Two JET alumni (Wakayama 09-12), Paul Champaloux and Joy Young, have entered their JET love story in a Facebook contest. They are asking the JET community for help to reach their goal of 1,000 votes by April 10th. JETwit realizes their story is one of many, so we’d like to take this chance to support them in their endeavor and hear from other JET couples about their own stories!
HELP VOTE for Paul and Joy’s story, then SHARE your own JET love story in the comments below!
1. Vote here: A JET Love Story
2. “Like” the Ko’olau Ballroom Facebook page (top right) to see the story.
3. VOTE for “Serendipity in Japan” by clicking the black ‘VOTE’ button. One vote per person.
“Expect the unexpected.” As I prepared to leave for Japan, that phrase kept popping up whenever I asked for advice on the JET experience. “Sure,” I thought, “the food will be different. The culture and language too, but I did my research and I’m ready for anything!” Well, almost anything. Little did I know that I would sit in front of my future fiancée on Day One of Tokyo Orientation!
The pair of us certainly make a unique couple: I’m from the East Coast with French and Spanish roots and never expected to meet someone as beautiful and cute as Joy from Hawaii. By some extreme luck (or was it destiny?), we ended up both being placed in the same prefecture: Wakayama, whose JET inhabitants affectionately called the “LOVE ken” thanks to a fairly catchy song “WAKAYAMA LOVE SONG.” Ironic, right?
No experience bonded us more than the JET experience did. Wakayama is very inaka and with each JET located far apart, everyone would try to stay connected in other ways typically through Facebook and Skype. As soon as we connected to the internet, most of us immediately “friended” all the ALTs around us, Joy and I being no exception. I still recall our extensive Facebook messages sharing everything from favorite Japanese pastries to great local places to try out (note: we like food). Even when a huge typhoon struck two months into our first year, I still remember Skyping Joy well into the night while we huddled under our respective kotatsus and the buildings groaned under the shrieking wind outside.
Those types of unique experiences really solidified not only the relationship between Joy and I, but our friendship with other JETs as well. While the exact situations each JET has lived through are different, there still exists an underlying ability to relate to one another. When Joy and I eventually returned to the U.S., we, like many others, felt lost and struck by culture shock. We reached out to our networks and quickly realized the value of the JET alumni in Washington, D.C. for they not only understood our situation, but they also could offer professional advice and priceless friendship.
Our wedding day would not be complete without our JET friends who will be invited to this joyous celebration and also moments that defined our JET experience. Ours is not only a personal love story, it’s a JET love story too.
Job: Assistant Director & Advisor (Combined Position) – Kalamazoo College (MI)


Via JET alum Carleen Ben. Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai, seeking work opportunities in NYC starting in August 2014.
Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Assistant Director of the Center for International Programs (Latin America)/International Students and Scholars Adviser
Posted by: Kalamazoo College
Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Type: full-time
Overview:
Job: Study Abroad Program Coordinator – University of Chicago


Via JET alum Carleen Ben. Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Study Abroad Program Coordinator
Posted by: University of Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL
Type: full-time
Overview:
Study Abroad Program Coordinator: Responsible for coordinating and administering all phases of assigned study abroad programs. The Study Abroad Program Coordinator is the key contact person for faculty, students and personnel abroad regarding University of Chicago programs in a dynamic office with growing program portfolios. This position requires both broad vision for international education and attention to detail, as well as strong communication and organizational skills. The Program Coordinator should be both meticulous and flexible, and able to work cooperatively with international partners and scholars, as well as staff from other units of the University, faculty, and students. The Program Coordinator (PC) is a 12-month position and requires the ability to travel domestically and internationally.
Life After JET: A Rabu (Love) Story


