Tohoku Tomo: JET alum returning to Japan to document ongoing JET alum and international relief efforts in Tohoku
Earthquake Tsunami, Film, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment 
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Wesley Julian (Miyagi-ken, 2008-10) is heading to Japan with a small film crew to make a video that will share the story of JET alums and others who have made and continue to make a difference in Tohoku, Japan.
The project is called Tohoku Tomo and just launched a Kickstarter campaign. For more information and to donate, go to:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1283108911/tohoku-tomo
In the video below, Wesley, who spoke at his students’ graduation on 3/11 just before the earthquake struck, explains the project and its significance. He currently works for the Japanese Consulate in Chicago, though the Tohoku Tomo project is something he is doing independently of his work.
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Hiroshima JET’s “The Wide Island View” – 03.04.13
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From The Wide Island View, the JET Program Webzine of Hiroshima Prefecture:
Hello and welcome to the new monthly newsletter from the Wide Island View! These emails will keep you updated on what’s happening on the website and hopefully give you some inspiration for your next article.
New Articles
If you haven’t been to the WIV in a while, there are plenty of new articles for you to check out!
- Ben Folds Five: Dan Wilson, the WIV resident music reviewer, debuts his new concert column with a review of Ben Folds Five’s recent Hiroshima performance.
- Hiroshima AJET: Cathy Hodgson tells us about her experience learning to snowboard with the Hiroshima AJET crew. Keep your eye on the WIV to hear about all of the upcoming AJET events and trips.
- Winter Blues: Winter may becoming to a close, but Japan’s spring is notoriously chilly so check out the How to Beat the Winter Blues article for some tips to help you stay warm.
Have something you’d like to add to these articles? Don’t feel shy about commenting!
Story Ideas
This list is by no means comprehensive, so if you come up with a story idea on your own, please send us an email. We’ve been able to add a ton of new articles recently, which has been fantastic. Please keep ‘em coming!
Seasonal
- Hanami season is just around the corner and we want you to help us make this year’s parties the best yet. Have any secret hanami spots? Any recipes or suggestions for the perfect hanami snacks and drinks? We want to know!
- Been to any good events lately? Perhaps the Naked Man festival in Okayama or the local one in Mihara? What about one of the many Hiroshima oyster festivals? Tell us about your experience with an article or photo journal.
Food
- Calling all sake connoisseurs – please share your expertise! This article could be a review of different sake from Hiroshima or around Japan, or an insider’s look at how sake is made. Saijo offers tours of many local breweries, so that may be a good place to start!
- Are you a whiz with your microwave oven? Have you mastered the art of cooking things other than rice in your rice cooker? Share your knowledge and recipes! And, as always, any recipes (seasonal or not, Japanese or not) are always welcome.
Sports
- The new soccer season is coming up fast and we’d like to learn more about our very own champions, Sanfrece Hiroshima! Who are the players to watch this year? What are the chances that we’ll win the championship for the second year in a row?
- If you’re a baseball expert (or would like an excuse to become one) we’d love for you write about baseball in Japan. How are the Carp looking this year? What are your predictions for the playoffs? Opening day is only a few weeks away, so help us get ready to play ball!
Culture
- Want to learn more about otaku culture? What about gyaru fashion? Help explain these interesting subsets of Japanese youth culture.
Language Study
- In the past, the WIV regularly featured articles about Japanese proverbs and study tips. This column was incredibly helpful so we’d like to bring it back. If you’re interested in sharing your knowledge of Nihongo, please let us know!
Other
- As always, we’re constantly looking for reviews of just about anything – movies, restaurants, products, books, festivals, you name it.
- Videographers, illustrators, photographers, we want to hear from you too!
Now that we’ve gotten the business part out of the way, we at the Wide Island View want to take a moment to say a big thank you to all of you for working so hard to get this website back on its feet. None of this would be possible without all of your help and support!
