Job: HelloEnglish.US seeks ESL tutors for Japanese learners on Skype
Jobs 
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A job listing directly from HelloEnglish.us which has posted to JETwit previously and had success hiring JET alumni as a result:
Job Position: ESL Tutors needed for Japanese learners on Skype
Job Details: My name is Scarlett and I live in Wilmington, NC. I own a small business that is growing quite rapidly called HelloEnglish.us. I give English conversation classes to people in Japan on Skype. Currently, I have around 400 students. I have about 30 current tutors but it is not near enough. I have over 1800 classes that are prepaid and I am looking to hire 20 more tutors. I am in need of teachers or tutors who would like to earn extra money. One of my teachers was accepted into the JET program. He found it invaluable to work here in a small way to prepare for what was coming in Japan. I also think that this might be very helpful for JET Alumni re-acclimating themselves to their home country. Or like me, an older woman who looks back affectionately on my time in Japan and sees my conversations as a way to re-connect with the culture I know and appreciate so well.
This job pays $12 per 55 minute class completed and is paid through PayPal on a weekly basis. The tutors make their own schedule of when they would like to give classes. The job is “located” on Skype ~ a free computer application.
Here is more information about the positions and how to apply: http://www.onlineeikaiwa.jp/eslteachers.html
I have had previous success hiring alumni of the JET Program and would love to hire more.
Consulate General of Japan in New York: “Current Situation of the Senkaku Islands”
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The below was sent by the Japan Information Center, an agency of the Consulate General of Japan in New York:
The Japan Information Center, Consulate General of Japan in New York, would like to brief you on the “Current Situation of the Senkaku Islands” as follows:
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Current Situation of Senkaku Islands
Dear Friends,
In recent months, the geography of Japan has been challenged, historical maps disputed. Last month witnessed the General Assembly sessions where international matters were discussed and debated. Of grave interest to Japan, the Chinese Foreign Minister made China’s own assertion on the sovereignty issue of the Senkaku Islands in his general debate.
We at the Japan Information Center in New York wish to take this opportunity to present to you a few key historical facts about the issue so that you can have a clear and accurate understanding of the matter.
The Senkaku Islands, a chain of five small islands and rocks in the East China Sea, has been an inherent territory of Japan since it first established territorial sovereignty in 1895. The Japanese government established territorial sovereignty of the islands with a cabinet decision in 1895, after a decade of government surveys which confirmed that the Senkakau Islands had been uninhabited, with no trace of having been under the control of the Qing Dynasty of China.
Since that time, the Senkaku Islands have been an integral part of the Nansei Shoto/Okinawa Islands of Japan. They were never part of the Formosa (Taiwan) or the Pescadore Islands, which were ceded to Japan by the Qing Dynasty of China in May of 1895 as part of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Under the post-World War II San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951, the Senkaku Islands –which were not included as territories Japan renounced – were placed under the administration of the United States as part of the Nansei Shoto/Okinawa Islands, with administrative rights returning to Japan in 1971.
Japan has effectively controlled the Senkaku Islands since 1895 by exercising administrative duties such as patrol and law enforcement and the levying of taxes on the private owners of the islands.
China and Taiwan began making their own assertions on territorial sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands only from 1971 when the question of the development of petroleum resources on the continental shelf of the East China Sea arose. China and Taiwan had not, prior to that point, raised any objection to Japan’s sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands’ in 75 years. No complaints were made at crucial junctures in the post-World War II history; not in 1945 when Taiwan, without the inclusion of the Senkaku Islands, was freed from Japan, nor in 1951 at the post-World War II drafting of the San Francisco Peace Treaty when administrative rights for the islands were placed from Japan to the United States. In fact, Chinese publications have acknowledged the Senkaku Islands as being a part of Japan, one recent example being a 1953 article titled “The Struggle Against U.S. Occupation by the People of the Ryukyu Islands” in the national newspaper published by China’s Communist Party, the People’s Daily, which clearly defined the Senkaku Islands as being a part of the Japanese Ryukyu Islands.
