JET Symposium to be televised on NHK September 8
Japan Trends, Return on JET-vestment 
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Posted to the JETAANY Facebook group by JET alum Ayelet Fogel (Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi):
“JET Symposium to celebrate 25 years of JET will be televised on NHK in Japan on Thursday 8th of September. Channel BS1 10pm-11pm Japan time. :) – if you can watch it please enjoy! Read about it at http://jetwit.com/wordpress/2011/08/17/jet-programme-25th-anniversary-symposium-to-be-held-by-japanese-government/“
And if you do happen to watch it, please feel free to e-mail a summary or any observations or comments about it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Slate.com series: “Can Japan Recover?”
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There’s an excellent ongoing series on Slate.com titled “Can Japan Recover?” by Daisann McLane as she travels through various areas of Tohoku. McLane is traveling and writing about Japan as a guest of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
“I’m exploring recovering Japan as a guest of the Japan National Tourism Organization. Tourism here dropped through the floor in the first three months after what’s now being called the “Triple Disaster”—earthquake, tsunami, Fukushima. The tourism board was so eager for upbeat stories they offered to send me anywhere I wanted over the course of a week. I emailed them a decidedly non-upbeat itinerary: Sendai, Fukushima, Tokyo. To my surprise, and to their credit, they said no problem. A few weeks later, in July, I was on a Shinkansenspeeding north from Tokyo to Sendai.”
To read more of McLane’s writing about Japan on her travel blog, go to www.therealtravelblog.com.
Embassy of Japan in the UK (September 2011)
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Embassy of Japan in the UK Webmagazine round-up via Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London as is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
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Featured Article:
Japanese FA receive trophy at Wembley to mark 90th year
Other articles this month:
Japan Matsuri 2011
A taste of Japan in Colchester
“Approaches to facilitating effective global participation in action on climate change” A lecture by Professor Hironori Hamanaka
Films at the Embassy of Japan: Children on the Island
“KANPA+i London!” Ikebana, Sake & Food Charity Event
Beyond Words Beyond Borders: Messages to Tohoku
Akari Lantern Project – lantern carriers wanted!
UK-Japan Young Scientist Workshop in Cambridge
Tanabata Festival lifts spirits in Sendai
Reconciliation Service at Canterbury Cathedral
Spotlight On: Lorna Maud
Subscribe:
To subscribe to the Embassy of Japan in the UK webmagazine, please email webmagazine@ld.mofa.go.jp with the subject ‘subscribe’.
Ishinomaki presents Anderson family with certificate of appreciation
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Posted to Facebook by AJET Chair Matt Cook (Osaka), who was in attendance:
“Ishinomaki city’s mayor presents Taylor Anderson’s family with a certificate of appreciation. To say this memorial was moving doesn’t do it justice.”
Asahi Shimbun article on Andy Anderson and his family’s efforts to support Ishinomaki
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, Interview/Profile, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer Comments Off on Asahi Shimbun article on Andy Anderson and his family’s efforts to support Ishinomaki
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Thanks to JET alum Mark Flanagan for sharing this article:
“Taking over a daughter’s dream to bridge Japan and U.S.”
By HIROSHI ITO / Correspondent
September 3, 2011
Andy Anderson never expected he would find himself trying to fill his daughter’s shoes by acting as a bridge between the United States and Japan.
But that all changed after his daughter, Taylor, perished in the massive tsunami spawned by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Anderson, 53, a realtor living in Midlothian, in the suburbs of Richmond in the U.S. state of Virginia, is determined to continue the work that his 24-year-old daughter started.
Taylor had been teaching English to a handful of elementary and junior high schools in Ishinomaki, a coastal city in Miyagi Prefecture that bore the brunt of the tsunami that devastated the Tohoku region.
She has been working as a teaching assistant since August 2008 under the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, a Japanese government initiative known as the JET program. Read More
JQ Magazine: DVD Review — ‘Live from Tokyo’ Explores Music’s Japanification
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"What makes this film so unique is how the visuals compliment the subject matter. The music becomes more visceral when scenes from Tokyo’s fluorescent nightlife are flashing on the screen." (Good Charamel Records)
By Sam Frank, an ALT who taught English in Hiraizumi-Cho, Iwate-ken, from 2002-04 and worked in Shirahama-cho, Wakayama-ken as a JET from 2004-06, for JQ magazine. He currently manages the New York division of UnRated magazine and works as a project manager/Web producer at Arrow Root Media.
