Nov 25

“Privy to Mysterious Loos” by New Zealand JET Tania Butterfield

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A recent blog article by current JET Tania Butterfield that recently appeared in New Zealand publication Marlborough Express.  (Thanks to Jessica Tisch for posting on the JETAA South Island Facebook group):

Privy to Mysterious Loos

Last weekend I discovered something I should have known since I arrived here – toilets are not my friend.

If you know anything about Japan, you know it has some unusual toilets.

No, I am not referring to the squat toilets, which I quite happily use at school.

I am referring to the insanely automated toilets with a billion buttons that do everything under the sun so you never have to touch that part of your body again.

Some of the buttons make sense – like the button to ….

Click here to read the full article.

 

 


Nov 18

Kyodo News “Rural JET alum” series: Hughar Hartzenberg (Iwate)

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News agency Kyodo News has recently been publishing monthly articles written by JET alumni who were appointed in rural areas of Japan, as part of promotion for the JET Programme. Below is the column from October 2012.  (Special thanks to JET alum Celine Castex, currently a CLAIR Tokyo staff member, for alerting JETwit to this series and making these available.)

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Hughar Hartzenberg (Iwate-ken, Ninohe-shi, 2006-09) was born and raised in South Africa, where he received a degree in Theology in 2005. After that he came to Japan on the JET Programme and continued as a participant for three years in Iwate Prefecture (2006-2009). During this time he met and married his wife, who was another JET participant and with whom he is currently living in Kanagawa Prefecture. Hughar is working as a wedding minister in Tokyo and is also the director of the NPO Japan Building Africa which he founded in 2011.

JET and beyond

It has been said that we should be careful of the actions we take as young men and woman, for those actions will shape the adults we will become. Reflecting on my own actions over the last seven years, and the experiences that these actions have led to, I can attest to this saying being the truth. One action that changed the course of my life was the decision to apply for something that is called the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, or “JET Programme” in short. This one decision literally changed my world. Read More


Nov 17

“Rural” JET alums write columns for Kyodo News series

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Thanks to JET alum Celine Castex, currently a CLAIR Tokyo staff member, for posting this to the JETwit Group on LinkedIn:

New JET alumnus’ article in local newspapers: the 「外・宝・人」column

News agency Kyodo News has recently been publishing articles written by JET alumni who were appointed in rural areas of Japan, as part of promotion for the JET Programme. The October edition features an article by Hughar Hartzenberg (Iwate Prefecture 2006-2009). Scroll down the page to the 「外・宝・人」column
http://www.47news.jp/localnews/chiikisaisei/39/chiho_net/

≪変わる大学と地域の関係≫　地域に学生の受け皿を　アイデア、人材に期待 47news.jp

大学と地域の関係が変わりつつある。少子化に悩む大学にとって地域とのつながりは、新たな可能性を開く。地域にとっても、大学は貴重な資産だ。全国の地方新聞社と共同通信社が識者らとつくる「地・宝・人（ち・ほう・じん）ネット」は、第３８回意見交換で「地域が大学に期待すること」をテーマに将来像を探った。…


Nov 16

Taylor Anderson documentary draws thousands to Center Stage

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NBC12.com – Richmond, VA News, Weather, Traffic
From Richmond, VA’s NBC news affiliate (click link below to see news video):

Taylor Anderson documentary draws thousands to Center Stage

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) –

Thousands of people turned out to Richmond’s Center Stage theater Friday, to see the documentary of Taylor Anderson – a young teacher from Chesterfield who worked and died in the earthquake and tsunami in Japan last spring.

It’s the story of the 24-year-old who is believed to be the first American victim of the disaster.

The tsunami that followed the 8.9 magnitude quake rocked Japan’s eastern coast, killing hundreds.

Taylor was last seen after the earthquake riding her bike toward her apartment after ensuring that students at her school had been picked up by their parents.

More than a year later – Taylor’s story is shared through the documentary Live Your Dream: The Taylor Anderson Story.

Film maker Regge Life interviewed dozens even traveled to Japan to find her story.

“It wasn’t until I made the trip to Ishinomaki, and I can talk to her friends face to face, that I knew there was something there,” said Life.