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JETAA Northern California announces 2012 Scholarship Winner
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Milo Barisof (front right) celebrates winning the 2012 JETAANC scholarship with his parents, Steven and Bonnie, and JET Alumni John Dzida and Johanna Wee. (Photo by JETAA NC.)
Via the JETAA Northern California website. FYI, ten years ago JETAA Northern California created a scholarship for students who demonstrate interest in Japan’s language and culture.
The JET Alumni Association of Northern California recently awarded its annual scholarship to Milo Barisof, a graduate of Alternative Family Education, an independent home study program in Santa Cruz, CA.
Throughout his high school career, Milo pursued his passion for Japanese language and culture while maintaining a demanding course load. His years of diligent practice were apparent when Milo was awarded first place at the 38th annual Japanese Speech Contest, sponsored by the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco. In addition to his academic achievements, Milo is an accomplished violinist, who performed throughout high school with the Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony.
“Milo’s love of the Japanese language and his passion for learning is very apparent,” said Johanna Wee, JETAANC board member. “Given Milo’s work ethic and drive, I am confident he will achieve everything he sets out to do in life.”
Milo entered Pomona College in Claremont, CA this fall. He plans to major in Japanese.
The JETAANC scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate an interest in Japan’s language and culture. Applicants are evaluated on academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities, personal essays and letters of recommendation. The scholarship is in its 10th year.
Hiroshima JET’s “The Wide Island View” – 09.25.12
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From The Wide Island View, the JET Program Webzine of Hiroshima Prefecture:
Have you wondered what happens to JETs after they are, well, JETs? Jackie hunted down ex-JET Greg Beck to ask him what life holds after five years in Japan and how to make the most of the experience. Read all about it at Where Are They Now? JET Alum Greg Beck.
Now the weather has cooled down, are you looking to get some exercise? What about an excuse to catch up with friends? Or a chance to travel Japan? If any of those ideas motivate you, read Maire’s article, Kure Shipheads Touch Rugby Team – Don’t let the ship sail without you!
We hope you are enjoying the cooler temperatures. Make the most of the lovely weather to travel and socialise – check out old articles for lots of inspiration! Remember we update the site every two weeks and we have a forum up and running. Enjoy!
Charly & Emily
JET Author Beat: Current Okinawa JET debuts with new book “Samurai Awakening”
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Benjamin Martin is a fifth-year JET ALT in Okinawa Prefecture. He spent three years on Kitadaito Island, a place of 12 sq km and 550 people before moving across the prefecture to another island called Kumejima. His debut novel Samurai Awakening is out now on online retailers and hits bookstores October 10, 2012. Benjamin competes in Okinawan Sumo, is co-host of FM Kumejima’s weekly Haisai English radio program, writes the blog More Things Japanese and serves as an occasional plaything for elementary school students.
About Samurai Awakening and Benjamin Martin
Samurai Awakening is a Young Adult fantasy that takes place in Japan. I began writing it as a way to bring aspects of Japanese culture to young westernersas a compliment to what we do on JET. Overall, it’s a fun read with aspects of Japanese mythology derived from The Kojiki and a healthy dose of real Japan as seen during my time teaching kindergarten through junior high. Here’s the official description:
Benjamin Martin (Okinawa-ken), author of Samurai Awakening
David Matthews is having a particularly bad day, after an especially bad month. His first weeks as an exchange student in Japan have left him homesick and misunderstood by nearly everyone around him, even his host family! Beaten down by a month of loneliness and bullies at school, a fateful invitation to the local Shinto shrine sends David on a path no foreigner has experienced before.
After awakening with a newfound ability to speak Japanese, David learns the members of the Matsumoto family are far more than just traditional sword smiths. They are the keepers of ancient secrets, and a task set upon them by the first Emperor- to train new Jitsugen Samurai, protectors of Japan.
