By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2007-08) (from the Fall 2008 JETAA NY Quarterly Newsletter)
I had frequented many an urban Japanese supermarket in my college days, but a megastore like Mitsuwa always meant something special. Mostly because it required bus fare, a map, and a ranger with a sword to reach the distant shores of Edgewater, New Jersey. Crossing state lines just for konnyaku? A mad quest, indeed.
But if you want something bad enough, you’ll go the distance.
I can definitely say that it’s really not as complicated to reach Mitsuwa in New Jersey as some New Yorkers may think. There is a regular and convenient bus service that leaves from Port Authority directly to and from Mitsuwa. But, why bother hitting up Mitsuwa if you can get Japanese goods at Sunrise or Katagiri? Well, just for the sheer variety and size. Going to Mitsuwa is definitely a fun and less-cramped experience than going to the more local NY spots.
Besides, Mitsuwa offers a lot more than just quality yam starch jelly. It is the experience that makes me cough up the change and head on over. As well as an impressively-stocked supermarket, Mitsuwa also offers an authentic shokudo/kissaten cafe experience serving quickly made and reasonably priced Japanese dishes. Everything from tonkatsu to Japanese-style pasta is served in the often-crowded food court. There is also a delicious bakery for those who long for freshly baked an pan and miss eating toast as big and fluffy as a pillow. There’s even a small stall devoted to sweet festival treats such as tai-yaki and oban-yaki. Read More
JetWit Society Page – by Yoku Shitteiru – 11/21/08
Humor, JETAA Chapters, Networking, Uncategorized 
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JetWit Society Page is written by Yoku Shitteiru who knows well.
Hello my loyal readers and welcome to the new on-line version of the Society Page column about JET alumni!
But enough about you, let’s talk about last night’s JETAA New York Happy Hour at Revival (15th St & Irving Place). For some reason, over 30 JET alums came out and took over the second floor of the place despite cho-beri-samui evening weather, perhaps incentivized by the happy hour deals, extended to 8pm thanks to JETAA Social Coordinator Monica Yuki’s Manhattan-style negotiating savvy.
WKRP in New York? Many in attendance were bikkuri-shita‘d by the sudden yet now-predictable annual surprise appearance of John Sandoval (Mie-ken, 1992-95), who was in from Cincinnati on Procter & Gamble business. Apparently there aren’t enough karaoke nights in Marge Schott’s furusato (though if JET alum Cincy native Jimmy Jackson has his way, there may be some of those coming soon)….Meanwhile, Queens-ken was in the house last night courtesy of super-teacher Cindy Hoffman, with Brooklyn-ken represented by translator Jamie Graves and NHK Associate Producer Marea Pariser as well as by Wynne Wu and Steven Too. Even New Jersey-ken sent party delegates including JTB employee Chau Lam and Seton Hall grad student Glen Milan….Thanks to Nandita, now a Manhattan-jin since she took over brother Neel’s 
apartment after he skipped town for Nashville to finish his M.D.), “disco nap” became the English vocab lesson for the night…And Marea had the story of the night, explaining how she needed to find a family in the NY area that would let the NHK morning show crew film its Thanksgiving dinner live from the family’s home. Turns out they found a farming family outside the city that sells to the Green Markets and was thrilled to host NHK. Why? Because their daughter was a JET, married a Japanese guy, and now lives in Nagano. All of which means that now she’ll be able to see her family on Thanksgiving live from Japan! (Sugoi yo!)….JETs Are Everywhere Moment: When a random lad from the rowdy, neighboring non-JET crowd rushing out the door paused to read Steven’s shirt (JETAA NY – 日本語分るよ!) and blurted, “Man, I do understand Japanese! I’m a JET!” and continued on his misguided way….As the JET crowd eventually dissipated and the second floor was taken over by cult of people brainwashed to believe that singing along with “Piano Man” is never a bad decision, Monica led a small crew of JET alum detritus to Stand (12th St & University) for pricey but tasty burgers, shakes and potato sticks, not to mention an educational “tramp stamp” citing.
That’s all for this edition. See you in the JetWit future.
Tokoro de, Yoku Shitteiru welcomes the sharing of any JET-related info from any JET-related events as well as news of engagements, weddings, births, new jobs and other fun and JET-worthy items. Just send an e-mail to yokushitteiru/atto/jetwit /dotto/com.
