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.
I am back in Honolulu, so of course I had to visit my favorite mochi stand, Kansai Yamato. Every time I go I end up discovering something new, and this time it was the two plump manju pictured on the right. The purple one was sweet potato flavored with this paste in the middle. The white manju was of the standard kind, filled with red bean. Both were quite substantial snacks, big and filling so the two-pack is likely meant for sharing. As manju, I found them Read More
Job: Research Assistant (London)
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Via the JETAA and non-JETAA JET alumni LinkedIn group:
A Japanese company in London is looking for someone to join their team to look after Economic and Political Research. This is an ongoing temp position for one year.
Main responsibilities:
- Provide research services, including analytical reports on topical issues and statistical data spreadsheets on the UK economy.
- Check daily newspapers and keep abreast of all other information sources.
- Conduct interviews with academics and business people in order to assess UK and global economic conditions.
- Take initiative to develop and build upon existing contacts with government, academia and business to assist the company in the future.
Essential Skills:
- Sound knowledge of current affairs.
- The ability to produce comprehensive analytical reports on economic, business and political issues at short notice.
- The confidence and enthusiasm to be able to speak intelligently about the current economic situation in the UK.
- Good interview technique and report writing skills.
- A good command of written and spoken English.
- Ability to use Excel spreadsheets to compile statistical data.
- Degree in Economics or similar equivalent.
Desirable Skills:
- Knowledge/experience of Japanese business practices.
- Preference will be given to candidates who have good computer skills, are able to work confidently without supervision and who also enjoy being a member of a team.
For more details, please email your CV to anouska@perfect.eu.com
For this role, unfortunately, we can only accept applications from candidates who already have the right to work in the UK.
JOB: Purchasing Manager, Global Manufacturing Company (New Jersey)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
A central NJ global manufacturing company is searching for a candidate to fill a newly created position in their new manufacturing facility in central NJ.
MUST be able to Read, Write and Speak Fluent Japanese
Description
–Must have experience in the manufacturing industry purchasing raw materials
-Must be able to negotiate best price with various vendors
-Must be able to locate new vendors if necessary
-Must be able to work with other departments such as production and sales
-Must be able to ensure materials are available for current and new production orders
-Should be able to evaluate various MRP systems and make appropriate suggestions
Requirements:
–Must speak fluent Japanese
-5-7 Years of experience as a Purchasing Manager
– Must have experience within the manufacturing industry
Compensation: $55,000–$65,000
For more information about the position and to apply, contact Jerry Mosseri of Stand Out Staffing and Resumes.
Email: jmosseri@standoutstaffing.com
Phone: 732-377-8873
JET ROI: MOFA State Secretary Mr. Koichi Takemasa’s comments upon meeting with JETAA members
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) State Secretary Mr. Koichi Takemasa recently met with a group of JET alumni in New York to learn first hand about JET and the JET Alumni Association. Following the meeting, State Secretary Takemasa posted comments regarding the meeting on both the MoFA website as well as on his own blog. Below is a translation of key comments from the posts. (Special thanks to Kumi Mastsumoto of the Consulate for her help in obtaining the translations):
1. MOFA Website Comments
From the official report of State Secretary Takemasa’s visit to the United States on MoFA’s website. (Full link here: http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/annai/honsho/fuku/takemasa/usa_10/gaiyo.html):
2. (6) 日米人物・文化交流
特にこれまでのJET出身者が米国内で対日理解や日米交流の発展に果たしている役割について積極的な評価を共有。English translation of the last sentence of Section 2, Paragraph (6): “We both positively recognized that JET returners have contributed to promoting understanding of Japan in the US and fostering people to people exchange between the two countries.”
