MOFA coverage of JETAA International Conference in Tokyo
JETAA Chapters, Local Government, Return on JET-vestment 
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http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/annai/honsho/fuku/yamane/jetaa1110.html
JETAA（元JET参加者の会）国際委員会の山根副大臣表敬（概要）
山根副大臣は10月21日，JETAA（元JET参加者の会）国際委員会に参加するために訪日中の国際委員会メンバーの表敬を受けました。その概要は以下の通りです。
1. 山根隆治外務副大臣は10月21日，ジェームス・ギャノンJETAA国際委員会顧問,シュリー＝クレカーJETAA国際委員会執行委員長及び他15名のJETAA（元JET参加者の会）国際委員会の表敬を受けました。
2. 山根副大臣は，委員会メンバーの訪日を歓迎するとともに，JETAAが震災後，世界各地で活発な草の根復興支援活動を展開していることに深い感謝の意を伝えました。また復興への決意を表明するとともに、委員会のメンバーが日本の現状に関して草の根レベルで情報発信することに期待していると述べました。
3. JETAAよりは、これまでのJETプログラムやJETAAに対する日本政府の支援に対し感謝が表明され、引き続き復興支援に協力したいとの決意が伝えられました。
（参考）JETAA（元JET参加者の会）
（1） JET参加者が帰国後に各国・地域で自発的に発足させた同窓会組織（平成元年設立）。日本と母国との友好関係促進のために草の根レベルで様々な活動を実施。東日本大震災後も世界各地で草の根レベルの支援活動の中心的役割を果たす。2011年7月現在，全世界に計51支部あり会員数は約2万3千人。
（2） 国際委員会は，国境を越えたJETAA支部間の横のネットワーク構築を目的に毎年1回開催（2009年はキングストン，2010年はエジンバラで開催）。
（3） 今年はJET創設25周年及び東日本大震災を受けて，10月21日～22日に東京で開催。同会議においては，「日本の復興への貢献：具体例の紹介」「JETプログラムの改善」等について議論。参加者は米国，豪州，NZ，伯，仏，ジャマイカ，英，加，アイルランド，南ア10か国のJETAA各国代表及びJETAA国際委員会の役員等16名。
（4） 10月23日には，現役JET参加者であったモンゴメリー・ディクソン氏が犠牲となった陸前高田市にて，戸羽同市市長を表敬訪問するとともに，ボランティア活動を実施した。また，後日，陸前高田市の教育支援プロジェクトを対象に，全米JETAAが，米国各地での支援活動を通じて集めた「米国JET同窓会震災復興支援基金（米国JETAA基金）」約76，000米ドル（約580万円）の寄付も行う予定。
JETAA USA Earthquake Relief Fund announces recipients
Article/Journalism, Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Fundraising, Japan Local, JETAA Chapters, Local Government, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer Comments Off on JETAA USA Earthquake Relief Fund announces recipients
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Below is the official press release (in English and Japanese) announcing the recipients for JETAA USA Earthquake Relief Fund to the media in Japan.
FYI, a lot of hard work has gone into this process, using our JET contacts, bilingual and bi-cultural abilities to identify appropriate and worthy uses for the approximately $75,000 raised by the JETAA chapters in the U.S.
JETs and JET alumni should be extremely proud of the ways we’ve been able to support Japan in the wake of the 3/11 crisis. Many larger organizations have faced significant challenges in finding appropriate grantees, due in a large part to a very different and smaller Japanese non-profit sector that continues to grow and evolve in new ways. Our quasi-Japanese expat community of 55,000+ JET alumni spread around Japan and the world has been uniquely positioned to help meet these challenges.
Also worth noting is that the JETAA International meeting is taking place this week in Tokyo. JETAA representatives from each country are attending and will be participating in a JET-led volunteer effort in Rikuzentakata with the help of JET Paul Yoo, founder of volunteerAKITA and The Fruitree Project. JETAA International Chair Shree Kurlekar (former JETAA New York Vice-President) and other representatives will also be speaking with the Japanese media.
