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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***

Job Positions: Account Manager (IT Outsourcing) at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Details: Data Center Cabling Engineer at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Description

BiOS is looking for a data center cabling engineer to work as a part of our multinational IT engineering team to provide support for our global financial clients in Kanto area.

Ambitious and sensible IT engineers with cabling skills, great organizational skills and a clear understanding of customer relationship are also highly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

- Providing cabling support to help designing the cabling system in data center
- Coordinate with network and server engineers regarding schedules and contents of the cabling services
- Collaborate with third cabling vendors for completions of the project assigned
- Under supervision of our data center and project managers, configure servers and networking by following procedures requested by the client
- Report to managers regarding confirmation of activities

Required Skills and Experiences

- At least one year of experience as a cabling engineer or equivalent (i.e. server/network configuration, etc.)
- Understanding of networking and cabling infrastructure systems
- Experience working in data center environment preferred
- Strong communications and scheduling management skills
- Flexibility to work under shift
- Business-level English and daily-conversational Japanese language skills are required

Contact:

BiOS Inc.
Roppongi OG Bldg. 3F, 1-3-4 nishi Azabu,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031, Japan
Tel: +81-3-4588-2221 Fax: +81-3-4588-2229
E-mail: opportunities@biosjp.com
Web: www.biosjp.com

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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***

Job Positions: Sales Team Account Manager at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Details:

Job Description
BiOS is now looking for an account manager to join our multinational sales team.

This is an ideal role for a bilingual with some sales experience and a familiarity with IT infrastructure and framework. Those interested in taking their career to the next level with one of Tokyo’s up and coming foreign sales teams are highly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities
- Representing BiOS as a member of the frontline Sales Team
- Introducing and expanding BiOS business with the goal of increasing revenue and profit
- Finding new business leads, initiating contact with potential clients – opening and closing deals
- Handling and managing customer relationships to include – project and service requests, procurement needs and the full lifecycle of service delivery
- Achieving monthly, quarterly, and annual sales objectives
- Attending and building a healthy networking in the Tokyo multinational market – chamber networking events, trade shows and industry presentations
- Coordinate for project management activities and assignments

Required Skills and Experiences
- Familiarity in Japanese business etiquette
- Bilingual English/Japanese
- Motivated self-starter
- Able to develop relationships and close deals
- Interest in IT and basic understanding of infrastructure / networks beneficial
- Prior experience in a customer facing role
- Well organized and an acute attention to details
- Should have business-level English and Japanese language abilities.

Contact:

BiOS Inc.
Roppongi OG Bldg. 3F, 1-3-4 nishi Azabu,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031, Japan
Tel: +81-3-4588-2221 Fax: +81-3-4588-2229
E-mail: opportunities@biosjp.com
Web: www.biosjp.com

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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***

Job Positions: Bilingual sales Administrator-Assistant at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Details:

We are currently looking for a Bilingual Sales Administrator/Assistant to join our Outsourcing team at BiOS. An ideal candidate should be someone who is willing to contribute to our growing business as a part of our team. This is a great opportunity to apply your bilingual as well as gain practical experience in the international environment.

Responsibilities

- Provide daily assistance to our Outsourcing team including an Outsourcing manager and Account Managers
- Compose and edit official documents, such as invoices and contracts, with the Human Resources and General Administration departments
- Input and organize personal information of outsourcing staff, such as their salary, the content of their employment contracts, and other related materials
- Transfer external calls to individual extension numbers as well as take care of visitors and guests
- Translate both internal and external documents as well as cope with any issues related to sales administration in the office

Required Skills and Experiences

- At least one year of administration, sales assistant, or secretarial experience is required.
- Any experience with contracts and invoices is preferred.
- Ability to utilize Microsoft Office (mainly Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook) for daily tasks is required.
- Any experience in providing office assistance, such as copying, organizing files, mailing, and other related tasks, is preferred.
- Business-level English, Native-level Japanese

Contact:

BiOS Inc.
Roppongi OG Bldg. 3F, 1-3-4 nishi Azabu,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031, Japan
Tel: +81-3-4588-2221 Fax: +81-3-4588-2229
E-mail: opportunities@biosjp.com
Web: www.biosjp.com

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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***

Job Positions: Account Manager (IT Outsourcing) at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Details:

BiOS is looking for an Account Manager to join our multinational IT outsourcing team in Tokyo.

