Foxhound87: Kyoto Joy!
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
Last Saturday, I went to Kyoto with some Japanese friends and Rogue, a Nara JET. I woke early (on my effing weekend) and hopped the train to Nara. From Nara, I met up with Rogue and we took the train to Inari Station in Kyoto together. We had to take a local train to Inari Station so it took about an hour to get there.
Side Note: Living in Nara is amazing. Not only is Nara the cultural capital of Japan, but Nara is smack-dab in the middle of the Kansai Region. To the north, Kyoto. To the West, Osaka and Kobe. I live less than an hour from all the wonderful places in Japan. Awesome.
Rogue and I met up with the rest of the crew and we ventured into Fushimi Inari Taisha (a shrine). This shrine is amazing. The entrance is adorned with a LARGE orange gate. Once we reached the inside, we partook of some shrine rituals…
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
JetWit Diary 12.03.10
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JetWit Diary is a new feature by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94), founder and publisher of JetWit. Steven is available on a consulting basis to assist organizations with any membership building, social media consulting, creative communications and writing needs.
JET and the Local Government Challenge
In light of recent information about Aichi’s decision to forgo prefectural JETs and awareness that, in contrast, Hyogo and Kobe seem to be very supportive of JET, and after a suggestion by JETAANY President-to-be Monica Yuki that perhaps it would make sense to focus our energies on the the prefectures that are the most JET-friendly, I thought it would be a good idea to figure out statistically which prefectures or contracting organizations are making the most use of JETs.
To that end, further below (after the “Read More” break) is a list of the contracting organizations with the most JET ALTs. (FYI, a “contracting organization” is a prefecture, city, board of education, etc. that allocates budget towards hiring JETs.)
In the meantime, I think it would also be very helpful to get a sense of why some contracting organizations continue to support and hire JETs while others do not. So I’d like to request that any JETs and JET alums out there (especially CIRs) get in touch if you have any perspectives based on conversations or other interactions.
- Email responses to: jetwit [at] jetwit.com
Generally speaking, of course, I’m well aware that tight budgets have a lot to do with the attrition. But it might be helpful to dig a little deeper and know why JET is prioritized above or below other budget items. Also, what factors might cause a contracting organization to change the way it views or prioritizes JET? And perhaps any ways that some prefectures may have found to extract more value (short and long term) from having JETs that helps justify the expenditures. e.g., Perhaps some prefectures have found successful ways to incorporate JETs into strong sister city relationships that continue to benefit the prefecture/city over time.
On a related note, thanks to conversations with knowledgeable JET alums, I now understand a bit more about how the relationship among budgets, the JET Program and dispatch companies such as Interac. The central government used to provide a certain amount of funds to the local governments to hire JETs. Now, as I understand it, the funds may be used to hire ALTs. This means that the local governments can (and increasingly seem to) choose to hire ALTs via a dispatch company rather than JETs. (There’s a whole separate issue on the legality of public schools hiring contract employees via dispatch companies, about which I know very little, but I don’t think it makes sense from a JETAA perspective to focus on that.)
JetWit is starting to get more and more job listings. That’s because
- We don’t charge to post job listings and circulate them to the JetWit Jobs Google group (because I never want to create barriers to JETs and JET alum access to job opportunities); and
- We’ve gotten a few more U.S.-based Japanese staffing companies to see the light, i.e., that if they’re not posting their JET-relevant jobs on JetWit, they’re missing a huge opportunity. (Though I do encourage them to make a contribution if they’re happy with the results and want to make sure that JetWit continues to exist for their benefit.)
If you know any staffing companies with JET-relevant job listings, tell them to email jetwit [at] jetwit.com and we’ll get them out to the community.
That’s all for this edition of JetWit Diary. Have a Happy Chanukah and enjoy your bounenkais.
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu,
Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
Brooklyn, NY
jetwit [at] jetwit.com
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The first instalment of JetWit Fashion Beat is brought to you by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
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Looking for unique Japanese omiyage? Need ideas for witty Christmas presents? I have found your solution! Look no further than T-shitsu.com.
After 3 years of meticulous planning, designing and market research by a motley crew of friends living in Kanazawa City, T-shitsu.com finally opened their doors to the gaijin community at large earlier this year. The shirts have been steadily gaining in popularity with both the current JET and JET Alum communities due to their fun designs.
The idea behind T-shitsu is to develop a range of witty designs for foreigners to set them apart from their peers in Japan. From the website:
One of us received a shirt as a present many moons ago which has the words ‘I’m Huge in Japan’ emblazoned on it and we all noticed that whenever that shirt was aired, people would comment on it. Every single time.