Thank you to JETs, JET alumni and Friends of JET everywhere who have contributed to the fund, volunteered their time, volunteered their translation and other skills and supported Japan in many other ways as well.
Ganbarou Nippon!
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PRESS RELEASE – ENGLISH VERSION
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JETAA USA Earthquake Relief Fund
In its 25-year history, more than 55,000 people from 60 countries have participated in the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program, developing strong ties with communities around Japan. Thanks to the years they spend in Japan, it is fair to say that JET participants come to view Japan as their second home, and most continue to maintain active connections with Japan after leaving the program. The most common way for JET alumni to stay connected is through the 50+ chapters of JET Alumni Association (JETAA) worldwide, which bring alumni together to share their experiences and to promote ties with Japan in their home countries.
Even JET alumni who did not have friends and family in the Tohoku region were deeply moved by the tragedy that unfolded there. In response, all 19 chapters of JETAA USA came together in March 2011 to launch the JETAA USA Earthquake Relief Fund to support educational needs of communities in the disaster zone. Since March 11, the fund has raised $76,000 (5.8 million yen) from the U.S. JET alumni community.
Rikuzentakata and Ishinomaki have special significance for JET alumni since two of their colleagues lost their lives while teaching and living in these communities. Therefore, JETAA USA has decided to donate funds to programs in these two areas, with a primary focus on educational initiatives in Rikuzentakata. The aim is to improve the prospects of students who have been affected by the disaster, carry on the spirit of the JET Program and give back to the country that found its way into the hearts of JET alumni. Grants are being made for the following initiatives:
Hope for Tomorrow support for university applicants from Rikuzentakata ($25,000)– The costs of university entrance exams are a heavy burden for Japanese families and can be especially formidable for families affected by the disaster. Hope for Tomorrow, a new nonprofit organization, will defray exam fees and/ or associated travel and lodging costs in order to support Takata High School (located in Rikuzentakata) students applying to university. JETAA USA will financially support this program in Rikuzentakata.
Rikuzentakata tutoring project ($20,000) – Students in Rikuzentakata have been through traumatic experiences and lost considerable class time. The nonprofit organization Youth Empowerment Iwate, in cooperation with other groups, is launching a new initiative through which university students will provide extracurricular tutoring for middle school students while also using these sessions to lend a sympathetic ear to students who may feel intimidated discussing their concerns with older adults.
Rikuzentakata City education project ($10,000) – A special grant is being made to support JET-related activities and English teaching in the town.
Taylor Anderson Memorial Fund ($5,000)– The Taylor Anderson Fund is supporting a range of innovative programs in Ishinomaki, where JET Taylor Anderson taught and lived, including the exchange programs for local students and “reading corners” at elementary schools.
JETAA USA supporting JET participants ($10,000)– JET-run organizations and programs such as volunteerAKITA (which has been mobilizing JET participants to provide disaster aid since mid-March 2011) have responded to the disaster and recovery efforts. Individual grants are being made to help them sustain their disaster-related activities.