When more strange things begin happening to David, he discovers his future is tied to a Japanese god within him, and that to be a Jitsugen Samurai holds consequences he may not survive. With his new family, friends, and a reluctant ally, David must fight against dangers far closer than any of them realize. As students disappear, David must overcome his past, and accept a new and uncertain future in time to stop the lurking darkness threatening Japan.Why Write?
I started writing as a way to share my experience on JET. My photography and writing skills have grown in tandem since I began my blog More Things Japanese in 2010. I had read Sir Basil Hall Chamberlain’s Things Japanese at the University of Arizona, and wanted to recreate it for today. It became a way to share the unique aspects of Japan I see every day with the world.
The two projects complement each other. The blog lets me focus on non-fiction without having to worry about huge amounts of research. I can simply share what I see, while my novels provide a chance to explore the question, “What if The Kojiki is more than mythology?”
JET has been an amazing experience, and writing gives me a chance to give back and continue to promote the ideals of cultural exchange. I left the US for Japan with a degree in Business and an interest in Japan. Now I have found just how amazing this country can be, and learned a lot about myself I had not known before.
Join the Awakening.
Enter to win a free copy of Samurai Awakening. http://morethingsjapanese.com/samurai-awakening-is-here/ Contest ends 10/10/2012. Alternately you can support my blog and novel by purchasing a copy from your favorite bookstore or online vendor. Thank you!
JET Alum Author Beat: Nicholas Klar’s “My Mother is a Tractor” now free on Kindle for a limited time
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JET alum Nicholas Klar’s (Niigata-ken, Omi-machi (now Itoigawa-shi), 1995-97) My Mother is a Tractor: A Life in Rural Japan, originally published in 2006, is now available for free on Kindle for the next couple days. Click here for more details.
Here’s some more info about the book:
Less than six months after chucking in his management job to take up teaching Nicholas Klar finds himself on the JET Program and a plane to Japan – ending up as an ALT teaching English in Omi (now Itoigawa City) in the far reaches of rural Niigata prefecture.
Never one to be taken too seriously he spends two years far beyond the beaten tourist path in often carousing encounters with Elvis impersonators, love hotels, toilets, train schedules, cults, hostess girls, freezing weather, the local garbage-man and postal workers, plus the recording of a bizarre incident where a cow apparently falls out of the sky.
Combining humour, wonder and a good deal of eclectic research the author veritably crams his pages chock-full of tales of culture shock, humorous anecdotes and insights, reflections upon his own life and cultural baggage, strange facts, plus cultural incongruities and marvels. He inevitably falls in with a motley crew of acquaintances along the way and revealed are many of the personalities he encounters – both Japanese and foreigners.
My Mother is a Tractor is rollicking, fact-filled ride through the Land of the Rising Sun that will both amuse and inform.
JETAA DC Summer 2012 Newsletter
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The JETAA DC Summer 2012 Newsletter has just been published. Here’s the link: http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/7247642/324117872/name/JETAADC+Summer+Newsletter.pdf
Here’s a note from JETAA DC Newsletter Editor Sarah Howe:
Hi everyone,
I’m Sarah Howe, your new JETAADC newsletter chairperson. A lot of JET alums have been busy this summer, and you can read all about it in the attached summer newsletter! If you’re doing something Japan-related that you’d like people to know about, please consider submitting an article to the fall newsletter. We’d love to read your stories!
Sarah
Hiroshima JET’s “The Wide Island View” is back in action
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From The Wide Island View, the JET Program Webzine of Hiroshima Prefecture:
Greetings!
Hello everyone and welcome to the first Wide Island View email for 2012!
After a long hiatus, WIV is back in action! We have an enthusiastic new team and we are all very excited about bringing you lots of interesting stories over the year. Apologies if today’s email seems a little large – we promise to update you more regularly in the future!
How are the new jobs going? How are you coping with the summer heat? In the interest of helping you feel better in the intensity of Japanese summer, we have had a summer focus on many of our articles this August.
