Return to Tohoku: Round-up 09.13.11
Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers 
Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: Round-up 09.13.11
***************
Here are updates from a few more of the 20 Tohoku region JET alumni selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to return to their town to both engage in volunteer efforts and also help document and share what’s going on there.
- Alan Mockridge (Iwate-ken, Ohtsuchi-shi), originally from the UK and now based in Santa Clara, CA, has started a blog in preparation for his upcoming trip to Tohoku. www.alanmockridge.com Alan reports that his town of Ohtsuchi “was completely destroyed by earthquake, tsunami & fire on 3/11. As you can imagine, after 17 years its been a bit of a challenge to reconnect with my old school but I’ve managed it & will depart on 19th Sep. until 27th.”
- James Foley will be blogging about his visit at jamesafoley.com.
- Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10) – “Still Alive, Just Really Busy” – Brent, based in Ottawa, writes about getting ready for his upcoming Tohoku visit and includes some of the recent media coverage about him.
You can also check the JETAA USA website post (“JET Alums Return to Tohoku”) for additional information.
CBC News Article on the MOFA/JET Alum “Return to Tohoku” Program
Earthquake Tsunami, Interview/Profile, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on CBC News Article on the MOFA/JET Alum “Return to Tohoku” Program
**********************
Here’s a link to a nice article on Canada’s CBC News website titled, “Repairing Japan’s image, one teacher at a time: 20 former teachers return to view progress in Japan six months after the earthquake and tsunami.” (By Amber Hildebrandt)
“Japan is employing an unusual method in its attempt to rejuvenate its faltering international image after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated the country exactly six months ago on March 11.
It comes in the form of a petite, brunette teacher from Canada: Tanya Gardecky, 25, of Aurora, Ont.
Or rather in the form of 20 foreigners from around the world who once taught English in the devastated regions and now have gone back, on Japan’s dime, to view the progress for themselves.
Each was once a teacher with the government-funded JET Programme and taught in the public school system.”
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article
Return to Tohoku: Video by Michael Blodgett
Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Video Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: Video by Michael Blodgett
******************
Update 9/11/11: Michael has also shared a link to photos from his trip along with commentary.
Michael Blodgett (Miyagi-ken, Iwadeyama, Osaki-shi, 2005-07) is one of the 20 Tohoku region JET alumni selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to return to their town to both engage in volunteer efforts and also help document and share what’s going on there. Michael is originally from Chicago and currently lives in Osaka.
Thanks to Michael for getting in touch and sharing the below video he made about his visit:
JETwit will continue to post updates from other participating alums.
Click here to read other “Return to Tohoku” posts.
If you are returning to Tohoku and would like to share your updates, please feel free to e-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
NY Miyagi-kenjinkai requests help from U.S. citizens who have lived or worked in Miyagi, Fukushima or Iwate
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Return on JET-vestment, Video, Volunteer Comments Off on NY Miyagi-kenjinkai requests help from U.S. citizens who have lived or worked in Miyagi, Fukushima or Iwate
******************
Thanks to Takahiro Ito of the Japan Local Government Center (aka CLAIR NY) for sharing this information about a request from the NY Miyagi-kenjinkai for help from U.S. citizens who have lived or worked in Miyagi, Fukushima or Iwate:
Dear Friends in the Japanese Production Industry — WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We are putting together a video to send our best wishes to people who were devastated by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th, 2011.
It’s for a branding commercial sponsored by a Japanese Semiconductor maker, scheduled to air during the JAPAN CORPORATE TEAM WOMEN’S MARATHON RELAY RACE this December.
The marathon runs through the cities in Miyagi prefecture that were most affected by the disaster.
We want to make contact with any U.S. Citizens you know who may have lived, worked, or visited FUKUSHIMA, IWATE, MIYAGI — the area recently devastated by the events of March 11th — and record their message in the NY or LA metro areas.
Ideal candidates are men and women between the ages of 20-40. It will be a chance for them to be interviewed for a TV message that will cheer on a recovering Japan, and help lift the spirits of the whole country!
If you know someone in the west coast please get in touch with office in California:
TAKA KAGUMA
tk@downtownreel.com
DOWNTOWN REEL LA
3122 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
TEL (310) 828-9200
Please fill out the below application and send it, along with a photo, to Taka or me. Interviews will be conducted this October or November.
Our client will go through the applicants and select the interviewees, each of whom will receive $1,000 for their participation.
Thanks for your help and support!