Cincinnati JETAA?
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Jimmy Jackson is trying to get Cincinatti/Northern Kentucky JET alums together. If you’re interested or know anyone in Cincinnati who might be, even if they’re not a JET alum, get in touch with Jimmy at jimmyj1640 /atto/ yahoo /dotto/ com.
I think Randall Crowder may officially be the chapter rep for the Great Lakes Region and is in Cincinnati, but I don’t have contact info for him. Also, former JETAA NYer John Sandoval (Mie-ken, 1992-95) is in Cincinnati now working for Procter & Gamble.
Great Lakes had been defunct for a while until Scott Norman in Detroit and Randall in Cincinnati have made efforts to bring it back in the last few years. So if you guys and other people can all link up and get some momentum, that would be JET-tastic! (Note: Not a real word.)
Job listings for JET alumni? Send’em in!
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REMINDER: If you have a job listing that would be relevant for JET alumni, or if you’re a JET alumni with an opening where you work and want to share the job listing, feel free to e-mail it to stevenwaseda /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
California here we come!
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A quick thanks to Jason Porath, President of JETAA Southern California, for letting all the Southern Cal JET alums know about JetWit.com. And a big, laid back welcome to everyone in LA-LA Land who’s reading this.
Also a reminder that JetWit is always looking for writers, job listings and other JET-relevant info. And of JetWit’s reasons for being is to help JET alums promote their work and get well-deserved exposure. Just email me at stevenwaseda /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
Lastly, if you’re reading this somewhere and your chapter has not yet sent out an announcement or posted it on its website, please encourage your officers to do so. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
Japanese Baseball
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Here are some stories we’re sure that George Rose (Fukushima-ken, 1989-91) is following. George, a former JETAA NY President, currently works for the New York Yankees in Tokyo and previously served as Hideki Irabu’s interpreter.
16-Year-Old Japanese Girl With Knuckleball Drafted by Professional Baseball Team – Apparently she was inspired to learn it from watching the Red Sox’ Time Wakefield.
MLB vs. Japan: Tensions Over Recruiting of Young Japanese Phenom – George’s boss Brian Cashman is quoted in the article. Looks like the Yankees’ don’t want to ruffle their relationship with the Yomiuri Giants and also recognize the benefit of other teams not signing this guy to pitch against them.
Seattle Mariners Hire Don Wakamatsu as Manager; First Asian-American to Manage in MLB – The article notes that Don’s father was born in a Japanese-American internment camp during WWII. For more on that topic, read Justin Tedaldi’s review of a documentary titled Passing Poston in the Fall 2008 “Politics” Issue of the JETAA NY Quarterly newsletter.
Help JetWit find sponsors
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JetWit is seeking sponsors (or other forms of support). Here’s how you can help:
- E-mail me at stevenwaseda /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com with contact information and a contact person for any potential sponsors.
- Contact potential advertisers yourself and encourage them to get in touch to discuss advertising.
- Be an ad sales rep for JetWit. Contact me to discuss if interested.
The reasons a company might want to advertise on JetWit:
- A unique centralized channel for reaching a national audience of JET alums and other people with a connection to Japan along with current JETs and prospective JETs. (FYI, there are approximately 20,000 JET alums in the US.) (Not that all of them read JetWit. :-)
- Positive publicity and good karma from showing support for JET alumni
- JetWit’s ability to provide creative advertising solutions.
- Benefit from my 7 years of experience communicating with and supporting the JET alumni network in my role as the JETAA NY Newsletter Editor.
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, and thanks for your help.
Steven (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
New JET Alumni Music Group
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Adren Hart has started a new Google Group for JET alumni (and Friends of JET) who are interested in or have any connection to music, musical events, etc. The group is called JETAA Ongaku Connection and it’s goal is to help connect JET alums who are interested in going to music events, following Japanese bands, playing music and anything esle having to do with music. A great way to stay connected with the JET alumni network.
http://groups.google.com/group/jetaa-ongaku-connection
Go to the link above to sign up. (FYI, you’ll need to have (or create) a google or gmail account to sign up for a google group.)
The US-Japan Alliance: A new report by JET alum Michael Auslin
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A new report is out by JET alum Michael Auslin and Christopher Griffin entitled The US-Japan Alliance in a New Era.
