According to a letter published in the Japan Times by a Nara-based Japanese teacher of English, high schools will be required to teach English class in English. And she doesn’t think the schools will be ready.
Here’s an excerpt:
Beginning in 2013, high school English classes are to be taught in English. New guidelines from the education ministry also state that English grammar should no longer be taught as a whole subject but instead incorporated with expressions and vocabulary of the new textbook “English Communication I-III.”
Here’s the link to the full letter: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/rc20100812a6.html
JET ROI: Japan Times article – “JETs Press to Keep Program Intact”
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JETAA issued a press release following the JETAA USA National Conference in New York this past weekend, and the Japan Times has responded with a Kyodo News article titled “JETs Press to Keep Program Intact.”
Here’s the link: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100817a8.html
*Thanks to JETAA Hawaii’s Krystle Hara for sharing the article with JetWit.
Japanese press coverage of the JETAA USA National Conference
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The JETAA USA National Conference (which brings together officers from the 19 U.S. JET Alumni Association chapters) was held this past weekend in New York City (Aug 12-15). Much of the conference discussion surrounded the potential cuts and/or changes to JET and JETAA. One of JETAA’s primary challenges has been not only communicating all the positive and beneficial activities and efforts of JET alumni on behalf of Japan, but getting it communicated in Japanese to the Japanese media so that more Japanese citizens are aware of all the value JET alums bring to Japan, it’s foreign relations and its economy.
As a result, it’s encouraging to see an article in Japanese today from Kyodo News today about the JETAA USA National Conference that has been picked up by several Japanese publications:
- http://www.nikkei.com/news/category/article/g=96958A9C9381959FE3E4E2E3E38DE3E4E2EAE0E2E3E29C9CE2E2E2E2;at=ALL
- http://www.47news.jp/CN/201008/CN2010081601000165.html
- http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/s/article/2010081601000165.html
- http://www.chunichi.co.jp/s/article/2010081601000165.html
*Thanks to Noriko Furuhata, JET Liaison at the Consulate General of Japan in New York, for sharing the links with JetWit.
Reader extra credit: Post an English summary of the article in the comments section below!
Life After the B.O.E.: Your Name
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Life After the B.O.E. is a comic series about the JET experience by David Namisato (Aomori-ken, 2002-2004), a professional illustrator currently living in Toronto.
Visit David’s website at www.namisato.org.
JET ROI: “Because of JET……”
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JETAA NY Webmaster and tech/social media guru Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) got the ball rolling with a video series called “Because of JET…..“ in which he uploaded short video clips of JET alumni sharing some good things that they experienced and witnessed as a result of participating in JET. The first few videos were taken at the JETAA National Conference this past weekend in New York.
Here’s the link to see all the videos so far: http://becauseofjet.tumblr.com/
- Send your own video testimonial to webmaster@jetaany.org to have it included and let people know about some of the positive effects of JET that they might not otherwise be aware of.
- If you can say your piece in Japanese that would be particularly helpful, according to Matt Gillam of CLAIR NY.
- Additionally, you can post your own “Because of JET…” testimony in written form by posting in the comments section here or in this other post on JetWit: https://jetwit.com/wordpress/2010/07/04/jet-roi-because-of-jet/
- Written testimony in Japanese is also potentially very helpful.
Here’s one of the videos:
Top 10: If a JET Alum were President of the U.S……
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This past weekend at the JETAA USA Conference hosted by the JETAA New York chapter, there were several references in speeches (including by Ambassador Fujisaki) to the possibility of a JET alum someday becoming President of the United States. Fortunately, this issue was already addressed in the Spring 2004 issue of the JETAA NY Quarterly Newsletter so we’ll all know exactly what to expect:
Spring 2004 – THE “POLITICS” ISSUE TOP 14!
It could happen. One of these days one of our very own from the JET Alumni community could become President of the United States. What would that be like, ka na…?
THE TOP 14 THINGS THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF A JET ALUM WERE PRESIDENT
14. Fifty-minute self-introduction on first day in office.
13. Press conference with Japanese media to promote internationalization and clear up confusion over ability to use chopsticks.
12. Presidential toilet seat warmer.
11. Future school history books include section on famous “I Have a Pen!” speech.
10. Vending machines with hot corn soup installed throughout White House
9. Pre-Departure Orientation in the Rose Garden
8. Curry rice included in public school lunch menus across the U.S.
7. All Foreign Service language training outsourced to AEON.
6. Inauguration Karaoke!
5. All JETAA Chapter Reps appointed to ambassadorships.
4. President works half days, then goes on vacation. (Wait a second…)
3. Spin control involves slapping Vice President on the back of the head to evoke laughter from audience and divert controversy.
