the project’s progress, visit http://100yenfilm.com.

Mr. Masahiro Kozuma of the Japanese Children’s Society, right, with Mr. Fusaki Fujita of Marsh USA.

By Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) for JQ magazine. Stacy is a professional writer/interpreter/translator. She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observation in the periodic series WITLife.

At a gathering of the Battenkai, or Kyushu-ite group here in New York City, I had the pleasure of sharing a mirthful moment with Mr. Masahiro Kozuma. We were taking part in “laughter yoga” with the guest teacher at the event, who paired us up as partners with the task of performing a laughing exercise together.  As we had just met this could have been a somewhat awkward activity to have to engage in, but thanks to Mr. Kozuma’s willingness I was able to ease into simulated laughter until it became real and I enjoyed the moment.

Later in the evening we continued our non-verbal communication with an actual conversation, where I learned that Mr. Kozuma serves as Director of the Japanese Children’s Society or New York Ikuei Gakuen (育英学園). This NPO established in 1979 provides Japanese education to youngsters with the motto of “Carefree Learning, Nurturing of Self-Training Children.”  I had the chance to talk further with Mr. Kozuma about his background and that of his school.

What brought you to Battenkai?

I decided to join as I am from an area of Fukuoka Prefecture called Chikuhou. Fukuoka is blessed with beautiful nature like the mountains and the sea, and the Chikuhou region is known for coal mining. My childhood memories are of playing all the time on the huge heaps of coal waste that could be found around where I lived.

What was your path to the States?

While in Japan I got my master’s in Special Education, and I decided to come to here for further study in this field. In Japan the extent of my work experience was a part-time job at a fish store during university, but my first job here in the States was being an elementary school teacher at Japanese (supplemental study) school. I was also a counselor at their summer camp.

And now you work as director of Ikuei Gakuen, which has several schools throughout the New York area. Can you tell us a little about your system of education?

As director, I am in charge of all the schools which include the main Manhattan one, one in Port Washington, Long Island and the New Jersey campus where my office is located. Our curriculum is based on the standards set by the Ministry of Education in Japan, but it is bilingual learning as we have daily English classes. The subjects we cover are Japanese, English, math, science, social studies, music, arts and crafts, calligraphy and physical education. We also have special seasonal events like Field Day and school festivals.  On the East Coast, we are the only full-time, integrated Japanese school for children ages 3 to 12.

In terms of supplemental study, we have Saturday and Sunday school as well for students who might attend regular school during the week, but still want to keep up with their Japanese education. We also do homeschooling for those who are unable to make the weekend classes.

Do you have to be Japanese to attend Ikuei Gakuen, or is it open to anyone?  What is the procedure for getting in?

It is not limited to Japanese people, but the fact that classes are conducted in Japanese means that your language skills must be up to a certain level. We do have some students who are not from Japan, but who have one parent who is Japanese, etc.  For all applicants we carry out screenings and a test, and provided they can pass and have developmental skills appropriate for their age they will be accepted. In circumstances where special individual treatment is necessary such as with learning disorders, we consider those on a case by case basis. Our school’s purpose is not preparing students for college entrance exams, as some might think.

Do you have any former JETs working at Ikuei, and what advice do you have for those interested in that sort of career?

In fact we do. Currently one of our after-school English courses is taught by a former JET who used to live in Niigata. Anyone who is interested in this kind of teaching should feel free to come by and observe his class anytime!

Getting off the educational topic, what are some of your favorite places in the New York area?

I love the East Village with its feeling of disorder, and I like going to look at paintings in the many museums that the city offers. My other interests include eating and finding exciting new restaurants to try. I also love skiing and other winter sports, so I enjoy the cold weather season!

What do you miss most about Japan?

Being from Kyushu, I would have to say onsen!

Finally, what is a source of pride for you as a Japanese person?

Well, I have a two-part answer for that. One is the Japanese sense of modesty or humility, and the other is compassion. Not to say that these things don’t exist here in the States as well, but I think that caring about others and trying to put yourself in their shoes before acting is something we should all value.

A-kon , Dallas, Texas’ longest-running anime convention, always bring interesting musical acts from Japan.  This weekend, rock bands Blood Stain Child and D will be performing.  At last year’s convention, I had the opportunity to attend a press conference with Seikima II.  To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the heavy metal band reunited and embarked on the world tour, with Dallas as their first stop.   The day after their high energy concert, or “black mass” as it is called among Seikima II fans, they sat down with reporters to answer questions about their music, goals, and efforts to spread both Japanese and akuma culture.

Your site says that you have returned with a new mission.  What is your new mission?

Demon Kakka:  To propagate ourselves throughout the world.  We decided to have a reunion to see how the seeds of world domination have grown.

What made you decide to reunite and spread music to the U.S.?

