Oct 6

Toyama Prefecture project to increase Return on JET-vestment

Cultural Outreach, Japan Local, Local Government, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Add Comment (1)

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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.

Oct 5

Return to Tohoku: “Don’t Speak, Just Move On” by Audrey Shiomi

Article/Journalism, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: “Don’t Speak, Just Move On” by Audrey Shiomi

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The following is a personal essay by Audrey Shiomi (CIR Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi, 1999-2001). Through generous sponsorship by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she spent a week in September visiting her former residence in Sendai City, one of the areas affected by the March 11 earthquake. In lieu of volunteering in disaster-stricken regions, she spent each day meeting with friends and former coworkers to listen to their stories.

Click here to read other Return To Tohoku updates on JETwit.  You can also check the JETAA USA website post (“JET Alums Return to Tohoku”) for additional information. 

Don’t Speak, Just Move On

By Audrey Shiomi (CIR Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi, 1999-2001)

I couldn’t believe how normal it all felt to spend each day hanging out with old friends in Sendai. They hardly talked about what had happened six months ago, and if they did, they were calm, reflective and grateful. They didn’t suffer the way they did in the north, along the Pacific coast.

Within city limits, homes were damaged and people were left without running water, electricity and heat soon after the earthquake. It was late winter, and they had no clue when things they’d taken for granted—warmth, hot food and information—would be readily available. The minute it looked like a market was about to re-open, people formed long lines out the door.  Luckily, by Day 5, water and electricity had been restored.

Now, six months later, my friends are with me, laughing, drinking and eating like there’s no tomorrow. We were doing everything but dwelling on March 11 and for good reasons. For one, it was simply time to more forward. For another, talking about your own situation made it seem like you were complaining about it, and—as my friend explained—the only people who are socially allowed to lament are those whose loved ones died in the tsunami.

Another reason few people talk about the events of March is that if someone were to mention they temporarily fled the prefecture after the nuclear reactor meltdown, they’d face the silent scorn of their peers. For some, leaving town was a logical safety measure. For others, leaving town was the moral equivalent of abandoning your family.  It’s these opposing schools of thought that make it difficult to openly talk to one another. “It’s like in the U.S. where people don’t bring up religion,” said one Japanese friend. “People don’t talk about certain parts of their experiences after the disaster.”

So instead of dwelling in the past, my friends have no option but to move forward. For many of them, March 11 instilled a newfound reason for living. Many have taken up new hobbies and started traveling more. My friend, Nanae, has been making a living by holding private cooking classes at her home. March 11 fueled her to hold more classes. The way she sees it, she’s lucky to be alive, so not living life would be like besmirching the memory of all those who’d died.

I’m glad my friends have emerged from this tragedy with their heads held high. It would have been a sad reunion if they’d greeted me with distressed tears. If they’d told me, “Take me back to the U.S. with you!” I would have stowed them all away in my suitcase. But, no, instead we’re able to share a drink, enjoy great izakaya food and laugh about old times.

That’s the Japan I know.

Oct 4

Return to Tohoku Update 10.04.11

Article/Journalism, Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku Update 10.04.11

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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.

• Audrey Shiomi (CIR Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi, 1999-2001) has had some of her excellent writing and observations published in a series titled Tohoku Travelogue (http://rafu.com/news/tag/tohoku-travelogue/) including:
• “Moving On From Tragedy” (Oct 1)
• “Scenes from an Izakaya” (Sept 15)
• “Nearly Swept Away” (Sept 14)
• “Ah Matsushima!” (Sept 11)
• “Signs, Signs, Everywhere!” (Sept 10)
• “Gambarimasu” (Sept 9)
• “The Telephone Booth” (Sept 8)
• “Letters to Sendai” (Sept 8)
• “Ganbarou Nihon!” (Sept 7)
• “Omiyage 101” (Sept 6)
• “To Be Afraid or Not To Be Afraid….” (Sept 2)
• Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10) – “Why This is Only Blog #3.5” – Brent tries to explain the overwhelmingness of visiting Soma and how it has affected his approach to blogging about his trip.  He shares photos and questions why he has taken them.
• Sharon Van Etten (CIR Iwate-ken), President of JETAA Sydney, has blogged about her trip here:  Revisiting Iwate:  http://revisitingiwate.blogspot.com/  Here are some recent posts:
• “Iwate Highlights – World Cultural Heritage Sights in Haraizumi“
• “Back to School“
• “Getting Away From It All“

Click here to read other Return To Tohoku updates on JETwit.  You can also check the JETAA USA website post (“JET Alums Return to Tohoku”) for additional information. 