The school year will soon come to a close, so we’d like to suggest a new (school) year resolution for all of you: keep writing! We know that it can feel overwhelming to commit to extra work, but think about it this way – if every single one of you wrote just one article within the next few months, we’d be set for the rest of the year. One article per month would make you a superstar. More than that? Amazing! We love you! Well, we love all of you regardless, but you get the idea. We all have the chance to contribute to one of the best online resources for JETs in the entire country, and it would be a shame to let this opportunity go to waste.
Thank you again for your support of the Wide Island View, and we look forward to hearing from you soon!
CLAIR Magazine “JET Plaza” Series: Jessyca Wilcox Livingston (Hokkaido)
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Each month, current and former JET participants are featured in the “JET Plaza” section of the CLAIR Forum magazine. The March 2012 edition includes an article by JET alumn Jessyca Wilcox. Posted by Celine Castex (Chiba-ken, 2006-11), currently programme coordinator at CLAIR Tokyo.
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“The fact that the people of Japan are wonderful has only been confirmed with every return visit and every new friend I meet. This is the power of grass roots internationalization and this is the power of the JET Program.”
As the daughter of parents in the State Department, Jessyca (Wilcox) Livingston (Hokkaido, 2003-06) spent her early childhood years immersed in Japan and most of the rest of her youth abroad. After graduating from Rutgers University she worked as a Park Ranger/Ecologist with the National Park Service. Her affinity for Japan led her to return as a JET Program participant. Jessyca spent three years as an ALT in Urahoro-cho, an experience which deepened her love for Japan and its people. Upon returning the USA, she quickly got involved in her local JETAA chapter in the Rocky Mountain region and secured a job at the Consulate General of Japan in Denver as the JET Program Coordinator. Jessyca served as treasurer of RMJETAA from 2008-10, then served two terms as a JETAA USA Country Representative from 2010-2012. She has participated in several conferences ranging from regional to international during her service with JETAA. Jessyca currently serves on the JETAA USA Advisory Board to help to guide and ensure the success of JETAA USA at the national level.
Once a JET, Always a JET
My love affair with Japan started at age one when my family moved to the coastal town of Hayama in Kanagawa Prefecture. My father worked on the nearby navy base and my mother settled into domestic life in Japan while I ran around with the neighborhood kids. I learned Japanese, they learned that there were more than just one kind of people in the world and we all learned that having fun together didn’t depend on what you looked like or what language you spoke. Friendship transcended all of that. That was my first experience with grass-roots internationalization. It was years before the JET Program would be established.
My family moved on to live in other countries, but I was able to return to Japan on several happy occasions. My Japanese language abilities fluctuated, but my Japanese friends remained steadfast. I experienced both the rewards of articulating myself well and the embarrassment of stumbling through sentences and making ungraceful mistakes. Through it all, Japan remained a common thread in my studies and personal life. I studied Japanese in school because I understood it was a vehicle to stay connected to the people and place I loved.
I found the JET Program in a school hallway in the form of a poster. I wrote down the information and filed it away for my future. I knew it had a place in my life. When the time was right, I submitted my application, and waited. Read More
Justin’s Japan: Nippon in New York – From ‘Edo Pop’ to ‘Poppy Hill’
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“From Up on Poppy Hill,” the latest film from Studio Ghibli, premieres in New York March 16. (©2011 Chizuru Takahashi/Tetsuro Sayama/GNDHDDT)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Tucked between Oscar and cherry blossom season, March offers an unmissable array of concerts, performances and film premieres, along with a special gathering to mark the two-year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
This month’s highlights include:
Sunday, March 3, 6:45 p.m.
Exploring the Road of Shamisen – Koto Workshop and Concert
Still Mind Zendo, 37 West 17th Street
$15 advance, $18 at the door
For reservations, email contact[at]marcreation.com or call 917-400-9362
In the latest workshop of the Spring Traditional Japanese Musical Instrument Series, shamisen specialist Yoko Reikano Kimura will demonstrate the vast 400 years of shamisen repertoire and explore the infinite possibilities of the instrument. Shamisen was brought to Japan through the Silk Road and since then it was popularized among samurai to ordinary citizens. But in today’s cosmopolitan age, new shamisen music continues to thrive.