First up, for those of you that struggle to eat in this heat, or are not sure what you can eat in this new country full of kanji, Emily has written you an article on eating, Eating to Keep Cool and Energized During Japanese Summer (or, Centuries of Advice on How Not to Become a Melted Slug). Thanks to Emily’s article I have discovered tasty tofu soumen. I hope you discover something new too!
Should you want to escape the heat, check out Charly’s article on Jinseki-kougen. This is the first in an inaka series that will focus on parts of the prefectures that are off the tourist trail. If escaping to the cool mountains sounds like something you would enjoy, readWelcome to Jinseki-kougen. Or just let the pictures persuade you.
If Jinseki is too far away, or you have checked out Jinseki and can’t wait for some more inaka, try Akiota-cho for size. Before she left, Harriet kindly spilled all the secrets Read More
Nagasaki JET alumni meet Nagasaki Governor and Assembly members together with Nagasaki Group in New York
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Via the Japan Local Government Center blog:
(Click link above to see photos.)
In early September, Four Nagasaki JET alumni participated in an exchange meeting with a delegation from Nagasaki Prefecture (led by the incumbent Governor Nakamura) and the Nagasaki Association in New York (New York Batten-kai).
In the first part, Nagasaki residents in New York and the alumni spoke of their ideas and opinions about how to revitalize Nagasaki Prefecture. The alumni proposed the promotion of eco-tourism, making the most of the newly introduced Shinkansen, etc. The Governor, assembly members including the Assembly Speaker Mr. Watanabe and other prefecture officials listened to them earnestly.
After that, they happily spoke with each other about their memories of JET life in Nagasaki and so on.
September 17th, 2012
Counselor / Deputy Executive Director, Hotaka Kawasaki
Japan Society (NY) Event: Local Economic Recovery: Firsthand Accounts from Tohoku
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Thanks to Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA), for sharing this Japan Society event with which JCIE is involved.
Local Economic Recovery: Firsthand Accounts from Tohoku
LECTURE: Local Economic Recovery: Firsthand Accounts from Tohoku
Monday, September 17, 6:30 PM
SYNOPSIS
The world’s eyes were on Kamaishi City in Iwate Prefecture a year and a half ago when a large portion of the city was devastated by the March 2011 tsunami. A number of small and mid-sized businesses—the lifeblood of the region—have taken innovative, entrepreneurial approaches that have yielded initial successes in revitalizing the local economy. Local leaders, Akiko Iwasaki, Owner, Horaikan ryokan, Akio Ono, President, Ono Foods Co., Ltd, and Takahiro Sasa, Deputy Manager, Industry Promotion Department, Kamaishi, as well as Takeo Kikkawa, an energy expert and Professor, Graduate School of Commerce and Management, Hitotsubashi University, will give firsthand accounts of how they have restarted their businesses against formidable odds and the challenges that continued to confront their community and others like it throughout the disaster zone.Followed by a reception.
TICKETS
$12/$8 Japan Society members, seniors & students
Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm.
Time to Vote! Chicago JETAA “Daily Life in Japan” Photo Contest 2012
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Chicago JETAA “Daily Life in Japan” Photo Contest 2012
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD – CAST YOUR VOTE!!!
http://jetaachicago.com/contest/vote.html
Pick your favorite photos, one from each of the six categories. A big thanks to all our participants so far who have submitted photos! ELIGIBILITY: Anyone with a valid email address is welcome to cast a vote. JETs and non-JETs alike are encouraged to participate. One voting session per person is allowed. Voting ends Sept 19th!!
JETAA Canada Conference Report 2012
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The JETAA Canada Conference was held in Calgary from June 8–10. They just put out a very nice on-line conference report.
Here’s the link: http://issuu.com/jetaabc/docs/jetaabc_summary_report
Fukui JET alumni meet Fukui Group in New York
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Four Fukui JET alumni participated in a recent exchange meeting with a delegation from Fukui Prefecture (led by the incumbent Governor Nishikawa) and the Fukui Association (Fukui Kenjinkai) in New York.
