Jan 23

WIT Life #189: Elizabeth Andoh’s 希望 project

Earthquake Tsunami, Food & Drink, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #189: Elizabeth Andoh’s 希望 project

WIT Life 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 recently received an email newsletter from acclaimed Japanese food writer Elizabeth Andoh regarding her newest book project, 希望 (Kibo or “Brimming With Hope”).  It will be released on February 28th and features recipes and stories from the Tohoku area, where last year’s earthquake and tsunami hit.  Andoh wanted to do her part to help the region recover, and the creation of this book is what she came up with (click on the link below for purchase information).  This March, she also plans to launch a new website called Kibo cooking which will be dedicated to Tohoku cookery.  See below for a description of Andoh’s project in her own words.

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Jan 22

JQ Magazine: Film Review – ‘Norwegian Wood’

Article/Journalism, Film, JQ Magazine, Reviews Comments Off on JQ Magazine: Film Review – ‘Norwegian Wood’

“The wintertime beauty of the Tonomine highlands in Hyogo prefecture is a sadly haunting visual expression of Naoko’s isolation and loss of life. One only wishes the characters were as compelling as the landscape in which they find themselves.”

By Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) for JQ magazine. Lyle is entering a master’s program at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University (MIA 2013) and has been writing for the JET Alumni Association since 2004. He is also the goalkeeper for FC Japan, a New York City-based soccer team.

Haruki Murakami’s novel Norwegian Wood 「ノルウェイの森」 was published in Japan in 1987 and propelled the author to superstar status, especially among the nation’s youth. The novel was also an international success and the first English translation (there were eventually two) introduced Murakami to the U.S.

Unlike his other well-known works, such as Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Norwegian Wood eschews surreal and Kafkaesque sensibilities in favor of a more nostalgically sentimental narrative. It tells the story of love and loss from the vantage point of its 37-year-old protagonist, Toru Watanabe, looking back on his youth as a student during the 1960s.

As in Europe and the U.S., Japan at that time was a society in flux and the establishment was being challenged by idealistic student movements. Against this backdrop, Toru falls in love with the emotionally troubled and fragile Naoko, who sinks into a deep depression after the suicide of their mutual friend Kizuki. She leaves the university for a mountainous sanitarium and during her absence, Toru has a love affair with Midori. Eventually, Naoko succumbs to the darker nature of her illness and commits suicide, sending Toru into an emotional period of bereavement, after which he can commit emotionally to Midori and continue on with his life.

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Jan 20

Article: Students in Rikuzentakata Take the Eiken in Memory of Monty

Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, JETs in the News Comments Off on Article: Students in Rikuzentakata Take the Eiken in Memory of Monty

This is a summary of an article originally appearing in the Kahoku Shimpo (Tohoku News) on January 19, 2012.

Students in Rikuzentakata Take the Eiken in Memory of Monty

http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2012/01/20120119t33008.htm

Roughly 80% of all middle school students, about 500 altogether, in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, will take the English Language Proficiency Exam (Eiken), in part thanks to support from JETAA USA, whose donation will help to cover the cost of the test. This is one way to bring to life the wish of Montgomery Dickson, who taught English here as an ALT, and who told his students, “I want you to love English.”

Monty worked for the Rikuzentakata Board of Education since 2009 and was an assistant English language teacher at the city’s elementary and middle schools. Immediately after the earthquake on March 11 last year, he evacuated to a park near the board of education offices, but was lost to the tsunami shortly after.

Everyone knew him as “Monty-sensei”, and admired the way he diligently studied Chinese characters (kanji) and performed Japanese folk songs (enka) and comedy skits (manzai) at the board’s social functions.   He dedicated himself to improving his students’ English ability, even holding classes for free over the winter break.  He was very popular with his colleagues and students.

Despite the fact that the learning environment is still in disarray for middle school students in the city, the number of students registered for the exam on the 20^th is about three times higher than this time last year. There have been three prep sessions this month, with many students working through problems from past tests and studying to get ready.

Dickson came to Japan on the JET Program, and after the disaster JET alumni from across the US* collected money and created a fund to support recovery efforts in Tohoku, focusing their attention on Rikuzentakata and on Ishinomaki, in Miyagi, where the other American victim, Taylor Anderson, worked. This aid to the students is one expression of their warm wishes.

Rikuzentakata would also like to establish an exchange with Dickson’s home state of Alaska. Their hope is that in return for receiving so much support from around the world, they will become more outward looking themselves, and that their children become able to go to Alaska and speak in English about their memories of Monty and their own experiences in the disaster.

*JETwit Note:  While the article specifically references money raised by US JET alumni for the JETAA USA Fund, it’s worth noting that current JETs, JET alumni and JET Alumni chapters all around the world donated and helped raise money in myriad other ways through various channels and organizations.

