Elementary School Musical 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.
Midterms are a strange time. Students come into school, take their test, then take off for the rest of the day presumably to practice their club activity or maybe even study. Either way, there is nothing for ALTs to do during midterms. There are no real classes and no midterm test for English conversation class. As such, I was “voluntold” to teach at an elementary school Tuesday and Friday. I gladly olbliged. What follows is a tale of cuteness, creepiness, and all around awesomeness…
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
JETs in the News: Shannon Booth
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There’s a nice article in the Block Island Times about JET alum Shannon Booth who taught in Shimoda-shi, Shizuoka-ken, which has a sister city relationship with Newport, Rhode Island. Shannon is now teaching social studies at the Block Island School.
Here’s a link to the article: http://www.blockislandtimes.com/view/full_story/9928738/article-New-Social-Studies-teacher–up-for-the-island-adventure?instance=home_news_2nd_left
Have an example of JETs in the News you’d like to see posted on JetWit? Email jetwit@jetwit.com.
Japan to expand JET Programme eligibility to Pacific Island states?
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Thanks to JETAANY President Megan Miller for sharing a recent Kyodo News International article titled “Japan, Pacific Island states to boost ties, cooperate on climate“ which mentioned that Japan has discussed the possibility of opening up the JET Programme to residents of the Pacific Island states:
“The two sides also agreed to examine the possibility of expanding eligibility for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program to Pacific island states as a way of boosting people-to-people exchanges. The program aimed at improving Japanese students’ foreign language skills has accepted participants from 36 countries.”
The recent Pacific Islands Forum consisted of Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
The below article appeared in the Summer 2010 Issue of the JLGC Newsletter.
“JET Program, JET Alumni Association Vital to the Future of U.S.-Japan Relations”
by Matthew Gillam, Senior Researcher and Chizuko Kawamura, Assistant Director, Japan Local Government Center (aka CLAIR-New York)
JETAA New York hosted the JETAA USA National Conference from August 12 to 15, with 42 representatives from 18 of the 19 US chapters (except Alaska) and the three US Country Representatives participating.
Since a review of CLAIR’s overseas offices and the JET Program was conducted by the Government Revitalization Unit in May, and support for JETAA was among the activities under administrative review by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June and July, this year’s conference was focused much more than usual on explaining the role of the JET Program and JETAA in efforts to improve the English language ability of the Japanese and to promote international exchange in Japan.
The first main session on this topic took place on the morning of Friday, August 13. Mr. Yasuhisa Kawamura, the director of the Japan Information Center at the Consulate General of Japan in New York, explained the position of the Ministry after their recent review. During his talk he emphasized that the Ministry understands the importance of JETAA’s vital role in the US-Japan relationship and will continue supporting the alumni. However, this support will be strictly limited to activities and events which enable former JETs to be diplomatic assets for Japan, or which improve the quality of future JETs. He concluded his remarks with his “Three Cs” for future relations, “Confidence, Caution and Cooperation”, and asked for pragmatism rather than excessive optimism or pessimism in dealing with the current situation. As to CLAIR’s position, Mr. Matthew Gillam explained CLAIR’s current situation and future support for JETAA, saying that the continuing fiscal difficulties facing local governments make it difficult for CLAIR to promise to maintain current funding levels in the coming years. He concluded by saying it is very important that we gain the support of local governments for JETAA activities. These presentations were followed by a lengthy discussion by attendees on ways to address the issues raised in various criticisms of JET and JETAA in Japan.
The other main session was Read More
WIT Life #132: Kwaidan
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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.
Last night kicked off Japan Society’s current “Zen and Its Opposite” Monthly Classic Film Series, which features films from the late ’50s to ’60s that showcase the paradoxical unity of zen and violence. It began with the 1965 film 怪談 (Kwaidan or Kaidan), said to be the most expensive production of its time. It clocks in at a whopping 161 minutes and although the pacing is slow at certain points, the suspense draws you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat for most of it. Kwaidan is comprised of four separate stories, each haunting in its own way. My favorite was Read More
Snorlax87: Pumpkin’ Around
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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.
