Job: Associate Director for Administration, Center on Japanese Economy at Columbia University (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 Caroline Hasegawa (JET Program Alum)
The Associate Director for Administration will engage in executing programs and overseeing day-to-day activities of the Center on Japanese Economy and Business. The employee will report to directly to the Director for Administration as well as work collaboratively with faculty directors and other officers of the Center.
Key Job Responsibilities:
1. Thoroughly understand and carry out the Center’s mission by working closely with the Director for Administration to execute and oversee day-to-day administrative activities of the Center. Help Director in assigning tasks and monitoring performance of program staff.
2. Coordinate production of Center events. Maintain and monitor the quality and content of the Visiting Fellows Program.
3. Work with Center’s Academic and Administrative Directors to find opportunities for engaging CBS faculty in research related to Japan.
4. Lead efforts to update, improve and maintain the Center’s website, reports, email campaigns and other public relations outreach materials; liaise with the Business School Marketing and Communications office on key PR efforts
5. Assist the Director in conceptualizing and executing a variety of academic and outreach activities, including programs for students, alumni, faculty, and industry professionals.
6. Assist Director with creating Center marketing and fundraising materials.
7. Play a lead role in managing the Center’s new program, entitled “New Financial Architectures: Japan and the US.”
A full description of the job and its requirement can be found at: https://jobs.columbia.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1278599679364.
JET ROI: Seven JETs, Seven Stories
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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.
Perhaps it’s the fact that the influence one JET participant has in one town is difficult to quantify. Perhaps it’s the lack of a clearly defined job description. Perhaps it’s simply that the “soft hands” approach a Board of Education must take to the internationalization and exchange portion of JET makes it impractical for that same employer to critique and provide feedback on the English education portion. Regardless of the reason, it is incredibly easy and natural to belittle the JET Programme for what appears to be, on paper, a lackluster development of English ability in Japanese schools since 1987.
It’s particularly easy for the CIRs, SEAs, and ALTs themselves to do the belittling. When I had a Japanese English teacher delegate me as human tape recorder, it was easy to lament that “I had no impact.” When I found myself singing Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes in front of a bunch of over-enthused six-year olds, I certainly questioned whether my college education was worth it. At some of the more difficult moments of my JET tenure, I remember thinking that no matter what I did, I wouldn’t be remembered. I’d be just another foreign dude who arrived in town, hung out for a few years, and abruptly left as summer once again turned to autumn. I figured I would just disappear into the fog of my townsfolks’ minds, nothing more than an occasional afterthought for locals between glasses of winter shochu.
Those doubts have not come to fruition. What’s more, there was plenty of evidence, even while I was still in Japan, that they would not.
I was the seventh ALT to live in my town. I didn’t know that when I arrived, but Read More
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JET Return on Investment (ROI) is a new category on JetWit intended to highlight the various economic, diplomatic and other benefits to Japan resulting from its investment in the JET Program. Why is this important right now? Because the JET Program and JET Alumni Association may be cut by the Japanese government, as explained in this post by Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) titled “JET Program on the Chopping Block.”
We want your “outreach” stories!
Have you given back to your town or prefecture in some way? Have you helped spread Japanese culture through activities in your own country? Have you inspired former students in interesting ways?
We know there are tons of stories and examples out there that have yet to be documented (or gathered in one place). We need these now to help demonstrate some of the ways that JET and JETAA have provided return on Japan’s investment.
Please share your story in the comments section below (or email it to jetwit@jetwit.com).
Yoroshiku!
Job (repost): Japan Travel Consultant (Bristol, UK)
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Via hyogojets yahoo group:
InsideJapan Tours, an independent travel specialist based in the UK, is currently recruiting for a new travel consultant. This company has a number of ex-JETs among their staff. Applications are now being accepted (closing date late July), and the job will start in September. The position available is for a Full Time Japan Travel Consultant based at the UK Office in Bristol. InsideJapan Tours is looking for someone who has experienced living and working in Japan and wants to share their passion for the country with others.
Unfortunately, no work visa sponsorship available. Details at:
http://www.insidejapantours.com/jobs/
Job: Academic Director (Columbus, OH)
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Via the JETAAJOB listserv:
NOTE: Candidates residing outside the Greater Columbus, OH need not apply.
Job Summary:
Reporting directly to the Center Director, the Academic Director is responsible for all operations concerning the academic program. Specifically, the Academic Director is responsible for the hiring, training, development and dismissal of instructional staff; the development and implementation of the curriculum; the testing, placement and evaluation of students; and the scheduling of classes. In the absence of the Center Director, the Academic Director is responsible for the operation of the Language Center.
**REQUIREMENTS**
Ex-Hot Dog Eating Champ Takeru Kobayashi arrested in New York on Independence Day
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By JQ Magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Say what you will about former hot dog eating champ Takeru Kobayashi, he’s no chicken.
