Bankruptcy Bill #18 – Pro Bono
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BAPCPA Man and Bankruptcy Bill are cartoons created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. For more cartoons, original bankruptcy haiku and even a bankruptcy country song, go to bankruptcybill.us.
Additionally, if anyone would like to take a stab at translating the cartoon into Japanese for JetWit’s Japanese fans out there, feel free to post in the comments section of this post. Some cultural explanation might be helpful as well, given that Japanese bankruptcy laws are very different than the U.S.
JetWit Blog Beat 8.5.09 by Crystal Wong
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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 is now a freelance writer and digital strategist in New York and relishes her constant hunt for the best cheap(ish) eats in the city.
Interesting post from Dave Jacobson over at Chin Music Press about the continuing lack of interest in Japan as a news story from mainstream media, despite it being the world’s second largest economy. Dave points out that this is a great opportunity for the smaller companies and bloggers who continue to produce great content on Japan. We here over at Blog Beat would be interested to hear your thoughts on this trend – Have you noticed this as well? What does it mean for Japan?
JET alum Toby Weymiller reports on the progress on his new house from Hokkaido – how extremely cool to track the construction of a new home!
Also, check out a new addition to our blogroll – adventure writer Elizabeth White (Toyama-ken, 1995-98), lives in San Luis Obispo County and her new blog is well worth reading as it details all the delicious delights of life in paradise (and its challenges, of course) with great writing and photos.
BAPCPA Man #2 – Automatic Stay Force Field
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BAPCPA Man and Bankruptcy Bill are cartoons created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. For more cartoons, original bankruptcy haiku and even a bankruptcy country song, go to bankruptcybill.us.
Additionally, if anyone would like to take a stab at translating the cartoon into Japanese for JetWit’s Japanese fans out there, feel free to post in the comments section of this post. Some cultural explanation might be helpful as well, given that Japanese bankruptcy laws are very different than the U.S.
Graphic novelist Lars Martinson seeks funding for comic book about East Asian calligraphy
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JET alum Lars Martinson, author of the graphic novel Tonoharu: Part 1, is not only currently studying East Asian calligraphy in Ehime-ken, he wants to write a comic book about his experience. And he’s in the process of seeking funding to help make this happen.
If you’ve seen Tonoharu: Part 1, you know that “comic book” barely does justice to Lars’ sophisticated and detailed drawing style. And having won a Monbusho Scholarship to help him fund the production of Tonoharu: Part 1, Lars knows a thing or two about getting funding (as further demonstrated in a previous blog post titled “How to Apply for a Monbusho Scholarship“).
That said, it’s never easy getting funding and income as an artist/illustrator. (See, e.g., Lars’ recent post on adapting his drawing style for professional and practical purposes.) So if anyone can provide any assistance or leads to help Lars with funding, please feel free to get in touch with him at blog [at] larsmartinson [dot] com.
For information about Lars, you can read his blog at http://larsmartinson.com. You can also read a nice article about Lars from the Winter 2008 “Digital Media” Issue of the JETAA NY Newsletter, written by Alexei Esikoff (Fukushima-ken, 2001-02).
Transcript of Roland Kelts full interview with Hayao Miyazaki (via GhibliWorld)
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For those of you who weren’t able to catch Roland Kelts’ (Osaka-shi, 1998-99) interview with Hayo Miyazaki in Berkeley, CA on July 25, a “fanatically thorough transcript” of the full interview has been posted at the GhibliWorld site: http://www.ghibliworld.com/miyazaki_on_stage_conversation_berkeley_july_2009.html
JET alum artists: Brooke and Daniel Lauer
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JetWit just learned of two more JET alum artists who happen to be married to each other and live in Greenville, SC. They also both lived in Niigata-ken.