Best regards,
Miho Uchida Read More
From the Kahoku Online Network:
震災で犠牲の米国人ＡＬＴ 志文庫に託す 遺族が絵本寄贈
http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2011/09/20110907t15011.htm
東日本大震災で亡くなった宮城県石巻市の女性外国語指導助手（ＡＬＴ）テイラー・アンダーソンさん＝当時（２４）、米国出身＝の遺族が６日、アンダーソンさんが子ども時代に読んだ本を「テイラー文庫」として市内の小中学校などに寄贈した。
同市万石浦小で行われた贈呈式には、震災当日に授業を受けた６年生（当時５年生）６４人が出席。父親のアンディさん（５３）が「本を読んで、夢を持って生きてくれたら幸せです」とあいさつした。授業を受けた阿部萌香さん（１２）は「先生は優しかった。本は大切に読みたい」と話した。
寄贈されたのは、アンディさんらが新たに購入した英語の児童文学や絵本など約４０冊。東松島市の仮設住宅で暮らす地元の木工作家遠藤伸一さん（４２）が製作した本棚に収められている。
遠藤さんは子ども３人を津波で失い、長男と次女の２人が同市渡波小でアンダーソンさんの指導を受けていた。
遠藤さんは「明るく、元気なアンダーソンさんをイメージして作った。この仕事を機に、自分も前を向いて生きていこうと思った」と話した。
アンダーソンさんは２００８年に来日し、石巻市では万石浦小のほか、市内の幼稚園１カ所と小中学校計５校で英語を指導。「テイラー文庫」はこれらの幼稚園、小中学校にも寄贈される。
アンダーソンさんは震災当日、万石浦小から近くの万石浦中に児童を避難させた後、自転車で帰宅する途中に津波にのまれたとみられている。
2011年09月07日水曜日
And here’s a very rough summary in English:
“American ALT, lost in the disaster, is memorialized in a library; Family donates picture books”
The reading corner / library contains copies of books that Taylor read growing up. The dedication ceremony was held at Mangokuura Elementary, with 64 of Taylor’s former 5th grade students attending. There are 40 books in the shelves, which were built by Endo-san, a woodworker who lost his three children to the tsunami – two of whom were Taylor’s students at Watanoha Elementary School. Endo-san said that he built the shelves thinking about how bright and genki Taylor was, and that this project helped him to move forward with his own life, too. Andy Anderson told the students that he will be happy if they read books and hold on to their dreams in life.
JET Symposium to be televised on NHK September 8
Japan Trends, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on JET Symposium to be televised on NHK September 8
Posted to the JETAANY Facebook group by JET alum Ayelet Fogel (Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi):
“JET Symposium to celebrate 25 years of JET will be televised on NHK in Japan on Thursday 8th of September. Channel BS1 10pm-11pm Japan time. :) – if you can watch it please enjoy! Read about it at http://jetwit.com/wordpress/2011/08/17/jet-programme-25th-anniversary-symposium-to-be-held-by-japanese-government/“
And if you do happen to watch it, please feel free to e-mail a summary or any observations or comments about it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Ishinomaki presents Anderson family with certificate of appreciation
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Local Government, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on Ishinomaki presents Anderson family with certificate of appreciation
***************
Posted to Facebook by AJET Chair Matt Cook (Osaka), who was in attendance:
“Ishinomaki city’s mayor presents Taylor Anderson’s family with a certificate of appreciation. To say this memorial was moving doesn’t do it justice.”
Asahi Shimbun article on Andy Anderson and his family’s efforts to support Ishinomaki
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, Interview/Profile, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer Comments Off on Asahi Shimbun article on Andy Anderson and his family’s efforts to support Ishinomaki
************
Thanks to JET alum Mark Flanagan for sharing this article:
“Taking over a daughter’s dream to bridge Japan and U.S.”
By HIROSHI ITO / Correspondent
September 3, 2011
Andy Anderson never expected he would find himself trying to fill his daughter’s shoes by acting as a bridge between the United States and Japan.
But that all changed after his daughter, Taylor, perished in the massive tsunami spawned by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Anderson, 53, a realtor living in Midlothian, in the suburbs of Richmond in the U.S. state of Virginia, is determined to continue the work that his 24-year-old daughter started.
Taylor had been teaching English to a handful of elementary and junior high schools in Ishinomaki, a coastal city in Miyagi Prefecture that bore the brunt of the tsunami that devastated the Tohoku region.
She has been working as a teaching assistant since August 2008 under the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, a Japanese government initiative known as the JET program. Read More
Return to Tohoku: WSJ article on ex-JET’s return
Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: WSJ article on ex-JET’s return
Nice article on the Wall Street Journal’s RealJapan blog titled “JET Calls in Favors in Tohoku“ about ex-JET Tanya Gardecky (Miyagi-ken, Shiogama-shi) and her return to Tohoku through the MOFA program. Follow JETwit updates on Tanya here and follow Tanya’s ongoing blog of her experience here.