The six-time winner of the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest was busted at the 95th edition of the annual event Sunday after attempting to storm the stage following the fourth win in a row by his American archrival Joey Chestnut. In an AP video, the Japan-born Kobayashi, clad in a “Free Kobi” T-shirt, is dragged away and handcuffed by multiple NYPD officers to the shouts in the crowd of “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” while his interpreter Maggie James, wearing the same T-shirt, says frantically, “They weren’t giving him his freedom. It was unfair.”
As reported yesterday, Kobayashi officially blogged his intent to drop out of the competition after reaching an impasse over an exclusivity contract with Major League Eating, the sanctioning body of the Nathan’s event and other food-related contests. Public opinion Kobayashi, nicknamed “The Tsunami,” was divided between his announcement and the event, with some dubbing him a sore loser and coward (he had previously groused over an arthritic jaw before losing to Chestnut for the first time in 2007), and others applauding his decision to remain a free agent.
Read the full article here.
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JET Return on Investment (ROI) is a new category on JetWit intended to highlight the various economic, diplomatic and other benefits to Japan resulting from its investment in the JET Program. Why is this important right now? Because the JET Program and JET Alumni Association may be cut by the Japanese government, as explained in this post by Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) titled “JET Program on the Chopping Block.”
Because of JET….
- Many of us have a lifelong connection to Japan.
- Many Japanese citizens have learned English and been inspired to go to other cross-cultural accomplishments.
- Many of us have found jobs and careers working for Japanese companies and organizations in Japan and in our home countries.
- Over 50,000 of more people in the world can speak at least a little Japanese, and many of us are fluent.
If you’re a JET or a JET alum, you know these things because you’ve experienced them. Now it’s time to share some of those experiences as a way to demonstrate concretely some of the many benefits to Japan of the JET Program.
Please post your own personal “BECAUSE OF JET…..” example in the comments section below, or feel free to e-mail it to jetwit@jetwit.com. (Please make sure to include your prefecture and years on JET.) (Feel free to substitute “JETAA” for “JET” if appropriate.)
(Note: Special thanks to our JETAA International officers for coming up with this concept.)
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 week was the start of the Japan Cuts film festival at Japan Society, where this year 24 films will be featured. This is the largest lineup ever and includes a wide variety of films. The Japan Society allows those who offer to volunteer at the festival the chance to stay and view the movie for free! I have decided to take advantage of this opportunity, and plan to help out during a couple of days of the festival. Stay tuned for reviews of the many movies I will have the chance to sample!
However, my first time at the festival was as a customer last Friday for the screening of the conspiracy theory comedy Golden Slumber. The plot of Read More
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JET Return on Investment (ROI) is a new category on JetWit intended to highlight the various economic and diplomatic benefits to Japan resulting from its investment in the JET Program. This first post by Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) lays out the context and background regarding the serious challenges now faced by the JET Program and JET Alumni Association in connection with current economic problems and political shifts in Japan. Email jetwit@jetwit.com with ideas or submissions for additional JET ROI posts.
“JET Program on the Chopping Block”
Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director for the Japan Center for International Exchange
Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) has served as the Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA) (www.jcie.or.jp) in New York since 2002, the US affiliate of one of the leading nongovernmental institutions in the field of international affairs in Japan. JCIE brings together key figures from around the world for programs of exchange, research, and dialogue designed to build international cooperation on pressing regional and global challenges. Before joining JCIE in 2001, Jim conducted research with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and taught English in rural Japanese middle schools as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme. He received a BA from the University of Notre Dame, conducted graduate research at Ehime University in Japan, and has a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Mr. Gannon is also a fellow with the US-Japan Network for the Future, operated by the Mike and Maureen Mansfield Foundation, and his recent publications include “East Asia at a Crossroads” in East Asia at a Crossroads and “Promoting the Study of the United States in Japan” in Philanthropy and Reconciliation: Rebuilding Postwar US-Japan Relations.
As part of Japan’s efforts to grapple with its massive public debt, the JET Program may be cut. Soon after coming into power, the new DPJ government launched a high profile effort to expose and cut wasteful government spending. This has featured jigyo shiwake–budget review panels that were tasked with reviewing government programs and recommending whether they should be continued or cut. (See Stacy Smith’s (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) May 21 WITLife post that explains jigyou shiwake and touches on the threat to the JET Program.)
In May 2010, the JET Program and CLAIR came up for review, and during the course of an hourlong hearing, the 11-member panel criticized the JET scheme, ruling unanimously that a comprehensive examination should be undertaken to see if it should be pared back or eliminated altogether.When the jigyo shiwake panels were launched in November 2009, the intent was to weed out bloated spending and a wide range of government programs were put under review, from government-affiliated think tanks to host nation support for US military bases. Bureaucrats involved with each program were directed to submit a brief report on program activities and testify before panels consisting of a handful of Diet members and roughly a dozen private citizens from different walks of life. The defenders of each program were given five minutes to explain why the program is worthwhile, the finance ministry then laid out the rationale for cutting it, and then the panel held a 40 minute debate before issuing a recommendation whether the program should live or die.
