Members of Monkey Majik with Deputy Minister Len Edwards
Maynard Plant (Aomori-ken, 1997-2000) is the founder of the well-known Japan-based band Monkey Majik (www.monkeymajik.com), which consists of two Canadian members (Maynard and his brother Blaise) and two Japanese members-tax and DICK.
For more information you can check out their:
- Website: www.monkeymajik.com
- Wikipedia entry (where you’ll learn about the origins of the band as well as how Maynard is fluent in Aomori-ben): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_Majik
- Embassy of Japan in Canada press release: “Goodwill Ambassadors, Monkey Majik, arrive in Ottawa to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Japan-Canada Diplomatic Relations”
Here is their song Change with the Yoshida Brothers (a video all JET alums will appreciate):
Do you know of any notable JET alums? Let us know at jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
JETAA NY Webmaster and tech/social media guru Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) got the ball rolling with a video series called “Because of JET…..“ in which he uploaded short video clips of JET alumni sharing some good things that they experienced and witnessed as a result of participating in JET. The first few videos were taken at the JETAA National Conference this past weekend in New York.
Here’s the link to see all the videos so far: http://becauseofjet.tumblr.com/
- Send your own video testimonial to webmaster@jetaany.org to have it included and let people know about some of the positive effects of JET that they might not otherwise be aware of.
- If you can say your piece in Japanese that would be particularly helpful, according to Matt Gillam of CLAIR NY.
- Additionally, you can post your own “Because of JET…” testimony in written form by posting in the comments section here or in this other post on JetWit: http://jetwit.com/wordpress/2010/07/04/jet-roi-because-of-jet/
- Written testimony in Japanese is also potentially very helpful.
Here’s one of the videos:
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.
His two latest articles are movie reviews, one of “The Wolfman,” and one that discusses “Moon” and “Shutter Island” together. Here are some excerpts:
THE WOLFMAN
In most werewolf movies nowadays, it is standard to show a person’s nose and jaw elongating into a snaggletoothed lupine muzzle when they transform from human to wolf. [Makeup artist Rick] Baker has done that before, but in this film he pays homage to Lon Chaney Jr.’s furry but still humanoid look in the 1941 film The Wolf Man, on which the new film is based. Then and now, the title monster has modest fangs, a woolly forehead, a beard that goes up to his eyes and a nose that darkens at the tip.
Our first glimpse of Baker’s version of this classic face is literally over in a flash, as we see it illuminated by a pistol shot during a nocturnal battle. (In case you missed it the first time, the scene repeats a moment later, with a larger gun.) Later scenes reveal the monster’s face at greater length.
MOON and SHUTTER ISLAND
Teddy Daniels and Sam Bell are men who love their wives. They are also the respective protagonists of two new movies, Shutter Island and Moon, that take us far enough inside the characters’ heads to see each man passionately embracing his wife in a dream.
But when Teddy awakes, he finds himself trapped on his movie’s titular island, unhappily remembering that his wife has been dead for years. And when Sam awakes, he finds himself trapped on his movie’s titular heavenly body, unhappily remembering that his wife is on Earth, and he has not seen her for many months.
Teddy (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a U.S. marshall investigating the disappearance of an inmate from a prison hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island, Mass., in the 1950s. Sam (Sam Rockwell) is the solitary human staffer of a mining facility on the dark side of the moon, possibly in the 2050s.
The settings are very different, but both are ominous, isolated places in which intense psychological drama will unfold. In both movies, the protagonists have high-stakes confrontations with themselves, and with the powers that be.
Read the rest of the review here. The review is deliberately spoiler-free, but you can read Tom’s further comments about the endings of “Moon” here and “Shutter Island” here.
Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, is interviewed on ABC’s “World News Tonight” with Brian Ross and Diane Sawyer.
JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni. Crystal is a former English-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works in online marketing in New York and relishes her constant hunt for the best cheap(ish) eats in the city.
Hope everyone had an excellent Super Bowl weekend – I’m sure it was a good one for those rooting for the Saints. Without further ado, let’s get to the much belated first Blog Beat round up of 2010!
- In need of a winter pick me up that you can easily whip up in the kitchen with a few staples? Check out Elizabeth White’s (Toyama-ken, 1995-98), delicious Sausage & Tortellini soup recipe, inspired by her grandma Mary.
- After participating in the JETAA Regional Technology Conference, JETAA NY and Jet
Wit webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) reports from Portland, Oregon on what he calls some of the “best Thai food I’ve ever had outside of Thailand.”
- Check in on Kevin Kajitani (Kyogo-ken, 2006-07) and his experiences with New Year’s traditions in Japan.
- Learn how Robert Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04) deals with writer’s block and his obscure novel recommendations in his online interview with WriterGirl.
- Snow in Japan is a very different affair than it is in New York, as you can see in enviable fashion on JET alum Toby Weymiller’s blog.