Link to the article: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/09/01/jet-calls-in-favors-in-tohoku/
Volunteer: Ex-JET’s “The MUD Project” aids Tohoku
Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer Comments Off on Volunteer: Ex-JET’s “The MUD Project” aids Tohoku
Just found out about Colin Rennie (CIR Yamagata-ken, 2007-10) who has been running a volunteer project called “The MUD Project“ that has enabled many JETs to volunteer in Tohoku with particular emphasis on Minamisanriku as well as other areas of Miyagi and Iwate.
Lots of good info, photos and updates on the project’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mudproject
Click here for an up to date list of JET-related Disaster Relief Projects.
JQ Magazine: JQ&A with JET Alum Mike Maher-King of Smile Kids Japan
Earthquake Tsunami, Interview/Profile, JQ Magazine, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on JQ Magazine: JQ&A with JET Alum Mike Maher-King of Smile Kids Japan
"We are already talking to some universities and some private companies about Smile Kids Japan and soon I hope to have more volunteers than there are JETs in Japan! The JET network and support of AJET is at the very core of what we do."
By Renay Loper (Iwate-ken, 2006-07) for JQ magazine. Renay is a freelance writer and Associate Program Officer at the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. Visit her blog at Atlas in Her Hand.
Mike Maher-King (Fukui-ken, 2006-11), originally from Shoreham-by-Sea, UK (near Brighton) and founder of Smile Kids Japan, which was created with the mission to have every orphanage in Japan visited regularly by a volunteer team in an effort to provide children with mentoring, cultural exchange and a newfound sense of trust.
Having making several Japanese friends while attending Royal Holloway, University of London, Mike eventually traveled to Japan and while there, fell in love with the people, the language, the culture, and most of all…the food! After working for a couple years in the UK, Mike returned to Japan as an ALT and eventually went on to create an organization that would touch the lives of thousands of Japanese children.
Recently, Mike took a few moments away from his hectic schedule to share with us a little about his organization, the emergence of volunteerism in Japan, and the impact the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami have had on his work.
When you first began Smile Kids Japan, did you realize you were introducing the concept of mentoring to the Japanese you were working with?
I didn’t actually realize that there are not as many opportunities for people to volunteer here in Japan as there are in the UK, USA, Canada. etc. until I started looking for a way to volunteer. I think with the cultural senpai-kohai (seniority based relationships) system here in Japan, the idea of mentoring isn’t at all new. However, this application of it is relatively new.
What challenges did you encounter doing volunteer work in Japan, where volunteerism isn’t as popular as it is in countries such as the UK or U.S.?
Setting up the very first meeting took a few months and lots of Japanese bureaucracy skills. But it was definitely worth the prodding! That and the initial 10 minutes of shyness, and walking into a room 1/4 of the size I expected with 10 more kids than we thought would choose to come meant all our planning wasn’t quite right! Further, it was also a little tricky to explain to some of the children’s homes what we wanted to do.
What do you think Smile Kids Japan has done for volunteerism in Japan?
There are so many people who do not realize the need for volunteers until they see it with their own eyes. I think that we are [now] approaching the tipping point. However, it is still a work in progress. We have provided an outlet for many people that want to help but didn’t have a channel for their energy. The [recent] earthquake initially transformed things with a huge amount of people volunteering. It will be interesting to see if this is carried back to people’s towns all around Japan.
Return to Tohoku: Tanya Gardecky “Hi ho! It’s off to school I go!”
Blogs, Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: Tanya Gardecky “Hi ho! It’s off to school I go!”
******************
Tanya Gardecky (Miyagi-ken, Shiogama-shi) is one of the 20 Tohoku region JET alumni selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to return to their town to both engage in volunteer efforts and also help document and share what’s going on there.
Here’s an excerpt from Tanya’s latest post: “Hi ho! It’s off to school I go!”
But when I went to the grade 3 classes the teachers changed it a bit and had some of the students mention their experience with the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. From what I understood, the students were very surprised by the earthquake and were confused about the tsunami. Some didn’t believe the tsunami was happening or that it was that big, others simply had no idea what was happening.
JETwit will continue to post updates from Tanya and other participating alums. You can also follow Tanya’s blog at http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/ShiogamaJET/.
Click here to read other “Return to Tohoku” posts.
If you are returning to Tohoku and would like to share your updates, please feel free to e-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Return to Tohoku: JETAA Sydney’s Sharon Van Etten
Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: JETAA Sydney’s Sharon Van Etten
******************
Sharon Van Etten (CIR Iwate-ken), President of JETAA Sydney, is another Tohoku region JET alumni selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to return to their town to both engage in volunteer efforts and also help document and share what’s going on there.