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PRESS RELEASE – JAPANESE VERSION
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米国JET同窓会（JETAA・USA）日本震災復興支援基金
平成23年10月21日
JETプログラムは、今年で25周年を迎え、これまで50カ国以上から5万5000人以上の外国青年の参加を得てきた。彼らの多くは、日本全国の地域コミュニティに深くとけ込み、その貴重な経験から、帰国後も日本を第二の故郷と考え、日本との関係を保ち続けている。JET同窓会（JETAA）は全世界に50以上の支部を持ち、多くの元JET参加者がJETAAを通じて、日本の経験を共有し、日本と母国の絆を深める活動を展開している。
今般の東日本大震災は、元JET参加者に大きな衝撃と悲しみをもたらし、元JETの間では支援の輪が直ちに広がった。米国では、JETAAの全19支部が協力し、3月中に米国JET同窓会震災復興支援基金（以下「米国JETAA基金」）が立ち上げられた。同基金は、被災地の教育支援に充てられることとなっており、これまでに約76，000米ドル（約580万円）の支援金が集められた。
今回の震災で犠牲になった現役JET二名が在住していた陸前高田市と石巻市は、元JET参加者にとっても特別な意味を持つ。米国JETAAは、支援にあたって同2市に重点を置き、特に陸前高田市の教育関係への支援を優先的に実施することとした。（石巻では、テーラー・アンダーソン追悼基金が数々の支援を行っている。）米国JETAAではこの支援を通じて、被災地の子供たちの将来への可能性を広げ、JETプログラムの精神を引き継ぎ、元JET参加者が心から大切に思う日本という国に恩返しをしたいと考えている。下記の事業へ寄付が行われる予定である。
Hope for Tomorrow進学支援プログラム（＄25,000）：高校生の大学受験費用は一般家庭でも大きな負担となっているが、被災した家庭にとっては背負いきれないほどの負担となる。Hope for Tomorrowは新しく立ち上げられたNPOで、高田高校の学生を対象に大学受験にかかる旅費や宿泊費などの諸費用を支援する活動を行う。
陸前高田学習支援プロジェクト（＄20,000）：壊滅的な被害を受けた陸前高田では、多くの学生が精神的なダメージを受けた上、学習の時間も大幅に失った。NPO「子どものエンパワメントいわて」は、他の恊働団体と共に大学生ボランティアによる中学生を対象とした学習支援活動を行う。本プロジェクトでは学力向上だけでなく、被害を受けた子どもたちのケアを重視し、勉強の合間に子ども達が自然と話したくなったことを傾聴し、対話しながら学習支援を行う。
陸前高田市内教育プロジェクト（＄10,000）： JET関連の活動と英語教育を支援するための特別寄付を行う。
テーラー・アンダーソン追悼基金（＄5,000）：同基金では、テーラー・アンダーソンさんが英語を教えていた石巻において、地元学生の交流プログラムや小学校での「読書コーナー」設置など、幅広い分野で革新的な事業を支援している。
JETのボランティア活動支援（約＄10,000）：現役のJETや元JET参加者が運営する複数の団体が被災地の支援活動を行っている。これらの団体が活動を継続できるよう支援を行う。
米国JETAA基金は様々な活動を通じて集められた。
（募金活動例）
JETAA北部カリフォルニア支部（本部サンフランシスコ市）：募金イベント“Japan Relief Fundraiser”を、ホテル・カブキのO（オー）居酒屋ラウンジにて実施。150人以上の参加があり、寄付と抽選が行われ、地元紙にも取り上げられた。
JETAAミネソタ支部：募金イベント“Japan Benefit Party”を、居酒屋・基（Moto-i）（海外初の店内で醸造した日本酒を提供する店）で実施。DJ、ライブ音楽で会場を盛り上げ、サイレント・オークションが行われた。
JETAAワシントンDC支部所属の元JET2名が7月に結婚した際、招待客からの贈り物を辞退し、その代わりに寄付をするよう呼びかけた。
JETAAニューヨーク支部：300人以上が参加する大規模募金イベントを実施、日米双方のテレビ及び主要紙に取り上げられ、ニューヨーク在住元JETからの応援メッセージがメディアを通じて日本に届けられた。
米国JETAA基金は、元JET参加者による支援活動のほんの一部に過ぎない。JETAAの全米各支部は、この他にも様々な募金活動をしており、同基金とその他の活動による募金を合わせると全米JETAAによる支援金総額は31万3000米ドル（約2440万円）に上る。支部によっては、既に日本赤十字、ジャパン・プラットフォーム、ピースウィンズ・ジャパン等の日本の団体に直接寄付を行っている。また、一部の支部は、日米協会等米国の現地団体の募金イベントに協力し、積極的な役割を果たしてきた。
米国JET同窓会（JETAA・USA）
| 全世界の元JET参加者のうち、約半数が米国人であり、米国にはJET同窓会（JET Alumni Association, JETAA）が19支部存在する。各支部は、全てボランティアベースのメンバーにより運営され、元JET参加者のネットワークを維持・強化し、文化・交流・教育事業やチャリティ事業等の実施を通じて、日米関係の一層の深化を図っている。米国JET同窓会の活動の詳細、同会震災復興支援基金への寄付はこちらから： HYPERLINK “http://www.jetaausa.com” www.jetaausa.com |
Japan Local Government Newsletter (October 2011)
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Here’s the October 2011 issue of the Japan Local Government Center (aka CLAIR New York) Newsletter:
It’s not an entirely new idea. I remember it being vaguely discussed at a JETAA International Conference about 5 or so years ago.
