【RocketNews24】Clever font sneaks pronunciation guide for English speakers into Japanese katakana characters
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Written Japanese uses three kinds of script. At the top of the difficulty curve, you’ve got kanji, the complex characters originally imported from China that can require over a dozen brush strokes to write, with each kanji representing a word or concept.
A little less challenging are hiragana, a set of 50 curving phonetic characters, but if English is your native language, odds are you’ll have the least trouble with angular katakana. Like hiragana, katakana is a phonetic system, so each character corresponds to a syllable. Even better, while often one kanji can have three or four possible readings, each katakana has just one possible pronunciation.
Of course, you still have to memorize how to pronounce all 50 katakana (85 if you’re being really technical) in the first place. One group of graphic designers are aiming to make that task a little easier, though, with a font that combines katakana with phonetics written in English.
WIT Life #278: High Speed Rail Plan (via the Onion)
Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #278: High Speed Rail Plan (via the Onion)
WIT Life 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 along with her own observations.
Apropos of nothing, can’t resist sharing this gem from the Onion. I love how they use the actual train names/types. 良い３連休を！
X Japan take a triumphant bow at Madison Square Garden, New York City, Oct. 11, 2014. (Vlad Baranenko)
By Vlad Baranenko (Saitama-ken, 2000-02) for JQ magazine. Vlad is an avid photographer. For his photo gallery of X Japan’s concert at MSG, click here.
On Oct. 11, Madison Square Garden was ignited by the amazing energy of the sensational Japanese rock group X Japan. Realizing a lifelong dream of its founding members—vocalist Toshi and superstar drummer/pianist Yoshiki—X Japan overcame years of behind-the-scenes drama to finally play the World’s Most Famous Arena, as one of the most successful Japanese music groups of all time brought down the house in NYC.
For the first time ever outside of their native Japan, X Japan culminated their dream to perform an all-immersive concert, armed with a full array of fireworks, pyrotechnics, confetti, and incredible light effects. According to Yoshiki in one of many heartfelt messages delivered to the crowd that night, never before their performance at MSG has the group invested so much to awe an overseas audience, which he said was being broadcast live to Japan and other Asian countries.
Playing to a nearly packed arena, the group that started with a dream of two four-year-old boys almost 45 years ago kicked off the show with a pyrotechnic bang, letting the excited audience rock hard to “Jade.” By creating an all-immersive experience for their concert goers, X Japan’s mix of rock and the classical genres appealed to the emotions of young and old attendees alike. For their second appearance in NYC after their legendary show at the now-defunct Roseland Ballroom in 2010, the band’s deep appreciation for their fans’ support rang loud when Yoshiki shared the story of the group’s history and ups and downs. The death of former members Hide and Taiji hit everyone in the group hard, and as Yoshiki spoke about his late friend Hide as still being part of the group, many in the audience shed a tear.
WIT Life #277: Garden of Unearthly Delights
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WIT Life 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 along with her own observations.
As a member of Japan Society, last night I had the chance to preview the new gallery exhibition Garden of Unearthly Delights. It featured works from two artists and the collaboration teamLab that were largely fantastical with a strong dose of social commentary. As a result, it felt like a very dense exhibit that seemed to occupy more space than the gallery’s actual square footage. 
Garden begins with works from Manabu Ikeda, an artist originally from Saga Prefecture who now resides in Madison, Wisconsin after previously living in Vancouver. The focus of his paintings in this show are on disaster art and 311, an event he witnessed from outside the country. You can see many manga and anime-like aspects in them as well. I particularly liked his work Foretoken, which is often compared to Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, displayed nearby in the gallery. Upon close inspection you can see the intricate detail of his infinite brushstrokes, but when you look at it from a distance you get a whole other perspective. Underneath the huge wave that is cresting you can find things like Read More
Jonathan Bissell (Chiba-ken, 1995-2000) is the author of Dream in Color, Think in Black & White: How to Get Unstuck and Fulfill Your Dreams and CEO of High Performance Impact, LLC, an executive coaching firm helping proven and emerging leaders to identify and consistently leverage patterns of high performance. He blogs at www.jonathanbissell.com.
There’s a word that you’ve been using, and it’s time to let it go. Time to erase it from your vocabulary.
You’re not the only one who uses it. I do, too. We all do. But it’s holding you (and me) back.
It comes up in conversation whenever we talk about our deepest dreams and aspirations. And it’s almost always said with a sigh – a wistful and defeating release of air from the lungs.
So what’s the word?