The alumni happily spoke with the governor and others about their memories of JET life in Fukui, artworks on traditional Echizen paper (Echizen-Washi), plays featuring the sometimes amusing daily life in Fukui, and many other topics.
JET alum helps Japan ICU Foundation to hold Tohoku fundraiser event at Japanese Embassy in DC
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Junko Hibiya, President of ICU
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JET Alum Mark Flanigan (Nagasaki-ken, 2000-04) volunteered for earthquake relief efforts in Ishinomaki following 3/11, as a way to give back to the country he has lived in twice now. As a Rotary Peace Fellow at the International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo, Mark jumped at the opportunity to volunteer in Tohoku after the devastating earthquake struck Japan. He joined a group of international student volunteers, including graduate and undergraduate students of many nationalities, in helping to clean up a small fishing village in Oshika-hanto. Now a graduate of ICU, Mark continues his efforts for ongoing Tohoku relief as a Program Director with the Japan ICU Foundation in New York City.
On Friday, September 14, the Japan ICU Foundation (JICUF) will hold a special Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction in Washington, DC. The event will begin at 6:00 pm at the Old Ambassador’s Residence, adjacent to the Embassy of Japan on Massachusetts Avenue. Special guests will include the new (and first-ever female) ICU President Junko Hibiya, Dean of International Affairs Shaun Malarney and Mr. Kakutaro Kitashiro, the Chair of ICU’s board of trustees.
Mark Flanigan (Nagasaki-ken, 2000-04)
This Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction will continue JICUF’s ongoing support for a variety of recovery efforts in the wake of the tragic March 11th, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, with the proceeds from the evening to go towards supporting ICU’s continuing earthquake relief projects in Tohoku. It follows on JICUF’s March Sake Tasting Fundraiser at the Penn Club in New York City, which raised nearly $10,000 to support these efforts. Since the devastating March 11, 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear accident, JICUF has worked with ICU in Tokyo on key aspects of the ongoing response.
If you would like to attend the fundraiser event on September 14, you can go here for more information: http://jicuf.org/newsevents/fundraising-dinner-in-washington-dc-on-friday-september-14/
Members of the JET Alumni community are welcome and encouraged to join! Special discounts are available for Students, Young Professionals and the Media.
To RSVP for this event, please contact the JICUF at information@jicuf.org.
UPDATE: JETAA NY Career Panel: The State of ESL and Language Education in Japan and the US
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Update #1: We’re pleased to announce the addition to the panel of Matthew Cook (Osaka-fu, 2007-12), former AJET Chair and now advisor to the Osaka Board of Education’s Native English Teacher (NET) Program.
Update #2: We are planning on webcasting the event through my YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/stevenwaseda?feature=mhee). Go to that link at 6:30 pm (NY time) to watch live (and post comments and questions). Or, go there any other time to watch the recording. (Apologies in advance for any technical difficulties. This will be my first time trying a webcast using Google+ and YouTube.)
JETAA NY Career Panel: The State of ESL and Language Education in Japan and the US
- WHEN: Tuesday, Aug 28, 6:30pm-8:30pm
- WHERE: Japan Local Government Center office, 3 Park Ave., 20th Floor
- RSVP on JETAANY Facebook Event page, or by email to professional [at] jetaany.org
This JETAANY Career panel will consist of a presentation by JET alum James Rogers, Assistant Professor at Kansai Gaidai, followed by Q&A with James and a panel of JET alum language teachers, including former AJET Chair and now .
Presentation: The State of Language Education in Japan: Job Opportunities and Living in 21st Century Japan
This presentation will discuss various issues regarding working in the language industry in Japan. University work and the conditions and benefits of various levels of such positions, agent out-sourced jobs, union membership, the value of higher degrees and certificates, Japanese language skills, the nuclear crisis and the safety of living in certain areas, and the value of scholarly research will be discussed. The information presented at this event should be beneficial to JET alumni who are considering moving back to Japan and up in their career to the university level, and also those who have some university experience but are interested in learning more about what is needed to be successful at that level. Read More