When it comes to cultural diversity, Japan has always been a borrower. Their entire writing system, known as kanji, is made up of Chinese characters; the country’s most popular sport is baseball, America’s pastime; and South Korean television dramas get all the top ratings. Japan’s music scene is no different. In Live from Tokyo, American director Lewis Rapkin takes us on a kaleidoscopic journey through Tokyo’s bustling underground music scene. Set within the backdrop of the modern Japanese megalopolis, the film explores Tokyo’s eccentric music culture, and how a combination of global information, media-saturated urban areas, and cutting edge innovation has impacted it.
“Since the 2000s, when the Internet became widely used, the number of people listening to underground music has been growing,” explains Murata, lead singer of the band Kuruucrew, during one of the film’s many fascinating interviews. There are many facets to Japan’s underground music scene, and Rapkin captures them beautifully. Early on in the film we learn how MP3s and digital downloads have altered Japan’s musical landscape. TokyoGigGuide.com’s Craig Eaton describes how you can now “get albums online, whereas in the past you’d have to wait until it came to your country or order it, and wait for it to come in the mail.” With a simple click, you can now access Japanese underground artists such as Shugo Tokumaru, Sexy-Synthesizer, and Sajjanu.
When we’re not learning about the underground scene through band interviews, Rapkin gives us an all-access pass to the bands as they perform on stage. Juxtaposed with time lapses of Shibuya’s nightlife, first person views from train lines, and kaitenzushi conveyor belts, we hear punk rock, J-pop, heavy metal, traditional Japanese music, and various synthesizer-based experiments.
For the complete story, click here.
Job: Reporter/Research Assistant at The Yomiuri Shimbun (NY)
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Via jet alum Olivia Nilsson who will be leaving the position. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Reporter/Research Assistant at The Yomiuri Shimbun (NY)
Job Details:
The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest newspaper, is seeking a Reporter / Research Assistant to work in their New York Bureau. A strong interest in journalism is the most important requirement. Japanese experience is not required.
The Reporter / Research Assistant will assist a Japanese correspondent in preparing articles that will be distributed in Japan. Job duties include doing research, doing interviews, and making transcripts. This is NOT a writing position.
The exact news beat for this reporter has not yet been determined, so please feel free to apply especially if you have an interest / experience in the following areas: business / economic news, political news, the United Nations / world news, sports news, etc.
Salary and benefits are good for an entry-level position. Hours are 9:30am – 6:30pm, with moderate overtime hours possible / probable depending on the news beat. The office is in Midtown East, NYC.
They are looking to hire for this position ASAP.
How to Apply:
Please send a cover letter and resume to Jacob Margolies at jacob.margolies@gmail.com.
If your cover letter and resume are not received by Tuesday, September 6th, your application will probably not be considered.
Job: *Urgent* Bilingual Sales Engineer (SF)
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Via JEMI inc. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Bilingual Sales Engineer (SF)
Job Details:
Other Information:
We also have a number of other job openings:
How to Apply:
If you are interested in and qualify for any of these employment opportunities, please contact us.
Yuko Sakashita 阪下裕子
JEMI, Inc.
925-254-7850 (Office)
415-203-7841 (Mobile)
www.jemi-inc.com
Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (August – September 2011)
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The August – September 2011 issue of the Sake World e-newsletter by JET alum and the leading non-Japanese sake expert in the world, John Gauntner (a.k.a. “The Sake Guy”), is now available online.
Go to John’s Sake World website for more information as well: www.sake-world.com
“A Perspective on Helping Japan Disaster Victims” by ex-JET Jeannie McKinney
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This article titled “A Perspective on Helping Japan Disaster Victims“ recently appeared on the CleanEnergy.org website, written by Jeannie McKinney (Hokkaido, 2010-11) who is currently doing an internship for the Knoxville, TN office of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE).
