Man Up For Japan: Innovative fundraising effort by JET David Chalmers
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You may have seen “Man Up For Japan” all over Facebook or elsewhere. Here’s an article about JET David Chalmers (originally from Scotland) and his efforts to help fundraise for earthquake relief in Japan.
Scot does his bit to aid Japan
Published Date: 20 March 2011
By Nick Mitchell
A CAMPAIGN launched by a Scot based in Japan to raise cash for the current disaster relief effort has received support from almost 5,000 people and could generate hundreds of thousands of pounds in aid.
Taking its name from “ichi man yen”, the Japanese for 10,000 yen, the Facebook-driven campaign is called “Man up for Japan” and is asking people to pledge the sum (around £75) to a relief charity of their choice.
The concept was devised by David Chalmers, 24, an Edinburgh native who is currently tutoring Japanese students in English through the popular Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme.
CLICK HERE to read the full article
Art in the (Japanese) Social Sphere
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Thien-Kieu Lam is an artist who is producing Bound in Japan. Bound in Japan is a community book art project that aims to promote awareness about diversity in Japan and enhance intercultural understanding by engaging native and non-native residents in the creation and sharing of book art.
Here, Kieu discusses the motivation behind Bound in Japan. To read the full article, which includes her insights on the power of the individual and a guide to turning a personal vision into reality, check out the blog Shinpai Deshou.
Japan, quite frankly, was an unexpected twist in my life. As an ethnic Vietnamese American who graduated with a degree in fine arts and a second major in Mandarin Chinese, I certainly had my sights on Asia, but Japan was always on the periphery. Japan didn’t really register on my radar until I was a college senior facing that daunting question mark: THE FUTURE. I had always dreamed of living abroad, and one day a friend suggested that I apply for the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. I did and it was a fateful decision. It was the beginning of a lifelong relationship.
After three years of teaching English in Kagoshima and four years of working at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC, I’m ready to take this relationship to a different level. I’m going back to my roots—the arts—and crossbreeding it with social activism.
My parents are immigrants. I know very well the kind of challenges my parents have faced and continue to face during these thirty odd years. I myself have faced similar challenges while living in Japan. I had never expected to fall in love with Japan. It made me think about what it would be like if I chose to settle there, to make Japan my new—and permanent—home.
Every time I go to Japan, it doesn’t feel like I’m traveling. It feels like going home. I have numerous Japanese friends, and for the most part, I can confidently navigate the physical and social geography. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to live in Japan.
Japan has been a mostly homogenous society for centuries. It hasn’t had to think much about the less than 2% of the population who are non-native residents. And it shows. There’s a lack of integration. A lack of infrastructure. Even now, immigration policy continues to take a backseat despite the steady increase in immigration over the years. Despite the fact that opening up immigration is one of the few viable solutions to the current challenges presented by Japan’s changing demography. Lots of words are being said, but where’s the action?
Local communities are taking matters into their own hands. There are many organizations whose mission is to assist foreign residents with language, culture, and legalities and who seek to enhance intercultural understanding. This makes me very hopeful. I believe that any sort of social change will begin locally at the grassroots level. It has to begin with public consciousness.
Art can play a role in this. Art, after all, is about expression. It’s a way to communicate. This is the goal of Bound in Japan. Participants will be able to engage in an educational and enjoyable activity that allows them to share their stories with others. Through the process of creating art about their experiences in an adopted homeland and the act of sharing it with others, there are many opportunities to learn about each other, to start new dialogues, and to engage in community building.
Bound in Japan is a collaborative art project. Its success depends on the active participation of the community. This success can be defined as the personal enrichment of individual lives as well as the enrichment of an entire community.
I know that there are many people like me, who love and consider Japan a home. There are many ways you can support Bound in Japan. A project like this requires a significant budget. Consider making a donation to the Bound in Japan IndieGoGo campaign. Know of an organization in Japan that would like to participate in the project? Let me know. Are you living in Japan right now and would like to take part in Bound in Japan? I would love to hear from you.
