JETAA‎‎‎‏‏‎​ Podcast Beat is a weekly round-up of current JET and JET alumni podcasts and podcast appearances compiled by Emmalee Manes (Toyama-ken, 2016-19)

Do you have a podcast or did you recently appear in a podcast? Help us share it with the community by filling out this form.

Welcome to the JETAA Podcast Beat! I hope the beat will be a great way for everyone to stay updated on JET alumni as well as current JET involvement in podcasts. If you have the chance, please enjoy listening to one of these recent episodes this week!

Tokyo「東京」with Lilly!

Emmalee and Lilly (Toyama-ken, 2015-18) talk about life in Tokyo during the pandemic, their favorite Tokyo neighborhoods, and ways that Nashville and Tokyo are similar.

インスタ: @yoppareikaiwa

S02E20 – Instinctual Nattō and Introversion

On the final episode this season, I talk about the importance of celebrating your little victories as you study a language. And in Japanese, I think about how to balance introversion and extroversion as you’re studying. Listen until the end – I provide a short update on one of the episodes from Season 1.

Feel free to reach out with any questions or 悩み事 to howtojapanese@gmail.com.

You can also follow How to Japanese on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

How Legal Events are Evolving

I spoke with Nehal Madhani, the founder and CEO of Alt Legal, a company that provides trademark docketing software. We discussed the challenges that Alt Legal helps trademark professionals address, its 2021 Alt Legal Connect virtual conference, what attendees can expect, and how events are evolving.

Posted by Tom Baker

In non-pandemic years, the Japan Writers Conference is held on an autumn weekend at a university somewhere in Japan. This year it is being held online (Oct. 15-17), which means you can participate no matter where in the world you are.

At least nine JETs (including classic-edition MEFs) will be among the published writers giving presentations on how to write well – and how to sell your work. These include memoirist Joe Palermo, poet Michael Frazier, poet and picture book author Holly Thompson, textbook author Todd Jay Leonard, and travel consultant Joy Jarman-Walsh. More JET alums are mentioned in the (slightly JET-edited) official press release below:

Published writers to share how they did it

TOKYO (Sept. 14, 2021) – The Japan Writers Conference has announced a lineup of more than 30 presentations by published writers in a variety of fields, from food writing to screenwriting and from to novels to haiku, for its 15th annual event on Oct. 15-17.

Due to the pandemic, this year’s conference will be held online, with Zoom details to be made available at http://japanwritersconference.org/email-updates/. As always, it will be a free, interactive event open to all who are interested in the art, craft and business of writing.

Poetry, memoir, fiction and publishing will be major themes. Tokyo Poetry Journal associate editor Zoria Petkoska will discuss how technology enables “cyber poetry,” while noted haikuist Michael Dylan Welch will look into the past to examine the use of place names. Karen Hill Anton and Lianne Wakabayashi will discuss crafting their Japan-related memoirs. Novelist and JET Joanne Anderton will explore mixing autobiography into speculative fiction, while novelists Charles Kowalski (another JET) and Michael Pronko will speak about creating characters. Multiple writers will share tips on both traditional publishing and self-publishing.

Astrophysicist and author Elizabeth Tasker will participate in a panel discussion on “Social Media for Writers,” while young adult novelist Sara Fujimura will join a panel on “Writing Identity.” Prominent multi-genre author – and JET – Suzanne Kamata will be part of both panels.

For more variety, journalist Melinda Joe will serve up the basics of food writing, photographer Edward Levinson will discuss finding inspiration in nature, filmmaker Yuri Kageyama will premiere a work on the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and “Jeopardy!” quiz show champion Tom Baker, still another JET, will describe how to write trivia questions. And that’s far from all.

Details on this year’s event can be found at http://www.japanwritersconference.org
Inquiries should be directed to japanwritersconference@gmail.com.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Assistant Director
Posted by: Hyogo Business & Cultural Center
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to JET alumnus, Braden Bennight (Aichi-ken, 2014-2017) for passing along the following job opening:

The qualifications can be found in the description, but the ideal candidate will be someone bilingual/fluent in Japanese, who has experience working in a Japanese office environment. JET alumni who were CIRs seem to more commonly fulfill those qualifications, but application to the job is of course not limited to former CIRs.

Please find below English and Japanese versions of the job description.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Education and MEXT Scholarship Coordinator
Posted by: Embassy of Japan
Location: Purchase, NY, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s a job received directly from the Embassy of Japan in Washington DC:

The Embassy of Japan is seeking a highly motivated, team-oriented individual for the position of Education and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Scholarship Coordinator. This individual is primarily responsible for managing the schedules and assisting the activities of the diplomats in the Public Affairs Section, as well as coordinating the Embassy’s MEXT Scholarship Program. Please see below for a detailed listing of responsibilities.