The original article was first published in Volume 48 No.4 Summer 2013-2014 edition of Japan Reports from the Consulate-General of Japan, Sydney, and also reproduced on the JETAA NSW site. The article was written by Blair Milne (Nara-ken ALT, 2010-2012), originally from Scotland, on how he met and married a fellow JET (Carly Milne, Nara-ken ALT, 2010-2012), and finally settled with her in her hometown of Sydney, Australia, both of whom kindly gave their permission for re-publication.
Posted by Eden Law (Fukushima-ken ALT, 2010-2011), of JETAA NSW.
Japan: A Rabu (Love) Story
My name is Blair and I came from Scotland to work as a JET in Nara Prefecture for two years. Among all the fantastic opportunities that came from working on the JET Programme, I was lucky to meet my Australian wife Carly early on in my time in Japan. So after proposing during the Sakura Light Up at Nijo Castle in Kyoto, then marrying in the Old Town of Edinburgh, we have “returned” to Sydney to begin our lives after JET. In this article, I wish to reflect on my experience on the JET Programme, and the importance of maintaining links to Japan.
Firstly, I came on the JET Programme to experience living in a culture alien to my own, and to experience life on the other side of the world (and, of course, for the sushi). The things that excited me most were being able to contribute to school life, and to introduce aspects of my own culture to the school. At the same time, knowing no Japanese was a daunting prospect. In hindsight, all the initial worries were largely unwarranted. No matter how alien the language was, some form of assistance was never too far away, and common sense was a winner. From buying a train ticket to finding food in the supermarket, I took my time and tried not to be overwhelmed.
It was at a welcome BBQ for new JETs on the banks of the Totsukawa River that I first met Carly. Carly had come on the programme a year before, having studied Japanese at school then university. When Carly offered me a piece of her renkon (a Japanese vegetable), I knew we were destined to be partners in crime.
There are two senior high schools in Kashihara City: My school, Unebi, and my wife’s school, Kashihara. So when we were first spotted together, sipping coffee at Mister Donuts, I dread to think of the commotion we might have caused in the town. Certainly, grinning students became a pleasant part of life early on in our relationship. Later on, Carly and I were able to share parts of our life with our Japanese friends, from photos of our wedding, to stories about our travels around Japan. Sharing our life experience with friends in Japan was one of the best parts about being in Japan for Carly and me.
Relationships are such an integral part of being on JET, from students to colleagues to Japanese friends outside work, as well as other expats living in Japan. In many respects, it is important anywhere, but the unique situation of being on JET can add challenges: differences in language and culture can change dynamics in both obvious and subtle ways. I think for me, overcoming these differences was my biggest achievement on JET. (Apart from marrying Carly, of course!)
Now, living in Australia, I can look back fondly on everything I did in Japan, knowing I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t partaken in the JET Programme. Being in Australia for me also means learning about a new culture in much the same way as I did in Japan; new concepts like “a fair go” or Aussie Battler instead of Honne-Tatemae* and Salaryman. The smell of wattle in place of harvested rice fields, bushfires instead of typhoons, and Flat Whites instead of Frappucinos. Although I am loving life in Australia, and trying to make the most of the opportunities here, Carly and I both look forward to returning to Japan to see friends and maintain a connection to the community in which we met, and to remember all the little things about Japan that made us smile.
Blair Milne
WIT Life #261: After Life


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 along with her own observations.
Last night Japan Society concluded its Tribute to Donald Richie: Richie’s Fantastic Five with a screening of After Life (「ワンダフルライフ」), my favorite film from my favorite Japanese director, Hirokazu Kore-eda (The second part of the Richie Tribute, Richie’s Electric Eight, will start on March 13). It was released in 1998, and I remember catching it at the local arts cinema in my hometown. I hadn’t seen Kore-eda’s first film, Maboroshi (「幻の光」), and I was blown away by After Life. Maboroshi was based on a novel by Teru Miyamoto, but After Life is Kore-eda’s original screenplay, one he created after interviewing hundreds regarding recollections of their lives. In the film as well he actually used some of these non-actors to tell their stories.
The movie takes place at a way station where people are sent after they die. They are to reside there for a week, during which time they must pick one memory that they are allowed to take with them into the afterlife. Each counselor is assigned about seven people who they must help make this decision. The style of each employee varies, as does the nature of their clients. We meet elderly deceased who fondly recall their childhoods, as well as young deceased who struggle to find meaning in their short lives. The audience also later learns that the reason Read More
WIT Life #260: Shohei Imamura Film Festival at Asia Society