Learn more about Bound in Japan: http://boundinjapan.com
Contact Kieu: tknlam@gmail.com
Follow Kieu and Bound in Japan on Twitter: @KieuLam
Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (March 2011)
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The March 2011 issue of the Sake World e-newsletter by JET alum and the leading non-Japanese sake expert in the world, John Gauntner (a.k.a. “The Sake Guy”), is now available online.
Notable JET Alums: D.H. Cermeño, author of “Rising Sunsets”
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The below was shared by Hiroshima JET alum Angela Perrone, herself a travel writer, who recently met another JET alum book author in the course of her research for JetWit on JET local travel writing.
JET Alum Author: D.H. Cermeño (Hiroshima-ken)
Book: Rising Sunsets (click to purchase via Amazon)
Book trailer on youtube at: http://goo.gl/A4P8a
Website: www.dhcermeno.com
Below is a synopsis of the book along with Cermeno’s biography.
Synopsis:
Rising Sunsets is an enlightening journey through the mind of David Fletcher, a bright and ambitious young man who is determined to conquer the world and prove his unsupportive father wrong. When reality strikes and nothing works out as expected, an unusual opportunity to go to Japan to teach English to schoolchildren presents itself. There, he discovers his true self and finds an inner strength and independence he never knew existed. Throughout the story, David uncovers Japanese culture and easily embraces the traditions until suddenly, those age-old beliefs stand in the way of his happiness. And, through an unexpected encounter with love, the course of his life is changed forever.
About the Author:
A third generation Florida native, D.H. Cermeño worked in Japan as an English teacher for a year after graduating from Loyola University in New Orleans with a degree in Broadcast Production. Upon returning to the United States, he earned his M.B.A. from Crummer Graduate School at Rollins College and is a Database Marketing Manager in the hospitality industry. In his spare time, he writes, entertains, and volunteers in the local community and supports local theatre. D.H. has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and Central America and especially loves visiting his extended family in the northern part of Spain. He currently resides in Winter Park, FL. Rising Sunsets is his first book.
Click here to see a list of other JET alum authors and their works. (If you know of others not included in the list, please email jetwit [at] jetwit.com.)
NYT Column: Take Back the Trash by JET alum Bruce Feiler
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“Take Back the Trash“ is a thoughtful column on whether to throw out food in your refrigerator by JET alum Bruce Feiler, author of Learning to Bow, Walking the Bible and several other best-sellers including his recent book The Council of Dads:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/fashion/06ThisLife.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2
Matthew Cook leads 4th & 5th year JETs in a game of karuta at the Mid-Year Conference
Matthew Cook (Osaka-fu, 2007-Present) has been elected as National AJET Chair for the 2011-2012 JET year. Cook has been particularly focused on the challenges faced by the JET Program to its future existence.
According to fellow Osaka JET Cailin Arena (2008-Present):
“Matt has spent the past year completely re-defining Osaka AJET. He and the other members have taken the organization in a new direction – using events planning and fundraising to promote JET within their community, which has been experiencing a diminishing number of requests for JETs every year. In just the past 10 months, Osaka has set up volunteer relationships with local orphanages and public service workers, and it has begun developing a study abroad scholarship for students of JET teachers. AJET has been working hard to show Osaka exactly what the benefits of choosing JET are.”
In addition to his work with AJET, Cook has been extremely active within his Board of Education, developing an English curriculum to help Japanese teachers make the transition to elementary school English education as easy as possible. Using his experiences as both a mid-year conference presenter and Tokyo Orientation presenter, Cook will also be leading training seminars this spring. Together with AJET, he hopes to bring support to both JETs and their contracting organizations.
For more detailed information on Cook’s plans for AJET, please visit the AJET website and read his campaign platform: http://ajet.net/lang/en/about/ajet-elections/2011-2012-executive-candidate-platforms/
You can also visit his discussion page to voice any opinions you have about the direction you’d like to see AJET go: http://www.facebook.com/MCookAJET
Osaka AJET is also on Twitter and Facebook. Follow us to join the discussion! http://twitter.com/OsakaAJET
Survey of American Alumni of the JET Program
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Here is the link to the “Survey of American Alumni of the JET Program“:
AMERICAN JET ALUMNI SURVEY
(URL: http://iujournalism.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5hFAK01YxHtzqfO)
The survey is being conducted by JET alum Emily Metzgar, Assistant Professor at Indiana University’s School of Journalism. Her research focuses on public diplomacy, political communication and social media. (Click here to read Emily’s bio.) The survey has been approved by Indiana University’s Institutional Review Board.
