Dec 16

Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, was quoted or mentioned this week in articles in:


Dec 15

WITLife #8 – Christmas Cakes and Monolingual Nobel Prize Winners

WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03).

My posts from last week were largely doom and gloom about the current economic woes, so I thought I’d start this week with something lighter from recent Japanese TV news—the topic of Christmas cake!  Definitely a big deal in Japan.

(For those unfamiliar, Japanese Christmas focused primarily on Christmas Eve.  The actual holiday is a regular workday, to the dismay of many an English teacher.  It is a secular celebration where couples and families get together to eat typical Christmas fare such as Kentucky fried chicken and strawberry shortcake.)

The TV news this past Friday profiled the major department store Matsuya in Ginza, which sells 25 million cakes during the three day period from the 23rd until Christmas.  The cakes that are selected to be featured in its seasonal catalog basically determine how the year’s profits will turn out.

An essential part of the selection process are the taste-testers who decide on certain ingredients.   This year’s hot commodity was Read More


Dec 12

Here’s the latest update on JET alum Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica and professor at Tokyo University:

ADBUSTERS: A feature story, co-written with Leo Lewis of the Times of London, about signs of socialism and unrest among Japanese youth and the Kanikosen phenomenon is now online:
http://www.adbusters.org/magazine/81/big_in_japan.html (On a related topic, Stacy Smith comments on recent political unrest following the closing of an auto manufacturing plant in Japan in WITLife #7-Totyota Shock (Part 2).)

DAILY YOMIURI: In his latest Soft Power/Hard Truths column in the Daily Yomiuri, Roland revisits Michael Arias, the only American to have directed a feature anime film in Japan–Tekkonkinkreet(which, incidentally, premiered in the US at MOMA in 2007).  Arias’s forthcoming film is the live action Heaven’s Door (opens 2/7/09 in Japan), which Roland attended at a private screening last week.  Link to the column:  http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/arts/20081212TDY13004.htm

Seikai University Talk: Roland’s blog (japanamerica.blogspot.com) has a post about his recent talk at Seikei University in western Tokyo about Japanamerica where he introduced both the ideas examined in the book and the latest happenings in the trans-cultural exchange between Japan and the U.S.


Dec 12

WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03).

Not to continue the doom and gloom of yesterday’s post, but a good portion of today’s news was again devoted to Toyota Shock. For this company itself, out of 9,200 temporary workers, 3,000 of them will be laid off. In regard to next year’s sales forecast for the whole Toyota group, an estimated 9.5 million cars were anticipated to be sold to the American market, but this forecast has been reduced to 8 million.

The car company Isuzu fired 1,400 workers from its factory in Kanazawa, and those affected took it upon themselves to fight back. Footage was shown of these workers handing out pamphlets to co-workers asking them to join their union and asking executives to retract their dismissal. Evidently these cuts came without notice, causing Read More


Dec 11

Another attempt to replace ALTs

Yet another devious attempt to replace ALTs.  And this one doesn’t like being touched on the breast.  (I’m not making this up.  Read the article for yourself.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/10/aiko-the-female-robot-inv_n_149860.html)


Dec 11

WITLife #6 – Toyota Shock

WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03).

In my previous post I mentioned that in Japan they use “Lehman shock” to refer to the crumbling of our financial institutions, and it seems like they are seeing the same phenomenon at home.

On the news yesterday morning the buzzword “Toyota shock” was used, referring to the economic woes Japan’s most famous and successful brand is having and its repercussions. (I’m waiting to see what they come up with for other countries.  Is “Samsung shock” for Korea next?).

Factories are being closed in Aichi Prefecture where Toyota headquarters is located, as well as in more far-flung locations such as Oita Prefecture in Kyushu.  There they have laid off 1,000 employees, who lose Read More


Dec 10

WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03).

Starting with this post I thought I’d introduce a more behind the scenes aspect of WIT life, that being the preparation and work that takes place when I am not traveling or working on an assignment.

In order to keep my Japanese skills sharp, besides conversing with native speakers (don’t be afraid to ask to be corrected!) I enjoy the daily programming of Fujisankei.  In particular, the news airing at 7 a.m. (rebroadcast at 10) every weekday morning is especially insightful for keeping up to date on what’s going on in Japan and beyond, and how certain concepts would be expressed in Japanese.

