Bean There, Done That
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Professional translator Joel Dechant (CIR Fukuoka-ken, 2001-04) recently became a guest blogger for Fukuoka Now (http://fukuokanow.wordpress.com). Have a look at his first post on the site:
Bean paste, dumplings and beans...oh my!
Hi, my name is Joel. I’m from Pennsylvania in the US and have been living in Ropponmatsu since 2007. I majored in Japanese at university, spent a year abroad in Kyoto, and have been in Japan since graduating in 2000. I’ve lived in Osaka, Kirishima (Kagoshima), and Beppu, and after turning freelance, I decided to make Fukuoka my home base. I’m a translator by day, a bluesman by night and the Guest Blogger du jour. Today I’d like to talk about bean paste.
It’s been about 10 years since I first came to Japan and I fondly remember my maiden voyage as a study abroad student. My scholarship covered my airfare on a luxurious JAL flight complete with beautiful cabin attendants and a smoking section (I don’t smoke anymore, but back then I was in heaven). I don’t recall the food, however, because of traumatic desert experience. Something akin to a soft, delicious jelly donut was daintily laid on my plate, and after smoking who knows how many cigarettes, I was ready to tuck into that “donut”.
CHOMP!
WTF?!
ACK!!
Continue reading “Bean There, Done That”
U.S. High School Japanese Karaoke Contest – via YouTube
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Definitely some future JET alums in this crowd. It turns out there’s a national contest for U.S. high school students to submit “karaoke videos” in which they sing Japanese songs which are then judged by a panel of experts. (Come to think of it, I wonder if there are any JET alums now working as Japanese teachers who have students who submitted videos.)
You can see the full slate of the winner and finalists here: http://www.cheng-tsui.com/superstar/index.php?q=finalists
And the winning entry below:
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
I thought my sleepy eyes were betraying me when I turned on the tv to watch the Japanese news this morning. The headline splayed across the screen was that popular boy band SMAP member 34-year old Tsuyoshi Kusanagi had been arrested on charges of public indecency. Evidently he had been found naked, drunk and incoherent in a Tokyo park early this morning.
According to bystanders, some of what he was muttering was jibberish, some was in Korean (he is known for his Korean language skills and has a big following in Korea), and some were Japanese words they could make out like “baka.” When Kusanagi was approached by a policeman, he yelled out, Read More
Job: Full-time Translator J>E for consulting firm (NY)
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This job listing is from a seasoned Japan hand (i.e., not from Craigslist) who asked me to share it with the JET alum community. If you apply, please mention that you saw the listing on the WIT Group or on JetWit:
Translator, Japanese to English.
Small company specializing in Japanese/English communications, research, and industry monitoring seeks to hire an experienced translator whose native language is English and who has excellent writing skills in English. Familiarity with IT and pharmaceutical industries a plus but not required. We are seeking someone who is responsible, eager to learn about new fields, and works well with colleagues and clients. Collegial atmosphere with American and Japanese colleagues. Midtown Manhattan location. Competitive salary and health insurance benefits.
Please send resume and cover letter to translator [at] msapr [dot] com.
JET alum discount for Human Japanese 2.0
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JETAA Texoma’s Dallas Subchapter Rep Angela Beard reports that she’s been able to secure a 20% discount on the downloadable version of Human Japanese 2.0, a Japanese instruction program. Users who posted reviews on Amazon.com seem to like it (78% of reviewers awarded 5 stars…and the sole negative reviewer actually recanted and awarded 5 stars later).
Angela says: I know that Human Japanese offers boxed versions and iPhone versions, but for now the discount applies to the downloadable version only. However, depending on how well this promotion goes, maybe we’ll be able to strike a deal on the other versions, too! Here is information from the creator himself, including how to get the discount:
To see Human Japanese and download a trial version, the students can just use the normal web site, at www.humanjapanese.com. When they’re ready to purchase, they’ll get a discount if they use this URL: http://www.humanjapanese.com/Purchase.aspx?promotion=APLGGBEX That brings the price for the download-only version to about $15, which is a smokin’ deal if you ask me! :-)
I hope this discount will help those of you who have been wanting to get better at Japanese but can’t quite get motivated or commit to a classroom course. I know that I am in that group, and I am excited to give this program a try. From the reviews, it seems that Human Japanese takes a different approach from many other language instruction programs.