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 along with her own observations.
First of all, a belated 明けましておめでとうございます! It’s been a busy start to 2014, but I’m happy to be blogging again in the year of the horse (午年 or umadoshi). It being umadoshi is good news for people like me whose animal sign is the horse, as one is said to have good luck when the zodiac sign for the current year is the same as the one from the year when you were born. This makes me what is called a 年女 (toshi onna), and I’m hoping this year of the horse gives me faster feet in the many marathons I run…
In conjunction with the Japan Foundation, the Asia Society is currently featuring the Vengeance is Shohei Imamura film series from January 17-February 1. I have been a fan of Imamura’s ever since seeing The Eel (「うなぎ」, with Yakusho Koji playing a former convict) in 1997, and was glad to have the opportunity to check out some of his other flicks. He was the first Japanese director to win two Palme d’Or awards, one for Unagi, and one for The Ballad of Narayama (「楢山節考」) in 1983, screened this past Saturday night as part of the Imamura film festival.
Set in the 19th century, the movie takes place in a small rural Japanese village where they have Read More
CLAIR Magazine “JET Plaza” series: Penelope Fox (Saga)


Each month, current and former JET participants are featured in the “JET Plaza” section of the CLAIR Forum magazine. The October 2013 edition includes an article by current JET participant Penelope Fox. Posted by Celine Castex (Chiba-ken, 2006-11), currently programme coordinator at CLAIR Tokyo.
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“Aside from the wonderful opportunity to live and teach in a country I love, I thank the JET Programme and all its participants I have had contact with for making me think more about the world I live in and how I can make a difference.”
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Penelope Fox (Saga-ken, Shiroishi-cho, 2009-14) developed an interest for Japan at the age of four while accompanying her father on a business trip there. She started studying Japanese in elementary school and, after graduating from university, embarked on a career in Human Resources while dreaming of going to live in Japan one day. Several years and a graduate degree in Education later, she joined the JET Programme and was sent to rural Saga. She has been teaching elementary school children for almost five years and, actively involved in AJET at the local and national level, has been an invaluable member of the JET community since then.
A change of perspective via the JET Programme
Like many people coming on the JET Programme, I was super excited to come to Japan and embrace its culture and language head-on. In fact, for me personally, the JET Programme represented the realisation of a long-term dream: to live in Japan for an extended period and combine my love of teaching, children and Japanese language, and experience ‘real’ Japanese life in the countryside.
While I tried to come to Japan with very few expectations, I would have to say that the JET Programme has been everything I hoped it would be and more: my schools (I have worked at a total of 15 different kindergartens, elementary schools and junior high schools over the past four years) have all be fantastic, each in their own way; my co-workers have generally been very welcoming and accepting of me; my supervisors have been kind; and my communities have embraced having a foreigner in their midst.
For my first placement, I worked in a small ‘city’ of 20,000 people surrounded by mountains. Coming from a dry, mostly flat continent like Australia, the beauty and vividness of the greenery I could constantly see around me that first summer never ceased to amaze me. Having requested a ‘rural’ placement on JET, I was thrilled. At first, my focus was on my work and understanding what it meant to be an ALT. In fact, I believe it took me almost two years to feel like I was really able to contribute to my full potential in classes and at school. As time went by, I cemented personal and professional relationships, and came to love my quiet country life in Japan; perhaps even more so than that first ‘honeymoon’ phase.
At the end of my third year, unable to secure a new contract with a cost-cutting BOE, yet not wanting to return home yet, I was lucky enough to be granted a transfer to a neighbouring city in the same prefecture. Though my surroundings have since changed to a flat landscape and the constant smell of onions and renkon (the two specialties of the area), plus a suite of new schools, the people around me again have made the difference in making me feel at home. My neighbours and co-workers epitomise what I believe to be one of Japan’s core strengths– the friendliness of the people. Again I am reminded how lucky I am to have this experience that has exceeded all my expectations.
JET Talks: Temple by Temple Sneak Peek


JET Talks is JETAADC’s speaker series modeled after TED Talks that features dynamic and interesting individuals to inspire innovative ideas and conversation on Japan within the DC community.
Chelsea is from Guam. Elayna is from Michigan. In 2009, they both moved to Japan with the JET Programme to teach English in Ehime Prefecture. While there, they traveled the 900-mile pilgrimage route in Shikoku visiting 88 temples in 15 days. With so many stories from the trip, they began looking for a way to combine their talents (Elayna illustrates; Chelsea writes) to tell these stories. Using Kickstarter, they successfully funded their project and returned to Shikoku to travel the pilgrimage route once more — this time creating illustrated hand-bound books, postcards, bracelets and more for the 270 donors that made their trip possible.
On Wed., Jan. 29, Chelsea Reidy and Elayna Snyder of bigricefield.com will make a TED Talks-style presentation at Georgetown University in Washington, DC (register today!) telling their story — from their time on JET through their book project, crowdfunding, and the relationships they built along the way. Until then, Chelsea and Elayna have shared some pictures from their journey…

Chelsea paused on the way down from temple 60. After biking up numerous hills, the road became to steep and we had to leave our bikes and finish the trek on foot.