Michael Auslin is a Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former professor of Japanese history at Yale. Christopher Griffen is the security policy advisor to Sen. Joe Lieberman (who seems to held on to his chair in the Senate). The two will be speaking together on a panel at an AEI event on November 20.
You can read the executive summary and you can also download the PDF of the full report.
JetWit in Japan-US Business News
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Yvonne Burton (an independent business consultant who has both US and Japanese clients), has a nice entry about JetWit.com and finding opportunities in a tought economy today on her unique and interesting website Japan-US Business News (www.japanusbusinessnews.com).
JetWit will be paying close attention to Yvonne’s site going forward as she has a lot of experience working with small and mid-sized businesses and a reputation for coming up with creative approaches to cross-cultural business issues. Definitely a good resource for many JET alums.
(Side note: Just want to mention I was able to get to know Yvonne thanks to JET alum writer/interpreter/translator Stacy Smith, who has written and done translation work for Yvonne at different points.)
My name is Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08). And whether readjusting to post-JET life is something you’re facing now, will deal with in the future or if you just enjoy reconnecting with that awkwardly uncertain feeling you had when you got back from Japan, come along with me as I look for a new job, a new apartment, and yes, mow the lawn of my parent’s house. Tadaima!
********************
“Zannen…. Motainai“…..She repeated it again as she circled the computer skills on my resume. This was the third woman I had talked to today from this recruiting company.
It was 3:42pm in Manhattan and I had to decide if I was going to stay to see some people for drinks later tonight or take a train on the LIRR back home to my parent’s house – where I live now. Three months ago it was sayonara parties and teary goodbyes. Now it was recruiting companies and resume dos-and-don’ts.
Yuki (not her real name) was clearly disappointed. Even though we had been speaking Japanese most of the time I met her, she still felt it was not good enough for a Japanese business environment. She then explained Read More
Bankruptcy Bill – Strip #4: Headhunters
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Bankruptcy Bill is a cartoon created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. To see more strips as well as bankruptcy haiku, go to bankruptcybill.wordpress.com.
Writing Opportunities: JETAA NY Upcoming Newsletter Issue
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Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02), Editor of the JETAA NY Quarterly newsletter has announced that the theme for the next issue (slated for Jan. 2009) is The “New” Issue. New year, new JETAA editor, new U.S. president, and maybe some other things by the time we go to press.
- Contact Justin at: newsletter /atto/ jetaany /dotto/ org
- URL: http://jetaany.org/quarterly-newsletter-latest-edition/
“New” Ancedotes”: Justin is seeking anecdotes from JET alums that deal with anything new you learned or experienced during your time on JET or just in Japan. Prizes to the most interesting submissions. So the next time you’re on the subway and the train hits a red signal, think back to a time where everything was new, and send me something. If you need any inspiration, check out the political anecdotes from our last issue, which covered a wide spectrum of JET life. Next…
PART I: NEW FEATURES
-Nippon News Blotter: This aims to be a recap of the most interesting news stories of what’s happened in Japan since the last newsletter was published. Political, economic, entertainment, crime, scandals, whatever’s ripped from the headlines that can give our readers more of a sense of what’s going on in Japan. Easy to get by doing a Google News search or checking out an online English-language newspaper like the Japan Times online. So if you’re a Japanese news junkie and you come across a story that grabs you, forward the link to me and I’ll earmark it for inclusion in the next issue.
-East Meets West: The idea is to pose a question each issue to a handful of both Japanese people and JETs, with their answers printed underneath their photos. The Japanese can be friends of JETs, or people you meet in your daily life or even out on the street. I’m curious to see if the Japanese opinions would be the same, close, or totally different from what Americans would say. An example question would be something like “What problem do you want President Obama to handle first when he takes office?”, but the topic is open to suggestions and volunteers to both answer the questions and snap some photos.
-View From Japan: Are you a JET who’s currently living in Japan, or an alum who knows somebody with a JET relationship currently working in Japan? If so, Justin is looking to add more features from those in Japan today, which can give past JETs a clearer picture of what it’s like to work on the program here in the late ’00s. And commentary or a human interest story about something happening in Japan also plays up our international angle nicely.