Incidentally, the creator is a wonderful guy…he and his wife were kind enough to let me stay with them during half of my time in Seattle last August. Actually, his whole family is great, especially his brother (my boyfriend). ;) In seriousness, he is very open to feedback about the program and if you run into difficulties or have questions, he is always available to help. I approached him about this discount specifically for JETAA and he was immediately happy to offer some incentive.
Thanks for reading and good luck with Human Japanese.
WIT Life #35: Hero Worship
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
A recent survey of Japanese young men regarding which famous figure they would want to become resulted in Ichiro Suzuki,
Ryoma Sakamoto and Ryo Ishikawa for the top 3. The person in the #1 slot is the most recognizable, especially now that he just broke the Japanese record for most career hits with his 3086th in yesterday’s game against the Angels (though the Mariners ultimately went on to lose). In the stands to witness this feat was Ichiro’s bat maker (perhaps craftsman is a more appropriate term) of the past 15 years. He was thrilled to be part of the historical moment, and expressed his desire that the next record he wants Ichiro to break is for 4000 hits. A matsuri mood pervaded Japan in celebrating Ichiro’s feat, and in honor of his accomplishment one store created Read More
Job: Technical Translator (Seattle, WA)
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JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) learned of the following employment opportunity through the Honyaku E <> J Mailing List and thought it might be of interest to former JETs in the Seattle area. Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Ken, and he periodically posts job listings and event information for JET alumni.
Job Description:
The client is looking for a technical translator from Japanese to English to translate programmer’s manuals, instructions and documentation. The linguist should have a strong knowledge of programming theory and application. This is a 6-12 month contract in Seattle, WA.
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Following up on the recent J-News Mini-Roundup posted on jetwit, the unemployment craze is also having an effect on the kinds of jobs new Japanese graduates want to apply for. According to a survey by Recruit of 5810 college students and 2099 grad
uate students from the class of 2010, travel industries come out ahead while manufacturing jobs were left in the dust. The financial and insurance industries also came out strong, occupying five of the top ten spots. Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) took the top spot after being 4th last year, and in 2nd was East Japan Railway Company (JR East). All Nippon Airways (ANA), which had claimed the top spot last year, trailed at 3rd and Mizuho Financial Group came in 4th.
The largest descents were those of Read More
Job: English to Japanese Translator (Toronto, ON)
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JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) learned of the following employment opportunity being offered through Pasona Canada and thought it might be of interest to former JETs in the Toronto area. Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Ken, and he will be periodically posting job listings and event information for JET alumni.
Pasona Canada is currently accepting resumes for the following professional opportunity on behalf of their client in downtown Toronto.
Job Title: ENGLISH TO JAPANESE TRANSLATOR
SUMMARY: Reporting to the Head of the Japan Desk in Toronto, the successful candidate must be knowledgeable about world financial markets, industries and macro economy. He or she must work quickly and accurately, and write Japanese in a clear style. The successful candidate will also be committed to producing news more quickly than the competitors. The desk forms an important part of the organization’s 24-hour news translation service for Japanese-language clients. Read More
Job: Document Review – Houston, Texas
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JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) found the following employment opportunity on the Honyaku E <> J Translation List and thought it might be useful to former JETs in the Houston area. Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka ken, and he will be periodically posting job listings and event information for JET alumni.
Note: The following opportunity is an update to an earlier post on JetWit. The original document review job has been filled in Austin, TX, but the same company is now looking to fill the same job in Houston.
The client is a law firm that has an intellectual property matter that has generated a million documents which are stuffed into 500 boxes in their Houston office. Rather than having someone review the documents page by page at this time, they would like someone fluent in Japanese to thumb through each box and just identify the type of documents. One box may just be invoices, another might be reports, etc.
They have estimated that if it took approximately 30 minutes per box, the project would take about 2 months to complete. Ideally, they would like someone to devote a full time schedule to the project, but they may be open.
They are in a hurry, and would like to hear back from anyone who’s interested as soon as possible.