This illustration was inspired by all of the help we received along the way. Here, a woman offers the girl fresh spring water.
You can find more pictures of their journey and illustrations from their book on the JETAADC blog.
Let’s Talk Japan Podcast, Episode 19 – Japanese Translation & Interpretation


Let’s Talk Japan is a monthly, interview format podcast covering a wide range of Japan-related topics. Host Nick Harling (Mie-ken, 2001-03) lived in Japan from 2001 until 2005, including two great years as a JET Program participant in Mie-Ken. He practices law in Washington, D.C., and lives with his wife who patiently listens to him talk about Japan . . . a lot.
In this episode, Nick speaks with Stacy Smith about the joys and challenges of working as a professional Japanese translator and interpreter. Stacy worked as a Coordinator of International Relations (CIR) for the Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) Program in Kumamoto prefecture before eventually returning to the United States and turning her love of Japanese into a career. When not on the road with work, Stacy lives in New York City.
Together they discuss how Stacy became interested in the Japanese language; how she went about deciding to become a professional translator & interpreter; the impact of technology; and tips for improving your own Japanese study habits
To learn more about Stacy, check out her website as well as her blog posts for JETwit. Also, here’s a great article about Japanese translation and interpretation.
If you have not already done so, be sure to “Like” the podcast on Facebook, and follow the podcast on Twitter @letstalkjapan. Additionally, please consider leaving a positive rating and/or review in iTunes.
WIT Life #259: 右傾化 & スメハラ


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 along with her own observations.
As Japan enters its last day of 2013, the Abe administration is demonstrating a drift to the right which is alarming to some. The PM recently made news with his official visit to Yasukuni Shrine, where the almost 2.5 million Japanese who perished during conflicts spanning from 1867 to WWII are enshrined. The reason this is so inflammatory to neighboring Asian countries, as well as the rest of the world, is that those buried there include convicted war criminals and it seems to indicate a flaunting of nationalistic views. This tendency is what got PM Abe into trouble during his first time in office, and once again there is nervous commentary regarding his 右傾化 (ukeika or conservative swing), which some say supercedes his three-arrowed Abenomics economic revival efforts.
This weekend the NYT highlighted this issue with an article on a local battle regarding textbooks being fought on the eight-island township of Taketomi in Okinawa. Here you can see a side by side Read More
Job: Senior Admissions Counselor, Summer Programs Abroad- Syracuse University (NY)


Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Senior Admissions Counselor, Summer Programs Abroad
Posted by: Syracuse University
Location: Syracuse, NY
Type: full-time
Salary: $36,000 to $39,000
Overview:
- Work with Assistant Director for Summer Programs at SU Abroad to implement more than 40 summer programs.
- Has lead responsibility for developing budgets.
- Manage admissions process and student services.
- Ensure coverage for on-campus recruitment, efficient application and post-acceptance processing, including preparation and timely distribution of program information and pre-departure materials, visa processing, registration, financial aid and billing functions for over 600 applicants and more than 400 participating SU and non-SU students.
Job: Study Abroad Coordinator, Knox College (IL)


Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Study Abroad Coordinator
Posted by: Knox College
Location: Galesburg, IL
Type: full-time
Overview:
The Stellyes Center for Global Studies at Knox College invites applications for a full-time Study Abroad Coordinator (with part-time summer hours). Knox currently has three Knox-run study abroad programs, three exchange programs and more than 30 pre-approved programs around the world. Applicants for this position must have study abroad or other international travel experience, as well as experience working with college students. This is a 12-month position: 10 months are full-time and 2 summer months are half-time.
Knox College is a nationally ranked, private, residential liberal arts college of 1420 undergraduate students located in Galesburg, Illinois. Founded in 1837 by social reformers strongly opposed to slavery, Knox was one of the first colleges in the United States open to all, regardless of race, gender, and financial means. With a campus population of remarkable diversity that includes students from 48 states and 51 countries, significant representation of first-generation college students, and substantial cultural and racial-ethnic diversity, Knox is a vibrant and creative community.
WIT Life #257: 今年の漢字