We searched the web for more shirts along the same vein and were frustrated to see that the options out there are slim to none. The shirts we did find…well… let’s just say “Baka Gai-jin” isn’t the best phrase to have on your chest as a foreigner in Japan!
In addition to serving the current gaijin clan, I think these shirts make a great gift for anyone who has experienced life as a foreigner in Japan, and Japanophiles in general around the globe.
The word “shitsu” means “quality” in Japanese, and the shirts are certainly of a high standard. All designs are available in a wide range of men’s and women’s sizes, and quick home and overseas delivery is possible.
Do also check out the Facebook page for regular updates, t-shirt competitions and general “gai-jin” related chat from the T-shitsu crew. They are always on the look out for new designs so if you have a good idea for a shirt – don’t hesitate contact them!
Last but not least, if you do purchase a shirt from our friends over at T-shitsu.com, please mention that you heard about them from JetWit. Thanks and happy shopping!
Have a suggestion for a future JetWit Fashion Beat post? E-mail dipika [at] jetwit.com.
Japan Group Looking to Ease Immigration Policy
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Andrew R. McCarthy (Akita-ken, 2005-08) is a law student at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law focusing on international trade, business, and tax. He currently runs the blog JETs with J.D.s, an information source for current JET alumni law students and prospective law students for career paths and approaches within the current legal market. For those considering law school and trying to comprehend the costs and the risks of such an endeavor, he also recommends The Law School Tuition Bubble.
Though still clearly in the concept stage, last week saw a report by a Japanese group of politicians, business leaders, and academics looking to ease immigration policy and bring in more foreigners. Combined with the efforts to send Japanese teachers to the U.S. to enhance their English, this marks a significant change in stance for Japan, assuming all of these great ideas turn into action.
Links to the source articles can be found here.
JETAA Northern California Newsletter needs articles
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Via JETAA Northern California:
The Fall issue of Pacific Bridge, JETAANC’s quarterly newsletter, is now in production and we NEED YOUR HELP!
There’s a list of short articles that still need to be written and edited. E-mail communications@jetaanc.org if you could potentially help out.
The issues’ theme is “Japan in NorCal and Nevada,” so suggestions for articles related to Japan in our neighborhood are also welcome.
You don’t have to be Hemingway and you will get a byline–so turn your creative side loose and add a line to your resume!
Thanks in advance!
Tom Baker wrties about a slew of movies, manga and a video game
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Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91) is a staff writer for The Daily Yomiuri. As another example of JET ROI, he is one of at least four former JETs to have been on the newspaper’s staff in recent years. He usually writes for DYWeekend, the arts and leisure section. You can follow Tom’s blog at tokyotombaker.wordpress.com.
His articles in the past two months include interviews with movie director Breck Eisner and video game producer Rich Rosado, plus a slew of reviews. Click on the titles in these thumbnail summaries to find the articles:
In 1973, legendary horror director George Romero make a low-budget movie called “The Crazies,” in which the accidental release of a biological weapon turns many of the people of a small town into homicidal maniacs. Present-day director Breck Eisner has remade that movie with a much bigger budget, and he discusses the changes he made in the interview.
“Red Dead Redemption” is a video game that lets you shoot a lot of people and then makes you feel guilty about it. Rich Rosado, one of the producers for Rockstar Games (a company better known for its “Grand Theft Auto” series) says that’s intentional in the interview.
“Black Butler” is a manga in which a rich orphan seeks revenge for the death of his parents with the help of a supernatural butler.
“Fairy Tail” is a manga follows the friendships and rivalries among a guild of young, good-looking wizards.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” is a movie that needs no introduction.
“Daybreakers” is a movie in which vampires have taken over the world – and not all of them are happy about it.
“ A Single Man” is a movie in which Colin Firth plays a gay man in America in 1963 who is devastated by the sudden death of his lover.
“Knight and Day” is a movie in which Cameron Diaz becomes a hostage/apprentice to secret agent Tom Cruise.
“The Expendables” is a movie in which Sylvester Stallone leads a merry band of morally mixed-up mercenaries.