The word is “Someday,” as in, “Someday I’m going to…”
Just think about the last time you said it or heard it. For me, it happened just a few days ago. A friend of mine shared a magnificent dream that he wanted to pursue – a wonderful dream that’s entirely doable. But then he used that word, “Someday.” And he said it with that wistful sigh that always seems to tag along.
But someday is more than a wistful word loaded with longing. It’s a glass ceiling that’s meant to be shattered, and it’s preventing you from taking hold of your future.
Here are three reasons why “someday” is holding you back:
Continue reading here.
Job: Program Coordinator – Adz Group (Boston)
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Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-2014), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Program Coordinator
Posted by: Adz Group
Location: Boston, MA
Type: Full-time
Overview:
Are you a take-charge professional who has a love for special event/program coordination and likes to have fun? Are you a multi-tasker extraordinaire? Are you interested in education and having an impact on students? Are you interested in learning about new cultures? Are you looking to work for a growing business with exciting potential? Are you looking for a flexible work environment where you can work from home? Then Adz Group wants you! Read More
【Exploring Unfamilar Japan】We have dessert and meet a cow named Julia at an organic island café
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Michelle Lynn Dinh (Shimane-ken, Chibu-mura, 2010–13) is an editor and writer for RocketNews24, a Japan-based site dedicated to bringing fun and quirky news from Asia to English speaking audiences.
La Cigale is a family-run cafe located in the heart of the largest of the Oki Islands, but it’s much more than a place to get a thoughtful cup of coffee. La Cigale is a hub for the community that supports local events and hosts field trips to teach children about sustainable farming. It’s also a place where neighbor kids gather to help pick vegetables or collect shiitake mushrooms in the nearby mountains. So while we thoroughly enjoyed the coffee parfait we indulged in at La Cigale, we were completely taken with the cafe’s farm-to-table philosophy and the intriguing history of its proprietors.
Read more at RocketNews24
I’ll Make It Myself!: Fig-Almond Muffins (Dairy-Free)
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L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. Ze works in international student exchange; writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan and the US; curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan; and admins The JET Alumni Culinary Group on LinkedIn.
More muffins! These fig-almond muffins are perfect for autumn and easy to make in Japan. If you’re looking for a break from all the cinnamon and pumpkin products, try one of these!
Getting Unstuck: How To Turn Your Dreaming Into Doing
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Jonathan Bissell (Chiba-ken, 1995-2000) is the author of Dream in Color, Think in Black & White: How to Get Unstuck and Fulfill Your Dreams. He is also the CEO of High Performance Impact, LLC, an executive coaching firm helping proven and emerging leaders to identify and consistently leverage patterns of high performance.
You’re a writer and you have a book inside you, but it doesn’t know how to get out.
Here are 3 simple steps to begin getting your book out of your head and where it belongs, on paper.
3 Simple Steps To Begin Writing Your Book:
- STEP #1: Write Your Introduction. Writing begins with…writing. It sounds silly, but just sitting down to write is the one simple step that many people never take. So take it. Grab a paper and pen, or your laptop, and sit somewhere comfortable. Now imagine we’re sitting there together, and I ask you to tell me about your book. “What’s your book about?” I ask you. Now write or type your answer. That’s it. Just tell me about your book. If it’s helpful, try to answer questions such as Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Once you’re finished, you’ll have created the Introduction to your book! Now on to step #2.
Continue reading here.
I’ll Make It Myself!: Marketing Halloween in Japan 2014: KFC Halloween Bucket
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: Marketing Halloween in Japan 2014: KFC Halloween Bucket
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. Ze works in international student exchange; writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan and the US; curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan; and admins The JET Alumni Culinary Group on LinkedIn.
Source: KFC Japan
As I’ve written before, Halloween has exploded into the Japanese food scene. Ten years ago, there were–as to be expected–barely any Halloween specials or goods. An increasingly large cultural shift toward Halloween as popular (children’s) holiday began sometime around 2010. While some of the shift was motivated by consumer demand, the ramped up marketing has increased awareness and consumer demand, leading other businesses to make their own Halloween specials to keep up with the popularity of the holiday.
This time, we cover KFC’s Halloween campaign.