Note #1: This is the first attempt at a comprehensive survey of the JET alumni community. I completed the survey myself and it takes about 10 or 15 minutes. FYI, completing the survey is one more step you can take to help the future of JET.
Note #2: Although full participation in the survey is limited to Americans who participated in the JET Program, the link above also provides an opportunity for all interested parties to request updates about research.
Note #3: The above link will remain active until midnight (EST) March 9, 2011.
From Emily’s blog:
“I am happy to answer any questions about this research and would be delighted to keep you informed about the survey’s progress and eventual results. Please feel free to contact me through this contact page or via my page at Indiana University.”
JET Alums Run Thriving Translation/Consulting Business in…..Kentucky?
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By most assumptions, Georgetown, KY, would not necessarily be the first place you’d expect to find a colony of JET alums. And yet. The town 20 minutes north of Lexington, in the center of the horse and bourbon country, is home to four ex-JETs working under the same roof.
Peter Purins (Toyama-ken, 2000-03), Zach Graham (Niigata-ken, 1999-2000) and Roy Harrison (Saitama, 2004-07) all work at Consultant Solutions, Inc. (CSI), itself run by a JET alum: Thad Johnson (Hyogo, 2000-1). The 18 person company, covering Canada, Japan, KY, TX, MS, AL, IN and OH, works with Japanese firms looking to strengthen their positions and capabilities in the North American market. They consult in three fields: language training, translation, and technical support.
Thad acquired the company in 2005, and brought in Roy from Vermont, Zach from New Mexico, and Peter from Australia/Okinawa in 2008. Together they provide translation and technical services to firms in the automotive manufacturing industry.
Why so many JETs? In part because they’re a known quantity. Beyond just the competitiveness of acceptance into the JET Program guaranteeing a certain caliber of person and familiarity with Japanese, many of the values of the program are important in the business world, including a person’s flexibility, cooperative spirit and international awareness.
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FYI, CSI’s always looking for new talent, and they’ve just posted some new open positions. Take a look at these recent CSI job openings posted on JetWit and see if you might be a good fit.
http://jetwit.com/wordpress/2011/02/21/job-five-job-positions-from-csi-ky/
For more information about the company, you can visit their website: www.csi-ky.com
Recent news about the fate of the JET Program
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Some interesting recent news about the fate of the JET Program. As you know, there was a bit of a dust up last year as the Japanese government reviewed all of its spending programs and that included JET. Anyone interested in helping to prove the worth of the program should check out the JET Return on Investment (ROI) page on this jetwit site: http://jetwit.com/wordpress/category/jet-roi/ There is also a continuing online petition to support the continuance of the program: http://www.change.org/petitions/save_the_jet_program Apologies if any of this has been posted on jetwit before!
High-profile JET alumni defend the program:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110210f3.html
The same article was also published by the Mainichi:
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/news/20110205p2g00m0fe017000c.html
The program may not be in imminent danger after all. Here’s a page from a Japanese government web site that indicates that as of November of last year Prime Minister Kan was telling the U.S. that the program would continue (Regardless of his words, there is a continued need to track and publicize the worth of the program!): http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/area/usa/visit/president_1011/exchange.html
The page is in Japanese but there’s a link to a pdf of an English document (the original?) on the right-hand side of the page. Here’s the text of that document (Item number 3 contains Japan’s continued commitment to the JET Program):
> FACT SHEET:
> Strengthening the exchange between Japan and U.S.