But what if everyone who goes on JET were to be given a name@JET.Prefecture.com email address that could be forwarded to whatever email you want? Basically the same way that universities offer name@alumni.university.edu addresses to everyone. And what if alumni could go online and sign up for an address as well?
In addition to giving everyone a lifelong way to stay connected with JET, it would also give the prefectures and local governments a lifelong way to stay connected with JETs who worked in their prefecture as well as an easy way to identify everyone by prefecture or locality. This notion is important to the future of JET because prefectures and local governments currently do not have a good way to reach their JET alumni for the sake of “Return on JET-vestment” which is in turn needed to encourage prefectures to choose JETs over alternative ALT options.
(Actually, prefectures can reach their alumni through the 47 JET alum prefecture groups on LinkedIn. Though as of yet these groups still only represent a fraction of the total alumni out there.)
From a JET perspective, it might also be nice to list one’s JET address on your resume and be able to use it for other Japan-related communications.
I’m sure there are logistical issues that would need to be addressed. But I just wanted to put the idea out there as something to consider for the future.
Important: The official need for JET alum groups by prefecture
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It’s official. Soumusho (Ministry of Internal Affairs) sees great value in the JET alumni community being organized and identifiable by prefecture and would like to see such groups formed and put to better use. This according to an announcement that came through the official bureaucratic news source (iJAMP). (See very unofficial translation summary below.)
Why do they care so much about this idea? Because the local governments (i.e., the prefectures) need to see the long term benefits of JET to really make it worth it for them to continue to hire JETs and to contribute funding and resources to the program. They need to see that JET alumni are supporting and contributing to longer term economic benefits in various ways. This is the concept of Local Return on JET-vestment.
Fortunately, JET alum groups by prefecture have existed for the past year thanks to LinkedIn. And many have already joined. If you have not joined one yet, I strongly encourage you to do so now. (It also couldn’t hurt to join any of the various professional JET alum LinkedIn groups as well. Or start a new one yourself if you see a field not covered.)
Here’s the unofficial translation summaries of the official communication:
Soumusho has called on the prefectures to promote the creation of JET OB networks as a resource in their internationalization and overseas business initiatives.
To encourage this, Soumusho is allowing prefectures from this year to fund travel and other expenses for alumni out of their local allocation tax revenues, and is asking prefectures to work with municipal governments.
It is further hoped that these alumni will be a source of accurate information on Japan. And there have been many instances where alumni have gotten involved in fundraising and other support for the affected areas through their deep connections to their communities in Japan.
While there have been many groups formed by alumni according to their countries of origin, schools they taught at or years on the Program, there are few instances of groups formed by prefecture and it is difficult to really say that alumni are a resource to these areas. The importance of prefecture alumni groups was pointed out at the 25th anniversary symposium, leading to the call to form prefecture-level networks.
The notice mentioned Tottori as a good example of a prefecture making the best use of its JETs, having its CIRs act as “Tottori Hometown Ambassadors”, submitting policy proposals and contributing articles to its informational magazine. It also uses its “World Tottori Fan Club” to send out information to its ALT alumni.
PNW JETAA’s meeting with Hyogo Governor Ido and Ryan Hart’s speech
Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Events, Fundraising, Japan Local, JETAA Chapters, Local Government, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on PNW JETAA’s meeting with Hyogo Governor Ido and Ryan Hart’s speech
On Friday August 26, we had the great honor of giving a presentation about the Pacific Northwest JET Alumni Association at the Hyogo Seminar, which was hosted by Hyogo Prefecture (coordinated by theHyogo Business and Cultural Center) and the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). The Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, Toshizo Ido, gave a comprehensive presentation on the many great qualities of Hyogo. Consul General Kiyokazu Ota, Masaaki Akagi, the Executive Director of The Japan Local Government Center (CLAIR New York), and Ginn Kitaoka, the Executive Director of the Hyogo Business and Cultural Center all gave warm opening remarks.