Because midterms are next week, my JTE and I are taking it easy. I decided this week I would only give minor Conversation assignments and discuss Halloween. The students are FASCINATED by Halloween. In the first lesson, I reviewed Halloween’s origins and covered the traditions in America. The real fun started today when I did my second Halloween lesson…
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
A Daily Yomiuri article (“Japan Teachers May Get English Training in U.S.“) reports that as part of an effort to reform the current English education structure in Japan, Japan and the U.S. are considering “a program that would send young Japanese teachers of English to the United States to improve their English ability.”
Here’s the link to the full article: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T101010001858.htm
The idea appears to still in be in the concept stage, and it is unclear whether exposing JTE’s to U.S. education will inherently assist in their ability to deliver English to the Japanese classroom. Also unclear is what form this “training” will take.
The project seems to allow for the inference that the JET Programme will be scaled back and perhaps retooled, with a possibility of outright elimination.
With the possibility of Japanese Teacher of English being brought into local American communities, it would be interesting to contemplate a supporting role for JETAA and JET alums generally to assist recruited teachers.
New issue: Pacific Bridge, JETAANC Newsletter
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Via JETAA Northern California’s John Dzida:
New Issue – Pacific Bridge, JETAANC newsletter
The new issue of the official JETAANC newsletter, Pacific Bridge, is now available! Read it online here: http://tinyurl.com/28vfvoz
Get caught up on all of the alumni happenings in NorCal and Nevada! Read about how alumni like you spent their summer, as well as other goings-on in the JET alumni world, including:
– Post-Alumni Led Orientation (ALO) wrap-up
– Exclusive interview with Board Member Sabrina Ishimatsu
– JETAANC Scholarship winner revealed
– Kabuki Club update
– Top 10 List and Life After the B.O.E.!
…and much more!
JETs with J.D.s >> Law School Personal Statements, and not being creepy
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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.
It’s law school application season, and there are plenty of applicants out there anal-retentively tending to their personal statements in attempts to make themselves sound like the beacon of light that law schools are searching for to join their class, maintain their ranks, and get all those fancy entry-level BigLaw jobs that haven’t been shifted to India.
So what makes for a good personal statement, anyway? Well, for applying to law school, you would think it would be saying how much you love the law, dream about the law, sleep with the law under you pillow, live, breathe, eat, drink, and piss law. All the time. Everyday.
But as JETs, you should already know better, but if you don’t Yale Law School’s associate dean has kindly stated the obvious for you… and it’s all available right here.
Asahi newspaper column offers perspective on the value of JET Programme to Japan
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The following is a synopsis/loose translation of Bill Breer’s recent op-ed piece about the importance of the JET Programme to Japan which appeared in the My Viewpoint column of the Asahi newspaper from October 1, 2010. Breer is the former Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
I thought it was worth sharing with the JET alum community as it provides some rather helpful perspective on the value to Japan of the JET Programme and the JET Alumni Association.
Bill Breer, Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic & International Studies
In this world of ongoing globalization, the JET Program is a daring, unique effort to open up the world to students in Japan. It is the Japanese government’s most successful program, and no other country has been able to create a citizens’ exchange initiative like it.
The many young people who have participated in the Program from the world’s leading English-speaking countries have come to like Japan, have learned the language, come to know the people and culture, and have gone on to become the “Third Wave” of Japanese scholarship.
The “First Wave” developed from the mid-19th century as art collectors worked with Japanese artists and merchants to build the great collections at the Boston Museum of Art, the Freer Galleries in Washington, DC, and others, entrancing Americans with Japan’s beauty and culture and producing the first research on Japan.
The “Second Wave” came out of the tragedy of the Second World War, as the US government trained thousands of soldiers in Japanese language for the war effort. These people came home with a deep interest in Japan and created the base of scholarship into Japan’s history, culture, economics and politics at the great universities. These men include Edwin Reischauer at Harvard, James Morley, Donald Keene, Edward Seidensticker and Herbert Passin at Columbia, and John Hall at Yale.
Now, the JET Program, begun in 1987, has given birth to a new generation. These people have an entirely different perspective on Japan and the Japanese people. Many of them have a fondness for Japan and are instrumental in conveying that to people in their home countries. Furthermore, many have gone on to become educators conducting further research on Japan, and this piques their students’ interest in JET. Over 20 ex-JETs work at the US Embassy in Tokyo, and many more work in business in New York, London, and other major cities. They are all passionate “Japanese ambassadors”, conveying the message that Japan is an outstanding country with a rich history and culture.
