Japan Society (NY) Event: Local Economic Recovery: Firsthand Accounts from Tohoku
Earthquake Tsunami, Events, Japan Society Round-up 
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Thanks to Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA), for sharing this Japan Society event with which JCIE is involved.
Local Economic Recovery: Firsthand Accounts from Tohoku
LECTURE: Local Economic Recovery: Firsthand Accounts from Tohoku
Monday, September 17, 6:30 PM
SYNOPSIS
The world’s eyes were on Kamaishi City in Iwate Prefecture a year and a half ago when a large portion of the city was devastated by the March 2011 tsunami. A number of small and mid-sized businesses—the lifeblood of the region—have taken innovative, entrepreneurial approaches that have yielded initial successes in revitalizing the local economy. Local leaders, Akiko Iwasaki, Owner, Horaikan ryokan, Akio Ono, President, Ono Foods Co., Ltd, and Takahiro Sasa, Deputy Manager, Industry Promotion Department, Kamaishi, as well as Takeo Kikkawa, an energy expert and Professor, Graduate School of Commerce and Management, Hitotsubashi University, will give firsthand accounts of how they have restarted their businesses against formidable odds and the challenges that continued to confront their community and others like it throughout the disaster zone.Followed by a reception.
TICKETS
$12/$8 Japan Society members, seniors & students
Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm.
Justin’s Japan: Interview with Tak Matsumoto and Koshi Inaba of B’z on the Live-Gym 2012 Tour
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Tak Matsumoto, left: “This tour is going to be the fourth tour in the U.S. for B’z. I always love to play in the U.S., and I felt we should release English songs for the American audiences. The show will be a mix of both Japanese and English.” (Vermillion)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
The most successful group in Japanese history, B’z have sold 80 million records since their 1988 debut, and also have released a staggering 46 consecutive number one singles. Comprised of Grammy-winning guitarist Tak Matsumoto and ace vocalist Koshi Inaba, the rock duo has flirted with American success in the past, launching three of their Live-Gym West Coast tours in the last decade.
Now, B’z is ready for a full-scale American invasion, launching their first-ever national tour beginning in San Francisco Sept. 17 and hitting New York’s Best Buy Theater Sept. 30. At the same time, the band is promoting its debut English-language digital EP entitled B’z, which features five of the stadium act’s biggest hits made for a whole new audience.
In this exclusive interview, I caught up with Tak and Koshi on why the band waited until now to do a coast-to-coast tour, their experience working with other rock luminaries like Aerosmith and Linkin Park, and the plans in motion for the band’s 25th anniversary next year.
Let’s start with the basics. How did the band get its name?
Tak: I don’t remember exactly. We probably thought we needed to have a simple name that was easy to memorize.
Koshi: We wanted a short name—like a code. At first, it was AZ, which came from an A to Z kind of meaning, but we didn’t like how it was pronounced. Then we changed it to B to Z, and liked how it sounded.
Why has B’z decided to finally play New York now?
Tak: I don’t know exactly why it took so long, but I’ve been waiting to perform there. I’m really looking forward to it.
Koshi: When we started performing in the U.S., most of our dates were on the West Coast. We weren’t familiar enough with New York to have a show there.
Tell us about the other musicians you’re performing with on this tour.
Tak: Takanobu Masuda is on keyboards. He’s my old friend, and has been performing with B’z for 20 years. Shane Gaalaas is on drums. He’s played with Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen and many others. He also has his own band, Cosmosquad. Barry Sparks is on bass. He also played with Michael and Yngwie, along with Ted Nugent, UFO and the Scorpions as well. Yoshinobu Ohga is on guitar. He was on our last tour of the U.S. I’m supported by his perfect harmony.
Koshi: Ohga joined last year. Everyone else has been touring with B’z for a long time, and they’re all great.
What can we look forward to at these shows?
Tak: We are going to the East Coast for the first time, but this tour is going to be the fourth tour in the U.S. for B’z. I always love to play in the U.S., and I felt we should release English songs for the American audiences. The show will be a mix of both Japanese and English.
Koshi: We’re looking forward to the U.S. audience hearing our new English songs. You might sweat a lot at our show, but you’ll enjoy it!
Is this new EP part of a plan to release a full English-language album in the future?
Tak: I hope so.
For the complete interview, click here.
WIT Life #214: 温泉！
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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 together with her own observations.
