JETAA Chapter Beat 11.8.10
JETAA Chapter Beat, JETAA Chapters 
Comments Off on JETAA Chapter Beat 11.8.10
Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET Alumni community for another edition of JETAA Chapter Beat.
- Nihongo Dake Pot Luck Dinner – Saturday, November 13th at 6:30 in Cerritos, CA. Prepare your favorite dish and brush up on your Japanese for this fun get together.
- Sierra Madre Hike – Friday, November 26th, 8:30 at the trail head of Mt. Wilson Trail. Work off that turkey with a short hike along the Sierra Madre, followed by a causal brunch in town.
- Happy Hour – Friday, November 12th, 6:30 at Wann Izakaya. Relax after a long week with the group at PNWJETAA with a drink and some lively conversation.
- Book Club Meeting – Wednesday, November 10th, 7:00 in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. This month’s selection is “Silence” by Shusaku Endo. Come and contribute to the discussion.
- Ocha-seki Experience – Sunday, November 14th, 12:00 at Cha-An on 9th Street. Learn about the Usasenke style tea ceremony, including making the tea, the history of tea ceremony and handmade wagashi.
- Nihongo Dake Dinner – Tuesday, November 16th, 7:00 at Udon West. Warm up over a hot bowl of Udon and show off those Japanese skills at this month’s Nihongo Dake event.
- Hanami – Sunday, November 14th, 11:00 at Hogben Park in Rockdale. Enjoy a picnic under the cherry blossoms with friends and family this weekend.
- Yukata Workshop/Christmas Party – Saturday, November 27th, 6:00 at the Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay. Get ready for the holidays and warm weather with JETAA Sydney at this fun event, including a charity raffle and prizes.
- JET Returnees Reception – Friday, November 19th, 6:00 at the Official Residence of the Consul General Matsuda. Welcome back the recently returned and get together with fellow alumni over food and sake.
- King Spa Trip – Thursday, November 11th, 1:00 at King Spa. Relive the days of the onsen and get some warmth to prepare for winter with a day at a Korean spa and sauna.
- Nihongo Dake Dinner – Sunday, November 21st, 6:30 in Chicago. Stumble or glide your way through some conversational Japanese with the gang at JETAA Chicago.
- Joshikai – Thursday, November 11th, 6:00 at O! Izakaya in Japantown. This month’s Joshikai, a get together for women with an interest in Japan, will be a fun networking and girl talk event, with a chance to practice some Japanese as well, followed by a screening of a short film at Viz Cinema.
What happened at your chapter’s event? If you attend(ed) any of these exciting events, JetWit would love to hear about them. Just contact Jonathan Trace with any info, stories or comments.
Looking for a job in Tokyo (or Japan)? JETAA Tokyo can help
Career, JETAA Chapters, Jobs, Networking Comments Off on Looking for a job in Tokyo (or Japan)? JETAA Tokyo can help
If you’re looking for work in Tokyo (or even in Japan in general), a good place to start is the JETAA Tokyo website where you can sign up for their monthly digest, including job listings and career support activities.
Here’s the link: www.jetaa-tokyo.org
Have a job listing you want to get out to the JETAA Tokyo community, or a career-related inquiry? Email career@jetaa-tokyo.org.
JET Alumni Travel and Tourism group on LinkedIn
Career, Networking Comments Off on JET Alumni Travel and Tourism group on LinkedIn
Do you work in the travel industry? Run a tour business? Write about travel? Own a business that caters to tourists in Japan or your home country?
Now you can join the “JET Alumni Travel & Tourism“ group on LinkedIn to connect with other JET alumni in the field. Additionally, this group will be a place where opportunities for business can be shared and disseminated.
Here’s the link to join: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3675074
JET Alumni Writers Group on LinkedIn
Writers Comments Off on JET Alumni Writers Group on LinkedIn
There is now a “JET Alumni Writers Group“ on LinkedIn for anyone interested in linking up with fellow JET alum writers, authors, journalists, bloggers and anyone else with an interest in writing.
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3671175
Job: Senior Editor opening, UCLA Amerasia Journal
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Senior Editor opening, UCLA Amerasia Journal
via former JetWit job poster Machiko Yasuda . Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
——————————————————————————————————————
Job Position: Senior Editor for Amerasia Journal, UCLA Asian-American Studies Center
This position is suitable for someone with strong writing, editing and organizational skills.