March 6-9
The Bach Variations: Bach and Mendelssohn
Avery Fisher Hall, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza
$41-$123
In its first-ever Bach Festival, a kaleidoscopic three-week celebration of the depth and breadth the man the New York Times named the greatest composer of all time, Kobe-born conductor and harpsichordist Masaaki Suzuki leads five vocalists along with his own Bach Colleguim Japan and Yale Schola Cantorum with his own unique approach, combining his perspective with the virtuosity of the New York Philharmonic. On the program are Bach’s “Motet No. 1: Singet dem Herrn” and “Magnificat,” along with Mendelssohn’s :Magnificat in D Major” and “Christus.”
March 9-June 9
Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$12 general admission, $10 students and seniors, Japan Society members and children under 16 free
Edo Pop playfully juxtaposes classic ukiyo-e prints from such masters as Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige with contemporary works inspired by these artists and their works. Delve into alluring worlds created by the power of Edo period and contemporary popular culture in which change is the only constant. Organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, with the contemporary art selections curated for the New York presentation by Miwako Tezuka, Ph.D., Director, Japan Society Gallery.
For the complete story, click here.
JQ Magazine: JQ&A with JUSTE Program Participant Saiko Goto
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“In Minamisanriku, the local government wanted to keep the shiyakusho (city hall) as a memorial for the tsunami, but people who lost family there disagreed. Finally, the building was demolished recently. It reminded us of sad stories and memories of people who escaped to city hall during the tsunami.” (Courtesy of Saiko Goto)
By Fernando Rojas (Fukui-ken, 2008-10) for JQ magazine. A resident of Teaneck, New Jersey, Fernando was JHS ALT in Fukui prefecture, home of the echizen-gani, a city named Obama, the Fukuisaurus, and nuclear power plants. While in Japan, he picked up shuji (Japanese calligraphy) as his hobby and continues to practice today. He is currently a fellowships associate for the Social Science Research Council’s Abe Fellowship Program in Brooklyn and co-representative for the JETAA New Jersey subchapter.
Hailing from Tome City in Miyagi Prefecture, Saiko Goto was a recent JUSTE Program participant at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Informally called the “Reverse JET Program,” the Japan–U.S. Training and Exchange Program for Language Teachers allows Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) from all over Japan to take courses in ESL teaching at U.S. universities.
Goto received her teaching license from Gunma Prefecture Women’s University, where she majored in English. She currently teaches at Sakuma Junior High School and has taught English for eight years. Before returning to Japan in January, Goto spoke with JQ about JUSTE and the ongoing impact of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami on her school.
How are teachers selected to participate in the JUSTE program?
Teachers are selected according to their prefectures. In some prefectures, teachers have to apply for the program. In other prefectures, teachers are picked by the board of education. In my case, I was recommended by my principal to the Tome City Board of Education and selected by the Miyagi Prefecture Board of Education.
Have you found the JUSTE program beneficial? In what ways has the program helped you?
Being on JUSTE has been very beneficial. I have met and talked with many people from different countries, as well as learned a lot from them through English. I have also thought more about my teaching and the importance of learning English. The program has also helped me to create more effective activities. I made many activities with other JUSTE members and we will use them in my classes.
Would you recommend the program to other JTEs in Japan?
Definitely. By participating in the program, you can have many chances for meeting people and learn a lot. I visited a former ALT during the winter vacation and experienced life in Arkansas with her and her family. I also became friends with other JUSTE participants. We will share our list of activities with each other online and keep in touch.
Check out the JETAA Ottawa Newsletter
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Posted by Gemma Villanueva (Fukushima-ken, 2008-11), editor for the JETAA Ottawa Newsletter. Written and photo submissions are always welcome. Please contact us at newsletter[at]jetaaottawa[dot]ca.
Hello, readers!
JETAA Ottawa is pleased to release the latest newsletter!
Please download here (16 pages – Acrobat Adobe PDF, 808kB).
Adobe Acrobat Reader: Go the “View” menu at the top; then, click “Page Display –> Two-Up Continuous” for optimal viewing.
Happy reading!