Interested parties should send an e-mail to Holly Coe.
Donald Keene Center presents: Royall Tyler – The Honor of Translating the Tale of Genji
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Via Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999), Associate Director at the Donald Keene Center on Japanese Culture at Columbia University. To get on their e-mail list for future events, send an e-mail to donald-keene-center at columbia dot edu.
2009 Annual Soshitsu Sen XV Distinguished Lecture on Japanese Culture
“The Honor of Translating the Tale of Genji”
Royall Tyler
6:00 PM, Wednesday, April 22nd
The 2008-2009 academic year marks the one-thousandth anniversary of that remarkable classic of Japanese literature, Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji. In order to commemorate the occasion, the Keene Center has invited the renowned Genji scholar and most recent translator of that work into English, Dr. Royall Tyler, to deliver this year’s Soshitsu Sen XV Distinguished Lecture on Japanese Culture.
Miller Theater, Columbia University (116th Street and Broadway)
Please go to http://www.columbia.edu/about_columbia/map/miller_theater.html for a campus map
Reservations are required by April 15th. To RSVP for a reservation-only event,
please email dcc2119 at columbia dot edu or send a fax to 212-854-4019. Read More
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Having recently returned from a trip to Japan, during my time there I was reminded of the cultural differences large and s
mall that exist between our two nations. Some were simple things I forgot, such as the sometimes lack of paper towels and dryers in the restrooms and the need to carry around a small towel to dry your hands. Other issues were more deeply integrated into the cultural psyche, such as the surprise that friends expressed when I told them about pregnancy/motherhood here in the States. I happened to visit many pregnant friends and new mothers, and they get to enjoy a long stay in the hospital after giving birth. Also, for working mothers the amount of time you can take off in Japan before returning to the workplace is quite generous (for some cases such as civil servants a year compared to the typical three months here), although I think the tendency for women not to return to work after having a baby is more common than here in the States.
Anyway, the news this morning profiled a story that fits into the larger cultural difference category. According to the report, actor Shunta Nakamura (31), the son of actor Masatoshi Nakamura (58) and actress Junko Igarashi (56), was arrested this weekend for Read More
Co-working links
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The following links are from the article on co-working by freelance translator Joel Dechant (CIR Fukuoka-ken, 2001-04).
- Coworking Google Group http://groups.google.com/group/coworking
- I’m Outta Here E-Book http://www.imouttaherethebook.com/
- Coworking Wiki http://coworking.pbwiki.com/
- Web Worker Daily –http://webworkerdaily.com/
- Independents Hall, Philly –http://www.indyhall.org
- CoLab Tokyo –http://co-lab.jp/about/index.html
- Jelly –http://www.workatjelly.com
Joel Dechant (CIR Fukuoka-ken, 2001-04), freelance translator based in Fukuoka, has been exploring the “co-working” trend. If interested in discussing with him, click on his name to contact him via LinkedIn or post a comment below to share your thoughts or perspectives.
After 3 years on JET I worked at a private Japanese university as a translator for 3 years. It was essentially a JET-type job: translate, interpret, assist foreign students and/or plan programs for 3 years and then you’re out. After their stints were up, some of my other colleagues went home or elsewhere in Japan to work in universities, government agencies or in the private sector, but I-on the other hand-decided to stay.
“What about my contract?” you ask. Well, my employer and I struck a deal. They needed someone who knew the university and who could translate and interpret well, and I wanted to stay in the area. By virtue of being placed in the position that bore the biggest share of translation and interpreting work, I was able to hone my skills well enough to confidently say, “Hey, I can do this!” So we wrote a new contract in which they would outsource their work to me. With the stroke of a pen, I was self-employed.
It was like a dream come true. How many times had I Read More
A JET alum translator e-mailed with the below questions. Feel free to share your response in the comments section of this post, or e-mail to jetwit at jetwit dot com if you’d prefer your comment to remain anonymous.
1) At the moment, the Japanese economy is doing just terribly. Has anyone seen declines or reductions in the amount of work they are receiving?
2) In the longer term, as well, the economy doesn’t look like it is going to improve much, either. How do they feel about the prospects for making a business out of translating, are they feeling pessimistic for the future?
