At scenic Setogaro Gorge in Iwaki, fifth year JET Peter Gillam says people are not seeing Fukushima for everything it is. “What people need to know most about Fukushima is that it is a prefecture first, a city second, and a nuclear reactor a distant third,” he says. “Not the other way around.”
Who’s telling the truth about radiation in Japan, and why it might not matter anyway.
By James A. Foley (Fukushima-ken, 2007-10) for JQ magazine. James was one of eight American JET alums selected for the Tohoku Invitational Program sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Tourism Agency.
Nastassja Vidro knew something was awfully wrong when the March air turned yellow.
It happened while she was outside on the playground with the eight students she taught English to at Shiramizu Elementary in Iwaki City, Japan, after the earth began to move.
Vidro, a 2007-2011 JET participant, was by then an old pro at earthquakes. She had lived in seismically active Japan nearly four years, and in California for more than two decades before that. But this quake was different. The earth rocked so violently that huge clouds of pollen erupted from the trees and hung in the air, casting the scene in an eerie hue.
The school principal ran outside, telling everyone to get in the center of the schoolyard and huddle together. Crouched on the ground with her students, Vidro kept waiting for the tremor to subside, but it went on. For six minutes.
She heard a fantastic noise—“like a monster roaring, not screeching, but deep, [and] I could hear the wood creak and bend and the earth move”—and ceramic shingles rattling off neighboring houses and shattering on the pavement.
She says she felt the ground quiver beneath her. She fixated on it, amazed.
“My hands were on the ground and the movement was pushing them off,” she says. “I’m not a very religious person, but I was praying so hard. I hoped the earth didn’t crack.”
She looked toward a fellow teacher, a Japan native, whose eyes were wide.
“I could see in her face that this was bad, that it was not an average earthquake,” she says.
JQ Magazine Seeks Writers for Spring 2012!
Article/Journalism, JQ Magazine 
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Visit JQ's homepage at http://jetaany.org/magazine
As we march into spring, JETAA New York’s JQ magazine continues to provide content with an ever-expanding array of articles, interviews and features (see our recent stories here). We’re now looking for new writers, including recent returnees and JET vets, from all JETAA chapters worldwide for posting stories via our host at the global JET alumni resource site JETwit.com. (Scribes are also encouraged to join the JET Alumni Writers group on LinkedIn.)
Below are story ideas grouped by JET participants and alumni (JET World) and those more on Japanese culture (Japan World). If you’re a JET or JETWit contributor from anywhere in the world, we welcome your interest or additional story ideas! Contact JQ’s editor Justin Tedaldi (magazine [at] jetaany [dot] org) to sign up for stories, and click here to see the story ideas online.
Click “Read More” below for our spring 2012 ideas pitch package.
Justin’s Japan: March Movies at Japan Society, New York International Children’s Film Festival
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Makoto Shinkai’s ‘Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below’ is a modern-day Orpheus tale with a sci-fi twist that pays tribute to the great works of Hayao Miyazaki. (Courtesy of GKids)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Visit his Japanese culture page on Examiner.com here for related stories.
Oscar season may be over, but this month offers a score of cinematic delights from Japan Society and the New York International Children’s Film Festival.
As part of its Love Will Tear Us Apart Globus Film Series, Japan Society presents outré love stories from Japan and Korea, including the U.S. premiere of Shinya Tsukamoto’s KOTOKO (March 2) and the world premiere of Koji Wakamatsu’s Petrel Hotel Blue (March 7) among 23 seminal films from the genre.
Other highlights include Hirokazu Kore’eda’s Air Doll (March 3), Nagisa Oshima’s arch-classic In the Realm of the Senses (March 16), Yukio Ninagawa’s Snakes and Earrings (March 16), Lee Sang-il’s Villain, (March 9) Lee Chang-dong’s Oasis, (March 18) and Kim Ki-duk’s Bad Guy, (March 10), among other twisted tales of star-crossed lovers on the rocks and on the run. (Click here for a complete list of films and showtimes).
For younger cineastes, the critically acclaimed New York International Children’s Film Festival kicks off its 15th anniversary event from March 2-25 at New York’s DGA Theater, Walter Reade Theater, IFC Center, Peter Norton Symphony Space, Asia Society, Scholastic Theater, and Cantor Film Center.
The nation’s largest festival for kids and teens will present four weeks of ground-breaking and thought-provoking new works for ages 3-18, with 100 new films, opening and closing galas, new feature premieres, six short film programs, filmmaker Q&As, filmmaking workshops, and the NYICFF Awards Ceremony. This year’s edition features three Japanese films from 2011.
For the complete story, click here.
Job: Student Services Representative (NY)
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Via JET alum Zachary Piper. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Student Services Representative (NY)
Job Details:
Reporting to the Embassy Study Center New York Student Services Manager, you will:
• Manage student records and student balances
• Take on Bursar duties, take new bookings, calculate accurate refunds, and so on
• Counsel students regarding issues or complaints
• Provide information about the school and promote additional sales to students
• Provide superior customer service
I’ll Make It Myself!: “Japanese Street Food and Foodpia Land 2012 (フードピアランド2012)”
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Travel/Tourism, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: “Japanese Street Food and Foodpia Land 2012 (フードピアランド2012)”
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Japan: Kanazawa and Discover Kanazawa, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan, and curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan.
New submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
I’ve noticed an increased interest by foreign bloggers and media regarding Japan’s (read: Tokyo, Kyoto) street food culture in the last month, and as I was at a large food fair in Kanazawa, I figured it was time to add my comments and photos to the table.
CLICK HERE to read the full post.