Working hours are 9:00 am – 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday, with lunch time receptionist duty once a month and occasional weeknight and/or weekend events (paid overtime). Salary is commensurate with experience and the skills of the candidate. Benefits include group health insurance coverage, paid time off, sick leave and an annual bonus. There is a potential salary increase based on individual performance. The minimum monthly base salary for this position is $3,500 USD.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Project Director, Digital Museum of the History
Posted by: Digital Museum of the History of Japanese in New York
Location: Purchase, NY, USA
Contract: Part-Time, Remote

Here’s a job passed along directly from the Japanese American Association of New York:

Digital Museum of the History of Japanese in New York is seeking a qualified individual for the position of Project Director. This role will be responsible for the continued expansion and maintenance of the museum’s collection, including collecting, organizing, and cataloguing new materials, along with managing the museum’s website and archive.

Read More

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Multiple Positions
Posted by: Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
Location: Delray Beach, Florida, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to JET alumna Wendy Lo (Toyama-ken, 2002-2005) for passing along several job openings at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens where she works:

Application Process: Job description and details on how to apply can be found here: https://morikami.org/job-opportunities/

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Research Analyst, Open Innovation Group
Posted by: Intralink
Location: Ideally, California (but remote locations possible)
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to JET alumnus, Alan Mockridge (Iwate-ken, 1992-1994) for passing along the following job opening with his organization:

Intralink is an international market expansion and corporate innovation consultancy with clients in Europe, America and East Asia. We have multiple former JETs working on our team. To support our innovation consulting work for Japanese clients as well as our group marketing activities, we are seeking a full-time Research Analyst in our Open Innovation Group.

You will work alongside project teams tasked with delivering projects for these clients, and with our sales and marketing team to support a variety of promotional activities, including:

Read More

JETAA‎‎‎‏‏‎​ Podcast Beat is a weekly round-up of current JET and JET alumni podcasts and podcast appearances compiled by Emmalee Manes (Toyama-ken, 2016-19)

Do you have a podcast or did you recently appear in a podcast? Help us share it with the community by filling out this form.

Welcome to the JETAA Podcast Beat! I hope the beat will be a great way for everyone to stay updated on JET alumni as well as current JET involvement in podcasts. If you have the chance, please enjoy listening to one of these recent episodes this week!

S02E19 – Jens Petersen – Japanese in Sweden, Music and Art, Job Fairs

Jens Petersen has been working in real estate in Tokyo for over 13 years. He initially found interest in Japanese independent music. In recent years his interest has also branched out into the art world. We spoke about learning Japanese, finding an immersive environment, and job hunting at job fairs.

Feel free to reach out with any questions or 悩み事 to howtojapanese@gmail.com.

You can also follow How to Japanese on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Preparing for a New Class: Behind the Scenes Part I

In this episode, Stephen Horowitz and Daniel Edelson discuss a one-week intensive class that Stephen will be teaching to LLM students at St. John’s University School of Law. The LLM students are beginning their study of US law and the course helps students better understand the US legal system and government. As Daniel had been teaching the course for a few years, Stephen talks to Daniel about his strategies for teaching the class.

This episode introduces students to some of the “behind the scenes” preparation and planning that Stephen and Daniel undertake before teaching US law and legal English. Coming soon, we discuss in detail some of the class lessons and activities.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: ESL Teacher
Posted by: Eszette Business Language Services
Location: Washington D.C., USA
Contract: Part-Time

Thanks to JET alumna, Tia Braham (Nara-ken, 2014-2017) for passing along the following job opening with her company:

Eszett  Business Language Services is a language school that operates in about 60 countries teaching languages and providing other related services.

Our teachers work as freelancers for us and when we have a suitable program we contact you with the details and if interested, you would let us know your availability.

The program we have in Washington currently is outlined below:

Read More

************By Makoto Shirai, secretary, Japan-Insights Research Institute (Non-profit organization in Tokyo)

Dear Friends,

Have you heard the sound of God?

Let me introduce an essay from the Japan-Insights archives.

The twentieth one is on KAMINONE: Sound of God by Mr. Hino Tatsuo.

https://doc.japan-insights.jp/pdf/JIN_TOPIC_20200418214215.pdf

Please share this expert’s experience!

Japan-Insights is a nonprofit open database compiled by leading experts in Japanese studies. The posts present a broad range of historical and contemporary topics that encourage visitors to engage with the real Japan through immersive experiences. Follow the Facebook page and website to learn about and share these insights from around the country!”

#japan #japaneseculture #izumo

Congratulations to JET alumnus, Dr. Dan Tinianow (AET, 1987-1988) who was named Faculty of the Month at the University of Arizona Global Campus! Read the full article here.

JETAA‎‎‎‏‏‎​ Podcast Beat is a weekly round-up of current JET and JET alumni podcasts and podcast appearances compiled by Emmalee Manes (Toyama-ken, 2016-19)

Do you have a podcast or did you recently appear in a podcast? Help us share it with the community by filling out this form.

Welcome to the JETAA Podcast Beat! I hope the beat will be a great way for everyone to stay updated on JET alumni as well as current JET involvement in podcasts. If you have the chance, please enjoy listening to one of these recent episodes this week!

Countryside「田舎」with Vivian!

Emmalee and Vivian (Shimane-ken, 2016-18) talk about their experiences living in the Japanese countryside in Toyama and Shimane, share good and bad points to 田舎 life, and talk about their home state of Ohio.

