Thanks to Pamela Fields of CULCON for passing on this unique and JET-relevant opportunity, which came to her originally from Vickey Best, Executive Director of the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources. Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
2014-15 HARVARD FELLOWSHIP IN JAPANESE DIGITAL HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Justin’s Japan: AnimeNEXT Welcomes Idol Luna Haruna
Art, Article/Journalism, Justin's Japan, Music 
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By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Shukan NY Seikatsu. Visit his Examiner.com Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Fans of manga, anime, cosplay and J-pop are eagerly awaiting AnimeNEXT, the largest independently organized anime convention in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.
The annual event, which will be held at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset from June 6-8, will feature the debut East Coast performance of Tokyo-based singer and recording artist Luna Haruna, whose songs have appeared in the anime series “Fate/Zero,” “Sword Art Online” and “Monogatari.”
“Last year was Luna’s first time in the States and she made a successful U.S. debut performance at Sakura-Con in Seattle,” says Tomo Tran, a publicist for Sony Music Entertainment (Japan). “Since her debut two years ago, Luna has released five singles and one full album, which have ranked in the top 20 on the Oricon music chart.”
An amateur model and a finalist at the fourth All-Japan Anime Song Grand Prix, Haruna headlined concerts in Tokyo and Osaka earlier this spring.
“Since she really enjoyed her time here last year, we (SMEJ) felt it was great for her to come back and to continue her success,” Tran says. “I hope that fans are pumped up and ready to welcome Luna Haruna this summer!”
Other musicians scheduled to perform at AnimeNEXT include J-punk band ROOKiEZ is PUNK’D and Chipocrite, who crafts unique soundscapes from original Nintendo Game Boys.
For more information, visit www.animenext.org.
Job: Senior Associate and Employee Services Associate at Upwardly Global (NY)
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Thanks to former JETAANY Board Member Clara Solomon for passing these openings along that might be of interest to JET alums. Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email. DEADLINE: May 30, 2014.
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Overview:
The Senior Associate, Jobseeker Services will serve as the critical link between the onboarding and employment services teams ensuring that UpGlo jobseekers are well-prepared and positioned to secure jobs in their professional field. The Senior Associate will oversee UpGlo New York’s training program (both in-person and online) and other support activities, such as resume workshops, special events with a training component, and strategic partnerships with external training providers. The Senior Associate will report directly to the New York Program Manager and be responsible for working closely with colleagues overseeing the outreach, intake, onboarding, and employment services. Read More
Job: Journalist at Yomiuri Shimbun (DC)
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Thanks to JET alum Andrew Hill (who works for the Yomiuri’s DC office but is not the hiring contact) for passing this JET-relevant opportunity on. Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Overview:
Description: Main duties include assisting our Washington-based correspondents by attending daily briefings and press conferences, tracking relevant stories, arranging and conducting interviews, composing clear and concise memos and covering various events, including those held by area think tanks and Congress. Rapid and precise transcription is also required. Read More
JETAA UK – Recent Careers and Networking Events
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A recap of some of JETAA UK’s recent career-oriented activities. Stay tuned for more to come. Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Robert Walters Japan UK Careers Seminar, London
Organised by JETAA Careers and Networking Coordinator Anna Dingley, this event was the 2nd of our UK Japan Careers Seminars and featured JETAA members Jon Fisher and Joachim Stubbs from Greenback Alan LLP, Adrian Cohen from Tazaki Foods and Michael Shearer, British Consulate to Western Japan, sharing their experiences of using the JET experience in their jobs. There were also speakers from Mitsubishi Corp CSR, Daiwa Securities and Ippudo, sharing their experiences of how nurturing other skills apart from Japanese language ability was important too. David Swann, MD of Robert Walters Japan, said “JETs are very employable in Japan in our office because of their in-depth knowledge of the country and their immersion in the culture”. This was followed by networking drinks and nibbles- thank you so much for everyone who attended.
Rebuilding Japan Airlines-The Inamori Way
Director of University of Oxford Japan Office and JETAA member Alison Beale organised a lecture for the legendary Japanese business leader Dr Inamori to speak at Oxford in May. Dr Inamori, who, at the age of 78, turned JAL around after it went bankrupt in 2010, chose Oxford for his first public European lecture. The Sheldonian theatre was full of British and Japanese people, some from the companies Dr Inamori had previously setup-KDDI, Kyocera and of course JAL. He spoke about the principles and philosophy he created during his career which he drew upon with JAL by always acting in the right way as a human being and enabling a clear understanding of a common goal amongst the employees to get them to work together effectively toward a successful result. It was indeed a successful result as JAL became one of the most profitable airlines in the world. JETAA UK Chair Sarah Parsons and Careers and Networking Coordinator Anna Dingley also attended the reception afterwards.