During our presentation, we highlighted the great things our chapter does. Ryan Hart (Chiba-ken, Ichihara-shi, 1998-99) (former PNW JETAA President, JETAA USA Country Representative and JETAA International Vice-Chair) shared what JETAA and current JETs are doing on the national and international level, Karin Zaugg-Black shared how her JET experiences shaped her career and her personal involvement with Japan, and Erin Erickson explained how we have supported Japan Relief efforts. Leela Bilow, Jana Yamada, and Casey Mochel shared their memories of Japan and how they continue to be involved with the Japanese community after JET.
Ryan Hart very generously allowed us to share his speech with you. Below is a brief excerpt, and his full speech is below the cut.
From its inception, the JET Alumni Association has helped former participants of the JET Program “Bring Japan Back Home.” What does this mean? We help former participants network, make new friends and transition their careers. We help the JET Program by recruiting, interviewing and training new teachers for their journey. We also help our communities we live in to support Japanese culture and raise awareness of the strong ties between our countries.
On March 11, 2011, like so many other things in our lives, this changed. Instead of “Bringing Japan Back Home”, our chapters and membership have rallied not only to raise money for immediate earthquake and tsunami relief, but also to strengthen the value of our relationship with local communities and organizations in Japan.
The JET Program, since 1987, has grown into the largest and most successful work exchange program in the world. Each year, the program brings thousands of teachers to Japan to promote language education and to strengthen Japan’s relationship with a number of countries. Since 1989, our Alumni Association of former program participants, has mirrored that growth and has steadily grown as a true grassroots organization, built from our individual members up. JETAA is now 53 chapters in 18 countries. As a former chapter president here in Seattle, a former Country Representative for JETAA USA’s 19 chapters and as former Vice Chair for JETAA International, I have been truly blessed to have had the chance to work and be a part of this growth.
From its inception, the JET Alumni Association has helped former participants of the JET Program “Bring Japan Back Home.” What does this mean? We help former participants network, make new friends and transition their careers. We help the JET Program by recruiting, interviewing and training new teachers for their journey. We also help our communities we live in to support Japanese culture and raise awareness of the strong ties between our countries.
On March 11, 2011, like so many other things in our lives, this changed. Instead of “Bringing Japan Back Home”, our chapters and membership have rallied not only to raise money for immediate earthquake and tsunami relief, but also to strengthen the value of our relationship with local communities and organizations in Japan.
- Immediately following the earthquake and tsunami, JETAA USA started raised money as a national organization and chapters voted to allocate this money directly to the affected local communities. We have formed a national advisory committee for the relief fund, of which I am proudly serving as a member. To date, the JET alumni have raised over $60k in funds and we are exploring continued fundraising efforts to make an even bigger impact.
- AJET, as an organization of current JETs living and teaching in Japan, has been partnering with organizations such as Peace Boat, Second Harvest, Foreign Buyers Club and 5toSurvive to raise money and awareness of recovery efforts. The Osaka AJET Chapter has worked on food drives with Kozmoz International of Kyoto, and have driven food and supplies themselves to Tohoku from Osaka.
- Mike Maher-King, a Fukui JET, formed Smile Kids Japan, a program of visiting orphanages throughout Japan. After March 11, he partnered with an organization in Tokyo called Living Dreams to start the Smile & Dreams project for Tohoku children to make sure the needs of the orphanages and the needs of the children who rely on them are met. He recently presented at TED Talks in Tokyo.
- Paul Yoo, an Akita JET, founded the Fruit Tree Project (delivering $23,571 worth and 38,612 items of fresh fruit to Tohoku) and VolunteerAkita, which was the backbone of the BIG CLEAN project that was directly involved in the cleanup of Kessenuma. He is now working as the Home Communication Manager for two orphanages in Sendai to ensure their needs are communicated with organizations involved with relief efforts.