You can follow Sharon’s blog Revisiting Iwate at: http://revisitingiwate.blogspot.com/
JETwit will continue to post updates from Sharon and other participating alums. Click here to see previous “Return to Tohoku” posts.
If you are returning to Tohoku and would like to share your updates, please feel free to e-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Return to Tohoku: JET alum Tanya Gardecky arrives in Shiogama
Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: JET alum Tanya Gardecky arrives in Shiogama
******************
Tanya Gardecky (Miyagi-ken, Shiogama-shi) is one of the 20 Tohoku region JET alumni selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to return to their town to both engage in volunteer efforts and also help document and share what’s going on there.
Here’s an excerpt from Tanya’s latest post:
I eventually made it Shiogama (and instantly noticed some damage around the train station) and went city hall. There I was greeted by the Mayor and vice-mayor, along with many staff from the Shiogama Board of Education, and they welcomed me back. We talked about the state of the city after the earthquake, and I was shown a book full of photos of the damage in Tohoku. Most I had seen in the news already but to see them all in one book was a bit of a shock. They said they had made much progress in the reconstruction, and this was something I wanted to see. From city hall I went to the Board of Education to meet the staff again and to discuss my week. It’s a very busy schedule but I know I can’t afford to get worn out because there are people, places, and things I want to and need to see.
JETwit will continue to post updates from Tanya and other participating alums. You can also follow Tanya’s blog at http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/ShiogamaJET/.
If you are returning to Tohoku and would like to share your updates, please feel free to e-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Article: “The Quiet Success of the JET Program”
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer Comments Off on Article: “The Quiet Success of the JET Program”
*****************
Thanks to Ryan Hart, former JETAA International Vice-Chair, USA Country Rep and Pacific Northwest JETAA President, for passing on this piece that has been sent out by the Japanese Embassy in D.C. as well as by other Japanese Consulates in the U.S.:
Homecoming & Charitable Activities: The Quiet Successes of the JET Program
-Susan Laszewski, Embassy of Japan
In August the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Japan Tourism Agency introduced a “homecoming” program through which former participants of the JET Program who served in areas that have been affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake will have the opportunity to go back. For the months of August and September the 14 participants in the program, 8 from the U.S., will have the opportunity to learn about the current situation on the ground and share what they learn with the public back in the U.S.
If you are only passingly familiar with the JET Program, you may think it’s all about teaching English in Japan. Even those who are well versed in the program often get so focused on the language aspect of it that they forget about some of the program’s other aims. In fact, language education is just one means to the program’s ultimate end goal: grass-roots international exchange.
As the Program’s website states, “many former JET participants use their experiences in Japan to continue enhancing relations between Japan and their home countries.” In fact, while politicians and educators have been busy debating and trying to measure the affect of the program on English education, JET has been quietly successful in this larger goal. The hardships that Japan has faced during these last five months, particularly the Tohoko area where the homecoming program is focused, have shown us just how successful.
It should come as no surprise that there would be interest in this program. Since March, chapters of the JET Alumni Association (JETAA) around the country have shown an outpouring of support toward the country they briefly knew as home. They’re rebuilding schools, releasing music videos, and holding fundraising events ranging from benefitsin Northern California to hot yoga in New York.
The JETAA DC chapter has been anything but silent during this time. When news of the earthquake struck, JETAA DC immediately started asking what they could do to help. “Focusing on anything other than Japan was almost impossible,” says President Maurice Maloney. “From an association standpoint, we (along with assistance from CLAIR and the JET Office in the Embassy) stayed focused on keeping our membership informed on the developments in Japan and how JETs were coping. JETAADC leadership was in constant communication with the JETAA USA country representatives, and within 24 hours, we had the beginnings of our National Relief Fund.”
JETAA DC’s first fundraising event for the Fund, held at Bourbon in Adams Morgan on April 21st, was a smashing success. But the alumni are nowhere near finished. As Maloney tells Japan Now,
“JETs and JET Alumni are not just limited to one role in the reconstruction of Japan.” In fact, “JET Alums have volunteered expertise in the field as emergency workers, have organized events to raise money for the relief effort, and some have been involved in high level discussions with policy makers in Washington, DC.”
“Regardless of their specific actions, I think the most important role JETs and JET Alumni can play is by keeping attention drawn to Japan and the Tohoku region during the rebuilding process. Many times, the rebuilding process is ignored after major disasters, and JETs’ and JET Alums’ connection to Japan can keep the rebuilding process fresh in the minds in their respective communities.”
The JET Program has been carefully cultivating grass-roots ties with other countries since 1987. The support alumni have shown, whether returning to their second home in Japan or sending their thoughts and support from their own countries, is a testament to its success.
Read the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ and Council of Local Authorities for International Relations’ messages of appreciation to JET participants and alumni.