In this position, you will be responsible for maintaining and building relationships with international clients regarding our IT infrastructure outsourcing services, as well as managing conditions of our dispatched staffs who are providing IT support at our clients on-site.

An ideal candidate should be someone who is willing to contribute to our growing business as a part of our team. This is a great opportunity to apply your bilingual as well as gain practical experience in the international environment.

Responsibilities

- Manage client accounts regarding our staffing, recruitment, and IT outsourcing services in Tokyo, Osaka, Okinawa, and other areas within Japan where clients ask to provide services for
- Also build relationships with clients to provide long-term services
- Set up meetings with clients often to get update about their current status, as well as a feedback regarding our services
- Discuss with internal staffs (contract, outsourced, etc.) to update their current work situation and ensure they are satisfied
- Prepare sales quota every month and report to managers
- Work with candidate coordination staff regarding the current job openings from clients
- Coordinate with internal administration and accounting staffs during invoicing period

Required Skills and Experiences

- At least one year of sales, client facing, or equivalent experience in Japan
- Strong communications and negotiations skills with clients
- Understanding of invoicing process will be a plus
- Knowledge of IT industry and outsourcing business model will be a plus
- Business-level English and Japanese language skills are required

Contact:

BiOS Inc.
Roppongi OG Bldg. 3F, 1-3-4 nishi Azabu,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031, Japan
Tel: +81-3-4588-2221 Fax: +81-3-4588-2229
E-mail: opportunities@biosjp.com
Web: www.biosjp.com

Job Details:

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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***

Job Positions: Bilingual Helpdesk Engineer at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Details:

BiOS is currently looking for a Bilingual Helpdesk Engineer to work at our international IT company in Roppongi and provide IT support remotely to our clients who are mainly international companies. The service will be provided in both English and Japanese.

Qualified candidates will be responsible for handling and organizing questions and claims regarding IT devices and programs. This is a great opportunity to apply your bilingual skill as a Helpdesk Engineer in an international environment.

Responsibilities

- Responsible for first-level IT support response to end users via phone or email
- Responding to usual IT-related problems (usually user interface. Determine problem, report to engineer, follow up)
- Checking mail inquiries, categorizing them, and responding
- Assisting with installation of additional Video Conference equipment (field survey, scheduling, reserving engineers, follow-up, etc.)
- Taking first-level questions from users when called regarding how to use the Video Conference. Determine the Video Conference problem, report to engineers, follow up
- Determine the Sound Station problem, report to engineers, follow up
- First-level response to printer problems. Report to engineers, follow up
- Respond to LAN/WAN construction work (field survey, scheduling, reserving engineers, follow-up, etc.
- Helping with new project preparation
- Respond to requests for folder access, check and forward to service lead

Required Skills and Experiences

- Call center, helpdesk, or equivalent experience, preferably in international atmosphere
- Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Conversational English, Native-level Japanese

The ideal candidate:

- Enjoys supporting users and is responsive
- Has high communication skills
- Someone with common sense, with flexibility and judgment to respond cleverly to various situations
- Does not mind doing occasional physical work
- Someone with the desire to learn many new skills

Contact:

BiOS Inc.
Roppongi OG Bldg. 3F, 1-3-4 nishi Azabu,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031, Japan
Tel: +81-3-4588-2221 Fax: +81-3-4588-2229
E-mail: opportunities@biosjp.com
Web: www.biosjp.com

On January 18, 2012, sites all over the internet will be blacking out to protest and try to mobilize more people to speak out against this bill coming up in the Senate next week — S. 968: the Protect IP Act (PIPA) — in an attempt to let U.S. lawmakers know how much opposition there is.