Lauer, Brooke (Niigata-ken 2004-07) – Greenville, SC
- Writes and illustrates picture books, makes dolls from polymer clay, and handmade journals. Her newest work can be found at http://brookelauer.blogspot.com
- Motto: “Creating a more interesting world, one character at a time…”
Lauer, Daniel (Niigata-ken 2005-2007) – Greenville, SC
- His wheel-thrown pottery can be seen at http://www.firebirdpottery.com
Roland Kelts and young fans at Keio Academy Digital Media Creation program
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Over the weekend we mentioned that Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, gave a talk for the students in the Keio Academy of New York Japanese-English Bilingual Summer Program in Purchase, NY in connection with a two-week Digital Media Creation program. (Additional speakers in the program include Michael Arias, director of “ANIMATRIX” and “Tekkonkinkreet,” Shoji Kawamuri, animation director and mechanical designer and Yuji Nunokawa, CEO of animation producer Pierrot Co., Ltd.)
Here are a couple nice photos from the event:
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This past Thursday evening, Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, gave a talk for the students in the Keio Academy of New York Japanese-English Bilingual Summer Program in Purchase, NY in connection with a two-week Digital Media Creation program.
Additional speakers in the program include Michael Arias, director of “ANIMATRIX” and “Tekkonkinkreet,” Shoji Kawamuri, animation director and mechanical designer and Yuji Nunokawa, CEO of animation producer Pierrot Co., Ltd.
BAPCPA Man #1 – Automatic Stay
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BAPCPA Man and Bankruptcy Bill are cartoons created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. For more cartoons, original bankruptcy haiku and even a bankruptcy country song, go to bankruptcybill.us.
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Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, hosted a talk with Hayao Miyazaki (director of Spirited Away among other animated films) on July 25 in Berekely, CA. Miyazaki made a rare U.S. appearance to receive the second annual Berkeley Japan Prize for lifetime achievement, presented by the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. (See a Japan Times article on the event here.)
This was familiar territory for Roland, who hosted a talk with novelist Haruki Murakami in October 2008 when Murakami was presented with the first Berekely Japan award.
CLAIR-NY’s Hanzawa-san on his life in NYC
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For those who don’t know him, Taichi Hanzawa (Miyagi-ken) works for CLAIR-NY (also known as the Japan Local Government Center or JLGC) and this past year served as the JETAA USA Liaison. That’s the position responsible for coordinating with all 19 JETAA USA chapters to help them with their funding. Takusan shigoto yo. Cantan de ha arimasen. Yet Hanzawa-san has worked very hard and served admirably.
Recently, he wrote a short article for the Miyagi Ken Prefectural Newsletter where he reflected on his life in New York. By way of context, Hanzawa-san and most of his colleagues at CLAIR-NY are part of a sort of inverse version of the JET Program. They are all local government workers in their city or prefectural governments. And they’ve all been selected to be part of a three-year program that starts with one year of training in Tokyo followed by a two-year assignment in a CLAIR office in the U.S., UK, Australia or elsewhere.
Below is the article by Hanzawa-san (along with a picture of him at a recent JETAA NY executive meeting held at the JLGC). If anyone would like to post an English summary in the comments section (assuming you can make out the print below), that would be more than welcome. (If you’d like a PDF version, e-mail jetwit [at] jetwit [dot] com.)
JETAA Chapter Beat: Author Robert Whiting Coming to Seattle
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Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) brings us a special edition of news from the JETAA Pacific Northwest for JETAA Chapter Beat.
The Japan-America Society of Seattle is pleased to announce best-selling author Robert Whiting as the featured speaker for an August 13 evening cocktail reception. Mr. Whiting will speak about his new book You Gotta Have Wa 2009(Vintage Departures). The event is being held on Thursday, August 13th at FOX Sports Grill.
Mr. Whiting first wrote You Gotta Have Wa (Macmillan) in 1989, reflecting on the cultural conflict between Japan and America as seen through the common sport of baseball. It was written at the height of US-Japan trade difficulties and received considerable media attention, including 3 reviews from the NY Times and a feature in Time Magazine. Mr. Whiting has appeared on such TV shows as Larry King and the McNeil-Lehrer News Hour. Along with being required reading at the Japan Desk in the State Department and a frequent feature in American Universities, it was also a best seller in Japan and named one of the best non-fiction books of the year.
