Jul 17

Job: Student Services Rep at Embassy English (NYC)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Student Services Rep at Embassy English (NYC)

Via JET alum Carleen Ben.  Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai.  Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

Position: Student Services Rep
Posted by: Embassy English
Location: New York, NY

Overview:

Manage student housing options including student residences and homestay hosts. Allocate students to appropriate accommodations. Assist students with accommodation-related issues. Perform other Student Services tasks as required.

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Jul 16

【RocketNews24】Emotional anime short celebrates Tokyo Station’s 100th birthday【Video】

Article/Journalism, Writers 100th anniversary, japan, RocketNews24, Tokyo Station Comments Off on 【RocketNews24】Emotional anime short celebrates Tokyo Station’s 100th birthday【Video】

It’s been 100 years since the opening of Tokyo Station. For many people, it’s more than just a rail hub, it’s a symbol of the city and the lives of those who live in and around it.

With just about everyone in Japan’s capital passing through sooner or later, Tokyo Station serves as the backdrop for a lot of nostalgic memories, not to mention some life-changing events for workers and travelers alike. So it’s fitting that the anime made to commemorate Tokyo Station’s 100th birthday is filled with both comforting looks back at the past and hopeful expectations for the future.

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Jul 15

Job: Assistant Director, Study Abroad – Marquette University (Milwaukee)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Assistant Director, Study Abroad – Marquette University (Milwaukee)

Via JET alum Carleen Ben.  Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai.  Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

Position: Assistant Director, Study Abroad
Posted by: Marquette University
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Overview:

Marquette University, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is accepting applications for the Assistant Director, Study Abroad position. This position is responsible for the oversight and management of administrative functions of the overall study abroad program, including but not limited to: advising and student learning, planning and program development, and public relations and marketing, personnel and budget management. The Assistant Director reports to the Director of the Office of International Education (OIE) and supervises two study abroad coordinators, one administrative assistant and 3-4 student workers.
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Jul 15

Job: International Program Coordinator, Bard College (Annandale, NY)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: International Program Coordinator, Bard College (Annandale, NY)

Via JET alum Carleen Ben.  Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai.  Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

Position: International Program Coordinator
Posted by: Bard College
Location: Annandale, New York

Overview:

The International Program Coordinator is based at Bard College in Annandale, New York and reports to the Associate Director of the Institute for International Liberal Education (IILE). The IILE, home to Bard Abroad, manages the study abroad programs at Bard’s network of international partners in Germany, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Russia, and New York City.

The Program Coordinator works with the Bard Abroad Recruitment Manager to set and meet enrollment goals for recruitment and to promote Bard’s programs through:  meeting with faculty, students, and administrators, and networking and representing Bard Abroad at conferences and fairs. The focus of the position is on the maintenance and development of institutional relationships with colleges and universities in North America. The coordinator will also provide significant program development, management, and assessment support to the Associate Director. Read More

Jul 15

Job: Program Coordinator- Off Campus Studies: The College of Wooster (OH)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Program Coordinator- Off Campus Studies: The College of Wooster (OH)

Via JET alum Carleen Ben.  Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), 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-  (OH)
Posted by: Off Campus Studies: The College of Wooster
Location: Wooster, OH

Overview:

The College of Wooster is pleased to announce the opening of a new Program Coordinator position within Off Campus Studies. The Program Coordinator position assists the Director of Off Campus Studies in the advising, coordination, and promotion of semester-long domestic and study abroad programs at The College of Wooster. This position assists in the effective administration and marketing of off-campus study programs as well as works closely with students in all phases of the off-campus study process, including promotion, outreach, advising, orientation, and reentry. Bachelor’s degree with two to three years’ work experience in a study abroad office is required. Knowledge and use of a secondary language; familiarity with website design and social media outreach; and knowledge of exchange programs and partnerships a must.
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Jul 14

CLAIR Magazine “JET Plaza” Series: Patricia Bader-Johnston (Yokohama)

LifeAfterJET, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on CLAIR Magazine “JET Plaza” Series: Patricia Bader-Johnston (Yokohama)

Each month, current and former JET participants are featured in the “JET Plaza” section of the CLAIR Forum magazine. The June 2014 edition includes an article by JET alumnus Patricia Bader-Johnston. Posted by Celine Castex (Chiba-ken, 2006-11), currently programme coordinator at CLAIR Tokyo.

