May 9

Kyodo News “JET Alumni” Series: Eliot Honda (Ehime)

Japan Local, JETs in the News, LifeAfterJET, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on Kyodo News “JET Alumni” Series: Eliot Honda (Ehime)

News agency Kyodo News has recently been publishing monthly articles written by JET alumni who were appointed in rural areas of Japan, as part of promotion for the JET Programme. Below is the English version of the column from April 2014. Posted by Celine Castex (Chiba-ken, 2006-11), currently programme coordinator at CLAIR Tokyo.

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Eliot Honda (Ehime-ken, Uwajima-shi, 2009-12) was born and raised in Honolulu, HI, and moved to San Francisco where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University. After graduation he spent nine years in the TV/Multimedia industry mainly working with clients on commercials, corporate videos, and news. He left San Francisco in 2009 for the JET Programme, and stayed in Ehime for the next three years. He used his multimedia skills to work on sister city relationship programs between Honolulu and Uwajima. After the JET Programme, he returned to Hawaii and joined his mother’s business in real estate, and still do multimedia work on the side.

“Without JET I would have never gone to Uwajima and I would have never fallen in love with this city and its people”

Uwajima, my second home

It was the little things that made my time in Japan incredible. Waking up to the smell of the ocean, the sound of my shoes squeaking against the tiled floors of Johoku Junior High School, the taste of fresh fried jakoten and my favorite thing, seeing my students smile.

There’s no single moment that can sum up how incredible my time on the JET Programme was, but my wedding party comes pretty close.  Over 200 of our friends and co-workers showed up to celebrate my marriage to a wonderful woman from Uwajima.  It was probably the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.  It wasn’t just because it was my wedding, it was because in the 3 years I had lived in Uwajima, Ehime I had found a home, a community, and a new love. I fell in love with a city that I had never been to, and I had fallen in love with the people of Uwajima.

This is a small city whose money doesn’t come from tourism, and doesn’t have the flash and awe of Tokyo, but it has heart like I’ve never seen in all my life. From mountain to ocean you can find beauty all around you, and the warmest people I have ever met. I had several encounters with elderly men and women who I had asked for assistance and soon found myself engaged in a twenty-minute conversation.  The words “I’m from Hawaii” spawned a whole new conversation.  There were moments in which I had to recall what it was I was looking for simply because we had been talking for so long.

There were moments when I would have to take a breath and ask myself: “Is this really happening?  Am I really here?”  Every day in Uwajima, whether a good day or a bad day, was a gift.  Not only to be in Japan, but just to be a part of the growth of the students, and the community.  There were three Hawaii ALTs in Uwajima and all of us acted as that bridge between Hawaii and Uwajima and were more than happy to share our culture with the students.  I think my favorite time with my students was the free-time between classes and during sports activities.  They would ask me many questions about Hawaii and America, and they’d share their culture with me. It always warmed my heart to see their eyes light up when I’d talk about my hometown. I tried to give these students as much of myself as I could, but they gave me so much more. Read More

May 8

Job: 2 Regional Coordinator positions, NC State Study Abroad Office

Jobs Comments Off on Job: 2 Regional Coordinator positions, NC State Study Abroad Office

May 8

Job: Marketing Coordinator – Spanish Studies Abroad (Amherst, MA)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Marketing Coordinator – Spanish Studies Abroad (Amherst, MA)

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: Marketing Coordinator
Posted by: Spanish Studies Abroad
Location: Amherst, MA
Type: full-time

Overview:

The Marketing Coordinator position requires self-direction and excellent time management skills in design, website/database management as well as print coordination of all Spanish Studies Abroad marketing materials. The Marketing Coordinator must also regularly perform data analysis regarding the effectiveness of marketing efforts, conduct data analysis to compare our marketing strategies with others in the field, and initiate efforts to continually modernize and enhance outreach and social networking efforts to increase student inquiries and overall image of the Spanish Studies Abroad brand. This full-time position offers a competitive salary and benefits and is based in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Read More