Link to original post: http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2011/08/30/helping-japan-disaster-victims/
Here’s an excerpt:
“Post-March 11th, the amount of willingness and enthusiasm, good will and generosity that came from abroad as well as at home, was honestly overwhelming. I was living in a small town in Hokkaido, the northernmost island and prefecture of Japan, at the time of the disaster, in an area that experienced nothing but a few tremors and shakes. But somehow, my community of 13,000 generated so many donation packages within the first few weeks after the disaster that our three little post offices had trouble handling the increased mail traffic. Instead, postal workers had to set out collection bins in their lobbies for the Japan Red Cross to come and pick up on their own.”
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“The problem is that there is only so much individuals can do on their own, without any direction or instruction from organized groups – especially without advice from the country’s government. Post-Katrina, the biggest complaints here in the U.S. were the slow reactions of the local and federal government to respond. Though nonprofits and volunteer groups were first on the scene, there was only so much they could do without bureaucratic support.”
“The same can be said for Japan right now, both in disaster areas as well as radiation areas.”
Return to Tohoku: WSJ article on ex-JET’s return
Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: WSJ article on ex-JET’s return
Nice article on the Wall Street Journal’s RealJapan blog titled “JET Calls in Favors in Tohoku“ about ex-JET Tanya Gardecky (Miyagi-ken, Shiogama-shi) and her return to Tohoku through the MOFA program. Follow JETwit updates on Tanya here and follow Tanya’s ongoing blog of her experience here.
Link to the article: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/09/01/jet-calls-in-favors-in-tohoku/
Volunteer: Ex-JET’s “The MUD Project” aids Tohoku
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Just found out about Colin Rennie (CIR Yamagata-ken, 2007-10) who has been running a volunteer project called “The MUD Project“ that has enabled many JETs to volunteer in Tohoku with particular emphasis on Minamisanriku as well as other areas of Miyagi and Iwate.
Lots of good info, photos and updates on the project’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mudproject
Click here for an up to date list of JET-related Disaster Relief Projects.
JET Prefecture Round-Up 09.02.11
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Emily Lemmon, (Hyogo-ken, Shiso-shi, 2009-present), PSG volunteer, organizer of Hyogo-ken’s PEPY Ride, student of Shorinji Kempo, and editor of the Hyogo Times, gives a little taste of what JETs are doing around Japan. To submit items for future JET Prefecture Round-up posts, e-mail Emily at jetinfogather [at] gmail.com.
Events by Region
- The HAJET Eastern Welcome Party will be September 3rd-4th at Saroma Sougou Park.
- The HAJET Northern Welcome Party will be September 10th-11th.
- The HAJET Southwest Welcome Party was August 27th-28th in Shiraoi.
- The HAJET Central Hokkaido Welcome Party was August 20th-21st at Lake Shikotsu. (facebook event)
- The HAJET Sapporo area Welcome Party was August 13th in Sapporo City.
- Akita JET Welcome Party is September 3rd-4th in Yuri Honjo.
- Iwate AJET will be climbing Mt. Iwate on October 8th on the Umagaeshi trail.
- MAJET Bandai Trip is September 17th-19th , a camping adventure at Mount Bandai in Northwest Fukushima.
Kantou Region
- Chiba AJET Welcome Dinner was August 26th at the Pirate’s Kitchen.
- Poker Night in Minakami, September 4th!
- GAJET Canyons trip, September 10th-11th in Minakami.
- Gunma JETs join the football tourney in Nagano on October 1st.
Chubu Region
- Surfing lessons and beach party at Shizunami Beach, September 10th.
- Shizuoka AJET makes an excursion to Fuji-Q Highland on October 15th.
- Shizuoka AJET conducted a Mt. Fuji climb on August 27th.
- September 4th will be the first meeting (Alice in Wonderland) of the Nagano Book Club.
- Matsumoto Conference AfterParty will be September 30th.
- Nagano JETs are going camping October 8th-10th in Kamikouchi.
- Charity Auction Buffet is September 10th at the Peace Street Kitchen.
Kansai Region
- JETs continue their exploration (this time from Kobiro-oji to Hosshinmon-oji) of the Kumano Kodo, or Path of Prayer, on September 11th.
- The Marty Party will be postponed until the 17th of September.
- Ultimate Nara JETs area gearing up for the Akashi Ultimate Frisbee Beach Tournament, taking place on October 2nd in Kobe.
- Nara JETs will make a trip to Hiroshima‘s Sake Festival, October 7th-10th.
- Moon Party is September 11th in Kobe.