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Patricia Bader-Johnston (Yokohama-shi, 1989-91) was one of the first CIRs on the JET Programme. She currently is the Representative Director and CEO of Silverbirch Associates K.K; and is a retained Advisor to Tokyo Business Development Center, as well as a Partner in Thurlestone Capital (a leading clean energy investment firm in the UK). Before founding Silverbirch Associates in 2008, Ms. Bader-Johnston held senior roles in leading companies including Goldman Sachs, BAT and IBM, over a span of 25 years in Japan. She is an active speaker, writer, panel moderator and university lecturer on topics related to CSR and sustainability, globalization trends, and doing business in Japan.

Patricia Bader-Johnston emceeing the Entreprepreneur Business Awards Ceremony 2013 (courtesy of Ms. Bader-Johnston)

I was a CIR in Yokohama City government between 1989 and 1991. It was the year of YES 89, an international expo involving over 60 countries that ran throughout that first year, and set the tone for many of the experiences I had in my early days in Yokohama. It also no doubt helped set a path for my future career in Communications. Working as a member of Yokohama City Hall – City pin in my lapel and all – I not only received the gift of a Key to the City when I left, but also a host of memories and formative experiences that remain with me to this day.

I had already been in Japan for two years before becoming one of four of Canada’s first CIR’s on the (then) brand new and completely unknown JET programme. Because the program was so new, we no doubt benefited from a fair amount of attention and special care in that first year. I had a chance to personally interview Prime Minister Nakasone a few years after I left the programme, and he told me how JET had been meant to emulate the US Peace Corps. He had wanted to bring young foreigners into Japan to “cause positive friction” to force Japanese to internationalize more quickly. He called this programme “Kokusaika.”

In order to have the foreigners live in the country long enough to create this “friction”, they needed to be given something to do over a longer term, so they came up with two types of jobs descriptions: the AET to influence educators and young people, and the CIR to influence local governments.

As a CIR I was exposed to many various experiences that ranged from working in the International Press Center for YES 89 to assisting at UN conferences. I mc’ed an ASEAN conference, interpreted for the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Kaifu when they met the International Director of the Red Cross, helped play host to numerous foreign delegations that ranged from the Vice President of the United States to the Mayor of Vancouver Canada and the Vancouver City Police Pipe Band among others! It was an amazing collection of experiences for a young foreigner in Japan. As the resident Canadian CIR in the Yokohama International Communications and Exchanges Division, I introduced the name that stuck to the Maritime Museum in Yokohama, raised a flag with Mayor Takahide and actress Agnes Chan when the Pacifico International Conference Center opened, and even had the great honor of being named celebrity “Postmaster for the Day” (complete with carrying out his duties for one full day). It was also a great honor to be asked to judge the Horseback Archery competition in Kamakura one year! Through these combined experiences I met many influential people who continue to be a help to me in my career today.
Had I not met officials from the Canadian Embassy in Yokohama through YES 89, I would not have been invited to apply for my next role in Communications and Culture at the Embassy in Tokyo. I was the first non-Japanese to take on a local senior program officer role for them. My network gained through the JET programme made me an asset to the embassy that allowed me to participate in a far greater range of projects, and my Japanese ability, honed through countless formal meetings with Japanese government colleagues, was polite enough for me to represent the embassy at official events. I planned and hosted every Canadian JET welcome event that took place in the eight years I was with the embassy, so have met many Canadian JETs over the years and have even hired some of them since then! Read More

Jul 14

Job: Operations Asst Mgr for Japanese rental conference room management firm (NYC)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Operations Asst Mgr for Japanese rental conference room management firm (NYC)

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Overview: 

The hiring company is a pioneer in an event and venue management industry in Japan. They are seeking a Sales staff to add a value to their new operation in the US. The hiring company has a beautiful venue that has just opened in the heart of Manhattan. They give you an exciting opportunity for you to be part of expanding their US operation, to contact with elite companies and their executives, and learn business in the growing industry.

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Jul 14

Life After JET: Still Lookin

LifeAfterJET Comments Off on Life After JET: Still Lookin

Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12).

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SPECIAL GUESTS:

Nearly one year later, I got Val and Randy back to continue the story of moving past Japan.