If the bill passes in the U.S. Senate, it will put publishing freedom severely at risk, and could shut down entire sites at the whim of media companies. Fight for the Future created this nifty video to sum it up better than I can.

http://vimeo.com/31100268

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Also, please take a few minutes to visit americancensorship.org and take action. It only takes a few moments of your time to be an agent of change!

Happy New Year!  After a very nice albeit busy Oshougatsu here in Japan, I’m back with the first round up of JET related news for 2012.

• JETAASC Newsletter 12/29/2011
  JETAA Southern California released it’s last newsletter of 2011 on the 29th of December with a summary of the chapter’s annual Bonenkai, info about their upcoming Shinnenkai for anyone who missed out previously, as well as several job listings.
• JETAA Portland Shinnenkai 2012
  Come out and hang with JETAA Portland at their Shinnenkai on January 14th.  Space is limited and the last day to RSVP is Wednesday January 12th so hop to it!
• Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival Songwriting Contest
  2012 marks 100 years since the Mayor of Tokyo presented 3000 cherry blossom trees to Washington D.C., and in celebration this year the city of Nashville, TN is holding a song writing contest in conjunction with their fourth annual Cherry Blossom Festival.  If you’re in the area on March the 24th then definitely go check it out!
• JETAA Tokyo Shinnenkai 2012
  Come out and hang with JETAA Tokyo as we host our 2012 Shinnenkai on January 27th at one of the most loved Mexican restaurants in central Tokyo!

At Kyoto’s Kiyomizu Temple, 今年の漢字 (kotoshi no kanji), or the kanji of the year was just announced to be 絆 (kizuna) or bonds between people.  According to the Japanese Kanji Proficiency Society, the rationale behind its selection by the based on ideas from the public was that in a disaster-ridden year that brought a nation closer together, kizuna best reflects the events of 2011.  These bonds include those among family members, friends and neighbors, as well as refers to support from abroad.  It was chosen with the hope that the world will continue to coalesce to help restore Japan.

As for how this year’s お正月 (oshougatsu) nine months after the disaster will be spent, it seems as if most people are being low-key and staying close to home due to 3-11.  Many are still in mourning for the lives that were lost, and this probably will continue until the one-year anniversary next year.  People aren’t even sure what to write on their new year’s cards, as the typical 新年おめでとう (shinnen omedetou) or “Happy New Year!” may not be appropriate.  Below are some suggestions (in Japanese) for what to write on 年賀状 (nengajou) to those in the disaster area.

祝いの語を使わない例

www.interesseclub.com

JETwit.com is pleased to welcome its newest sponsor, interesseclub, a subsidiary company of staffing/recruiting firm Interesse International, Inc.

interesseclub offers a progressive matchmaking service, from registration through marriage, and is based in both the U.S. and Japan.

To learn more and/or to register, visit the interesseclub website or contact them in:

• New York: 212-391-7767
• Los Angeles: 310-414-4541
• Sillicon Valley: 650-218-9464

Online registration available 24/7!

WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.

Time truly flies, as I can’t believe it has been so long since I’ve been here.  At any rate, tadaima!

Although almost nine months have passed since the earthquake/tsunami in Fukushima, and I am glad to say that the recoverｙ effort is still on people’s minds.  Last night I went to the Artist Showcase and Fundraiser for Japan held at Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki’s Residence. The event featured a reception honoring a visiting Fukushima prefectural government delegation to New York, along with artwork (some from JET alumni!) available for silent auction purchase.

Ambassador Hiroki offered his comments, and a representative of the Fukushima prefectural governor read a letter from him on his behalf.  On display were Fukushima goods, and guests partook of Fukushima sake as well as local culinary offerings such as delicious rice and peaches.  The filled to capacity crowd seemed to enjoy themselves and were glad to be able to contribute, even in a small way, to the ongoing struggle to restore normalcy in Fukushima.