Hello from Japan! Thanks to a last-minute interpreting assignment last week, I have the opportunity to spend some time in Tokyo during a time of the year when I’m not usually here. My annual 来日 (rainichi or coming to Japan) typically takes place in February in accordance with my participation in the Tokyo Marathon, so I was excited to have the chance to experience a different season this time around. And of course what would a trip to Japan be without visits to multiple onsens? This time around I headed north of Tokyo to the nature-blessed areas of Kamikochi and Karuizawa
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Both cities are located in Nagano Prefecture, and the more northern Kamikochi has beautiful lakes and hiking paths. Karuizawa is known as a resort area where people go to beat the summer heat, and though the hiking paths were a bit more deserted there were tourists a plenty looking at the famous waterfalls and biking through the main shopping areas. Our Kamikochi ryokan had an indoor onsen as well as a cool outdoor cave onsen (pictured here), and in Karuizawa I enjoyed Read More
Kagura Tours the East Coast; Some Memories of Kagura in Japan
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Posted by JETAA Northern California’s Mark Frey (Kumamoto, 2002-06):
For those of you on the East Coast of the U.S., there will be rare Kagura dance performances at the end of October and beginning of November. If you are in the vicinity, I highly recommend you go to see it:
http://www.japansociety.org/event/kuromori-kagura-folk-music-dance-from-tohoku. As you may know, Kagura is an extremely old shinto ritual dance that relates the stories of ancient Japanese mythology. The stories are told through a series of dances with colorful masks and costumes. The dance cycles are long and performed in full can last 20+ hours. The cycle often culminates in the Japanese Ur-story of how by means of a wild and raucous dance the gods lured the Sun Goddess Amaterasu out of her cave in order to return sunlight to the universe.The overall atmosphere of Kagura on and off stage is one of alternating solemnity, spectacle, and shared mirth, overall an entertaining and life-affirming ritual experience. The music, which is very percussive and uses repetitive pattens, quickly becomes hypnotic, at times lulling you into a kind of trance.
JQ Magazine: JQ&A with Paige Cottingham-Streater, Executive Director of the Japan U.S.-Friendship Commission
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“It’s impressive to see not only the countries and communities from which JET alumni herald, but also the ways in which they contribute to the program during and after their involvement. The Japanese government should certainly be pleased with the return on its investment in introducing so many people to Japan.” (Courtesy of JUSFC)
By Renay Loper (Iwate-ken, 2006-07) for JQ magazine. Renay is a freelance writer and associate program officer at the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. Visit her blog at Atlas in Her Hand.
Paige Cottingham-Streater (Mie-ken, 1988-89) is a co-founder of the JET Alumni Association and executive director of both the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC), a federal agency that provides grants for research, training and exchange with Japan, and the United States-Japan Conference on Cultural Interchange (CULCON), a binational advisory panel to the U.S. and Japanese governments
Cottingham-Streater previously served as deputy executive director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, where she worked for 16 years. In 2004, she received the Japan Foreign Minister’s Commendation in recognition of her longstanding work to strengthen U.S.-Japan relations. The award commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Amity between Japan and the United States.
A regular on the U.S.-Japan relations conference circuit in the United States and abroad, Cottingham-Streater spoke with JQ recently to discuss her rich career, advice for today’s JETs, and thoughts about the future between America and Japan.
What initially sparked your interest in Japan?
My father served in the Korean War and spent time in Japan, so I was initially introduced through his recollections of the history and phrases he learned. In 1970, I was an elementary school student and Japan was hosting the World Exposition in Osaka, so my family traveled [there] to attend the expo and experience Japanese culture. As a young person, I was interested in the similarities and differences between Japan and the U.S. We arrived in Tokyo and saw department stores and familiar automobiles, but there were distinct and subtle differences, such as language spoken and [the] size of automobiles. I returned home wanting to learn more, so in high school I took an Asian Studies class. As a freshman in college, I took another Asian studies class and then more Japanese studies classes [ultimately leading to a] double major in Asian Studies and Government, with the goal of becoming a lawyer who could build a career involving Japan.
JETAA began in 1989. What was your personal motivation for creating the organization?
I’d had a wonderful and rewarding year in Japan that I didn’t want to end completely when I returned to the U.S. I also wanted to find some small way to repay the generosity I had received from the community and country that hosted me. Before departing Japan, several of us who were not renewing met to explore ways in which we could stay connected with each other and support the program by recruiting others and sharing information about Japan. There were a handful of us who were returning to different parts of the United States so we decided Washington, D.C. should be the central focus. When I returned to D.C., I contacted the Japanese embassy about the possibility of working with them as well as the JET office to hold meetings and build a mailing list.
How many other people did you co-found it with?