To get more information about careers and networking events around the country, please make sure your details on our website are up to date so you receive our mailshots, check our events on the website and follow us on facebook, twitter and Linkedin @JETAAUK. If you would be interested in organising, speaking at or letting us know about networking events in your area, please contact us on careers @ jetaa.org.uk
Job: Cultural Affairs Coordinator Position at SF Consulate (Deadline 5/30!)
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Thanks to SF Consulate JET Coordinator (and recently elected JETAA USA Country Rep) Xander Peterson for another nice listing at the Consulate in SF. This one was previously held by a JET alum and it’d be great to fill it with another.
Deadline for applying: May 30th!
Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Overview:
- Plan, coordinate, and implement cultural events and programs at the JICC and at partnering venues
- Manage the JICC’s gallery space
- Provide translation and interpretation as necessary
- Research culture-related topics, organizations, etc.
AJET Connect Magazine Interviews an Award-winning Saga JET Author
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Via the Saga JET Programme website:
This month’s edition of AJET’s Connect Magazine features a double (DOUBLE) page spread interviewing current Karatsu City JET Andre Swartley about his award-winning book – Leon Martin and the Fantasy Girl. If you haven’t read this month’s edition, the interview and short review is below. If you want you buy a copy of the book click here.
Review and Interview: Leon Martin and the Fantasy Girl
Leon Martin and the Fantasy Girl delves into cultural exchange on a level that most people never get a chance to experience. When a group of American high school students arrive at a small German town for a summer work-study program, they find themselves caring for a potentially illegal alien in a life-threatening situation.
Leon and Autumn, a pair of teens staying with the same host family, are at the forefront of the action. Instead of spending their summer doing the work they traveled to Germany to do, they find themselves looking after a girl named Shin. Her presence is the glue that holds this story together, as well as what makes it so unbelievable. Shin’s story is vague at first and takes its time in clearing itself up.
The build-up to the second half requires readers to have some faith that that these characters will eventually find themselves in slightly more realistic situations, which they do. Spending a summer abroad in Germany is adventurous, but saving a fellow foreigner who should have been taken into custody from the beginning is a bit of a stretch. Read More
WIT Life #270: Godzilla!
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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.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first Godzilla movie, and last week the newest version was released. The cast features familiar names like (a wooly-haired and wild-eyed) Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche and Ken Watanabe. It has our favorite kaiju (monster) taking on a pair of MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms), the new kaiju on the block. They are ancient parasites that come from the same era and ecosystem as Godzilla, and feed off of radiation like him. In addition to destroying American cities, the male and female MUTO terrorizing the U.S. are looking to mate.
Cranston and Binoche play an engineer couple who lived in Japan with their young son in 1999, working together at the Janjira nuclear plant where something went wrong. She perished during this accident, and the movie is set in the present day when he is determined to find out what exactly happened, as he doesn’t believe that it was a natural disaster as is being claimed. Watanabe’s character is the moral compass of the movie, a scientist who knows all about Godzilla and his kind. He adds Read More
【RocketNews24】The demise of traditional Japanese tatami flooring?
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Posted by Michelle Lynn Dinh (Shimane-ken, Chibu-mura, 2010–13), editor and writer for RocketNews24. The following article was written by Angelina Lucienne, a writer and translator for RocketNews24, a Japan-based site dedicated to bringing fun and quirky news from Asia to English speaking audiences.
If you imagine a Japanese room, chances are you think of something like the picture above: a simply furnished room with sliding shōji doors, a tokonoma with a hanging scroll, and a tatami mat floor. These are examples of the virtues of traditional Japan that many foreigners often hear extolled (along with futon, sushi and judo). When they occupy such an important part of Japanese identity, you wouldn’t think they would be in danger of disappearing anytime soon.
However, the demand for tatami mats has gone down by one third in the last 20 years and many artisans are worried the trade will soon be lost, as more and more of them find themselves rapidly aging with no successors to continue the business. Why is it that tatami floors are becoming rare now, after enduring for so long?
JETs Carry on Taylor’s Legacy in Miyagi
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Originally posted on the JETAA USA website:
Donated Books from Ambassador Kennedy Translated into Japanese
Following Ambassador Kennedy’s donation last November of 110 books to the Taylor Anderson Reading Corner at Mangokuura Elementary School in Ishinomaki, the volunteer group that reads to the students there, Soyokaze no Ohanashi (The Gentle Breeze Talks), joined together with the Miyagi International Association (MIA) and current JETs in the prefecture to translate nine of these books into Japanese. The books chosen cover various topics such as the lives of children in the US and other countries around the world, science, and wildlife, and are simple enough to be accessible to younger students.