For those who weren’t able to attend last night but feel like they want to do something to help the cause, there is an event tonight in Union Square being held by the Blue Sky Project, a group of young Fukushima enterpreneurs, with backing from the New York Fukushima Prefectural Association.  For details, please see the press release below and hope to see you all there!

New York, NY – November 25, 2011 – Members of Young Entrepreneurs Group in various regions of Fukushima, Japan formed and established a group called “Blue Sky Project” and will be in New York to raise their spirit of rebuilding their hometown after experiencing the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami followed by ill-fated Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear disaster. New York is the aspiration for Fukushima that the city also has experienced September 11th, and has been recovering financially and mentally from the tragedy. Fukushima has been suffering from financial damages and harmful reputation from radiation scare even after 8 ½ months later. In order to overcome the negative images and views towards Fukushima, the members of “Blue Sky Project” and its supporters of New Yorkers will conduct the event: Support Fukushima Candle Night.

This has been a challenging year for JET and JETAA.  We lost two of our own, many of us lost friends and we al perhaps l lost part of some familiar notion of Japan that existed before the earthquake and tsunami.

This year’s Thanksgiving may feel like an acute reminder to take stock and be thankful for all that we have and all that we still have to look forward to.

Ganbare Nippon and Ganbare JET Alumni.

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy Thanksgiving.

Emily Lemmon, (Hyogo-ken, Shiso-shi, 2009-present), PSG volunteer, organizer of Hyogo-ken’s PEPY Ride, student of Shorinji Kempo, and editor of the Hyogo Times, gives a little taste of what JETs are doing around Japan.  To submit items for future JET Prefecture Round-up posts, e-mail Emily at jetinfogather [at] gmail.com.

Events by Region

Tohoku Region

Iwate

• AJET’s Thanksgiving Cabin Party is November 26th-27th!

Kantou Region

Chiba

• Chiba JETs are prepping for the Tokyo Yamathon 2011.
• Chiba JETs 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Dinner is November 23rd!

Chubu Region

Shizuoka

• Shizuoka JET Christmas party is December 9th!

Nagano

• November 26th is the Nagano AJET Thanksgiving Dinner and Charity Auction in Ina!

Toyama

• Lots of International Festivals in Toyama this season! Next up is the December 10th Namerikawa International Day.

Kansai Region

Nara

• The Christmas Smile Kids Japan visit will be on Saturday, December 10 from 1-4pm.

Hyogo

• Hyogo will host the Awaji ALT Football Tournament on Awajishima Friday 18th – Sunday 20th November.
• Hyogonians get their “JETs on Jitenshas” on in the Fall PEPY Ride in Himeji November 20th.
• The Shiso Sale is happening until December 10th, to benefit PEPY and Cambodia!
• Thanksgiving Dinner in Kobe, November 23rd!
• A Very Shiso Thanksgiving will be held in Shiso on November 26th.

Osaka

• Osaka JETs are re-visiting Shinodoyama Orphanage in Izumi-shi on November 23rd.
• Moustache Bash is December 2nd in Osaka!

Wakayama

• Path of Prayer (Kumano Kodo) takes its next walk on November 20th in Shingu!

Shikoku Region

• Shikoku Field Day will be held in Shikoku Saburo no Sato, in Mima City, Tokushima on November 26th and 27th.

Ehime

• All JETs and their JTEs are invited to the Skills Development Conference Enkai at Hadaka no Osama in Matsuyama on December 1st!
• Jam for Japan is scheduled for December 10th to raise money for donation  to Tohoku.
• Ehime JETs are doing a Christmas Party and Secret Santa orphanage visit in Matsuyama on December 17th

Kochi

• Kochi JETs are invited to Tea Ceremony on November 23rd in Takajo-machi.
• Kochi JETs are invited to a free tour of Tengu Highlands on November 26th!

Kyushu Region

Oita

• Oita International Fair is November 23rd!
• The Annual Oita AJET Sumo Trip is coming up on Saturday, November 26th!

Kumamoto

• KumAJET will climb the 3,333 steps on November 19th!