At the screening, Andy Anderson was happy to see so many people take interest in his daughter’s story.

“Regge’s really good at being able to take all the people who are telling Taylor’s story and weaving us all together,” said Anderson.

“You see Taylor from her beginnings as a small child and her interests in Japan that just kept growing through her own nurturing,” said Life.

There may be more showings, but right now the documentary is not in theaters. It is being sold for educational purposes.

Copyright 2012 WWBT NBC12.  All rights reserved.

For JQ Magazine‘s May 2012 interview with Regge Life on the making of the film, click here.


Nov 15

JET alum Shaun Dakin mentioned in Huffington Post article about robo-calls

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Shaun Dakin (Shimane-ken, 1989-91), founder of StopPoliticalCalls.org

D.C.-based JET alum Shaun Dakin (Shimane-ken, 1989-91), founder of StopPoliticalCalls.org which seeks to stop the use of robocalls in political campaigns, was mentioned in a recent Huffington Post article (“Impeach Obama Robocall Campaign Launched by Conservative Group“).

Here’s the link to the article:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/impeach-obama-robocall-campaign_n_2132682.html

Here’s a link to previous JETwit posts/articles about Shaun:  http://jetwit.com/wordpress/?s=shaun+dakin


Aug 4

NY Times reviews “Triburbia” by JET alum Karl Taro Greenfeld

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JET alum Karl Taro Greenfeld (Kanagawa-ken, 1988-89), author of Speed Tribes:  Days and Nights With Japan’s Next Generation), has a new book out titled Triburbia:  A Novel which was recently reviewed by the New York Times (“Bobos in Paradise“).  Here’s the link to the review:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/books/review/triburbia-by-karl-taro-greenfeld.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

 


Jul 28

Two JET-relevant articles

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Thanks to JETAA USA Country Rep Melissa Chan for sharing the below:

“How the JET Program changed me” – Sheila Burt (Toyama JET)
Toyama ALT Sheila Burt wrote about how the JET Program changed her and her perspectives on life.

“Siblings visit Iwate city where US teacher perished in the 2011 tsunami”
Relatives of Montgomery Dickson, an American killed by the March 2011 tsunami, have visited the city where he was teaching in an effort to carry out his wishes to enhance English education.

Jul 5

Japan Times article on pre-JET Lesley Downer, writer, historian and journalist

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Thanks to JET alum Aurelien Hancou for alerting JETwit to this recent Japan Times article about British writer, historian and journalist Lesley Downer, who participated in a forerunner to the JET Programme.

Sunday, July 1, 2012
CLOSE-UP: Lesley Downer

Author Lesley Downer’s romance with Japan is no fleeting affair

By VICTORIA JAMES

Special to The Japan Times

British writer, historian and journalist Lesley Downer has been visiting Japan and writing about it for nearly 35 years — beginning in 1978, when she was part of the first-ever intake of the English Teaching Recruitment Program, which evolved into the famous JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program) scheme. Read More


Jul 2

JETwit’s Steven Horowitz quoted in Japan Times article on the eikaiwa market in Japan

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Thanks to key members of the JET alum community for providing me with the background info necessary to sound reasonably knowledgeable in my quotes in the below Japan Times article (“The curious case of the eroding eikaiwa salary“).  One of my sub-goals in the article was to try and counter any misinformation or misperceptions about JET that might pop up in the media.  The best quotes in that regard, I think, are at the end of the article:

“I think the quality of English teaching is often reduced and the privately contracted ALTs do not get to know or connect with the community in the same way that JET ALTs often do,” Horowitz says. “The result is that all the potential short-term and especially long-term benefits are not captured.”

While there over 50,000 former JETs living all around the world, with many of them maintaining a strong connection to Japan and helping to facilitate business between Japan and other countries, the JET Program has not escaped scrutiny as Japan struggles to balance its books and cut its huge government debt. The initiative came up for review by the Government Revitalization Unit in May 2010, with some panelists urging reform of the program and greater oversight of spending, although the panel didn’t go as far as to suggest a specific budget cut.