Foxhound87: Diwali: A Festivals of Lights Part 2: Just Desserts
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
Since Diwali is the festival of lights, a couple JETs provided some cheap sparklers for us to light following dinner. We had to leave the hotel, so we moved the party to a courtyard in front of the Nara Visitor Center. Most people left to do other things. About 14 of us stuck around for the sparklers. Our merry group of foreigners lit sparklers and danced around. We were having a grand ol’ time until the fuzz showed up. Yes, between conducting traffic with light sabers and trolling the prefecture for a Mr. Dounut, the police took an interest in our festivities. Myself and one other JET tried to sneak away from the group, but were caught and asked to return. Damn. 2 others DID manage to sneak away. As they hobbled into the train station, I yelled (as only a true hypocrite can), “Cowards!” They got away, we didn’t…
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
Foxhound87: Diwali: A Festival of Lights Part 1
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
The Nara JET community recently celebrated Diwali, the Indian “Festival of Lights.” We have one JET who was born in India and she wanted to share her culture with Nara ALTs. About 26 of us gathered in a rented kitchen at a hotel adjacent to JR Nara.
Side Story about the Kitchen: The kitchen in this hotel was originally built to provide an environment to improve relations between partners in relationships. Maybe the wife can show her husband how to cook and they can work together to make a meal. Does this sound ridiculous? It is. Nara AJET exploited this information and reserved the kitchen under the guise of improving relations between men and women. We had to make sure guys and girls were both cooking and cleaning just to keep up appearances. This is how we booked the kitchen for freeeeeeeeee.
Everyone was told to bring their own plates, cups, and silverware (unnecessarily, I might add). No one knew that the kitchen was already stocked with EVERYTHING…
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
INTERVIEW: Evans Revere on North Korea’s provocations
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John Ellis-Guardiola (Miyagi, 2002-04) is a NYC-based TV news producer who worked for the New York Bureau of Tokyo Broadcasting System and is now at the Reuters CCTV desk. At TBS he covered many topics, especially related to North Korea and the U.N. You can follow his blog at jelgua.wordpress.com.
Thanksgiving 2010 will be another U.S. holiday peppered with news from North Korea. This is a pattern – July 4, 2006, missiles; Memorial Day 2009, nuclear test. With the latest news about cross-border firing on the Korean Peninsula, I asked Evans Revere, a former senior U.S. diplomat, a Senior Director at the Albright Stonebridge Group, and Diplomat-in-Residence at the Woodrow Wilson School, for his insight. He kindly provided these answers via email.
Q: How do you interpret the most recent provocations on the Korean Peninsula and the revelation of centrifuges to Dr. Hecker? Some suggest this most recent round of belligerence is related to leadership succession issues. What is your take?
A: My own sense is that the leadership/succession issues have long since been decided. The course that North Korea is on has been set for some time, and the recent Korean Workers’ Party meeting that anointed Kim Jong Un as the next leader when his father passes brought to a conclusion a long, complicated, and secretive process that was set in motion when Kim Jong Il took ill in the summer of 2008. Now that the course has been set, the North Koreans are moving on several fronts. If anything, recent developments in the military and nuclear arenas probably have the blessing of both the older and the younger Kim. There are credible reports that the two visited… Click here to read more.
Thanksgiving in Japan?
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J-DOC, C-DOC, and K-DOC are recurring features written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com). Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Japanese, Chinese, and Korean language learning options.
Japanese Class listing can be found at: Japanese Classes
So wait, I know what you’re thinking. There were no colonists coming to the “new world” and mixing with indigenous peoples in Japan? I lived in Japan, and it was very difficult for me to even get a turkey, let alone get together for a turkey dinner with local Japanese?
Although there is no direct holiday that mirrors Thanksgiving in Japan, there is a holiday that’s very similar in terms of how it’s celebrated.
Click here Thanksgiving in Japan for the rest of the article.
WIT Life #137: Tokyo Sky Tree
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WITLife 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.
Very interesting article in yesterday’s NYT about how efforts are being made to reduce the presence of yakuza in various business transactions. The story focuses on the recent construction project of Tokyo Sky Tree, a communications tower. This is a huge change as traditionally yakuza have been an integral part of this industry, often seeking “protection money” from developers. Developers might also call on the yakuza to give an extra push to people unwilling to give up their land. I liked Jake Adelstein‘s quote calling the yakuza “Goldman Sachs with guns.” Check out the adjoining picture to see a comparison between Tokyo Tower and the “new Tokyo Tower,” what Sky Tree was called before decided on its official name. Other candidates were Tokyo Edo Tower, Mirai (Future) Tree, Yume Miyagura (Dreamwatching Tower), Rising East Tower and Rising Tower. It is due to be completed next year.