The new book is a celebration of Wa‘s 20th anniversary, containing a new introduction and afterward describing the changes in US-Japanese relations and how it can still be seen in the sport of baseball. Special focus is given to the influx of Japanese stars to the MLB, like Daisuke Matsuzaka, as well as the recent unprecedented migration of American managers to Japan, led by Bobby Valentine and Trey Hillman.
In his talk, Mr. Whiting will address the subject of whether Japanese and Americans understand (and like) each other more than they did two decades ago and the how baseball remains an interesting reflection of culture.
Mr. Whiting is the author of several highly acclaimed books, including The Meaning of Ichiro (Warner Books) and Tokyo Underworld (Pantheon), a book about organized crime in Japan currently being made into a film directed by Martin Scorsese.
Doors open at 5:30, with the Presentation and Q&A session held from 6:20 until 7:00, followed by Mariners vs. Yankees, presented on 3 big screen plasma TVs.
Bankruptcy Bill #17: BAPCPA Man (cameo by Roland Kelts)
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Bankruptcy Bill is a cartoon created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. For more cartoons, original bankruptcy haiku and even a bankruptcy country song, go to bankruptcybill.us.
A twist in the plot! (Also, note the Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99) reference as the esoteric worlds of manga and bankruptcy find a rare intersection.)
*BAPCPA = Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, i.e., the 2005 Bankruptcy Law.
Roland Kelts on Australian radio
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Check out this interview on Australian radio (ABC) with Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, about the anime industry in Japan, financial foibles and hentai habits.
Roland recently finished a speaking tour in Australia where made several appearances.
- July 13-16th, Sydney, AU, JSAA Conference, University of Sydney
- July 17th, Sydney, AU, The Japan Foundation: Panel w/Susan Napier and Rebecca Suter
- July 20th, Brisbane, AU, The University of Queensland: Panel w/ Susan Napier and Rebecca Suter
- July 22nd, Melbourne, AU, The University of Melbourne: Panel w/Susan Napier and Rebecca Suter
He also hosted a talk with Hayao Miyazaki in Berkely, CA on July 25. Click here to see video clips of Roland speaking at the JETAA NY Alumni Author Showcase event held back in March 2009, here for photos from the event and here to read a review of the event.
James Scanlon-Canegata returned from JET last year and, in addition to pursuing research on religious studies, he’s also started working as a professional translator. Recently, after taking a freelance job from a large translation company, he learned that he was expected to use translation software to aid his work. This led him to the honyaku Google group to seek advice and perspective on the software issue.
JetWit thought it would be interesting to hear what James has learned so far and share it for the benefit of the JET and JET alum community. Read on for his experience so far:
I was also completely unaware that translators used any kind of translation software when I first started thinking about doing it. I have a friend who does English-Portuguese translation and I first found out from her that this is something most professional translators use. When I did my first paid translation I just worked on Word and excel and it was very slow-going and tedious at some points. That’s when I started to wonder if translation software could help move things along.
I have a Mac and so I tried a couple of free translation programs that I saw recommended on online forums. I ended up feeling mostly confused about, well, everything. But specifically, I had the most trouble with the actual interface of the applications. The program would isolate a small area to be translated automatically and the idea is that you would go along and translate the parts until you’re through. But, with Japanese of course you have to start from the tail-end of the sentence and translate backwards a lot of times and it seemed like the application just wasn’t programmed for that type of translation. The same would go with sets of sentences where the meaning just won’t come out right if it is translated into English word-for-word in its original order. The program also seemed to break sentences up into seemingly random segments without any regard for periods or commas or common sense (on terms of a Japanese-English translation type of common sense).
This may just be because I’m an inexperienced translator, but my theory was that the software was geared Read More