In this issue:
1. An exclusive message from His Excellency Kaoru Ishikawa, Ambassador of Japan to Canada.
2. Remembering Tohoku: As the two-year anniversary of the March 11 disaster approaches, current and former Tohoku JETs reflect upon their experiences.
Fukushima JETs proudly wear their “akabeko” tees
– Catherine Lefrancois profiles “Eyes 4 Fukushima,” a non-profit organization spearheaded by her peers.
– Estelle Hebert helped launch “Brighter Than Tomorrow,” a fundraising campaign supporting a small fishing village in Miyagi which had been affected by the tsunami.
– Gemma Villanueva, a Fukushima JET alumna and the current JETAA Ottawa Newsletter Editor, shares how the quake changed her school.
3. Where Are They Now?: JETAA Ottawa catches up with Rigor Maglaya, who puts his own spin on the JET phrase: “ESID. Every situation is different.”
4. Getting to know the 2013-14 JETAA Ottawa Board of Directors. (Contact list available – PDF, 84KB).
… And much more!
JETAA Wisconsin Subchapter reboot and NPR event
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From JETAA Wisconsin Subchapter rep Joette Bump:
Hi Everyone, I’m the lead contact for JETAA WI Subchapter. We have an existing Facebook Group, “JETAA WI Subchapter” Unfortunately, when Facebook did their update to groups, our members disappeared!ugh! PLEASE JOIN: JETAA WI Subchapter. To eliminate duplicates, we’ll delete the Badger State Subchapter group. To be added to our email & evite lists, send your email address to me. Thank you.
Also, info about a great event from super-genki Joette:
Hi Chicago JETAA! If you have dug out of the snow by saturday, please join JETAA WI Subchapter in Madison for the airing of NPR’s fabulous “What D’ya Know Show”. tickets are $10 at the door. Meet us at 9:30. Who knows, we could even get a mention on the show if we wear JET or Japanese clothes or write a great question for Michael Feldman!
After the show, we are having our meeting at 1pm at Takumi Restaurant, 4222 E Towne Blvd Madison, WI 53704 Let me know if you are coming so we can sit as a group.
Kyodo News “Rural JET alumni” series: Khalid Birdsong (Osaka)
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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 January 2013. Posted by Celine Castex (Chiba-ken, 2006-11), currently programme coordinator at CLAIR Tokyo.
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Khalid Birdsong (Osaka-fu, 2003-05) attended Howard University, in Washington D.C. from 1993-1997. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design. He is currently an Art teacher at a private school in Palo Alto, CA for grades Kindergarten through 4th. He is also a freelance cartoonist and webcomic artist. His comic about living in Japan can be found at www.friedchickenandsushi.com .
I couldn’t speak their language!
I moved to Japan in the summer of 2003 to work as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Junior High School for the JET Programme. I was placed in a small town called Shimamoto near the mountains in-between the cities of Osaka and Kyoto. I ended up living there for two years. Two years full of wonderful experiences and pleasant surprises. As an African-American man from Atlanta, Georgia, living in Japan also had its challenges! One of the most difficult was learning the Japanese language.
Support Fukushima through JET Social Media Activities
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A request from Lachlan Tranter (Fukushima-ken, 2011-present), CIR-PA at the Fukushima Prefecture Office. Posted by Celine Castex (Chiba-ken 2006-11), currently programme coordinator at CLAIR Tokyo.
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It is approaching 2 years since the 3.11 disaster and the prefecture has moved forward in many ways, but still faces a number of challenges. Many JETs around the country and JET alumni 
from all around the world assisted in the immediate recovery of the three prefectures most affected by the disaster, and I know many of you want to help more. Today I am offering a chance to do so and it is as easier as clicking you mouse!
In fact it is, we in Fukushima want your help spreading the word and interest in the prefecture and its strong and “genki” citizens. We want the world to know about a side of Fukushima people in our prefecture all know about, a Fukushima of beauty, of produce, of nature, of fun, of shy but brave and warmhearted people; not just a power plant.