2. All policies explained very clearly, slowly and loudly.
1. Oval Office Happy Hour!
*(Click here for more Top Ten lists from past Newsletter issues.)
Notable JET Alums: Aaron Woolfolk’s “The Harimaya Bridge” wins at Pan African Film Festival
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Aaron Woolfolk (Kochi-ken, 1991-93)
Aaron Woolfolk (Kochi-ken, 1991-93), director and writer of the Kochi-based film, “The Harimaya Bridge,” recently won a director’s award at the 2010 Pan African Film Festival.
Click the link below to read the article and learn more about Aaron and his acclaimed film.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/08/12/18655970.php
Job: Administrative & Program Assistant (Seattle)
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The Japan-America Society of the State of Washington is currently accepting applications from qualified individuals to fill the position of Administrative & Program Assistant.
The Application Deadline: August 31, 2010
Job Description
This position is responsible for the smooth operation of all office systems in a small, intimate office setting in downtown Seattle. Duties include general office work, membership communication & support, Board of Directors and committee communication & support, website maintenance (with the assistance of the Society’s website provider), program assistance including staffing programs (some evenings), management of one or more office interns, data entry and database management, and other work as directed by the Executive Director. Please click here for a more detailed list of responsibilities. Read More
How Law Schools Behave Like States in International Relations Theory
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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules. He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States. He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill. For further reading regarding JETs and the law, he recommends JETs with J.D.s.
You studied political science before JET didn’t you? Do not lie! For those of you with a healthy interest in politics, specifically international relations, please read, “How Law Schools Behave Like States in International Relations Theory,” and tell me who’s the realist.
JETAA Chapter Beat 8.12.10
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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.
- Salsa on the Beach – Saturday, August 14th, 6:00 to 10:00 at Alki Beach. Find your groove and do a little salsa on the beach this weekend. Feel free to just enjoy the show or join in if the mood strikes.
- Aki Matsuri Volunteers Needed! – PNWJETAA is looking for volunteers to help with this year’s Aki Matsuri on September 11th and 12th. Do your part in helping to preserve the JET Program by helping to inform people about JET and your own experiences working and living in Japan.
- Tsukimi no Kai – Saturday, August 21st, 7:00 to 10:00 at the Seattle Japanese Garden. Gaze up at the harvest moon this month for a moonviewing event that includes haiku readings, music, tea ceremony and more.
- Day at the National Zoo – Saturday, August 14th, 10:00 to 12:00 noon at the National Zoo. Enjoy a day outside exploring the animal kingdom at the zoo with JETAADC.
- Bowling in Aiea – Saturday, August 28th, 4:45 to 7:00 at Aiea Bowl. Set em up and knock em down with JETAA Hawaii this month.
- Annual JETAA Wales Picnic – Sunday, August 22nd, 1:00 at Bute Park in Cardiff. Get out the picnic basket and get outside with JETAA UK for their annual picnic in Bute Park. Friends and family of JETs are invited, so don’t miss it.
- Noh Theatre Nite – Tuesday, August 24th, 6:00 at the San Francisco Public Library, Paley Conference Room. Learn about Japanese Noh Theatre with the JETAANC Kabuki Club. An informative documentary about Noh will be shown, followed by a short Noh Performance on video entitled, “The Wooden Water Well.”
- JETAA Masters Golf 2010 – Sunday, August 22nd, 10:30 at McMenamins Edgefield’s Pub Course in Troutdale. Compete for the Sugoi “Green Jacket” at this years JETAA Portland Masters Tournament. Golfers of all levels are welcome to join and share in this exciting and fun day.
- Summer BBQ – Saturday, August 14th, 11:30 to 4:30 at Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver. Enjoy a day of cooking out and fun games with JETAABC.
- Sake with the Haiku Geisha Play Reading – Friday, August 13th, 8:30 at the Tinker Auditorium. JETAANY is presenting a one night only reading of the critically acclaimed play “Sake with the Haiku Geisha,” written by JET alumnus and playwright Randall David Cook.
- Japanese Folk Dance, Bon Odori Class – Saturday, August 14th, 2:00 to 3:30 at DANY Studios. Momo Suzuki, founder and director of the Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NY will be teaching a Bon Odori class, so come try your hand at some Japanese dance.