Kagoshima

• The 2011 SDC Reception Party is November 24th in Kagoshima City!
• 2011 Annual Sata Misaki Marathon & Walk is December 4th!
• Kagoshima JETs will sing at Hark the Herald ALTs and Friends Sing on December 10th at AmuPlaza.

Industry Experts: Pam Kavalam, Shannan Spisak, Clara Solomon, Jillian Rodriguez and Katrina Barnas

Update:  Click below to listen to a recording of the panel discussion.

• JETAANYIndustryPanel

Monday found about 15 JET alums meeting on the 20th floor of 3 Park Avenue, current home of the New York branch of CLAIR (The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, aka the “Japan Local Government Center”). Gathered over jasmine tea and Thai finger food, JETAANY presented a chance for job-seekers to talk to JET alums (and a few non-alums) who currently work in the worlds of higher education and exchange programs. The five panelists included Pam Kavalam (Shiga-ken), a student advisor at NYU’s Wagner School, Clara Solomon (Tottori-ken), Director of Counseling and Career Development at NYU’s School of Law, Katrina Barnas (Chiba-ken), Associate Director at the Institute of International Business at Columbia Business School, Shannan Spisak (Kanagawa-ken), Program Officer at the Institute of International Education, and Jillian Rodriguez, who works for the Program of Financial Studies at Columbia Busies school.

Amber Liang (Kochi-ken), herself a Senior Programs Coordinator for the International House at Columbia, moderated the forum with a series of questions that laid bare the realities of working in the higher ed world. The panelists explained how they got into the field, the pros and cons of their job, the education requirements needed to work in a college or university, and where they thought the higher ed industry would be in five years.

While all the panelists had very different jobs and fell into the industry in different ways, there were a lot of things they agreed on. First, higher ed hiring is slow! Don’t be discouraged if you apply and don’t hear back for months. Second, having a Masters degree isn’t required to start at an entry-level position, but people will expect you to start one while you work there, especially of your institution offers free classes or tuition benefits. And even if you don’t get hired for the job that you apply for, many resumes are shared internally, so put your best foot forward and apply anyway! Third, there are good opportunities for mobility in higher ed offices. Starting in administration is a good way to start, as long as you don’t stay there too long. Learning more about the institution and the other offices will give you a chance to move to different, and possibly higher, positions. The one downside being that while you may move up, your paycheck might not.

Lastly, as for the future of higher ed jobs: they aren’t going anywhere in the near future, however free classes for employees or benefits are likely to be reduced or cut because of budget constraints. It’s important to think carefully about the benefits other than money that you can gain working in higher ed. If you want to earn a Master’s while working, it’s an excellent opportunity, but if you want to make a fortune it might not be your cup of tea!

Hearing the stories of our sempai was a truly helpful and inspiring experience. A lot of us are struggling in the job market at the moment, and it’s events like these that give us a glimpse of the struggle our successful friends have had, and the gumption to keep on trying our best!

Carolyn Brooks (Ishikawa-ken, Kanazawa, 2006-11) is co-author of the blog MadSilence–a cross-cultural blog written with her father–and a current culture/education related job-seeker in the NY area available for full-time or consulting work.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the Japan Society in NYC. Hidden behind an outwardly unassuming facade across the street from the United Nations, The Japan Society has been promoting Japanese-American relations since 1907. Inside, the Society shows its true character as the indoor gardens, water features, and shoji-inspired walkways wow visitors as much as the broad range of classes, exhibitions, and lectures they hold each year.

"W-Orbit" by Akio Hamatani

Currently showing (until December 18th) is “Fiber Futures: Japan’s Textile Pioneers.” It’s a collaboration between The Japan Society and Textile Network Japan along with Tama Art University Museum. As you enter the exhibit, you walk through the first piece of art! The doorway is covered with a noren, or traditional door curtain, made of space-age materials that look like watered silk and gold leaf. It was one great example of how the 30 artists who contributed pieces combined traditional techniques and modern materials to show the versatility and beauty of textiles….