I found four others in Washington, D.C. who had also recently returned. California, New York, and Philadelphia quickly grew shortly thereafter.
Where would you like to see JETAA go?
I’d like to see JETAA build an infrastructure and organize itself in a way that allows the organization to operate as a single entity, with chapters serving the unique needs of local communities in the U.S. and overseas.
I’ll Make It Myself!: “Roasted Autumn Salad with Quinoa (or Rice)”
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L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Travel (formerly The Art of Japan: Kanazawa & Discover Kanazawa), ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan, and curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to L.M at jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Typhoon season has brought the temperature down from the endless blazing days of August, one of the few times of year when Ishikawa isn’t rainy. Because of Mt. Hakusan, the typhoons that slam into west of Japan dissipate into thundershowers over Kanazawa, a sign that fall is near. With all the squash at the market and the slight drop in the heat, I’ve been on a roasting kick lately. Unlike in the winter, when I warm the apartment cooking dinner and hide out in the kitchen area for most of the night, roasting in late summer and not using the AC just means I go hide out in a different room with the fan.
This salad has some of the best of autumn’s flavors and is reminiscent of stuffing but is vegan and gluten free. Apples and kabocha squash roasted with chestnuts and tossed with quinoa (or rice) and sauteed onions and garlic. Simple as that. Because the dish is naturally on the sweet side and enhanced with cinnamon, it would made an excellent side dish in the style of sweet Southern-style side dishes like pineapple stuffing or creamed corn to a savory entree. As an entree, you could serve this chilled on a bed of fresh greens or with some savory sides to balance out your meal.
Click HERE to read more.
Time to Vote! Chicago JETAA “Daily Life in Japan” Photo Contest 2012
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Chicago JETAA “Daily Life in Japan” Photo Contest 2012
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD – CAST YOUR VOTE!!!
http://jetaachicago.com/contest/vote.html
Pick your favorite photos, one from each of the six categories. A big thanks to all our participants so far who have submitted photos! ELIGIBILITY: Anyone with a valid email address is welcome to cast a vote. JETs and non-JETs alike are encouraged to participate. One voting session per person is allowed. Voting ends Sept 19th!!
Job: Science Researcher at the Embassy of Japan – (DC)
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Via JETAA DC. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97).
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Position: Science Researcher
Posted by: Embassy of Japan
Type: Full-time
Location: DC
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
Overview:
The Embassy of Japan is seeking an individual for the position of Science Researcher. The Embassy offers group health insurance coverage, paid vacation and sick leave. Salary is commensurate with experience.
Candidate must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. Green Card holder. Read More
Job: Postings from Idealist.org 9.6.12
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Via Idealist.org. Posted by Geneva Marie (Niigata-ken 2008-09) Geneva is a contributor to both JETwit and JETAANY. Geneva is on a continuous (epic) search for Japanese-related jobs in the United States. Hire me! :-)
Country Representative
Posted by: The Asia Foundation
Type: Full-time
Location: San Francisco, CA
Salary: DOE
Application Deadline: September 12, 2012
The Asia Foundation is seeking a Country Representative to work in its Colombo, Sri Lanka office. minimum of ten years of progressively responsible professional experience, or the equivalent, in international development in Asia with private, public, bi-lateral, or multi-lateral development institutions and non-profit organizations required. Master’s degree, or earned doctorate in a field related to foundation interests also required. Living and working experience in Asia highly preferred.
http://www.idealist.org/view/job/3522MfZDhwnH4/
Enrollment Advisor – Study Abroad Sales
Posted by: Terra Education
Type: Full-time
Location: San Diego, CA
Salary: 30,000-50,000 annually
Application Deadline: September 23, 2012
Terra Education is seeking a candidate with study abroad and direct sales experience to work as an Enrollment Advisor in their San Diego office. Some international travel required. Experience with a CRM such as Salesforce.com or ACT is a plus.
http://www.idealist.org/view/job/mfDXTgz3Xh8d/
Job: NYU Law school – Senior Placement Assistant (NYC)
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Thanks to JET alum Clara Solomon who works for NYU law school for sharing this opening. You can contact her at clarasolomon@earthlink.net if you have any questions. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97).
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Position: Senior Placement Assistant
Posted by: NYU School of Law
Type: Full-time
Location: New York
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
Overview:
The Senior Placement Assistant in the Office of Career Services at NYU School of Law will:
1. Coordinate all aspects of on and off campus interview programs with employers: invitations, scheduling (with all relevant adjustments to
schedule), correspondence, facilities set-up, greeting, billing, budgeting, and response to inquiries.