Diet member Renho
This extraordinary spectacle made for great theater, becoming wildly popular with voters disenchanted with a lack of government transparency and critical of recurring bureaucratic scandals. In November 2009, the first round of jigyo shiwake panels dominated the newspapers’ front pages and the hearings were streamed live by various online news sites. The process even gave rise to a new set of stars, most notably Renho, a 42 year-old Taiwanese-Japanese announcer turned Diet member who relentlessly attacked the bureaucrats who appeared before the panels.
Despite this initial success, a backlash eventually began to brew against the jigyo shiwake panels, with detractors labeling them as mindless populism, arguing that panel members without any special expertise were unqualified to evaluate the programs and ridiculing the attempt to pass judgment on complex, long-standing projects with such a cursory review. In one noteworthy development, a group of Japanese Nobel laureates publicly rebuked the Hatoyama Goverment for jigyo shiwake recommendations to gut government funding for basic scientific research. Renho herself met with ridicule for arguing in one budget hearing, “What’s wrong with being the world’s number two?”
On May 21, a diverse set of programs including the JET Program were lumped together in one hourlong session and, during the course of the proceedings, the JET Program was criticized as being ineffective in raising the level of Japan’s English education. One of the more publicized comments called for the elimination of the Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) portion of JET. The general sense was that the JET Program was being evaluated as an educational program with the exchange component being given short shrift, since its impact is difficult to quantify and assess. (Click here for the ruling on the JET Program in Japanese in PDF format.)
A few Japanese intellectual and foreign policy leaders have begun to push back against the attacks on the JET Program, noting how important it is in terms of public diplomacy and in Japan’s engagement with a range of countries. In its June meeting in Washington, D.C., the US-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Exchange (CULCON), a joint US-Japan “wisemen’s commission” scathingly criticized the shortsightedness of any move to cut the JET Program, issuing a statement that
“CULCON strongly endorses the JET Program, especially against the background of negative assessment expressed by some panelists of the screening process.”
For its part, the US State Department also seems to be taking the position that the JET Program makes valuable contributions to the long-term underpinnings of US-Japan relations and cutting it will be harmful. Meanwhile, a handful of articles have also started to appear in the Japanese press defending the JET Program, although there have been only limited contributions to the debate so far by current and former JET participants.
The number of JET participants has already been cut back by almost 30 percent from the peak in 2002, but this is the most direct threat to its survival that the program has faced in its 23-year history. The pattern that has emerged with the previous round of jigyo shiwake has been that programs receiving this type of verdict will be scaled back significantly, absent any public outcry or political maneuvering by important figures.
It appears that the next few months will be decisive in whether and how the JET Program continues.
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Additional reading on this topic:
- “The JET Program is a Successful Example of US-Japan Exchange” – Sankei Shimbun, June 26, 2010 – http://sankei.jp.msn.com/world/america/100626/amr1006260751000-n1.htm (in Japanese)
- “Second round of state spending reviews begins” – Japan Times, April 24, 2010 – http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100424a3.html
- “Japanese scientists rally against government cuts: Packed meeting hears a chorus of lament from Nobelists” – Nature News, November 26, 2009 – http://www.nature.com/news/2009/091126/full/news.2009.1108.html
- Ruling on JET (PDF) (In Japanese) – http://www.cao.go.jp/sasshin/data/shiwake/result/B-36.pdf (Feel free to provide English translation of relevant parts in the comments section of this JetWit post.)
Have a good idea for a JET ROI post? Please contact Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) at jetwit@jetwit.com.
Job: Japanese-speaking Counselor (Connecticut)
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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 Nicole Bongiorno (JETAANY)
An overnight summer ballet program, located on a campus of a prestigious private school in Connecticut, is looking for a mature, responsible, outgoing individual to be a counselor and to be responsible for a group of 10 non-English speaking Japanese students age 12-14. Counselors will be responsible for supervising the children, translating English/Japanese, as well as planning and running some extracurricular activities (all ballet instruction will be done by professional staff).
Dates: July 17 – August 7, 2010
Pay: $300 per week for the duration of the job +housing and meals
Required Qualifications:
Fluency in Japanese and English,
Experience in organizing and implementing fun and safe activities
Strong organizational skills
Sensitivity to/appreciation of other cultures and foreign students
For a complete job listing and information on application procedures, click here.
Job: Project Leader and Technician (Northeast U.S.)