Despite this shot across the bows, Horowitz does not feel that the decline in English teacher salaries has had “much or any impact” on the original purpose for having ALTs such as JETs in Japanese schools, especially when the broader advantages for the country are considered.

“It’s not just about teaching English, but also about investing in its future by creating a long-term way to develop better relationships with the rest of the world,” Horowitz says.

Here’s the full article:

The curious case of the eroding eikaiwa salary

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120703zg.html#.T_I5F3J5eWg

By PATRICK BUDMAR  Japan Times – July 3, 2012

Now fraught with job insecurity and low pay, there was a time when the work was steady and salaries were high for those who taught English in Japan.

One only has to contrast the birth of the eikaiwa (English conversation) business in the late ’80s, marked by the rise of private chain schools and the start of the JET Program in 1987, to the current state of the industry to see how it has contracted in size and scope.

While the English teaching industry in Japan has shown resilience by surviving recessions, financial crises and occasional bankruptcies, there is no denying it has seen better days.

Not surprisingly, many people now refer to the ’80s as the “golden age” of English teaching in Japan, and Steven Horowitz, a member of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Alumni Association (JETAA) New York Board of Directors and JETAA USA Fund Committee, is among them. Read More


May 13

Video: JETAA NY featured in Fujisankei TV story on Japan Day Central Park

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Click the link below to see the Fujisankei TV video (in Japanese) about JETAA NY’s preparation for Japan Day Central Park.  The video includes quotes from JETAA NY President Monica Yuki and Vice-President Kendall Murano among others.

http://www.fujisankei.com/video_library/local-news/japan-day2.php

 


Apr 30

Prime Minister Noda meets with Taylor Anderson’s parents

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JapanToday has a “Picture of the Day” (plus explanation text) of Prime Minister Noda meeting with Jeanne and Andy Anderson, parents of Taylor Anderson.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/picture-of-the-day/view/thank-you


Mar 29

Taylor Anderson honored at MLB opening day game in Tokyo

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Major League Baseball honored Taylor Anderson and several other tsunami relief heroes at it’s opening day game between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s held in Tokyo on March 28. Taylor’s parents, Andy and Jean, were in attendance, and Andy threw out the first pitch.

Here’s a really nice article from the Major League Baseball website:  “Tsunami Relief Heroes Honored at Opener” (Well worth reading for a variety of reasons including the stories about the other heroes. Below is a quote.)

Anderson didn’t know if he could summon the strength to get the ball to home plate, so he looked down at that pink phone.

“I had Taylor’s cell phone and her straps … because they remind me of her, and when I think about her, I feel stronger, so I was able to get the ball in there,” Anderson said. “That’s what I thought about: Taylor.”

Here’s are links to two photos of Andy Anderson throwing out the first pitch:  http://www.47news.jp/photo/395455.php and http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20120328-00000831-yom-base.view-000

Here’s a link to an article on the Nikkan Sports website (in Japanese):  http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/mlb/news/f-bb-tp2-20120328-924778.html

 


Mar 22

Taylor Anderson Remembered by Many

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Via the JETAA USA website:

The Anderson Family, who has done so much to further Taylor’s vision of bridging the US and Japan, participated in a memorial service at Taylor’s alma mater, Randolph Macon College. The memorial was covered by both NHK World and the local CBS news station in Virginia. Ambassador Fujisaki was also in attendance as a speaker for the event.

To see the media coverage click below:

Additionally, here are some links to coverage gathered by a friend of the Andersons and forwarded by Andy:

  • Article on the Randolph-Macon college website about the event.
  • March 8, 2012:  WCVE-FM (NPR) local NPR correspondent Dan Rosenthal interviewed national NPR correspondent Yuki Noguchi for a preview of the Taylor Anderson/Japan Foundation lecture.  You can listen to the interview by clicking anniversary.
  • March 13, 2012:  The Asahi Shimbun (Japanese newspaper) sent a reporter to the lecture and also covered a pre-lecture news conference held by R-MC.  You can read the article by clicking on Asahi Shimbun.
  • March 12, 2012:  NHK World Japanese Television sent a reporter to campus several times to interview the Andersons (Taylor’s parents) as well as the March 11 lecture. You can watch the story by clicking on NHK.  Note:  This story is only available for viewing through this weekend.

