Japan Society (NY) presents KRAZY! (March 13 to June 14) – Reduced ticket price
KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games
KRAZY! (March 13-June 14) now contains a whopping 200 objects; we’ve reduced the ticket price from $12 to $10 ($8 students/seniors and FREE for children under 16); on the weekends we will hold back-to-back screenings of 7 full-length anime films in our 262-seat theater free to ticket-holders, and patrons will be able to sit and play the featured video games (including a console table Pac-Man) as well as browse hundreds of manga comic book titles.
See the full details below:
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Pac-Man, Paprika, Super Mario, and Afro Samurai: Welcome to New York!
Japan Society Gallery Celebrates the Japanese Art Forms of Anime, Manga, and Video Games in Spring 2009
New York, NY — Once considered the preserve of an insular youth culture, within the last decade Japanese animated cartoons (anime), comics and illustrated narratives (manga), and interactive video games have migrated into the mainstream, with reverberations both high and low. In a first for New York City, Japan Society explores this phenomenon in KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games from March 13 through June 14, 2009. Read More
Job: In-house Counsel (NY)
An in-house counsel job (i.e., NY licensed attorneys only) that pays up to $250K. Contact Meg Seki Director, Japanese Bilingual Division
Access Staffing 360 Lexington Ave., 8th fl. New York, NY 10017 www.accessstaffing.com
Title: In House Counsel
Required Skills:
- Licensed Attorney (NY)
- Experience with a Japanese Company or Japanese Clients.
- Knowledge of Japanese culture
- Japanese skills are not required.
Job Description: Read More
JETAA Chapter Beat 2.17.09
Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET Alumni community…
- JETAANC vs. Japan Society Victory Cup Tournament! – Saturday, February 21st, 6:30 at Serra Bowl join in the first ever JETAANC vs. Japan Society of Northern California Victory Cup Tournament. The first event is bowling, so sign up and throw some rocks.
- March Book Club – Miyuki Miyabe’s All She was Worth is the topic of next month’s book club, so start reading and be ready to discuss. Date and time to be announced.
- Japanese Discussion Group – Saturday, February 21st, 3:00. The topic of this month’s lecture will be Organ Transplant/Brain Death by Yuka Yokota, chairman of the Japan Nursing Student Association. Come listen in and share your thoughts. Location to be announced.
- East Bay Nomikai Happy Hour! – Thursday, February 19th, 6:00 at Thalassa in Berkeley. It’s the third Thursday of the month and that means it’s time for some fun, drinks and friends.
JETAA Texoma
- Happy Hour! – Tuesday, February 24th, 6:30 at the Ragin Cajun Restaurant. Don’t miss this night of fun on the bayou! Bring the kids and catch up with old friends.
- Japan-A-Mania! – Saturday, February 28th. JETAA, Big Brothers Big Sisters of NY and NY de Volunteer is hosting a day of Japanese culture and activities for NYC kids. Help out and share your love of Japan with the kids.
- Happy Hour – Thursday, February 19th, 6:00 at The Snug. Relax and chat with friends old and new at this month’s happy hour.
- Japan Young Professional Group Lecture – Tuesday, February 17th. The topic will be “Overcoming Intercultural Challenges to Entrepreneurship” by Dr. Ryo Kubota, President and CEO of Acucela Inc. Don’t miss this fascinating discussion about working in both Japan and the U.S.
- International Trade Reception – Wednesday, February 25th, 5:30 at the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia. Meet Governor Christine Gregoire and members of the state legislature at this year’s International Trade Reception.
- ZEN: Japanese Film and Lecture Series – February 26th and February 28th at University of Washington and Seattle University(respectively). Come see the story of legendary Zen Master Dogen on screen and join the discussion of his life and the film.
- JETAA Oceania Logo Competition – JETAA Oceania is looking for logos. Help promote the JET Programme and embrace your creative side. Entries due by March 1st, 2009.
- Japanese Architecture Lecture
– Tuesday, February 24th, 5:30 at the James O Fairfax Theatre at the National Gallery of Australia. Paul Noritaka Tange of the Tange Institute is giving a lecture on the work of his father, noted architect Kenzo Tange and his influence on modern Japanese Architecture. - O-Shaberikai – Wednesday, February 25th, 5:30 at the Holy Grail in Civic. Join in and meet Japanese people living in Canberra and other locals interested in Japan.
- Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership(CAPAL) Happy Hour – Wednesday, February 18, 6:00 at Gazuza. Join in and make some professional contacts or just some new friends at CAPAL.
- Karaoke Night Out – Friday, February 20th, 9:30 at Cafe Japone. Sing and laugh with your friends at JETAA DC.
What happened at your chapter’s event? If you attend(ed) any of these exciting events, JetWit would love to hear about them. Just email Jonathan Trace with any info, stories or comments.
NPR’s Studio360 Features Bankruptcy Haiku by Steven Horowitz
Bankruptcy Bill is a cartoon created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. To see more strips as well as original bankruptcy haiku, go to bankruptcybill.wordpress.com.
Listen to one of Bankruptcy Bill’s haiku read on the “Haiku-ing It To The Man” feature on NPR’s Studio360. (Starts with about 1:31 left in the feature.)
Here’s the story lead from the Studio360 website:
Haiku-ing It to the Man
A few weeks ago we asked listeners to submit original haiku inspired by the state of the economy. Dozens poured in: our own unscientific proof that the financial crisis is a boon for creativity. Here are some of our favorites. (http://www.studio360.org/episodes/2009/02/13)
The JetWit Business Model?
“What is the JetWit business model?” some of you may have wondered.
Shoujiki ni itte, JetWit isn’t earning any income as of yet per se at the moment technically speaking (with the exception from a one-time paid ad placed by Interac).
But that doesn’t mean that JetWit doesn’t want to, or can’t, earn any income. The site and community is certainly providing value in various ways, including helping a number of people to find work opportunities. It has access to terrific writing and translating talent. And given that JET alumni chapters are primarily focused on their own regions, JetWit is essentially the only channel for reaching JET alumni (i.e., a targeted audience of educated, Japan-savvy types) all across the U.S. as well as abroad.
With so much going for it, it seems like one would have to be a baka to not have JetWit generating dollars (or yen). Since that’s exactly the case, however, there is some comfort in realizing that much larger entities struggle with the same issue of trying to earn income while giving away something for free. At least according to my brother Greg who has over 10 years of online marketing experience.
In his post on The Digitalists titled Free* (or, how to give away the store without giving away the store), Greg comments on Wired editor Chris Anderson’s new book Free and a possible direction the traditional model of content provider-advertiser-consumer may be shifting.
The short post is well worth a read for everyone trying to figure out how to navigate the shifting business world (which I think includes most recent JET returnees as well as numerous alums).
Yes they did!
Japanese TV has never been averse to using blackface, so why stop now? Especially when presidential magic is involved.
Jobs: 3 Japan-related jobs in Houston area
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Three job listings from an Interesse recruiter via the JETAA Texahoma email list:
1. Entry level position with a toy company, but requires business level Japanese. It is for a toy company. Pay is between $30-50K. You would be training in Japan and then working in either the US or Asia. If you are interested, please email me your resume and reference this email and job #37209.
2. I have a 3-4 month contract position near IAH for $10-12/hour. It is entry level. If you are interested in getting your foot in the door in a Japanese company, this might be a good opportunity. Job #37291
3. I have an entry level steel sales position near Memorial Mall. It requires Japanese language skills but that is all. Job #36546. $35-50K Read More
Know a Newsletter Editor: Mark Frey – JETAA Northern California
Mark Frey (Kumamoto-ken, 2002-06) has served as the Newsletter Editor for JETAA Northern California since 2007. But how did he find himself in this position? And what else do we know about this man who has been entrusted not only with JETAA NC’s news needs but with with responsibility for a small child as well? JETAA Chicago’s Elizabeth Friedman (profiled in the previous edition of Know a Newsletter Editor) decided to get to the bottom of things, and this is what she learned.
Residence: Beautiful Lake Merritt neighborhood of Oakland, California
Job: Marketing Manager, MIG, Inc.
What he does all day at work: Write proposals, dream about Japan
How he found his job: Website for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (professional society for my field of work)
Job he would really like to be doing: Teaching!
First job after JET: Marketing Manager, MIG, Inc.