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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 Helen Godfrey (JET Participant, 1996-1998)
Job Summary: Formulate, blend and test lubricant additives in greases and oils used in automotive and industrial applications. Make technical presentations and attend meetings of industry organizations, particularly targeting the Asia Pacific region.
Job Responsibilities:
• Act as Project Leader for new product development.
• Evaluate commercial and experimental lubricant additives by Standard ASTM test methods.
• Develop additive formulations that meet customers’ specific requirements.
• Write reports in English and Japanese.
• Give technical presentations in English and Japanese.
• Attend industry organization meetings.
• Conduct all work in accordance with Petroleum Applications Laboratory ISO-9001 quality system procedures.
• Calibrate laboratory equipment and instruments in accordance with ISO-9001 protocol and procedures, including all equipment and instruments that require off-site calibration.
Job Qualifications:
• B.S. degree in a scientific discipline, preferably chemistry.
• 1-2 years experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in lubricant formulating and lubricant testing a plus.
• Fluent in technical and conversational Japanese and English.
• Up to 20% travel required.
For more information, email Helen Godfrey (hgodfrey@Central.UH.EDU).
WIT Life #105: Samurai in New York
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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 I had the chance to preview the Samurai in New York: The First Japanese Delegation, 1860 exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. There was a reception to celebrate its opening hosted by Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya and those affiliated with the museum. In his opening remarks, he detailed how descendants of members of the original 70-plus person delegation were in attendance. One was a woman who currently makes her home in New York, and another was a Buddhist monk who had traveled from Japan. It was a wonderful tribute to the original delegation to have these representatives present.
The exhibit itself, though limited in scope, contains some interesting artifacts. Evidently they had been Read More
WIT Life #104: Of sales tax and soccer
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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.
A hot issue in Japan right now is PM Naoto Kan’s proposal of doubling the current sales tax of 5% (Coverage from earlier this week in the WSJ can be found here). According to projections, an increase of this amount could lead to an additional 165,000 yen ($1829) from each household annually. Kan has emphasized that he anticipates this being implemented over the next two to three years, but his willingness to even touch this kind of financial reform differs greatly from his DPJ predecessor Yukio Hatoyama (who had promised not to alter the sales tax for four years).
Response to this announcement have been mixed. Surprisingly, a survey carried out by Yomiuri Shimbun found that Read More
Job: Administrative Assistant, Invesco (Dallas)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Via Michelle Tillis, Invesco
GENERAL PURPOSE OF POSITION
This position requires one to work in a team position to support the Managing Director and investment team of the Real Estate Securities department and provide translation as needed for various documents and presentations.
PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
*Serve as an administrative teammate with other administrative personnel.
*Coordinate meeting schedules for the investment team.
*Coordinate travel arrangements to include Asia, Australia, Europe, etc.
*Provide basic research support such as running routine reports and performing certain data entry tasks
*Prepare agenda package for Monthly Real Estate Securities Management Committee Meetings
*General administrative duties that include drafting correspondence, mail distribution, faxing, copying, filing, ordering of office supplies, etc.
*Back-up duties that include answering and screening Managing Director’s calls, maintaining department calendar, scheduling meetings, coordinating U.S. travel, catering, etc.
*Upkeep of various databases
*General file maintenance
*Coordinate with product management and graphics departments for various marketing materials required for meetings, conferences, etc.
WORK EXPERIENCE:
*MUST HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH SCHEDULING INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS AND TRAVEL.
*BILINGUAL SKILLS (JAPANESE/ENGLISH OR PORTUGUESE/ENGLISH) PREFERRED.
*Minimum 3 years secretarial/administrative support experience.
*Must have experience supporting multiple high level executives.
SKILLS:
-Fluent in English and it is highly desirable to have foreign language skills in Japanese or Portuguese ‘ both written and verbal
-Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Office 2003: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.
-Proven organizational skills.
-Proven communication skills, both verbal and written.
-Proven client service/communication skills.
-Ability to prioritize work.
-Ability to work with others at all levels.
-Ability to meet tight deadlines.
Please send resume and cover letter to : michelle.tillis@invesco.com
WIT Life #103: The Cove
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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.
An article in today’s Times discusses the reaction of right wingers in Japan to The Cove, a documentary about dolphin hunting in a place called Taiji. This group, 右翼 or uyoku, are said to number about 10,000 throughout the country and have been responsible for various acts of violence such as torching the houses of politicians whose views they don’t agree with (i.e. regarding visits to Yasukuni Shrine). This time they are protesting outside theaters attempting to show this film, insisting that it will “poison Japan’s soul.” However, there is significant interest in this doc as evidenced by the turnout of over 700 people for a one-time screening in Tokyo last week, where about 100 had to be turned away due to lack of space.
Quoted in the article is the documentary filmmaker and author Tatsuya Mori, who I Read More