Demon:  There have been many offers, including collaboration with anime.  We decided to use the popularity of anime to check out the scene in America.

Even though you claim to be devils, you seem like saints to me.

Demon: [in English] Devils, angels, saints, and Buddhas…I wonder what the difference really is between them.  It all depends on what you think which is which.

Why did you choose to propagate Japanese culture?

Demon:  The Japanese have a fascinating culture, but the people are not able to go out to spread it.  If more Japanese could go out to spread their culture, there would be better communication.

Your songs have very vivid images and ideas.  When you are writing lyrics, do you begin with an image, feeling, or story in mind?

Luke Takamura:  A keyword is important.  From there, the story comes.  Sometimes, the melody comes first.

Jail O’Hashi: [in English] Recently I have been writing with Demon as a team.  We think about what are things that can be expressed as Seikima II… pinpoint social and economic problems.  Those things are important to be expressed in rock music.

Demon: Sometimes the melody is made and the lyrics come.  Other times, I start with a story or notes.  The ideas can from anywhere even people on the bus or train.  When I’m riding the train, I’m in my human disguise so I can write lyrics without anyone knowing.

To read the rest of the interview, click here.

"I went back to Japan right after the earthquake and did a lot of live radio and TV shows to perform live to cheer people up. I just wanted to do something for the country I love and only thing I could do was keep playing music, so I kept playing." (Sakiko Nomura)

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

A native of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, pianist and composer Hiromi Uehara is one of the world’s top young international performers in jazz, winning a Grammy earlier this year for her work on Stanley Clarke’s most recent album. Today (June 7), she releases Voice, her seventh studio effort since 2003 and first as part of the Trio Project with bassist Anthony Jackson (Paul Simon, the O’Jays, Steely Dan, Chick Corea) and drummer Simon Phillips (the Who, Judas Priest, David Gilmour, Jack Bruce).

“When I play music, I realize that it really filters emotions,” says Hiromi. “I called this album Voice because I believe that people’s real voices are expressed in their emotions.” Tonight, the Berklee College of Music alum launches a six-night residency at New York City’s venerable Blue Note Jazz Club as part of its inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival. I caught up with the artist in this exclusive interview.

What kinds of goals in mind do you have when you record a new album? How about for a concert?

Making an album is like I have stories to tell; I want to see the landscape in music that I have never seen before. For a concert, I always think today is my first and last, trying to put everything I have out.

A big part of your style is your quicksilver runs across the keys. How did you develop this as your trademark, and are there ever times in concert when you feel like it’s a challenge to keep up that manic pace?

I never really thought about it as my trademark, I just play what I hear, what I have to say at that very moment, just like a conversation.

The toughest part of your job onstage that the audience might not realize is…

Definitely traveling.

I’ve noticed that you’ve been speaking a lot more English for interviews and at your concerts. Are you continuing to study it, and what kind of methods or techniques do you use that you can recommend to others who are learning a second language?

I do watch a lot of movies in English. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, speak speak speak!

In what ways has the Japanese music community banded together in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami devastation? What has your impression been of the United States and its entertainers’ relief efforts?

I went back to Japan right after the earthquake and did a lot of live radio and TV shows to perform live to cheer people up. I also went back in April to do eighteen benefit shows in Tokyo. I just wanted to do something for the country I love and only thing I could do was keep playing music, so I kept playing. I really would like to thank everyone from the U.S. for their efforts. We surely need continuous support and I will keep doing whatever I can do.

For the rest of the interview, click here.

"I think it’s a gift to experience living in another culture, and if everyone in the world could have the chance to live in another country for a time, the world would probably be a better place." (Photo courtesy of the author)

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

A “certified mad Japanophile,” San Francisco-born and bred writer Wendy Nelson Tokunaga has lived her whole life in the Bay Area, save for a stint in Tokyo in the 1980s after winning a songwriting contest sponsored by Japan Victor Records. Since then, she has penned two Japan-related novels, Midori by Moonlight and Love in Translation.

Her new book, Marriage in Translation: Foreign Wife, Japanese Husband, is a series of illuminating interviews conducted by the author with Western women who talk candidly about the challenges in making cross-cultural marriages work both inside and outside Japan, and the joys and frustrations of adapting to a different culture. Tokunaga explores the theme of why some people feel the need to trade in their native culture for a new one, revealing new insights about Japan and married life. I caught up with the author in this exclusive interview.

What made you decide to write about this topic?

I’ve dated Japanese men and am now married to a Japanese born and raised in Osaka. I’ve always noticed how there are many more Western man/Japanese woman couples than the opposite. Even today, with the Internet and social media and the world shrinking, this pairing is still relatively rare and I think the reasons why are intriguing and fascinating.

The book originally started out as blog entries. When did you get the feeling that it deserved to be a book?