May 8

Job: Executive Coordinator of GW Study Programs – George Washington University

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Executive Coordinator of GW Study Programs – George Washington University

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: Executive Coordinator of GW Study Programs
Posted by: George Washington University
Location: Washington D.C.
Type: full-time

Overview:

The Executive Coordinator for GW Study Programs has oversight of GW’s four study centers located in London, Paris, Madrid, and Santiago, Chile. If further centers are identified this position could have a role in the development and management of those centers as well. This includes: supervising resident directors and assistants remotely (currently, a total of six employees in four countries); working with resident directors on all aspects of planning and budgeting for study abroad programs; overseeing health and safety protocols for GW managed programs; overseeing cyclical faculty/administrative reviews of GW study programs; and planning resident director training activities); and, supervising the GW Study Programs Assistant (a full time, DC-based employee);  Read More

May 7

Life After JET: Buyer Beware

Advice, LifeAfterJET Comments Off on Life After JET: Buyer Beware

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

When you witness someone in their element, it’s mesmerizing. They have this sort of flow to how they move and deal with other people, projects, and even problems. No way are they flawless, but hey, that term’s reserved for one environment only—and it ain’t the career world.

For a lot of us, we get an extra kick finding out that that successful dude?  They did the JET Program! But for every JET alum who’s found their niche, there’s plenty who’ve taken awhile to find their footing. Read More

May 7

Job: Alumni Manager at American Field Service (AFS) (NYC)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Alumni Manager at American Field Service (AFS) (NYC)

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Overview: 

The Manager of Alumni Relations is responsible for the strategic development, management and supervision of the organization’s Alumni efforts with the overall goal of increasing the numbers of engaged, committed and generous AFS-USA alumni.

Ideally, the Manager of Alumni Relations should be an entrepreneurial self-starter and seasoned professional with a background in alumni and/or marketing who is a creative and strategic thinker with strong skills in building relationships.

Alumni Relations will work closely with other departments, especially Development, Marketing and Communications, and Volunteer Development and Resources to ensure that the Alumni unit has the insights, strategies, and resources to meet ambitious alumni engagement and giving goals. The Manager of Alumni Relations will report to the Chief, External Relations, Development and Communications Officer. Read More

May 7

Job: Operations Coordinator for Japanese Agricultural Training Pgm at Big Bend Community College (Moses Lake, WA)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Operations Coordinator for Japanese Agricultural Training Pgm at Big Bend Community College (Moses Lake, WA)

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Overview: 

The Operations Coordinator is responsible for working closely with staff from the Japan Agriculture Exchange Council to oversee the orientation, placement and monitoring of trainees on host farms and host academic institutions during their stay in the United States. The Coordinator is also responsible for working with JAEC staff to locate and contract with host farms for trainee placement and coordinating with appropriate federal and state agencies to ensure proper documentation of trainees while they are in the program. This position is based in Seattle at the JAEC offices, but frequent travel to the Big Bend Community College (BBCC) campus and to host farms, partner colleges and universities is required. Read More

May 7

Job: Group Sales Coordinator at Growing Japanese Firm (NYC)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Group Sales Coordinator at Growing Japanese 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. Read More

May 7

Job: Economic Section at Embassy of Japan (DC)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Economic Section at Embassy of Japan (DC)

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Overview: 

The Embassy of Japan is seeking an individual for the position of Administrative Assistant in the Economic Section. The Embassy offers group health insurance coverage, paid vacation, and sick leave. Salary is commensurate with experience. Read More

May 7

Job: Japan Country Manager at Wooga (Japan)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Japan Country Manager at Wooga (Japan)

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Overview: 

• Develop Wooga’s presence in Japan: Be smart about growing our player base and brand awareness in the world’s largest gaming market! Japanese players love our games, you need to make sure they know about them.
• User acquisition in Japan is very local and specific. You should identify key marketing partners and channels (ad agencies, mobile networks, TV broadcasters, other gaming companies), negotiate custom deals, oversee creation of marketing materials, control and optimise the results. You will receive full support from our Berlin-based marketing and creative teams.
• Help Wooga understand how we can improve our games to please the Japanese players, and understand where the biggest opportunities in the market are for Wooga.