Job Summary
Requisition Number: 15231
Job Title: EDITOR, SENIOR, SUPERVISOR
Working Title: Senior Editor
Salary: $3463 – $6230 monthly
Job Type: Career
Department Name: 2060-ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES CENTER
Department Website URL: www.aasc.ucla.edu
For more details, and for how to apply, click “Read More”.
Job: Program Staff Member in Arts & Culture, Japan Foundation NY/CGP
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Program Staff Member in Arts & Culture, Japan Foundation NY/CGP
Direct from Japan Foundation in NYC. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
——————————————————————————————————————
Job Position: Program Staff Member in Arts & Culture (Deadline: Nov. 30)
Job Details:
The Japan Foundation New York has an opening for an Associate Program Officer for the Arts & Culture Program. This program promotes the introduction of Japanese culture as well as exchanges between the United States and Japan through various fields of arts and culture.
The deadline for submitting applications is Tuesday, November 30.
http://www.jfny.org/userfiles/file/A%20and%20C%20-%20Job%20Announcement.pdf
Longest Japan Series game in history ends in 15-inning tie
Japan Trends Comments Off on Longest Japan Series game in history ends in 15-inning tie
Were any JET alums at this game?
Here’s the article from the Daily Yomiuri: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20101107dy01.htm
Editor’s Note: Dragons ganbare!
SCBWI-Tokyo Event – Leonard Marcus on Advice from a Legendary Editor
Uncategorized Comments Off on SCBWI-Tokyo Event – Leonard Marcus on Advice from a Legendary Editor
Posted by Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima, ’88-’90):
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators presents
Children’s Literature Scholar Leonard Marcus:
Advice from a Legendary Editor: How Ursula Nordstrom Made Children’s Books That Last
Time: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 10-11:30 a.m.
Place: Tokyo Women’s Plaza, Conference Room 1
5-53-67 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
by the Children’s Castle and United Nations University
For a map see www.scbwi.jp/map.htm
Fee: 1,000 yen SCBWI members; 1,500 yen nonmembers
Reservations are recommended: E-mail info@scbwi.jp by Friday November 26, 2010
This event will be in English.
This illustrated presentation will give an inside look at the path-finding work of Ursula Nordstrom, Harper’s visionary editor of children’s books. The focus is on the hands-on creation of such well-loved classics as Goodnight Moon, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Charlotte’s Web, Where the Wild Things Are, and Harriet the Spy; on Nordstrom’s thoughts about children and their books; and on the valuable lessons that writers and illustrators of today can learn from her inspired approach to publishing. Q&A will follow the talk, and participants are welcome to bring copies of books for signing.
Leonard Marcus is a distinguished children’s literature scholar who is also an award-winning writer for kids. His books include Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom; Golden Legacy; Minders of Make-Believe; and, most recently, Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy. Leonard is a frequent contributor to the New York Times and other publications and writes a regular column on picture books for The Horn Book. He has served as a judge of the Ragazzi Prize, the National Book Award, and on numerous other prize committees. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit his website: www.leonardmarcus.com and read an interview with Leonard Marcus: www.scbwibologna.org/presenters/interviews/leonard-marcus.php
www.scbwi.jp info@scbwi.jp
JET alum Foster Klug named AP News Editor in Seoul
Article/Journalism, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Writers Comments Off on JET alum Foster Klug named AP News Editor in Seoul
Thanks to Nagasaki-ken JET alum Christy Jones for passing along this item from the New York Times about fellow Nagasaki JET alum Foster Klug:
According to the article in the New York Times:
Foster Klug, a reporter who has covered U.S.-Asia relations for The Associated Press in Washington, has been named the AP’s news editor in Seoul, South Korea.
…….
Klug was the first U.S.-Asian affairs reporter on AP’s North America Desk, which is responsible for U.S. news coverage targeted for audiences outside the United States. He has written on an array of issues, including U.S. sanctions against North Korea, Washington’s currency dispute with China and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
…….
Previously, he lived for three years in rural Nagasaki, Japan, where he taught English and coached basketball at a junior high school. He is a graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
Here’s the link to the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/11/05/us/AP-US-AP-Appointments.html?hp
Jobs: Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (Tokyo)
Jobs Comments Off on Jobs: Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (Tokyo)
Request received directly from Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (Tokyo) (where notably a number of JET alums work or have worked):
Steven:
Thanks very much for your offer to help me spread the word about opportunities in The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires Tokyo bureau.