2. Personal Blog of Koichi Takemasa
Here is what Secretary of State Takemasa wrote about his meeting with JETAA members on his personal blog (link to post: http://takemasa.asablo.jp/blog/2010/07/17/5237531):
その後、JETの経験者で作られるJETAAのNY支部の皆さんと意見交換。 JET通じて得たもの、帰国後それを伝えていること、また、新しいJETメンバーの選考や送り出しに協力をしていること。そして、事業仕分けで総務所所管のクレアが対象になったことで、JET制度そのものの存続に危機感を持っていること、などを聞く。
“I had a meeting with the members of JET Alumni Association in New York . There, I heard comments about how much they learned from the JET experience, how they have been sharing their experience to others after they came back and how they have been cooperating in the screening and training process of the new JETs. Referring to the fact CLAIR (JLGC) under Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications was put on the chopping block, they showed their strong concern in the future of JET program.”
JETs with J.D.s >> The New Interviewing Buzzword: Emotional Intelligence
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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.
You may not have to channel Miss Cleo to get legal employment these days. But, in addition to the healthy dose of luck you’ll need, the legal career services world has created a brand new buzzword concept through which all prospective employees can be vetted: emotional intelligence. What is emotional intelligence, you ask? Emotional intelligence, or as those trying to sound more professional than they really are might call it, “EI,” is the demonstrated ability to show, and practice, professional competence by providing good answers to hypothetical questions and connecting with interviewers. The idea behind the concept is that you are being hired not just for your legal acumen and ability to detect italicized commas in a document of hundreds of pages — you’re being hired to develop and maintain clients. What does this all boil down to? What help, if any, does a JET background provide? Is law school even conducive to developing “emotional intelligence?”
All those answers (or at least educated guesses) are right here.
WIT Life #110: Japan Cuts comes to a close
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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 Friday wrapped up Japan Cuts, the two-week, 25-film festival at Japan Society. Thanks to JS’s wonderful volunteering system I was able to see nine of the films at the festival itself, and another two in the comfort of my home. The final night wrapped up the event with the two movies About Her Brother and Sweet Little Lies. I was really looking forward to the latter, but I found the pacing slow and the movie’s story less stimulating than I thought it would be.
About Her Brother is one of those ubiquitous sentimental Japanese movies, but it wasn’t too heavy on the sappiness. Tsurube Shofukutei plays Read More
JETs with J.D.s >> Judicial Clerking in the Tropics
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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.
Former JETs naturally have a little bit of adventurer in them. Unfortunately, the sedentary life of the law student spells disappointment for those of accustomed to a more active life. This isn’t to say going out and enjoying life doesn’t happen in law school. But if you like inordinate amounts of time reading and editing italicized commas, however, you’re in for a real treat.
Fortunately, life after law school doesn’t necessarily have to be like that — and if you still have that glimmer of a sense of adventure and the desire to live in not-so-often traveled parts of the world, a judicial clerkship in on of America’s international territories might be what you’re after.
To read information regarding clerkships available in Palau, click here.
For those interested in American Samoa, here.
For those interested in clerking for the Northern Mariana Islands, information is available here.
JETAA Chapter Beat – JETAA Hawaii Enkai Experience Writeup
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Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) follows up on JETAA Chapter Beat with a report from the Experience Enkai put on by JETAA Hawaii.
Sashi-bashi, hotoke-bashi, hashi-watashi…these were just some of the chopsticks taboos learned at the annual Experience Enkai at Natsunoya Tea House on Friday, July 9, 2010 from 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. Seventeen JET alumni graciously imparted their Japanese etiquette wisdom on the ten new JETs who attended the event. JETAA officers began the program with having everyone pick numbers for their seating arrangements (in Japanese enkai style), followed by an overview of enkai etiquette and a beer-pouring demonstration. Everyone then practiced the art of beer-pouring for one another in time for the kampai by JETAA Hawaii President Kelsey Soma Turek. Then the feast began.