How he ended up as the Newsletter Editor: Was asked at a weak moment after about the 5th kanpai at a JETAA shinnenkai. Read More
Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food. You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.
For about a year I was holed up in my apartment writing articles I would never allow people to read. I only shared my work in large anonymous or protected forums like writing contests or classes. My work needed to be out there, but I wasn’t ready to stand behind it.
But now it’s time for me to take a step out into public as a writer and I feel like I’m stepping in front of a batting machine. On the first anniversary of my writing career, I am jello soft and unprepared for the inevitable criticism that lies ahead. People are actually reading my blog and I write two regular columns accessible to anyone with internet access. On the web, everything is open for comment and I fear the next snide remark or disagreement with my opinions will break me.
I need some quick advice about building backbone from some of you veterans out there because the balls are flying and I can only bob and weave for so long. To all seasoned writers, bloggers, authors and artists did this happen to you and how did you deal with it?
Help out Devon and other JET alum writers by posting your comments below. Yoroshiku!
Black Tokyo: Japan’s Part-timers in Full-time Trouble
The blog Black Tokyo picked up on an interesting story from the L.A. times about the state of the job market in Japan.
If you do any work that has any connection to Japan, it’s very much worth keeping track of these trends and trying to think about how they may eventually effect all of us. Things are shifting and that means problems in the future (or present), but it also means opportunities.
Just received this announcement/press release from Shannon Jowett, Director of Communications for Japan Society (NY). Ambassador Sakurai has been very supportive of JETAA, plus he’s a real nice guy, so JetWit is a big fan:
Japan Society is pleased to announce that Ambassador Motoatsu Sakurai will be president effective Tuesday, April 7, 2009. Full details are below.
Ambassador Motoatsu Sakurai Named Japan Society President
First Japanese-born president to head non-profit, non-political organization
New York, NY — February 7, 2009 — Ambassador Motoatsu Sakurai will be the new president of Japan Society. The Society’s Board of Directors announced this morning that the Ambassador assumes his new leadership role April 7, 2009. Ambassador Sakurai is the Consul General of Japan in New York and is the former president of Mitsubishi International Corporation, USA. He will be the first Japanese-born president of Japan Society, now a 102-year old non-profit, non-political organization. Read More
Video: Roland Kelts on Studio360 with Kurt Anderson
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A sampling of what’s to air on NPR’s Studio 360 Goes to Japan on Saturday at 10 am, featuring Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99):
Japan Trends: Bras for Boys
I’m not going justify this with the pretense that it somehow ties in to JET alumni. I’m just posting the video.
JET Alum Business Beat: Yvonne Thurman starts Dolly Bella Bakery
Yvonne Thurman (Kagoshima-ken, 1994-95), former JETAA NY President, recently left her position as Director of the Columbia Business School’s Center on Japanese Economy and Business (CJEB) to start her own baked goods business, Dolly Bella Bakery (www.dollybellabakery.com). Read below as she explains what led her down this path and how it’s all going.
I have enjoyed my career at Columbia Business School , directing its Center on Japanese Economy and Business with Professor Hugh Patrick. After 10 years of working there, I was searching in the corporate sector for business development positions but couldn’t find something that really excited me. So I pushed myself to think outside of the box, and really took a good look at my strengths and skills, work experience and education, and analyzed what I really enjoyed doing.
I was fixated on keeping my career in the international organization/international business arena, but I had to explore all options. I had solid management skills, a degree in finance and business, international experience (same as so many…but wait!)…liked boating as a hobby…loved baking. Hmm. I started to put all that together. Read More
Roland Kelts in Boston for “Grave of Fireflies” Event Feb. 11
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Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, will be at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on Wednesday, February 11 for a screening + discussion of the animated film Grave of the Fireflies. More details here. (Side note: Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) wrote an excellent and succinct review of Grave of the Fireflies for the Spring 2008 JETAAA NY Newsletter.)
BONUS: Roland’s story on Japanese Youth Pathologies for WNYC’s Studio 360 will air on NPR nationwide as part of this coming weekend’s special Japan edition of the show. (See the recent JetWit post on last week’s Studio360 Japan feature.)
Correction: This post previously listed the date of the MFA event as February 9, but it has now been corrected to February 11. Apologies for any confusion.
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