J DOC: Learn Japanese Grammar! Nuances of the Particles に and で
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The Japanese Doctor is a recurring feature written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com). 
Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Japanese and Chinese language learning options. Their main service is private one on one language lessons in the NYC area.
One of the most difficult parts of learning Japanese is not learning colloquial phrases or expanding vocabulary, but perfecting the usage of small words. Although small words to non-native speakers might seem to be trivial, just look at how important the articles “a, an, and the” are in English. “A girlfriend” vs. “The Girlfriend” means something entirely different in English, although in Japanese there is no direct equivalent to describe this situation. Japanese speakers who are learning English explain to me all the time that they still don’t quite understand when to use “a,” vs. when to use “the.” Conversely, the Japanese particles (が、は、で、に、を、へ) continue to confuse both beginner and advanced students of the Japanese language.
In this entry we’ll try to explain the subtle differences and the correct usage of the articles でand に. Both articles show the location of where something is, or where an action takes place. So if you were going to say…
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Via JETAA Florida’s Tampa subchapter (aka 
JetWit has become increasingly aware of JET alum artists doing interesting work and making names for themselves in the art world. Below is a little background on a few of them (though there are many more out there). Click here for more JetWit posts on art and JET alumni. You can also see a more complete list of JET alums in the art world in the Art section of the Library.
Zandra Ellis (Nagasaki-ken, 2005-09) – Bronx, NY
- Painter and writer –http://www.flickr.com/photos/zmongoose/
Born in the Bronx to Jamaican immigrants, Zandra Ellis cut her milkteeth on Marley, manga and museums; 17 years later, she emerged blinking in the sunlight, from LaGuardia High School with a diploma stamped “Art.” Somehow she ended up studying English Literature in college. Nagasaki Prefecture’s Emukae Town (pop. 6,700,) warmly embraced Zandra as an ALT who loved drawing on the board and attending the local pottery class (’05-’09). Currently working on: freelance gigs/portraits for hire.
Manya Tessler (Wakayama-ken, 1998-2000) – Brooklyn, NY
Jewelry – www.MANYAandROUMEN.com- Children’s book illustrations – Yuki’s Ride Home (See interview with her from JETAA NY Newsletter at https://jetwit.com/wordpress/library/profiles/tessler-manya.)
- Read the “engaging” story of how she and her husband met and began designing jewelry together.
Manya’s children’s book “Yuki’s Ride Home” was published by Bloomsbury in 2008. (Read more) She received an Honorable mention in Category 1 of the Women’s Jewelry Association 2009 DIVA Design Competition. (Read more) She and her husband, Rouman, received the Mort Abelson New Designer of the Year Award at the JA NY Summer Show. (Read more) And the independent film “Adam” being shown at the 2009 Sundance Festival features several of Manya’s illustrations. (Read more)
Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) – New York, NY
Lee-Sean Huang is New York-base multimedia artist who explores the creative and social possibilities found in the junction of technology, design and art. Recent works include:
- A computer-generated portrait of Mao constructed from the text of the Little Red Book
- An interactive music installation consisting of headphones that create a unique listening experience based on the wearer’s movements
- And a Japan-inspired animation and performance piece based on a poem by Catullus
Lee-Sean is a co-founder of Hepnova Multimedia, an interdisciplinary design collective and genre-defying band, and is currently a masters student at ITP, the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Catch up with Lee-Sean at leesean.net. (JetWit Editor’s Note: Lee-Sean is also the JETAA NY webmaster, helped me get the JetWit site set up and is the one I call whenever there’s a “JetWit emergency.”)
This past Thursday evening, Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, gave a talk for the students in the Keio Academy of New York Japanese-English Bilingual Summer Program in Purchase, NY in connection with a two-week Digital Media Creation program.
Additional speakers in the program include Michael Arias, director of “ANIMATRIX” and “Tekkonkinkreet,” Shoji Kawamuri, animation director and mechanical designer and Yuji Nunokawa, CEO of animation producer Pierrot Co., Ltd.