The staff at Natsunoya kept bringing out dish after dish of sushi, somen salad, tonkatsu, agedashi tofu, beef sticks, and salmon to name a few. With full stomachs and lots of empty bottles of Kirin beer, oolong tea, and Calpico, it was time for jiko shoukai (self-introductions). Everyone did so well speaking in Japanese (did the alcohol help?)! After that, we let the games begin! JETAA officers divided everyone into groups for the infamous Forehead Game and Draw-on-your-Head Game! Luckily we were able to capture the hilarious moments here. After prizes were awarded to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place teams (congratulations everyone!), we ended the night with group photos and saying our good-byes. We hope this event has helped prepare the new JETs for their time on the JET Program. Good luck to all of you, and please stay in touch! Thank you to Liane and the Natsunoya staff for taking care of us that evening, and of course, thank you to everyone who attended the event! –JETAA Hawaii
What happened at your chapter’s event? If you attend(ed) any exciting JETAA events, JetWit would love to hear about them. Just contact Jonathan Trace with any info, stories or comments.
Tom Baker reviews cat manga, three new films
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Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91) is a staff writer for The Daily Yomiuri. He usually writes for DYWeekend, the paper’s arts and leisure section. You can follow Tom’s blog at tokyotombaker.wordpress.com. (One recent post is a cautionary tale for anyone thinking of climbing Mt. Fuji.)
Recently he reviewed the manga “Neko Ramen” and the new-in-Japan films “The Road,” “The Yellow Handkerchief” and “Repo Men.” Here are some excerpts:
“Neko Ramen”
“It’s the one real maverick cuisine of Japan,” Tokyo ramen shop owner Ivan Orkin told The Daily Yomiuri in an interview last year. Sushi and other cuisines are bound by highly refined conventions, but “ramen is the story of a salaryman whose life sucks and he sells everything and opens a ramen shop…he’s going to do it his own way.”
The manga series Neko Ramen, which made its English-language print debut last month, is about a ramen shop owner named Taisho who almost perfectly embodies the ethos Orkin described.
Taisho isn’t a former salaryman–or a man at all. He’s a cat. But he did buck convention to strike out on his own. His father was a top cat-food advertising model, and it was assumed that Taisho would follow in his glamorous footsteps. Instead, he ran away from home.
Even when he is reduced to living on the street, he never loses his independent spirit. Eventually he discovers his calling as the master of a ramen shop.
Mangaka Kenji Sonishi lives in Sapporo, a city noted for its ramen culture. He has given considerable thought to the most egregious ways a bowl of ramen could go wrong, and he has Taisho stumble into each of them.
Read the rest of the review here.
“The Road”
…We see this world a decade or so into the aftermath [of a global cataclysm] through the eyes of a father and son (Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee) who are slowly traveling south on foot, hoping things will get better somewhere along the way.
It’s a bleak journey, filmed in such genuinely postapocalyptic locales as hurricane-scoured New Orleans and the blasted slopes of Mt. St. Helens.
One of the film’s most desolate images–which can only be appreciated on the big screen–shows a gigantic highway bridge spanning a valley. Seen from below, the bridge cuts a black swath against the murky gray sky. When the man peers over the side of the bridge, the tiny distant speck that is his head is the only thing in the image to show any movement.
The man and the boy’s long walk is a wire-thin plot onto which brief encounters with varied strangers are strung like widely spaced beads.
At the beginning of most such encounters, the boy wants to befriend and help the person, while the man is suspicious. “Why are you following us?” is his angry refrain, even when the person hasn’t been following them. The middle of every encounter is different, but more than one ends with the pair leaving the person behind, the son worrying that the stranger will die and the father remarking, “He was going to die anyway.”
Often the boy needs to ask, “Are we still the good guys?”…
“The Yellow Handkerchief”
The Yellow Handkerchief begins almost like a silent movie. The first scene shows a man named Brent (William Hurt) being let out of a prison cell. He hardly says a word, but the other inmates wish him a sincerely friendly farewell. His silence continues outside the walls as he watches other newly released inmates embraced by their waiting families. No one is waiting for him. His face shows that he is resigned, and he sets off down the road on foot, alone.
This tells us a few things about him, and gives us a few things to wonder about.
In the next scene, he is sitting in a small-town diner when he notices a dark-haired teenage girl (Kristen Stewart) outside the window. She walks over to a boy of her own age and speaks to him.