インスタ: @yoppareikaiwa
Vivianのポッドキャスト: The Looking Glass

S02E18 – 都道府県 and 貪る

There is an official order to the 都道府県 (todōfuken, prefectures) in Japan. I share some thoughts about it and in Japanese discuss the importance of learning how to really devour (貪る, musaboru) your Japanese studies.

Feel free to reach out with any questions or 悩み事 to howtojapanese@gmail.com.

You can also follow How to Japanese on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Rapid Fire Question Challenge ft. Matt Alt

In this between season bonus episode, the amazing Matt Alt (our very first podcast guest) stops by for a Rapid Fire Question Challenge. From Rick James, Big Tex McDonalds sandwiches, and sake flavored KitKats, nothing is off limits in this challenge!

Been missing your weekly audio journeys to Japan?! Keep your eyes peeled for more information on our season 2 launch coming soon! Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and to our social media to stay up to date with the latest from the podcast!

How Corporate Finance and Corporate Legal Professionals Can Collaborate More Effectively

I spoke with David Perla, the co-chief operating officer at Burford Capital, a leading provider of capital to the legal market. We discussed Burford’s 2021 Legal Asset Report, why it is important to talk to chief financial officers about legal assets, how CFO’s view affirmative recovery and legal cost management programs, and how corporate finance and corporate legal can collaborate more effectively.

Professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.

Thanks to all the recent rain it seems as if the summer heat has broken a bit, but I can’t wait for fall to arrive, along with its cooler temps and 紅葉 (kouyou, or leaves changing color). Though I must say I’m not quite ready for the ubiquitous pumpkin spice marketing that has already started!

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games began on August 24, and they feature over 4000 athletes from 162 National Paralympic Committees worldwide. You can find a recap of the Opening Ceremony here, and daily schedules/results here. The Games will run through September 5, so happy viewing!

************By Makoto Shirai, secretary, Japan-Insights Research Institute (Non-profit organization in Tokyo)

Dear Friends,

Have you visited Izumo, Land of Gods?

Let me introduce an essay from the Japan-Insights archives.

The nineteenth one is on Izumo: Land of Gods, Myths and Metals by Dr. Simon Kaner.

https://topics.japan-insights.jp/Public/pdf/japan-insights_jp/topics/JIN_SwordsBellsDragonsMyths.pdf

Please share this expert’s experience!

Japan-Insights is a nonprofit open database compiled by leading experts in Japanese studies. The posts present a broad range of historical and contemporary topics that encourage visitors to engage with the real Japan through immersive experiences. Follow the Facebook page and website to learn about and share these insights from around the country!”

#japan #japaneseculture #izumo

Thanks to JET alumna, Jessica Cork (CIR, Hiroshima-ken, 1997-2000) for sharing this great project that she is leading as the Chair of the Japan-America Society of Georgia.

The Japan-America Society of Georgia, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Atlanta want to construct a traditional Japanese bell tower to house the Carter Center’s “Peace Bell.” The “Japan-Georgia Friendship Bell Tower” will be modeled after the bell tower at Shoganji Temple in Konu, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture where the bell originated in Japan.

During World War II, an ordinance to collect metals was promulgated throughout Japan, and the temple bell from Shoganji Temple in Konu was supplied to the Kure Naval Arsenal. However, before the bell could be turned into bullets, the war ended. Following the war, the bell somehow ended up in England, where it resided for a time with an Englishman, James Taylor. His son, Milos Taylor, discovered the bell in 1958 while sorting through the belongings of his father in England. In 1982, Milos moved to Florida with the bell. In 1985, before returning to England, Milos put the bell up for sale. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta and the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta solicited donations to purchase the bell and presented the bell on behalf of the Japanese community to President and Mrs. Carter to commemorate the construction of The Carter Center and in appreciation for President Carter’s work promoting world peace.

When Hajime Akiyama, a member of the Japanese parliament, visited The Carter Center after the bell was donated, he discovered that the bell was inscribed with the name of Shoganji Temple. So he visited Shoganji to report that their temple bell had been donated to President Carter. Shoganji was very pleased to learn that their temple bell, which they thought had been destroyed in the war, was in fact carefully preserved at The Carter Center as the “Peace Bell,” a symbol of goodwill between Japan and the United States.

This led to President Carter visiting Hiroshima twice, establishing a sister city relationship between Konu, Hiroshima and his hometown in Georgia, and Konu constructing the Jimmy Carter Civic Center, which aims to educate Japanese citizens about peace. 

The website with the incredible story of the bell’s journey to the US and full project description is as follows.

https://www.jasgeorgia.org/Georgia-Japan-Peace-Bell/

The Japan-America Society of Georgia is trying to raise $300,000 to make this dream a reality. We would like to challenge JETAA to raise $25,000 and be recognized as one of the partner organizations (on all press releases, website, plaque etc). 

In order for JETAA members to have their donations recognized as contributions from JETAA, please click on the sponsorship link (not the donate link).

https://www.jasgeorgia.org/event-4464101

Then select register, add email address, and then select “7. Other amount.”  Put in the amount and then check off the JETAA checkbox.