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.
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.
I am back in Honolulu, so of course I had to visit my favorite mochi stand, Kansai Yamato. Every time I go I end up discovering something new, and this time it was the two plump manju pictured on the right. The purple one was sweet potato flavored with this paste in the middle. The white manju was of the standard kind, filled with red bean. Both were quite substantial snacks, big and filling so the two-pack is likely meant for sharing. As manju, I found them Read More
JET Alum Randall David Cook’s ‘Sake with the Haiku Geisha’ Returns to NYC
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By JQ Magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Those who missed the original Off Broadway run of the critically acclaimed play Sake with the Haiku Geisha are in for a treat. As part of its annual national conference, the JET Alumni Association’s New York chapter, with support from the Consulate-General of Japan in New York, will revive the play for a one night only performance on Friday, Aug. 13 at Manhattan’s Tinker Auditorium.
Penned by playwright Randall David Cook and featuring a cast that includes Jun Kim of Kurotama Kikaku Company, the work was debuted by the Gotham Stage Company in 2006 as an outgrowth of Sushi and Scones, an earlier one-act play written by Cook for the UK’s Dawlish Arts Festival and later produced by BBC Radio.
“Ninety percent of the play is based on true stories, and many of the lines were taken verbatim from their subjects,” explained Cook. “The most outrageous things I dared not dream up; they happened.”
Read the full story here.
JET ROI: Japan Times runs AP article about JET
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Better late than never.
For some reason Japan Times just ran the AP article about JET…..nearly 2 weeks after it initially appeared in the Washington Post, LA Times, etc. And it’s the first article in the online edition for the moment: http://www.japantimes.co.jp (Here’s a more permanent link to the article: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100811f1.html)
While the additional attention from the article is welcome, it actually does not do a great job of giving readers a way to determine which side of the debate to support. For a better sense of why the JET Program and JETAA are no-brainers in terms of the return on investment for Japanese taxpayers, read here: https://jetwit.com/wordpress/2010/07/29/jet-roi-washington-post-and-atlanta-journal-constitution-run-ap-article-on-jet/
Also read some of the comments to Jim Gannon’s “Chopping Block” article: https://jetwit.com/wordpress/2010/07/03/jet-roi-jet-program-on-the-chopping-block-by-james-gannon/
And of course read any and all of the JET ROI (Return on Investment) posts: https://jetwit.com/wordpress/category/jet-roi/
Singer Hikaru Utada Announces ‘Artistic Activity’ Break
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By JQ Magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada is going from exodus to hiatus.
According to a message on her homepage from Aug. 9, Hikki (as she as known to her army of fans worldwide) has wrote that following the release of this fall’s Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2 album, she will take time off from her musical career effective next year.
The message finds the musician in a reflective mood, recalling the music video from her single “Automatic,” released 12 years ago when the singer was just 15 years old. She commented that since then, “part of my growth has stopped…as a person.” Hikki now intends to focus on “human activity” over “artistic activity” in the next year for an indeterminate period.
Read the full story here.
PROfessional Japanese-English Conference on Translation PROJECT Tokyo 2010
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JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) learned of the following translator’s conference through the Japan Association of Translators, and thought it might be of interest to current and former JETs in the Tokyo area (or those that can get to Tokyo relatively easily). Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Ken, and he occasionally posts job listings and event information for JET alumni.
PROJECT Tokyo 2010 is the third in a series of one-day conferences on translation and interpreting organized by the Japan Association of Translators (JAT; 日本翻訳者協会) for participants to build skills and exchange information about their professions.
Theme: Tools and Workshops: Better, Faster, Richer
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2010
Time: 9:30 to 17:00
Registration opens at 9:00
Venue: TKP Shinagawa Conference Center
3F Takanawa Court, 3-13-1 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Approx. 5 minutes’ walk from Shinagawa Station (Takanawa Exit)
Admission:
Students: ¥4,000
JAT Members: ¥5,000
Non-Members: ¥6,000
Post-conference networking event: ¥5,000
Two-hour buffet meal and open bar
* Registration for the conference and post-conference networking event closes at midday on September 4, 2010. Registration is via the conference website only.
The program will consist of introductions to translation tools, workshops to improve practical skills, and informative sessions from industry specialists.
* Visit the conference website for more details.
Come to PROJECT Tokyo 2010 and find out how you can change the way you work!