These series of interviews elicited a lot of interest from my blog readers and I got contacted by a couple of small publishers asking if I wanted to make it into a book.

Why did you choose to publish it as an eBook?

I’ve had experience with a traditional publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for my two novels, Midori by Moonlight and Love in Translation. I know how long it takes to get a traditional book published and I wanted to get this book out into the world while the interest was still high. I also wanted to dip my toe into the burgeoning world of eBook publishing and thought this would be a great opportunity.

The list price of $2.99 is certainly attractive. What’s your impression of the sales so far?

I think my sales have been pretty good thus far, especially when you take into consideration that I basically have only marketed this book via Twitter and by doing a bit of other online publicity. It’s a niche book for sure and I’ve also been donating 50% of the sales to Japan Relief. I certainly am not in it for the money!

You said that your husband Manabu felt he never “fit in” in Japan. Would you say this is a common trait among Japanese men who settle down outside of their home countries or cultures? Do you think this might hold less true for Americans who move to Japan?

This is another big question! I don’t have statistics to prove this, but through my own anecdotal evidence and observations over the years I have found that not many Japanese end up moving abroad permanently. There are many reasons for this. First, they don’t have the economic issues that many other immigrants face, and of course there is the tendency to feel that Japanese society is “unique” and can’t be duplicated anywhere else, so why leave?

So I would assume that for a Japanese man to move away from Japan there has to be some pretty compelling reason, especially since they also don’t tend to marry foreign women (though in Japan there are more Japanese men married to non-Japanese than Japanese women married to non-Japanese men. However, these women are usually of Asian ethnicity).

As you probably well know, an American man’s experience in Japan is often quite different. He can be seen as exotic and desirable (at least in the honeymoon stage of his stay) and even though he might undergo a lot of culture shock, things can be quite comfortable for him. Of course I have no choice but to generalize, but I have to say that the differences in experiences between an American man moving to Japan and a Japanese man moving to America couldn’t be more striking. There is nothing special about a Japanese man here in the States, but a gaijin in Japan still causes excitement to this day. On the other hand, to briefly open another topic, we certainly know of the quite different reasons why Japanese women would want to leave Japan. I explore that theme in Midori by Moonlight.

At least one of the interviewees served as a participant of Japan’s global exchange initiative, the JET Program. Tell us about the personal value of living in another country as a young adult compared with being a bit older and moving there with the intention to raise a family.

Well, for one thing a person coming to Japan on the JET Program is usually only going to be in Japan on a temporary basis and, from what I understand, the program purposely hires people who know little about Japan. So they come with no expectations and quite often leave with a wonderful experience. The Western woman coming to Japan to raise a family with her Japanese husband is in a much different situation. And I think the experience will have its differences whether she has been interested in Japanese culture all along or only came into contact with it by meeting her husband abroad. Either way, I think it’s a gift to experience living in another culture and if everyone in the world could have the chance to live in another country for a time, the world would probably be a better place.

"I applied to the JET Program after three years of high school teaching. The Japanese public education system was held in high esteem at the time and I also felt that I could learn something from the 'gold standard' of educational systems."

By Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) for JQ magazine. Lyle is entering a master’s program at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University (MIA 2013) and has been writing for the JET Alumni Association since 2004. He is also the goalkeeper for FC Japan, a NYC-based soccer team.

JET alumn Robert Fish (Wakayama-ken, 1996-97) joined New York’s Japan Society in May 2006 as Director of Education and Lecture Programs. Fish previously served as an Assistant Professor of East Asian history at Indiana State University, where he worked extensively with pre-service teachers. Fish earned a BA in History at Yale University, an MA in Educational Administration at New York University, and a Ph.D. in Japanese History at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

His research focuses on the history of childhood and education in 20th century Japan, and includes a book manuscript near completion about the history of “mixed-blood” orphans in postwar Japan as well as publications regarding the history “textbook controversy” in Japan.

Tell us about your background.

I studied History at Yale University and taught World History East at my secondary school alma mater, Tenafly High School, in Bergen County, New Jersey. At that time, I didn’t have a strong knowledge base in the region and wanted to learn more about Japan, so I applied to the JET Program after three years of high school teaching. Plus, the Japanese public education system was held in high esteem at the time and I also felt that I could learn something from the “gold standard” of educational systems.

I spent one year teaching English in Wakayama and then enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Japanese History at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. After graduating, I saw two strong career possibilities. One was to go back to teaching at secondary schools, and the second was to pursue a path in academia. I chose the academic one and spent a year teaching at Michigan State University and then Indiana State University, where I was on a tenure track.

Why did you leave academia?

I enjoyed teaching, writing and doing research in Japanese history, but I felt that this opportunity allowed me to develop a real passion of mine: to help primary and secondary teachers teach Japanese history and culture.

Tell us about your current job.