> for further deepening the Japan-U.S. Alliance
> November, 2010
> Prime Minister Naoto Kan and President Barack Obama met on
> November 13, 2010 in Yokohama. Prime Minister Kan, with the view that
> further enhancement of mutual understanding among wide range of people
> between Japan and the U.S. is necessary for mid and long term deepening
> and development of the Japan-U.S. Alliance,
> 1. announced his new initiatives as follows to further strengthen the
> exchange between Japan and the U.S. aiming at several thousand
> exchanges in 5 years and stated that he would continue his efforts to
> explore other possible effective measures;
> (1) Sending Japanese young teachers and interns to the U.S.
> -Sending young English teachers to the U.S.
> -Sending young Japanese language teachers to the U.S.
> -Sending Japanese students to the U.S. as interns at Japanese language
> courses in the U.S.
> (2) Other programs
>
> -Promoting collaborative education and two-way exchanges among
> universities in Japan and the U.S.
>
> -Supporting immersion Japanese language courses in the U.S.
> -Opening and expanding Japanese language courses and promoting
> Japan Studies in U.S. higher education institutions
>
> -Strategic promotion of international cooperation in the field of
> advanced science & technology and sending young Japanese
> researchers to U.S.
> -Strengthening relationships with U.S. think-tanks
> -Inviting Asian study experts from U.S. to Japan
>
> -Promoting short-visit program for U.S. students
> -Celebrating 2012 Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial Anniversary
>
> -Delivering Japanese values such as peace and environment through
> Japanese art
> -Holding modern art exhibits at major art museums in the
> U.S.
> 2. expressed his concern over the decline of Japanese students who study
> in the U.S. and stated his intention to further concentrate and work on
> this issue; and
> 3. reaffirmed the importance of the several efforts addressed so far
> between Japan and the U.S, especially JET(The Japan Exchange and
> Teaching) Programme, CULCON (US-Japan Conference on Cultural
> and Educational Exchange) and Fulbright Program, expressed his
> intention that he would positively continue to utilize these efforts,
> concluded that he would continue to explore measures which contribute
> to the strengthening the Japan-U.S. exchange.
Cheers,
Mark Frey
Communications Director
JETAANC
www.jetaanc.org
JETs in the News: Lars Martinson featured in Japan Times article on ex-pat comics
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JET alum and 'Tonoharu' creator Lars Martinson.
********
JET alum/cartoonist Lars Martinson (Fukuoka-ken 2003-2006), author of the graphic novels Tonoharu: Part Two and Tonoharu: Part 1, is the focus (along with Adam Pasion, author of the Sundogs anthologies) of a thoughtful Japan Times article by Gianni Simone on comics about Japan “that tell it like it is.”
Here’s the link to the article: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20110205a1.html
And below are a few excerpts about Martinson from the article:
The comic life of expats in Japan
Americans Lars Martinson and Adam Pasion tell it like it is with cutting-edge manga
By GIANNI SIMONE Special to The Japan Times
Tales of expat life in Japan all too often get blown out of proportion and quickly become picaresque adventures that little resemble real life.
**********
Luckily for us, many comic artists who have lived here seem to be more level-headed and have tackled the subject with a more realistic, no-nonsense approach.
**********
As the title suggests, “Tonoharu: Part Two” is not Martinson’s first foray in the field of expat comics: He self-published the first volume of this four-part saga in 2008 thanks to a grant from the prestigious Xeric Foundation.
Martinson, 33, first arrived in Japan in 2003 to work as an assistant language teacher, and spent the next three years working at a junior high school in a small town in Fukuoka Prefecture. His second stint in this country was in 2008 when he studied East Asian calligraphy under the auspices of a two-year research scholarship from the Japanese government.
Travel had played a pivotal role in his life (he had lived in Thailand and Norway as well), so when he came up with the idea of producing a graphic novel, he decided to make foreign travel a central theme.
“I planned from the start to turn my Japanese experience into a comic,” Martinson says, “even though I didn’t want it to be a mere autobiographical story. So I chose a 20-something American like me as the protagonist, but added a fictional group of eccentric expatriates living in the same rural Japanese town.”
At times living in the middle of nowhere was a challenge. Still, Martinson has no regrets about those three years spent in Kyushu.