America has the Fulbright Program and England the Rhodes Scholarships, but Japan should be proud of its JET Program as the most successful example of a government youth exchange program. JET is the advance guard of Japan’s “internationalization”, whose participants have changed the Japanese people’s perceptions of “gaijin” and then gone home to become lifelong friends of Japan.
Japan could still use “friends” like these, couldn’t it?
Here is the original column:
Japan America Society Roundup 10.4.10
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JET Alum Gail Cetnar Meadows (Hiroshima-shi 2007-10), co-founder of Hiroshima JET webzine the Wide Island View, shines a light on some of the upcoming events of Japan America Societies…
Japan’s Emperor System: Bane of Blessing? — Learn all about the history of Japan’s emperor system from James Huffman, who taught East Asian history for 35 years at Wittenberg University in Ohio. Huffman will discuss the dramatic ways in which Japan’s emperor system has changed across the modern era: the use of the Meiji Emperor to create a modern state in the late 1800s, the controversial role of the Shōwa Emperor (Hirohito) during World War II, and the debates that have raged around the emperor in the postwar era. He will include comments on the personal approaches (and quirks) of individual emperors and will conclude with reflections on the role of the emperor system in Japan’s current political system and what the imperial family means to the Japanese society.
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 21
- Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- Place: Conference Center UBS Tower One, N. Wacker Drive, 2nd floor (Superior Room), Chicago
- For more information, click here.
2010 Matsuri — Get your dose of Japanese culture at this festival featuring tea ceremonies, karate and kendo demonstrations, dance performances and live musical performances with taiko drums, the koto and the shakuhachi. The festival will take place at the Water Garden Gems, which also will be hosting the 18th annual Koi & Goldfish Show and the AGA National Goldfish Show.
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 9
- Time: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Place: Water Garden Gems, 3136 Bolton Road, Marion, Texas
- For more information, click here.
Academic Lecture Series Speaker — John W. Traphagan, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, will provide an introduction to general themes in Japanese religions, focusing on Shinto and Buddhism. Rather than exploring religious texts, the talk will look at how people in contemporary Japan use religious symbols and ideas in ritual practice.
- Date: Friday, Oct. 8
- Time: 7 to 8:15 p.m.
- Place: Kumon of Westlake – Math and Reading Center, 3345 Bee Caves Road, Suite 103, Austin, Texas
- For more information, click here.
Does your Japan America Society have an upcoming event that you’d like to share with JetWit readers? Email Gail Meadows the info.
Global Facilitation Skills seminar: 11/18-19
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FOJ Natsuyo Lipschutz shared information regarding an upcoming seminar that might be of interest to the JETAA community. Please see details below:
Seminar： Global Facilitation Skills Open Seminar
Organizers： PFC and ASPIRE
Date & Time： November 18th (Thu) & 19th (Fri), 2010 9:00am – 5:00pm
Venue： ASPIRE Intelligence
750 Third Avenue (Between 46th and 47th Streets) 9th Floor, Conference Room A
Fees: (textbooks & lunch included)：
Standard price ＄900
Discount price ＄675*
*25% discount applies to individuals who have previously attended the program within the past year, and also for groups of 2 or more participants from the same organization (discount applies to 2nd person or more).
Registration Deadline： November 10th, 2010
Minimum Number of Participants: 8 people (In the event that the number of applications doesn’t reach the required minimum, the seminar may be canceled. If canceled, fees will be fully refunded.)
Who Should Attend: Anyone who manages a global team or must lead meetings effectively, project leaders and mangers, HR professionals involved in team effectiveness, anyone interested in learning facilitation skills
Details： www.aspireintelligence.com/english/od （Click on banner）
Inquiries： E-mail NY@peoplefocus.co.jp （Ms. Okubo / Ms. Conaghan）
Phone 212-527-7540 （Ms. Natsuyo Lipschutz）
Update 09/29/10: Turns out Interac is not “belly up” afterall. According to a comment received (posted below):
When companies merge and/or or change their names in Japan, they send out announcements that the previous entity is dissolving. I would get announcements like this from a fund-managed client of mine in Tokyo twice a year. My contacts there never changed. Interac wants Maxceed and Selti and Selnate to all be called Interac for marketing purposes. Nothing has changed.