An essential part of being a translator/interpreter is knowing the correct vocabulary for recent phenomenon, as these are words that change with the times and require constant updating of your brain.  For example, in Japan the collapse of our economic institutions is referred to as Read More


Dec 10

Reuters video article on NY de Volunteer’s recent Spa Day

Speaking of volunteering, Reuters Japan has a good video article (in Japanese) about NY de Volunteer’s recent Spa Day, where the volunteers go to a nursing home and treat the residents to a day of various beauty spa treatments.  (FYI, the segment starts at about 2:55 into the video.)

(For those of you with stronger Japanese skills, please feel free to post summary comments in English so other JetWit readers can get a sense of what’s being said.)


Dec 8

Roland Kelts Update: Studio360 in Japan and Interview in Brooklyn Rail

Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, has a few new things going on since we last checked in with him.

Studio360See some photos and read about Roland working with the Studio360 folks in Japan on an upcoming radio program.  (Studio360 is a great show that runs on NPR and explores cultures via their artists.)

Brooklyn Rail — Roland has an interview in Brooklyn Rail with David Hadju, A Columbia Journalism School professor and author of Lush Life, Positively 4th Street, and now Ten Cent Plague, a record of America’s pre-code comic book auteurs.


Dec 6

Japan Outreach Initiative Program

From the JETAA Chicago webletter.  Apparently there’s a sort of reverse JET Program going on:

Do you know any Japanese citizens who would like to work in the United States promoting Japanese culture? If so, please forward this information to them!

Accepting Applications to the Japan Outreach Initiative ProgramDeadline: January 7, 2009

JOI is seeking outgoing, energetic Japanese nationals interested in joining the program (a monthly stipend is provided, see www.laurasian.org/joi for more details about the program and other financial support). Read More


Dec 3

A recently returned JET alum recently asked for suggestions on recruiting firms or other channels for “getting back to Japan.”  Since my sense is that the US job market is making that an increasing trend among returning JETs, I wanted to put the question out to the JET alum community.

The only option I can think of off the top of my head is Interac, which had a recent post on JetWit.

Do you have suggestions for recruiting firms or other decent options for “getting back to Japan?”  Post a comment below or send an email to jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.


Dec 3

JET alum photos from Obama-shi, Fukui-ken Celebration

JET alum professional translator Philip Schnell happened to be in Japan at the time of Obama’s presidential victory, decided to drop in on Obama-shi and stumbled into the surreal experience of a Japanese Obama watch/victory party.

Click here to see more of his photos.


Dec 3

Update: Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99)

After chaperoning Pete Townsend and The Who around Japan for a couple weeks, having a press conference with Hayao Miyazaki and interviewing both Murakamis (Haruki and Ryu), Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99) pauses to reflect on the interactions as well as some new perspectives on “pop culture” in his latest SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS column in the Daily Yomiuri.

Update: I just learned from Roland that the radio discussion listed below will actually not air this week.

You can also hear Roland on NPR’s “The World” this Thursday (i.e., tomorrow) for a program about the Japanese Language Proficiency Test in the US.


Dec 2

Jameri-pop?

I was listening to NY-based band HappyFunSmile on my iShuffle on my subway commute home last night, and it hit me that bands like HappyFunSmile, Gaijin-a-Go-Go, Soh Daiko (of which Ariel Shearman (Ichikawa-ken, 1994-97) is a member) and perhaps others seem to be part of a trend that could be called “Jameri-pop,” i.e., a hybrid of US and Japanese culture, though perhaps with an ironic sense more typical in U.S. culture than Japanese.  Sort of a twist on Roland Kelts Japanamerica concept.

I’m guessing someone somewhere has already discussed and described this trend, though I Googled the word “jameripop” and nothing came up. Maybe it’s just a New York thing at this point in time, given the high concentration of young Japanese people in a city already known for setting trends. I don’t travel around to other parts of the U.S. enough to know.

Do you have other examples of “Jameri-pop?”  Send an e-mail to jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.

Here’s a sample of HappyFunSmile from a performance at the Knitting Factory in NYC:


Dec 1

Job: Freelance writers needed (Tokyo)

Interesting job listing from Craigslist Tokyo.  Reminds me of the Tom Lehrer line about a certain doctor specializing in “diseases of the rich.”

Freelance writers needed (Tokyo)

Reply to: job-935865525@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-11-27, 4:27PM JT

New bi-monthly magazine looking for freelance writers. The magazine will target wealthy and successful foreigners in Japan and will include topics such as business, politics and culture or anything that might interest the readers. The language will be English.

Reply with a short description of your past experience and an sample of your previous work.

We will also consider Japanese writers even if the English ability is not entirely perfect. We will spell-check and rewrite together with you.


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