- Hotdogs and Hugs was an aid organization of JETs from Saga-ken, who traveled from Saga Prefecture in western Kyushu, all the way to Tohoku, raising awareness and funds for relief efforts along the way.
- Save Miyagi was founded by Canon Purdy, a JET Alumni who was in Miyagi-ken.
- Billy McMicheal, a CIR in Fukushima, has formed Hearts for Haragama, which is raising funds for the Haragama Youchien Kindergarten in Soma, Fukushima.
- Kat Geeraert, an alumnus who also lived in Soma, has started Friends of Soma to raise money for relief efforts.
These are just a few examples of the direct impact JETs and JET alumni have had. Given the number of teachers who have taught in Japan since 1985, there probably are many more individual efforts out there that we don’t know about.
What we do know is that, in light of what happened on March 11, JET alumni around the world are not only focused on “Bringing Japan Home”, but also “Bringing Home to Japan.” Collectively, we have a renewed focus not only on strengthening US/Japan relations, but also the ties with the communities we once lived, worked, and taught in. We know that our contracts we were given to us by local governments and boards of education throughout Japan, weren’t just annual contracts, they were invitations to a legacy. It should be very clear to the many communities across Japan who have invested in the JET Program since 1987 that there is a long-term value in the relationships that have been formed with the many JET Program participants that have come and gone. Whether it be through media campaigns, tourism promotion, school exchange programs, or relief and fundraising efforts, JETAA is now looking to continue our legacy in “Bringing Home Back to Japan.”
Thank you.
Ryan Hart, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, 1998-99
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With increased potential for budget cuts to the JET Programme and to JETAA and additional prefectures opting to use private ALTs rather than JETs, it’s good to see an example of a prefecture making effective use of JETs to provide significant Return on JET-vestment.
Toyama Prefecture has for the past two years been using its CIRs & ALTs to promote tourism through their Twitter and FB accounts or other means. More explanation is available in Japanese at: http://www.pref.toyama.jp/cms_press/2011/20110915/00007707.pdf
This year, according to this notice, they were planning to take their six ALTs (4 Americans) and two CIRs (both Americans) around to the big tourist attractions and then have them put out word-of-mouth to promote them, through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, or actual word-of-mouth after they go home.
There’s no reason other prefectures can’t adopt similar programs with their JETs and CIRs and why JETs and JET alums themselves can’t initiate this kind of activity.
While it’s relatively easy for local governments to find native English speakers to teach in their schools, it’s much harder to bring in teachers who will feel a connection to the community that lasts a lifetime and continues to provide tangible and intangible benefits over the long term. And that is the power of the JET Programme.
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Thanks to Matt Gillam, Senior Researcher at CLAIR-NY (aka Japan Local Government Center), who attended the recent Sister Cities International Conference in Riverside, CA, for writing up a little something about the conference and noting how JETs were present in several ways.
A little context: Back in July, several JET alum reps including Mike Shu, Jessyca Wilcox and myself along with Matt met up with Sister Cities International when we were in D.C. for the JETAA USA National Conference to talk about potential collaboration. The topic was subsequently discussed with JETAA chapter reps in a session at the JETAA USA National Conference.
“I just got back from the Sister Cities Pan-Pacific conference in Riverside, where we had a chance to gauge interest in the idea of making alumni available to cities to help out with their sister city relationships. The reaction I got was that there is definitely interest, and not just limited to sister cities matters. There seems to be quite a need for help with other visitors from Japan as well, where cities lack people with knowledge of not just language, but also cultural and social norms.
Mark Juloya and Russell Iriye, from JETAA Southern California, came for the conference and Russell participated in a session on “Best Practices in Youth Programming”, where he talked about JET & JETAA. In the Q&A after his presentation, I had a chance to mention the alumni as an available resource for cities and a couple of people were quite interested. Overall, as I said, the response was positive, and Mark and Russell were also great exemplars of the kind of talent JETAA has to offer.