Read More

May 7

Job: Business Manager at Seikgakuin Atlanta International School (Atlanta)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Business Manager at Seikgakuin Atlanta International School (Atlanta)

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Overview: 

Responsibilities are as follows, but not limited to:

Accounting & Financing

• Bookkeeping & banking
• Accounts Payable
• Financial Reports
• Budget
• Scholarship

Read More

May 7

【RocketNews24】Sharp’s Ocha-presso brings traditional Japanese flavor to your kitchen

Article/Journalism, Writers matcha, Ocha, RocketNews24 Comments Off on 【RocketNews24】Sharp’s Ocha-presso brings traditional Japanese flavor to your kitchen

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.

Coffee and espresso drinks are quite common in Japan, but green tea will always have a special place in Japanese hearts, as evidenced by the availability of green tea flavored doughnuts, ice bars, beer and even curry. Now, Sharp has announced a new machine for home use that makes perfect matcha (green tea made from powdered tea leaves). They are calling it the Healsio Ocha-presso (or Healthy-o Tea-presso, if you prefer).

The Ocha-presso mills whole tea leaves, boils water and blends it together all in one machine. It was modeled on home espresso machines, but designed to reflect the essential parts of the tea ceremony (represented in the graphic below).

Continue reading here.

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May 6

WIT Life #268: New Japanese movies worth seeing

Film, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #268: New Japanese movies worth seeing

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.

The cherry blossoms have come and gone since the last time I posted, truly fleeting!  I was lucky enough to enjoy them twice this year, both during a trip to Japan last month and at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s Sakura Matsuri earlier this month.  To get through the long flight over the Pacific I like catching up on movies I missed, and I spent my outward voyage enjoying Oscar nominees and the return trip watching some new Japanese movies.  During my inward flight two of the movies I picked, Judge! and The Little House, both featured one of my favorite Japanese actors, Satoshi Tsumabuki.

The former film features Tsumabuki as a young advertising agent who is forced by his boss to go in his place as an international judge for a worldwide TV Advertising Festival taking place in Santa Monica.  By great coincidence, his boss’s name is Ichiro Otaki and Tsumabuki’s character’s name is Kiichiro Ota, giving them the same name if written Japanese-style with last name first.  Ota points out that when abroad, names are written with first name before last name, but his boss ignores his concerns and sends him off.  Another name coincidence is that Ota’s female co-worker Hikari has the same last name (in comparison to Kiichiro, she is amusingly referred to as the “talented Ota” by Otaki).

Kiichiro doesn’t have confidence in his English speaking ability, so he enlists Hikari to Read More

May 5

Job: Japanese Speaking Safety Specialist at Gilead Sciences (Foster City, CA)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Japanese Speaking Safety Specialist at Gilead Sciences (Foster City, CA)

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Overview: 

We have an opening in our Drug Safety & Public Health group for a Systems Safety Specialist.  This is a full-time, regular employee role with paid salary, bonus, and benefits. Read More

May 5

Job: Part-time Senior Admin Asst for Japan Intercultural (Emerald Hills, CA)

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Part-time Senior Admin Asst for Japan Intercultural (Emerald Hills, CA)

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Overview: 

The entrepreneurial head of a rapidly growing specialized global consulting and training company seeks a Senior Administrative Assistant.

Looking for someone to work closely with me to learn business operations, get things done, and create and/or maintain processes and systems to handle our increasing workload. The ideal candidate will have excellent organizational skills and experience in similar situations helping an executive with a growing firm better manage workflow and be more productive. Must be flexible, cheerful, and level-headed. Prior experience in a professional services firm, particularly training or consulting, is preferred. Read More