Job: Translator for Fukushima Panel Event (NYC)
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The New York Peace Film Festival will be held March 10-11 in New York City.
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Visit his Japanese culture page on Examiner.com here for related stories.
The producers of this year’s New York Peace Film Festival are seeking a translator for Sunday, March 4 and Monday, March 5 to assist with events leading up to the actual festival the following week at the Unitarian Church of All Souls.
The producers are now coordinating with local activists and guests from Japan for an entire week of events relating to Fukushima. There will be an energy expert, professors, and a worker from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear plant, who will speak to the public on March 5 at Riverside Church, and for emergency workers and first responders including doctors and others at Manhattanville College on March 6.
Due to the nature of panelists and audience on March 6, an able translator and interpreter is needed. This will be paid work. For more information, please e-mail NYPFF executive producer Yumi Tanaka at yumicomic [at] gmail [dot] com.
To read an interview with Yumi on last year’s New York Peace Film Festival, click here.
JETAA Auckland sends message of support to the town of Tomioka in Fukushima
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Thank you to JETAA Auckland Liaison Officer Jo McCarthy for sharing the following:
This video, made by JETAA Auckland, is a message of support for the town of Tomioka (in Fukushima Prefecture) with which Auckland has a friendship agreement.
Job: Program Assistant at Duke-UNC Rotary Center (Chapel Hill, NC)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Program Assistant at Duke-UNC Rotary Center (Chapel Hill, NC)
Via JET alum and JETAA North Carolina subchapter rep Kyle Munn . Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Program Assistant at Duke-UNC Rotary Center (Chapel Hill, NC)
Job Details:
The Duke-UNC Rotary Center is hiring a Program Assistant for 30 hours per week (including benefits), at our UNC office in Chapel Hill.
Anyone interested should apply directly to the UNC Human Resources Office at http://hr.unc.edu/careers-at-carolina/open-positions. The requisition number is 0060756. Closing date is March 9, 2012.
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Job: Sales with Japanese Company (NYC)
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Via Actus Consulting. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Sales with Japanese Company (NYC)
Job Details:
Japanese rental space company established in 2005. Established their NY office in 2010 and is trying to develop their business in NYC area. They offer wide range of office space to various businesses for conventions, events and seminars.
– Company size: Approximately 400 in Japan , NY office has 2 employees
– Capital: $3 million
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Job: “Voice Starter” a Regional Lead Position
Jobs Comments Off on Job: “Voice Starter” a Regional Lead Position
Via JET alum Janelle Jimenez (former JETAANY Secretary). Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: “Voice Starter” a Regional Lead Position
Job Details:
Summary of Position
The Regional Lead (RL) position is a contracted position lasting from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012. The role reports to the VP of Social Media. The RL is responsible for building a community of citizen journalist in their region and maintaining an ‘ear to the ground’ on important, trending and above all breaking news stories in their region. The RL is responsible for organizing citizen journalists to respond to the regions newsworthy stories as determined by that community. The RL should be fully versed in utilizing grass roots strategies that find the best citizen journalists, motivate them and keep them engaged and delivering the region’s important stories to the [company] platform.
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Job: Senior Fellow in Japan Studies, Brookings (DC)
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Via JETAA Chicago. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Senior Fellow in Japan Studies, Brookings (DC)
Job Details:
Senior Fellow in Japan Studies
Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies
Foreign Policy Program
The Foreign Policy Program is accepting applications for a Senior Fellow in Japan Studies in the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies (CNAPS). The primary responsibility of the Senior Fellow will be to conduct original research on Japan-related policy issues and conceive and lead an expanded program on Japan-related policy issues.
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Via JETAADC. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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Job Position: Volunteer with National Children’s Museum at the Cherry Blossom Fest (DC)
Job Details:
To the JET community,
I volunteered with the National Children’s Museum last year during the Cherry Blossom Festival and it was a BLAST!!! We dressed children in yukata and kimono and let them take a picture. Most of them really enjoyed it and they were all so adorable! I’d highly recommend this experience! Details follow, but feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Christy
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Job: Japanese Language Teacher (Tacoma)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Japanese Language Teacher (Tacoma)
Via Jet alum Kirsten Henning. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Japanese Language Teacher (Tacoma)
Job Details:
Charles Wright Academy is looking for a Japanese language teacher.
Middle & Upper School Japanese Teacher – Charles Wright Academy www.charleswright.org
For more details go to http://www.charleswright.org/employment/Middle-Upper-School-Japanese-Teacher
Job: Project Manager with Japanese language skills, bTrax (SF)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Project Manager with Japanese language skills, bTrax (SF)
Via Greg Viloria. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London but is interested in hearing about any Japan-related opportunities across the globe.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Project Manager with Japanese language skills, bTrax (SF)
Job Details:
btrax, the up and coming cross-cultural web consultancyis looking for a Project Manager for their team in San Francisco. Language skills in Japanese, Chinese are highly preferred. The staff boasts a client list that includes Calbee, ITOCHU, DeNA, Panda Express, Bandai, and a wide range of brands from both the United States and Japan.
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Volunteer English conversation partners for the City of New York
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Via Steven Horowitz and googlegroups. Posted by Geneva Marie (Niigata-ken 2008-09) Geneva is a sometimes contributor to both JetWit and JETAANY. Geneva is on a continuous (epic) search for Japanese -related jobs in the United States.
***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position:Volunteer English conversation partners for the City of New York
Job Description/Details:We Are New York are looking for volunteer English conversation partners for the city of New York. Conversation group facilitators can give back to their communities by devoting just 30 hours of their time! Read More