Brent (and we) can’t hear her through the glass, but she stands very close to the boy without looking him in the face, suggesting a mixture of intimacy and shyness. The boy ignores her for a moment and then walks away to smile at a blonde girl who welcomes his attention as if it were her due. The dark-haired girl sees this and heads into the diner with a downcast look, alone.
This tells Brent (and us) a few things about her, and gives us a few things to wonder about.
Read the rest of the review here.
“Repo Men”
The premise of Repo Men is that in the not too distant future, mechanical hearts, livers, kidneys and other organs are so common that they are sold in shopping malls. But they remain so expensive that you have to take out a scarily high-interest loan to get one. And if you miss a few payments, some even scarier repo men (including a pair played by Jude Law and Forest Whitaker) will find you, Tase you, and gruesomely retrieve the property–which is then rinsed off, repackaged and sold to the next sickly dupe.
Theoretically, such a setup could have been used to send an allegorical message about the world’s various debt crises or the U.S. health care debate, but the plot is just a heap of sci-fi action cliches.
First, evil corporations control everything. Second, new technology improves material standards of living, but leaves people shallow and soulless. Third, those who oppose or question the new order are fated to live in refugee camps or slums. Fourth, a hunter becomes the hunted, joins the people he once oppressed and does battle against his former colleagues. Fifth, the ending…
Job: Public Outreach Officer, Polaris Project Japan (Tokyo)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
via Marc Hitzig (Niigata-ken, 1992-1995)
Polaris Project is an internationally recognized organization headquartered in the United States that has been working to combat human trafficking and modern-day slavery since 2002. Polaris Project has operated a local office in Japan since 2004. Polaris Project Japan (PPJ) seeks a Program Officer, who will be responsible for a variety of roles in a small office. The Program Officer will work under the direction of the Japan Program Coordinator. The position will be based in the Tokyo, Japan office. The position’s continuance is subject to extended funding, secured currently for one-year.
The Program Officer will:
–Support all general programmatic activities including: victim outreach and identification, victim services, policy advocacy, prevention and youth empowerment, coalition and infrastructure- building, office administration, training and technical assistance, fundraising, strategic planning, leadership development, and grassroots community mobilization.
–Support the general administration of the PPJ Office, including a primary role in the training and coordination of volunteers and training materials development, office management, maintenance of timesheets, Salesforce data management, and response to general office inquiries.
–Play a leading role in public communications, including fashioning a public affairs strategy, managing communications materials, social networking efforts, awareness newsletters, and the PPJ website; and importantly helping to produce a quarterly analysis of trafficking trends in Japan.
–Play a leading role in fundraising, including donor development and relationship management; fundraising events and campaign management; pursuit, and management of grants.
–Play a leading role in legislative advocacy and PPJ’s role in the anti-human trafficking coalition, including interaction with the legislative and executive branch of the Japanese government and the dissemination of trafficking trends analysis to all relevant stakeholders.
Qualifications:
–At least three to five years of experience, preferably in the non-profit sector
–Minimum three years of professional experience working in Japan
–Knowledge of government agencies in Japan
–Excellent organizational, written, and oral communication skills in Japanese
–Strong command of both Japanese and English languages
–Experience, competence, and confidence in supervising volunteers
–Experience working in multicultural environments
–Ability to set and balance multiple priorities, plan ahead, and anticipate programmatic needs
–Solutions-oriented, collaborative, self-directed, and self-disciplined
–Resiliently positive and energetic attitude
–Focus on and commitment to human and women’s rights and interest in fighting human trafficking
Degree Preferred: MA; BA required
Type: Full Time
Salary: $30,000 to $35,000 (DOE)
Start Date: Available immediately
Languages Required: English, Japanese
How to Apply:
PLEASE DO NOT FAX OR MAIL YOUR APPLICATION. All application materials should be sent electronically as attachments to Applications@ polarisproject. org. Materials should include a custom cover letter, resume, and three references, plus any additional personal statements you may wish to include. The deadline for application is rolling, until a candidate is chosen, so early application is advised. Please write JAPAN Program Officer Position in the subject line of the email.