***********************

津波犠牲ＡＬＴの思い忘れず　陸前高田の中学生、英検挑戦へ

東日本大震災で甚大な被害を受けた岩手県陸前高田市で２０日、市内全中学生の８割に当たる約５００人が英語検定（英検）を受験する。市教委が支援団体の協力を得、受験料を全額補助することにした。異国の日本を愛し、日本語教師を夢見ながら、津波で犠牲になった同市の米国人男性英語指導助手（ＡＬＴ）の「英語を好きになってほしい」との願いが生かされた。

ＡＬＴはモントゴメリー・ディクソンさん＝当時（２６）＝。２００９年から陸前高田市教委に勤務し、小中学校で英語の授業を補助していた。昨年３月１１日の地震発生直後、市民会館内にある市教委からいったん近くの公園に避難したが、その後津波に襲われた。
「モンティ先生」の愛称で親しまれた。漢字の勉強にも人一倍努力し、職場の宴会で演歌や漫才を披露するなど周囲に溶け込んでいた。日本人の婚約者もいたという。
堪能な日本語で児童生徒や教員らとも積極的に交流、冬休み中には無償で子ども向けの英語教室を開催、英語力向上に尽力した。
同僚の熊谷卓さん（２５）は「校外で芸術鑑賞中、こっそり入ってきたモンティさんに気付いた子どもたちが大騒ぎし、鑑賞どころでなくなった」とその人気ぶりを振り返る。
同市では被災で中学生たちの学習環境が整わないにもかかわらず、２０日の英検申込者数が昨年同時期と比べ、約３倍に増えた。今月、受験対策講座が計３回開かれ、多くの生徒が過去の問題などに取り組んだ。広田中２年の臼井春香さん（１３）は「もっと英語を好きになり、理解できるようになりたい」と話す。
ディクソンさんは、国のＪＥＴプログラム（外国青年招致事業）で来日した。震災後、事業に参加した米国人ＯＢたちが全米で募金活動などを行い、復興支援基金を設立。現役ＡＬＴが犠牲になった陸前高田市と石巻市で重点的に教育支援しようと、支援団体などに寄付した。今回の補助にはこの善意が充てられる。
市教委は、ディクソンさんの出身地アラスカ州との交流も視野に入れる。学校教育課は「世界から支援を受ける今だからこそ、世界に目を向けてほしい。教え子たちがアラスカ州で、彼との思い出や震災の経験を英語で話せたらいい」と期待している。

2012年01月19日木曜日

Jan 19

JET Paul Yoo seeks donations to help Sendai orphan attend college

Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on JET Paul Yoo seeks donations to help Sendai orphan attend college

See below request from Akita Prefecture JET Paul Yoo, founder of volunteerAKITA.  

JETwit note for context:  Paul has been going above and beyond the call of duty in terms of volunteering and organizing volunteers in Tohoku.  JETAA USA recognized his efforts in providing him funding to help defray costs associated with organizing volunteers to go and help with clean-up in affected areas in Tohoku.

Hi my name is Paul Yoo, a 3rd year JET in Akita-ken and Co-founder of volunteerAKITA and The Fruit Tree Project (www.volunteerakita.org).  Along with our on-going activities, we are also involved in the “Smiles & Dreams:Tohoku Kids Project” led by Living Dreams/SmileKidsJapan (www.livingdreams.jp and www.smilekidsjapan.org).

Right now, we are working as Home Communication Managers (HCMs) to two orphanages in the Sendai area.  Our role is to act as contacts for the orphanages, and relay any needs they may have.

Jan 18

Job: Data Center Cabling Engineer at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Uncategorized Comments Off on Job: Data Center Cabling Engineer at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Via JET alum Jason Kisling. 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 Positions: Account Manager (IT Outsourcing) at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Details: Data Center Cabling Engineer at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Description

BiOS is looking for a data center cabling engineer to work as a part of our multinational IT engineering team to provide support for our global financial clients in Kanto area.

Ambitious and sensible IT engineers with cabling skills, great organizational skills and a clear understanding of customer relationship are also highly encouraged to apply.
Read More

Jan 18

Job: Sales Team Account Manager at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Uncategorized Comments Off on Job: Sales Team Account Manager at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Via JET alum Jason Kisling. 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 Positions: Sales Team Account Manager at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Details:

Job Description
BiOS is now looking for an account manager to join our multinational sales team.