“I’m actually a city slicker,” confesses Martinson, “and would love to live in a huge city in Japan at some point. Also, I’m sure that expat communities are awesome, but they can also separate you from the native population. When you live out in the country, you don’t have the option to just hang out with other Westerners, and this can force you to get involved in the host culture in ways you probably wouldn’t otherwise.”
Click here to read the full article: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20110205a1.html
Click here to read more JetWit posts about Lars Martinson:
Click here for Lars Martinson’s official blog/website: http://larsmartinson.com
JET ROI: Mainichi Daily, Japan Times article highlights major foreign policy impact of JET alumni
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Update 2/12/11: The same article also subsequently appeared in the Japan Times. This time with Ben Dooley (a former CIR) getting the byline. Here’s the link: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110210f3.html
Thanks to James Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) (Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA), author of the July 3 “JET on the Chopping Block” post and one of the newest members of the JETAANY Board of Directors) for making JetWit aware of this article:
Here’s a great article that just appeared in The Mainichi Daily News titled “Returnees of English-language program key to Japan-U.S. ties.” Notably, the article quotes several JET alums who are established foreign policy experts including:
- Michael Auslin – Director of Japan Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.
- Ben Dolven – Current director of the East Asia division at the Congressional Research Service, the U.S. Congress’ official think tank
- Michael Green – Head of Japan Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former head of the Asia team under President George W. Bush’s National Security Council (Note: Michael was a “Monbusho English Fellow (MEF), a precursor to the JET Program.)
- Andrew Ou – Currentlyworking in the U.S. Embassy’s political section
Here’s a link to the article: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/news/20110205p2g00m0fe017000c.html
Here’s the text of the article:
Returnees of English-language program key to Japan-U.S. ties
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) — When current participants in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program gather, the discussion often focuses on English teaching methods. When the program’s U.S. alumni get together, however, talk often turns to a weightier subject: U.S. foreign policy towards Japan.
Since the program was established in 1987, it has brought tens of thousands of young Americans to Japan to engage in cultural exchange, with a focus on teaching English.
Although the program has an uneven track record when it comes to improving Japanese students’ English, it has quietly and unexpectedly become a powerful tool for achieving another objective: grooming the next generation of American leadership in U.S.-Japan relations.
Michael Auslin, a former participant of JET and prominent Japan expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said recent attacks on the program by the Japanese government’s budget screening have focused on the quality of its English teaching, while ignoring a more important feature as one of Japan’s most valuable tools for conducting “public diplomacy” both with the United States and other countries.
JET’s success in this regard is perhaps best demonstrated by the number of former JETs occupying Japan-related positions in both the academic field and the U.S. government. The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo alone employs 25 former JETs, and JET returnees have done Japan-related work at the highest levels of the U.S. government.
“The JET Program created a fairly large cadre of people who had Japan experience,” says Ben Dolven, a former JET and current director of the East Asia division at the Congressional Research Service, the U.S. Congress’ official think tank.
“You’ve got a core of people who have had this experience all over, who are now part and parcel of U.S. policymaking on Japan,” he said.
Dolven’s point is illustrated by an anecdote told by Michael Green, the head of Japan Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former head of the Asia team under President George W. Bush’s National Security Council.
Green, who participated in a precursor to the JET program, was tasked with putting together a group to examine how the 2001 election of Junichiro Koizumi as Japan’s prime minister might affect its relations with the United States.
The task force consisted of Japan experts from various government agencies, ranging from the Central Intelligence Agency to the Treasury Department.
“The interesting thing about it was that you had all of these people from all of these agencies, who had been JETs…” or, like Green, had participated in similar programs in Japan, he said.
The group put together a set of recommendations that “became, in many ways, a blueprint for President Bush’s first meeting with Koizumi,” Green said.
Dolven said since JET program participants often work in rural areas, the program gives them a more nuanced view of the “real” Japan, a background that provides crucial context for better understanding the country and making informed policy decisions.
“There are lives being lived all over the country, and if you are just focused on Tokyo, you miss so much,” Dolven said.
Auslin also said that JET is probably the most successful, institutionalized, organized way to get young foreigners to obtain a deeper understanding of the “real” Japan.