We want people to learn that life continues on here and to set each person a challenge to learn something new about Fukushima. So here is how to help support Fukushima Prefecture, you don’t even have to get up out of your chair or Kotatsu!
Like our Facebook page and read the Japanese or English translations about Fukushima!
Head to the Prefectural YouTube channel and watch short videos about the revitalization from the disaster!
Head to our English blog and read about events, food and life in Fukushima including stories from fellow JETs!
Share these resources with friends and family back home and show that the world is still thinking about and supporting people in Fukushima!
Thank you so much for your time and support! 心より感謝申し上げます。
2013 Tokamachi Snow Festival
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Posted by Benjamin Martin, a 5th year JET on Kume Island in Okinawa, publisher of the blog MoreThingsJapanese.com and author of the YA fantasy series Samurai Awakening (Tuttle).
With its tall mountains and island geography, Japan has areas with heavy rain throughout the year and snowfall in the winter. Over the years, in many areas the snow has been changed from a hardship to benefit. The first place in Japan to create a snow festival is Tokamachi in Niigata prefecture.
Tokamachi (十日町市) City is located in eastern Niigata prefecture. The names of that area are interesting in that they refer to the days it used to take to travel to them by foot. When we went there from the Echigo-Yuzawa station we passed several towns with these similar names such as Muikamachi (six-day town). The area has many small towns and is primarily full of rice farms. Niigata is famous for the delicious rice that the large amounts of snowfall help create.
This year’s snow festival took place between February 15 and 17th with the main stage events taking place on the 16th at the local Tokamachi Elementary School sports ground. As with all the nearby farms, the fields were topped with over two and a half meters of snow. While the snow is difficult to live with, the locals have found some ingenious ways to not only make it work for them, but to enjoy it as well.
One of the major attractions of the Tokamachi snow festival are the snow sculptures. From small igloos to towering designs the sculptures turn all the excess snow into art. Local artists and teams transform piles of snow into everything from popular manga characters to full size replicas of buildings and ships. These are so popular that they have spread to other snow festivals such as the more famous one in Hokkaido.
Every year the main stage for the event is constructed of snow. This year the design was a towering ship and compass. The portals were lighted and throughout the main event fireworks were lighted around it. It was a surprisingly long and steep walk from the lower town to the event but as guests of the local town government we had great tickets that put me 5 people back from the stage and only three from the walkway.
Originally, the focus of the festival was to highlight the beautiful kimonos created in Niigata. The main event after the opening speeches is still a fashion show of kimonos which are especially striking against the pure white of the snowy stage. Following the show were performances by artists Junichi Inagaki, Becky, and LG Monkees. As well as appearances by the local school children singing along with Tetsu and Tomo who helped to MC.
Despite the cold weather and snow falling throughout much of the show, huge numbers of people came out to see the show and it was well worth a few cold toes. The entire event was well-organized with crowd control built into the area with snow dividers. While we weren’t allowed to take photos or video of the performers, we were allowed to take pictures of the stage and fashion show. We didn’t have time to see every sculpture but I did catch a few on our way out. I hope you enjoy a little look at a wonderful town and event. I’ll share more on the trip soon.
For more photos from the event visit MoreThingsJapanese.com
**Don’t forget to enter the TWO free giveaways for signed copies of my book plus extras. Enter on morethingswriting.com and/or Goodreads!**
Job: Administrative Assistant at NYU Law School (NY)
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Thanks to JETAANY Board Member Clara Solomon. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Administrative Assistant
Posted by: New York University
Type: Full-time
Location: New York, NY
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
Overview:
Clara Solomon is the Career Services Director at NYU Law School and shared this job listing, which reports directly to her. If you apply, by all means let her know you’re a JET alum!
