WIT Life #270: Godzilla!
Film, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life 
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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
Cultural Outreach, Japan Local, Local Government, Return on JET-vestment, Translating/Interpreting, Volunteer Comments Off on JETs Carry on Taylor’s Legacy in Miyagi
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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Overview:
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
Job: Program Manager – Penn Abroad, University of Pennsylvania (PA)
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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: Program Manager
Posted by: Penn Abroad, University of Pennsylvania
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Type: full-time
Job Duties:
The Penn Abroad Program Manager administers Penn-approved undergraduate study abroad programs for an assigned portfolio. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: advising undergraduate students interested in studying abroad, application management, coordinating participant selection, collaborating with relevant academic and administrative offices both on-campus and abroad, preparing budget sheets, initiating student account billing and adjustments, Read More
JET alum launches publishing site and contest that pays you for your short stories
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Have a short story? Upload it to www.fictionarcade.com to earn royalties and the chance of winning a chunk of the nearly $10,000 award pool between May and December!
Alan Shelton (Ibaraki-ken, 2000-03) is an Australia-based translator and former CLAIR Tokyo employee. But more importantly, he has, along with a few other folks including JET alums, created FictionArcade.com, a pioneering new online publishing site geared specifically to short stories. And he’s encouraging JETs and JET alumni to contribute their short stories as a way to earn money for their writing. Read on for more info and to hear Alan’s story.
I trained to be a writer. Japanese was just a class I chose to fill out my first semester schedule. Now, fourteen years later, Japanese is my bread and butter and writing is just a hobby. Feel free to insert your cliché of choice about the unexpected nature of life.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I enjoy translation. It pays well; the work is steady; and I get to work at home in my underwear. What’s not to love?
Okay, I used to complain, but my wife eventually called my bluff. “If you want to be a writer, go for it. Take a break from translation, write some stuff and try to sell it.”
“It’s not that simple,” I would whinge. “Nobody buys short stories. That’s what I write, and it doesn’t pay. You give them away for free on the Internet. Maybe if its a long short story you can get it up on Amazon for 99 cents, but no one’s going to pay a buck for six pages.”
“So sell it for 20 cents,” she said.
“There are no websites that sell stories for less than a dollar,” I retorted.
And then I had a eureka moment. I would build that website. I had to build that website. Heck, the movie montage music was already playing in my mind where a team of tireless programmers were working round the clock, overcoming obstacle after obstacle until that moment when my lead programmer – who would bear a striking resemblance to Mark Zuckerberg – leans back in his chair and says, “Alan, it’s finally done.”
Of course, in reality there are no training montages, and my lead IT guy looks more like Steve Jobs, but the site is done, and it’s called Fiction Arcade. I want it to be an oasis in a digital desert for paid short fiction. I want all those time-crunched, former JETs who pay the bills with translation and interpretation but who harbor a frustrated writer inside to discover it and say, “Watch out world. A new literary flower is about to bloom!”
Here’s how Fiction Arcade works. Anyone can upload a short story for free. The author sets the price between one and four tokens (which is equivalent to between 20 and 80 cents). Readers get to preview the first half of the story for free. If they want to read the rest, they purchase tokens and then spend them to download the story.
In an age of ubiquitous social media, good stories get noticed, they get talked about and they get purchased. A dynamite 20 cent story can get hundreds or thousands of downloads. This adds up to serious money and a fan base – a fan base that will be more than happy to download the author’s next offering. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but a good, cheap short story has the potential to earn more than a higher-priced novel. And even if it doesn’t, a writer can knock out a polished short story in a few days and then let it accrue money for her over the span of months or years.
Of course, if Fiction Arcade’s virtual shelves are bare, readers aren’t going to be terribly interested. Which is why Fiction Arcade is running a series of big money story contests between now and December in order to fill those shelves. Each month the overall top author according to reader downloads and ratings will get $250 dollars on top of what their stories earned. Also, the top author in the genre of the month – sci-fi in May – will get $250. In December, the top three authors overall between May and December will get $1,750, $1,250 and $750, respectively. And in each genre, the top author will win $250.
If you’ve ever thought about writing or already have some short stories lying around, now is the time to do something about it. You have nothing to lose and only money, fame and the adulation of the crowd to gain. Come check it out at www.fictionarcade.com or find us on Facebook!
Job: Homestay Accommodation Coordinator/Student Services Counselor, EC San Francisco Language Center (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: Homestay Accommodation Coordinator/Student Services Counselor
Posted by: EC San Francisco Language Center
Location: San Francisco, CA
Type: full-time
Overview:
EC San Francisco is one of 18 schools in five countries that are part of EC English, a dynamic, innovative and fast growing group of Intensive English Programs. Read More
Job: Study Abroad Advisor, University of Vermont (VT)
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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: Study Abroad Advisor
Posted by: University of Vermont
Location: Burlington, VT
Type: full-time (11-month contract)
Overview:
The University of Vermont seeks a talented study abroad advisor to join our team. Reporting to the assistant director for study abroad in the Office of International Education, the study abroad advisor has the following general responsibilities: Advise UVM students about study, internship and service-learning opportunities abroad; serve as primary point of contact for students navigating university and government processes related to preparing for study abroad; organize and facilitate events and programs, liaise with campus and off-site partners; and maintain administrative records. Read More
Job: MUDEC Program Coordinator, Miami University European Center (Oxford, OH)
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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: Program Coordinator
Posted by: Miami University Dolibois European Center
Location: Oxford, OH
Type: full-time
Salary range: $48,000 – $52,000
Overview:
In the Office of Global Initiatives, the Program Coordinator for the Miami University Dolibois Education Center (MUDEC) is the lead Oxford based staff member and liaison to the Luxembourg campus of Miami University. The Coordinator manages the activities of the program and works closely with the Luxembourg faculty and administrative staff. Read More
AJET Professional Development Call with JET alum Anthony Bianchi
Audio, Career Update, Celebrity, Interview/Profile, Japan Local, LifeAfterJET, Local Government, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on AJET Professional Development Call with JET alum Anthony Bianchi
Via the AJET website:
On May 7th, we held our fourth AJET Professional Development Conference Call. Our guest speaker was former JET, Mr. Anthony Bianchi (Aichi-ken, Kiyosu City, 1989-91) who now serves as a city council council member in Inuyama City, Aichi prefecture. Mr. Bianchi is often highlighted in the Japanese media and is well-known for being the first American-born elected official in Japan. Click here to read a short interview with him on AJET.net.
Anthony Bianchi (Aichi-ken, 1989-91)
Mr. Bianchi discussed the inner workings of his current position, various initiatives to improve English and international communication in his community and how JETs can potentially get involved with local politics in their communities.
Click here to listen to the recording of the call on the AJET website: http://ajet.net/2014/05/13/professional-development-call-anthony-bianchi/
Job: Asst Dir, Teaching In English Program – Montclair State University (Montclair, NJ)
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Position: Assistant Director
Posted by: Teaching In English Program – Montclair State University
Location: Montclair, NJ
Type: full-time
Salary: $60,000-70,000
Start Date: August 1, 2014
Apply by: June 1, 2014
Overview:
The Marketing and Program Coordinator of the Teaching in English Program (TIE) is responsible for promoting and marketing the program to overseas academic institutions. TIE is an intensive training program offered by Montclair State University overseas and on the university campus. Taught by MSU faculty members, the program is designed to strengthen academic English proficiency for international university instructors. Read More