The primary goal is to help teachers teach more effectively about Japan at the national level.  Secondly, we help children learn directly through social networking—we promote children to children connections between the United States and Japan. Third, we introduce children to Japan through family programming.

How did you get the job at Japan Society?

I applied through an ad in the Chronicle of Higher Education. It was a “cold” application, meaning that I did not personally know anyone within the organization.

How do you help educators?

We divide our professional development activities into three areas: by offering teacher workshops, by organizing study tours to Japan, and by providing an online resource called About Japan.

The workshops provide K-12 educators with an opportunity to interact with Japan experts to improve their teaching about Japan. They range from half-day seminars to 36-hour workshops offering professional development credits. These workshops introduce recent scholarships and place Japanese culture and history in a larger East Asian or global context.

The Study Tours for Educators brings classroom teachers, school administrators and school librarians to Japan for three weeks, and include a homestay, visits to schools, meetings with scholars on Japanese culture and society, and visits to important historical and cultural sites.  Prior to departure, all participants attend a 30-hour educator workshop and introductory language study. Upon returning to the U.S., they attend a workshop to incorporate their experiences into new lesson plans.

The online resource, About Japan, provides extensive materials to help teachers create improved lesson plans about Japan. Starting in the fall of 2011, we will introduce far more multimedia materials, documents in translation, and materials to help teach about both language and the environment.

Can you tell us about the social networking project?

The Going Global Social Networking Project is designed to engage students from the United States and Japan in educational international exchange. Currently, we are also involving students from Pakistan and in the future we hope to expand to even more countries, such as India, China and South Korea. Right now, the project is in the “pilot stage” and we plan to officially launch it in September 2011.

Examples of scheduled projects include: A Day in the Life, wherein teens document a day in the life of their school/town, a Self-Introduction Project, where they will prepare oral introductions in English or Japanese and then ask foreign peers three specific questions; Responding to Art Project, which involves the creation of artwork (in a medium of their choice) in response to a set theme; and a Debate the Issue Project. All of these projects provide practical opportunities to learn about foreign cultures firsthand and learn how to utilize social media to effectively collaborate with their peers at home and abroad. The wide diversity of projects, such as art-themed projects, should attract students not ordinarily interested in international exchange or foreign languages.

Can you tell us about the family events?

We provide interactive, hands-on programming here at the Society that introduces children to Japanese culture through art, music, dance, children’s theatre, storytelling, and other activities.  Our annual festival series includes the New Year’s Festival, the Doll Festival (Girl’s Day), Children’s Day, the Star Festival, and the Shichigosan (7-5-3) Ceremony.

Are you involved with Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund?

All of the departments here at Japan Society are involved in the Earthquake Relief Fund.  Through June 30, Japan Society will absorb 100% of administrative costs for the fund, meaning 100% of the donations will go towards earthquake relief.  In addition, 50% of all admission and ticket revenue will also go to the relief fund through June 30. As of June 1, the amount raised is $8.3 million.

Vist Japan Society online at www.japansociety.org.

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I first posted about T-shitsu and their fantastic designs aimed especially for gai-jin in December last year. Since then the response from members of the JET and JET alum community has been very positive, and the base of returning customers is constantly growing.

This is completely down to the unique omoshiroi designs, high-quality shirts and general high standard of service provided by the T-shitsu team. I can’t rave about these shirts enough!

Currently, our friends at T-shitsu.com are half way through revealing their eagerly anticipated Black Collection.

The Black Collection consists of 8 new designs, one of which is revealed every Sunday, May through June, and we have been given an exclusive sneak preview of this week’s new design especially for JETWit readers….

Ta da!!!

To update you on other recent activities, T-shitsu were very active in wake of the Tohoku eathquake/tsunami disaster in terms of fundraising and encouraging donations. They even designed their own t-shirt to raise money and awareness, called Tohoku Tears, a wonderful design that was distributed through their partner website at Sweatshop Union.

The Tokoku Tears shirt was extremely popular and all shirts sold out in A WEEK! In total the shirt raised an outstanding 300,000 yen. Since then all other designs in the ‘rebuild’ collection have also sold out, but if there are plans to re-release them we will be sure to let you know.

There will be further new releases on T-shitsu.com once The Black Collection finishes, and present designs will be made available in a wider selection of colours. There will also be further promotions and competitions, all of which will be advertised through the T-shitsu Facebook site. Make sure you sign up for all the latest info, and it’s also a great way to contact the designers with your feedback and suggestions for shirts.

Please do post any comments/suggestions about the shirts, in particular any JET-related shirt ideas, and please do inform the T-shitsu team that you heard about them through JETWit if you place any orders. Check back for more updates soon!

 
Have a suggestion for a future JetWit Fashion Beat post? E-mail dipika [at] jetwit.com.