-Celebrity Interviews: Does anybody know somebody who can get us in touch for an interview with a “big” name? Reason: even if they aren’t Japanese or haven’t lived there, they might have visited the country or have a big fan base there. So just asking a few questions about Japan could make an interesting spot of reading that would make JETAA NY stand out. Of course, if they are Japanese and have lived in Japan, even better. At the very least, run a wishlist by me or recommend a site for publicists or agents if you know one.
-Our New Name: We toyed with this idea earlier in the year, but it didn’t take. If anyone has any proposals to re-name the newsletter, send in your suggestions. Having a new name in time for the “new” issue would be timely, but it has to be something special!
PART II: BULLETIN BOARD
–Sukiyaki Western Django film review: Anyone want to review a recent movie where the mostly-Japanese cast speaks every line of dialogue in English? With a supporting role by Quentin Tarantino, this action/Western directed by Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer) premiered at Japan Society early this summer and followed with a short arthouse theatrical run. And if your Netflix queue has you swamped through the next decade, I may be able to arrange a screener from the production company. Check out some clips at its Amazon.com page:
-333 Club at Japan Society: One of Justin’s contacts at Japan Society runs the 333 Club, which invloves the following according to their homepage: Japan Society Members who are between the ages of 21 and 40 at the $500 Sponsor level or above to become a part of the 333 Club. Programs for our younger Members include meet-the-artist receptions, roundtable discussions with special guests and various other networking opportunities.
- Yakitori demonstration and tasting at Tori Shin restaurant
- Meet-the-Artist Reception with Basil Twist
- Summer Party/Miwa Yanagi Exhibition at Chelsea Art Museum
- Special Workshop and Reception at New York City Ballet
- Gallery Walk and Brunch with Making a Home Curator Eric Shiner
- Meet-the-Artist Reception with Yoshi Oida and David Stern
- Hands-on Pottery Workshop at Tougeikyoshitsu
- Meet-the-Artist Reception with B-saku Sato and Mitsuru Hirata
- Foreign Policy Roundtable with Dr. Tomohito Shinoda
- Meet-the-Artist Reception with rock shamisen artist Hiromitsu Agatsuma
- Artisanal Tea Tasting Dinner at Cha-an Teahouse
- Japanese Architecture Tour of New York
- Night at Yankees Stadium
If anyone’s interested in doing a piece on this, Justin will put you touch with someone. They likely already have a more detailed press release for this club, so the writer will just need to get a few quotes and wrap up with the club’s future plans and upcoming activities. Simple enough, right? Who’s in?
http://www.japansociety.org/333_club
–SwirlySwirlDates.com: SwirlySwirl is run by one Charmane Tsang, an enterprising young New Yorker who’s taken speed dating international under the slogan of Meet, Chat, Swirl, Go Interracial. Each week SwirlySwirl has speed dating and networking events for people of different backgrounds (including matching Japanese with others in NYC). While the subject isn’t a JET alum, Charmane provides a service that might be useful to many JET alums out there, and I get you in touch with her for a possible feature story about the jungle-like world that is NYC dating.
http://www.swirlyswirldates.com
-Restaurant Reviews: Another kind of story that we haven’t included for a few years now. Anyone been to a Japanese restaurant that you find yourself recommending to your friends over and over again? Might be worth spotlighing one in each issue, which is also good for our international community and opens the door for future gift certificate sponsors.
Writing Opportunity: Japanese Film Reviews
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JetWit is seeking reviews of Japanese films (recent or old) from any JET alums or Friends of JET who want to write one. No deadline. If you want to write one at any point, just send it in to stevenwaseda /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
JET alum Michael Auslin (Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former Professor of Japanese History at Yale University) will be speaking on the future of the U.S.-Japanese Alliance together with Christopher Griffin, defense policy adviser to Sen. Joseph Lieberman, on November 20 at the American Enterprise Institute.
Securing Freedom: A Report on the Future of the U.S.-Japanese Alliance
You can find this online at: http://www.aei.org/event1840
“In a new report entitled Securing Freedom: The U.S.-Japanese Alliance in a New Era, AEI’s Michael Auslin and Christopher Griffin, defense policy adviser to Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-D-Conn.), demonstrate that the United States and Japan should reorient their alliance to support political and economic liberalization. These reforms would in turn create bulwarks against authoritarian expansion and ensure that democracy, free markets, and transparent security policies become the animating principles of politics in Asia.” Read More