JetWit apologizes for any confusion.
The General Union Interac Branch announced last week that private ALT recruitment and dispatch firm, Interac, plans dissolution. Having been bought up by Advanced Partners, AP intends to dissolve and liquidate the company.
The fall of Interac, in the midst of questions about the future of the JET Programme, raises interesting questions and concerns. As one of the largest private dispatch companies to go under– Interac has about 1,500 ALTs in the Japanese education system. Will any boards of education choose to direct-hire their ALT, or are we looking at a massive influx of jobless former ALTs as their contracts expire? Will other dispatch companies step in to fill the void, or is this a signal of the end times for the work of ALTs as it exists today?
With the JET Programme’s unclear future, and the private sector’s dispatch model cashing out– what does the future really hold for native speakers in the classroom?
The General Union announcement is available here.
Lengthy (albeit colorful) commentary is available on BigDaikon.
JapanInfo e-Newsletter September 2010
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The September 2010 edition of JapanInfo is now available online: http://editor.ne16.com/he/vo.aspx?FileID=2bbd4d99-ee36-41cb-9c27-6ffba6035701&m=c084f6d45dcb1543a1f92db467644006&MailID=13708788 (Click here to subscribe to JapanInfo by email.)
Of note is a feature titled “Alumni Unite to Stress the Value of the JET Program” which describes the efforts at the recent JETAA USA National Conference hosted by JETAA New York. Here’s a quote:
“At this year’s meeting in New York the main focus was the recent Japanese government review of the JET and JETAA budgets. While JET is the most successful public diplomacy program ever launched in Japan, and JETs are recognized as assets to both Japan and the US, there has been criticism of the high costs local governments must bear to accept JETs. Additionally, Japanese tax payers may not be aware of the contributions JETs make to the Japan-US relationship.”
Also of interest to the JET alum community will be the focus on JET and JETAA by Ambassador Nishimiya in the “From the Ambassador’s Desk” feature. Here’s a snippet:
“I had many conversations with JET alumni during the conference and I was encouraged by the fact that so many of them spoke earnestly about how they became big fans of Japan through their participation in the JET program and its alumni activities. Even in Japan there are not many people who could express their deep love for Japan in such a straight forward manner. I truly hope that I will continue to have the opportunity to promote the JET Program, strengthen my ties with JETAA, and aid the program in the future.”
Additional JapanInfo articles of interest include:
- The 65th anniversary of the end of World War II
- Japanese Training Squadron and Ambassador Nishimiya Visits Maryland
- Dr. Hinohara & “Freddie” convey the importance of life
- Friendship through flowers – Ikebana Demonstration
- Izumo: City of Myths and Dreams – A once in a lifetime journey
- The Japanese Embassy of 1860 Visits Philadelphia
- As well as a number of great listings in the Events Calendar!
JapanInfo is published by the Consulate General of Japan in New York/Japan Information Center and is a great source of info for Japan-related things going on in New York and the surrounding area.
Click here to subscribe to JapanInfo by email.
JET Alum researcher seeks JET Alum respondents for survey on reverse culture shock
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Smitha Prasadh (Tokushima-ken, 2005-07) is a Master of Design Candidate at Carnegie Mellon School of Design as well as an active organizer of the growing JETAA Pittsburgh Subchapter. She is seeking respondents for a survey she is conducting on reverse culture shock as part of her graduate research:
Hello! I am an alumna of the JET Programme. For my graduate thesis, I am designing a resource to help North American JET alumni cope with reverse culture shock upon their departure from Japan. If you are an American or Canadian JET alum, I would sincerely appreciate it if you could fill out this survey about your overall experiences before, during, and after JET. Your participation would help my research greatly.
The following survey should take approximately 15‐20 minutes to complete. (Should you choose to elaborate on your answers, it will take a bit longer.)
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/jet-rcs-thesis
Thank you very much for your time!
Smitha Prasadh
thesis@smithaprasadh.com