On Sunday, Sendai City put on a display at the most popular spot in town (the Mission Inn) to talk about how the city is recovering and to thank Riverside for all its support ($584,000 in donations, plus the area dispatched USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) teams etc. to the region immediately following the disasters). Audrey Shiomi, a former CIR in Sendai City, also came out to help for the day. Audrey is one of those former JETs who have taken advantage of the program to revisit their former communities in Tohoku, and another great example of how valuable alumni can be to their former employers.
And one more person to mention is Renay Loper, who’s with the Japan Foundation’s Center for Global Partnership now. She was there with a Japanese colleague to attend the conference, since CGP was helping to fund it.
JETs are everywhere.”
Matt Gillam
JLGC, New York
Ishinomaki presents Anderson family with certificate of appreciation
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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.”
Latest Newsletter from Councilman Anthony Bianchi
Article/Journalism, Celebrity, Japan Local, Local Government, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Translating/Interpreting, Writers Comments Off on Latest Newsletter from Councilman Anthony Bianchi
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Here’s the newest newsletter from JET alum and Inuyama City Council Member Anthony Bianchi (Aichi-ken, Inuyama-shi, 1988-89):
***Page 1***
***Page 2***
CLICK HERE for more JETwit posts about Anthony Bianchi.
Show off your translating skills! An English translation or summary of some or all of the above would be great if any readers are up for it. Full credit will be given!
JET Programme 25th Anniversary Symposium to be held by Japanese government
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FYI, this is a big deal and something to pay attention to, especially in terms of the future of JET. One of the speakers, notably, will be Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA). I believe AJET President Matthew Cook (Osaka, 2007-12) may also be in attendance.
Here’s the official info via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) website:
Holding of the Symposium and a Reception Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the JET Programme
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2011/8/0816_01.html
August 16, 2011
Japanese
- On Thursday, September 8, the Symposium Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the JET Programme (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme) will be held at U Thant International Conference Hall, United Nations University. The symposium will be co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR).
- The JET Programme aims to enhance foreign language education and promote international exchange at the local level. The symposium will be held to reflect on the results of the Programme’s efforts during the past 25 years, and contribute to the Programme’s further development, as well as to widely publicize the Programme to all walks of life.
- On the occasion of the holding of the Symposium Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the JET Programme, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to hold a reception at the Iikura Guesthouse in the evening of the same day, with a view to deepening the understanding of the relevant parties in Japan and abroad on the significance and results of the Programme, among others, and seeking further coordination with parties related to the Programme including those from local governments and in the education field, and the diplomatic corps in Tokyo.
Additional information
Symposium Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the JET Programme (Overview)
1. Time and date:
12:30 p.m. – 5:10 p.m. on Thursday, September 8, 2011
2. Venue:
U Thant International Conference Hall, United Nations University
(5-53-70, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
3. Co-organizers:
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,
Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR)
4. Supporters:
National Governors’ Association,
Japan Association of City Mayors,
National Association of Towns and Villages
5. Scheduled programs and participants:
(a) Greetings by co-organizers:
Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications,
Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Minister for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
(b) Greetings by guests:
Ambassador of the United States to Japan (to be confirmed),
Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Japan (to be confirmed),
Ambassador of the ROK to Japan
(c) Commemorative lecture:
Mr. James Gannon,
Executive Director, Japan Center for International Exchange
(d) Activity reports:
Dr. Angus Lockyer,
Chair, Japan Research Centre, University of London
Mr. Kim Jin Ah,
Director of International Cooperation Department,
Governors Association of Korea
(e) Panel discussion:
Panelists:
Dr. Akira Nakamura, Professor, Meiji University
Dr. Angus Lockyer,
Chair, Japan Research Centre, University of London
Mr. Kim Jin Ah,
Director of International Cooperation Department,
Governors Association of Korea
Mr. Keiji Yamada, Governor, Kyoto Prefecture
Mr. Masao Niisato, Professor, Tokyo International University
Ms. Yoko Kimura, Chairperson, Board of Directors, CLAIR
— Participants: Approximately 350 people including those from local governments and in the education field, and the diplomatic corps in Tokyo.