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE POST…

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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***

Job Position: Product Manager – Japanese Products (San Francisco, CA)

Job Details:

At Yelp, we pride ourselves in being a hyper local product. Yelp is already available in nine countries and we’re starting to work on bringing Yelp to Japan. This role will involve customizing the Yelp product to make sure it feels truly local to our users in Japan.

We need a Product Manager who can design beautiful-but-simple features, crank out mockups and is passionate about how culturally unique different countries are. You should be fluent in Japanese and a definite plus is if you currently live in or have spent a large amount of time (at least 10 years) living in Japan.

You will:

Requirements (and we mean it!):
+ Techie Cred: CS or similar degree so you can talk to our enginerds about Python, map reduce jobs, and naive Bayesian algorithms without a translator.

+ i18n Experience: Knowledge of and experience dealing with the challenges that launching a product in multiple languages creates. You will work with our engineering team on optimizing our translation and localization workflows.

+ Passion about the Space: You love the world of social networking, local search and consumer websites.

+ Non-Nerd Empathy: You’re interested in FriendFeed, Twitter, etc. as much as the next nerd, but you also recognize that you’re designing for a non-techie audience.

+ A Conditional Love for Yelp: Like a BFF or a tee ball coach, you should love us but also be able to tell us what we’re doing wrong. You’ll need to be able to dish out the criticism here and take it, too.

+ A Need for Speed: Daily release cycle? Bring it!

Carolyn Brooks (Ishikawa-ken, Kanazawa, 2006-11) is co-author of the blog MadSilence–a cross-cultural blog written with her father–and a current culture/education related job-seeker in the NY area available for full-time or consulting work.

I was so excited when I saw a friend post on Facebook this morning that the most recent Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli film, “The Secret World of Arrietty” will be in theaters in the US in February of 2012! I was lucky enough to see it in theaters in July of 2010, and I was blown away. You can watch the Japanese trailer here.

The story is based off the classic children’s novel “The Borrowers” by Mary Norton. Essentially, the Borrowers are kobito, literally “tiny people,” who live by borrowing the things they need from humans. They live under the floorboards or close to human’s houses so they can sneak in when no-one’s around to borrow what they need. The main characters are Arrietty and her family, the last remaining Borrower family in their area. One day, while borrowing sugar from the house, Arrietty is seen by the sick boy who’s come to visit the house for the summer. What will happen now that a human has seen her? The adventure begins!

Studio Ghibli films are always beautifully produced, but I thought that Arrietty was even a step above their normal production. The scenery from the garden around the house was exquisite… every leaf, flower and dew drop was so fresh and colorful that when you watch it on the big screen you truly feel you are the size of a Borrower, walking though the jungle of an overgrown garden. The soundtrack was equally amazing – ethereal and quirky, performed by the immensely talented French singer and harpist Cecile Corbel. I’m not one for buying movie soundtracks, but after I saw the movie I immediately went to the closest Tower Records and bought the “Kari-gurashi SONGBOOK” soundtrack, which has all of the best themes and songs from the movie on it. Check out the main theme here.

Disney will be releasing Arrietty in February. Although I’m a die-hard subtitle fan, I’ve been really impressed by Disney’s translation and dubbing for the other Ghibli movies. They bring in top-notch actors and really smooth out the dialogue while keeping close to the original meaning and feeling of the Japanese. Translation of movies has got to be one of the hardest jobs ever – it’s not just language but a whole different set of cultural cues that you’re translating for another audience. Arrietty will be voiced by Bridget Mendler and supported by a great cast including Carol Burnett, Amy Poehler, and Will Arnet.

I know that most of us have seen or heard of Miyazaki’s movies before – perhaps Studio Ghibli’s movies are part of what drew us to Japan.  Movies, anime, and traditional artwork were the things that got me interested in Japan in the first place!  What are some of your favorite Ghibli movies?   Mine include:

Porco Rosso (紅の豚 Kurenai no Buta), the Casablanca-esque story of a mysteriously enchanted pig-cum-bounty hunter who swoops around the Adriatic saving school children and the hearts of beautiful cafe owners…

My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ Tonari no Totoro), a story of two little girls who move to a new house in the country with their father. Strangely enough, the house is inhabited by an amazing array or spirits that can only be seen by children, including the large, fuzzy, and toothy monster called Totoro and his friend the Cat Bus.