Sep 20

Return to Tohoku: Round-up 09.20.11

Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: Round-up 09.20.11

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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.

• Ben Erickson (Iwate-ken, Ninohe-shi) of Pacific Northwest JETAA left yesterday for Iwate.  You can follow his experience on his blog at Tohokuben.com – One JET’s Return to Iwate.  Here’s Ben’s current itinerary:

• Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10) – “A Rough Guide to My Fukushima Trip – Return to Tohoku #1“ –Brent, based in Ottawa, shares his itinerary as he prepares to depart Canada for Fukushima.

You can also check the JETAA USA website post (“JET Alums Return to Tohoku”) for additional information.

Sep 13

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

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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.

Sep 13

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

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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

Sep 8

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

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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.

Sep 7

Slate.com series: “Can Japan Recover?”

Article/Journalism, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Japan Trends, Travel/Tourism, Writers Comments Off on Slate.com series: “Can Japan Recover?”

There’s an excellent ongoing series on Slate.com titled “Can Japan Recover?” by Daisann McLane as she travels through various areas of Tohoku.  McLane is traveling and writing about Japan as a guest of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).

1. “Sendai Rising From the Wreckage“
2. “The Fishermen of Fukushima“
3. “The New Fear of Food“

“I’m exploring recovering Japan as a guest of the Japan National Tourism Organization. Tourism here dropped through the floor in the first three months after what’s now being called the “Triple Disaster”—earthquake, tsunami, Fukushima. The tourism board was so eager for upbeat stories they offered to send me anywhere I wanted over the course of a week. I emailed them a decidedly non-upbeat itinerary: Sendai, Fukushima, Tokyo. To my surprise, and to their credit, they said no problem. A few weeks later, in July, I was on a Shinkansenspeeding north from Tokyo to Sendai.”

To read more of McLane’s writing about Japan on her travel blog, go to www.therealtravelblog.com.

Sep 3

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/

Aug 29

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!”

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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.

Aug 26

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

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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.

Aug 25

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

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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.

Aug 22

Return to Tohoku: JET alum Tanya Gradecky arrives in Japan

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 Gradecky arrives in Japan

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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 a quick excerpt from the first post on her travel blog:

“I’m about to head off to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a meeting and then I will be on my way to Sendai and Shiogama City in Miyagi Prefecture!!”

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.

Aug 19

Another Canadian JET to visit Tohoku via the MOFA program

Article/Journalism, Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, JETAA Chapters, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on Another Canadian JET to visit Tohoku via the MOFA program

Turns out the Ottowa Citizen article was not entirely correct about Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10) being the only Canadian among the 20 ex-JETs selected for the MOFA program to go back to their town/city in Tohoku, help with volunteering and write about and share their experience.

But the post on JETwit about the article did help generate a response from Toronto-based JET alum Tanya Gardecky (Miyagi-ken, Shiogama-shi) who will also be participating and whose travel blog you can follow here:  http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/ShiogamaJET/

Aug 16

Ottawa JET alum Brent Stirling to visit Tohoku as part of MOFA program

Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Interview/Profile, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Add Comment (4)

Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10)

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Ottawa based JET alum Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10) is one of only 2 Canadians out of 20 JET alumni selected to return to the Tohoku region to volunteer, engage and share their experience for the benefit of others, according to an article in the Ottawa Citizen.

(Note:  This post previously repeated the error in the Ottawa Citizen article that Brent was the only Canadian participating.  But it turns out that Toronto-based Tanya Gardecky (Miyagi-ken, Shiogama-shi) will also be participating.)

Stirling, who writes on his blog ForYourBrentertainment and was actively involved in the creation of Quakebook following the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, submitted a proposal which was accepted by the program established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Japan Tourism Agency to bring 20 Tohoku-area JET alums back to Tohoku to play a role in helping their communities and then spread word of their experience afterwards.

Read the full Ottawa Citizen article here:   “Months of blogging leads to trip to Japan: Kanata teacher will help with disaster relief in the country he writes about”