Ms. Kyoko Sasaki, from Soyokaze, reportedly first reached out to Mr. Andre Perez to ask for his support for the project. Andre, who is currently a Coordinator for International Relations with Miyagi Prefecture and MIA, took on the planning of the event, coordinating details between MIA and Ms. Sasaki. Once these were settled, he reached out to Miyagi JETs through his position as a Prefecture Advisor and tapped into the Miyagi AJET(MAJET) network through Ms. Tanya Zolotareva, another CIR and a MAJET officer. The various groups collaborated, with each taking responsibility for different steps of the process of selecting books, translating them, and affixing the translations. The whole undertaking reportedly went quite smoothly, thanks to MIA’s previous experience with translating books, the eight JETs and roughly 10 other people who volunteered their time and talent, and Mr. Perez’s connections to both MAJET and MIA.
The project was also profiled on Miyagi Prefecture’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/visitmiyagi) and in the Asahi Shimbun and Kahoku Shimbun.
The books will now be available to students at Mangokuura E.S. to look at any time and they will be able to work on their understanding of the English texts by referring to the new Japanese translations. Having prepared translations at hand will also make it easier for the volunteers who read to the children.
As Ms. Sasaki, who is also a friend of the Andersons, having known Taylor, said in talking with one of the local newspapers that reported on the story, “This is a way to express our thanks to Taylor’s family. We want to show them that we are continuing Taylor’s legacy by carrying on her work.”
All the volunteer teams working to translate books for the Taylor Anderson Reading Corner.
JETAA Scotland logo
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Very nice! I’m not sure if it’s new, but I hadn’t seen it before and I just noticed it in a JETAA UK Facebook post:
Job: Game Translation at Voltage Inc.
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A nice JET-relevant listing received today from JET alum Alyssa Hoey (Aomori-ken, 2008-13) for translators to work on translation of games for Voltage, where Alyssa works. Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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JQ Magazine: JQ&A with Melody Wong on the Drop That Eggroll Podcast
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“JET gave me insight into a deeper rooted area of the Japanese culture that I appreciate. There were so many similarities of Japanese culture that I saw in my Chinese culture, and it really made me appreciate both as separate entities.” (Courtesy of Melody Wong)
By Wendy Ikemoto (Ehime-ken, 2006-2011) for JQ magazine. Wendy is a Hawaii-transplant and current Secretary of the JET Alumni Association of New York (JETAANY). When she isn’t working with librarians, you’ll find her visiting JET friends around the globe.
Melody Wong (Okayama-ken, 2011-13) is a native of Los Angeles and a member of the JET Alumni Association of Southern California (JETAASC). Prior to JET, she attended the University of California at Riverside and worked in finance for half a decade before deciding to switch things up to teach English in Japan. In December 2013, she launched the Drop That Eggroll podcast with her co-host and good friend, Alex Lau. Together, they explore subjects that span across Asian ethnicities, ranging from fun topics like pretty Korean boys and Filipino cuisine to more controversial fare like the Tiger Mother’s tips for success and ANA’s “whiteface” commercial.
Six months after DTE’s launch, JQ caught up with Melody to get the scoop on how the podcast came to be, what the future holds for it, how JET has influenced her views on the Asian culture, and why you all should be tuning in.
Can you start by describing your background for us?
I’m a second-generation Chinese American, born and raised in Los Angeles. I speak Cantonese and English fluently. The only Asian country I’ve ever lived in was Japan (two years), though I’ve traveled back and forth between China and the U.S. throughout my childhood.
Where were you on JET?
I was a JET in a tiny little town called Kibichuo-cho in the Okayama Prefecture. My town was so small and rural that even people in Okayama barely knew about it. There was no train station, so no one could really get to me unless they had a car, so I drove out everywhere all the time. I was an assistant language teacher (ALT) to multiple elementary and junior high schools.
How do you and Alex know each other?
Alex and I met through our mutual friend Larry. In high school, I was an avid member of the community service club, Key Club. My high school was part of a larger division that included lots of other local high schools, which is how I met Larry. Larry attended the Art Center College of Design and became friends with his classmate Alex. Through some social engagements, Alex and I met. All three of us, including several other friends, went on a trip to Japan in 2010, which was the trip that ultimately influenced me to join the JET Program.
Job: Assistant Director Study Abroad Services – University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
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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 Services
Posted by: University of Florida
Location: Gainesville, FL
Type: full-time
Advertised Salary: $44,000 – $46,000
Overview:
The Assistant Director of the University of Florida International Center (UFIC) Study Abroad Services (SAS) unit serves as a representative, administrator, leader, innovator, and partner for the success of study abroad at UF. The Assistant Director directly reports to the Executive Director of the UFIC and is responsible for supervising a team of 6 study abroad advisors and a senior clerk. Read More
Job: Programs Coordinator, Study Abroad – Cal Lutheran (Thousand Oaks, CA)
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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: Programs Coordinator
Posted by: Study Abroad, Cal Lutheran
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
Type: full-time
Salary: $36,093 – $46,920
Overview:
Reporting to the Director of the Study Abroad Program, the position will be primarily responsible for coordinating faculty-led travel seminars and assisting in the development, implementation and evaluation of Study Abroad programming. The position is also responsible for advising students throughout the application cycle and student re-entry. Read More