2. Coordinate all communication regarding on and off campus interview opportunities with students: announcements, response to inquiries,
follow-up.
3. Prepare all employer background reports for career services and development staff which include recruiting statistics, on campus participation
in events, student critiques. Survey students to support employer reports. Take notes for all employer meetings held on-campus, distribute to
administrators and maintain report files. Read More
Job: Japanese Instructor at Miami Dade College
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Via JETAA Florida. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97).
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Position: Japanese Instructor
Posted by: Miami Dade College
Type: N/A
Location: Miami , FL
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
Overview:
The North Campus of Miami Dade College is looking for a Japanese instructor. While ideally they would like to begin offering Japanese courses this term, it may not be possible until the winter or summer term, depending upon when they are able to procure both a teacher and the necessary space.
To meet state qualification standards, an applicant must have a Master’s degree in Japanese language or a Master’s degree in a related field with at least 18 graduate credits of Japanese language study.
Interested parties should send a resume to Walter Kozloski at wkozlosk@mdc.edu. There is no deadline to apply; resumes will be accepted until position is filled.
http://www.floridajetaa.org/2012/09/04/job-opening-miami-dade-college-north-campus/
Job: Embassy of Japan – Administrative Assistant (DC)
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Via JETAA DC. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97).
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Position: – Administrative Assistant
Posted by: Embassy of Japan
Type: Full-time
Location: Washington, DC
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
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.
Candidate must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. Green Card holder. Read More
I’ll Make It Myself!: “Oatmeal Sandwich Bread (Bread Revolution Series)”
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L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Travel (formerly The Art of Japan: Kanazawa & Discover Kanazawa), ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan, and curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to L.M. at jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Can we just take a minute to fist-pump here?
I’ve made sandwiches on bagels and sandwiches in pitas, but how about sandwiches on bread?
Click HERE to read more.
JETAA Ottawa’s 8th Annual Summer Festival/Natsu Matsuri
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*******Via jetaaottawa.ca By Lisa Mallin (Former CIR in Chiba-ken) for the JETAA Ottawa Newsletter
Blessed with perfect weather, JETAA Ottawa’s 8th Annual Japanese Summer Festival attracted hundreds of participants from across the National Capital Region on Saturday, August 18, 2012, at Vincent Massey Park. The day was packed full of Japanese cultural demonstrations, intercultural experiences, and 500+ JETAA dogs!
Mr. Yasir Naqvi, MPP for Ottawa Centre, offered words of support for Japan’s swift recovery from the March 2011 disasters while Japanese Ambassador Kaoru Ishikawa officially kicked off the day’s events by thanking Canadians for their compassion and continued engagement.
Oto wa Taiko attracted people from all corners of the park to listen to their powerful drumming and watch their well-choreographed moves. Tateyama Dojo introduced ancient martial arts of Japan through their lively kendo, iaido and jodo demonstrations. Ottawa newcomer Ryoko Itabashi brought traditional tones to the crowd with each note by playing her shamisen (a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument). Jordan Lincez, a JET Programme alumnus, won over the crowd with his musical collaboration featuring special guest Hitomi Iwase. For the first time, Ottawa was treated to a taste of Montreal-Japanese fusion with Japanese Folk Dance Group Komachi Montreal’s beautiful performances.
Throughout the day, community partners and volunteers provided great activities such as children’s face painting, calligraphy, and bonsai to introduce different aspects of Japanese culture and tradition. To top it off, JETAA Ottawa gave out more than 500 hot dogs over the course of the festival. (For the curious: Link to JETAA dog toppings recipes).
JETAA Ottawa’s Japanese Summer Festival is the largest Japanese festival in the National Capital Region. We have grown from a small alumni event to an inclusive Japanese arts and culture celebration. We are grateful to all of the participants, volunteers, performers, community partners, local Japanese communities and the Council of Local Authorities and International Relations for making the day’s events possible.
I’ll Make It Myself!: “Kitchen Library – 8.28.2012”
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: “Kitchen Library – 8.28.2012”
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Travel (formerly The Art of Japan: Kanazawa & Discover Kanazawa), ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan, and curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Who wants to go behind the scenes of I’ll Make It Myself?
Not everything I do culinarily makes it to the pages of this blog. Some recipes require a special trip to the cheese counter of a department store–seems a bit unfair for my readers in rural Japan, and trust me, I have been there. Some articles are interesting but don’t merit a full rant–er, analysis.
Click HERE to read more.