March 12, 2012:  Here is a look at some local coverage:



Mar 16

International Educator magazine article remembers Monty and Taylor

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Thanks to JETAA Music City’s Terry Vo (Kumamoto-ken, 2007-09) and JETAA Northern California’s Peter Weber (Saitama-ken, 2004-07) (both of whom work as JET Coordinators at their local Consulates) for sharing this excellent International Educator magazine article (“Overcoming Chaos“)about the various ways the Tohoku disaster affected a variety of international education programs, including the JET Program.  The writer does a nice job of capturing the spirit and essence of Monty Dickson and Taylor Anderson towards the end of the article, and what we lost when we lost them.

Here’s the link to the article (PDF):  http://www.nafsa.org/_/File/_/ie_marapr12_japan.pdf

Notably, the article also quotes JET alum Kate Maruyama who is the Japan programs manager for CET Academic Programs in Washington, D.C.  And it indicates that Ashley Mar, the UC Santa Barbara biology student who happened to be studying abroad at Tohoku Biology University on 3/11 and was required to return to the U.S. despite her desire to stay, is now applying for the JET Program.


Mar 14

Return on JET-vestment: Fukushima JET alums help bring Fukushima youth taiko group to DC for Cherry Blossom Festival

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The Fukushima Taiko Drummers meet U.S. Ambassador to Japan, John V. Roos, before they head to D.C. in April.

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JETAA DC members Michelle Spezzacatena (Fukushima-ken, Kawamata-cho, 2002-05) and Darryl Wharton-Rigby (Fukushima-ken, Kawamata-cho, 2005-07) were both teachers in the town of Kawamata in Fukushima Prefecture. Michelle was there from 2002-2005 and overlapped one week with Darryl, who was there from 2005-2007. Thanks to the magic of Facebook they were able to keep in contact throughout the years. After the earthquake and subsequent nuclear disaster, Darryl and Michelle were talking about how they could help their Japanese hometown. The idea of bringing the taiko group to DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival was born out of those discussions. (Editor’s note:  In addition to Michelle’s work on this project, she also serves on the JETAA USA Fund Committee and previously served as JETAA DC President.)

In Michelle’s words:  “We brought the idea to the Japan America Society in DC who immediately fell in love with it too. Thanks to the generous financial support of the US Japan council, the project was fully funded. We have been working with Anna Cable (USJC), Ambassador Malott (JASW), JET alum Marc Hitzig (JASW), Shigeko Bork (former Kawamata resident now living in DC) and Masako Mori (Diet member from Fukushima) on the project. Darryl and I are the co-coordinators and have been doing most of the heavy lifting. We are also officially part of the TOMODACHI Initiative.”

Fukushima JET alums Michelle Spezzacatena (2002-05) and Darryl Wharton-Rigby (2005-07)

“The students will be here from April 7-17 and they have a jam packed schedule. We will be doing a homestay program, they will be performing at numerous locations including the National Cherry Blossom Parade/Sakura Matsuri/Kennedy Center, we will be sightseeing and hopefully we’ll be doing a meet and greet with the new Orioles player, Wada-san and a Orioles/Yankees game day performance at Orioles Park. Darryl and I are excited to be with them the entire time they’ll be in the US.”

Michelle notes that CNNGo just published the first major article about the trip. A very exciting start!

CNNGo:  “Fukushima Taiko drummers Japan’s newest stateside export:  Evacuee youth group gets its show on the road for April D.C. cherry blossom festival”

Michelle adds:  “NHK Japan is also working on a piece on Darryl and I in the context of what JETs are doing to help Japan after the earthquake. They have been following us around to different events and will be for another two weeks. The piece will run on NHK Japan’s News9 broadcase during the first week of April when the anchor is doing the show live from DC. They will also try to do an English version to show on NHK World.”

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Below is a press release about the taiko group’s upcoming performance at the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Michelle Spezzacatena- michellespezzacatena@gmail.com

STUDENT TAIKO GROUP FROM FUKUSHIMA INVITED TO NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Read More


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