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 along with her own observations.
It was recently announced that the kanji representing 2013 would be 輪 (rin or wa). It means ring, circle, or wheel, and refers to different aspects that have converged this year. This was the most popular submission in the public contest run by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, and there were several explanations for why. One idea came from the five rings symbolizing the Olympics, in regard to the September announcement that Tokyo would host the Summer Olympics in 2020. Another was the coming together of citizens in a circle of recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake (Thanks to this rebuilding, construction and real estate related stocks have been booming on the Nikkei Stock Average). Yet another interpretation was the private/public cooperation that led to the recent registration of Mt. Fuji on the World Heritage List. 輪 received 9518 votes, and second-place 楽 (raku) which received 8562 votes referred to the Tohoku Rakuten (楽天) Golden Eagles’ victory in the Nippon Series baseball championship.
For those who are interested in kanji and Japanese calligraphy, I would highly recommend the current exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art entitled Brush Writing in the Arts of Japan. It was interesting to learn about Read More
“The God of Ramen” – Film Review from Australia’s 17th Japanese Film Festival


The 17th Japanese Film Festival in Australia was the biggest and most extensive yet, with many of the films showing for the first time outside of Japan. Eden Law (Fukushima JET 2010-2011, current member of JETAA NSW reviews some of the films.

We give thanks this day for our daily bowl. Raaaaamen.
Reaching sold-out capacity at the 17th Japanese Film Festival Sydney showing, this documentary features the legendary ramen master Yamagishi, who ran the same ramen shop in East Ikebukuro in Tokyo, for over 40 years. The film captures the declining years of an institution, a very personal picture of Yamagishi who still stuck to his principles and maintained a rustic but irresistible dish that people queued two hours for, and in some cases, travel from prefectures around just for the experience.
This film isn’t just about making the perfect bowl of ramen, although Yamagishi freely allows the camera to film him working, as he doesn’t believe in trade secrets (indeed, he takes on everyone as an apprentice, from complete beginners, to experienced workers who already run their own ramen shop). “God of Ramen” goes beyond the food and the legend, and pretty deep into exploring Yamagishi’s life, motivations and his trials and tribulations, and filmed in a very intimate way, in a cramped tiny kitchen of a shop that only fits 16 people at any one time. So Yamagishi’s cheerful face fills up the screen frequently in extreme close-up. This is the extent of Yamagishi’s world, as he confesses he rarely ventures past its tiny confines, as the shop is not just his livelihood, but contains memories which are both highly treasured and extremely painful. The God of Ramen, lauded by many who primarily see him for his culinary skills, is quite human, lonely, suffering crippling pain and osteoarthritis, but remaining stoic and stubborn like a traditional Japanese man, for the sake of his customers.
For such a subject like this, the camera work and quality is surprisingly amateur, like a home video. In some scenes, the cameraman is clearly seen, with people running out of the way. It looks like something made for local Japanese tv, and has an ending narration that is a bit twee and sentimental. However, the film’s compelling subject matter overcomes its limitations, and is a poignant, engaging tribute to the charismatic Yamagishi, God of Ramen.
The God of Ramen (Ramen Yori Taisetsunamono) by Takashi Innami
WIT Life #256: Seattle’s Katsu Burger!


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 along with her own observations.
I spent the weekend here in Seattle for the purpose of running the local marathon, which I successfully completed this afternoon! Due to Seattle’s large Japanese-American population and their great influence, on previous visits I have taken advantage of cultural offerings such as the Uwajimaya shopping center (similar to our Mitsuwa), but I was excited to discover a new Japan-related restaurant this time around. I was pretty ravenous after running and craving something substantial, so on the way to the airport I found myself at Katsu Burger. It is in an area surrounded by several fast-food teriyaki joints, but not much else. However, once stepping into the shop you are greeted by a wide variety of Japanese memorabilia, as well as a map adorned with push pins indicating where customers have visited from. As you would expect of Chikyu no Arukikata bearing Japanese tourists, Japan was full from Hokkaido to Okinawa!
Katsu Burger bills itself as serving “Japanese-style burgers and beyond,” and all items Read More