This sentiment is perfectly embodied by Andrew Ou, a former JET now working in the U.S. Embassy’s political section.
While on the JET program 10 years ago, Ou developed a relationship with Ichita Yamamoto, now a leading figure in Japan’s main opposition Liberal Democratic Party. Ou cites this connection, as well as his JET experience with Japan’s local politics, as invaluable to his current work analyzing Japanese politics.
“You can’t put that into an equation and come out with a figure of how important it is for bilateral relations,” he said. But he believes that his own and others’ experiences on the JET program “add up to invaluable benefits for the U.S.-Japan relationship.”
Recent criticism of the JET program comes at a time when many scholars have observed an increasing tendency in Japan towards turning “inward,” contributing to what the Japan Center for International Exchange, a New York-based think tank, has called an erosion in the “the institutional base of U.S.-Japan policy dialogue and study.”
Ou finds criticism of the JET program especially disappointing. “I think as a group, JET alumni have a bigger impact on bilateral policy than any other,” he said.
And that is what makes it essential to “emphasize how important the JET program was and is for me and countless other diplomats,” he said.
(Mainichi Japan) February 5, 2011
NYTimes column: “Dominating the Man Cave” by JET alum Bruce Feiler
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A thoughtful column in today’s New York Times on the topic of ESPN and man culture by JET alum Bruce Feiler, author of Learning to Bow, Walking the Bible and several other best-sellers including his recent book The Council of Dads:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/fashion/06ThisLife.html?_r=1&src=twrhp
JET alum Bruce Feiler’s TED talk on The Council of Dads (video)
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JET alum Bruce Feiler, author of Learning to Bow, Walking the Bible and several other best-sellers including his recent book The Council of Dads, recently spoke in connection with the TED lecture series:
By Thien-Kieu Lam (Kagoshima 2003-2006), an artist who is producing Bound in Japan. Bound in Japan is a community book art project that aims to promote awareness about diversity in Japan and enhance intercultural understanding by engaging native and non-native residents in the creation and sharing of book art.
Pull open the covers and rows of “flags” pop up in salute! And thus Hedi Kyle’s invention became known as the flag book. With so many pieces, it looks complicated but is relatively easy and fun to assemble. The flag book structure was the focus of my second demo class which met during November and December of last year.
My five dedicated participants are all former residents of Japan. One is a native Japanese, and the others had either taught in Japan or studied there. Over the course of five sessions, the participants created a model of the structure, did writing exercises to generate content, and produced the final product.
Two of the books can be seen in the above picture. Erin’s book (left) focuses on the contrast between the calm and chaos she found in Japan, and Danielle’s book (right) indulges in her love of Japanese onomatopoeia and is accompanied by English haiku.
To see more photos from the class, go to the Bound in Japan blog.
JET Alum Anthony Bianchi to run for Lower House seat in upcoming Japan elections
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Here’s the link to the article (which is in Japanese): http://www.asahi.com/politics/update/0111/NGY201101110010.html
Below is text from the article:
衆院愛知６区補選 民主、犬山市議のアンソニー氏擁立へ
民主党の石田芳弘衆院議員（６５）の名古屋市長選立候補に伴い、４月に予定される衆院愛知６区補選に、同党が愛知県犬山市議のビアンキ・アンソニー 氏（５２）を擁立する方向となった。同党愛知６区総支部が１１日午前に開いた選挙対策会議で、候補として県連に提案することを決めた。
ビアンキ氏は米国ニューヨーク市出身。１９８９年に愛知県教育委員会の英語指導助手として来日。２００２年に日本国籍を取得して０３年に犬山市議選に立候補、最多得票で初当選した。０６年には同市長選に立候補したが、８候補中３位で落選。０７年に市議に再選された。
総支部の意向を踏まえ、県連が最終調整を進める。衆院補選への立候補について、ビアンキ氏は朝日新聞の取材に「名誉なこと。まだいろいろなステップがあるが、頑張っていきたい」と述べた。
６区補選では、０９年衆院選で落選した自民党元職の丹羽秀樹氏（３８）が立候補を準備。みんなの党も独自候補を擁立する方針だ。