New: JETAA Middle East
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Justin’s Japan: Interview with Yoshiki of X Japan on the Band’s Madison Square Garden Debut
Article/Journalism, Celebrity, Events, Interview/Profile, Justin's Japan, Music Comments Off on Justin’s Japan: Interview with Yoshiki of X Japan on the Band’s Madison Square Garden Debut
“At an X Japan show, we create a show with the audience—it’s not ‘the band is performing and the audience is just watching,’ so we create the show together. We’re going to try to make Madison Square Garden like a huge club.” (Courtesy of ID PR)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
For Yoshiki Hayashi, this Saturday (Oct. 11) will go down in J-rock history, as one of the biggest bands in Asia makes their debut at Madison Square Garden. Formed over 30 years ago, X Japan first gained notoriety in the mid-’80s by ushering in the visual kei movement, a style that continues to evolve through other Japanese megastars like L’Arc~en~Ciel (who headlined the World’s Most Famous Arena themselves in 2012).
At the center of it all is X Japan’s founding member, Yoshiki. An equally talented songwriter, heavy metal drummer and classical pianist, he is both the heart and soul of X Japan, and, having lived in Los Angeles for two decades, the ideal mouthpiece for the band’s American tours, which started with a bang in 2010 at Lollapalooza and included a sold-out gig at New York’s now-defunct Roseland Ballroom.
In this exclusive, expansive interview, I spoke with Yoshiki about how the group’s original hopes to play the Garden in 2008 were dashed by personal health and management troubles, his favorite, anime, manga and X Japan songs, and his experience working with legends like Stan Lee, KISS, and the Emperor of Japan.
How did this concert for Madison Square Garden come together? I know there were plans to do this in 2008; can you talk about this history?
Our band reunited around the year 2008. We did our reunion concert in Tokyo Dome, three days or so, I think. At that time, we were also thinking of performing [shows] outside of Japan, and Madison Square Garden was one or two of [the ideas]. But for some reason they didn’t happen, so since then, that venue was always in our minds. A few years ago, we decided to try schedule Madison Square Garden. I think we were kind of confirmed last year.
It’s a long road.
Yes. Well, considering that X Japan was not doing anything—I mean, the band broke up around the end of 1997, so when we reunited we had almost 10 years of a break. We started doing a bunch of arena shows, and then we started touring the world when we went to 16 countries or so. Considering this, the [last] six or seven years have been tours [laughs].
Are there plans for X Japan to play any other concerts for the remainder of the year?
Not now. We just announced our shows in Japan, this place called Yokohama Arena, so we [performed] there Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. It’s kind of like a prelude to Madison Square Garden and a kickoff to [that] show, about 10 days before that. As of now, Madison Square Garden is the only American show, but [depending] on how it goes, we may start another world tour. We’re just talking about it right this moment.
For the complete story, click here.
Job: Texas Tech Univ. – Engineering Study Abroad Advisor
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Posted by Sean Pavlik (Fukui-ken, 2010-12), International Programs Officer for the DC-based Congressional Study Group on Japan. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Texas Tech University and the International Engineering Programs Office for the Whitacre College of Engineering (WCOE) is looking for a dynamic and dedicated professional for our Unit Coordinator-Engineering Study Abroad Advisor position.
The Unit Coordinator reports to the director of International programs for the WCOE. This position supports the WCOE’s International Experience Initiative; launched in Fall 2013 all engineering students at TTU are required to have an international experience as part of their degree requirements. This position will support the WCOE in this endeavor and requires a great deal of cooperation, both across campus and with international institutions.
Responsibilities are as follows: Read More
Job: George Washington Univ. – Program Coordinator, International & Academic Initiatives
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Posted by Sean Pavlik (Fukui-ken, 2010-12), International Programs Officer for the DC-based Congressional Study Group on Japan. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Job Description Summary:
The Program Coordinator reports to the Director of International and Academic Initiatives and provides services and programs including individual study abroad advising, international education programming, support and programming for international students, coordinating the U.S. Foreign Policy Summer Program, and managing the Elliott School Language Proficiency Requirement and Exams.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization plus 0-2 years of relevant professional experience. Degree requirements may be substituted with an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Job: Study Abroad Program Coordinator – Northwestern University International Program Development Office
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Study Abroad Program Coordinator – Northwestern University International Program Development Office
Posted by Sean Pavlik (Fukui-ken, 2010-12), International Programs Officer for the DC-based Congressional Study Group on Japan. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Job Summary:
The Study Abroad Program Coordinator for the Office of International Program Development promotes
and coordinates study abroad program activities for assigned IPD study abroad programs. This
includes managing student recruitment, advising, application, enrollment, and predeparture
orientation; global program operations; program budgets and accounting; and program assessment
and evaluation. Read More