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Jul 14

Community Involvement on JET: Don’t Be Afraid to Start From Scratch

Advice, Article/Journalism, Blogs, Life As a JET community, JET, Kansai Comments Off on Community Involvement on JET: Don’t Be Afraid to Start From Scratch

By Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu 2013-2014), organizer for Cross-Cultural Kansai, seeking work opportunities in NYC starting August 2014!

Cross-Cultural Kansai’s Summertime Picnic at the Kamogawa river in Kyoto, celebrating global identities with delicious food, beautiful weather, and amazing friends.

At the JET Program Tokyo Orientation last summer, we were all told to get involved in our communities as much as possible. It seemed like good advice, so I jotted it down in my list of goals, expecting this promise to somehow become less vague once I settled in.

I’m not sure how I envisioned it would happen. Obviously there wouldn’t be a community, gathered with open arms, ready welcoming me in when I arrived. Fair enough. But really, what were we supposed to do?

A friend suggested that I check out Meetup.com, and I was surprised to see how popular it was in Kansai (not nearly as expansive as New York or London, but still!). Every weekend, I’d join events in Osaka or Kyoto, and I never failed to fall deep into conversations with new friends about our backgrounds, where we came from, how it affects who we are today and where we want to go in the future. I loved listening to their stories. And the more I came across these stories, the more I thought about how great it would be to create a space for them, a community premised on sharing these parts of ourselves.

For the complete story, click here.

Jul 12

JQ Magazine: J-POP Summit Festival Returns to San Francisco with Music, Fashion, Film

Article/Journalism, Cultural Outreach, Events, Food & Drink, JQ Magazine, Music Comments Off on JQ Magazine: J-POP Summit Festival Returns to San Francisco with Music, Fashion, Film

The annual J-POP Summit Festival returns to San Francisco July 19-20, featuring special performances from May’n and Tokyo Girls’ Style. (Dave Golden)

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By Sam Frank (Wakayama-ken, 2004-06) for JQ magazine. Sam is the webmaster at the Jewish Community Federation in San Francisco.

Japan is a country that likes to borrow from another culture and make it their own. Punk rock, Spaghetti Westerns, and baseball are just a few things Japan has adopted over the years, and in 2009, the J-POP Summit Festival in San Francisco added a bona fide community event to that list. Similar to Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Outside Lands, the J-POP Summit Festival is an annual street fair held in the City by the Bay that celebrates Japanese popular culture. By introducing the latest in Japanese music, film, art, fashion, gaming, anime, food, as well as niche subcultures, the festival has become a prominent platform to showcase the latest trends and creative innovations from Japan.

“POP is our tradition” is the theme this year’s J-POP Summit Festival, which will be held in San Francisco’s historic Japantown district the weekend of July 19-20. Last year’s event welcomed more than 80,000 attendees, making it one of the largest Japanese festivals in the United States. While Japan is participating in America’s summer festival tradition, it has found a way to distinguish itself from the pack. Bringing together food, fashion, entertainment, and film promises to give the people of San Francisco a lasting impression of Japanese culture.

“Each year we strive to present a compelling mix of the hottest entertainment trends happening in Japan right now, and the J-POP Summit has become a wonderful and unique composite of pop and rock music, edgy kawaii-inspired fashion, modern graphic art, and film and anime content,” says Seiji Horibuchi, president/CEO of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. and chairman of the J-POP Summit Festival. “This year’s event promises to be another important milestone for the evolution of J-pop culture and its fan base in the U.S.”

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Jul 11

Career: Hey JETs, Japanese small business needs you

Career Add Comment (1)

By Nick Woolsey (CIR Tottori-ken, 2011-13), an engineer based in Japan who works for Eureka, a Japanese company.

The time is right to start your career in Japan

The JET Program has always worked very hard to provide its participants with a smooth entry into Japan, support during their tenure, and facilitation for the transition back to their countries of origin.  It is a wonderful and incredibly organized teaching exchange system, but the primary pattern is, however, to finish the program and life in Japan at the same time.  Every year, a large percentage of those participants ending their tenure feel pained as they leave the country they have grown to love, and a few find ways to stay or come back.  That is about to change.