Position Summary:
Perform a broad range of clerical, secretarial, and general office duties including those of a confidential nature. Respond to inquiries displaying a comprehensive knowledge of the department’s activities, policies and programs. Schedule on-campus recruitment interviews; register and monitor responses of participants; prepare and post information regarding job openings; and prepare employer lists and informational packets for off-campus interviews. Assist with the prioritization of office activities and delegate to and monitor work of student and/or casual employees. Compose letters and correspondence. Perform general word processing, spreadsheet and data entry duties utilizing intermediate-level functions. Monitor moderately complex budgets and/or grants. Read More
The Growth of MAT-TESOL and USC Rossier Online
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If any JETs or JET alumni are thinking of doing a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), this is definitely worth a read. I also encourage any JETs interested in teaching to join the JETAA Educational Professionals LinkedIn group:
THE GROWTH OF MAT-TESOL
This blog post was originally published at USC Rossier Online and written by Dr. Rob Filback and Dr. Christian Chun. Dr. Filback is Associate Professor of Clinical Education and Co-Chair of the Global Executive Doctor of Education program. He serves as a coordinator for the MAT-TESOL. Dr. Chun is Assistant Professor of Clinical Education for the MAT-TESOL program.
Origins of the MAT TESOL
Our MAT-TESOL degree that launched in 2010 is the product of a multi-year, collaborative redesign process. The MAT-TESOL program (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) boasts a rich heritage at USC and has featured prominent scholars over the decades such as David Eskey, Fraida Dubin, and Stephen Krashen. In 2008 we decided to build on this foundation by redesigning the TESOL program in order to create a new, innovative and forward-looking degree that could better prepare graduates for the new challenges and new opportunities now facing English language teachers around the world.
We began by inviting an external review by a team of experts: Donna Brinton, Maureen Andrade and Lia Kamhi-Stein. Then, using this team’s recommendations, the faculty worked together to overhaul the USC TESOL program. The existing degrees were closed and one entirely new degree, the MAT-TESOL, was created. This included designing all new courses focused on current problems of practice , expanding the role of clinical field experiences, restructuring the capstone and practicum experiences to be more professionally relevant, and integrating technology including offering the degree online through 2SC.
About the Degree
The resulting MAT-TESOL degree directly addresses prevailing challenges being faced by TESOL educators in classrooms around the world. The new degree is also more dynamic and nimble, designed to give faculty the ability to make ongoing changes and to develop new units and modules as new needs are identified. The degree consists of four terms of coursework requiring approximately 14-15 months to complete. The online degree and the on-campus degree utilize the exact same curriculum, faculty, and requirements. The target audience for the MAT-TESOL includes current or prospective teachers who wish to enter or advance in the field of TESOL. Roughly a third of program participants are pre-service or novice teachers, while the remaining students have a range of teaching experiences that include teaching young learners or K12 students, university students, and or adults. About half of the students in the program are situated domestically in the U.S. and about half complete the degree while residing in another country. The majority of participants who complete the MAT-TESOL are U.S. citizens.
Growth of the Program
Since the launch in 2010, the number of enrolled graduate students has increased dramatically, from a 12-member on-campus cohort in the Fall 2010 to 39-member on-campus cohort for Fall 2012. The online cohort students have increased as well in the last two years, bringing the total number of both on-campus and online students in the Fall 2012 cohort group to 71 students! They have come from a variety of countries including Spain, Italy, Japan, South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, and of course, the USA. In addition, the Trojan TESOL society has been reactivated with numerous students planning activities and events for the coming academic year. Several of our MAT-TESOL students have presented on their work at professional conferences including the regional TESOL conferences. Our graduates are currently teaching across the United States and abroad in a variety of educational settings.
To learn more about the MAT-TESOL program, request more information or check out the USC Rossier Online TESOL page!
JQ Magazine: Life After JET on YouTube
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JET alum Eliot Honda: “With my year coming to a close, I wanted to create a set of videos that would not only explain what to expect as an ALT, but also what to expect as an Uwajima ALT. I had truly come to love this city, and I wanted to show off some of its beauty and history.”
By Eliot Honda (Ehime-ken, 2009-2012) for JQ magazine. Born and raised in Honolulu, Eliot was an ALT placed in Uwajima City of Ehime Prefecture. Prior to JET, Eliot worked as a freelance video editor mainly in the commercial and corporate world in San Francisco. Following JET, he returned to Honolulu and joined his mother in real estate. He currently has made a JET Introduction video, and has a YouTube series in the works called Sister City Ties, showing the beauty of the friendship between Honolulu and Uwajima.