At a time when other American media are cutting back in Japan, we’re expanding. We’ve created a new Japanese language website and a new Japan RealTime blog. We’ve got a number of openings, due both to newly created positions and to vacancies. I’m biased, of course, but I think this is a uniquely incredible chance for anybody interested in Japan journalism.
We’ve recently integrated The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires bureaus here, so everybody works for both. Everyone writes for the paper, WSJ.com, and the wires. Our openings span a wide range of experience levels and subjects. We’re looking for managers, reporters, and desk editors for beats ranging from policy to markets to finance. The main criterion we have is a very strong preference for people who can report — do interviews, attend press conferences, read documents — in Japanese. That’s why I’m tapping into your network. We’ve had great success with JET alums who can work in Japanese at the highest levels.
Anybody who’s interested in finding out more can contact me at: jacob.schlesinger@wsj.com. Also, below are some specific listings, with online application links.
Best,
Japan Editor, The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires.
Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Tokyo finance reporter:
This reporter will cover finance, M&A, and broader capital market trends in one of the world’s leading economies for WSJ. The ideal candidate will have a proven track-record of scoops. Japanese fluency preferred. The Journal Tokyo bureau is integrated with Dow Jones Newswires, and this reporter will work closely with the DJN team, filing in real-time for wires and the web, as well as for the paper.
Application link: https://newscorp.taleo.net/careersection/djexternal/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=000101957
Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal Tokyo economy/economic policy reporter:
This reporter will join our economics team, covering economic reports, and fiscal and monetary policy. The ideal candidate will have some background and knowledge of the subject and some journalism experience. Japanese fluency preferred. The job will involve the full spectrum of news reporting: flashing headlines and filing stories in real-time for Newswires and WSJ.com, as well as writing news and feature stories for the newspaper.
Application link: https://newscorp.taleo.net/careersection/djexternal/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=000102065
Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal Tokyo markets reporter
This reporter will write about all aspects of the Tokyo shares market, including blue chips and companies in the news, derivatives, and the Nikkei 225 Stock Average. The main responsibility will be giving investment professionals real-time, comprehensive intelligence on the Tokyo stock market, via Market Talk. One of Newswires’ most popular services, Market Talk provides readers with a constant stream of short, analytical items on newsworthy market events–the stock reporter can expect to do several of these items an hour while the exchange is open. This person will also write longer stories on key market developments and trends. Many of the reporter’s stories will be published online at WSJ.com and by the Wall Street Journal. Experience with financial journalism, and specific experience covering markets preferred. Knowledge of Japanese is essential.
Application link:https://newscorp.taleo.net/careersection/djexternal/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=000102356
Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal Tokyo deputy bureau chief, money/policy:
As deputy Tokyo bureau chief for money/policy in the integrated DJN/WSJ office, this person will run coverage of the Japanese economy and economic policy, managing a group of reporters following the Bank of Japan, the Ministry of Finance, the Prime Minister’s office, and the Diet. S/he will craft ideas and edit/file stories, from flashing headlines and real-time fills for Newswires and WSJ.com, to handling news and feature stories for the newspaper. We’re looking in particular for a candidate with a proven track record of breaking market-moving news and analysis in these crucial areas. This manager will also be responsible for mentoring the team, helping develop further their reporting and writing skills. Japanese fluency strongly preferred.
Application link: https://newscorp.taleo.net/careersection/djexternal/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=000101681
Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal Tokyo copy editor:
The Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal Tokyo bureau is seeking a copy editor to join our news desk. The ideal candidate will have the right mix of experience in the field of journalism, knowledge of financial markets, and Japanese language ability. More importantly, we’re looking for someone who has a keen attention to detail, a knack for tracking down the top news of the day, and skill at multitasking. We’d like an editor who can turn an ordinary news article into the extraordinary on an extremely tight deadline. This position would be perfect for an experienced veteran or someone looking to gain a foothold in the fast-paced world of financial journalism.
Application link: https://newscorp.taleo.net/careersection/djexternal/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=000102135
#####
WIT Life #135: Marathon mania
Events, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #135: Marathon mania
WITLife 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.