Japan Info e-Newsletter July 2010
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The July 2010 edition of JapanInfo is now available online: http://editor.ne16.com/he/vo.aspx?FileID=1eebd4a0-af80-4be3-8945-42739cf4d675&m=1a93644da75eb849a0cfdf023ccba12e&MailID=12891461
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.
Job: Business Development Associate, Unspecified Non-Profit Organization (New York)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
via MAX Consulting Group, Inc.
Location: Mid-town, Manhattan NY
Area Industry: Non-Profit Organization
Title: Business Development Associate
Job Description: 1 year long Temporary Assignment
Primary Duties: Discover companies willing to invest in Japan, especially in Service and Environment industry. Attend trade shows and visit potential companies. Follow up and assist those companies willing to develop business in Japan.
Secondary Duties: To assist alliance between Japan and the US in high-tech industry, bring American corporate employees to Japan and vice versa and coordinate business meetings. Assist promoting export business from Japan. Sales experience is preferable but not a must. Proficiency in Japanese is preferable, but not a must. Some business trips.
Please email your resume to info@maxjob.com or call 212-949-6660.
Kirsten’s World: Glitter on the Mattress
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Bow-waka-chika-POW!
By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08) who is currently a teacher in the NYC Teaching Fellows Program.
If you see a faded sign by the side of the road…
My kid bro’s Japanese friend was surprised at his knowledge of love hotels as he had never been to Japan before. But love hotels are one of those garish social conventions that anyone with the faintest modicum of interest in Japanese culture needs to know. There’s no mystery to that fascination.
“It’s really strange.” His Japanese friend said. “Love hotels are the only way Japanese teenagers can really have sex. But what about American teenagers?”
Why do you think Americans have such big cars?
Love hotels are right up there with Read More
Job: English Teacher, Kobe College High School (Nishinomiya)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Via JETAA Chicago
Kobe College High School seeks applications for an English teaching position for grades 7-12.
Contract: Two years; term begins April 1, 2011
Salary: 4,691,200 yen
Extras: Furnished Apt (small fee), Travel & Shipping, Expenses and Language Study
Qualifications:
-B.A. degree. Major in English or Education preferred.
-TESOL certification and teaching experience are preferred.
-Speaker of standard American English with strong grammar skills.
Application Deadline: August 7, 2010
Visit www.kccjee.org for a full job description or e-mail kccjee@comcast. net with questions. To view Kobe College’s website, go to: www.kobe-c.ac.jp
To Apply: Send a letter of application and a resume to:
KCC Japan Education Exchange
2100 Sanders Road, Suite #190
Northbrook, IL 60062
Fax: 847-715-9860Email: kccjee@comcast. net (no on-line links)
*Please include your email address in the correspondence.
Job: Associate TV News Producer, Tokyo Broadcasting System (New York)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Via Tokyo Broadcasting System
The New York News Bureau of Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) is seeking an energetic, professional individual to fill an Associate TV News Producer position.
TBS is one of the oldest and largest television and radio broadcasting networks in Japan and broadcasts nationally via 28 affiliate stations. The New York Bureau covers news primarily in the United States for broadcast in Japan.
Responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:
– Assist News Correspondents with daily news coverage and long term news projects.
– Research for news stories, set up interviews, and coordinate schedules.
– Assist with on-site news production and in-house recording, logging and editing of video feeds.
– Compile and prioritize information on daily, weekly, and long-range news events in coverage area.
– Monitor U.S. domestic news sources for information of interest to Japanese audience.
Japanese language ability a plus, but not required.
Strong interest in journalism, economic, political and social news preferred.
Available to travel and work extra hours and occasional weekends and holidays.
Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.
Start Date: As soon as possible.
Payment: Entry level position with full time and overtime payment.
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to newsjob@tbsi-us.com. No telephone calls, please.