My father always preached that “everything happens for a reason.” My being placed in Uwajima was no exception. Uwajima, as I would come to find out, had strong ties to my home of Hawaii. King Kalakaua of Hawaii and Date Munenari of Uwajima had met in 1881, becoming Japan’s first contact with a head of state. Uwajima and Hawaii would meet again in 2001 when the Ehime Maru, a high school fishing vessel, would be struck by a U.S. submarine. Nine lives would be tragically lost, including four high school students.
News of the tragedy spread quickly through Hawaii, causing the people to do everything they could to help the Uwajima families. Whole those families could have shown hate and anger toward the people of Hawaii, they instead embraced the people of the Aloha State with open arms. Through this tragedy, a friendship between Honolulu and Uwajima was born, giving way to the creation of a sister city relationship. To help strengthen the ties between the two cities, the mayor of Uwajima requested ALTs who were born in Hawaii. I found myself to be one of the lucky few chosen to represent Hawaii there as my time on the JET Program began.
I came to Uwajima with all these grand ideas of using video in my lessons. A month into my first year as an Uwajima ALT, I came to the realization that utilizing video in the classroom or in school for that matter would be an impossible task. If finding students willing to speak English in front of the class was difficult, finding students to speak English in front of a camera would be like moving the Hawaiian Islands with a fish hook. (I think only Hawaii people will get that reference.)
Feeling a bit defeated, I sat in my apartment and contemplated how I could put everything I’d learned in the multimedia world to good use. As fate would have, it I was asked by one of the Ehime Maru family members to join the Ehime Maru memorial service, and create a documentary not about the tragedy, but about the friendship between Honolulu and Uwajima. The documentary was for the schools in Ehime, and upon completion, DVDs were given to a large number of schools. This single video became the start of several videos for both the sister city exchange and the promotion of Uwajima.
Washington Post: JET teacher under fire from right-wing for lessons on Japan’s history of discrimination
JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Uncategorized Comments Off on Washington Post: JET teacher under fire from right-wing for lessons on Japan’s history of discrimination
This Washington Post article about Okinawa JET Miki Dezaki (“American teacher in Japan under fire for lessons on Japan’s history of discrimination“) describes how a lesson he taught his students about discrimination that was appreciated by his students and his school has turned into a major controversy and drawn attacks from a right-wing Japanese group called netouyo after Miki posted a video of his lesson online to share with others.
Miki was also the creator of the “Shit Japanese Students Say” video that was posted to JETwit last year along with a JQ interview with him. However, we removed those posts from JETwit last week upon his request as the controversy grew into something much larger than he could have imagined. According to The Japan Daily Press (“American teacher faces controversy, harassment over video teaching Japanese racism“), Dezaki also “gained a modest following over past videos he’s posted like ‘Hitchhiking Okinawa’, ‘What Americans Think of Japan’, and an in-depth look at what it’s like being gay in Japan.”
Here’s the video Miki made about racism which he’s modified slightly to address the criticisms of him:
JQ Magazine Seeks Writers for Spring 2013!
Article/Journalism, Events, JQ Magazine Comments Off on JQ Magazine Seeks Writers for Spring 2013!
Visit JQ magazine online at http://jetaany.org/magazine
As we slide into spring, JETAA New York’s JQ magazine continues to provide content with an ever-expanding array of articles, interviews and features (see our recent stories here). We’re now looking for new writers, including recent returnees and JET vets, from all JETAA chapters worldwide for posting stories via our host at the global JET alumni resource site JETwit.com. (Scribes are also encouraged to join the JET Alumni Writers group on LinkedIn.)
Below are story ideas grouped by JET participants and alumni (JET World) and those more on Japanese culture (Japan World). And if you’re a JET or JETWit contributor from anywhere in the world with a story idea of your own, let us know!
Click “Read More” below for our spring 2013 ideas pitch package, and contact JQ editor Justin Tedaldi (magazine [at] jetaany [dot] org) to sign up for stories.