Howl’s Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城 Hauru no Ugoku Shiro), based on the Diana Wynne Jones YA book of the same name, is a light tale of love and magic with a twist of Miyazaki’s anti-war messages…

Posted by Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91), coauthor of The Sushi Lover’s Cookbook and Tokyo Chic and contributor to Time Out Tokyo and Time Out Shortlist Tokyo. He blogs as “Tokyo Tom Baker.”

The three-day 2011 Tokyo Truck Show is currently under way (Oct 27-29), and I went to the first day of it to cover it for my blog. In addition to dozens of trucks, there were also all sorts of truck-related merchandise. The more unusual items included a gigantic ink jet printer that you can drive your truck into to have some quick artwork applied, and an air-conditioned sleeping bag for hot summer nights in the back of the cab.

You can find more details, photos and a couple of videos at this link.

Here’s the link to join:  http://www.linkedin.com/groups?homeNewMember=&gid=4145299&trk=&ut=1tt3q-WQ4vCkY1

Also here’s a link to the full list of JET Alum professional and prefecture LinkedIn groups out there.  And a reminder that if you don’t see one that fits, start your own and we’ll post it here on JETwit.

WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.

This weekend’s NYT featured two interesting Japan articles in the magazine and Sunday Styles section.  The former features the country’s living cultural treasure novelist Haruki Murakami, whom the article’s author spends time with in Tokyo to dissect his newest book 1Q84 as well as his older works.

The latter article discusses the popularity of 八重歯 (yaeba), or double teeth that look that fangs (aka “snaggleteeth”).  Apparently this fashion calls not for perfect smiles, but unstraight teeth.  Women are asking dentists to affix plastic fronts to their real teeth to create artificial yaeba, as shown here in the picture.

Upon asking two young Japanese women who were visiting the city about yaeba, they said it was the first they had heard of it.  I’ll see what further informal surveys reveal about whether this is a real trend, or just something being sensationalized by the media.

Agent Day with Mary Kole, October 29
Time:   　　         Saturday October 29, 2011

Place:                             Yokohama International School, Middle Building, Cafeteria

For access information and maps visit www.yis.ac.jp

Fee:         

5,000 yen SCBWI members

8,000 yen nonmembers

Reservations Required:
To register visit www.scbwi.jp

This event will be in English. 

Saturday, October 29, 2011

10:00-10:30
Registration, Announcements and Opening Remarks

10:30-12:00
Three Things That Separate Aspiring Writers
from Published Authors

This presentation will offer an overview of the children’s book market as it stands today and a discussion of three vital things
that writers must add to their craft portfolio before they can write their breakout book.

Lunch
Break
Lunch will not be served. Please bring lunch or join other writers and illustrators at nearby cafés.

1:30-2:30
Slush Pile Secrets: How to Catch an Agent’s
Eye With Your Query

Queries intimidate a lot of writers, but it’s easy to get to the top of a slush pile if you write a great one. This talk
will feature query examples from the audience, go over common mistakes, and show you how to write a successful letter. (See below for details.)

3:00-4:00
First Pages Open Critiques

Writers and author/illustrators are invited to submit the beginning of a manuscript to be read and commented on by Mary Kole. Novels: up
to 150 words. Picture books: up to 100 words/first three spreads for a dummy.
(See below for details.)

4:15-5:00
Final Q&A

Participants will have a chance to ask any remaining questions.

First
Pages and Queries First Pages and Queries will be discussed in
open sessions listed above. To send First Pages and Queries, reserve early. First
Pages and Queries must be received by October 1.

Accommodation
Hotels
convenient to Yokohama International School include Star Hotel, Hotel Monterey
Yokohama, Hotel New Grand, and Washington Hotel Sakuragicho.