We are in the heart of marathon season, a favorite time of year for runners such as myself. I have to admit that I love the sport enough to attempt to do two marathons in a row, the Marine Corps Marathon in DC last weekend and the NYC Marathon this weekend. It will be a first but hopefully my body is up to the challenge!
The running culture has always been huge in Japan, and with the establishment of the Tokyo Marathon in 2007 the number of runners further swelled. Although I have gotten into the marathon every year since its start (and run all but one), most of my Japanese friends Read More
Hokkaido JET Annual Musical Production Tradition Continues
Article/Journalism, Music, Writers Comments Off on Hokkaido JET Annual Musical Production Tradition Continues
Snow, Sea and Song
Hokkaido’s hills are alive with the sound of music, thanks to the efforts of its ALTs
By Caroline Cronshaw (Hokkaido, 2006-09) – Caroline is an amateur illustrator and instructor at the University New Brunswick in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. She has painted and designed posters for the HAJET Hokkaido Players’ productions for the past four years, and is currently working 2011’s poster as of this article. Her work can be seen at http://carrie-ko.deviantart.com.
Whether they choose to go to Hokkaido or not, several hundred new JET participants, some of whom have never seen a snowflake before in their lives, come to live on the northernmost island in the Japanese archipelago each year.
Hokkaido, with its vast tracts of wilderness and ghostly former coal mining towns, can cause even the most steadfast and Canadian of JETs to surrender to homesickness and cabin fever during its long and snowy winters. It’s those same cold and white expanses that probably inspired the Ainu peoples to come up with place names like Shiretoko – ‘the ends of the earth’. Indeed, it’s not easy being a homesick alien living in a half-buried BOE-owned hut in midwinter.
Thankfully, however, the ALTs of Hokkaido have come up with an unusual cure for the winter blues: musical theatre.
Since the mid-1990s, denizens of many Hokkaido communities have been witness to a mysterious caravan of vans and cars rumbling into town on a Friday night and parking in front of a local community centre or temple. These vehicles, laden with wooden planks and props, belong to none other than the members of the HAJET Hokkaido Players, an amateur theatre troupe comprised of JET participants from across the island. While some members do have experience in acting or stage production, there is no requirement except dedication and the desire to help bring international understanding to the people of Hokkaido. The troupe is partly administered by HAJET, the Hokkaido AJET chapter, and is entirely non-profit. If there is money left over or gained from performances, most of it is used to sponsor the Hokkaido English Challenge, an annual non-profit English-language summer camp program also organized by HAJET. The rest of the profit is saved for next year’s show.
Among the various Broadway staples the HAJET Hokkaido Players have performed are such familiar titles as West Side Story, Annie, Peter Pan, Oklahoma!, and Guys and Dolls. They also on occasion perform original works, such as 2009’s Alice in Japan, originally written by ALTs in Niigata. This year’s production will be an original play based on The Jungle Book (the Kipling novel, not the Disney adaptation). According to the Players’ current director, Melissa Golden, the production will incorporate elements of Bollywood cinema and traditional Indian costume, as well as make use of Lion King-style animal masks.
The Players start planning their productions early in the year, around the end of August when the newbies first arrive from overseas. Recruitment is usually done around early to mid September during the various welcome parties (with an island that big, you’d need to have several parties), and the first rehearsal is typically scheduled for later in the month or in early October. From that point onward, it’s full speed ahead, and anyone who can’t commit will be left in the dust. Despite the subject, it’s serious business.
Depending on the show and the wishes of the director, the English script is augmented with either lines in Japanese, framed scene-by-scene with Japanese narration, or both. This is to help audience members without English proficiency or previous knowledge of the play to understand what is going on. The Players also do their research in more pop culture-related subjects Read More
JET ROI: JET alum op-ed in Asahi Shimbun – The JET Program is a ‘triumph of soft power’
Article/Journalism, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on JET ROI: JET alum op-ed in Asahi Shimbun – The JET Program is a ‘triumph of soft power’
Jim Gannon
The below op-ed titled “POINT OF VIEW: The JET Program is a ‘triumph of soft power’” appeared in the November 5, 2010 edition of the Asahi Shimbun. It was written by three JET alumni with expertise in Japan-U.S. policy and relations:
- James Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) – Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA) and author of the “Chopping Block” article.
- Michael Auslin – Director of Japan Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.
- Paige Cottingham-Streater – Deputy Executive Director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation.