Culture Spreaders is a new feature intended to shine a spotlight on JET alums involved in spreading and sharing Japanese culture in their home countries. If you know of a good JET alum for a future post, just e-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com tell us why you think that alum is a Culture Spreader. (Self-nominations welcome too.)
Seattle-based Bruce Rutledge (MEF Program Chiba-ken, 1985-87) is the Editor-in-Chief of Ibuki, the “Japanese Inspired Food and Lifestyle Magazine” for the Seattle/Bellevue/Portland area. (www.ibukimagazine.com)
I was in Seattle this past weekend and (thanks to JETAA Pacific Northwest President Sandra Sakai) was able to pick up a copy of the “I Love Kawaii” issue, which featured “6%Dokidoki Brings Happy Anarchy,” “Your Slice of Japan on the Eastside,” a recipe for green tea sweets, a travel article titled “Kanpai in Tokyo” and a sake article titled “Food pairing hints.” The magazine also includes an extensive Japan-related business directory for the area, including restaurants, galleries, grocery stores, etc.
In addition to his work with Ibuki, Bruce is also the founder of Chin Music Press, which has put out a number of Japan-related books and takes pride in book design.
For all his work with Ibuki and Chin Music Press, Bruce is undoubtedly a major JET alum “Culture Spreader.”
Message from JETAA International Chair Shree Kurlekar
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The following is the text of an e-mail sent out to the JETAA chapter representatives listserve by newly elected JETAA International Chair Shree Kurlekar (Shiga-ken, 2005-07). With Shree’s permission, we’re re-posting a slightly edited version here on JetWit for the benefit of the JET alumni community. For more information about JETAA International, you can visit the website at http://jetalumni.org.
Greetings members of the JET alumni community,
My name is Shree Kurlekar and I was elected Chair of JETAA International at the JETAAI meeting October 1-3 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Here’s a list of what will be covered below:
1. Introduction to me and the new JETAAI Board
2. The Future of JET and JETAA
3. 2010-11 Action Plan for Country Representatives
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JET ROI: Japan Times readers respond to Debito Arudou’s “Don’t Blame JET for Japan’s Poor English”
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Back in September the Japan Times ran a column by Debito Arudou titled “Don’t Blame JET for Japan’s Poor English.” The article defended JET against criticism of non-improving English test scores. But it also waded into some generalizations that prompted some thoughtful responses. (Thanks to CLAIR-NY’s Matt Gillam for the heads up.)
Click here to see all of the responses.
The final word on JET, for now
Arudou misses the mark
Debito Arudou’s recent article on the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme (Just Be Cause, Sept. 7) and many of the responses which followed (Have Your Say, Oct. 12):
I do agree that there are some systemic challenges educators must attempt to overcome in order to provide these kids with the English education they deserve. But Mr. Arudou’s arguments are so simultaneously inflammatory and reductive that I cannot believe a reputable publication would venture to publish them.
He is right to have concerns about the very real institutionalized handicaps in the Japanese educational system, but his ideas are so ill-articulated (“Group psychosis?” Are you kidding?) and, frankly, ignorant that I fear the real problems (and solutions) become lost in the muck.
The article itself misses the opportunity to shed light on what is actually happening in Japanese schools. Mr. Arudou is right to worry that cutting the program and withdrawing the significant foreign presence in Japan might be counter- productive, but I do not believe that that is because the Japanese are suffering from “eigo psychosis,” whatever that means. The “problems” are institutionalized at this point — a reflection of the greater cultural conflict Japan faces as it strives to look forward while staying rooted in history and tradition.
The push/pull between The Way Things Have Always Been Done and Read More
JET Program mentioned by PM Kan in meeting with President Obama
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According to some recent article in the Japanese press, Prime Minister Naoto Kan mentioned the JET Programme in his meeting with Obama, reaffirming the program’s importance.
This is of course a significant statement about the importance of the JET Program to Japan.
Here are two articles:
- Japan Today (English): http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/kan-obama-discuss-rare-earths-other-clean-energy
- Chunichi Shinbun (Japanese): http://www.chunichi.co.jp/s/article/2010111301000669.html
Here are some highlights from the Japan Today article:
Kan also told Obama that he aims to enhance bilateral exchanges between the two countries to include a wide range of people in five years.
The initiatives include sending young Japanese teachers and interns to the United States, as well as implementing such programs as promoting collaboration on education and two-way exchanges among universities in Japan and the United States, the officials said.
Kan also expressed concern about the declining number of Japanese students studying in the United States and voiced his intention to work more on this problem.
He also reaffirmed the importance of existing efforts, including the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, the officials said.