— Simultaneous interpretation will be provided.
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- (*This is a provisional translation. The above date denotes the date of the issue of the original press release in Japanese.)
Visit all 47 prefectures in Japan in 100 days — for free! (But there’s a catch…)
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I’ve seen this posted several places and also had it sent to me by JET alum and President of Music City JETAA Terry Vo (2007-09, Kumamoto-ken) . So while no JET alums would be eligible, maybe our extensive alumni community might know someone who is.
The Offer: Some lucky person will win 100 days to visit all 47 prefectures in Japan and blog about it.
The Catch: You can’t have ever lived in Japan before.
More Info Here: http://travelvolunteer.net/
By the way, for tourism info on all 47 prefectures, here are the tourism sites for each prefecture (which I organized in a JETwit post back in early June):
- Local Japan: Prefecture Tourism Links: http://jetwit.com/wordpress/2011/06/02/local-japan-prefecture-tourism-links/
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I saw the below on the Pacific Northwest JETAA yahoo group, and apparently the Chicago Consulate has sent this out as well. MoFA and JNTO are willing to fly Tohoku JET alums back to Japan for a week for any JET alums willing to play a role in helping out their former communities and then help spread word of what they saw and experienced after their trip.
This sounds like a great opportunity for any Tohoku JET alums who can make time to do this. And a great opportunity for the JET alumni community to really help out Japan in a very concrete way.
Details are below. And you may get (or have already received) an email from your JETAA chapter or local consulate. There were also two attachments–guidelines and an application form–that I wasn’t able to access for some reason. If interested, hopefully you can get the documents from your consulate.
Minasan ganbatte kudasai.
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This message is being posted on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Tourism Agency
DEADLINE for applications to be received by the Consulate-General of Japan: July 11, 2011
INVITATION PROGRAM OF JET ALUMNI TO DISASTER STRICKEN AREAS IN TOHOKU:
- One week stay to take place within the period of July – September 2011
- Transportation to Japan & per diem provided.
Conditions for application:
2. CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION
(1) No limit of ages and sexes.
(2) To have a work experience for two years or more either as a Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) or as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in local governments in Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture or Sendai City.
(3) To be able to contact directly by themselves with a school and a local government where they were assigned.
(4) To be accepted by the organization for which the participants worked as a JET, and to be able to arrange with the organization some exchange activities.
(5) To be able to travel without an escort from their arrival to their departure from Japan.
(6) To send out the information such as their experiences of the stay in Japan this time and their impressions from foreign visitors’ viewpoints by various measures including contributions of articles to the mass media, blogs, homepages, facebooks.
(7) To consent interviews by Japanese and foreign medias, in case they are arranged during their stay
For full details & required form, see attached documents.
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Additional eligibility stipulation for Fukushima-ken applicants:
For any former Fukushima JETs, who are considering applying for the previously posted “Special Invitation Program” for JETAA to re-visit their CO’s to report on the post-disaster situation, special consideration is being taken regarding personal safety.
In respect for the official US guidelines of an 80 km radius from the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, applications for former Fukushima JETs will only be accepted for areas beyond the US recommended safety zone.
Japan Local: Hokkaido e-newsletter
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Via AJET June 2011 Newsletter:
For anyone interested in learning about Japan’s northernmost prefecture, HOKKAIDO! The Red Brick Bulletin is an electronic newsletter published by the Hokkaido Government and prepared by the prefectural English language CIR (i.e., JET). Topics range from nature to history, cuisine to tourist attractions, and much much more!
http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ss/tsk/akarenga_eng.htm
Japan Local: JET blog on Aomori sightseeing
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Here’s a really nice JET blog on sight seeing in the Tsugaru region of Aomori by Aomori JETs Emma Sayers, Mike Moses and Kelly Isom:
Let’s Go Tsugaru: http://letsgotsugaru.blogspot.com.
*If you’re aware of any other JET blogs about sightseeing and tourism in Japan, please let us know at jetwit [at] jetwit.com. Yoroshiku.