- Hyogo JETs are going rafting in Shikoku on October 9th and 10th.
- Osaka JETs Welcome Event (part one) will be September 10th. Part two will be later that evening.
- Osaka Smile Kids Japan group makes its next visit on September 25th.
Chugoku Region
- Bound in Japan comes to Okayama! Workshops will be in Okayama City on September 17th and 18th, in Maniwa September 24th, and in Tsuyama September 25th.
- Beerfest Daisen 2011 will take place at Mt. Daisen in Tottori, featuring craft brews.
- October 1st-2nd is the Niihama Welcome Party, held on the beach in Niihama.
- October 15th Ehime JETs will climb Mt. Ishizuchi, tallest mountain on Shikoku.
- October 22nd is the Matsuyama Orphanage Visit.
- November 12th is the Ehime AJET Dinner in Matsuyama.
- Beer, Sake, Baseball, and BBQ will be September 17th at Hagi Park.
- Kochi JETs will make an excursion to Nahari Hotel Beer Garden on Friday 30th September.
- October 8th-10th is Surf Camp in Kuroshio-cho for Kochi JETs.
- Kochi-JETs are helping with Halloween Party in an abandoned school building on October 28th.
- The AJET beach party will be happening on Saturday, September 3rd at Otachimisaki Koen Beach in Ashikita.
Job: Director of the Language Center (Fukui University)
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Via JET alum Sharon Bignell. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Director of the Language Center (Fukui University)
Job Details:
The University of Fukui, Japan, launched the Language Center in 2011 to provide the students with practice-based foreign language education of high quality and also offer them a variety of opportunities that enable them to think and act from an international perspective. The University is seeking a person who is well qualified to be Director of the Language Center from 2012 and who is able to take a leading role in implementing the goals of the center over the course of the following years.
For more details, go to the following link:
http://www.u-fukui.ac.jp/cont_about/recruit/recruit/a.html
JQ Magazine: JQ&A with JET Alum Mike Maher-King of Smile Kids Japan
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"We are already talking to some universities and some private companies about Smile Kids Japan and soon I hope to have more volunteers than there are JETs in Japan! The JET network and support of AJET is at the very core of what we do."
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.
Mike Maher-King (Fukui-ken, 2006-11), originally from Shoreham-by-Sea, UK (near Brighton) and founder of Smile Kids Japan, which was created with the mission to have every orphanage in Japan visited regularly by a volunteer team in an effort to provide children with mentoring, cultural exchange and a newfound sense of trust.
Having making several Japanese friends while attending Royal Holloway, University of London, Mike eventually traveled to Japan and while there, fell in love with the people, the language, the culture, and most of all…the food! After working for a couple years in the UK, Mike returned to Japan as an ALT and eventually went on to create an organization that would touch the lives of thousands of Japanese children.
Recently, Mike took a few moments away from his hectic schedule to share with us a little about his organization, the emergence of volunteerism in Japan, and the impact the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami have had on his work.
When you first began Smile Kids Japan, did you realize you were introducing the concept of mentoring to the Japanese you were working with?
I didn’t actually realize that there are not as many opportunities for people to volunteer here in Japan as there are in the UK, USA, Canada. etc. until I started looking for a way to volunteer. I think with the cultural senpai-kohai (seniority based relationships) system here in Japan, the idea of mentoring isn’t at all new. However, this application of it is relatively new.
What challenges did you encounter doing volunteer work in Japan, where volunteerism isn’t as popular as it is in countries such as the UK or U.S.?
Setting up the very first meeting took a few months and lots of Japanese bureaucracy skills. But it was definitely worth the prodding! That and the initial 10 minutes of shyness, and walking into a room 1/4 of the size I expected with 10 more kids than we thought would choose to come meant all our planning wasn’t quite right! Further, it was also a little tricky to explain to some of the children’s homes what we wanted to do.
What do you think Smile Kids Japan has done for volunteerism in Japan?
There are so many people who do not realize the need for volunteers until they see it with their own eyes. I think that we are [now] approaching the tipping point. However, it is still a work in progress. We have provided an outlet for many people that want to help but didn’t have a channel for their energy. The [recent] earthquake initially transformed things with a huge amount of people volunteering. It will be interesting to see if this is carried back to people’s towns all around Japan.