Just heard from Aaron Woolfolk (Kochi-ken, 1991-93), writer and director of the film The Harimaya Bridge (starring Ben Guillory, Saki Takaoka, Misa Shimizu, and Danny Glover, who is also the Executive Producer), that the film is now available on DVD in Japan.
JetWit would love to have a copy of the DVD for JETAA NY purposes, so if you’re in Japan and can get a hold of a The Harimaya Bridge DVD, let me know. (jetwit [/at/] jetwit [/dot/] com.)
Meanwhile, the Aaron has continued showing The Harimaya Bridge at film festivals around the U.S. and reports that the film is due out in theaters in the U.S. in the spring.
***************
The JET alumni community already has a great reputation for writers such as Bruce Feiler, Roland Kelts and James Kennedy among others. And now we’re starting to make our mark on the world of film as well.
JET alum Aaron Woolfolk‘s film The Harimaya Bridge, starring starring Ben Guillory, Saki Takaoka, Misa Shimizu, and Danny Glover (who is also the Executive Producer), is making its New York debut on Sunday December 6 (with Q&A and cocktail reception to follow) and Sunday December 13 as part of the African Diaspora Film Festival.
(Editor’s Note: I already bought my ticket for the Dec 6 date!)
The film had a nationwide theatrical release in Japan beginning in June, and the response from audiences and critics was fantastic. (There was also a showing in Los Angeles back in June that a number of JETAA Southern California JET alums attended.)
The film will be showing in New York:
- Sunday, December 6 @ 5:30PM – Thalia Cinema, Symphony Space (95th & Bway) – GALA SCREENING. Followed by a Q&A with director and catered reception
- Sunday, Dec. 13 @ 7:30PM- Thalia Cinema, Symphony Space (95th & Bway)
This looks to be a big event for the JET alum community, so get your tickets now and hope to see you there.
Here’s the trailer for the film:
Here are two videos of Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, from a keynote speech he gave at the University of Missouri in St. Louis back in October.
In the first, he talks about the connection between manga and anime and traditional Japanese line-based aesthetics–or what Takashi Murakami now calls “Superflat”:
And in the second video, he discusses the fundamental differences between American visual iconography and Japanese sensibilities, with a reference to Pokemon in America and McDonald’s in Japan:
WITvid is a periodic series by Peter Weber (Saitama-ken 2004-07), the JET Program Coordinator in San Francisco.
This video was brought to my attention by Rhea Young, JET Program Coordinator at the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit.
This piece (posted by draginboll) was featured on Japanese television about the treatment of some Assistant Language Teachers in Japan. Although I feel some of the views are biased and extreme (especially the references to the JET Program) it is very interesting. It just goes to show, ” Every Situation Is Different (ESID)” does not only apply to the JET Program.
WITvid is a periodic series by Peter Weber (Saitama-ken 2004-07), the JET Program Coordinator in San Francisco.
I thought that JetWit could use some video content from time to time, so I figured I would help and contribute by adding JET and Japan related video links. If you have any suggestions do not hesitate to contact me at jet [at] cgjsf.org.
I thought I would start off with a video that was popular a few years ago titled “ALT Rap” by Rob Holbrook aka veloboy (Osaka-shi). Enjoy!
***************
Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, was interviewed by Japan Society of New York at the New York Anime Festival 2009 which was held September 25-27 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Let’s go to the video tape:
Part 1 of the interview:
Part 2 of the interview:
Hi, it’s your Jetwit webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken ’03-’06) here. I have a quick favor to ask you all.
“Herbivores,” the stop-motion animation video that I made with my friend Elizabeth Fuller last year has made it to the top 10 semifinals of the First Annual Food2 Summer Challenge. We desperately need your votes to help us win the grand prize. Please vote for us here. You need to sign in to vote, but you can log in using your Facebook or MySpace account. It only takes a minute.
Thanks so much for your help!
****************
JetWit webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) comments after the jump on The Cove, a new documentary about dolphin hunting in Japan. Please feel free to share your own thoughts regarding this controversial film in the comments section of this post.
Current JETs, this is another reason for your students to improve their eigo.
Who says the JET alumni network doesn’t do enough things aimed at JET alums with kids? There are a whole slew of JET alum writers with children’s books, not to mention Suzanne Kamata’s (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) book Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering (which I’m in the middle of reading right now and enjoying very much).
And now this helpful video (which is also good for plain old language study to boot).
Meanwhile, though the video may be unconscious satire in its own right, there are actually several parody versions of this video posted to YouTube as well.
Thanks to CLAIR-NY’s Taichi Hanzawa for posting this nifty video by Nakashima Miyuki on his Facebook status page:
JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni. Crystal is a formerEnglish-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works as a media planner in Chelsea and sorely misses all her favorite midtown ramen joints.
Happy hanami season, everyone!
JET alumni Kevin and Aaron seek to educate the masses about Japanese manners on their new blog, iSpeakJapanese. The video covers all the basics that can be a mystery to gaijin, including indoor and outdoor shoes, chopsticks, and tipping as well and a funny tale to boot.
MEF alum Bruce Rutledge, founder of the Chin Music Press in Seattle introduces new members of his staff.
Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-2004) shares her tips for a hanami picnic this weekend.
Thanks to Lawrence Brenner (www.lawrencebrenner.com), an online video and content specialist who covers a lot of Roland Kelts’ events, we have even more video from the JET Alumni Author Showcase laid out in nice YouTube video clips:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E204A157B05C1AEC
Seattle-based Kevin Kajitani (Kyogo-ken, 2006-07) just let us know about his blog, iSpeakJapanese.net, which features current events as well as videos and other tools for learning or improving your Japanese. Kevin, who was featured in the Winter 2009 issue of JQ (JETAA NY Quarterly) Magazine, is the co-founder of Speakit LLC along with his partner Aaron.
As you’ll notice, Kevin and Aaron have a rather unique and creative approach to Japanese language and culture learning.
In case you missed it (or enjoyed it so much you want to relive it), below is a highlights clip from the JET Alumni Author Showcase along with clips of each of the three author readings, all of which took place March 22 in NYC. (Bonus tip: Try to picture each author teaching an English class in a Japanese high school as you watch them do their readings.)
Highlight Clips
James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish
Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S.
Robert P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04), author of Zorgamazoo
Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99) was recently interviewed by Sho Sakurai on Japan’s News Zero program. Click here to watch the clip on YouTube. (Good opportunity to practice your Japanese a bit as well. :-)
Come on, everyone had at least one class like this when they were on JET.
(Special prize to the first person who can post a translation of (1) what he answers at that one part where he wakes up after nearly falling asleep on the microphone, and (2) what’s written on that reporter’s notepad.)
James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, was recently interviewed at the Evanston Library by some wonderful teenagers. Watch a video of the interview below.
From James’ blog: “This Saturday (2/7) I’m going to be appearing at the Fantasy Festival at the Evanston Public Library! There will also be manga drawing, fantasy video gaming, and a screening of the almighty Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. (See the events sidebar, right, for details.)
In preparation, I sat down with Sam, Zoe, Heather and Luke of the Evanston library’s Teen Advisory Board to
READ THE REST OF THE POST HERE
Via Japan Society (NY):
|
After seeing the joy and excitement expressed by the people of Obama-shi, I thought it would be appropriate to stop and reflect on how far we have come in the relationship between U.S. presidents and Japan. (Make sure to watch the Saturday Night Live parody clip at the end.)
Obama-shi in Fukui-ken, Japan is partying hardy to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Here’s today’s report from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE50J4AQ20090120
And here’s the video of their Obama-uta to get you in the mood. “La…la-la-la-la O-ba-ma!…”
Yet another devious attempt to replace ALTs. And this one doesn’t like being touched on the breast. (I’m not making this up. Read the article for yourself. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/10/aiko-the-female-robot-inv_n_149860.html)
Speaking of volunteering, Reuters Japan has a good video article (in Japanese) about NY de Volunteer’s recent Spa Day, where the volunteers go to a nursing home and treat the residents to a day of various beauty spa treatments. (FYI, the segment starts at about 2:55 into the video.)
(For those of you with stronger Japanese skills, please feel free to post summary comments in English so other JetWit readers can get a sense of what’s being said.)
Next they’ll be using them as ALTs. :-)
It turns out there’s Beppu Hot Springs Master in the JET alumni community. Meet translator/interpreter Joel Dechant, currently a resident of Fukuoka but soon moving to Seattle, WA. Never heard of a Hot Springs Master? Watch this video of him from Japanese TV. (See all 4 clips with explanation on JapanProbe.com.)
Obama-shi, Japan is so happy about the US election, they’ve come up with a song and video about it. Meanwhile, have you ever written a song in Japanese (or partly in Japanese)? Let me know and I’ll post it, or perhaps we can collaborate with other JET alums to come up with a tune and/or record it. Just email me at stevenwaseda at-mark jetwit dotto com.
This is a little off-topic, but I suppose I can justify it on the basis that celebrities doing commercials in Japan are cultural ambassadors just like JETs.
I had no idea that Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Ben Stiller and some of the others had ever done commercials in Japan. Click here to see the Top 21 from The Popcorn Trick. Thanks to Alexei Esikoff (Fukushima-ken, 2001-02) for making me aware of the existence of this vital site.
Do like to write songs? Do you know some Japanese? Here’s your chance to come up with a Japanese country song, i.e., a U.S.-style country song in Japanese (or at least half in Japanese). Send in your lyrics to me at stevenwaseda [at] jetwit.com. We’ll worry about the tune later (unless you also come up with a tune and a recording and want to share that too.) If it’s even half decent, I’ll publish it here, at which time other readers can offer an appropriate tune, new lyrics or try to record a version of the song. This will be an ongoing contest with no deadline. Multiple submissions welcome!
This idea, btw, was inspired by a Chinese country music video sent to me by my wife (a high school Chinese teacher). It is not only hilarious, but also has amazing choreography, costumes and… I can’t even begin to explain it. Just watch.
Recent comments on JetWit