This is an ideal role for a bilingual with some sales experience and a familiarity with IT infrastructure and framework. Those interested in taking their career to the next level with one of Tokyo’s up and coming foreign sales teams are highly encouraged to apply.
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Jan 18

Job: Bilingual sales Administrator-Assistant at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Uncategorized Comments Off on Job: Bilingual sales Administrator-Assistant at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Via JET alum Jason Kisling. 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 Positions: Bilingual sales Administrator-Assistant at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Details:

We are currently looking for a Bilingual Sales Administrator/Assistant to join our Outsourcing team at BiOS. An ideal candidate should be someone who is willing to contribute to our growing business as a part of our team. This is a great opportunity to apply your bilingual as well as gain practical experience in the international environment.
Read More

Jan 18

Job: Account Manager (IT Outsourcing) at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Uncategorized Comments Off on Job: Account Manager (IT Outsourcing) at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Via JET alum Jason Kisling. 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 Positions: Account Manager (IT Outsourcing) at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Details:

BiOS is looking for an Account Manager to join our multinational IT outsourcing team in Tokyo.

In this position, you will be responsible for maintaining and building relationships with international clients regarding our IT infrastructure outsourcing services, as well as managing conditions of our dispatched staffs who are providing IT support at our clients on-site.

An ideal candidate should be someone who is willing to contribute to our growing business as a part of our team. This is a great opportunity to apply your bilingual as well as gain practical experience in the international environment.
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Jan 18

Job: Bilingual Helpdesk Engineer at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Jobs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Job: Bilingual Helpdesk Engineer at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Via JET alum Jason Kisling. 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 Positions: Bilingual Helpdesk Engineer at BiOS Inc. (Tokyo)

Job Details:

BiOS is currently looking for a Bilingual Helpdesk Engineer to work at our international IT company in Roppongi and provide IT support remotely to our clients who are mainly international companies. The service will be provided in both English and Japanese.

Qualified candidates will be responsible for handling and organizing questions and claims regarding IT devices and programs. This is a great opportunity to apply your bilingual skill as a Helpdesk Engineer in an international environment.
Read More

Jan 18

2012 JET Memorial Invitation Program (JET MIP) for US High School Students

Earthquake Tsunami Comments Off on 2012 JET Memorial Invitation Program (JET MIP) for US High School Students

Via the Japan Foundation Los Angeles website.  This program is for any high school students interested in Japan. The program was created by the Japan Foundation to honor the memories of JETs Taylor Anderson (Miyagi-ken, Ishinomaki-shi) & Monty Dickson (Iwate-ken, Rikuzentakata-shi) who were lost in the tragic events of March 11th 2011.

2012 JET MEMORIAL INVITATION PROGRAM (JET MIP) FOR U.S. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS   

http://www.jflalc.org/jle-12-jet-mip.html

The 2012 JET-MIP program will provide 32 high school students with the opportunity to go to Japan for two weeks as a group to meet Japanese students, experience Japanese culture, and study the language. It was created in 2011 in memory of the two beloved American teachers of English who lost their lives in the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011: Taylor Anderson (Ishinomaki, Miyagi) and Montgomery Dickson (Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate). The program is open to 11^thand 12^thgraders who are currently learning Japanese, and it seeks to honor the principles which Taylor and Monty valued during their lives.

The trip is an educational visit throughout Japan including Miyagi or Iwate. It lasts 18 nights and 19 days, including pre-visit orientation and post visit wrap up in Los Angeles. A total of 14 nights and 15 days are in Japan. Its purpose is to:

1. Encourage American high school students to study Japanese
2. Encourage youth exchanges such as the JET program as an option for students
3. Create a network of students for the future

Download 2012 JET-MIP PDF

To be eligible, participant must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be learning Japanese as a foreign language
• Be an 11th or 12th grade student during the 2011/2012 school year
• Have completed at least two years of Japanese-language courses at a U.S. high school

Note: Students whose high school does not offer Japanese-language course and are currently taking Japanese classes at an accredited educational institution (such as at a community college) may still apply to the program. However they must be endorsed by his/her Japanese teacher.

• Intend to continue Japanese-language education in future
• Be a member of the Japanese National Honor Society (JNHS) or have equivalent academic scores (Japanese GPA: 3.5 or higher; overall GPA: 3.0 or higher)
• Have not visited Japan for more than seven consecutive days in the past three years
• Be able to take part in the entire itinerary, including the pre-visit orientation, the post-visit wrap-up in Los Angeles, the group airplane trips, and the group hotel visits.
• Be in good physical and mental health
• Have taken the National Japanese Exam (information can be found on the NCJLT website, athttp://www.ncjlt.net/).

Note: You must register for the 2012 exam by January 31, 2012.

• Have the consent of a parent or guardian.