The few JETs (and other foreigners) who brave working life in Japan after their initial contract have found it difficult to find gainful employment outside the education industry because there simply hasn’t been demand for it.  Other than the JET Program, the education system in its entirety is also highly organized, standardized, and rigid in its timeline: by far the optimal time to find employment is directly after high school or college.  Even an extra year or two spent studying abroad or getting a master’s degree has been looked down upon more often than one would suspect.  In addition, changing companies was seen as almost as disgraceful as a samurai betraying one’s feudal lord, and there was no such thing as work/life balance because life was one’s work and one’s company.  Japanese companies have been designed to hire from this homogenous talent pool and allow for gradual training and growth with seniority.  Participants in the JET Program were not meant fit in this system.

Since finishing the JET Program in 2011, I have learned that at the ground level, small and medium sized businesses, that system is now finally increasingly ready for change.  While not newsworthy yet, Japan’s workforce crisis has started.  A number of social and economic factors, all heavily linked to the aging population, seem to be causing the Japanese human resource talent pool to shrink and maybe worsen.  Small businesses especially feel this blow because the best hires often go to larger companies, whose human resource demands have not decreased.  As the total number of working people decrease, therefore, larger businesses take up an even greater percentage of talented employees, leaving less desirable employees and unmet demand in human resources. Read More

Jul 11

Job: Writing Job with Square 2 Marketing (Philadelphia Area)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Writing Job with Square 2 Marketing (Philadelphia Area)

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Overview: 

The Copy Architect is a master storyteller, responsible for creating engaging, compelling messages for a wide variety of target audiences. In addition, the Copy Architect is skilled in crafting both long- and short-form content for distribution through a variety of communication channels.

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Jul 10

【RocketNews24】Tokyo’s cat pub, the cat cafe for grown-ups

Article/Journalism, Writers cat cafe, cat pub, japan, RocketNews24 Comments Off on 【RocketNews24】Tokyo’s cat pub, the cat cafe for grown-ups

Posted by Michelle Lynn Dinh (Shimane-ken, Chibu-mura, 2010–13), editor and writer for RocketNews24. The following article was written by Casey Baseel, a writer and translator for RocketNews24, a Japan-based site dedicated to bringing fun and quirky news from Asia to English speaking audiences. 

In Japan, since so many people who love cute animals live in apartments that don’t allow pets, you can find cafes that’ll let you relax in the company of everything from owls to bunnies. The most common and widely documented are of course cat cafes, but what do you do when you’re craving not only a little feline companionship, but also want something a bit stronger than a cup of coffee?

Simple: you head to the cat pub in Tokyo.

Read more at RocketNews24

Jul 9

Job: Baruch College Writing Center seeks Multilingual Writing Support Specialist (NYC)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Baruch College Writing Center seeks Multilingual Writing Support Specialist (NYC)

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Overview: 

The Baruch College Writing Center seeks a Multilingual Writing Support Specialist to join its vibrant and engaged staff of writers and teachers.

Baruch College’s students are linguistically diverse. They include students who are bilingual and multilingual, international students, and students from multilingual communities and backgrounds within the US. Many are in the process of acquiring English, or use of varieties of world Englishes. The Writing Center values this linguistic diversity, and the many linguistic, rhetorical, experiential, and cultural resources our students bring to the Baruch community.

The Multilingual Writing Support Specialist will have three main charges: to directly support students via one-to-one consultations; to develop new small-group programming geared particularly to the needs of multilingual and ELL writers, such as workshops and writing groups; and to support our staff of professional consultants in their work with writers from diverse linguistic backgrounds through one-to-one meetings, group workshops, resource collection, etc.
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Jul 9

Job: News Reporter/Research Asst for The Yomiuri Shimbun (Los Angeles)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: News Reporter/Research Asst for The Yomiuri Shimbun (Los Angeles)

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Overview: 
The Los Angeles Bureau of the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest national daily newspaper, seeks a reporter/research assistant. We cover social issues, sports events, national politics and any major breaking news in the Western and Midwestern states of the U.S. as well as all of Mexico. This job primarily involves gathering news, tracking newswires and assisting Japanese reporters by arranging and conducting interviews, doing research and transcribing interviews. The office can be fast-paced and there are daily deadlines. The position will include opportunities to travel to cover major news, report on sporting events, interview high-ranking government officials, and cover the entertainment industry. Applicants should be fluent in English and Spanish. Since the newspaper is in Japanese, there are no byline opportunities.
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