(Here’s the link for the original article on the Asahi Shimbun website: http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201011040234.html)
POINT OF VIEW: The JET Program is a ‘triumph of soft power’
Michael Auslin
In its 23 years, the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program has brought more than 50,000 young foreigners to Japan, including over 25,000 Americans, to teach in the school system as well as to support international exchange activities.
Each of us grew to know Japan through our participation in the JET Program, and this experience has changed the direction of our careers and enriched our lives.
In fact, the JET Program has touched the lives of so many people who might otherwise not be exposed to Japanese society that it is regarded by many outside of Japan as the most successful public diplomacy initiative in the world over the last several decades.
Paige Cottingham-Streater
Therefore, we were especially dismayed to learn that it has been criticized in the last round of the budget screening process.
Since it was launched at the height of Japan-bashing in the late 1980s, the JET Program has produced an extraordinary legacy.
On the one hand, we would like to think that it has been beneficial for Japanese students and communities. We have heard many stories about how students’ personal interactions in the classroom with JET participants have made English into a “living language” for them and helped motivate them to use English for communication rather than just as an exam topic.
We get the sense that, in our globalizing world, even students who never mastered English have benefited from their interactions with JET participants from countries they may never have thought much about before.
The JET Program’s least recognized contribution, however, may be its most important. This is the remarkable success it has had as a public diplomacy program. By exposing thousands of young professionals to Japanese society, it has built up deep person-to-person ties between Japanese people and an entire generation of non-Japanese from around the world.
In our country, the United States, the impact of this program on U.S.-Japan relations is quite extraordinary. It is no exaggeration to say that it has become an important pillar of the bilateral relationship.
As they grow older, former JET participants have started to take important posts in government, business, and civil society, bringing their personal networks and a deep appreciation of the importance of strong U.S.-Japan relations to their everyday work.
In the U.S. government, for example, JET participants have worked on the frontlines of U.S.-Asia relations in the White House, the State Department and other agencies. Two JET alumni even ran for the U.S. Congress–Rob Cornilles, who ran on the Republican ticket in Oregon, and Dan Seals, a Democrat from Illinois.
Similarly, when one looks at the emerging generation of Japan experts in American academic circles and think tanks, it appears that the majority are graduates of the JET Program, many of whom may have otherwise taken a very different direction in their studies and careers.
This is true of the grassroots organizations that sustain U.S.-Japan relations, too. At least 4 of the 40 Japan-America Societies in the United States are headed by former JET participants.
In evaluating the contributions of the JET Program, it is important to keep in mind the role it is playing in strengthening the foundations of Japan’s engagement with the rest of the world and the world’s engagement with Japan. People who are immersed in Japanese communities tend to develop a lifelong connection to Japan, and we are just starting to reap the rewards of this far-sighted program.
In our rapidly changing world, where it is critical for countries to project an active global presence and where a robust U.S.-Japan partnership on a wide range of issues has become even more important, the connections built by the JET Program are an invaluable asset.
The JET Program has been a triumph of soft power. We are so grateful for the opportunity that has given us and believe that continuing the JET Program–and further strengthening it–is important for Japan and all of its friends around the world.
JETAA Sydney Spring 2010 Newsletter “JET Journeys”
JETAA Chapters, Writers Comments Off on JETAA Sydney Spring 2010 Newsletter “JET Journeys”
This just in from JETAA Sydney:
“The Spring 2010 edition of JET Journeys is hot off the press! You can read all about what’s been going on with JETAA in Sydney and internationally, and what is coming up in the next few months. CLICK HERE to download the newsletter (PDF).” (http://sydneyjetaa.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=074f1003f7e0dbeb3de9861cc&id=847c5766bb&e=876d85e269)
FoxHound87: Now is the Fall of My Discontent…
Uncategorized Comments Off on FoxHound87: Now is the Fall of My Discontent…
Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
I am a Floridian. Last winter, in my hometown, the temperature dipped below 32 for 14 days straight. This was a record. However, following this freak cold snap, the temperature returned to normalcy (normalcy = a bit nippy).
Japan is known (and proud) of their 4 distinct seasons. Summers are hot, Fall and Spring are pleasant, and Winter is cold. As Fall continues, the temperature gets lower and lower. Japan doesn’t get cold fronts like Florida. It just gets cold. I am slowly coping with the idea that my legs will be imprisoned in long pants until April or May.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