Itinerary (tentative):

July 8 through July 26, 2012

Activities: Japanese language lessons, Introductions to Japanese culture and society such as geography, kimono, taiko drums, teen slang, anime, manga, high school visits, field trips to Kyoto, Osaka and Tohoku area (Miyagi or Iwate) and a homestay in Osaka

Costs:

The Japan Foundation will pay for accommodation, airfare, food, and admission fees in Japan and during orientation in Los Angeles.

Participants Requirements:

• Participants will not be allowed to deviate from the arranged events and locations, nor have non-participants accompany them.
• Participants are required to write an essay in Japanese within one month of the program’s conclusion.

Application Procedure:

• Application forms will be available on our website (www.jflalc.org) in February. Tentative application deadline is April 13, 2012 (Friday).
• NJE registration and application materials must be submitted by the applicant’s Japanese-language teacher.
• Each school can only submit ONE Application.

The above information may be changed without prior notice.

Download Sample Application

Jan 18

I’ll Make It Myself!: “Minoh Brewery and Beer Belly, Osaka”

Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Travel/Tourism, Writers beer, Beer Belly, brewpub, craft beer, microbrew, Minoh Brewery, Osaka Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: “Minoh Brewery and Beer Belly, Osaka”

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.

After several trips to the brewpub Beer Belly and to the actual Minoh Brewery, it’s about time I got around to reviewing my absolute favorite beer in Japan: Minoh Beer (箕面ビール), which operates from Minoh, Osaka. Readers of my blog know that I love craft beers, and also that finding a really good dark beer in Japan is a huge challenge.

CLICK HERE to read the full post.

Jan 17

JETwit supports the protest against SOPA/PIPA

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On January 18, 2012, sites all over the internet will be blacking out to protest and try to mobilize more people to speak out against this bill coming up in the Senate next week — S. 968: the Protect IP Act (PIPA) — in an attempt to let U.S. lawmakers know how much opposition there is.

If the bill passes in the U.S. Senate, it will put publishing freedom severely at risk, and could shut down entire sites at the whim of media companies. Fight for the Future created this nifty video to sum it up better than I can.

http://vimeo.com/31100268

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Also, please take a few minutes to visit americancensorship.org and take action. It only takes a few moments of your time to be an agent of change!

Jan 16

The Rice Cooker Chronicles: “Broccoli Lover Learns to BBQ, Part 2″ by Clara Solomon

Anecdote Article, Cultural Outreach, Food & Drink, Rice Cooker Chronicles, Writers barbecue, bbq, community, yaki niku Comments Off on The Rice Cooker Chronicles: “Broccoli Lover Learns to BBQ, Part 2″ by Clara Solomon

The Rice Cooker Chronicles is a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan. The brain-child of JETwit founder  Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, Kariya-shi, 1992-94) (and inspired by the book Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant), this series is curated by L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11), 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.

New submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.

*****

Broccoli Lover Learns to BBQ

Part 2

by Clara Solomon (CIR, Nichinan-cho, Tottori-ken; 1999-2001), the Director of Counseling & Career Development at the Office of Career Services at New York University School of Law. She previously worked for the Japan External Trade Organization, specializing in trade relations between Japan and Latin America.  She lives in Queens with her husband and twin daughters.

Read Part 1 here.

Living in a small farming community has a lot of advantages, I soon learned. For example, I was at the town festival in August shortly after arriving, and casually mentioned to one of my farmer neighbors that I liked sweet corn. I woke up the next day to find about 15 ears of freshly-picked sweet corn on my doorstep. Even when I didn’t particularly like something, I would often find that a kind neighbor, perhaps worried about my over-consumption of broccoli, had left bushels of it at my front door. I guess they’d heard that Americans eat a lot, because they would leave bags stuffed with enough eggplant, cabbage, and carrots to feed a small army. (Why, I often wondered, had I not moved to rural Tuscany, where I could have gotten donations of sun-ripened tomatoes, basil, and fresh bufala mozzarella?).
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Jan 16

Job: Japan Informatio​n Center in Chicago has an opening for a part-time position

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Japan Informatio​n Center in Chicago has an opening for a part-time position

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 Details:

The Japan Information Center in Chicago has an opening for a part-time position that will run from the beginning of February through March. The primary responsibility of this position is to assist with JET Interviews (tentatively, February 20-25), but other responsibilities pertaining to the JET Program and JIC activities will also be assigned.
Read More

Jan 16

Job: Interprete​r for Origami Presentati​on

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Interprete​r for Origami Presentati​on

Via Florida JETAA. 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: Interprete​r for Origami Presentati​on

Job Details:

The Consulate General of Japan in Miami is bringing in an origami specialist who will be doing presentations at local schools. They need an interpreter available to help on the following days in the following locations:

Interpreter must be fluent in both English and Japanese (at least roughly level JLPT N2).

How to apply:
Please send email to info@cgjmia.org if interested with your hourly rate.